What's the Point of Dinosaurs?

Once compositional problems are solved and the tonal design established, the work of a visual artist is relatively routine. It leaves plenty of time, while applying paint to canvas, to ponder on ‘life the universe and everything’.

The earth is about 4.5 billion years old, but humans, the only ‘sentient’ species, (at least as far as we know) have been around for a mere million years or so; less than a blink in the cosmic eye. Furthermore, knowledge of the pre history of life on earth has existed for less than two centuries.

Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species’ and, more latterly, ‘The Selfish Gene’ by Richard Dawkins, explain the mechanisms of evolution. Disappointingly, they explain the ‘how’ but not the ‘why’ of life on earth. Life has existed for millennia, apparently, without anyone to comprehend or appreciate its complexity and beauty. The idea that the last 14 billion years, since the ‘Big Bang’, is a preparation for our arrival just won’t wash. There is no point in any of it unless there is an observer, somewhere, to give it meaning. Notice that I have studiously avoided mentioning God; more on Him later.

The only conclusion, that my tiny brain can reach, is that the universe itself must be intelligent. It seems that more and more people, all over the world, with far greater intellect than I, are reaching a similar conclusion. At last, this great question is the subject of serious scientific study, free of the fear of ridicule. To, probably, misquote Shakespeare; I can’t be bothered to check- It would spoil my flow: “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are seen in your philosophy”.

I have never been a fan of organised religion. The major faiths are both divisive and repressive, and rely, for their power, on the artificial generation of fear and guilt. However, after much discussion, with Christian and Hindu friends and colleagues, I believe that all of them have some truth hidden within. Many believe that the Catholic hierarchy, in particular, is sitting on a vast repository of esoteric knowledge that is deliberately withheld from public view; for fear that such information would undermine their power.

If, for instance, the afterlife is ‘real’, then it is a part of ‘reality’; a hitherto unknown or unexplored branch of physics and, therefore, an integral part of the way the universe is made. Logically, it is likely to be as complex as the physical reality that we see around us, and as such, not always benign. Now there’s a scary thought!

My personal view is one of excitement and optimism. Humanity may be on the brink of earth shattering discoveries and revelations, which will alter our view of everything; a paradigm shift, for the better, in human evolution. I hope that it may be proven that there is something greater than this reality, which, for far too many people, is a squalid, frightening and painful experience.

On the other hand, these may be the fanciful musings of someone rapidly accelerating towards the final curtain. :)

The Story Behind the Book 'A Girl Like Alice'

Friends have been telling me, for years, that I should write an autobiography or memoir. I had always laughed at them until 3 years ago when I read an article on 'the five things you should do before you die'. One of them was, write a book. I realised, for the first time that I had more than enough knowledge and experience of life to do just that. I decided to write a biographic novel. All that I needed was a hook, something to make my story stand out from the crowd. I needed a suitable principal character, male or female, around whom a plot could be woven, a person who was different in some way; someone with the talents for success, but with personal demons which would have to be overcome before his or her dreams could be realised.

A few years ago, I returned to my office, from a business meeting, to find a very well dressed young woman, who I did not recognise, talking to one of my colleagues. After she had left, my colleague asked me if I knew who she was. It transpired that she was, in fact, a he- a former colleague who was in the process of gender reassignment. Needless to say, my failure to recognise him became the subject of much amusement at my expense. However, it was not until much later, when I was reminded of the incident during a dinner with friends and colleagues, that it dawned on me that, at last, I had my principal character.

From that point on, the story seemed to write itself and became a hugely enjoyable experience. However, I soon realised that my choice of a transgendered heroine not only took me outside my comfort zone, as a heterosexual male, but made the book difficult to categorise, in that it doesn’t easily fit into an established genre. However, I screwed up my courage had some POD copies made and rolled them out to people who I knew would give me an honest critique. The response was so overwhelmingly positive, from both male and female readers, that I decided that this unusual tale deserved a wider audience.

The story is entertaining, romantic, and sexy, and, I hope, inspiring. There is something for everyone, from the difficulties of childhood to conspiracy theory, terrorism, religion, politics, aviation and spaceflight. http://bit.ly/DYjzn