Norman makes my day

I am quite ashamed of how excited I was to find my blog referred to in another blog; not just any blog mind, but the mighty Normblog. Readers will find the usual insight in a discussion of Eagleton on Furedi and the decline of the public intellectual.

Am I being solipsistic to think that Normblog's defense of Polly Toynbee (is there no taboo Norm will not challenge?) might also have been sparked by my dismissive comments? Normblog rightly highlights a good example of Toynbee's capacity to lift the level of public debate - this time on the proposed law on incitement to religious hatred.

I am more sympathetic than Normblog to the notion that something might be seriously awry with contemporary intellectual life. Then again I have spent my working day struggling with the HEFC QAA Foundation Degree Review methodology so my judgement might be distorted....