Simon is blogging again!

For those of you that are still here, I've started a new blog, on a slightly different topic, over at spiritualatheist.co.uk.

It will still be the same style of writing although maybe just a little more mature now, and with a little bit more information and opinion thrown in for good measure.

Take a look and give me some tips on how to make it better. 

Why don’t we Box on Boxing day?

Ah boxing day! The Christmas frenzy is over and people are finally ready to reflect on how much money they’ve spent this Christmas, how annoying certain members of their family are and how long they’ve ignored their blog for. I for one had my mother round this Christmas. I hoped it would be rather pleasant. Unfortunately, I forgot that when my mother and The Wife combine they use me for target practice. Metaphorical target practice of course, they simply complain about me when I’m just within earshot, but their training up My Little Girl and she is somewhat more literal. I told my wife not to get her that dartboard with my face on it. Accidents will happen I said. And as usual, I was right. Fortunately my left eye has always been the weak one anyway.

Many people, it seems, are confused by boxing day. It has, I can say from experience, nothing to do with boxing. Regrettably I only found this out after an unfortunate attempt to hold a boxing match with Luke, my pet snake, on the top of my pole one year. I have never quite worked out how he won, what with the lack of hands and everything, but my wife assures me it was a fair fight and the frying pan in her hand was just because she was cooking breakfast. It was 8 in the evening at the time, but apparently she was practising for the next day.

Boxing day instead, got its name for two reasons. Firstly, it is the day when people give to the poor, filling the charity boxes with their change. (Talking of which, don’t forget my change bowl on your way out!) Secondly it is the day when merchants would be given their Christmas box – the gifts they received in return for good service throughout the year.

Now adays of course it a day mostly given to reflection, digestion, and watching repeats on TV that weren’t good the first time round. If this sounds like a bore to you you can always spend your time thinking up some questions for me instead. It can’t be a worse way to spend your time than eating your wife's Turkey Sandwiches.

A very happy Christmas to you. And remember: A Guru is for life. Not just for Christmas.

That Richard Dawkins Fellow...

That Richard Dawkins fellow... If I had idols, he would be among them.

I wrote to him once - gave him some pointers on 'meme theory'. I gently pointed out that a 'meme', rather than being a cultural idea which evolves and passes down generations, was an annoying blog post that spread through the blogosphere like Swine Flu. He never replied - guess he felt threatened by my superiority.

But the man is almost, but not quite, as brilliantly clever as I am. I pull it off more elegantly of course, but he tries. Being almost, but not quite, completely enlightened must take it out of you. That probably explains why he seems so irritable all the time.

It's nice to see the other side of him every now and then though, as in this interview between Richard Dawkins and the Times.

Give it a read. If for no other reason it will at least stop you from asking me something stupid like, 'Is the world only 6,000 years old?' I mean, come on, use yor brains people. If the world was only 6,000 years old there'd still be dragons flying around...