Update from paradise 4

A walk down to The Forum last night resulted in M and I going to the cinema. We both agreed to see ´The Thing´ - as we had already seen most of the others on show.

As the title suggests, The Thing is a sci-fi movie about the discovery of an extra-terrestrial craft buried in the Antarctica ice.

Anything to do with Antarctica is interesting to me and I was keen to see this film, despite my reservation about the lack of known actors. Not always a good ´thing´ I find. Mind you, I´ve seen plenty of films with top actors that I wish I hadn´t but generally speaking the best actors have the pick of the scripts and usually star in the better films.

The Thing is a decent story with lots of snow and ice...and little else. It always amazes me why writers of this genre normally depict aliens in such grotesque ways. This particular case was disgustingly ugly; the alien looked like a giant crab with traces of human and insect parts. An interesting attribute of this thing was it´s ability to kill people, devour them and then replicate their bodies before hiding in them to come out at a later date.Some imagination, eh?  Oh pleeease sci-fi writers out there, can you stop taking those funny pink tablets when you´re writing?

If we ever encounter extra-terrestrials, I expect to see some beautiful, perfectly formed beings. After all they will be so much more advanced than us in order to get here that they are bound to be more beautiful and as close to perfection as is possible.

That´s about it. Oh yes, I nearly forgot to mention Mary Elizabeth Winstead. How could I?  Mary is a beautiful actress with a convincing about-to-cry expression that will melt many a heart.

EW...and...

...MEW - Mary Elizabeth Winstead

The Greatest Show on Earth - Book Review

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was reading this book...well, I have now! I just wish I had read it long before. It would have cleared up so many doubts, but there you go, better late than never.

OK, onto the business of reviewing:

“A beautiful and intelligent work on Evolution that

should finally put an end to the foolishness of creationism

 and intelligent design.”

This may be far-fetched wishful thinking on my behalf, but it is my conclusion after reading this enlightening book.



From plate-tectonics to the sex life of plants - from parasitic wasps to trees competing for sunlight- Richard Dawkins covers all the complexity of the origin of species, natural selection and nature with the skill set of an accomplished artist hell-bent on showing us his life's masterpiece.

I advise anyone who wishes to learn more about the origins of life to get this book and read it as soon as you can. You will enjoy the journey. I promise you will.

Onto the author now:

Richard Dawkins is one of my favourite thinkers and a man whose only agenda is to speak the truth. Like all  great scientist of the past, Prof. Dawkins is  interested in teaching as a means to counter-act the damage done by misinformation spread by religious movements.

...fighting his way through the history-denying

 crowds of ignorance...

R Dawkins is a brilliant scientist and, not surprisingly for a genius, an atheist, who is fighting his way through the history-denying crowds of ignorance with passion and conviction.

Prof. Dawkins, like many other academics, is horrified at the high percentage of people around the globe that don’t accept the fact-based teachings of science, but do the superstition-based religious mythical view of Creation.

'It is frightening to think that 40% of Americans don’t believe in evolution!' he states in the book. That figure is lower than all of the Muslim World but still much higher than the 9% or so of the northern Europeans.

In short, Richard Dawkins is as proud of his intellect as he is of his atheism, and I for one, am happy with that.
My own atheism was reached after much soul-searching and personal investigative work. For that, I am also proud and, immensely grateful to the great minds that have shaped me and led me to this conclusion; People like Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein and of course, my own family.

Keep up the good work Richard, never stop fighting ignorance. I look forward to your next book in anticipation. "March on secular soldier."

Happy reading friends  ;)
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the greatest answer on earth

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I’m in the process of reading a book by Prof. Richard Dawkins, entitled “The Greatest Show on Earth” and I would like to share with you an extract that amused me, to say the least. The book is a brilliant piece of work describing evolution and natural selection, without the usual jargon.


Anyway, the extract reports an exchange between Prof. J B S Haldane and an evolution-sceptic lady, that took place after one of his lectures. It goes as follows;

Evolution sceptic: Professor Haldane, even given the billions of years that you say were available for evolution, I simply cannot believe it is possible to go from a single cell to a complicated human body, with its trillions of cells organised into bones muscles and nerves, a heart that pumps without ceasing for decades, miles and miles of blood vessels and kidney tubules, and a brain capable of talking, thinking and feeling.

Prof. Haldane: But madam, you did it yourself. And it only took you nine months!

Totally awesome answer, me thinks.  I will review the book in due course - I’m only half-way through it.

Back to the book I go…x
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"Feel Good" review of the month

The Enneagram is a delightful read, to the point and written as a series of letters between patients and psychologist, Simon Parke.  It explains "The Enneagram", a chart depicting the nine human character traits.
It is a work in progress, invented 1500 years ago, and has evolved over the centuries.   It allows the reader to find their "number" or character trait and then advises on how to face one's own demons and change certain attitudes in order to achieve a more balanced life.

It is very accurate in it's description of me, anyway, 'spookily' so. I realized very soon into the book what my number was; and was surprised with the quality of advice offered!

A no-nonsense guide to how some of our traits influence our lives and how to change with the minimum of effort (suits me)

So friends, I know most of your already live a rich, fulfilled life, but if not (like me) I reccommend you add it to your 'bucket-list'. Happy reading

Nostalgia or just London rain in my eyes?

What joy I felt visiting Portobello Road Market with Madeleine Saturday afternoon! Great trip down memory lane for me. Nostalgia at it's most powerful! You see, I grew up around it, went to school there (Isaac Newton Secondary) and regrettably, also became complacent about it... until this return visit, that is.

What a fantastic market! And I am not just referring to the street stalls selling everything from freshly cooked paella to hand-made jewellery, from old vinyl records to handcrafted stage costumes; but also to it's variety of shops selling used designer clothes (prices to die for), musical instruments, leather jackets and handbags, and everything else under the sun. Traditional British pubs occupy every street corner, scenting the area with the sweet smell of brewed hops and sausage & mash. It is a joy to mingle in the throng of tourists and to listen to the locals with their unmistakable west London accents, as we snake our way from the Nottinghill end to the Goldborne Road intersection.

We made our way to Lisboa Patisserie in the hope of getting some Pasteis De Belem (see pic below) wonderful Portuguese delicacies, akin to the British custard tart; and of course a cup of 'real' coffee. Sadly we arrived too late for the Pasteis which are baked daily on the premises and have a habit of selling out by mid-day! When will the owners realize they are losing business and start supplying to demand? It's been the same for the last 30 years!!

Madeleine saw and fell for, a designer used handbag, (Louis Vuitton or Gucci...), I can't remember now, and has vowed to return for it as soon as her own handbag starts carrying money again. :)

Portobello Market is not the sort of place to visit if just reminiscing, as in my case, or window-shopping, as in Madeleine's. You really do need to take a wad of cash, as there are bargains everywhere. And most importantly you need to set aside a whole day in order to enjoy it's potential.

Madeleine and I have vowed to return to this most fascinating of markets on a regular basis. We may even rent an apartment nearby as soon as finances allow.

So dear friends, if you are ever in London you must visit Portobello Market, for to miss the experience would be a tragedy akin to:

...visiting Paris and not seeing the Eiffel tower, or Stockholm and not seeing the "Old Town", or Madrid and skipping the Prado, or Piza and not visiting the tower, or New York and not seeing the Statue of Liberty, or... good grief, sorry but I'm getting carried away, again !...must be the new medicine, or the quitting smoking, or the lack of a job, or the lack of sleep, or...or.. AAHGHHHHHHHHH

A Self-Help Masterpiece (at last !)

The best self-help book I have read - and

in my opinion, the only one worth reading

I have read many books on self-help through the years, and have mostly been left disappointed. Unlike published psychology, most self-help books are not written by the real 'masters' of the trade but merely people who can write, are already successful and wrongly believe they know what makes humanity tick . Some give advice that would make any psychologist worth his salt recoil with shock!

I refer specifically to the books urging people to "imagine being rich and successful and it will eventually happen" nonsense. If all it takes to be successful is to constantly imagine yourself in a wealthy/healthy scenario, then there would be no poverty in the world! As Richard Wiseman points out in his brilliant book ":59 seconds" , that kind advice can bring on more misery than riches. It causes instant well-being, granted, but places the person in an unrealistic world, unprepared for the pitfalls we all know are very much part of everyday life.

Anyone out there who wants a 'pick-me up' read should get a copy of this book, clear out their mind of past advice and enjoy a real good book based on research by hundreds of experts through the ages and compiled by a no-nonsense British authority in psychology, Professor Richard Wiseman.

Happy reading friends and may you all find the happiness you deserve :)