How do you do

May 12, 2009 by Tim
Filed under: Announcements

I see you’ve met my faithful handyman.

No this isn’t a Rocky Horror blog. I can’t see there being much transsexual chatter – although you never know. Fishnet stockings? No, I’ll keep that to myself. Music? Yeah, maybe some of that. Fun? Absolutely – no dull boys around here.

Now that the disappointed Transylvanian hordes have fled, here’s what this blog is all about.

My faithful handyman is reason. Not only is reason our way of observing and deciphering the natural world, it’s a handy tool for separating the truth from lies, the stuff that works from that which never will, reality from delusion, evidence from deception, the real world from fantasy, the rational from the mystical. It is the tool that allows us to live our lives to the fullest knowing that this is our only shot at it. And if we are to be happy, we must harness our faculty of reason to make it the best life we can.

Hence, ReasonCheck. Take a step back (or is that a jump to the left?) and check for the presence or absence of reason. Simple really.

But, this is not a philosophical wank – it’s simply a place where I can comment and sometimes rant about what’s wrong (and right) in our world. I don’t respect un-reason and will not have any holy cows when pointing out the absurdities, lies and absurd beliefs of those in power, those with influence and those who are just out to hurt and defraud.

So a motley collection of religious fanatics, pseudo-scientists, power-crazed politicians, bleeding-heart nannies, environment destroyers, right-wing fascists, left-wing collectivists – and all the others who think they can fool all of the people all of the time – will be in my sights.

I am for: reason, the pursuit of knowledge, science, evolution, scepticism, free markets, constitutional democracy, fighting global warming, free speech and peace. Oh – and music, technology, friends, laughter, cricket, sailing, photography and of course, my family. And some other stuff – when it crops up. My friends tell me I’m prone to hyperbole, piss-taking and sarcasm. But don’t be fooled: I’m a sober, scrupulously fair and politically correct commentator. Or not.

I live and work in South Africa so naturally this blog will have a South African bias, but ideas are universal and as a citizen of the world, I will certainly comment on inanity wherever it occurs. There are heroes too all over the world and will laud them when I stub a toe on them.

You won’t find Earth people quite the easy mark you imagine.