Calum Morrell

This post is very, very late. I was supposed to have written it late last year, but fell ill before I got around to it and then forgot as usual. It is not, however, too late to pay attention thankfully.

I received a comment from Scott Provan on the post about my September 2008 Loch Arklet shoot, informing me of the plans by Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) to plant a new forest beside and around Loch Arklet. Have a look at my post to get an idea of the landscape as it is now. In order to reach this view, I had to drive quite a long way through FCS planted forrests beside Loch Ard and Loch Chon, both of which now being densely wooded and very difficult to do much useful with as when you get to the banks of Loch Chon in particular, all you can see are those irritating very few species of tree the FCS tend to use.

I do not want to see this at Loch Arklet. Right now it is a beautiful wide open space and a fantastic thing to stop and look at. I do not want to drive back that way in a few years and think “remember the photographs I got from here? I think it was here, can’t quite see for all the trees”. Unfortunately, this is what the FCS seem to want. I honestly don’t know if they’re so arrogant that they believe any unforrested part of Scotland is rightfully theirs to devastate or if their heads are so far up their arses they actually don’t realise the harsh impact on our landscape they continually submit us to.

Regardless, it is time for them to be told clearly and loudly that we’ve had enough and right now you have the chance to sign a petition to state that you find this unacceptable. It has now come to the attention of The Scottish Parliament so your support now is not too late. Please consider visiting their campaign website and signing the petition once you’ve read the information provided there. All the information you need, along with the petition, can be found at:

http://www.locharkletview.org.uk/

As a very short introduction to philosophy, this is a short book around a hundred pages with fairly large text and fractionally under A5 in physical size. Nagel runs through a light hearted yet informative range of core issues fundamental to philosophy, his humour coming through and allowing an easier read than some of the other short introduction style texts for the area. I would consider that most people should be able to work their way through the book with relative ease as Nagel tends to be clear, concise and, importantly, brief while discussing each topic while only occasionally providing a more in depth discussion where necessary.

The core areas he covers in order are How do we know anything?, Other minds, The Mind-body problem, The meaning of words, Free will, Right and wrong, Justice, Death and finally The meaning of life. It would be far too easy to make (bad) jokes at this point, but I shall display unusual restraint. Don’t think I’m going to be making a habit of it. Read more…

Alain de Botton is one of those names I’ve been aware of for a few years now, have noted the TV series and the book tie-ins (or so I thought) but have never paid attention to. This changed after I saw him appear either on a celebrity quiz show or some political program and I realised I enjoyed his style.

A few weeks later I found myself in a branch of Borders waiting for my brother as he hunted for a book. Becoming bored, I began to browse idly in the travel section and discovered before me The Art of Travel. I picked up a copy and started to read the first chapter (my brother is not the fastest person while looking for something) and decided after a few pages to buy it. Read more…