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Theological and scientific truths

2011-02-04T13:20:00.000+01:00

A new year means time for a bit of blogging, hopefully the present frequency of adding new stuff is not exhausting anyone.

In an age where the positivistic stance has had a renaissance in neoatheistic circles, there is no lack of noise and negativity whenever someone makes attempts at integrating theological and scientific truths.

If you want a calm and constructive take on this, with a kind of case study on the initiation of human spiritual life, there are worse places to look than in Denis Alexander's response to Coyne, MacDonald, Ruse, and Wilkinson.

A pdf of the whole article is also moving upon the waters.

The GK Chesterton Society of Ireland

2010-06-21T14:38:00.000+02:00

Just to celebrate that I'm alive (though narrow enough mainly to materialise on my Norwegian blog), some blogs are removed (as they seem to have gone with the wind) and the blog of The GK Chesterton Society of Ireland is added.

For a time containing the vast population of one member only, something that in practice means a whole universe.

Elephant 9

2010-03-22T12:00:00.000+01:00

Ah, a Karn Evil beast.

If Keith Emerson had been younger. And Norwegian.

More stuff here.

Galileo backed Copernicus in spite of the data

2010-03-10T10:50:00.002+01:00

Of course Galileo Galilei has long been known to in error when backing the circular motion of the planets around the sun. However, now it seemes his own observations went against him also in other areas, as indicated by a new study using the same kind of telescope as Galileo.

Galileo Galilei was right: Earth moves around the Sun, just as Nicolaus Copernicus said it did in 1543. But had Galileo followed the results of his observations to their logical conclusion, he should have backed another system — the Tychonic view that Earth didn't move, and that everything else circled around it and the Sun, as developed by Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in the sixteenth century.

In Brahe's view the earth was immobile at the centre of the universe (for alternative models, look here). The sun and moon moved around the earth, while the other planets moved around the sun.

This theory was more consistent with the observational data than Copernicus' model and was highly popular in the early 1600's. It's always been somewhat of an enigma why Galileo didn't argue for - or even against - it.

The article also shows the way Galileo discredited his opponents and bolstered arguments through omissions and only weakly support by data. Some data even went against him, as he kept insisting on circular motion and that the tides was due to the movement of the earth.

It seems if this analysis is correct that Galileo proposed his theory in the teeth of the evidence and scientific consensus.

If he is to be honored as a martyr for something it should perhaps as much be for stubbornness as for science.

Keith' Christmas

2009-12-20T22:07:00.000+01:00

The Hole Left by the Freethinking Age

2009-11-03T13:41:00.008+01:00

As this blog alternates between prog and prejudice, it's time for another go at the Medieval myths.

Or science fiction writer Mike Flynn's go at "the Hole Left by the Christian Dark Ages".

Here's a taste.

In general, he projects. His essay appeals to ignorance of the history of science and the scholarship of the past couple of decades, indeed, of any scholarship at all.

He confuses correlation with causation. That a Christian did something does not necessarily mean that he did it because of his Christianity. He recognized this when the deed is a good one, but swallows it whole when the deed was a bad one.

He also claims that Christians are guilty of "non sequiturs" when they write that various famous scientists were believers, commenting correctly that "it doesn't follow that just because a few scientists believed in God that science resulted from it." Then among his "further sources" he includes two links to surveys citing all the scientists who do not believe in God.

But if it is a non sequitur in one direction then, under the gandersauce principle, it is a non sequitur in the other. In either case, it is an invalid appeal to authority.(*) Why should a scientist's beliefs about God matter any more than his beliefs about barbecue sauce or the coining of free silver?

Training in the sciences tends to be narrowly focused and does not usually confer expertise in theology, history, philosophy, or indeed much of anything outside his specialty. (*) It is perfectly valid to appeal to an authority in a field; i.e., to cite an historian on a point of history; a cosmologist on a point of cosmology. This is simply shorthand for research the reader has not the time, inclination, equipment, or expertise to carry out himself.

Inexplicably, Mr. Walker cites (as the bandwagon fallacy) an appeal to "the popular notion that Christianity began modern science." But this is hardly a popular notion. Most people undoubtedly buy into the cultural 'tude that Christianity was hostile to science. However, he does invite by his rhetoric that we all get on the bandwagon of advanced thinking in this regard.

Here is the primary thesis of this counter-essay. Whether or not you believe in someone's God has nothing to do with whether they accomplished anything you consider worthwhile. They may have been perfectly mistaken about God and still kicked off science. But there is a certain kind of "free" thinker who seems bound to the notion that if you disbelieve in a religion then nothing that religion ever did could possibly be any good.

History is never quite this cardboard stereotype of White Hats and Black Hats.

There's a LOT more.

ELP Reunion?!

2009-11-03T12:17:00.005+01:00

Too incredible to be true, still it is written in white on blue at the ELP site and white on black at Greg Lake's.

Mean Fiddler and Classic Rock Magazine are proud to announce that Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP) will be reforming to bring the inaugural High Voltage festival to a close.

Forty years after ELP opened the legendary Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970, what better act to celebrate Britain's biggest and best Adult Rock Festival.

Fans can expect 'Cannons, Pyrotechnics and a supreme production alongside the stunning musicianship and songs that made ELP the legends they truly are'.

2 November 2009

Stay tuned.

Agoraphobia

2009-10-08T20:02:00.005+02:00

The Agora movie is sure to lead to Hypatia hype, however it's presentation of Church History will also lead both to Agora- and Christianophobia.

So it is not puzzling that there are symptoms of protests in some areas.

Just days before the release of the new movie “Agora” by Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, civil rights organizations are denouncing the film for promoting hatred of Christians and reinforcing false clichés about the Catholic Church.

As if there is a need for such after Angels and Demons.

Marcos reminded Amenabar of the comments made by people who have already seen a private screening of the film and which Amenabar himself echoed during a television interview.

During the interview he said, “At the end of the film, people sitting near me said Christians are bunch of SOBs.”

On the other hand, such responses may lead to an... interesting public discourse.

In response to Amenabar’s statements that the film “is not against Christians but rather against those who set off bombs and kill in the name of God, that is, against religious fanatics,” Marcos wondered why the director has not recreated situations like those that take place in the Middle East.

Of course, arguing against muslim extremists vicariously, through alleged Church History, is a great and traditional Western sport.

Which requires far less courage.

Take a Latin Pebble

2009-09-06T21:11:00.004+02:00

It is always good to see ELP numbers becoming jazz, rock or classical standards.

Or latin.

Even if this is a rather typical "starting from the source for never returning". The latter half is still good in it's own Al Di Meola way.

The McWizard of Keyboards

2009-08-31T12:27:00.002+02:00

Minor luminaries such as Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Chick Corea, Glenn Gould, Keith Emerson, Bill Evans, Joe Zawinul, Keith Jarrett and Herbie Hancock come and go, but one keyboard artist stands head and shoulders above the rest. The genius of Scots home organ guru Eric McWhirter is renowned throughout the keyboard-playing universe, but for years, his very existence was a closely guarded secret.
Click your keys and read all about it here.

Buridan rides again

2009-08-19T12:07:00.004+02:00

As not everyone subscribes to the magazine or has bought web versions of this issue of ANALOG Science Fiction and Fact, it is good news that Michael F. Flynn's short story of alternative medieval history is available here.

It is about nothing less than Quaestiones Super Caelo Et Mundo. Areas that contain far more than most.

End of 'academic embargo' on G.K. Chesterton?

2009-08-15T23:11:00.003+02:00

Chesterton is so much a genius and contrarian that academia for long has hesitated even to touch him.

Even if the people of England has not spoken yet, others are raising their voice.

Despite having a profound influence on the 20th century, English author G.K. Chesterton has remained virtually unknown to modern readers. This discrepancy may be due to an unwillingness for universities and colleges to include him in literary and history curriculum.

And other others.

In short, you should ask "Who is this guy and why haven’t I heard of him?"

Seeing Elvis

2009-08-13T22:36:00.003+02:00

We'll start a little series on "What Did Keith Do, Rather Recently?".

And we'll do it rather now.

Apparantly he attended an Elvis show and played some Tarkus a few days ago.

I checked out Elvis Schoenberg and the Orchestre Surreal last night. They were doing a set of mostly big-bandish/Zappaish arrangements of Hendrix tunes. It is a big, loud group with a string quartet, eight brass players, guitar/bass/drums/keys, percussion, several singers, dancers, . . . Anyhow, they don't play too often, but are a treat. The highlight was a version of little with with electric sitar, string quartet, and vocals.

An additional treat was that Keith Emerson was in the crowd and played a bit of "Tarkus" for us. Alas, no Moogs in sight.

Stay tuned.

God’s Philosophers released!

2009-08-01T16:54:00.004+02:00

One of the best books on the alleged warfare between Christendom and Science in Medieval Europe is about to be relased.

Here we have it from the horse's mouth (and I have counted all the teeth):

I am writing to you because you very kindly registered an interest in my book God’s Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science at jameshannam.com. I am delighted to report that the book is being published in the UK by Icon on 6th August. I am not sure about availability in your country but Amazon.co.uk are already sending out copies so if you would like yours as quickly as possible, you can use the link below:

Order God’s Philosophers from Amazon.co.uk

God’s Philosophers celebrates the forgotten achievements of the medieval world. Focusing on the rise of science, it shows how natural philosophers of the Middle Ages laid the foundations of the ‘Scientific Revolution’.

Without the work of medieval scholars, there would have been no Copernicus, no Galileo and no Newton. By emphasising the important positive role of Christianity on medieval science, God’s Philosophers also contributes to the current debate about the relationship between science and religion.

Thank you for your support in registering your interest in God’s Philosophers. I very much hope that you enjoy the book.

Best wishes

James Hannam

Please, use your handy mouse.

Hidden Wisdom

2009-08-01T15:41:00.007+02:00

This - in it's singular way - gem of a comic indicates how much The Da Vinci Code and similar historical nonsense have influenced the public consciousness.

Even if it is no record that not a single sentence gets it right in a comic, it is amazing how to the point and obvious true it all seems. In a medium no one bothers to read with Britannica (or Wikipedia) in the other eye.

In short a masterwork of sneaking in below the radar.

Rest assured The Catholic Church will get around to a good countercomic in a century or two.

New logo for The Church of England.

2009-07-03T12:30:00.004+02:00

Thanks to the inimitable Chris Tilling.

Keep tappin'

2009-07-02T09:55:00.001+02:00

24 seconds in pristine quality.

Ham'n knife

2009-07-01T18:20:00.010+02:00

One video document of Spinal Tap at Wembley yesterday, playing Heavy Duty.

Please note their guest keyboard player on Hammond and Knife, especially from about 4 minutes.

Unfortunately a bit blurred picture. And the keyboard player is hidden behind an official camera man.

Other that that, a great sight.

The general idea was to have Keith getting stuck beneath the Hammond and then to be carried out on a stretcher. Though it seems he didn't stick to getting stuck after all.

Rather nutty still, as one reviewer commented.

BTW, here is Spinal Tap discussing the tune as such:

Take care. Whether there is a Hammond close by or not.

Samurai Rondo

2009-06-28T18:01:00.003+02:00

This one I really enjoyed, especially from about 2:50. Wild and virtuosic.

Hopefully Keith enjoyed it too.

We'll be back with more about him on Wednesday.

The Bible as science

2009-06-16T14:00:00.004+02:00

One often hears that if only the Bible had contained scientific truth, then I would believe.

Russell Blackford is one of those guys.

if a god or angel or similar being has inspired the religion's poets and prophets, or dictated actual text for inclusion in its holy books, the god or angel (or whatever) could easily reveal such facts as the true age of the Earth, the fact that it revolves around the Sun, the fact that it is spherical and rotates on its axis, and the evolutionary origin of human beings.

What then would really happen?

The questioned awakened Unklees' imagination at The Quodlibeta Forum.

Moses: Hey Aaron, how do you spell "quark" in Hebrew?
Aaron: No idea. What do you want to know that for?
Moses: It's Yahweh again. Keeps telling all this strange stuff about strangeness and charm and spin, and quarks and gravitons and dark matter. I don't mind not understanding, but I need to know how to write this stuff down.
Aaron: Tell him we're just stone-age goat-herders living a subsistence existence, and you're the only one who can read and write. Ask Him for something simpler, like why does the sun rise every morning?

Moses goes away up Mt Sinai, and returns 3 days later.

Moses: He says the sun doesn't rise in the morning, its the earth moving.
Aaron: I've felt the earth move once or twice (snigger), but not usually in the morning!
Moses: Nothing like that bro', we live on a giant ball, and it goes round and round on its axis, and that makes the sun look like it's moving.
Aaron: What's a ball?
Moses: Dunno, bro', I asked him that and he started to talk about radii and something called a pie, and the number 3.1412, but then he said "forget it!" and muttered under his breath about next time I'll just say 3.
Aaron: Did he tell you anything else?
Moses: Two more things. One was that when he said we came from the dust of the ground he meant we had gradually evolved for billions of years.
Aaron: What's billions?
Moses: Dunno mate, but I think it's a number greater than two.
Aaron: What does evolved mean?
Moses: He says it actually took him more than 6 days to make all this. I told him I didn't really care how long he took, I wasn't in any hurry.
Aaron: What was the other thing you learnt?
Moses: He said that one day people would find it easier to believe all this came about by chance than believe in him. I said, no, I was willing to believe all the other crazy stuff about quarks and pie if He said so, but I couldn't come at that!
Aaron: What did he say then?
Moses: He said, let's start again. Just write this down: "In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth" And I said, that's more like it, now you're talking my language! He just smiled and said, thanks.

I guess that's why the Bible doesn't even tell us that the universe had a beginning.

Science and religion: a history of conflict?

2009-06-14T17:14:00.004+02:00

James Hannam is my man, this time in The Guardian.

As the battle between creationism and evolution heats up, some atheists, like Jerry Coyne, have been insisting that it is really a battle between religion and science. Coyne resists any accommodation between religious and non-religious scientists to defend Darwinism. He doesn't want to see them joining forces against the creationist common enemy in case that legitimises religion. In order for his position to make sense, he needs to show that there is some sort of existential conflict between religion and science. So it is unfortunate for him that the historical record clearly shows that accommodation and even cooperation have been the default positions in the relationship.

I anyone was in doubt about how strong this myth is, the comment section is mandatory.

12 most bombastic synth solos of all time

2009-06-08T15:06:00.001+02:00

Or at least 12 synth solos from different players.

On the side of the angels

2009-05-24T22:05:00.009+02:00

Massimo Introvigne of the Center for Studies on New Religions has been interviewed on Angels and Demons.

As a rather conservative catholic it is no surprise he is somewhat critical. Not to mention scathing.

And it all goes to show the truth in the Second Law of Davidsen: If Dan Brown has said something it is probably wrong.

The interview has a lot of good stuff on Illuminati and secret societies. Introvigne knows his facts when it comes to "La Purga" as well.

And about the alleged castration of Rome's pagan statues. As so often with Dan Brown, the story is rather the other way around.

Did the “great castration” of the “pagan” statues by the Blessed Pius IX (1792-1878) really happen?

Introvigne: No, it didn’t. The legend dates back to English-language anti-clerical pamphlets of the late 19th century. What is true is that certain statues had their prominent genitalia covered by fig leaves. This happened at various stages during the 17th, 18th, and 19th century (not only in Rome) and was certainly not a new idea of Pius IX. The claim in the movie that pagan statues in the center of Rome were destroyed by Pius IX “at the end of the 19th century” is preposterous. At “the end of the 19th century” Pius IX was dead, and the center of Rome was administered by the (quite anti-clerical) Kingdom of Italy. If anything, Pius IX had a keen interest in archeology and in restoring the ancient historical and artistic monuments of Rome. He was even criticized for this by Catholics who believed that supporting Roman archeology was not part of the Church’s mission, or a waste of its resources.

He even tackles the one dollar question.

But wasn’t the back part of the Great Seal of the United States, the one we still see on the dollar bill, a symbol of the Illuminati?

Introvigne: No, no matter how many books (and movies) claim it. The pyramid and eye symbol is never found among the Illuminati. Actually it is not even a Masonic symbol, although there are similar symbols in Freemasonry, where a fascination with Egypt was widespread in the 18th and 19th century. The particular pyramid used in the Great Seal was derived from Pyramidographia, a book published in 1646 in London by John Greaves (1602-1652), based on his trip to Egypt. The eye was introduced by Congress Secretary Charles Thomson (1729-1824) – who was not a Freemason – in his 1792 speech prior to the seal’s Congressional acceptance as a very Christian “eye of the Providence” presiding over the destiny of the United States. As such, it is featured in a number of Christian churches and symbols, quite apart from, and well before, its use within the frame of Masonic rituals.

One interview you will not regret reading.

Science and faith - The Movie

2009-05-23T00:28:00.003+02:00

Is is possible to improve this?

Not at all. Not for a nanosecond. Or a millenium.

Long live Bertrand Russell! And James of Hannam.

Death to The Church!

Hollywood hypes Hypatia

2009-05-21T12:33:00.010+02:00

The neoplatonic philosopher Hypatia is a fascinating figure from late antiquity.

Not the least as she has been used so often and intensely to symbolise and propagate the myth about the Church's "Warfare with Science", another of those Icons of Modernity painted in the 18th and 19th Century.

Fortunately a new film may provide ample opportuinity to set the story more straight. At least it is a good sign that it so quickly has been denounced for the nonsense it is.

As an atheist, I'm clearly no fan of fundamentalism - even the 1500 year old variety (though modern manifestations tend to be the ones to watch out for). And as an amateur historian of science I'm more than happy with the idea of a film that gets across the idea that, yes, there was a tradition of scientific thinking before Newton and Galileo. But Amenabar has taken the (actually, fascinating) story of what was going on in Alexandria in Hypatia's time and turned it into a cartoon, distorting history in the process.

However, as Christianity is the in-thing to slam these days (and has been for a century or two), all is allowed in the name of love and science.

From the press release timed to co-incide with the film's screening at Cannes this week:

Played by Oscar-winning British actress Weisz, Hypatia is persecuted in the film for her science that challenges the Christians' faith, as much as for her status as an influential woman.

From bloody clashes to public stonings and massacres, the city descends into inter-religious strife, and the victorious Christians turn their back on the rich scientific legacy of antiquity, defended by Hypatia.

So we are being served up the idea that Hypatia was persecuted and, I'll assume, killed because "her science ... challenges the Christians' faith". And why have a movie with one historical myth in it when you can have two:

"Agora" opens with the destruction of the second library of Alexandria by the Christians and Jews -- after the first, famous library which was destroyed by Julius Caesar.

At least he's done his homework enough to realise that the decline of the Great Library was a long, slow deterioration and not a single catastrophic event. But he still clings to Gibbon's myth that a Christian mob was somehow responsible. And rather niftily invents a "second library of Alexandria" so he can do so.

With an imagination like that, who need sources?

Make sure you read more of the excellent review here. And heed the moral:

Unfortunately for those who cling to the "conflict thesis", the history of science actually has very few genuine martyrs at the hands of religious bigots. The fact that a mystic and kook like Giordano Bruno gets dressed up as a free-thinking scientist shows how thin on the ground such martyrs are, though usually those who like to invoke these martyrs can fall back on citing "scientists burned by the Medieval Inquistion", despite the fact this never actually happened. Most people know nothing about the Middle Ages, so this kind of vague hand-waving is usually pretty safe.

Unlike Giordano Bruno, Hypatia was a genuine scientist and, as a woman, was certainly remarkable for her time. But she was no martyr for science and science had zero to do with her murder. Exactly how much of the genuine, purely political background to her death Amenabar puts in his movie remains to be seen. It's hoped that, unlike Sagan and many others, the whole political background to the murder won't simply be ignored and her killing won't be painted as an act of ignorant rage against her science and scholarship. But what is clear from his interviews and the film's pre-publicity is that he has chosen to frame the story in Gibbonian terms straight from the "conflict thesis" textbook - the destruction of the "Great Library", Hypatia victimised for her learning and her death as a grim harbinger of the beginning of the "Dark Ages".

And, as usual, bigots and anti-theistic zealots will ignore the evidence, the sources and rational analysis and believe Hollywood's appeal to their prejudices. It makes you wonder who the real enemies of reason actually are.

If nothing else it also proves how dangerous it can get when blind faith gets in the way of facts. Which rarely is seen clearer than in the blind faith in the Warfare between Religion and Science.

Gospels studies - The Next big thing in New Testament studies

2009-05-08T11:29:00.005+02:00

At least according to the two archangels, Micael Barber at Singinginthereign and Michael Bird.

Micael Barber reports, of course neutral as always, on the situation.

By form-criticism let me explain what I mean. The form-critical model to which I am referring to holds that the following should be taken as irrefutable historical fact and as foundational for research:

1. Before the sayings of Jesus were incorporated into the Gospels they circulated for a long time through oral tradition which was essentially transmitted anonymously, without authoritative tradents.

2. These sayings were passed along independently of each other.

3. The Jesus tradition was passed along only in small units.

4. Over time elements which were not traceable to the historical Jesus crept into the tradition. For example, the utterances of Christian prophets who spoke “in the name of the Risen Jesus” who accepted as coming truly from the Lord. In fact, the early church was not careful to distinguish what went back to the historical Jesus and so the Jesus tradition was expanded to include large portions of non-historical elements.

5. Many of these non-historical sayings were introduced to help address the needs of the church. For example, sayings were accepted into the tradition which helped answered critical questions facing the church. In essence, when the church wondered, “What would Jesus have said about x?”, a saying was kindly obliged by someone such as a Christian prophet who could speak for the Lord.

6. The elements of the Jesus tradition―which of course now included features that were not authentic―came to be crystallized in various forms: e.g., parables, pronouncement stories, individual sayings, miracle stories, etc.

7. By carefully analyzing the Gospels one can “get behind the text” and happily answer all of the following questions:

―What were the original forms in which the sayings of Jesus were circulated?

―How were these sayings used in the early church at this oral stage?

―Which elements came from Jesus and which came from the early Church?

Keep in mind, for form-criticism to really be carried out the above presuppositions cannot simply be loosely held. This is either what happened or not. To question the basic assertions of the form-critical model is to be unable to use it.

Now, it took about a hundred years but most scholars are now recognizing how ridiculous the schema is.

Not a second too early.

On and off

2009-04-30T23:42:00.005+02:00

This English blog is unfortunately rather on and off, compared to my native musings.

The reason is not that I write too little, it is more that I do it too much. After a heavy round of articles and book chapters, the energy and time to type fast and furiously in a foreign language (and checking for typos) is not all that present.

Still, there is hope for some updates the next days. And not only if Dawkins keep it coming.

Easter interrupted

2009-04-11T15:48:00.004+02:00

Just to interrupt the rather long Easter holliday.

Anyone hoping Bart Ehrman has interrupted his Bible bashing by doing some research recently, will be disappointed by a look at this and this and The Colbert Report and possibly moore by Mr. Witherington.

Now, back to sun worshipping.

Ivories strike gold

2009-03-11T17:49:00.004+01:00

A rather to the point review of the American release.

If the name Keith Emerson doesn’t ring any musical bells, you may be too young to recall the heady days of progressive art rock when instrumental proficiency carried more weight than flashbulb image or red-carpet appearances. After churning out a succession of mediocre solo albums and critically acclaimed soundtracks, the keyboard’s greatest and perhaps most flamboyant player returns with “The Keith Emerson Band featuring Mark Bonilla,” a self-titled CD that stands proudly among his best work with Emerson Lake & Palmer.

Best of all, this version also contains an update of Barbarian, the piece that gave the first ELP album it's headstart. Or headblast.

New Scientist denies the fossil record

2009-02-25T22:41:00.014+01:00

It is a rare treat these days to see a scientific journal that openly denies the fossil record. It takes a lot of courage and conviction.

So praise then to Jo Marchant in New Scientist for showing that freedom of speech is so cherished that deniers still are allowed to publish in serious magazines even in the Darwin Bicentennial year.

The fossils that comes into play here are of course the strata of sources and eye witnesses from the times in question. One cannot make serious historical claims while ignoring written material and real historians. It is worse than bad science, it is bad manners.

Two examples will suffice.

WHEN Roman civilisation fell in the early centuries AD, the light of scholarship was extinguished. It was close to a thousand years before civilisation recovered, thanks to European scholars who rediscovered classical Greek learning and ushered in the new dawn of the Renaissance.

At least, this is how history is taught. Now two books argue that this view ignores the crucial role of Islamic scholars.

That a long range of books by professional historians like Edward Grant and David Lindberg for decades have shown that the whole outline of history on this "fall" and "recovery" is a myth, is beyond New Scientist.

After this start it is not surprising than New Scientist even denies the dinosaur in the room. The Flat Earth Myth is present in all it's gore.

While the Islamic world was enjoying astronomy, philosophy and medicine, those in Europe could not tell the hours of the day, thought the Earth was flat, and saw disease as punishment from God, says Jonathan Lyons in "The House of Wisdom".

So much the worse for Jonathan Lyons. That a modern scientific magazine perpetuates the myth that European scholars in the middle ages believed to earth to be flat is nothing short than a miracle.

The only hope is to prescribe the normal antidotes, by Russell and Garwood.

Even if it always has been hard to argue against fossil deniers, it may provide some enlightenment.

Though one has some doubts after reading revealing passages like the following.

By the late 12th century, though, the Islamic world was increasingly under threat from Christian armies, and Muslim leaders responded with a return to fundamental religious values. The battle between scientists and theologians was ultimately settled in favour of God. But in Europe, the genie was out of the bottle. The rationalist approach bequeathed by the Arabs "changed forever the landscape of Western thought", says Lyons, and led directly to the scientific revolution.

The reviewer doesn't even begin to get suspicious about the much maligned European society. Why not ask a simple control question on why science in Europe, though allegedly in the clutches of The Church and the Clergy for still many a century, was able to set roots, and have the reasons and resources to grow into modern science?

Not the least as the Arab and Ottoman world had a lot more money and manpower, at least til the 17th century. And the Europeans definitely lost the crusades in precisely the late 12th.

Well, fossils deniers always have had their own peculiar logic.

god vs. god

2009-02-20T00:23:00.005+01:00

What shall one say?

Except, of course, there really is no contest.

"The Art of the Duel", an original piano piece inspired by and dedicated to the two giants of piano prog rock: Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. Written and performed by Matej Hrovat, pianist and com...
"The Art of the Duel", an original piano piece inspired by and dedicated to the two giants of piano prog rock: Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. Written and performed by Matej Hrovat, pianist and composer from Slovenia who also composes and publishes electronic music under the alias "Aziraphal". Recorded at a live piano performance in 2006; directed by Boštjan Miha Jambrek.
More information and music at http://www.aziraphal.com and http://www.soundclick.com/aziraphal

"Darwin vs. God" - and BBC History

2009-01-27T21:41:00.009+01:00

The latest issue of BBC History has an illuminating article on Darwin vs. God, "exploding the myth of the clash between church and science".

This is really an occasion to congratulate, celebrate and dance in the streets. Before shouting from the rooftops.

In short, keep 'em coming!

Not the least as the Historian of Science John van Wyhe shows how easy it is to be trapped by myths which seem impossible to counter by mere facts.

"We often hear that when the Origin of Species was published there was a great outcry and an historic clash of science and religion.

This is probably more fantasy than fact. Such stories can now be told and repeated only because we have forgotten just what was, and what was not, shocking in 1859".

Still, once again the left hand doesn't know what the right does, something that as far as known has no evolutionary benefit. If there is anyone keeping by the myths, it is BBC itself. In an overview of historic figures we read that

Darwin was vehemently attacked, particularly by the Church.

The matter is not directly improved by van Wyhes article so far not being published on the net. Just to ensure that the myths will stay as safe as ever.

In a Darwin Jubilee Year, not to mention a neoatheistic age, it would anyhow take a miracle to move them.

Cats and credulity

2009-01-19T22:20:00.013+01:00

Among a myriad of myths on the Medieval Church is the order to kill cats, millions of them. Which helped contribute to the Black Death, as it was spread by fleas on rats. While other cultures kept their cats and were far less severely hit.

One never gets used to the lack of elementary logic and research behind such stories. It shouldn't take long to see that the Black Death was not much less virulent in China and the Middle East. And that one strand of the plague was air born. Breathing the germs hacked up by someone having it, made you easily get it.

In short, looking at sources provides a different picture.

Cats suffered horribly during witch hunts, which fostered or encouraged all kinds of superstition and brutality. Yet manuscripts show them about the house, playing with the spinster's twirling bobbin, and earning their living on farms. (Excerpts from: Lost Country Life by Dorothy Hartley. New York: Pantheon Books, 1979).

It is hard to avoid the feeling that while the sources tell us that cats were loved and abundant, one has to stick with the myth, as everyone just know it is true.

And it all seems alligned to modern day satanist crazes (and more here).

Still, the standard story is everywhere, even serious places.

"Though cats had always behaved in this manner, to the superstitious minds of the Middle Ages, cats were practicing supernatural powers and witchcraft. Most accused witches were older peasant women who lived alone, often keeping cats as pets for companionship. This guilt by association meant that roughly a million cats were burned at the stake, along with their owners, on suspicion of being witches".

To state the obvious, as no witches were burnt in the Middle Ages, this means that no cats were burnt either. Point proven.

Or perhaps the story is quite another?

"It took the authorities some time to figure out the cause of the problem. At one point they tested the theory that the disease was being spread by dogs and cats; thus the mayor of London ordered the execution of all such pets. Despite the extermination of millions of companion animals, however, the plague did not abate but actually accelerated, for, of course, the elimination of all cats was soon followed by an explosion of the rat population.

Eventually it became evident that people who had kept cats, in violation of the law, fared better; for the cats, according to their nature, killed the rats that carried the fleas that really carried the plague. People slowly began to deduce the rat-flea-disease connection. When the truth finally came to light, cats were quickly elevated to hero status, and soon became protected by law.”

So in reality it was all due to science. The authorities made a testable hypothesis, which then was falsfied.

From this we learn again how dangerous science is. It poisons everything. So be sure to visit you nearest hospital if you ever get hit by a scientist.

Matt it is

2009-01-03T23:53:00.002+01:00

And then it is clear. You'd have to travel in time to have expected that one.

Say hello to Matt Smith. And mix it with a farewell here.

Exile from Babylon

2009-01-02T17:37:00.008+01:00

One of my Fav Historians, Philip Jenkins of Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost Its Way fame, has just written an article (and a book) on the Church in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Across much of the Middle East, the ancient Christian story seems to be coming to a bloody end almost before our eyes. The most dramatic catastrophe in recent years has been that of Iraq's Christians, who represented 5-6 percent of Iraq's population in 1970. That number is now below 1 percent, and shrinking fast in the face of persecution and ethnic/religious cleansing.

Western Christians watch this story in horror, but few claim detailed knowledge of the situation, or can easily recognize the Iraqi churches we read of in the news. Are they perhaps the survivors of some Victorian missionary enterprise? we wonder.

Actually, understanding the history of Iraq's churches should make us still more keenly aware of the tragedy we see unfolding. Not only are these churches — Chaldean, Assyrian, Orthodox — truly ancient, they are survivals from the earliest history of the church. For centuries indeed, the land long known as Mesopotamia had a solid claim to rank as the center of the church and an astonishing record of missions and evangelism. What we see today in Iraq is not just the death of a church, but also the end of one of the most awe-inspiring phases of Christian history.

Be sure to catch Jenkins' book The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia — and How It Died.

Wall Street Journal on Obama and GKC

2008-12-30T01:15:00.008+01:00

What better Christmas Gift than Wall Street Journal praising Chesterton?

For a writer whose first two books were published 100 years ago, G.K. Chesterton is looking pretty contemporary. During his run for the Republican presidential nomination, Mike Huckabee quoted freely from Chesterton. On the Democratic side, numerous Obama supporters claim to see the influence of Chesterton's thought on the president-elect's worldview.

Wick Allison, former publisher of National Review (and current editor-in-chief of D Magazine) sees no contradiction in Chesterton's attraction for both the right and left. "I think both sides could benefit from reading Chesterton. I certainly see a conservative side to Obama that connects to what Chesterton said of tradition, that it represents 'the democracy of the dead.'"

Say no more.

Or, rather, keep on talking!

Merry Christmas - though not as you know it

2008-12-25T16:26:00.002+01:00

Great one going it's rounds this Christmas.

And hopefully the next few hundred as well.

Obviously the Season

2008-12-03T13:50:00.003+01:00

Though I don't quite get jolly by these.

Sara Brightman.

Anonymous (understandable)

Party version.

T'is The Season

2008-12-02T10:23:00.005+01:00

What better to delight these days than a fresh and sparkling cover of I Believe In Father Christmas?

Even if the original is better and the sound not quite good, is it obvious that the tune has become a Britich Christmas Icon on level with Lennon's seasonal song. Though one notices a certain strategical change in the lyrics.

What then is RED(Wire)?

You can do less pretentious things than listen to this fellow.

Agoraphobia?

2008-11-27T11:56:00.007+01:00

A new movie - Agora - about the concflict between paganism and Christianity is planned. It is

set in Roman Egypt in the fourth century A.D. Weisz plays astrologer-philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria, who fights to save the collected wisdom of the ancient world. Her slave Davus (Minghella) is torn between his love for his mistress and the possibility of gaining his freedom by joining the rising tide of Christianity.

Hopefully they will avoid the blunders of making the murder of Hypatia symbolising the "fall" of the Ancient World, not to mention the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.

It is however definitely a good sign that they seem to see Christianity as giving hope for the slaves.

Though a tad of agoraphobia may for once be in order.

Genesis - The Early Chapters

2008-11-18T19:42:00.007+01:00

Being more often than not in a religious mood, it is time to take a second look at the early chapters of Genesis.

After having enjoyed them since 1973, and had the pleasure of attending two concerts in the 70's (one of the legendary Lamb performances in 1975 and one from the not quite as legendary And Then There Were Three tour in 1978), it was with poorly hidden excitement that I yesterday opened the new box set comprising the Peter Gabriel Years.

Besides getting the original five albums remastered in several sound formats, the bonus material was almost perfect. It is rare to get so good a mix of CD's and DVD's, of unreleased tracks, interviews and live performances.

Whether it is Gabriel performing like Jagger, great keyboard sounds, not to mention Steve Hackett - or just the visuals (and the Gabriel inbetweeners) - it is a blessing to see the real thing after the Genesis of the 80's and 90's.

The box set has received great reviews all over, even if there are some peculiar (or proverbial) things being said.

What is surprising is to hear Gabriel speak with fondness for The Nice, keyboardist Keith Emerson's first group before moving on to the hugely successful Emerson, Lake and Palmer. There's little denying the confluence of classical influences and Emerson's inimitable style on Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks, and he's always been a fine player; but early on, Genesis differentiated itself from many of its progressive rock cousins by being more about the song and less about the playing.

Well, listening to the albums one doesn't quite get the same impression (except from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway).

Most pieces are structured around a lot of playing and has a rather loose "song" format, if one by that means verse/chorus/verse/chorus with just a few notes inbetween. Which is not early 70's Genesis at all. There was a fresh and fortunate time when the group was too many notes all over the place.

Genesis was in short not Gary Glitter. While ELP certainly had a lot of pure songs.

The real truth behind such comment seems to stem from the glorious tradition of praising Genesis while slamming their prog peers. With some it looks suspiciously like protesting too much, trying to be credible and cool, and at the same time keeping the cake and enjoying (the horror) prog.

So perhaps it is time to remind critics that other people has shown a lot more understanding, since the very early 70's.

Janis Schacht, Circus, September 1972:
Several months ago, Charisma Records ran a full-page ad with a picture of Keith Emerson and the quote claiming that Genesis were without a doubt one of the finest groups around and that Tony Banks was one of the best organists. There's a definite reason that Keith came out for Genesis. Like all smart politicians he realises that when the barriers are stripped down and the truth is out it pays to be on the winning team.

And the Box Set is a great prize.

Radio in

2008-11-13T13:53:00.002+01:00

Excactly what we have been waiting for - especially after having staid home for some days, due to a rather nasty little virus.

May even inspire some more blogging.

Visions from the vault

2008-10-31T20:41:00.007+01:00

Keeping to the latest theme and time signature, there is a great interview with Keith and Marc in Record Collector's December issue, for a page and a half.

Among other interesting stuff, Keith mentions something that are more interesting than others

"RC: Is there much in the ELP archives?

KE: I've got loads. I've come across some really interesting bootlegs like the concert with orchestra, and wow! Trilogy in Germany. We didn't play it for very long as it was too demanding for Greg!"

And there are more.

"RC: Do you have any unissued pre-ELP tapes?

KE: Yeah, in the vaults of Sanctuary, now Universal. They're transferring tapes of jams we did. I remember when we were in Compass Point Studios for two months - and you can imagine how much that cost us".

Hopefully the lead time between interviews with Keith in RC and the actual release of the material will decrease significantly.

Though I doubt it will ever take less than a year.

Still Hall of Shame

2008-10-29T12:28:00.002+01:00

Just to remind you all that one of the most innovative bands ever, pioneering stage acts and antics, sounds and furies, not to mention music and melodies, has not been inducted to the Rock' Roll Hall of Fame.

While there's still time for campaigning.

UK papers maturing

2008-10-28T11:38:00.003+01:00

At least some are getting a lot more respectfull, as in this great interview from Monday about yesterday and today, not to mention the future.

There’s still, patently, an appetite to break new ground. But where did his original inspiration come from? “Where bands like Led Zeppelin and the Yardbirds were influenced by US blues, my roots go back to European music – classical and jazz. Music from people like Vaughn Williams, Shostakovich, Dave Brubeck.’

Aaron Copland was another influence and it’s interesting to note that not only did the American composer give Emerson one of the biggest hits of his career – 'Fanfare to the Common Man’ – but also the name of one of his sons. It makes a neat loop in the fabric of time that that son is also a musician!

“Yes, what we were doing was groundbreaking at the time – using mixed media, fusing different styles of music, using orchestras. We’d also do some mad things – like bringing in bag pipes.”

Revolutionary stuff. But has it become harder or easier to experiment does he think?” We’ve seen a decline in the power of record companies,” he says, “in that it was harder to get a demo made and then recorded. Now you can record it all yourself and even use the web to release it. I produced the latest album – and then went out and got a record deal.”

Perhaps it’s that ability to innovate without worrying about record company executives that makes his new album so refreshing. Certainly, Keith Emerson’s new collaboration with Marc Bonilla is a worthy addition to the discography of one of the leading keyboard players of the last 50 years.

Hopefully we may look forward to more.

Dawkins getting rational?

2008-10-25T23:29:00.009+02:00

Whether it is age or argument, Richard Dawkins at least seems to have changed tactics recently. While earlier denying any intellectual merit at all in holding that a God may exist, he started his latest debate with John Lennox by saying that A serious case could be made for a deistic God.

The report is much of a hoot, some of which of course may be due to it not excactly being written by a disciple of Dawkins. After the previous debate with Lennox, it seems rather revealing that he this time chose to leave his standard arena of distorting Aquinas and arguments for God.

Maybe he has realised that he has been found out? His bluff has been called so many times that it seems appropriate with a new approach.

So then, how does Dawkins now proceed to debate a fellow scientist on the existence of God? By focusing on science? On theistic arguments?

No, by historical arguments against the divinity of Jesus.

Instead, Dawkins was able to move the debate onto a specific attack on Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus, which is a very different argument and obscured the central point of contention – the claim that science had buried God. The fact that Dawkins now appears to be so reluctant publicly to defend his own position on his own territory of scientific rationalism – and indeed, even to have shifted his ground – is a tribute above all to the man he was debating once again on Tuesday evening.

While this may have been a surprise for Lennox, who neither is a Historian, he was at least able to make Dawkins see some historical light.

In the debate, under pressure from Lennox Dawkins was actually forced to retract his previous claim that Jesus had probably ‘never existed’.

That, however, didn't stop Dawkins from committing other errors, revealing his distorted view of the history of science.

And in a revealing aside, when Lennox remarked that the Natural History Museum in which they were debating – in front of dinosaur skeletons -- had been founded for the glory of God, Dawkins scoffed that of course this was absolutely untrue.

But it was true. Construction of the museum was instigated between 1855 and 1860 by the Regius Professor of Medicine, Sir Henry Acland. According to Keith Thomson of the Sigma XI Scientific Research Society, the funds for the project came from the surplus in the University Press’s Bible account as this was deemed only appropriate for a building dedicated to science as a glorification of God’s works.

While Dawkins may not walk the way of Antony Flew yet, he seems at least to have become wise enough to drop or hesitate about several of his arguments from The God delusion.

Since we'll go there

2008-10-24T11:06:00.002+02:00

As there may be a stray loner who do find a pure music blog a better idea than mixing it with religion, politics and comics, here is one I recently discovered.

And a good one too.

Since we've been there

2008-10-22T13:28:00.006+02:00

A not so raving review.

Well deserved, though. So take care not to hurt your shoulder.

One important issue is the relation between religion and war. Here Maher is even more off base than usual:

But what happens when we hold Maher to his own standard? For instance, what about his claims that religion is the only cause of man’s woes and if it were gone, all would be well. Given his constant request that one base his beliefs on evidence, and scientific study, Maher frequently drops the ball on his own end. For example, take his belief that religion is the cause of war. He fails to engage in any scientific investigation on how it is that religion is to blame for all the troubles in the world. He doesn’t, as Plato said, “carve nature at its joints” but he “hacks off parts like a clumsy butcher.” One rightly wonders, especially since Maher offered no sources, from where did he draw his scientific data from? Or, is he meaning to give us a rant based on loosely cobbled facts mashed together from some of his own personal experiences, and concluding with a fallacious hasty generalization that “religion poisons everything?”

The truth seems as so often more to be that anti-religion poisons everything.

Not the least by dropping any pretense of doing science.

One thing you do in an objective, scientific study of something is take into account all the relevant empirical information. Those who exclude empirical data that bears on their thesis are not engaged in honest scientific inquiry. They’re engaging in a witch hunt! Maher doesn’t mention sociological, economic, political, historical, ideological ethical, or geographical factors, all of which play a huge part in wars. He doesn’t reference the influential work of Robert Pape, for example, who concluded in the book Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism: “There is little connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, or any one of the world's religions.” After studying 315 suicide attacks from 1981-2004, Pape, a University of Chicago political science professor, concludes that suicide bombers' actions stem from logical military strategies, not their religion. Pape claims that the fundamental motive is political. The desire to force the withdrawal of foreign forces occupying land believed to belong to an oppressed people who have seriously limited resources at their disposal (McGrath, Dawkins Delusion, 80), is demonstrated by Pape through serious scientific study.

Unfotunately for Maher, science demands a bigger brain than bite.

The simple fact of the matter is, and it is one that Maher is too lazy to take note of or account for, the causes of war are just too complex a thing; we must, as atheist David Livingstone Smith puts it, “resist the temptation to box the causes of war in tidy categories hedged about with arbitrary distinctions.” Smith, our Darwinian atheist philosopher, offers his views on the cause of war in his book. He claims that, “War can be approached from many angles. We can consider it from the standpoint of various disciplines. All of these are important, but there is one dimension that underpins them all: the bedrock of human nature.” (p. xiii)

Other atheists that are more level headed than Maher on this matter are those like Michael Shermer. Shermer claims that he “is not convinced by the New Atheists argument that without religion there would be, "no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no Crusades, no witch-hunts, no Gunpowder Plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/Palestinian wars, no Serb/Croat/Muslim massacres, no persecution of Jews as 'Christ-killers,' no Northern Ireland 'troubles'…. In my opinion, many of these events—and others often attributed solely to religion by atheists—were less religiously motivated than politically driven, or at the very least involved religion in the service of political hegemony.”

Pseudoscience is a big problem today, and something that should be countered by all parties. Not the least those claiming consistent support from science.

The New Atheists, however, seem to eager to remove the carpet beneath their feet to notice.

Worries about the hack scholarship of some like Maher and the New Atheist led University of Hawaii political scientist R.J. Rummell to introduce the term “democide” to cover all forms of politically motivated government-sponsored killing apart from warfare. Maher seems to think that all genocides are religiously motivated. But estimates of the death toll from 20th century democide ranges up toward the 170 million mark according to Rummell’s book Death By Government. How can Maher's theory explain all the relevant data. As a worshiper of "Science," Maher should know that hypothesis that cannot account for a lot of the data should be dropped. But Maher is one of the faithful. He refuses to let facts and evidence get in the way of his jihad.

While we're at it

2008-10-20T10:53:00.008+02:00

It is rare to discover so raving reviews as the following. So raving in fact, that I am not sure if even I would be able to write it.

Not the least if one takes the Billboard context in consideration (even if it really is from All Music Guide).

"Known for their on-stage energy and full-force musical prowess, Live at the Royal Albert Hall is the farthest from disappointment a live album can get.

Each member of ELP exhibits his individual talents on this astonishing audio spectacle that doesn't let up at any point. Spearheading the 11 songs on the album that runs almost 70 minutes is keyboardist Keith Emerson, whose earsplitting synthesizer rumbles and squeals with devastating vigor.

His playing is loose and freewheeling, characterizing his devil-may-care style, and bursting with emotion. Equally forceful is Carl Palmer behind the drums, especially on "Lucky Man" and "Karn Evil No. 9" where he showcases both his subtle mechanics and his frantic arm swirling.

On guitar, Greg Lake fills in with some stellar bass work, whose impact can be felt even above the grandiose of the other two. The songs that work best live from ELP are all included, amassing all the ardor and extravagance surrounding this threesome.

In front of their home audience in England, they really steal the show with a nine-minute outpouring of "Tarkus," as the combination of all their talents are fused together in instrumental wonderment. Even better is the grand finale, a 14-minute medley of "Fanfare for the Common Man," "America," and "Rondo."

A truly volcanic display of keyboard driving from Keith Emerson sends this intense montage into a frenzy, ending the album on a fierce high. Live at the Royal Albert Hall has the grandfathers of progressive rock sounding like sonically intoxicated teenagers."

Some of us get intoxicated just from reading the review.

Japanese

2008-10-19T21:09:00.004+02:00

Rather hectic these days, seems like it will continue for some time.

In the meantime a snip from Japanese TV may hopefully comfort a few.

Review revealed

2008-10-10T12:44:00.001+02:00

Again, as expected.

Conspiracy revealed

2008-10-07T12:30:00.003+02:00

Say no more.

From this site.

Camp and competition

2008-10-03T22:50:00.007+02:00

How embarrasing can it get?

Well, here is an attempt.

And it is not the video I am talking about. That one is really great.

Gigantic podcast

2008-10-03T22:11:00.005+02:00

If there is another band I love to mention, it is definitely Phil Shulman's.

So here is a highly recommened podcast interview with one of the founders of Gentle Giant.

Please don't counterpoint too much out of this blog.

Irreligulous

2008-10-03T19:52:00.007+02:00

As expected, the ridiculous Religulous is rather smack full of dumb distortions, not to mention delusions. In short dysfunctionally dim.

Read more about it in these comments.

Even if not every single adjective starts with a D.

Time for a name

2008-10-02T13:21:00.006+02:00

As technobabble go, babbling about synths are more interesting than most.

Like this interview from 1977.

How do you feel about the prototype Polymoog that you have?

Well, I don’t really like it that much. I don’t use it anymore. You know, I helped design that. I spent about a week with Dave Luce in the studio. While I was there I was saying, "It’s good, but it could be better if you did this and this, and added this to it." So he made some notes and then went back to Buffalo and had the second prototype made up. When I went to Buffalo, I tried it again. All the bumps were out and I said, “Well, it could be good if you had the knobs in this position." So he made some more notes, followed those ideas through, and the next thing I’m expecting is to see the end result. You’d think that after working on the instrument I’d get to see it. But the next thing I know, they’ve sent it to Switzerland. I won’t say to
whom. Well, I was a bit upset."

Hopefully Patrick has returned it by now.

A name in time

2008-10-02T12:35:00.006+02:00

Arhaeologists have found a bowl that may have a dedication to Christ, from the last centuries BC or early first century.

In a time when there are people even not believing he existed, such findings are always amusing. Not only as they tend to stir up so much emotion, also just to see how the arguments for what it really is about goes.

And how it is being spinned by media.

So far the best comment may be from Jim West.

There’s so much wrong here. First, the bowl isn’t the earliest reference to Christ. And second, there’s no evidence that the bowl suggests what they are saying it does. And finally, this is yet another example of ‘much ado about nothing’.

Indeed-

“It could very well be a reference to Jesus Christ, in that he was once the primary exponent of white magic,” Goddio, co-founder of the Oxford Center of Maritime Archaeology, said.

Rubbish and pure, unadulterated speculation. Archaeology has been bastardized yet again in service of the absurd. The Discovery Channel has lost all credibility since they of late seem determined to promote the most nonsensical theories.

In short, talk about The Historical Jesus reveals more than most, modern medias strange mix of sensationalism and shallow insight.

"Ntwrong" also does some memorable musings in the comment section.

I’ve seen that bowl somewhere before. It looks very familiar. Ah yes - I’m sure it used to sit on Morton Smith’s desk. It’s where he kept his pencils.

Better injokes are difficult to dig up.

A vote from Time

2008-10-01T13:39:00.004+02:00

What is better on a damp autumn day than a vintage report from Time?

As the houselights dimmed in Detroits Cobo Hall last week, the concertmaster signaled for the oboist's A, and the strings and woodwinds went about the squeaky business of tuning up. Then like something out of an old Esther Williams spectacular, Conductor Godfrey Salmon rose 14 feet in the air atop a hydraulic podium. Silence reigned for a good second or two before the cries came from the audience: "Rock 'n' roll!" "Get it on!" "It's boogie time!"

Not quite boogie time. The British rock group Emerson Lake & Palmer had not brought along a full 58-piece symphony orchestra for just another evening of chug-a-chug rock. As Maestro Salmon gave the downbeat, 9,500 fans, many reared on the violent excesses of Alice Cooper and Iggy Pop, got the first sampling of what was in store for them. From 40 huge loudspeaker enclosures suspended from the ceiling came the mighty sounds of Abaddon's Bolero, a work Composer-Pianist Keith Emerson has based on the same Spanish rhythm as the Ravel classic.

After a few bars, a thick curtain of light, produced by in tense lights rimming the stage, dissolved to reveal Keith Emerson, 32, Greg Lake, 29 and Carl Palmer, 27, hard at work on the center. There was Keith darting from Hammond organ to Moog synthesizer, and Greg picking away at his bass-guitar. Between them sat Carl, confined along with his drums, snares, gongs and tubular bells in a percussion cockpit that resembled nothing so much as a mod four-poster converted into a padded cell for the phantom of the opera. The music built relentlessly, awesomely powered by 72,000 watts worth of amplification -enough to start a medium-sized radio station. The volume never reached the threshold of pain (130 decibels), but it was, in Salmon's words, "enough to peel an apple ten feet".

Read all two atmospheric pages of wonder here.

A timely vote

2008-09-30T10:06:00.006+02:00

Well deserved, an image of a Dalek in front of the Houses of Parliament has been voted the best British magazine front cover of all time, according to The Telegraph.

A desperate choice for desperate times.

Hopefully they will not also run in the US.

The Midas Touch

2008-09-28T16:54:00.005+02:00

A bit fed up with stale old beer? Then try an even older.

An ancient burial chamber at Gordian in central Turkey supposedly houses the tomb of King Midas. Midas was not only a myth, but an actual king of the ancient kingdom of Phrygia around 700 B.C.E. His intact tomb seems to have been the location of the final funeral party for its permanent resident, and someone neglected to clean the 157 different drinking vessels left behind.

Some of these vessels still had some residue on them. The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology used some new methods of molecular archaeology and found that the residue was the remnant of an old drink with traces of barley, honey, and grapes; it was seemingly a mixture of beer, mead, and wine. Assuming this wasn't a mixed drink gone wrong, Dogfish Head Brewing did the only thing it knew how—made a beer from it.

Even Carl Barks didn't predict this.

And the real one

2008-09-28T12:51:00.003+02:00

Prelude to a hope, a piece from the new album.

Not just his fingers he's still able to move.

Fanfare

2008-09-28T12:48:00.002+02:00

While we're at it.

Not quite a bummer this one either.

Karn Evil 9 3rd, Trilogy and Tarkus

2008-09-28T12:42:00.005+02:00

How good can it get? Well, this KE9 3rd is definitely one of the closest.

And a thumb and 13 other digits up for a not especialy lazy Trilogy.

Not to forget this roaring monster.

Keep it up, Isao!

European tour?

2008-09-25T21:24:00.002+02:00

Seems from rather good sources (like Keith himself) that he may tour Europe early next year.

Hopefully he does not mean Bosnia and Slovakia, only.

Bloggers discover KEB - part 2

2008-09-24T22:58:00.004+02:00

The jury is however still out on whether Mauro Aimetti ever will recover from meeting the Maestro.

Check out his blog for the full and fearsome story. Take care, though - and not only for the latinglish.

Weinberg recovers

2008-09-24T22:54:00.002+02:00

Russell’s Syndrome (whereby intelligent atheists turn stupid when they talk about religion) may not be incurable after all.

At least if we are to believe Bede's as usual perceptive observations , this time on how Steven Weinberg seems on his way to recovery.

Bloggers discover KEB

2008-09-23T09:43:00.001+02:00

The reviews are beginning to come.

And, no surprise, they are good.

Stark discovers irreligion

2008-09-22T22:31:00.012+02:00

One of my favs, Rodney Stark (though I must admit some mixed feelings as he sometimes is a bit too hasty) is out with a new book - as is his habit every year.

This time it is about What Americans Really Believe.

One important finding is that the new atheism never really happened.

During the past 63 years, several polls show the percentage of atheists has not changed at all, holding steady at only 4 percent of Americans who say they do not believe in God. Not only is atheism not growing in the United States, the majority of Europeans are not atheists (Ch. 14, "Atheism: The Godless Revolution That Never Happened"). Russia now claims 96 percent of its population believes in God, while a recent poll of China showed that atheists are outnumbered by those who believe in God(s).

In both the 2005 and 2007 Baylor Religion Surveys, researchers found than 11 percent of the national sample reported they had "no religion." Although nearly a third of the "no religion" group are atheists who reject "anything beyond the physical world," the Baylor Religion Survey found that two-thirds of the "no religion" group expressed some belief in God and many of those are not "irreligious" but are merely "unchurched" (Ch. 17, "The Irreligious: Simply Unchurched-Not Atheists"). Delving into the actual religiousness of those who report having no religion, the Baylor Survey found that a majority of Americans who claim to be irreligious pray (and 32 percent pray often), around a third of them profess belief in Satan, hell and demons, and around half believe in angels and ghosts.

The importance of Dawkins and his disciples then may not be so much in converting people to atheism (whatever that is), as to train Christians for public debate. It speaks volumes that The God Delusion is now being used as a textbook at several Christian Schools and Universities.

It has in short proven to be a rare gift to theists, just like the equally badly researched The da Vinci Code.

Another of a myriad of Stark's sometimes surprising findings (which naturally will lead to a lot of checkings and denials), supports one of the most famous things Chesterton never said - When a man ceases to believe in God, he doesn't believe in nothing. He believes in anything.

In short, to be a skeptic, it helps to be a Christian.

The Baylor Survey found that traditional Christian religion greatly decreases credulity, as measured by beliefs in such things as dreams, Bigfoot, UFOs, haunted houses, communicating with the dead and astrology (Ch. 15, "Credulity: Who Believes in Bigfoot"). Still, it remains widely believed that religious people are especially credulous, particularly those who identify themselves as Evangelicals, born again, Bible believers and fundamentalists. However, the ISR researchers found that conservative religious Americans are far less likely to believe in the occult and paranormal than are other Americans, with self-identified theological liberals and the irreligious far more likely than other Americans to believe. The researchers say this shows that it is not religion in general that suppresses such beliefs, but conservative religion.

"There's an old saying that a man who no longer believes in God is ready to believe in just about anything, and it turns out our data suggests it's true. That is to say, religious people don't believe this stuff, but there's no education effect," Stark said.

Among other interesting findings on paranormal or occult beliefs: People who have read The Purpose-Driven Life or any book in the Left Behind series are less likely to believe in the occult and paranormal, while those who have read any book on dianetics or The Da Vinci Code are more likely to believe.

Something we never doubted.

Darwin hit by friendly fire

2008-09-19T00:08:00.004+02:00

Read all about it at the new Quodlibeta, formerly Bede's Journal.

The Guardian, the Times and the Telegraph all feature pieces this morning on the Michael Reiss debacle. All are highly critical of the Royal Societies response and the way in which Reiss’s comments were misrepresented by the media. This has been a PR disaster for the scientific community. Intelligent design now has claim to a legitimate martyr, despite the fact that Reiss himself is opposed to it. The response by Roberts and Kroto has been lamentable, forcing even Richard Dawkins to admit that the proceedings ‘come a little too close to a witch-hunt for my squeamish taste’.

Keep it up, Dickie!

Album ahoy

2008-09-19T00:02:00.004+02:00

Well, it can't be a week without mentioning the new album from the Keith Emerson Band. This time the artwork. Not the least as it is released also on vinyl.

Be delighted.

Other things ahoy

2008-09-17T10:06:00.006+02:00

Unfortunately this is no parody.

ISLAMIC law has been officially adopted in Britain, with sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases.

The government has quietly sanctioned the powers for sharia judges to rule on cases ranging from divorce and financial disputes to those involving domestic violence.

Rulings issued by a network of five sharia courts are enforceable with the full power of the judicial system, through the county courts or High Court.

While I do not for one second believe this will be abused in the short term (it may even lead to some good consequences), the question is how in the long term to avoid moving in the direction of the following pitfalls as mentioned by a perhaps not too friendly commenter:

1. Abuse against women will grow since the Qur'an allows men to beat their wives and divorce them easily and unilaterally.
2. Polygamy will be allowed.
3. Muslim men will rarely be prosecuted for rape, since sharia law makes this nearly impossible.
4. Muslim violence against infidels will be excused.
5. This "parallel law" will become a beachhead for establishing sharia for the entire country. Islam always aspires to be a civilization, not just a religion (in the Western sense).

A lot of people will watch England closely in the years ahead. And not only the football matches.

Update 12:20: Read Damian Thompson's comment.

Pirates ahoy

2008-09-17T09:08:00.002+02:00

Somewhat of parody. And rather a good one to boot.

Emo promo

2008-09-14T23:21:00.002+02:00

Worth a look - and a listen.

Keep it up, Tony!

No end today, it seems a common sight

2008-09-11T15:12:00.013+02:00

While the silly buzz about the CERN’s Large Hadron Collider putting the world at risk is still eh... buzzing silly (of course we are safe as we all know K9 is faithfully stabilising the black hole as shown briefly in the Doctor Who spin off Invasion of the Bane), you could do worse than visit Times online for a take on 30 days when the world didn't end.

As there has been a lot of other days when the world didn't end either, the key here is the fortunate mismatch between someone declaring the imminent end and the universe not bowing to the decree.

It is interesting that the last 20 of these predictions is from after AD 1800.

The best one is undoubtedly #29:

Friday 13th April 2007: An un-named punter placed a £10 best at 10,000/1 with Ladbrokes, the bookmakers, that the world would end on that day. It is unclear how he expected to collect.

A note of caution, though. #2 - based on Matthew 16:28 - is easily misunderstood (and has been down the ages, hence many a doomsday sect) to necessarily mean the end of this universe. It seems at least equally probable to interprete it like New Testament scholar N.T. Wright in Chapter 13 (The Return of the King) of his lenghty but fast paced volume Jesus and The Victory of God.

Wright carefully argues (unlike e.g. The Jesus Seminar) that Jesus in fact was an apocalyptic prophet with an eschatological program. However, in view of the Old Testament, Wright concludes that Jesus "saw his journey to Jerusalem as the symbol and embodiment of YHWH's return to Zion".

In that case, the end of the world-images may well be taken as the end of the present phase of history. It is completed by Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the fall of the city to the Romans in AD 70, which leads to a new Jewish exile.

Be that as it may. Before the world ends we still have time for another classic quote by Wright:

Heaven is important, but its not the end of the world.

1434 and all that

2008-09-09T22:59:00.003+02:00

Damian Thompson has another well deserved, timely and to the point go at "Gavin Menzies’ drivel" in The Telegraph.

Every bookshop in Britain is presenting a book called 1434 by Gavin Menzies as a major history title. Like the Olympic spectacular, Menzies' book celebrates Chinese history. Its subtitle is: "The year a magnificent Chinese fleet sailed to Italy and ignited the Renaissance." But, like the Beijing firework display, it is not quite what it seems.

In fact, 1434, published by Rupert Murdoch's HarperCollins, is not a history book in any meaningful sense of the term. That is because, to put it bluntly, a magnificent Chinese fleet did not sail to Italy in 1434 – or, if it did, not a single eyewitness recorded this amazing event. Did the Venetians have their backs to the water when it slipped past?

Read more about this counterknowledge at... eh... Counterknowledge

Plovdiv plotting

2008-09-08T21:59:00.006+02:00

Playing Plovdid last night.

And even better here.

Have fun!

Have you heard of Necronomicon?

2008-09-07T12:07:00.007+02:00

The old Christian one, Jack Chick, is not the only one out there.

H.P. Lovecraft, the old atheist one, also does inspire a tract or two.

The question then, to upset one's stomach, is not so much who goes where as who will be eaten first. In veritas, worldviews vary.

Thanks to P.C. Jørgensen for pointing the way.

A song for the unsinging hero

2008-09-05T22:09:00.002+02:00

Rather a great interview. Despite no tanks or ladies.

A song for the unsung hero

2008-09-04T22:57:00.032+02:00

Everyone who knows anything about comics, are well aware of Milton Caniff, Alex Raymond, Hal Foster and the rest of the 30's grand pioneers of newspaper series.

However, you have to know a lot more than anything to recognise Noel Sickles (1910-1982).

While he drew comics for three brief years only, his groundbreaking work on aviation adventurer Scorchy Smith from December 1933 through November 1936 inspired everyone from Caniff to Pratt.

While the latter leaned heavily on two stripes from October 1936 in the opening of La Conga des bananes, the former was both a close friend and so impressed by Sickles talent that he had him in periods help him out on both Terry and Steve Canyon.

How he managed over a six month planned effort to revamp his predecessor John Terry's amateurishly drawn daily strip into a professional work of art, is one of the most impressive achievements in comics history. Without his readers or his editors really noticing, until it was too late.

Aside from the occasional lending hand (and a far later planned collaboration with Caniff on a Bruce Lee strip which never came to pass), Sickles left the cartoon industry in 1936 to do what he did best, draw men and machines in movement.

He illustrated more American military instruction manuals than anyone else, besides commercials and work for magazines like Reader's Digest , National Geographic and Life. He even illustrated One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in the 1960's.

So enjoy the drawings in this blog article, whether it is from the Western Plains or the Asian war front. Not the mention the rocket race, here from an article in Life, January 17th 1949, on the first manned expedition to the moon twenty five years in the future. Firmly based on "present knowledge and plausible guesses".

And check out this book which is really what I am reviewing here after having more than voluntarily bought my own copy, 400 pages of pure delight.

A heartfelt praise or three to IDW's Library of American Comics for making this wonderous volume available!

Inside you'll find both Sickles' complete 900-strip work on Scorchy Smith , the Bruce Lee strips and his extensive work for the military and the magazines. Besides the comics, there are 140 pages of drawings, including those he made for stories by Hemingway, Michener, Solzhenitsyn and Faulkner.

Few illustrated works have a higher wow-factor. Or a surer hand in making both thoroughly realistic drawings and highly romantic.

No one could teach you better how to disarm a German tank. And few a lady.

From Russia with slides

2008-09-04T22:55:00.001+02:00

Interesting take. No music though.

Pain and brain

2008-09-01T21:40:00.004+02:00

Check out these from Tony.

Wow and flutter! And theremin.

No brain no pain

2008-09-01T15:55:00.019+02:00

Responses to quotes that boldly frequent the net often do tell more about those responding than about the quote.

One item under present study is Chesterton's If there were no God, there would be no atheists.

Reactions come in two categories.

Some applaud heartily and smile (or frown, depending on disposition) when considering the foolish atheists who don't see the light. Obviously, without God there would be no atheists, as there would be no intelligent creatures or even a universe.

Others protest sternly. Indignation run rampant. It is dishonest and antilogical as always when someone attempts to prove God. In short, Chesterton, the perhaps not so good man after all, disappoints as he is begging the question. It is like proving Russell's celestial teapot by saying that if there were no Celestial Teapot, there would be no deniers of a Celestial Teapot.

As most people are vigorous when on the net, noone does so cowardly and time consuming thing as reading the context.

We are not so brave. Here it is:

"We have had during the last few centuries a series of extremely simple religions; each indeed trying to be more simple than the last. And the manifest mark of all these simplifications was, not only that they were finally sterile, but that they were very rapidly stale. A man had said the last word about them when he had said the first. Atheism is, I suppose, the supreme example of a simple faith. The man says there is no God; if he really says it in his heart, he is a certain sort of man so designated in Scripture. But, anyhow, when he has said it, he has said it; and there seems to be no more to be said. The conversation seems likely to languish. The truth is that the atmosphere of excitement, by which the atheist lived, was an atmosphere of thrilled and shuddering theism, and not of atheism at all; it was an atmosphere of defiance and not of denial. Irreverence is a very servile parasite of reverence; and has starved with its starving lord. After this first fuss about the merely aesthetic effect of blasphemy, the whole thing vanishes into its own void. If there were no God, there would be no atheists. It is easy to say this of the nineteenth century negation, for that sort of atheism is already one of the dead heresies. But what is not always noticed is that all the more modern forms of theism have the same blank. Theism is as negative as atheism. To say with the optimists that God is good, and therefore everything is good; or with the universalists that God is Love, and therefore everything is love; or with the Christian Scientists that God is Spirit, and therefore everything is Spirit; or, for that matter, with the pessimists that God is cruel, and therefore everything is a beastly shame; to say any of these things is to make a remark to which it is difficult to make any reply, except “Oh;” or possibly, in a rather feeble fashion, “Well, well.” The statement is certainly, in one sense, very complete; possibly a little too complete; and we find ourselves wishing it were a little more complex. And that is exactly the point. It is not complex enough to be a living organism. It has no vitality because it has no variety of function."
- Where All Roads Lead (1922)

What GKC is observing is his day's atheists, as protesters, whether one felt they protested too much or not. He had met more than his share of New Atheists.

Chesterton is really saying that if none believed in God, there would be no need to protest against theists. If Nietszhe had succeeded in killing God, he would at the same time have killed all atheists.

Quote mining is dangerous business with pitfalls, fall ins and stumbling tunnel visions. Taking words out of context may be a merry sport, however sometimes the anti-dupe committee does have to step in.

When reading Chesterton, it is mandatory, not to mention more manly, to find the form. Chesterton does not proclaim. He argues. He looks at things from different angles and positions, whether right, left or upside down. He associates and teases. And then he sums up a paragraph or two in a sentence that hits like lightning. And magically, like a turnip turning into a wagon, it becomes A Quote.

On its own The Quote may sound like nonsense or fallacy. In context it is far more often than not both true and philosophical profound.

That is why he in the same paragraph also concludes that Theism is as negative as atheism, a verse rareley quoted in church.

There is in short only one true and profound way to conclude. Like Zeus we throw a lightning bolt with lethal precision.

If there were no context, there would be no quotes.

Grand Kazan finale

2008-08-31T23:52:00.004+02:00

They're all here, Eddie Jobson, Marc Bonilla and Keith Emerson (on harmonica) - performing for 200 000 people in part two of the Grand Finale (part one is no longer available - so do hurry).

Great to see that Marc has such a prominent role.

This has to be released on DVD.

Some more inside info here - sound troubles led to no Lucky Man solo, what a bummer.

The Clueless losing out?

2008-08-31T12:48:00.005+02:00

Such a critic makes one almost believe in the human race (which you sometimes must).

Meanwhile, back in the former USSR

2008-08-29T19:27:00.003+02:00

Here is a report from Andre Cholmondeley, the tour manager of the Adrian Belew trio.

Listening to Tarkus while Keith sleeps on the plane a few feet away.

How cool can it get.

Apres Lewis

2008-08-27T11:24:00.003+02:00

And now to something completely different.

The headline is of course just to keep up the linguistic variations. Still, we're of course talking about C.S. Lewis. And why it takes so long to find someone who can fill his shoes.

Lot's of interesting observations about it in Wall Street Journal recently.

David Skeel provides especially an important point here:

"Why can't evangelical authors produce a true successor to "Mere Christianity"? The main reason, I think, is that today's best scholars, like Mr. Plantinga and Yale philosophy professor Nicholas Wolterstorff, can't write for a general audience (or, in Wright's case, are distracted by the pressures of trying to help hold the Anglican church together), and the writers who can accomplish this are no longer real scholars. Lewis was both, at a time when the two were thought to be compatible. No need to borrow his bona fides because he himself was a leading medievalist and literary critic."

Unless you are a new G.K. Chesterton.

Willkommen zurück!

2008-08-27T11:13:00.006+02:00

For those of you not Germanly challenged, here is an article on Keith Emerson band's latest.

If you are able to translate translations, you can always do a babelfish.

Hm, this blog is almost turning into a Emerson-fanzine. We'll amend that, shortly.

For those like me never getting enough Emo, Tony's place is often the best.

Radio thrilled the Emo Fan

2008-08-26T14:04:00.005+02:00

From the Keith Camp:

"You can listen to the interview Keith did yesterday with FINAM FM99.6 in Moscow.

Go to: http://www.moskva.fm/stations/FM_99.6

drag the time to 9:05 am (for today, 26 August), and then double click. (Be sure to unable pop up window. The player will appear on a pop-up window.)"

Thanks, Maire!

Another anorak angle

2008-08-25T13:58:00.001+02:00

One interesting trick is to search for certain words in other blogs. Here are the results in Matrixsynth.

The Keith Emerson Band in Riga (Photo report)

2008-08-25T10:24:00.008+02:00

As expected a fantastic concert on Saturday.

It is very difficult to express with the words what was happening at the stage of the Congress House Hall that day. Explosive, magnificent, melodious, and partly chaotic compositions having no beginning and end have chained the public to their chairs, as for the shaken in a step of music heads and bursts of applauses in short intervals between numbers clearly let know: "gang" of Keith Emerson captivated Riga audience in whole.

Obviously rather difficult to express. Some may be lost in the transposition to English, though.

What they played? Here is the list:

Intro – Ignition
1st Presence
Welcome Back
Piano Concerto
Bitches Crystal
Malambo
Touch & Go
Lucky Man
Miles Away 1+2
Crusaders Cross
Fugue
Marche Train
Finale
The Barbarian
Prelude to a Hope
From the Beginning
Hoedown
Tarkus
Fanfare
Nutrocker

"The Barbarian"? Wow!

Indiana Jones and the Last ELP Shia

2008-08-24T13:23:00.005+02:00

Good to see that Shia is into also Musical Treasure Hunts.

KEB review

2008-08-23T12:25:00.004+02:00

The reviews are ticking in on the telex.

Here is one from today's ELP Digest (back issues and subscriptions available here):

From: MCGLYNN777
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 3:45 PM

Hi,

I just received my copy of "Keith Emerson Band featuring Marc Bonilla" from Japan, and I was floored - it actually exceeded my expectations, which were already high.

The first 15 tracks comprise a 37 minute conceptual suite "The House of Ocean Born Mary," based on a romantic New England ghost story.

Emerson is in his best form since the early 1970's, but this doesn't sound at all retro. There's plenty of Moog, hammond and pipe organs, but Marc Bonilla's incredible guitars and compositional skills perfectly complement and balance Emo's with an incredible result. Marc's vocals are in fine form, and the lyrics are well done and never trite or contrived.

The remaining four pieces are a mixed bag, but again, very well done.
- "The Art of Falling Down" is an interesting song, and not what I expected from the title.
- "Malambo," from Ginastera's Estancia Suite, is more reminiscent of "Creole Dance", than "Tocatta," although there's plenty of synth - it's not another piano solo.
- "Gametime" is a silly tongue-in-cheek piece like "Jeremy Bender," with plenty of great instrumental work.
- Finally, "The Parting" is a bittersweet ballad like piece, and Marc's vocals are once again, right on.

I should also like to credit the rest of the studio lineup - the incredible Gregg Bissonette on percussion and the outstanding Bob Birch - best known as Elton John's bass player.

The following is a full track listing:

1. IGNITION
2. 1ST PRESENCE
3. LAST HORIZON
4. MILES AWAY, PT 1
5. MILES AWAY, PT 2
6. CRUSADERS CROSS
7. FUGUE
8. 2ND PRESENCE
9. MARCHE TRAIN
10. BLUE INFERNO
11. 3RD PRESENCE
12. PRELUDE TO A HOPE
13. A PLACE TO HIDE
14. MILES AWAY, PT 3
15. FINALE
16. THE ART OF FALLING DOWN
17. MALAMBO(FROM 'ESTANCIA SUITE')
18. GAMETIME
19. THE PARTING

I'm really looking forward to seeing them when they tour the states (early 2009, maybe?).

Enjoy!

John McGlynn

Keep 'em coming!

Psychodelic Soul '67

2008-08-22T14:40:00.006+02:00

There are still gems out there in the TV-archives, even if it sometimes just as well should have been radio.

Just take a peep at Georgie Fame Psychodelic Soul show from late 1967, recently put on YouTube. Perhaps in memory of what was possible in Prague before the tanks rolled in 40 years ago.

Hopefully more material will surface, and not from the former Eastern Bloc only. And with a tad or two more modest visual effects.

Alan Price on organ, BTW.

Keith Emerson Band with Bonilla - samples

2008-08-21T07:54:00.007+02:00

cdjapan.co.jp has made available 30 seconds samples from each track of KEB latest release.

With this kind of music one of course needs to listen to it in context to get an idea of the developments, tensions and resolutions.

Especially for a rather complex work which developes over time, short samples may easily mislead one to think it is a disjointed and incoherent work.

So far, however, it sounds promising with a rather modern sound - like a mix of his latest film efforts with Tarkus and ELPowell.

Miss Greg a bit, though.

ELP reunion 2009 seems official

2008-08-17T14:30:00.005+02:00

At least if we are to believe an interview with Carl in Modern drummer.

The release of The Carl Palmer Band’s Working Live, Vol. 3 will coincide with the group’s 2009 US tour, which could conceivably bump up against an Emerson, Lake & Palmer reunion tour. Add Asia’s Phoenix, the ongoing Shout Factory ELP CD reissue campaign, and Palmer’s clinics for deaf and blind children in the UK, and you have a drummer near the height of his powers, clearly in tune with the past and the present.

It would of course be great if the other guys subscribe to the magazine.

On a serious note, it seems from several sources like they really have been talking and that a conclusion has been made - at least for a tour.

The interesting thing is that it all is mentioned in passing in the interview as a matter of fact. Just like the Declaration of Independence had a subordinate clause on separating from the English.

Hopefully the reunion will be a similiar success.

The original Spinal Tap

2008-08-17T14:08:00.021+02:00

Rick Wakeman is another who never has been known to hold back on his barrels.

And he is genuinly funny, as proven by this excerpt from his new book.

As Rick always has been a bit better at composing words than music, this is a threat. Finally it is also official who was the real Spinal Tap (at least stageways). Hopefully the truth will never get out.

So it may be a clever strategy that the editor of the mag so far has not changed the text on picture above from Wakefield to Wakeman.

With stories as below, I had no choice but to go to Amazon.

Of course, back in the Seventies, audiences assumed that whatever happened on the stage was intentional.

In my previous band, the Strawbs, I'd had a Ham-mond organ on wheels. When we were playing the last number of the night I would push this thing across the stage and race after it while playing it.

One evening I pushed a bit too hard and the Hammond went hurtling towards the edge of the stage. I dived on top of it to try to slow it down but organ and organist crashed over the edge. The Hammond was smashed to smithereens and I was cut to ribbons.

I was mopping the blood from my face when a journalist came over. 'Great show, Rick,' he said, 'but how can you afford to wreck a Hammond every night?'

Even if Rick for once didn't provide any retort, it is quite simple: Ask Keith Emerson.

All barrels blazing

2008-08-15T23:28:00.006+02:00

Julie Burchill has a go with all barrels blazing in Guardian:

First of all, let me tell you what this isn't. It's not some "I-was-lost-and-now-I'm-found" sob story. These days, many people reach out to faith "to find peace". I had too much peace in my life already. In faith, I was looking to be troubled – on behalf of other people. Every film and pop starlet, trawling after a reason to exist, says, "I'm not religious – but I am spiritual". I don't have a spiritual bone in my body; but what I am, is religious. I believe, literally, in the God of the Old Testament, whom I understand as the Lord of the Jews and the Protestants. I'm a Christian Zionist, as well as a Christian feminist and a Christian socialist. But over the past two decades, almost without me knowing it, the Christian part has become the most important.

Even if I probably don't quite see face to face with her theology (that would be a rare treat), I wholeheartedly enjoy her polemics.

My favourite vicar, the Reverend Gavin Ashenden of Sussex University, never says, "I am a Christian," but rather "I'm trying to be a Christian". Me too. Between the darkness that faces me from within and the darkness that faces me from without, it may just prove to be the hardest thing I've ever done. I love it.

Maybe no coincidence that her name to a stray foreigner rhymes so perfectly with Churchill.

Britain is Repossessing America

2008-08-12T23:28:00.001+02:00

An oldie but goldie. Even if no Chestertonian.

We presume.

How to get into debt

2008-08-12T23:23:00.000+02:00

A good one. Even a Chestertonian one.

A golden myth

2008-08-08T15:22:00.006+02:00

The story pops up again and again, especially among economists who want you to invest in gold:

The purchasing power of gold has not diminished since Biblical times. According to the Old Testament, during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, an ounce of gold bought 350 loaves of bread. Today, an ounce of gold still buys 350 loaves.

And of course it is a myth, one of those urban legends that has been debugged to death but still won't lay down.

However, as a Bible scholar, Claude Mariottini is not afraid of the truth:

To say, however, that one ounce of gold in the days of Nebuchadnezzar bought 350 loaves of bread, one must assume several things. First, one must assume that the ounce, a unit of weight in the avoirdupois system, once used in the United Kingdom and still used in the U.S. system of weights, was also used in Babylon. Since the Babylonians did not use imperial units, this statement is false.

Second, we must assume that the value of gold has remained stable in its relative value to the price of bread. If this assumption is correct, then we must also assume that the price of gold and the price of bread has remained relatively the same for the past 2,600 years. It is evident that no one can assume that this is true, therefore, the statement above also cannot be proved.

Read all about it here.