In US summer 2011.

I may well be in the US towards end of July up to mid-August 2011. If anyone has suggestions for events, activities, etc. get in touch. I will definitely be in NYC for a few days.

My book A Very Short Introduction to Humanism (Oxford Univ Press) is out Feb and Believing Bullshit (Prometheus) will also be out by then.

Playing Half Moon Oxford Wednesday

I will be playing drums at The Half Moon Pub, St Clements, this Wednesday (24th Nov 2010), with Trish Elphinstone and some other guys. Mainstream jazz. 8.45pm. Will bring new snare obviously...

Facebook page for pub here.

Pub webpage.

50th Birthday Present

Recently bought a Brady 5.5 x 14 jarrah ply snare. Oh my goodness - it's unbelievable (obviously this won't mean anything to most readers of this blog...)


P.S. I used this snare at our first Heavy Dexters (jazz funk) gig at Wheatsheaf in Chinnor on Sat 20th.

George Osborne, Magdalen,

I am very interested in being put in contact within anyone who knew George Osborne or did the same classes as Osborne during his first few months at Magdalen, Oxford.

Plantinga discussion recorded - podcast available this Saturday

I just recorded an hour-long conversation with Prof Alvin Plantinga, hosted by Justin Brierley, over at Premier Christian Radio. It was on Plantinga's Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism. It will be broadcast on Saturday and will then be available as a podcast.

P.S. Direct link: here.

Just for the record, I am quite a fan of Plantinga's even though I disagree with him (obviously) on the God question. Was a very interesting conversation. You can judge for yourselves how it went...

The easiest way for most people to listen will be by downloading the podcast from this website when it appears on Saturday afternoon (scroll down to "listen on demand" and find "Unbelievable? 13 Nov). It will be there permanently. One hour long.

The discussion will also available on itunes (search podcasts for "unbelievable premier"). The discussion will actually be broadcast on Saturday 13th November, 2.30-4.00pm on Premier Christian Radio:

London 1305, 1332, 1413 MW
National DAB
Sky Digital 0123
Freeview 725

The latest presentation of Plantinga's EAAN is at http://philosophy.nd.edu/people/all/profiles/plantinga-alvin/documents/CONTENTANDNATURALSELECTION.pdf

Shirley Ghostman channels Col. Sanders (Kentucky Fried Chicken)

Chris French tests psychic Shirley Ghostman. Chris is pretty cool. He obviously realizes what's going on about halfway through final bit.

Wootton interviewed elsewhere:

Qu. What inspired you to create Shirley Ghostman?

Wootton: A close friend lost someone dear and I went to see a psychic with them. Shirley came as a result of me witnessing what was going on. When you’re not the focus of the psychic’s attention, it’s very easy to see the truth of what they’re up to and it really got my back up. I became quite angry and couldn’t believe these charlatans go round ripping people off. I went to see a couple of the more famous psychics do their live performances. You have to admire their showmanship but it’s not fair to prey on people.

Qu. Why did you call him Shirley?

Any boy called Shirley must have been picked on at school and we wanted to give the character an unfortunate backstory because a lot of the celebrity psychics have had pretty depressing upbringings. That’s why they reinvent themselves as someone special who can see dead people. I find that so arrogant. Tess Daly told me about a psychic she saw, so I went along to see them, just to try to find out if they were for real. When I got home and made a transcript of the reading, I realised I had given them all the answers.

This clip involving a genuine exorcist is more disturbing (This is a real exorcist - http://www.boblarson.org/ )...

I liked the exorcist's line "Listen to me. Instead of dealing with your real life and how messed up it is, you've got this make-believe world... and it's ..it's the spirits, and it's like a drug." The irony.

Left wing liberals are born not made.

Pinko Liberal gene discovered! I wonder if I have it? Ge here. My suspicion is we are actually mutants. Thanks to John Rathbone and Telegraph.

Researchers have discovered that the "liberal gene" opens you up to new ideas and alternative lifestyles – and could influence your belief in left wing politics.

The findings may mean that liberals are born not made – although it is exacerbated if you an individual is popular during his or her young formative years.

The Liberal Gene is a "transmitter" in the brain called DRD4 which is connected to a chemical called dopamine, known as the reward currency of the brain.

When those with the gene are socially outgoing they seek out and are "rewarded" by other people's points of view, far more than they might be without the gene.

This suggests they are more open minded and tend to form less conventional political viewpoints as adults – especially if they have a socially active adolescence, says the study.

The research by scientists from the University of California and Harvard looked at 2,000 Americans.

It is published in the Journal of Politics.

It found those with a strain of the DRD4 gene seek out "novelty" – such as people and lifestyles which are different to the ones they are used to.

This leads them to have more liberal opinions, politically, it found.

The person's age, ethnicity, gender or culture appeared to make no difference – it was the gene which counts.

DRD4 is controlled by dopamine which affects the way the brain deals with emotions, pleasure and pain and can therefore influence personality traits.