'Thanksgiving' in the USA, another observance of seasonal change.

The fourth Thursday of November in the USA is 'Thanksgiving', their fixed celebration of seasons, harvest and plenty. Based on ancient, pagan, seasonal celebrations, now, high-jacked for religious / political gains, it wasn't always a fixed date. For millennia, early peoples would have been aware that the summer growing season was over and their journey in to winter was beginning and food stores would have to last them through the colder period. This happens worldwide through history.

Early settlers from other lands brought with them the harvest rituals that they observed. In these new lands, the end of the growing season would vary in time and severity depending on location, the more northerly 'states' having an earlier and harsher on set of winter. Canadian harvest rituals are much earlier. This movable feast, however, didn't foster the 'United' feeling that the 'States' were looking for. Abraham Lincoln fixed the date on which all the states would celebrate in order to a give the people a sense of unity (1863). Various tales and unsubstantiated myths

Our twisted relationship with celebrity #DrMattSmith v #gemmacollins.

Everything that is twisted and wrong in our modern obsession with 'celebrity' has been seen in the UK 'news' (#NotNews) in the past few days. On the one hand, we have the brilliant Dr Matt Taylor. A dedicated, hard-working, genius, responsible for helping the ESAs Rosetta probe travel 4 BILLION miles across the solar system to land a module on the surface of a comet. The first time in history that this has been accomplished. A massive human achievement. Over 20 years in the planning and the result of targeted research and investment. That is NEWS. Despite this wonder of modern science, Dr Matt Taylor was not a household name and he became famous and was abused on social media for wearing a shirt, created and given to him by a female friend as a present. Most people had no idea who he is and what he and his wonderful team were doing or have achieved. They have 280,000 twitter followers.

Vaping. Take it outside.

It is simple. Take it outside. The insidious rise of 'vaping' as the acceptable face of smoking is astounding. It should be a regulated stepping stone that helps addicts to give up smoking, not a new industry that creeps its way in to society, becoming seen as 'normal' or 'cutting edge', designed to snare a new, younger market for profit. Insidious. In the UK, vaping should be subject to the same advertising rules as smoking, the same taxation measures and pushed to the same outside areas as smoking.

Instead, we are served loads of  'sexy' adverts on TV, the portrayal of this habitual need to draw noxious chemicals in to your lungs as 'cool' and 'modern'. These 'lifestyle' ads should be banned.

4 BILLION years, 4 Billion miles. Human achievement. Science.

It is mind-blowing. The journey started 10 years ago with the launch of the ESAs 'Rosetta' mission to land a probe on the surface of a comet. A comet that is more than 4 billion years old, known to us as Comet 67P. There has been 25 years of research and planning. Yesterday, 4 BILLION miles (over 6 billion km) later, the probe, named Philae, completed its journey. Landing a probe, the size of a washing machine, on a comet that is travelling at more than 40,000 miles per hour over such unimaginable distances is nothing short of astonishing. A peak in human achievement, a wonderful example of what human beings are capable of when they push the boundaries of science and modern technology. The cutting edge of our understanding of space, the solar system and the universe.

Bonfire Night. Burning Popes, religions, cats and traditions.

Bonfire Night. Burning Popes, religions, cats and traditions.

Another crazed, religiously inspired, leftover celebration. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic man who wanted to over-throw the King. The King was a Protestant who knew the importance of instilling religious fear in his servants . As the King survived an attempt on his life in the 1605 plot, it was thought that the Protestant version of 'god' was good and puritanical ministers in government effectively made it a day of compulsory worship. There is even the possibility that the whole 'plot' was an exercise in spin, designed to inflame anti-Catholic feelings. ( here ) In 1606, to avoid being hung, drawn and publicly disemboweled for his 'crime', Guy Fawkes jumped from

Happy Halloween - celebrating our place in the solar system. Spooky.

So here we are again. Halloween. Treats, costumes, lanterns, spiders, bats, blood, horror, death, ghosts.

It has its origins in the ancient, pagan, pre-Christian, Celtic festival known as Samhain ("sah-win"). The Feast of the Dead. A time when humans had much less knowledge of the world around them. Later, hijacked and assimilated by the religious ceremony of All Hallows Eve & All Saints Day. A day for the dead. Look it up. It is a celebration of the end of the harvest season, a recognition of the lengthening nights, worsening weather and the harsh winter season running up to the winter solstice ( Dec 21st aka Christmas. Here ). It represents the point in the calendar when livestock were moved to lower level farmland from the higher, summer feeding grounds and when animals were slaughtered for the winter larders.  In the northern hemisphere, the reduced daylight, winter temperatures and sparse food supply meant that our ancient, pagan ancestors felt the icy grip of winter tightening and closer to their (made up) spirit world, disease and death. The coming of the Light. Humans have always feared the things that they hadn't worked out.

Mars or London faster?

India has managed to successfully put a satellite into orbit around Mars. They have spent the equivalent of £45million in order to do so. The unmanned probe will now start gathering data about the atmosphere of Mars. That is an incredible feet. £45million.

In the UK, we are spending at least £40BILLION on making the journey between Manchester, Birmingham and London slightly faster. That is the cost so far for the controversial HS2. It has already gone up massively from the original budget.  Is it only me,  or is that a massive rip off? Discuss. #Disgust

September 23rd - Autumn Equinox

September 23rd 2014 is the Autumn Equinox for those of us in the Northern hemisphere. It means shorter hours of daylight as we head towards the winter solstice in December. For the next few weeks of the year, we will lose appx 4mins of daylight per day (in UK). Our ancestors would have been acutely aware of exactly what this event meant to their everyday lives. Prepare for longer, colder nights and look out for celebrations such as Diwali, Halloween, American 'Thanksgiving' and Samhain, all of which are connected to the seasonal changes, harvest and winter moons. All leading up to the Winter solstice, wrapped up in the commercially obese spending fest that is Christmas.

Religion. Mental Illness or Disease?

Organised Religion is a disease within society. One that affects clarity of thought. It prevents freethinking and forces the brain to ignore evidence, instead instilling a belief in ancient myths. It holds back the potential of human beings by dulling their perception of the world. A weakness, an illness that is forced on to children and vulnerable, uninformed adults before they have the mental capacity to resist and is perpetuated by cultural relics dressed up as traditions from an age gone by. The cure is rational thought. A diet of science, study, intelligent conversation and a willingness to accept that traditions based on ancient myths have been proved to have no basis in reality. Responsible education of the next generation, teaching facts not fiction and encouraging scepticism. Once cured, the modern world can progress towards a better future.

Radical, fundamental and extreme religions are a cancer. They preach division, hatred, regressive lies and stone age morals. They are dangerous and destroy all before them with no thought or consideration. They have to be cut out, removed from modern societies as their very existence is counter to the advancement of a moral and just community. They aggressively resist and destroy all

For Dog's sake! Leading the way in to modernity.

In Malaysia, a small group of publicity seeking, religious crackpots have been calling for an apology from the organisers of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after they became offended by the use of 'Scottie Dogs' at the opening ceremony. ( Here ) Any religion or faction that calls for its brainwashed followers to be offended by animals, touching animals, parts of animals or being led out at a sporting event by a tartan-wearing puppy, deserves to be exposed, ridiculed and then thoroughly ignored, especially by everyone with a rational and sensible POV. We should neither value nor respect the opinions of an individual that would choose to feel this way. Their opinions are regressive, small-minded and demonstrate a stunning lack of thoughtfulness. An embarrassment . Feeling offended because an extreme version of your religion tells you that you should be, is OFFENSIVE to me and all the progressive, right-minded and modern humans in the world.  What's next? Tunnock's Tea cakes and Irn Bru offensive to Jedi? Grow up.#moveforward

England fail & fall to 20th in the FIFA rankings. Get used to it.

England have fallen to the dizzy depths of 20th in the latest FIFA world rankings after a pathetic and entirely predictable performance at the Brazil World Cup. This is the lowest ranking since 1996 which happened after failing to reach the finals of the 1994 tournament.

We have to resign ourselves to the fact that, in a world game, we are going to struggle to be a top 20 team. The EPL is a demonstration league, great for showcasing the talents of some of the highest paid players from around the world. This often happens at the expense of English players, tactics and the national team. Surely, it is time for a mandatory number of eligible English players in every starting lineup within the PL and, maybe, the football league in general? This, however, is not the only problem. The Colombian national team is made up of players that, almost all, play overseas in other leagues - they have risen to 4th in the latest rankings.

Population also plays a part. The USA have a potential pool of 315 million people from which to find a national team. England have 55million. As the participation in football increases across the USA, so does their ability to maintain a top 20 ranking (currently 15th). However, Belgium have a population of only 11million and they are 5th in the latest rankings.

As countries around the world aim for World Cup glory, we have to be realistic that many will overtake us and the England team will find it more and more difficult to maintain a top 20 ranking. There could be an answer to staying higher up the table. It may involve 'B-team' leagues made up entirely of English players. It may involve player quotas for PL teams. It may involve a dedicated national team that only play international matches. It may be that we need to completely overhaul the youth and professional game structure. However, the FA are not likely to adopt any of these possibilities and, therefore, I can only see a long term falling of our place in the global game. A top 10 place for England? No, not from a rational and realistic POV. Discuss.

The Summer Solstice.

In the Northern Hemisphere, June 21st is the #SummerSolstice. It is the point in our celestial year when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, it represents the winter solstice when the path of the sun in the sky is at its lowest. For many thousands of years our ancestors would have celebrated this time of year and celebrations of fertility and harvest exist around the northern hemisphere. Although many festivals have been bastardised and assimilated in to recent religious calendars, there are many secular and ancient traditions associated with the Solstice. We should celebrate it with a public holiday and marvel at our place in the solar system. Linked to my articles on Xmas & Oestre/Easter, Halloween and American 'Thanksgiving' found here and here .

Time for a new English National anthem. Here is my suggestion.

"God save our gracious Queen..." - the opening line to the English national anthem. As a non-royalist and an atheist, singing these words at sporting events such as the World Cup or Olympics with passion and pride is next to impossible. I am proud to be English, we have a great country that should represent fairness and equality, providing a beacon to emerging nations around the world, a modern and advanced society. Our national anthem should represent this nation and be uplifting and inspiring, with lyrics that fill people with pride and awe, not divide the nation along religious/royalist/nationalistic lines by banging on about gods, a ruling monarch and an historical warring past.

The idea of singing about national pride at sporting events seems a little silly in the first place but, if we are going to do so, then we should at least be singing something that all involved can feel connected to. There are even other verses to the English national anthem that seem more appropriate than the one we currently use. ( Same Tune ) Check out the lyrics for the 4th verse:

 

"May just and righteous laws

Uphold the public cause,

And bless our isle.

Home of the brave and free,

Fair land and liberty,

Breaking News - Human man quits privileged position.

Can a #Humanist/#Rationalist be a Royalist? After all, we are talking about a fellow human who is considered to be better and more worthy than those beneath them. Living in a privileged position of generational wealth and power, handed to them by war and tyranny throughout history. I'm not sure that it is something that belongs in a modern world of equality and rationality.

King Juan Carlos of Spain has recently (2ndJune2014) abdicated the throne, handing the 'job' to his son, Felipe in what could be seen as a PR stunt designed to halt a slide in Royal popularity. Is that cynical or does it have some truth - Juan Carlos Human has had a hard time publicly in the last few years. He went Elephant hunting in Botswana, splashing his inherited wealth whilst the vast majority of the Spanish people struggled through a large financial crisis. Is that not a bit anachronistic?

Is the idea of a British monarchy ruling over the lower orders relevant in a modern society? Does it have a place other than as a figurehead for a 'Disney-style dream castle theme park' with a large team of PR bots designed to boost tourism? Should a royal family have any power to rule or hold any opinions? When they do, they find themselves in hot royal water for expressing an interest. ( see Prince Charles discussing Ukraine/Russia ) Are there really some humans that are genetically better suited to rule over others? When you say it like that, it makes you wonder how relevant it really is. Or is that just cynical me? Discuss.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27662301

Some thoughts on Europe, migration and economics.

Unless there is economic parity across a 'European State', ( or any state ) there will be a population movement from areas of the lowest economic benefit to those of the highest. That is a global, economic occurrence. Within the EU, the free movement of population between states is one of the fundamental rights. This free movement will lead to increasing pressure on the services, infrastructure and economies of those countries that are seen to be in the higher economic group. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_in_Europe_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita
This, in turn, will lead to a decrease in the standard of living in these areas unless there is a major investment in the infrastructure which has not been happening on a large enough scale since the economic downturn in 2007. Economic migrants following these routes, are less likely to bring with them savings, pensions, higher skill sets, qualifications or experience, all of which would benefit the economies to which they move. http://knoema.com/atlas/maps/GDP-per-capita

Do we therefore have to accept that certain areas will have to take a decline of standard of living as part of a European experiment or a global market? Could the refusal to accept that decline be partly responsible for the rise of anti-Europe, anti-immigration parties in the UK and the EU elections of 2014? After all, it is only by pulling out of the EU that countries can start to control immigration and access to services without breaking EU rules. The UK has not even had a referendum or vote on EU rules since the 1970's.

At the next level up, a global economic model will also lead to such changes. Are we seeing the beginning of a mass movement of population and wealth on a global scale? If so, there are billions of people worldwide that fall well below the average GDP per capita. Do they have the right to move freely to another country or state? Is uncontrolled immigration sustainable within individual states? Discuss.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Asian_countries_by_GDP_per_capita
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

There be dragons! ...Lots.

The population of China in 2014 is a staggering 1.355BILLION people. Just to put that in to context, that is more than the populations of the UK (63.7million), USA (319.5million), Russia (136.7million), France (66million), Germany (80.9million), Spain (47.7million), Ethiopia (99.94million), Egypt (86.8million) and Brazil (201.1million) COMBINED!!

With a growing population, a thirst for raw materials, unlimited low-wage labour and a massive export market, the Chinese economy is growing at close to 10% year on year. At some point soon they will overtake the USA as the major global economic force.  Add in the emerging Indian economy (1.23BILLION people!) and it is not difficult to see where the bulk of the worlds raw materials, energy needs, carbon emissions, jobs and business opportunities will be focused. Frightening.

Female Bishops to sit in the House of Lords?. How very modern.

The Question should not be 'Why don't we have female bishops sitting in the House of Lords?', we should be asking 'why do we still need unelected bishops there at all?'. In a move that will no doubt be seen by some  as 'modernising', female bishops are to be fast-tracked in to the House of Lords, the upper level of our, so called, 'democracy'.  Of course, that all depends on the church agreeing that female bishops are a good idea in the first place. These unelected officials will then sit, making laws and choosing the direction of our country's politics, as their male counterparts have done for centuries. It is far from modernising, it smacks of a bygone era when religious people ( CofE ) were consulted by a monarch to help guide lawmaking. It is nothing more than a blatant attempt to make the religious appointment of unelected political leaders more acceptable to an increasingly secular society. The whole system is anachronistic, non-democratic and designed to keep religious and hereditary privilege at the highest political station of the land. There has to be a more representative and modern way of doing things. 26 Lords Spiritual. 88 Hereditary Peers. Over 650 nominated Life Peers. A couple of female bishops will make all the difference, I'm sure. Discuss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Lords
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10844909/Women-bishops-to-be-fast-tracked-into-House-of-Lords.html

Low Voter Turn out and contempt for politicians? A solution.

Here's an instant solution to the problem of low voter turn-out, disillusioned voters and lack of respect for politicians of all varieties - a problem that effects the UK and many other democratic nations.

Make each party  MANIFESTO legally binding before an election. A manifesto that they pledge to enforce within SIX MONTHS of being voted in. These manifesto pledges will be spread over a number of political areas ( tax, health care, environment, foreign aid etc ) and they would be legally binding. If they fail to follow up on these pledges, it automatically triggers an immediate election and

Doctor,Doctor. I have a silly myth in my brain.

Thankfully, I am a fit and healthy person. I only mildly abuse my body and I get lots of exercise and eat as healthily as I can. I haven't been to see a doctor in many years as I have not had the need. If I were to need an appointment to see my health professional, I would expect to be given the best available advice, support and medicines. If there is a treatment available, I do not want to have it ruled out because of my doctor's religious or moral stance.

There have been cases of health care professionals that have refused to prescribe contraception,

Two new PapaPopes magically re-invented as saints.

Breaking News. An old man, who believes he can talk to made-up sky gods, bestows sainthood on two dead men from the same anachronistic institution. An institution that denies people contraception, has a deep set aversion to equal rights, covers up centuries of systematic abuse of children and the vulnerable, is tainted by scandal, sexism and hatred and believes that dubious claims about miracles should be taken seriously whilst ignoring all the latest scientific evidence that contradicts their out of date beliefs.

In scenes that could have been taken from a 'Python' film, the BigPappaPope was asked three times in