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Mountain biking - the bad news.

Back in UK. And have had a surprise. X ray reveals clean break to left clavicle and severe dislocation of the right clavicle at shoulder. Oh dear!

Comments

Sye TenB said…
What were you doing with your musical instruments on your bike anyways? :-D

Get well soon man.

I'll answer some posts as soon as I have the time.

Cheers,

Sye
anticant said…
So sorry to hear this. I know only too well the frustration of physical incapacity coupled with mental hyperactivity.

For once, I'm singing from the same hymn sheet as Sye!

Get well soon.
Anonymous said…
Well, good to see logical thought does not depend on an intact clavicle.

Get well soon.

Once you're better, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on Timothy Keller's recent book 'The Reasons For God: Belief in an Age of Superstition' (2008)?

http://www.thereasonforgod.com/

In a discussion with Lawrence Krauss, Dawkins mentions he recommends this book to Christians who write to him expressing anxiety about the loss of their Faith.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLctxRf7duU

I'm not a Christian (I'm pretty close to atheist) but I thought I'd give it a read out of curiosity.

I thought Keller makes some interesting points particularly around his critique of strong rationality and his discussion of Nagel's work.

However I felt there was a lot of inconsistency in places. I also found his attempt to justify a judgemental and violent God particularly disagreeable (equating eternal damnation with parental discipline for instance).

One big drawback for me is that he hardly even mentions Hume - directing his defence more towards Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris and Dennett.

Furthermore it's what he doesn't mention that makes this book 'appear' reasonable (i.e., he doesn't offer an opinion on homosexuality or abortion and the various unpleasant things in the Old Testament are quite glossed over).

Anyway, it would be interesting to hear what you have to make of it.

On the other hand you may throw it across the room in anger and that can't be good for one's clavicle!
Kyle Szklenski said…
Get well eventually! :)

In the meantime, here's a funny clip that should laugh that clavicle right back into place:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ZZUGVxcTQ

It's a definitive response to your God of Eth series.
Andrew Louis said…
Wow...
Might I recommend a beer or 10.
jeremy said…
Sorry to hear that - hope you start feeling better soon. You must have REALLY hit the ground hard (and straight) to have done in both sides...

As a doctor though, I second Andrew Louis' timeless proposal. (Those painkillers work for hangovers too.)

Get well soon!
Steelman said…
Ouch.
Wishing you a full and speedy recovery.

Of course, this is the perfect time for God to provide an immediate, miraculous, x-ray verified healing. Thereby convincing a prominent atheist, and all his cronies (obviously a cult of personality, you know), into converting with one stroke.

It would only take Him a moment; far less time than has been futilely spent by one of his most earnest advocates.

So, if you think of it, you might want to fire off a skyward mental missive. Just for ol'Pascals sake, eh? ;)
anticant said…
God wouldn't do that, because he knows it wouldn't work. Stephen would just think the first X-ray was faulty.

[I recently had an X-ray which the registrar couldn't even read on his computer screen, so he just said "come back in six months unless you have any problems in the meantime". Very reassuring!]
Anonymous said…
anticant - All it would do is show him to be a capricious God. Any decent chap would've fixed it so Stephen landed on something less rocky.

Stephen- all the best on behalf of all the other anonymous hordes.

P.S. You will let us know if the suffering makes you a better person in some way, won't you?
Stephen Law said…
Well thanks. Of course it hurts more now I know it's broken.

Thanks for the suggestion Steelman. I am praying to Frank Zappa for a cure, in the hope this may be the first step to getting him canonized. He was raised Catholic, and of course wrote several songs referring to Catholicism ("Catholic Girls"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERfW_TWoEkU
Stephen Law said…
Paul - I will take a look. Kyle P - yes that made me smile!
crabsallover said…
i did think your bike riding was a bit 'close to the edge'. From a guy who concerns himself with bike safety at www.beseenonabike.com

Stephen, get well soon!

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