The Curse (or Blessing) of the Green Car Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you knew you were doing a stupid thing, but somehow you could not stop yourself? Then you would also know how it feels to be unable to kick your own backside, and you are too embarrassed to tell... ( added 269 days 20 hours ago.)

Where Is the Happiest Place On Earth? I found some interesting research on the happiest places in the United Kingdom. A team of researchers representing the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester did a study of personal well-being based on geographical areas. They found that the... ( added 277 days 7 hours ago.)

Pointing To the Moon I recently heard an interesting little tale on the radio. A Chinese sage called Ee Tu lived high on a hilltop in ancient China. The sage was known far and wide, and many people flocked to him to hear his wisdom. There was a large army that marched... ( added 279 days 18 hours ago.)

On Mistresses and Morals I recently shared a meal with some acquaintances. The conversation turned to how relationships start. Someone explained, to much laughter from the group, how she tried everything to get away, but eventually realised that someone was Mr Right and... ( added 283 days 22 hours ago.)

I Always Get the Perfect Parking Space I want to talk today about something that we tend to take for granted when it suits us, but we disbelieve when we are made aware of us. I am referring to the amazing ability we have to know what will happen to us before it happens. Sometimes we... ( added 290 days 15 hours ago.)

Chinese Whispers and American Foreign Policy Sometimes I am astonished at real things that happen - even if you dream up the most absurd scenario, you can always find something that actually happened that is more absurd. What I have found most amusing is the foreign policy credentials of... ( added 1 year 9 days ago.)

The Light Is Worth the Candle In the "good" old days coal miners in England and Wales were dirt poor - too poor to even afford candles to light their houses. In a British winter that is a serious problem, because in mid-winter we are lucky to have eight hours of daylight. And... ( added 1 year 15 days ago.)

Water from Outer Space We know that eight glasses of water every day will ensure good health, but few people have the discipline to do it. Will we change our attitude and habits if we know that water is not just a fluid, but a live entity from outer space that... ( added 1 year 18 days ago.)

Your oxygen mask IS working Have you ever been on a plane and listened to the safety announcements? I know, when you are a regular air passenger, you get into the habit of blocking out the safety announcements because they are always the same and always boring. But let's see... ( added 1 year 29 days ago.)

Can we stop the suicides in Bridgend? There is a village in Wales in the UK, between Cardiff and Swansea, where 17 young people have committed suicides. The facts are not consistent - when did this start? If Natasha Randall was the twelfth victim in thirteen years, as one newspaper... ( added 1 year 50 days ago.)

How Would You Like Your Potatoes? On a recent trip to South Africa I discovered a book called "Faith like Potatoes" that was written by Angus Buchan. It is the biography of an Eastern Cape farmer who became an evangelist. It is not the kind of book I would normally read, because... ( added 1 year 58 days ago.)

Buy One, Get One Free or Bogof Some people look at me with a funny expression when I tell them that we create our own reality. They say that reality is there, and all we can do is live it. But at the same time they allow other people to create their reality, and they never... ( added 1 year 63 days ago.)

Is Suicide a Sin or an Act of Bravery? Many years ago I heard that an old school friend of mine had committed suicide. We were not very close, but we went to school and to Sunday school together, and we formed the kind of bond that result from sharing such activities. I remember not... ( added 1 year 81 days ago.)

The Sky Is the Limit I have recently had one of those moments where the little globe in my head popped and became a massive chandelier that waved at me, and I experienced an amazing moment. I followed this up by breaking an inch-thick piece of wood with one hand, but... ( added 1 year 88 days ago.)

I am 50 years young I recently celebrated my 50th birthday. It was a wonderful day with family, friends, good weather, good food, lots of laughter, reminiscing and loads of love. I was a little bit off balance before the birthday, because for some reason 50 seemed to... ( added 1 year 92 days ago.)

This Is Just Not Happening To Me If you have ever experienced a sudden shock, you would probably have noticed how time suddenly slowed down and how you can still remember every moment of what happened, as if in slow motion. You would also have noticed how you and any other people... ( added 1 year 100 days ago.)

Muslims May Own Dogs There is a significant news item in the UK at the moment that made me wonder (again) about religion, faith and tolerance. The item is about a postcard advert for a non-emergency phone number for the police. The postcard features a black puppy... ( added 1 year 115 days ago.)

Xenophobia, or Hate Your Neighbour Like Yourself I have recently returned from a trip to South Africa, where I was born and spent my first forty three years in this life. A week before I went there, serious xenophobic attacks broke out and sadly, many people met a violent end. I was asked by... ( added 1 year 119 days ago.)

When Staying In a Hotel, Wear Pyjamas What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? Try and beat this one. I recently had to attend an evening meeting in Kent, south of London. I was due in London early the next morning. Rather than risk missing the last train... ( added 1 year 125 days ago.)

I Am Just Having a Bad Hair Day - Nothing Serious When we wake up in the morning, we all look like a version of the devil in the children's bible, with hair standing in all directions. We then choose how to approach the day, and if we make the wrong choice, we blame our hair. Is that fair on our... ( added 1 year 132 days ago.)

Premonitions and Confirmations Have you ever had the experience where you think of someone and then the phone rings and it is that person calling you? Or where you talk about someone and that person walks into the room unexpectedly? And then there are the many instances where... ( added 1 year 139 days ago.)

Eating the Forbidden Fruit I always find it fascinating that in one aspect, all adults act like obstinate children without being aware of it. We judge each other. The only sermon I remember from my church-going days was about the Ten Commandments. The preacher had a... ( added 1 year 170 days ago.)

The Gift of Wisdom From the Elderly When I was young, we were taught to respect people that were older than us, regardless of who they were. I, in my youthful rebellion, disagreed. For me it was far more important to respect people for what they have done and how they have proven... ( added 1 year 178 days ago.)

Do I look fat in this? Botox. Plastic surgery. Diet. Aerobic exercise. Sunbed. Manicure. Pedicure. Highlights. Lowlights. Wax. Ask anyone what they dislike about their bodies, and you get an answer in five seconds. Ask anyone what they like about their bodies, and you... ( added 1 year 189 days ago.)

I Believe In Angels and Fairies and Mermaids Have you ever seen a real fairy? Or a giant, or a dwarf, or a troll, or a mermaid, or an angel? No? Then that means they do not exist, right? If you have never been to Africa, would you be able to identify a giant African elephant, or a giraffe... ( added 1 year 193 days ago.)