December 11th to 17th December 2006
Dear Roger, |
TUESDAY December 12 Science Fiction Dear Sir/Madam, I am working on a series for Channel 4, to be presented by Professor Richard Dawkins, who is questioning the rationality of astrology. May we use a shot of Jonathan's column to illustrate our item? Best wishes Lindsey
Dear Lindsey, |
WEDNESDAY December 13 As I was saying... In France, they call it "l'esprit d'escalier". It's not really the "wit of the staircase", more the moment when, after an intense conversation, you realise what you SHOULD have said. Yesterday, I wrote about skepticism. Later, it dawned on me that two little words would have more eloquently illustrated the magic that unprovable belief and illogical tradition can create. Two more words might have amply demonstrated the effect of any mission to debunk and demistify. What a shame it's too late for those words now. It's not? Well, OK. The first two are "Merry Christmas". The next? "Bah, Humbug!" |
THURSDAY December 14 Addicted People take heroin because they are emotionally disturbed not because they think it will help them have more fun at parties. Once addicted, they can think of nothing but their next fix and will do whatever it takes to afford it. Up to 500,000 British people could soon be in this terrible state. I predict the Suffolk killer will be identified within weeks and that prostitution will be fully legal within years. I wish I could predict, with the same confidence, when we will invest in proper detoxification and rehabilitation for our growing population of desperate heroin and methadone addicts |
FRIDAY December 15 Alcohol is a problem too Yesterday I wrote about heroin addiction. Several readers have pointed out that alcohol makes just as many people miserable but that it is somehow considered 'normal'. A reader called Claudine suggests that if addiction stems from emotional disturbance in childhood, society should invest in better support for parents. In 2007, I predict, these and other difficult topics will begin to get some enlightened discussion. I'm taking next week off, so that I can look more closely at what else the coming year has in store. My colleague Kathryn Cassidy, will write your predictions from Monday to Friday. |
SATURDAY December 16 Your Week Ahead The trouble with Christmas is that it only has to be good once. If, as a child, you have a delightful experience, you end up feeling as though that can happen again... and again. It takes lot of harsh reality before you really start to notice that your hope is far fetched. Conversely, once you have one disappointing Christmas, all future Christmases become events to dread. The planets this year, speak of no reason why we can't all have a wonderful holiday. This week's predictions, though, are especially dedicated to those who, for one reason or another, are anxious rather than excited about what's in store. |
SUNDAY December 17 Your Week Ahead The trouble with Christmas is that it only has to be good once. If, as a child, you have a delightful experience, you end up feeling as though that can happen again... and again. It takes lot of harsh reality before you really start to notice that your hope is far fetched. Conversely, once you have one disappointing Christmas, all future Christmases become events to dread. The planets this year, speak of no reason why we can't all have a wonderful holiday. This week's predictions, though, are especially dedicated to those who, for one reason or another, are anxious rather than excited about what's in store. |
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