Our proximity can mean only one of two things -- we travel on the same ethereal plane, or he and I have said nothing that educated, Westernized heathens wouldn't be expected to say. Either way, I end up in the same sentence as him, so I'm fine with that (please note the fatwa exception).
Here's what he wrote about the Charlie Hebdo attacks (courtesy of the Huffington Post) ...
Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.Next week in our weekly roundup of events, I'll tell you where you can get the best cappuccino in Cambridge. No lie!