You laugh, but there was a time when we used to stare at a bouncing newborn baby and the first thing that came to mind was: You’re a depraved sinner. Better luck to you in the next life. For 1500 years this view of human nature dominated because The Church defined our consciousness. And who [...]
Is this how we think of ourselves?
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog
I write, you write, we all write
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog, Uncategorized
“What does your son do?” asked a friend of François Zola. “Nothing. He writes.” replied Zola, an engineer (mostly of bridges and dams) and father of the journalist and best-selling novelist, Emile Zola. This conversation took place in the late nineteenth century, long before there were phones or the internet, so it was still possible for [...]
The Internet Age heralds a shift in human nature
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog, Uncategorized
Facebook (est. 2004 in a stinky Harvard dorm) took almost five years to attract its first 150 million users, but only eight months to double that number, says The Economist in a Special Report on Social Networking. As a social platform initially designed to share tipsy pics and Saturday night plans, it’s becoming clear, and pretty fast, [...]
Things are looking up
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog
Just when I thought smart phones were fast becoming the device of choice for philanderers, and sexting the most dominant literary form on these gadgets (“U look good naked,” etc., etc.), a new study shows that we’re using the email accounts on our phones and computers to spread more enlightening news. An article by John [...]
Momento mori
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog
Top Ten List: What feminism got wrong (or ignored)
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog
Drum roll, please …. 10. We’re not Super Women. “Feminism has made women more tired,” laughed Gloria Steinem in a conversation with Oprah last spring … and she wasn’t entirely joking (Sorry, folks, I couldn’t find the YouTube clip). When I heard this, I stopped what I was doing. Steinem explained that trying to do [...]
On the move
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog
The long goodbye …
Originally published in February 2010 in Blog
My mother knew her entire adult life what was coming. But confirmation arrived the day she shuffled into the kitchen, swung open a few cupboard doors, then turned to me and asked, “Where are the singing noodles?” From that day forward, I stopped leaning on mum and started extending a protective hand. Before long, pots [...]
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