Latest Posts
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The will to live
Throughout recorded history, thinkers and natural philosophers have commented on the innate, energetic spark that is imbued within all living things. Eastern and Western civilisations have simultaneously described a will to live, an internal life force, a spirit, or soul,… Continue reading
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What should life be like?
What should life be like? What can we reasonably expect from our existence? I’m not referring to those ultra people, with extreme lifestyles, who live as monastic monks or who have blue blood and live in palaces. I’m also not… Continue reading
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Draw Like a Boss
In this interview, author Ashley Edge and Paul Carney explore the purpose of drawing and learning to draw, including explicit instruction. Ashley Edge is a Lake District based artist and the author of the Draw Like a Boss series of… Continue reading
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It’s Life Jim!
Some scientists now believe the chances of life emerging on Earth by itself are too remote. In a very honest, refreshing, (but complex), scientific paper, Robert Endres of the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London in December 2025, explored… Continue reading
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Finding God in an age of reason
What evidence is there that God exists? In my opinion, the likelihood of the universe springing into existence by itself, for no reason, is so remote as to be non-existent. The mathematics of this universe forming event are mind-bogglingly extreme.… Continue reading
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The Blob
A short story. The blob floated mindlessly in the darkness. It had no eyes, or senses, save the ability to touch. To feel. It had no explicit conscious thoughts as such. But, driven by impulse, it knew what it wanted.… Continue reading
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One in a billion
In the Big Bang, when the universe was formulated, there should have been a blinding flash of radiation as these opposing forces cancelled each other out. But that is not what happened. By the order of one particle in a… Continue reading
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Welcome to the spirit world.
A short story. It had been another excellent meeting, Wendy thought, as she tidied her props away into her handbag and picked up her phone. Her back was killing her from sitting on a hard seat all night, but she… Continue reading
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Stephen Hawking: Is there a God?
“One could define God as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of as God. They mean a human-like being, with whom one can have a personal relationship.” Hawking refers to… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Pure awareness is heaven
What are your thoughts on life after death? Where do you think we go when we die? Perhaps you think you’ll live eternally in a heavenly paradise surrounded by your loved ones. Maybe you don’t believe any of that stuff… Continue reading
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Movie Night
‘Where the hell am I?’ she muttered to herself, as the vortex gave way to a dimly lit room, complete with brightly-coloured, patterned furnishings and the kind of Jamaican, cultural furnishings she was familiar with from her childhood. ‘Oh wow,… Continue reading
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Roads to Happiness
Two eastern mystics with profound insights into the nature of existence and how to lead happier lives are Sri Ramana Maharshi and Thich Nhat Hanh. Maharshi was a Hindu sage who lived around eighty years ago in India, while Hanh… Continue reading
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How can an inanimate force become a God?
When we think of a force such as the quantum field, we don’t think of an omnipotent, personified being, we think of an abstract mass of crackling energy; a bubbling froth of excitable forces, where a myriad of particles might… Continue reading
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The axis of evil
Aristotle’s geocentric model of the universe, with earth in the centre, fitted with western Biblical ideologies and so stood for two thousand years until Copernicus upset the apple cart and proclaimed the sun was at the centre of things. Despite… Continue reading
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True Survivor (the pom-poms)
Harry woke up before the alarm and instinctively woke his wife, Jacinda, too. ‘Hey Jac, come on, you’ve got a long day today, you’re on lates.’ ‘What? Huh, oh God, my head hurts.’ ‘I’ll let you go in the shower… Continue reading
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The grand coder
A computer coder creates a virtual world which replicates our ‘real’ world, and the characters have a form of artificial intelligence. Characters in this world have the ability to sense their environment, and assume what they experience is real. In… Continue reading
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An odd thing to find
‘Tonight, we bring you a special report on the mysterious phenomena known as sea pyramids – the strange, glowing triangular prisms that have washed up on the beaches of Japan and the Philippines in recent months. ‘Professor Richard Binks, a… Continue reading
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The True Self
The true Self is the spiritual self. The true Self is the single self; it is not scattered, disorganised or divided. The true Self has no ego. The true Self does not crave attention, fame, status, wealth, or ambition. The… Continue reading
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The Secret of Life
There is a secret to life that is so simple, yet so elusive, and it is this: all the life that has ever existed, in every corner of the universe, has one primary purpose – to find happiness. What is… Continue reading
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An Origin Story
A young girl was seated alone in a plush café, talking into her friend through her smartphone. The friend was on speakerphone, and the girl, although clearly distressed, made no attempt to hide her conversations. The girl sobbed and wailed… Continue reading
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Last Night in Middlesbrough
The old man winced in pain as he leant forward to pull the flimsy blanket over his calloused, gnarled feet. Even thick, thermal socks weren’t enough to keep out the icy cold depths of winter. It wouldn’t be long now,… Continue reading
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Dragged kicking and screaming
Do you trust your instincts? Everybody talks about the good old days, the good old days, right? Well, let’s talk about the good old days. As bad as we think they are, These will become the good old days for our children. Gladys Knight… Continue reading
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The Fundamental Spirit
Reality has a fundamental layer that pervades and connects all things. The Hindus call it Brahman; the invisible essence that permeates the whole universe. The Chinese call it the Tao. Buddhists call it the Dharma. Scientists might call it the… Continue reading
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An Almighty state of being
God for me, isn’t a being in the sky, but a creative life force all around me, present in all things. As my regular readers will know, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery over the last year and an… Continue reading
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Finding Patterns
Pattern Is religion just the brain seeing patterns in things? Human beings have a tendency to attach supernatural meanings to everyday phenomena. Seeing faces in clouds (pareidolia), believing there is a pattern in random events (like in gambling), or confirmation… Continue reading
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Believing in Nothing
No one believes in a God who does nothing,” G. K. Chesterton Something rather than nothing It seems obvious to me that something, rather than nothing, created the universe. Proving it, however, is extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is… Continue reading
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If everything that exists has a cause, who or what is the cause of God?
Preface: Some people associate God with that described in religious texts, others like me simply say that God is an unknown higher power. The cosmological argument for the existence of God says that nothing exists without a cause. The universe… Continue reading
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The Ouroboros
How are you feeling right now? “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” Carl Jung For me, one of the hardest aspects of having ADHD is emotional dysregulation. I’ve struggled… Continue reading
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An Atheist Rebuttal
A rebuttal of a New Scientist article by atheist Victor J. Stenger In his 2012 New Scientist article, the God Hypothesis, Victor J. Stenger focusses on the Judaic-Christian-Islamic version of God, and then looks for empirical evidence for it. Here… Continue reading
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Melding our Minds
A mind meld is a fictional, telepathic link that the character Spock was able to perform on other organisms to connect their minds. But could it possibly be a real ability? Might we be able to connect our thoughts with… Continue reading
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Part of something greater
If the Earth were a hydrogen atom, and I looked out from my window at the electron whizzing past in the air above, I might be tempted to think that this was all there was. After all, I wouldn’t know… Continue reading
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What is the purpose of our existence?
Reading time 10 minutes For the majority of the world’s population, God is the purpose of their existence. According to the 13th-century Italian scholar Thomas Aquinas, the ultimate goal of human existence is to attain a supernatural union with God,… Continue reading
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A universal SATs exam
What are you curious about? I’m curious about God. I’m pretty sure God exists, but I’m also pretty sure there is no Divine Intervention. This is because I have enough evidence to say that the universe creating itself is highly… Continue reading
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A Spiritual Journey
What are your future travel plans? Life is taking me on a journey at present and it’s one I didn’t seek. Of course, all life is a journey, but this is something completely different. These last few years, I’ve felt… Continue reading
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Near Death Experiences
I’ve been reading an old book about Near Death Experiences called Life After Life by Dr Raymond Moody. It very much relates to a topic I wrote about a while ago Where Do We Go When We Die? in which… Continue reading
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The effects of infinity on finite systems
“Imagine you had a perfectly sealed box. Nothing can come in, and nothing can escape. Into this box you placed an apple and sealed it shut. If you waited long enough, the apple would go through various states of decomposition.… Continue reading
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Life and time
Which activities make you lose track of time? Einstein showed that, rather than there being a single unified time, time is relative, and so every phenomena has its own time. There isn’t a single entity of time, there are numerous… Continue reading
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Why Isn’t Life Easy?
Why isn’t life easy? If a God created life, why make it so difficult? I mean, if you were omnipotent, and you were designing life, surely you’d make it so that things ticked over nicely, you’d want them to purr… Continue reading
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Splashing in Puddles
So many of us are finding the world overwhelming these days. The constant hostility on social media, the lack of empathy and tolerance for other people’s’ views, not to mention the depressing news stories, climate change and soaring crime, it’s… Continue reading
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Was the world made for us?
Imagine there was a safari park, complete with big cats, monkeys, zebras, giraffes etc. Now, imagine that the human keepers became extinct and the park was left to its own devices, with all the cage doors left open. There would… Continue reading
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Explore Paul Carney’s Two Unique Albums
Paul Carney has released two albums, “Dying Days,” produced by Mike Franklin in 2008, featuring a tribute track for his late mother, and “Suspicion,” recorded in his home studio in 2010. He also performed covers with the band Red Book.… Continue reading
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Hand of God?
Many years ago I had a marine fish tank which took a lot of hard work to keep. I had to make sure it was always at the right temperature. I had to check the pH levels and ensure the… Continue reading
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The Spirit Within Me
How important is spirituality in your life? I define the spirit as the living essence of a person, which includes consciousness, and the bioelectrical life force within all living things. In this way, the spirit is my mind and my… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Valuing our Values
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny. Mahatma Gandhi We all have values that mould and shape our… Continue reading
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How to lead a good life
What are the most important things needed to live a good life? Dear Margot Here are five life lessons I’ve accumulated over the years. I hope they will help you become happy and healthy when you grow up. There are… Continue reading
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I Believe…
Beliefs are the foundations upon which we build our sense of self. They are pivotal to our well being and happiness. But our beliefs are also personal, insecure and subjective. That’s partly because of the nature of knowledge itself, but… Continue reading
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Get away from it all
It’s hard to be happy if you’re constantly looking inward. When we focus on ourselves too much, when we live inside our own heads, or even when our ailments occupy more of our time than they should, we suffer. It’s… Continue reading
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Going where the Evidence Leads
My reason for believing that a Deist, non-interventionist God created our universe, is that, while no evidence for God has been found within the universe, there are enough reasons to assume one created it. This is because: The universe is… Continue reading
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Hold All
What personal belongings do you hold most dear? There is something very cathartic about freeing yourself of all your possessions and moving on. I’ve done it a few times in my life. I used to travel from town to town… Continue reading
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What is the shape of the universe?
Cosmologists aren’t sure what shape the universe is. And, while this may sound like a pointless thing to think about, it is actually a profound question that has significant implications. There are three leading models for the shape of the… Continue reading
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NHS sticker album
Do you have any collections? Yes, I’m collecting medical conditions. So far, I’ve got twelve. I’m only looking for one more to complete the set and I’ll get a commemorative medal from the NHS. It would be nice if they… Continue reading
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Que sera sera
What is the legacy you want to leave behind? The legacy I’d like to leave behind is both personal and creative. On a personal level I’d like my family, friends and past pupils, to think of me fondly and remember… Continue reading
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The Way of Paul : updated for 2025!
How do you balance work and home life? It’s easier for me to answer this question now I’ve retired. When I was working, I can tell you I was a workaholic. I had a full-time teaching job, and I built… Continue reading
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Facts about electrons
Taken from the article What is an Electron? by Peter Ripota Continue reading
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A Little Less of What You Fancy
What sacrifices have you made in life? As a kid, growing up in a devout Christian household, we used to give something up for Lent. It was nearly always sweets of course, and I was terrible at it. I wouldn’t… Continue reading
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Wrinkles
What’s the oldest things you’re wearing today? My skin Continue reading
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And Still the Weeds Grow
A story about a lifetime with ADHD “A father went out to sow his seed…” so the parable of Jesus went. To paraphrase, some fell on the rocks, some fell in the thorns, and others produced a bountiful crop. Guess… Continue reading
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Suspicion album
In 2010 I recorded an album of my own songs, using what was then state-of-the-art software in GarageBand and Logic Pro. Everything was either played and recorded by me, or built from samples. The vocals were done by singing into… Continue reading
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Paul, the passive Pied Piper?
Are you a leader or a follower? I follow those who are worth following and lead those who need to be led. I went for a government interview once, to fast-track into senior leadership of schools. The interview was in… Continue reading
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Fine Fruits
List your top 5 favorite fruits. 1. 🫐 2. 🍇 3. 🍓 4. 🍌 5. 🍒 Continue reading
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The Arthrobot Scriptures
I used AI to create some illustrations for my young adult fiction novel, the Arthrobot Scriptures which is out on Amazon. It’s a humorous adventure about an old woman who has her brain uploaded into a robotic insect and must… Continue reading
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Could’s and Should’s
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life? Small improvements I should make in my life: I should exercise more. Really fit people go jogging. I should do that. I should eat less crap, and only eat fresh… Continue reading
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Strict Father Model
The strict father model of government is the mainstay of the Conservative, Reform, and Republican party’s manifestos. It helps keep the rich, rich and the poor, poor, yet it is incredible how many poor people think it is ‘right’. It… Continue reading
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An Elegant and Persuasive Power
Why should we believe in something that only adds an immaterial layer to the scientific view, and which takes away the profound, revelatory nature of religion? I’ve set out in earlier blog posts what my evidence is for believing there… Continue reading
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I am that I am
Remember, every atom in my body was forged in a star, This body is mostly just empty space after all, and solid matter? It’s just energy vibrating very slowly. There is no me. There never was. The electrons of my… Continue reading
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Freedom, I won’t let you down
What does freedom mean to you? Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves Abraham Lincoln I don’t have any personal experience of oppression. I haven’t had my rights denied, been racially abused, or sexually oppressed. I’ve… Continue reading
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I won’t Reform
What public figure do you disagree with the most? It used to be common for politicians to resign if they were caught lying. John Profumo resigned in 1963 after lying to parliament about his affair. Yet, Boris Johnson lied to… Continue reading
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A glittering career
What is your career plan? My first job aged 15, was working on a market stall every Saturday selling ladies clothes. I got that job myself, I had no support or encouragement to do it. I was always very determined… Continue reading
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Sublime Symphony
What was the last live performance you saw? The last live concert I saw was at the Glasshouse, Gateshead. It was a performance by the Northern Sinfonia orchestra of Brahms’ Third Symphony, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17. There was… Continue reading
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Shape and Form
Spring brings so many new forms and shapes into our lives. Often we are drawn into colour, which captivates us of course, but shape and form are also worth our attention. Here are some photos of mine. Continue reading
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More Time to Do Less
What do you do to be involved in the community? I used to do quite a bit of volunteering up until recently. I did volunteer work for my local nature reserve, taking classes of schoolchildren around to show them the… Continue reading
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Busy doing nothing
What’s a job you would like to do for just one day? I found it very difficult to think of a job I would like to do for one day. Every time I thought of a job that would be… Continue reading
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Paul’s Comfort
One of my many jobs in life was as an advertising salesman. My job was to concoct all manner of ways and methods to entice people into buying things. I was creative, so I was good at it. In the… Continue reading
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100 Subscribers
Thank you so much for helping me reach 100 subscribers. It really means a lot to be part of this wonderful community of writers and thinkers who want to make the world a brighter, more creative place. Continue reading
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Towers of Strength that support me
List the people you admire and look to for advice… I admire and listen to my wife. She diffuses my emotional outbursts and gives me sound advice. ❤️ I also go to my brother and sister for advice. They have… Continue reading
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Voting Rights and Voting Wrongs
Do you vote in political elections? I’m what they call a floating voter. I don’t affiliate myself to any one party because I prefer to use reason and judgment about which party I think will best represent the country or… Continue reading
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My life’s directions
What gives you direction in life? Continue reading
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Oaths to Myself
Things to lead a more fulfilling life. Continue reading
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Quotes to live by
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often? “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” – BUDDHA You have power over your… Continue reading
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Happy Holidays
What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite? I’m not that good at going on holiday. I think you’re meant to relax and unwind but my ADHD brain doesn’t let me do that. I have to be active… Continue reading
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Camping Chaos
Have you ever been camping? I have had many happy holidays camping. When I was recently divorced I was unable to take my two kids on expensive holidays, I bought a second-hand tent and some stoves, and we went camping.… Continue reading
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Curiouser and Curiouser
When do you feel most productive? I feel most productive when I’m inspired. Inspiration comes in many forms, but is most often derived from reading or listening to new insights about a range of topics. I love podcasts, and they… Continue reading
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Speaking without words
What are your favorite emojis? 🎨✍️🌺❤️🎸🎤🦢🦚✏️📖🧬🔭🤣🍔🧁🍹📺 🍬 Continue reading
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Lonely Culture Vulture
What topics do you like to discuss? I do sometimes feel like I’m a potato growing in a field of cabbages. I like to talk about culture: art, music, philosophy, religion, and science, but those around me detest them. My… Continue reading
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More is Different
The constant void enables one to observe the true essence. The constant being enables one to see the outward manifestations. These two come paired from the same origin. But when the essence is manifested, It has a different name. Tao… Continue reading
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Howay the Toon
Describe a risk you took that you do not regret. I took a big risk to move to Newcastle upon Tyne 21 years ago, to live with my then girlfriend. I had to give up my house which had been… Continue reading
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I’m not off to see the wizard…
Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently? Looking back on my life, there are many occasions when taking a different course of action would have led to much more… Continue reading
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A born worrier
What makes you nervous? What makes me nervous? Hmmmn well, I’ve had anxiety all my life so I guess I’d say that, free-floating anxiety plagues me really. It’s pretty weird. I worry about all kinds of stupid little things like… Continue reading
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The fuse of time
It occurred to me that our perception of time and reality is like a burning fuse. We experience the point of ignition in unison, all of us moving along in the heat of a singular moment, burning our available energies,… Continue reading
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Gratitude
How do you unwind after a demanding day? How do I relax? The thing is, we have the luxury to be able to do these things. How fortunate are we, that most of us have a safe, comfortable home we… Continue reading
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Woeful Media
How do you use social media? I don’t use social media much at all these days. I can’t stand it to be honest. The world seems full of people ranting and raging about injustice, espousing all manner of ill informed… Continue reading
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Getting out more
Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. The first thing that came into my mind this morning was Dark Matter. I need to get out more. I mean, really. Who is even bothered? 😕 Why do we… Continue reading
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What Matters?
Is matter all there is? The prevailing scientific viewpoint leaves some big unanswered questions. Materialism is a philosophical and scientific viewpoint that states that matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all things, including consciousness, are the result… Continue reading
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Jenga
Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow. A decision I’ve made that helped me grow? All of them. I think that it is important to understand that every decision we make, good or… Continue reading
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Cold, cold Oymyakon
What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why? The place I would never want to visit, at least in winter, is Oymyakon, in Russia, which is the coldest permanently inhabited human settlement on Earth. I hate being… Continue reading
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My Angel
Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you. My wife is a constant, kind, loving, gentle presence in my life. She is always giving, always supportive, always ready to give me a hand up. She never loses… Continue reading
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Plain Eater
What is your favorite restaurant? I don’t go to restaurants. I live on a modest retirement income, so I can’t afford them. However, I’ve never been a foodie and am slightly irritated by all those people who drool over tiny… Continue reading
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