Technology presupposes only the law-abidingness of things, their being equal to our desires, and the cunning of thought. The first metaphysical question is no longer Leibniz's question "why is there something rather than nothing?", but, "why is there evil rather than good?"

— Levinas, "Transcendence and Evil"

Tags: levinas, evil, technology.

Labels: levinas, philosophy

Rarely have I read about a more cynical, bitter, and air-brained load of tripe as that issuing from the mouth of Formula 1 boss Max Mosley this week. I can only imagine it originates in his frosty relationship with McLaren boss Ron Dennis. Basically, he says that we should all not get excited about Lewis Hamilton (Dennis' protege), because if it wasn't him emerging it would be someone else, and in any case it's a bad thing to have someone dominating the sport because it makes it boring. Can you believe this man?

For a start, Lewis Hamilton did not dominate this season — in case Mosley has forgotten, he didn't even win the championship — and what's more, the success that he did have was so exciting and remarkable precisely because it was so original. Not only in the sense that he broke a bunch of records, but more importantly because he actually has the intelligence and skill to race and overtake. What with the changes to F1 car specification regulations, and the overall level of competition at the top of F1 at the moment, I see absolutely no signs that the next few years are going bear any resemblance to the days of Michael Schumacher's dominance.

Tags: mosley, hamilton, lewishamilton, maxmosley, rondennis, formulaone.

Labels: formulaone

Skin

Obedient daily dress,

You cannot always keep

That unfakable young surface.

You must learn your lines —

Anger, amusement, sleep;

Those few forbidding signs

Of the continuous coarse

Sand-laden wind, time;

You must thicken, work loose

Into an old bag

Carrying a soiled name.

Parch then; be roughened; sag;

And pardon me, that I

Could find, when you were new,

No brash festivity

To wear you at, such as

Clothes are entitled to

Till the fashion changes.

—Philip Larkin

Tags: skin, larkin, philip.

Labels: poetry

Absolutely everything I do is boring.

Former priest of our parish seems to have killed himself this week, which is slightly strange news. I never knew the man, but by all accounts he did an excellent job. It makes you wonder what kind of place church must have been for him, and highlights, sadly, how those with the most giving and generous personalities can often struggle to value themselves, even, or especially, in an ecclesiastical environment.

Tags: nicholasclapp, priest, death.

Labels: church, religion

All this stuff about Menzies Campbell having to resign because he was "too old" is complete tosh. He had to resign because he lacked charisma, public presence, and anything resembling inspiring policies. These deficiencies, we should know only too well, can afflict persons of any age. And to show that you can be of a certain age and still very successful as an active politician, take Ken Clarke and Tony Benn. Truth is, British politics is so crowded around the centre ground that a party like the Liberal Democrats is doomed to struggle for identity until some catastrophe strikes the nation. (Hence their popularity during the Iraq war.)

Tags: menziescampbell, menzies, campbell, libdem, libdems, liberaldemocrats, liberal, democrats, resignation, politics, kenclarke, tonybenn, iraq, war, britain

Labels: politics

Anyone interested in the bizarre behind-the-scenes world of professional snooker would be well advised to read this interview with John Higgins in the Sunday Herald (via Snooker Scene). He talks about the crazy decision taken in Shanghai earlier this year to put his first-round world final rematch with Mark Selby on a non-televised table, and reveals that he almost walked out of the tournament as a result. Plummeting prize money, and a number of other recent questionable decisions, raise the spectre of another rebellion by the top players, and (who knows) perhaps even the start of a rival world tour. This almost happened about seven years ago, when TSN (now 110sport) allegedly had all the venues booked up for a breakaway tour. Somehow everyone stayed together though, a few heads rolled at World Snooker, and everyone carried on much as before. It's a shame snooker is so mismanaged; but Higgins has the right idea in this interview. It's time to explore new audiences within Europe and grow the invitational circuit as a means of supporting and growing the ranking events. Who blames Ronnie O'Sullivan for pulling out of so many tournaments lately? It doesn't sound like snooker's a very fun — or profitable — place to be right now.

Tags: snooker, higgins, osullivan, sundayherald, markselby, selby

Labels: snooker

Though we think our thoughts are ours by choice, and our ills a mere consequence of our own recklessly unhealthy life, it may well be that, just as papilionaceous plants produce a seed of a certain shape, our family hands down to us the ideas which keep us alive, as well as the illness which will cause our death.

— In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, Penguin 2002, p469

Labels: readingproust

Because they take your breath away?

Tags: humour, stupid, plasticbag.

Labels: humour, photography

Just listening to Radiohead's new album, In Rainbows. It's great that they have some new material out, the first since 2003, but it's kind of disappointingly samey. That's not to say it's not good; The Bends and OK Computer both spoke in pretty much the same musical language, and both were great albums. I just feel they need to find somewhere new to go, which I suppose is hard after the apex (in my view) of Amnesiac.

Tags: radiohead, inrainbows, album.

Labels: music

Perspective nightmare:

A confined space.

Forever onwards, forwards:

Closer. Further away.

2002

Tags: poetry, poem, perspective

Labels: poetry