Filth

Yesterday I thought I was getting flu. I went to bed with a headache. However, I woke up this morning feeling pretty good, so I am hoping I haven't got it.

My brother wrote to me. This is the first e-mail I have had from him in a very long time. He's not one for keeping in touch. He asked me if I could get him an iPOD out here and bring it when I come. It appears that he has broken his. I'll have a look at prices. He wants a 60MB version.

I'm reading "The Da Vinci Code" at the moment. I think I have read about half of it. I've come to the conclusion that Dan Brown is a mediocre writer, but a great researcher. It's compeling. It's like Harry Potter; each chapter poses a new question and you have to keep reading to find the answer. I'm impressed so far but I'm betting the finale is anti-climatic. I've managed to read this much with almost no prior knowledge. So no-one spoil it for me OK?

Steve Fossett is apparently trying to fly round the world on a single tank of fuel. I can't see the point of this. Unless one actually flys around the equator, or at least crosses the equator twice at exact opposite points, it's not really circumnavigation is it? If I was to walk in a circle 1m in diameter around the North Pole, would that be circumnavigation? He's got fuel problems anyway apparently.

I get annoyed about these record attempts. The land speed record is the worst. The cars they are using now are jet propelled. Nothing is driving the wheels. The land element is incidental isn't it? Anyone can rip the wings off a jet fighter and zip along the ground at the speed of sound. It's not clever at all.

Prince Charles has been touring Australia and apparently the reproters that show up for his public appearances are regularly out numbering the crowds.

I keep reading about a California nudist club, Naturally California, that is being attacked by the self appointed moral guardians of decency, for nude skating events that include adults and children. Now, I can see why this would strike some people as bizarre, but I think you have to admit, nude skating could be quite fun. Does one still wear a helmet and pads? Anyway, the point I was going to make was, despite the many complaints about these events, which have now led to their cancelation, I haven't yet heard any argument that states why nudity is a bad thing.

I've heard that it's indecent, morally wrong, and that children shouldn't be involved. But I haven't heard why. So I'm throwing the question out here, two questions in fact, is nudity involving children wrong, and if so, why?

And to start the ball rolling, here's my view. Where I come from pretty much everyone has seen naked people from the time they were born. I come from Britain and people sit naked or topless on the beach. All British people holiday in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and nudity is very common on the beaches there. We have fairly strict censorship laws regarding sex on screen, but fairly liberal laws regarding nudity. I can remember my parents taking us to a nude beach when I was very young and I've seen my mother sunbathing topless and naked more times than I can count. I can't see that Britain or Europe is drowning in a puddle of it's own immoral filth and producing generations of perverts.

Click here for the news story.
Click here for the Naturally California website. (I haven't looked at this really but there are no nudie pictures on the front page if you're worried about such things).