Update

Not really a new post, just for reference really.

I had an enquiry as to whether I am alive - the answer is "yes". 

My financial situation has improved as I have pension rights and earn an average of 1,000 Euro per month from my freelance translation activities. And my wife is still working (and has managed to survive the reduction in staff at her company following the Covid-19 outbreak).

I became a naturalised German citizen on January 2nd, 2019 (my response to the Brexit nonsense). 

My opinions on most issues remain unchanged.

I have edited the blog to check for dead links and commented accordingly. It is sad that some of them (very informative links which were factually based and provided you with a lot of information) are no longer available, possibly the saddest loss being a link covering most of the facts on Hitler's early life and his attitudes to certain issues. Quite why it was removed (death of the author?) is a good question.

I have also added a few comments which refer to incorrect predictions on my part - at times I can be too pessimistic. Good things do occasionally happen, people do see sense (but sadly not in the case of Brexit). 

I have also deleted two posts which were not well written and were obviously flawed.

I also noticed that a warning about sensitive material has appeared. As this blog hardly ever touches on the subject of pornography (usually the reason for this warning appearing), I can only assume that it is driven by my religious scepticism and the fact, as an atheist, that I dare to criticise religions. ALL religions. None of them have a rational basis relating to scientific fact and none should expect to get off lightly. See the bit on my profile which has been there as long as the blog has existed which reads: "believe what you want as long as you do harm to nobody else, I reserve the right to dismiss all beliefs as superstitious nonsense with no basis in reality".

There is no logic in saying that by criticising any particular religion you are being racist. None whatsoever. I have had friends and colleagues of all different skin colours. I have heard obnoxious views from some people of all different skin colours as well. Fortunately, in all cases, they are a minority. Though sometimes obviously dangerous.

If we learn the lessons of history, we should be discouraging extremism in all its forms, whether ultraconservative religious beliefs or ultraconservative nationalist movements or dictatorial communism - and don't believe for a minute that anarchism could possibly work either, it would only lead to a survival of the fittest scenario. 

Sadly this doesn't appear to be the direction in which the world is heading. As an old man I will probably avoid seeing the consequences of this, but I am deeply concerned for the future of the world's young people at the moment. There doesn't seem much about which to be positive.

Final comment. I have produced a load of items on various issues since I stopped writing on this blog. If anyone is interested in reading some or all of them, place a comment at the end of this article with somewhere I can contact you. Comments are always monitored and only published if they will not cause offence (i.e. no obscene or provocatively racist language is allowed), so a comment containing an email address will also not be published.