Philosophy for Dummies

Wow! It actually exists - Philosophy for Dummies.

Alain de Botton's latest book - The News: A User's Manual - got a right Hislop-style slating in Private Eye and that review has indeed put me off reading it - I already have Religion for Atheists to get through anyway. My reading has suffered through a) having a shiny, newish tablet and b) not switching the Internet off during what should be reading time. However, one thing which has come out of that review is the new website from the shiny-pated, big, Swiss Cheese called The Philosopher's Mail which both pays homage and takes the mickey out of the Daily Mail right down to its horrible, click-baited side-bar which I think goes down beyond The Mohorovicic Discontinuity. Check it out and let its randomness suck you in. I thought at first that it was designed to propagate good news but it's obvious that it is aimed at making its readers think about the news differently. Doh! I of course mean philosophically dude!

There is one thing it's not duplicated from The Daily Mail - there are no comments - and having seen some of the below-the-line rantings and ramblings that populate that paper's interaction with its users - sorry - readers, this decision is of course, a good thing. However rational you may think your thoughts when someone is wrong on The Internet, bear in mind that whatever you say in the comments section will make someone think you are a wibbling, raving lunatic. I'm not sure why I'm on Twitter to be honest.

Oche-a-vay.