Roland Boer's Blog, page 79

Full of shit? Bob Cargill's work space

As I've said often, we are all full of shit - literally and metaphorically. The constipated among perhaps even more so. I'm touched that Bob Cargill, the archaeologist media tart, reminds himself of this truth every time he sits down at his desk:

(with thanks to Jim West)

Most stupid debate on the planet? Part 2

A contender for the title of the most stupid debate on the planet has come up. So far the clear winner is extraordinarily dumb and bewildering debate in the USA over universal healthcare. But here's one that is at least equally mindless: the burqa in Denmark.

The government, led by Venstre (the liberals), have established a committee to discuss the proposal from the Conservatives, supported by Dansk Folkeparti (the neo-fascists) to ban the burqa in all public places (story here).

Heard it before?

Bultmann Fesitival Underway

Over at Jim West's blog the celebration of the fantastic Rudolf (who for some reason I keep calling Rudolph) Bultmann is underway. Short essays by Maurice Casey (here), Stephanie Fisher (here), James Crossley (here) and even me (here). Plus there's links to online resources, pics etc. So what's to celebrate? 125 years since his birth - the era of my great grandparents.

Sharing my birthday with Peter

Andy Taylor over at Left Turn put me onto this one. Apparently my birthday falls on the same day as the feast of 'the Chair of Saint Peter, the Apostle', the prince of the apostles and the first pope ... Me and Pete - same day, same festival. Now I don't buy the 'saint' or the 'first pope' crap, but now I understand why I like Calvin so much.

Dumbest debate on the planet?

That would be the debate in the USA over universal health care. What the hell is there to debate?

Britney Spears and the Afghan Elections: Smug Dismissals?

I'm pretty pissed off with all the smug dismissals of the the Afghan elections - including the 'ghost' voter 'Britney Jamilia Spears' - as corrupt and rigged. I'm sorry, but isn't all parliamentary democracy corrupt? From envelopes with cash to secure preference deals in Australia, through legalised corruption in the USA, to the dirty deals in every fucking democracy in the world. Afghanistan just shows the truth of the whole system.

The Problem with Professors

This is brilliant - Schopenhauer in 'On Philosophy at the Universities':

In the first place, we now find that very few philosophers have ever been professors of philosophy, and even relatively fewer professors of philosophy have been philosophers. Therefore it might be said that, just as idio-electrical bodies are non-conductors of electricity, so philosophers are not professors of philosophy. In fact this appointment, almost more than any other, obstructs the independent thinker. For the philoso

Bloodthirsty Little Brats

Why are children drawn to the gory and bloodthirsty stories of the Bible?
Again and again they are mesmerised by the hairy end of Absalom, who hangs from the tree branch, his luxurious hair hopelessly tangled as Joab moved forward to thrust those darts in his heart (2 Sam 18:9-15).


Korah's household slides into a yawning chasm, terror on their faces as the Israelites look on (Num 16:31-5).


The outdoorsy Jael hammers a tent-peg into the sleeping Sisera (Judges 4:21), the magician Ehud managed to m

Be Wary of Neologisms

As a rule of thumb, one should always be on guard when a neologism pops up. The neologism is supposed to announce a new idea, a breakthrough that most of us are blessed with perhaps once in a lifetime. But it usually covers for an old idea, tarted up and raring to go. Julia Kristeva is known to do this, with terms like 'semanalyse' and 'intertextuality', as is Mr. Foucault with his 'governmentality' and 'biopower'. The tell-tale sign: no reference to anyone else's work.

What do you do with Rechabeam (aka Rehoboam)?

Precisely: what in hell do you do with him?

In one of my more fascinating invitations, I received an email out of the blue that said:

Dear sir, we are pleased to hear your opinion about our inclosed proposal.

Spam? You'd think so. Eventually I opened it to find an invitation to write on Rehoboam for a festschrift for none other than Pancratius Beentjes. Pancratius Beentjes? Yes, the retiring prof of Old Testament at the University of Tilburg.

Why? I asked. I've never met the man. Apparently he cited