Do you love your country?

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Chris Goan

This was the question asked of Guardian Editor Alan Rusbridger by MP Keith Vaz whilst he was being quizzed about the papers exposure of what western security forces were doing in our name to spy on ordinary people.

The story of how a former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has exposed the shady practices of our security services is a rather fascinating one, but I find myself lingering on this question- “Do you love your country?”

It seems such an un-British question. Love of country seems to be a prerequisite for anyone involved in public life in the US, but not here. We are usually slightly embarrassed by such displays of public patriotism- such things belong to an age of imperialism, or perhaps to the extremism of the English Defense League.

I have not even heard friends who are fervent supporters of Scottish independence say that they love their country- not through lack of passion and commitment I am sure, but rather because most of us are simply not sure what such a phrase might mean.

Does it mean blind unswerving partiality and loyalty to everything that our country contains- north or south of the border? Does it mean being prepared to die to ensure that our ascendancy is continued or enhanced?

Does it mean a love of place- the shape of the land and the history contained in each and every stone?

Does it mean a love of SOME parts of what might be contained within ‘country’, and even a loathing of others?

I have written some musings about how we might describe a ‘good’ country before, and said this;

I am British- somewhere inside. I find this difficult to define- as an English/Irishman living in Scotland. I am grateful for the gentle green climate of these beautiful islands, and for the slow pragmatic evolution of our welfare state.

But (in the words of many a school report) we could be doing better…

Does this mean that I love my country? I think the word love is meaningless when applied to something to huge, so complex. I love my wife, I love my kids, I love vinegar on my chips and cricket bats and Bruce Cockburn’s music. But my country?

I think the job of my country is to provide the graceful just framework for us to learn to love each other better. As soon as we start with the flag-worship nonsense too much gets hidden in the shadows.

Well done The Guardian for making this clearer.

The poet in the pub, under the helicopter…

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Chris Goan

The news has been full of the terrible story of the police helicopter that crashed into the Clutha pub in Glasgow at the weekend. 9 people dead so far, as they still try to clear away the unstable remains of the old meeting place.

The pilot of the helicopter visited my kids school not so long ago…

One of the dead was a poet, John McGarrigle, who wrote of life in Glasgow with an honest voice- speaking of unemployment, drugs, human warmth and emotion in witty and funny ways. There seem to be a sad few of his poems on line, but there are a couple here. I did not know his work well, although had heard of him.

What a way to go. Sitting with your friends in your regular seat in a the local, sharing stories like poetry…

I thought I would write my own tribute to John, by way of deep respect to those who have lost loved ones in Glasgow. Here is the first draft;

The death of John McGarrigle

John holds court in the Clutha

Spinning yarns like fag smoke

Filling the fug with the chug of laughter

Tapped, not canned

The drink at his lips was welcome

But not strictly necessary

Sentence cut short

By a tumbling helicopter

They say it came through the roof

Right above Johns seat

Where others deferred

To the Clutha poet

How should a poet meet his end

On some blasted heath?

Should they wear away like old parquet

Or a set of ill-fitting false teeth?

John had a poem in the curl of his glass

When the chopper fell down on his head

Emily’s birthday ceilidh pics…

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Chris Goan

It is nearly 10 AM on the morning after. 4 people are up in the house- out of (I think) 35. I had around 4 hours sleep, but these days wake when the day calls me rather than listening to what it needs. Just thought I would post a few photos from last night for those of you who were not able to join us to dance Emily into adulthood!

It was a a great night- we had a piper, a great band (Canned Haggis, who are simply the best combination of musicianship and encouragement in the dance,) solo spots from Skye, Hannah and Rachael, conversations with lots of friends, and just about everybody danced. I danced a lot- in fact this morning I feel like I have been on an SAS selection course.

Here is some evidence of it all (taken with no flash in an almost dark room so apologies for the motion blur!)

Emily hits adulthood!

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Chris Goan

Today Emily is 18! I am heading off to collect her (along with an assortment of friends) from Stirling University.

Cue whirlwind weekend with a house full of old friends, and the odd room full of students sleeping in Mondian shapes.

Tomorrow night we Ceilidh the Scottish way, with a piper and everything.

I know we fathers are all proud of our daughters, but I think I have more reasons than most because of whom she is,what she is becoming, and the life she brings to every space she graces…

Religious people have lower IQ scores- shock!

Posted on November 28, 2013 by Chris Goan

It is official. If you are religious, you are also likely to be stupider than those who have no faith.

On a day when the Mayor of London has made the dodgy science of intelligence testing newsworthy in what even the Deputy Prime Minister called ‘unpleasant, careless elitism’ I thought it was time to come out of the closet and tell you what you knew all along; I am a thickie.

I would say ‘I am Sparticus’ but I am not sure how to spell it, and anyway you probably would not get the reference (if you are religious too.)

And here is the evidence.

A meta-analysis of 63 studies showed a significant negative association between intelligence and religiosity. The association was stronger for college students and the general population than for participants younger than college age; it was also stronger for religious beliefs than religious behavior.

What might this be caused by?

Are we thick BECAUSE we are religious, or do we believe because we are too stupid not to? Does God disengage our brains somehow, or are smart people too smart for God?

The study does make some guesses at what this might be about;

Three possible interpretations were discussed. First, intelligent people are less likely to conform and, thus, are more likely to resist religious dogma. Second, intelligent people tend to adopt an analytic (as opposed to intuitive) thinking style, which has been shown to undermine religious beliefs. Third, several functions of religiosity, including compensatory control, self-regulation, self-enhancement, and secure attachment, are also conferred by intelligence. Intelligent people may therefore have less need for religious beliefs and practices.

So, they think that smart people out think the need for God, and can find the resources offered to them by religion through other means.

Interesting that the effect is most noticeable in the avowed belief rather than actual religious practice…

I have not read the whole study, as I am too thick to need access to academic downloads in the press of my unintelligent life, but the first thing I think we should point out is that the usefulness or otherwise of intelligence tests is a battleground within psychological study, albeit one that I will not even try to bother your pretty little heads with.

Pope Francis on Capitalism…

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Chris Goan

My sister challenged me to right something lighthearted here, and leave behind all the heavy economic/theology etc for a while, at least in part because some of it was making her cry (which in my book is no bad thing!)

I tried sis, I tried, but then I come across this;

I am trying not to get too excited by this old man. He is after all human, and like all of us, will be shown to have clay feet. But in the meantime he makes my heart dance.

At last someone is using a traditional seat of global power to speak the words of Jesus into the madness of our age. Those in power are rattled. The small people are engaged.

People get crucified for this kind of thing you know.

Contrast the words of Pope Francis with the latest morally bankrupt drivel from the Mayor of London.

Dunblane…

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Chris Goan

On the 13th of March 1996 a man marched into Dunblane Primary School and started shooting kids. 16 children died and one adult.

On Sunday, Michaela and I visited Dunblane. It is a sleepy town, famous only as the town in which tennis player Andy Murray grew up. In fact, he was a pupil in the school during the shooting. It is a small town steeped in gentile prosperous tradition. How on earth do people make sense of such horror? Even all these years later?

What is the place of faith in understanding and finding peace?

I have no answers to these questions really- my children did not die, I was not part of the wider community. I can not begin to presume to understand what the journey might have been like for these people. I do know however that the degree to which experience is collectivised, shared, held in common, can become an essential part of this journey for many.

And for this, I am grateful for the Church. Not because it has answers- easy explanations are an insult. Not because it has skilled pastors, after all there are many more highly trained in counselling the bereaved. Not because the Church can expect to be the point where people gather any more at times of crisis.

But having said all this, where else would people go? Who else can listen to the cries at funerals? Where else can people be to share their grief, their anger, their survivor guilt, their hopelessness?

Standing in the ancient Cathedral building in Dunblane, amongst all those medieval carved stones and brass memorials to men and women long gone, stands a new memorial;

Anyone want to buy my camera?

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Chris Goan

Most of the photos on this blog (including this one) were taken with my camera- a Pentax K2000 (also known as the KM.) This has been my constant (and careful) companion for the last couple of years. I have loved the quality of images I have been able to collect with it, but I have now upgraded to another Pentax- a second hand K5, and so the old one needs a new owner.

There is a very honest review of the camera here.

It would make a brilliant first camera for anyone wanting to make a step up from point-and-shoot photography into the rarefied world of the SLR– so if you are looking for a camera yourself, or a Christmas present for someone you love, then you might be interested.

The camera will come with two Pentax lens- a 18-55 mm and a 50-200 mm. Both are great lens, modern, lightweight and very usable. Check out my flickr pics down in the right hand margin to see what they can do.

I will also throw in some extras- a camera bag, a circular polarising filter (essential for landscapes) and a couple of extra lens extensions. The camera comes in its original box, and is in really good condition.

I am asking £150, which is about what you will pay for this camera on ebay without both lens.

I would love to see it go to someone who can get some real creative use out of what has been a gadget that was actually worth owning…

The boat is long gone…

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Chris Goan

this fragile tent

a blog about small beautiful things