Articles written by Tom Robbins

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About me - Tom Robbins

I live in the east of Engliand with my partner and our pet cat.

I'm trying to become a freelance writer, and chroniling my attempts at http://takentheplunge.blogspot.com. I'm really interested in lots of things, especially science and politics.

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Arts & Humanities > Meaning of Life Big Bang or Big Man: How in the heck did we get here?: 9 of 88
The Big Man, God, is a being who according to various religions created the universe through processes unknown to us. No one knows how or why God did that, but if you believe in God's existence then it's pretty obvious that it happened. The important point there is that the bible doesn't say how the universe was created, onl... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Thoughts on being gay: 6 of 27
Apparently, I am gay. I don't think of myself as gay, except as a convenient label. It fits reasonably well, and I don't find it offensive, so I describe myself as gay. It's an important difference. I wrote in another article that it's a flag of convenience, and that by labeling myself at least it's my choice how I'm describ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Environment (Other) Can NASA technology spin off developments help clean up Earth's environment?: 2 of 7
So much of the most advanced technology that we take for granted has been spun off from space agencies like NASA. Transistors, the basis of all computers and pretty much everything else electronic, are just one example. Space agencies like NASA spend a large proportion of their budgets on research rather than on space flight... More..
Relationships & Family > Gay & Lesbian Issues How we can view gays as equals: 3 of 9
The question betrays the answer on this one. It depends on who "we" is. If "we" refers to "normal people"; if "we" implies thinking in terms of us and them, then the answer is quite possibly that "we" can't. We, both them and us, are all human and have that in common - more than anything else. Let's start from there. As peop... More..
Computers & Technology > Internet Access & Providers How to protect your personal data on a wifi network: 2 of 4
There are so many horror stories about using wireless networks these days, it's difficult to know where to begin. First of all, what makes wireless so much less secure than a regular network? It's simple once you know: to spy on a computer or hack into it you have to be connected to it. The closer you are, in network terms, ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Justice System Commentary: The reasonable cry for vengeance against violent criminals: 7 of 10
Crime happens: sometimes it's victimless, sometimes traumatic. Some crimes appall us, whilst we turn a blind eye to others. We're bombarded by reports of terrible things, so much so that most of it we don't even notice, but just occasionally something will get through and then we're out for blood. We have an instinct for ven... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Celebrations & Holidays (Other) Appropriate holiday cards for any faith: 4 of 5
I am a shameless atheist, but I still send and happily receive Christmas cards. For many people, like me, the nativity is a nice story and Christmas is a good excuse to get together with family and friends and have a party, and swap presents of course. I was given a Christmas card by a muslim woman who I used to work with. I... More..
Relationships & Family > Gay & Lesbian Issues Being gay as a choice: 14 of 17
We are often told that being gay is a choice. It's extremely important to any discussion about the ethics of homosexuality, but what's behind that assertion? There have been many studies done on sexuality over the years, and just about the only thing that can be said for certain from reading them is that there is no one thin... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Catholicism Lent: The health implications of seasonal fasting for Catholics: 5 of 6
Fasting during lent, or any other season, has a whole complicated batch of implications effecting health and well being. Done sensibly, the good elements can easily be made to outweigh the bad, but even the best of us do not always understand the implications of our actions. Before I get going on this topic, I don't fast in ... More..
Relationships & Family > Gay & Lesbian Issues Should homosexuals receive all the rights and benefits of marriage?: 128 of 131
I read a few of the yes articles, and a few of the no articles. It's a pressing question on people's minds, and I have never understood why. What is clear though is that people feel very strongly about it, even when they are not affected in any conceivable way. I am definitely in favor, but then again I would be - I'm a gay ... More..