03rd November 2009
Most people seem to think that the alternative to success is failure. They also seem to think that the alternative to failure is success. It's not; in both case, it's mediocrity. For some reason, the majority of people in the West prefer the choice of not...
12th June 2009
How do you feel about scientists? Maybe you admire them, especially if they win a Nobel Prize or invent something that benefits all of humanity. But do you worship them? Do you 'believe' in them? Science isn't about worship, it's about respect, hard work ...
11th June 2009
Some people find it hard to face the future: they prefer to live in the past, or at least, that part of the past which they really enjoyed. That's OK, though. Some people can make a good living out of their nostalgia.
Artist Lawrence Cassidy is used to...
01st May 2009
There are at least two alternatives to scientific studies. One is to ignore the science and go straight for myth, magic and superstition. The other is to start with a scientific study and then twist it to suit your own purposes. This second appears regula...
15th October 2008
Here's a simple enough question. Suppose I bought a house, two years ago. I paid one hundred thousand for it. Now, two years later, the house has been valued at three hundred thousand. Great. Good news. So, how much money have I made? 'Ah', most people wo...
02nd October 2008
The reason that lying is so common is that most people aren't very good at communication in the first place, which means they then have to run to keep up with the misinformation they gave out originally. One reason is that it's so easy to misconstrue what...
29th September 2008
People can be perverse, sometimes. For instance, in these days of rising fuel prices it makes sense to buy a smaller car and try and keep your running costs down. Plenty of people are doing that; I was talking to a second-hand car dealer the other day, an...
22nd September 2008
No, not in the sense that Internet Authors are some wild animal, on the rampage and tearing up the big city. That's a job reserved for rapacious developers, Town Planners and Local Authority officials. No, the modern world is seeing a new phenomenon, and ...
08th September 2008
In Britain we have a very distinguished comedy writing partnership called Galton and Simpson. These two were responsible for some of the funniest situation comedies on radio and television from the 1950s to the 1980s. If you ask anyone living in these isl...
08th September 2008
There aren't any. Okay, whoah, I know that's not what you wanted to hear. If you're reading this article, then you're looking for someone to tell you that all you have to do is (i), (ii) and (iii) and you'll never have a problem again. Sorry, I don't beli...
05th September 2008
Suppose I was to tell you that the Police broke my door down the other day. They hauled me out of my bed and demanded to know if I was familiar with a man called Stephen Moon. I thought about it. Yes, that name sounded familiar. I thought about it some mo...
04th September 2008
Occasionally an idea comes along that is just so good, that, of course, most people fail to recognise it for what it is. The latest example of that is the move in Britain and America to seize the proceeds of a criminal's life. It's simple: you get convict...
02nd September 2008
There are many ways to communicate, but there are even more ways to fail to communicate. The most important of these I call, 'The Curse of FaceBook'. It's a mysterious thing, and, on the face of it, should never happen. After all, Social Networking sites ...
28th August 2008
A recent poll showed that a majority of Americans disapproved of homosexuals. When asked 'Why?' the chief reason given was that they thought that being Gay was somehow 'unnatural'. There's a simple answer to that: the next question should be 'Have you eve...
22nd August 2008
Lots of people like to think they're sophisticated, or, to put it another way, that they're witty, urbane, experienced and knowing. Some of us would like to think of ourselves as people who've grown up and learned the ways of the world, how to prosper and...
