Monthly Archives: May 2011

Blake’s Proverbs

Posted on May 27, 2011 by

William Blakes’ Proverbs of Hell are a bit like Jenny Holzer’s Truisms – some you get some you don’t, some resonate some clang. Still thinking about some of the things which I think constitute the good life, four of his … Continue reading →

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Poetry in Motion

Posted on May 25, 2011 by

I’ve just finished Csikszentmihalyi’s ‘Flow’. There are things to criticise. Some points – the time we waste in front of TV notably – are right but he makes them repetitively. His style occasionally grates. But, in my humble opinion, it … Continue reading →

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Queen

Posted on May 22, 2011 by

Chugging slowly with a car full around a clogged South Circular last Sunday, I was simultaneously cheered and touched by my other half. As as the peerless Freddie Mercury sang… I’ve been with you such a long time You’re my … Continue reading →

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The Good Life

Posted on May 19, 2011 by

I used to be a strict Act Utilitarian – the moral act is the one that produces the most overall happiness or least harm. The undergraduate philosophy case studies all seemed clear cut to me. Knowing what we know now, … Continue reading →

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Sinister

Posted on May 15, 2011 by

I’ve always been more dextra than sinistre. Right-handed, very right-footed and very left-brained. But I worry for my son. With no left foot he’ll never make the England football team. Plus he’d stand a better chance of becoming a test … Continue reading →

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Broadband

Posted on May 14, 2011 by

Our home broadband has been on the blink this week. You really miss it when it’s not there. Perhaps worse is when it comes and goes – one minute you’re surfing gaily, the next you’re beached with a ‘no network’ … Continue reading →

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Immersion

Posted on May 8, 2011 by

Concentrating on boiling a ham on the hob yesterday, I was reminded of a key aspect of ‘flow’ – immersion. ‘Flow’ is ceasing to be self-conscious or unduly conscious of others and becoming thoroughly immersed in the task or activity. … Continue reading →

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Kisses

Posted on May 7, 2011 by

As my other half left the house for work one morning this week, my daughter was a bit sad. My daughter and son were perched with me on the back of the sofa. My partner waved to us through the … Continue reading →

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Cross Stitches

Posted on May 1, 2011 by

I’ve subscribed to Montaigne’s Essais on dailylit.com which breaks him up into comparatively bitesized chunks. Still the discovery that there are 426 daily episodes to look forward to sometimes feels a long haul. I’m up to episode 62. Some days … Continue reading →

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