Monday, January 05, 2009

Perennial Philosophy

Philosophia Perennis — the phrase was coined by Leibniz; but the thing — the metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds; the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical with, divine Reality; the ethic that places man's final end in, the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being — the thing is immemorial and universal.

Rudiments of the Perennial Philosophy may be found among the traditionary lore of primitive peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions. A version of this Highest Common Factor in all preceding and subsequent theologies was first committed to writing more than twenty-five centuries ago, and since that time the inexhaustible theme has been treated again and again, from the standpoint of every religious tradition and in all the principal languages of Asia and Europe.


(Aldous Huxley, The Perennial Philosophy)

Friday, January 02, 2009

In a War

This is better than a parade. Women and children are news, and soldiers aren't, in a war. This will hit the world's Press.

(Graham Greene, The Quiet American)

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Merry Xmas and a Happy 2009!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Walking to Bethlehem



BBC correspondent Aleem Maqbool is walking from Nazareth to Bethlehem, retracing a journey made by Joseph and Mary in the Christmas story told by Luke the Evangelist.

Keeping the Faith

Does a journalist have to be "religious" to cover religion?

Is it desirable to have a reporter of one faith covering stories about another?

What about atheist or agnostic reporters?

Get answers here.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

In the Harbour

Sunset in the harbour:
sea goddesses and a good
sailor

Naval navels, vessel
legs, ocean-going eyes;
canvas, rope, teak...
fishy money, lips
and slips

Gossipy gulls, cargo girls -
boats for hire

A pint of love potion,
a kiss in slow motion,
a salty emotion.

(Léon Bertoletti, In the Harbour)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

City Boy

Keb' Mo'...

The Wild Psalms

Yes, he thought, between grief and nothing I will take grief.

(William Faulkner, The Wild Palms)

...but it could be a passage from a book I am trying to write. The working title is The Wild Psalms...

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Pirates, Reporters and Dolce Vita

It seems that when Italians hunt for pirates, they hunt in style...

The officers summoned up from the oily bowels of the destroyer a banquet of homemade pasta, marinated eggplant sliced paper thin, prosciutto-wrapped dates and tiramisu, finished off with cool glasses of spumante. [NYT]
And so "there are times when being a foreign correspondent is anything but the childhood dream that lured many a dime store hero into newspapering. It's dangerous and unrelenting to work in countries where the press is under fire, only to see your dispatches shoveled deep inside the paper, cut, or spiked. But then there are times when a foreign correspondent's life is as romantic as we'd wish it to be." [CJR]

Ah, la dolce vita!