Start: 95.4 Last week: 87.0 This week: 87.1

Tuesday 9 October: A bit of a dreadful end to the week. We’re talking about diets here, and that means talking about intestinal goings on, so if you’re the teeniest bit squeamish, look away now. Time to discuss constipation. I know that previously I...

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Wonderful expedition yesterday to the Villa Lante, “the consummate example of the best period in the history of garden design: the Mannerist phase of the Italian renaissance”. A very fine garden it is too, made even more enjoyable by a glorious autumn day with just a hint of chill in the air.

T...

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Aaron Swartz has a couple of recent posts on good and bad lecturers. Among the good, Edward Tufte, Scott McCloud and Lawrence Lessig. As I commented there, I’ve not seen Tufte, McCloud or Lessig in the flesh, although I have read them.

But the lecturer who really blew me away was Leroy Hood. T...

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Interesting times on the atheism front. Martin Amis is on top form in a wonderful essay called The Age of Horrorism. I can't possibly do it justice, and wouldn’t dare to précis, so just go and read. (Part two and Part three.) Then there's Richard Dawkins' new book The God Delusion. I have not...

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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a gem of a film. The entire cast give stellar performances and the gentle poke at Cousteau, which to begin with I thought might wear thin, sustains beautifully. Killing off Owen Wilson -- unthinkable in a mainstream movie -- works too. As for Jeff Goldblum, cou...

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