Outbreak of Ego

Its my birthday, I'm 27 and therefore ancient!

Also worth noting that today is World Philosophy Day- so everyone get those thinking caps on!

Analytical Blogging again

The other day I wrote an article on analytical blogging, which got some negative attention from Dizzy, who makes a fairly amusing point against it though personally I'm not as convinced as he is that intelligence is only reserved for the elite. Its interesting as well that modern conservatives often have tended towards being unabashedly in favour of populism- that reinforces one of my feelings that modern conservatism and other historical forms of conservatism are not the same- I can't imagine Edmund Burke or Hayek even giving three cheers for the Sun in the way that Dizzy does!

However that isn't the main point of this post. Matt Sinclair asks a much more interesting question about smart people and blogging, and I think he is right to ask it and the answer in the case of this blog demonstrates something which I think is interesting. Matt asks "Why should someone with interesting and novel things to say use the blogosphere as a medium?", he goes on to deliver some interesting answers, all of which depend mostly on the community as a whole providing a forum. Matt imagines that blogging is a bit like an intellectual salon on the net, in which we can throw around ideas, as he rightly points out that presumes a membership, there is no point talking to onesself.

Somebody asked me on my thread about this, why I don't do more analytical work on politics. I do a bit, but nowhere near what Chris Dillow does on Stumbling and Mumbling- and I think this ties into another reason to maintain a blog, which is one of the basic reasons that Westminster Wisdom (the title is partly ironic) exists. This blog really isn't an analytical policy blog- though I do occasionally rummage through politics and policy, its really a purely egoistic exercise. For me a blog is the equivalent of an 18th Century common place book, ie its where I put down my impressions of the world so I can go back to them. An interesting quote, a fun video, a film review, even a review of a novel, anything which makes me remember how I reacted to something for the first time.

I think that is a valid reason to keep a blog- partly because experience flows past me at such a rate that I can never really grab hold of it. Throughout my life, amongst my major vices is forgetfulness, and that means that I often lose hold of what I should know or should remember. Here I have a resource to which I can turn, when I want to, to find out about say Rousseau's walks or Bresson's Joan of Arc. Part of that is it forces me to think about what I see and read more acutely than ever before: because I know I'm going to have to write an article up here on it. That makes me look deeper and try and understand more. Its also a good resource to remember what an idiot I am occasionally- there are moments on this blog where I know I've been a complete fool- reminding onesself of that is a good thing and doing it on a blog is fairly harmless. (Which in a way brings me back to Dizzy, acute mockery of your own pretensions is always a good thing to read!)

In answer to Matt's question therefore- I think there is another reason- in addition to the good ones he has given- for a person to keep a blog and that is as an online diary. Afterall that is what blogs started off being- and I wonder whether in the end that will be their principle use.

LATER Incidentally Dizzy should probably go and watch this.

Happy Birthday to me

I should note that its this blog's birthday today. Officially I started posting on 16th September 2006 but the actual first post was this thought about the Pope's speech which caused a furore last year. Its a post I'm still quite proud of, though to be honest not so much of the formatting- I hadn't actually learnt at that point how to hyperlink or indeed to blockquote- the things one learns blogging. Anyway in that time I've made a large selection of friends through blogging and met some of them like James Hamilton and Matt Sinclair and many of them are friends I only know online- Messrs Higham, Ashok Karra, Political Umpire and Ian from Imagined Community amongst so many others. They have all as have so many of those commenting on this blog made me very welcome and I hope this site is quite welcoming as well- lets go on for another year and see what happens. I'm sure whatever does I'll learn a lot!

Ashokian Tact and devilry

Ashok wrote a post a while ago about tact in which he presented an unconventional and you might think unsympathetic (to this blogger at least) argument that tact was often less useful in human relationships than one might think. The crux of Ashok's argument is in this passage:

In most cases I have found that stepping back and letting someone have their pride creates a relationship that is mediocre at best. After all, you're the one striving to find common ground, to be nice to others, to give the benefit of the doubt. That you wouldn't be given a similar generosity is a problem: it means that you have to placate someone else's ego to be let in their "lives."

Ashok I am sure like this blogger would say that most relationships are filled with give and take, most relationships between friends, families or lovers are filled with compromise and compromise is all about giving up things that you would like to do for the sake of another- what Ashok's critique seems to be concerned with here is asymmetrical concession particularly at the beggining of a relationship which establishes a pattern.

To demonstrate where I agree entirely with Ashok, I want to turn to one of the most acute things said about relationships ever by one of the most acute observers of human foilibles I have come across. C.S. Lewis was a bad philosopher but a good reader of character- some of his insights- that dieting is a form of gluttony are ones to which I refer all the time. Lewis occasionally said stupid things but some of what he says is very perceptive and particularly this is true about relationships.

One of Lewis's best books concerns the tempting of a human soul by a junior devil who is being advised on how to do it by his uncle a senior devil called Screwtape. At one point the human they are trying to tempt, falls in love with a girl and Screwtape is faced with the mystery of human love, this passion that breaks down all before it in a kind of dew of human kindness. The devil of course is horrified by it: but he has a strategy, he encourages his minion to tempt the man concerned to conceding at every moment, tempting the girl to accept concession as a fact of life. Setting up a scenario which once the first flush of love has departed, will lead to endless conflict between the man who has reverted back somewhat to his selfish self and the girl who expects the norms of their early relationship to survive. Things don't quite go in that direction- but the danger that Lewis points to, that relationships can be corrupted by the expectation of future kindness based on past tact is very valid.

Essentially what Lewis and Ashok are advocating within reason is that to lie that you are kinder than you are upon entering a relationship ends ultimately in tears because it creates an obligation, an expectation in the other parties eyes. That's different from arguing against kindness itself- but its arguing for reciprocality and equality in relationships, there is no point in abandoning one's self in order to serve another if one has no intention (and very few have) of living as a servant for the rest of one's life. When two very conservative (and exceptionally intelligent) writers remind one of the importance of equality and reciprocality in one's relationships its worth listening.

Gracchi Returns

I am still in Norway having had a wonderful holiday with some exceptionally nice individuals- but have an internet connection- and return to England tommorrow. I must say though thanks to everyone over the last few weeks that has posted again. Many of them have interrupted busy lives including blogging to post words over at this blog and I owe them all a lot. Thank you guys very much and I hope people have enjoyed the rather different voices that have been sounding on this blog recently- I have. Unfortunately you are back to me now, but I'd encourage everyone to visit the other lads as well- their blogs are all on the sidebar and take a look. Thank you again guys and if you need reciprocation you know where I am!

Great Big Thanks

May I say that since I have been away there have been a multitude of fine guest posters on here who have maintained the site brilliantly. Ashok Karra writes fascinatingly here as he does at his own blog. Matt Sinclair was wonderful as well. James Higham furnished us with musings about Dr Crippin and the state of modern Russia. James Hamilton was as usual a stalwart full of good sense. Vino did what Vino always does brilliantly- give glimpses into the politics of other countries. I'm back now and will post for about a week at which point I'm off to Norway for a week so may ask some others to do some guest posting and though any of these fine gentlemen are welcome to post as well again should they wish to. But I have been stunned by both the quality and quantity of postings- I have a lot to live up to- thanks all round are due- and any of these gentlemen should they be in south London and in need of refreshment need only ask and Gracchi will be present to buy them a drink!

Guest Bloggers

As Ashok has already started below I thought I would announce to regulars- I'm away for the next 14 days- so have invited numerous guest bloggers on to have a go here- most of them are bloggers whose blogs are similar in type to what you see here- but roughly I have got three or four rightwing bloggers and three or four leftwing ones as well. I hope you enjoy their productions.

From my own point of view should include some links from Bits, an article on circumcision is up here, one of the Indian film Naqaab and a review of the recent Simpsons Movie has also appeared. I hope you enjoy those and the guest bloggers.

Four more articles

Just thought I'd note that I've published four more articles over at Bits about the Queen and the BBC, about Brown and terrorism, about Taiwan and the West's hypocrisy when it comes to the island state and a film review of the Finnish film Lights in the Dusk- hope you enjoy!

Sicko

I've just reviewed Michael Moore's new film Sicko at Bits of News- personally I think Moore is right- for a civilised society- however you run it whether the French, British or any other way, universal health care free at the point of need is something that should happen- lets hope that the States gets there in the end.

More Gracchi

Aha just thought I'd offer up four articles I have written at Bits- one on the plight of migrant workers in the Middle East, another on why educated Muslims become terrorists and reviews of two films, Shrek 3 and Inland Empire, David Lynch's latest confusing masterpiece- hope that something there entertains you!

I have been interviewed..

I have just been interviewed by Ashok of inrethinking, one of the best blogs on the net, the interview is up here and I hope is interesting. Anyway have a read!

Five articles

All at Bits- I've recently written on the question of rings to denote virginity and the case in the High Court about it in the UK, defections from the Conservative Party, the succeses of Dutch football, Tony Blair's mission to Israel, the new Brown cabinet and the managerial crises at Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Over at Nourishing obscurity- there is an article about why I can't spell and the costs to footballers of the second world war.

More will appear on this blog soon- apologies I've been very busy recently but I will try harder to get stuff up here as well!

Blogging

I have just published what I hope is a rather interesting piece on blogging and the enlightenment over at Bits of News- its basically a suggestion that blogging expands what Kant called public reason to the whole population.

Salman and sex

I've just posted two articles over at Bits- the first is about Salman Rushdie and whether he should have got a knighthood, the other is about the way that the film The Man who wasn't there demonstrates the difficulties of communication between men and women in a time where it is only structured sexuality leading to a rather hopeless loneliness.

Football and Vampires

Yep those have been the topics of my last two articles on Bits of News- football and its corruption has recently come under scrutiny in the UK with the publication of the Stevens Report and it appears that the novel, the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is going to be made into a film.

Blogpower awards

Just thought I'd mention if anybody's been following it that the Blogpower awards have been published. Blogpower was a collective of small bloggers set up to hype each other up to a degree and to recognise merit. Some of these awards I disagree with violently- but there are some I am very happy with and personally think that a couple have gone to some of the nicest and best bloggers out there- personally I'd like to congratulate some people who have really deserved their awards and who haven't been recognised before, James Higham and I have frequent disagreements but I have to say that he is one of the most friendly and helpful people I have ever met on the blogosphere and thoroughly deserves his award for best contribution to blogging, Ruthie Zaftig is someone I have only just come across but combines the personal and political in a really brilliant way, Not Saussure is one of the best bloggers around and recently got a different award for it and deserves his award thoroughly as does Mr Eugenides a fearsome debater (Unity is equally an amazing blogger who thoroughly deserves his award) and Chris Dillow possibly the best intellectual political blogger in the UK would stand high in my list if I were ever giving out awards. And I doubt you could find a nicer person in all Sicily than Welshcakes Limoncello- reading her stuff always brings a smile to me- accept that is when I'm hungry and she has posted another picture of yet more delicious Italian food.

Yes there are some awards I disagree with, some very violently,- some blogs I don't know- but all in all I'm happy to see many people whose blogs I really admire get some recognition- if it keeps the Ruthies, Jameses, Welshcakeses and Not Saussures going through the dark nights of blogging then all the better! (Personally I doubt Mr Eugenides or Unity need encouraging given the zest they give to their fiskings- and as for Dillow well the man's mind is big enough that it would explode without his blog!)

Ocean's 13

Just thought people might be interested- I've posted a review of the latest blockbuster up at Bits of News.

Blogging awards

I'm afraid that some of you nominated me for a couple of awards in the Blogpower awards- Best British Blogger, most articulate blogger- anyway if you feel like voting for me or anyone else the awards are open and you can vote once a day for various blogs (including this one- hint)- I'm not going to do anymore campaigning than this post.

Incidentally apologise for the absense of articles today- had a busy day- and also have posted an article at Bits on For your consideration a recent film.

Personal Note

As many of you know, in early February my father died very suddenly and without warning after a brain haemorhage. The doctors said that there was no particular reason for it- it was just the kind of thing that happens without explanation. Anyway the Times have just published an obituary of him- and I thought I should link to it for those interested- its here. I'm not going to add very much save for the fact that he was a very great man- loved very much by his family- and I think that's probably all I can write on the subject at the moment.

Awards

Just noticed a new set of awards for blogging- amongst the nominees is the consistently interesting Not Saussure and the very good leftwing blogger Unity. There are many other good blogs there- but Not Saussure I have been reading for a while and he always publishes some very interesting stuff with an intelligent and thoughtful spin on it. Unity also is good- his taking apart of the BNP in this post is a joy to behold. I'd reccomend you read both blogs...

And I should have mentioned that Chris another great blogger is also up there.