Listening to Radio 4

The joys of listening to Radio 4 sometimes is that you get to listen to deep philosophical discussions such as The Moral Maze. This evening it was on religion science and scientism in relation to the subject of climate change. This was the synopsis of the programme -


"As the flood waters rise and gales rip through the country the debate about climate change has erupted with new energy, with both sides claiming the scientific and moral high ground. So where does that leave us? Whether it's climate change, GM crops or the latest IVF technique - how should we make moral decisions when the facts are in dispute? Environmentalists accuse the sceptics of being climate change "deniers" with all the emotional charge that comes with that word "denier"; while the sceptics accuse the environmentalists of following a quasi-religious cult that is more about controlling people's freedoms than it is about anything to do with the weather. Both claim the science backs up their position and accuse the other side of ignoring and twisting the evidence. Do we rely too much on science being the only reliable and neutral source of knowledge? How often have you heard politicians fall back on the phrase "the science shows that..." when they're promoting their own values and policies? Is science filling in the moral vacuum left by our increasing scepticism of traditional forms of authority? Or is the scientific method the only thing that's saving us from dressing up our own prejudices as moral, right and just? Increasingly we live in an age when we want answers and we want them now. But arguably, we also live in an age when our scientific illiteracy is matched only by our philosophical ignorance. Thankfully the Moral Maze is here to help. Combative, provocative and engaging debate chaired by Michael Buerk with Claire Fox, Michael Portillo, Giles Fraser and Anne McElvoy."

Whether you agree or disagree , it was a thought provoking subject.

Also on was the latest heat oin Brain Of Britain and Poetry Please

Tyrannical

It seems tyrannical that this shambolic government would even consider proposals to charge claimants who appeal against decisions to remove or reduce their benefits. After the debacle with Atos and new rules on benefit claiming , i would have though they would have learned their lesson. But no, they bumble on in their own blinkered indifference to the plight of people less able  to fend for themselves.

What was that phrase they used, ah yes  - "We're all in it together". Bollocks!

Local History Books

Among the largess from yesterday's free books were a few old sixties or seventies paperbacks in quite poor condition including a Bond From Russia With Love. These and a few others will be used as donation material for my last three covert visits in charity shops this week, two in Tonbridge and one in Paddock Wood.

Also, there was a few books on local history which Past Sentence in Faversham might be interested in buying off me.

These are -

The Bawleymen, Fishermen and Dredgermen of The River Medway -  Derek Coombe  (Pennant Books)
Smuggling,The Wicked Trade - John Douch (Crabwell) - a book on smuggling around New Romney and Rye
The Past Glory of Milton Creek - Alan Cordell (Meresborough Books)

Catching Up

This evening i have been catching up with some decent telly, such as Sleepy Hollow after its long sojourn during the Xmas and New Year period. Also ,the Syfy channel had a Star Trek weekend with the two parts of "All Good Things", closing the weekend  special, and was  the last  two episodes of the  Picard tenure-ship

.