In a moving Christmas message, the Prime Minister held up the fruits of his long and difficult negotiations with the EU and proclaimed:
(click to enlarge to 1536×864)
It remains for Britons to figure out what the heck it all means come January 1st. Like sausage, the Brexit deal may be something you’d rather not see being made.
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It was Boxing Day 1967, and UK television viewers didn’t know what hit them! That was the day a pilot for a new britcom debuted:
(Alternate link: https://archive.org/download/ChristmasSpecials/Do.Not.Adjust.Your.Set-A.Happy.Boxing.Day.1967.mp4)
As Monty Python would do later, Do Not Adjust Your Set pushed the envelope, ushering in a younger generation of performers who were tuned in to a richer palette of influences than traditional comics and variety acts. This Boxing Day special exists on the cusp of a generational change in British comedy. In 23 minutes, the players manage to tick all the boxes an audience would expect (including a closing song & dance number), yet there’s something fresh and new happening — a clear departure from the limited repertoire of Carry On Christmas specials and music hall rehashings. Continue reading
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The concept of devotion is sometimes foreign to the Western mind, and even to the Western heart. We value independence to such an extent that it can be difficult to learn from someone who has more knowledge, and who has already developed those qualities which we are striving to achieve — good qualities like purity of heart, love of God, and spiritual insight.
According to the proud Western view, to be devoted to someone means we have become inferior. Worse yet, we have lost our critical faculty and are “surrendering” to someone else’s so-called wisdom.
I wish to say that there is a difference between true devotion and false devotion. In true devotion, spiritual devotion, a spark within us is kindled by someone who has more knowledge and is able to guide us to the truth we are seeking. If we are devoted to a spiritual teacher, spiritual figure, or to a particular aspect or form of God, then our devotion is like a magnet which pulls all their good qualities to us and helps us grow into our own highest self.
False devotion we can observe in myriad forms, but this does not mean there is no such thing as true devotion. True devotion nourishes us and helps us grow into what we hope to become. In true devotion there is spiritual joy — a kind of joy in which we find genuine sustenance, and in which love and wisdom grow.
I wanted to write on this topic because one of the bad effects of the current political climate is that it creates an atmosphere of suspicion such that the concept of devotion is greatly diminished or undermined. Collectively, our plight is like that of the man who has repeatedly been given a false coin. He becomes so suspicious that he eyes every coin with a jaundiced eye.
In the old Charlie Chaplin silent comedies, fellow actor Eric Campbell often played the “heavy.” If Chaplin’s tramp character gave Campbell a coin in payment for a meal, Campbell would look at it with a jaundiced eye, and bite it to see if it was a solid silver coin, or perhaps a bendy counterfeit made of tin.
The rise of Trumpism as a so-called “personality cult” has created a similar effect. When we see this type of false devotion to an ignorant political figure, we begin to imagine that all forms of devotion must be false, and must be rejected out of hand. There is a tendency in the West towards extreme secularization such that much of daily life is governed or defined by politics and science. In politics, we favour democracy over despotism; in science, we demand proof not faith. These things are right and proper in their own sphere.
But we should understand that the various religions, faith groups, and spiritual paths have not disappeared (not should they!), even if they often seem invisible in a world dominated by technology and politics (as well as secular entertainment). The cultivation of the soul and the search for ultimate truth remain essential human concerns, even if they are overshadowed by much of the media which we consume, or which is beamed in our direction. Continue reading
As Brexit negotiations go down to the wire, one outstanding issue remains fishing rights — though many consider it a ‘red herring’. The larger issue is the so-called ‘level playing field’ which the EU demands if the UK wants liberal access to the single market.
Still, if no deal is reached, one of the side effects of a no-deal Brexit would be the confuse-a-fish aspect. If a French fish accidentally wanders into British territorial waters, would it need a passport? How can you tell a British fish from a French fish, anyway?
Answer: If it asks to be served with chips, it’s a British fish. If it asks to be put in a pan with two other fish, it’s a French fish. (The latter arrangement is formally known as ménage à-trout.)
Haircuts and handbags, Batman! Looks like Boris and his mob are up to no good. With an Aussie Christmas for Britain in the making, that new Renault Clio you planned on parking under the Christmas tree may turn out to be a Rusty Holden Ute:
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Ethics and Spirituality 