Today I finally finished Marcus Aurelius' Meditations to a satisfactory degree, by which I mean in full, thoroughly and with the accompanying notes for each entry at the back of the book. Marcus explores many ideas, and owing to the personal nature of the book there's a hefty amount of repetition, but he especially emphasises his … Continue reading A good life.
I'm beginning a course next year in computer science at university. I've convinced myself more or less that this is what I want to do; that this is something worth doing; and that expertise in this field is a step towards a stable, challenging and fulfilling life of creativity and technological mastery. I'm far more … Continue reading On a path.
It has occurred to me that I should record my thoughts of certain individuals at present, so that should the generalised impression of them change in the future, I can be certain of how it was in the past. I'm thinking specifically of Trump - I get the feeling that as time passes, sentiments towards … Continue reading On the transience of virtue.
I'm sitting at home with my feet up watching the cricket. Perth's had a great first innings, the sun's rays are threading their way through the blinds of my living room window, and the steam from my tea slowly dances over the rim of the mug. It's Christmas in a couple of days. Life feels … Continue reading Looking inward.
I was asked earlier today what I thought about the practice of confession as a safe-space for criminals to confess crimes, where the Priest listening is not legally bound to report any transgressions to the authorities. I've heard rumblings of a debate surrounding this issue in Australian media - the example given is if a … Continue reading The Church Confessional.
What if there is no such thing as the concept of good and evil? What if, rather, all that exists can be divided between two sensations - love and pain? Wishful thinking I would say - I'm sure it's more complex than that. The purpose of this post is to organise these thoughts that have … Continue reading Love and Pain.
I recently started a commonplace book, as a way to record little quotes and passages that I find to be profound or insightful when I read them. I love the idea of looking back in a few years and seeing the evolution of my thought-processes laid out in handwritten ink. I've recently touched on the … Continue reading Truth.
This afternooon, a friend and I were taking a post-lunch walk down a thriving shopping district in Victoria Park. We were strolling casually on the pavement, discussing the perils of identity politics in the context of Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist famous for his views on postmodernism and contemporary conservatism. After crossing a set of … Continue reading Face Value.
Earlier this year, a trove of documents was leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) regarding Australia's role in combating insurgents in Afghanistan. The source is unidentified, presumably for security reasons, but the ABC does not explicitly state that this is the case. Reporters Dan Oakes and Sam Clark are credited with a seven-part series … Continue reading SASR #2.
I came across a post on social media recently from ABC Perth regarding a current inquiry into the conduct of Australian Special Air Service Regiment personnel in Afghanistan. For a short and relatively recent summary, have a look at this article by The West Australian. In brief, the Australian government is investigating claims and allegations … Continue reading SASR.
TJDempsey 