The other night we interviewed a prospective flatmate with the help of a good friend of Laura’s, the lovely Kris, an Australian nutritional expert. Our interviewee was Australian himself and fresh off the boat, so perhaps Kris’s Oz-related small-talk put him at his ease. So this guy Daniel – despite having an irrational fear of elevators – turned out to be a great guy, into experimental music from the rock and modern orchestral worlds (though not jazz). In particular we talked about Iannis Xenakis’s Persepolis, a stunning, tectonic piece of work that can barely be described as music at all. Daniel was the first (and last?) person I’ve met who knows about it and so I was delighted to be … read on »
Archive for September, 2006…
Green Politics: Quintessential Conservatism
I read an article in the Times today by the conservative intellectual Roger Scruton which asserts that environmentalism is truly a conservative, rather than a radical, cause, and that it would be more successful if it were proselytized from this standpoint. In my post from March 3rd I write about Scruton and conservatism, and about this very idea. He is right: conservatives are naturally environmentalist, and leftists are – or traditionally were – believers in technological progress and ambitious action aimed at fundamentally improving the conditions of our species. Conservatism and environmentalism favour the small-scale and local, and promote cautiousness. Socialism is traditionally universalist, internationalist and experimental. Hasn’t politics changed? Incidentally, that’s one reason I don’t subscribe to any political … read on »
Sunshine on Leith and the Hill of The Veil
Yesterday Stu and I climbed the peaks comprising the Beinn a’Ghlo massif (three munros and a top). Quite a feat for us and so satisfying, because it didn’t defeat us as Bidean Nam Bian did.
I’ve realised that whatever else happens, walking in the mountains with Stu every few weeks is a constant. Between the last one and yesterday’s walk I have broken up with my girlfriend of seven years, moved to a new home, and started a new job. But the walk was the same as always. That might sound dull, but it’s not that we always talk about the same things, or that we’re not changing as the years go by; it’s that we can talk about those different … read on »
©2010 Alistair Robinson