Atheism vs. idolatry

Pierre Bayle, the 17th-century French Enlightenment philosopher, wrote a book called "Pensées sur la comète" which starts with comets but very quickly switches to what he really wants to talk about, which is the connection between religion and social order. The book is an attempt to stop talking about the superiority of Christians over atheists (an argument Bayle knew the atheists couldn't win) and start talking about the superiority of atheists over idolators. (Idolators here are defined as anyone who is fanatical, superstitious, or follows the wrong religious.)

Here's Bayle's brillant analogy: a husband prefers that his wife be indifferent to all men rather than succumbing to both him and to another man, while the Gallant is fine with her loving both her husband and him. Similarly, God might prefer us to be atheists rather than subscribing to the wrong religion! A clever twist on Pascal's wager.

Jerry Falwell and Christopher Hitchens

Sometimes, when I might be feeling a little down, or when my ability to judge others seems to be wavering, I'll watch this video.


Even on a casual news program, Hitchens' word choice is awesome. 'Chaucerian frauds'. And some quotes:

I think it's a pity there isn't a hell for him to go to.

People like that should be out in the street shouting and hollering with a cardboard sign and selling pencils from a cup!

--Do you believe he believed what he spoke?
Of course not! He woke up every morning pinching his chubby little flanks and thinking, I've got away with it again!

If he read the Bible at all, and I would doubt that he could actually read any long book--at all...

And then after about my 20th viewing I began to notice his stumbling over words; in this part in particular he is clearly drunk:

L- lots of people are going to die and are already lea- leading miserable lives because of the nonsense preached by this (beat) man.

Awesome!

Wine recommendation

This dry Riesling from New Zealand is delicious!




The Kim Crawford Marlborough Dry Riesling 2006. Not expensive. I can't describe tastes yet, so I'll just go with 'delicious'.

My new diet.

Breakfast:
1 egg. 1 glass wine.
Lunch:
2 eggs. 2 glasses wine.
Dinner:
1 steak. The rest of the bottle.

Seriously. I'm only doing this for a few days, in case you're worried about my getting scurvy. Although, as I recently learned, only 1/2 ounce of lemon juice a day is enough to prevent scurvy! That's right: you heard it here first: one whiskey sour a day, and you never have to eat fruit again! And it's the excuse you've been wanting to have whiskey for breakfast.

An essay on how reading leads to drinking and drinking leads to reading.

This is how addictions begin, subtly and then suddenly. Soon I found myself devouring every hard-boiled word of Chandler’s. And then I read them again. I started talking in similes and metaphors. One day I told a dear friend that he had a face like a collapsed lung. I couldn’t help myself. A progression took hold. Chandler led me to Hammett and from Hammett I staggered to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald led me to Hemingway.

I personally am unable to read even the most indirect reference to Dorothy Parker without craving a martini.

Matching wine with Eastern food

"Let them drink beer!" So said my wine connoisseur friend when I outlined my dilemma. My boss and his wife were coming over for dinner, and we had decided to prepare an Indian feast (a big mistake, as it turned out, but more on that in another column). Hence the question: What wine to serve with Indian food?

I'm so glad someone addressed this problem! The article is on Slate: with Indian food Gewürztraminer or pinot blanc apparently works. For Japanese food, dry French whites are recommended. I prefer red wine, but I haven't found any that really match with spicy vegetarian food.

FYI

"There is no doctor-approved way to strangle yourself while having sex or while masturbating", according to this.