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Where to eat out in Leicester/shire

Number 1 and 2 must be Firenze http://www.firenze.co.uk/ and Boboli http://www.bobolirestaurant.com/
Between them they cover the range from formal but never intimidating to informal but never sloppy. Presided over by Sarah Poli [What a personality?] doing front of house and Mr  Poli in charge of food sourcing and standards in the kitchens.

Recommended
Kayal, south Indian vegetarian, http://www.shivallirestaurant.com/
Best value in a city with many Asian eateries.

John P. Meier: Jesus the Jew - But What Sort of Jew?

One of the challenges facing academic biblical scholarship and theology is translating research into material that the lay person can understand. Clergy, like other professionals, can sometimes assume that lay people should be left in ignorance of more demanding or challenging ideas. One suggestion to lay people is to stop relying on the clergy to act as conduits and get on and do it ourselves. iTunesU and YouTube are rich treasure houses of material.

John Meier here is in fine formhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxeKunPwmp4 

The National Gallery

Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Washington DC all have museums with western art but my wayout favourite is London's National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/ Ever since I started attending history of art classes at Birkbeck, University of London http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ under the skilled effortless scholarship of Dr Richard Williams, the Sainsbury Wing has been a special place. The Wing covers western painting from 1200-1500 and across the link bridge into the main NG we pass into the sixteenth century and beyond. Having the NG http://www.googleartproject.com/ the V&A and other treasure houses on the doorstep was a wonderful way of actually seeing the panels we were studying. Dr Williams always insisted on the primacy of standing or sitting in front of the works we were studying over 'mechanically' reproduced images.

http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm


Walter Benjamin'sThe Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction'

English National Opera does Donizetti

Lucrezia Borgia is not performed too often here in UK http://www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?itemid=1083  The reviews have been mixed but,who cares?, given the chance of a night with friends and the insufferable skin head intellectuals, mainly my fellow gay men, in the stalls bar at half time (as opposed to the insufferable social elite, or would-be, at the Opera House).

Multicultural Britain?

Life in Leicester, ethnically a very mixed city, provides much material for thought. For the last 6 weeks a scheme to help patients out of hospital beds and back home has brought city council care staff to our home up to three times each day, physiotherapy for an hour every day 7/7 and occupational therapy. It has been of the highest quality. Nearly all the social care workers are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh with one born again Christian (black). The conversations between myself and my care providers have usually included faith, politics, education and learning about their personal histories.

The dignity with which I have been treated has been very moving. The lack of mirrored hatred has been exemplary as carers got to know me and felt safe to speak about the hurts they endure doing their work. It was painful for us, as we thanked them, to hear how they were sometimes surprised to be thanked.

I just wish politicians could have observed what I have. Because of govt rules my care is now being sent to  private providers through  a brokerage scheme. I will report on its standards of care and quality next week.

Mr Cameron, in his Munich Security speech, was speaking about 'state multi-culturalism'. This seems to mean the grants given to Muslim groups who promote violence. ......
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/05/david-cameron-speech-criticised-edl

Psychoanalysis in the public sphere

One of  the benefits of having a satellite dish is being able to watch euro tv channels not otherwise available. Although, national stereotypes do tend to get reinforced especially if the viewer cannot understand what it is being said.

French television seems to have numbers of psychoanalysts who are quite willing to take part in discussion programmes. It all seems quite natural. The last two UK based analysts I saw speak were Adam Liementani and Elizabeth Bott Spillius.  Dr Liementani, I remember spoke about homosexuality and Dr Bott Spillius did not.

Listening to Dr David Bell, current president of the British Society, last night at the scientific meeting struck me as a natural for either tv or radio. He is bright, committed, clear and articulate. It is a pity some free lance programme maker to float the idea and see if it takes off. There is still a gap unfilled since After Dark....

Given my sleeping pattern there needs to be a programme called After Tea.

It is such a pity that psychoanalysis does not see itself as part of the national conversation (yet to get going, in my view).

Even, even?, French  Catholic tv has its psychoanalysts in its talking heads programmes. Hard to imagine that in the UK. http://www.ktotv.com/


what do you think?