What did you make of Simon Carey Holt’s thoughts on “living in suburbia”, in our Lifestyle Ethics segment this week? (You can listen to the podcast if you missed it!)
He talked about how we Aussies are determined to have our housing estate lifestyle, picket fence and air conditioned car, yet many of us then shut ourselves away in those flashy homes - or spend most of our time driving our cars from one thing to the next - never really connecting with the neighbours.
Simon Carey Holt calls it a “fragmented” life.

• Does this describe you?

• Do you live in your dream home and drive your dream car, yet find you don’t get much chance to really sit down, connect with the neighbours, and enjoy the place you live in?

• Or do you live in an old-fashioned sort of street where the kids still play cul-de-sac cricket, and there’s a lady who cooks fresh-baked bread for all the neighbours?

• Tell us your experience. 

Phil was in a road accident, in which he was the passenger, and his brother was the driver.  Both brothers were seriously injured and spent time in hospital.

Here's Phil's dilemma: The only way he can afford to pay his medical bills, is if he sues his brother’s insurance company. Both brothers are Christians, they’re the best of mates, and the accident hasn’t caused any kind of rift. His brother’s quite ok with the idea of being sued if it means Phil can pay his medical costs.

But Phil feels like he is suing his own brother and he's just not certain if that’s an ethical thing to do.

What would you do?

• Is it OK as a Christian, to sue someone from your own family, someone you love, and possibly put a mark against their name?
• Or is it ok as long as the motivation is not vengeance?
• Is it an unethical or greedy, to use the legal system to seek money from an insurance company?
• If it was the only way you could pay your medical bills would you feel ok, or would you feel you are manipulating the system?

Research has confirmed that Aussies are marrying later, and that many young people are choosing to live together first, maybe for several years, before they walk down the aisle. I think a lot of us have noticed this change even without hearing those statistics... A lot of us have watched friends or relatives enter into live-in relationships outside of marriage; much more readily than people would have 30 or 40 years ago. I want to hear your stories in relation to this.

• Are you married and if so, what age were you when you tied the knot?

• Did you wait longer than your parents did, and if so, why?
 
• What have been the pro’s and cons of marrying younger, or marrying older?

• Did you choose a defacto lifestyle, before you got married? If so, I’d love to hear why you followed that path... Were you anxious about marriage? Did the divorce rate make you nervous about committing?
 
• What about the view that cohabiting first can help people make better choices about marriage? It doesn’t seem to take into account the emotional damage of moving on from those first few defacto relationships... What are your thoughts?

Billy Graham is perhaps the most-loved Christian evangelist of modern times. His visits in the fifties, sixties and seventies changed the religious face of Australia. His son Franklyn followed in his footsteps, and now a third-generation Graham is stepping into the pulpit.

Join me this week to hear Will Graham share his passion for helping people find a personal relationship with God and why he feels called to continue the Graham legacy.

Also: Where did Chess come from? What stories lurk beneath those Scrabble and Monopoly games hidden in your cupboard? We'll discover the fascinating tales of board games and other idle amusements!

We’ll also review the latest in film, and hear about the famous atheist, Anthony Flew, who changed his mind on God.

“The Journey toward God” ... A review of "There is a God", by Anthony Flew

Review by Kara Martin

In 2004, world-renowned atheist Anthony Flew stood up at a debate about the existence of God and shocked the audience with his revelation that he had changed his mind. He was now prepared to accept that “life and reproduction originated in a divine source”. The audience was shocked.
What followed was a war of words: claims and counter-claims. Atheists claimed that Flew had been manipulated by fundamentalists; that he was elderly and could no longer express himself clearly; that he was reading scripts provided by others. Christians claimed Flew as one of their own, and used him to attack the “new atheism”.
In late 2007 Flew produced a book, co-authored by Roy Abraham Varghese, which clearly explained his journey as the son of a Methodist minister and theologian from a position of atheism, to a position of accepting the existence of God. Immediately an article appeared in the New York Times casting doubts on the veracity of the work. However, Flew has repeatedly asserted that the book “represents exactly his opinions”.
So what is all the fuss about? The fuss is about ideas, but much more than that, it’s about positions. Flew laid the foundation for much of modern atheism with his ground-breaking speech: “Theology and Falsification” and his book Presumption of Atheism which suggested that the onus of proof lies with those who believe God exists.
Whereas Flew journeyed toward a refutation of his earlier beliefs – governed by the Socratic principle that you “follow the argument wherever it leads” – those who deny God, and many of those who are fervent God-believers, have closed their minds to any further exploration of mystery.
Although his change of mind appeared sudden, in fact Flew came to a Deist conclusion over many years. First, he was impressed by the refutation of his ideas by Christian philosophers Richard Swinburne and Alvin Platinga. He started to question determinism as he experienced that desires were not irresistible. He considered the fact that there are laws that govern the world around us, and began to consider the possibility that something had set those laws. And he pondered the statement that “nothing comes from nothing”.
A major turning point for Flew came with the investigations into DNA which revealed enormous complexity and subtlety, exposing a flaw in the belief that life is a result of chance. Increasingly the revelations of modern science were leading Flew to consider the existence of a higher intelligence.
Although he has not progressed his belief in the existence of God to acceptance of any particular god of any particular religion, Flew is well disposed toward Christianity: “The case for a Christian revelation is a very strong one, if you believe in revelation at all.” For that reason there is a “dialogue” with evangelical bishop NT Wright, as an appendix to the book. It is actually more of a Q & A session, but Flew does comment that Wright’s ideas are “a fresh presentation of Christianity” which the world desperately needs.
Although this book should not be used by Christians as proof of Christianity, it does present a persuasive case for an open mind in consideration of the Creator. Flew’s story is also evidence that an open mind is not enough; it takes an open heart and an open will for faith to take hold.

KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (www.mcsi.edu.au), and is an avid reader and book group attendee. Kara does reviews for Heart 1032’s Open House (www.theopenhouse.net.au).

How many times have you moved house?

Are you one of those contented people who has lived in the same street for decades, or are you a restless soul who likes a change of scenery every few years?

This week we discussed the ethics of a mobile society, with as part of our “Lifestyle Ethics” series with author Simon Carey Holt.

* Did you move house many times growing up, and if so, how did this affect your childhood?

* Or have you stayed put for most of your years? What are the pros and cons?

We'd love to hear your experience.

We’ve got a grandma with a dilemma.  Maria has a teenage granddaughter, Renee, who’s living with her this year while she completes Year 12.
Renee wasn’t doing too well at the high school back in her own hometown; She wasn’t getting much support from her parents and didn’t have the self-discipline to knuckle down and study on her own. So Maria took her in. Being a former teacher, Maria is well equipped, and motivated, to support Renee through the big HSC year.

But here’s the problem:  Renee’s parents seem to be taking Maria for granted. They’re sending some money each week, but it’s not enough. Maria’s forking out more and more to pay for the things Renee needs… and she really can’t afford it.

Some of the family have already tried to talk to Renee’s mum, but they say she’s impossible to reason with, so now they’re going to have to talk to Renee’s dad. They feel like they’re interfering, but out of concern for Maria, they feel they have to step in.

• What should Maria do? Should she demand more financial support from Renee’s mother?

• Or, should she be prepared to pay the extra money needed for Renee’s education? After all, she’s the one who wants to see her finish the HSC.

• Should she set an ultimatum, and send Renee home if things don’t improve? She really doesn’t want to… Because if that happens, Renee would probably just give up and drop out of school.

• Are you a grandparent who supports your grandchildren in some way?
• If so, how do you walk the fine line between assisting, and being taken for granted?
• Is there a strategy that you’ve found helpful, in gently encouraging your adult children to meet their responsibilities as a parent?

I’d like to hear from you on this problem of the overloaded primary school curriculum.

Teachers and principals across Australia are saying the emphasis on lifestyle education has just gone over the top, and they want to get back to the basics… What do you think?

• Are our children missing out on solid literacy and numeracy teaching?
 
• What about other basics like science, history, geography? Do you think young people are lacking a good education in these areas?
 
• Do you have primary aged kids, and if so, are the things they’re studying radically different to what you learnt at school?
 
• If you’re a teacher I’d love to hear from you too. Are the expectations placed on you, over the top?

• Or, do you think it’s important to teach these lifestyle topics? After all, some kids are really missing out at home, maybe you’re really helping set them up for life.

• Are trendy lifestyle topics causing our kids to miss out on the three R’s?

THIS SUNDAY

Award-winning film-maker Andrew Zuckerman asked 50 of the world’s great writers, actors, artists, politicians, musicians and religious leaders to pass on their wisest lessons. We’ll find out what gems of insight he got for the next generation this week.

And has science buried God?

If we believe many modern commentators, science has squeezed God into a corner, killed and then buried him. Tonight, we’ll talk to the Oxford philosopher/mathematician John Lennox, who disagrees. He says that if anything, the idea of God fits more comfortably with science than does atheism.

If you are going to see Journey to the Center of the Earth, see it while it's still showing (dur, Barry) and see it in 3-D.

This is great fun for kids, and amusing for anyone prepared to switch their brains off re the science. (The idea of eco-systems living in eco-systems, encaspulated in air bubbles, is beautifully twee, while the premise that dinosaurs are still around, drooling as they roam the earth's core, doesn't really play that well to anyone.)

Sad scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) lost his bro, also, coincidentally, an adventurous scientist, some years back in mysterious circumstances (his disappearance is 'central' to the plot...sorry). Trev takes his bro's kid, Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and jumps on a plane to Iceland, the last known whereabouts of said rellie. They hook up with beautiful mountain guide Hannah (Anita Briem) to check out some seismic shift monitors and, bing bang bong, before you know it they are rock and rolling into another world.

This movie, as with earlier and more melodramatic efforts, is based on the book written by Jules Verne back in 1864. In a very cute shuffling of plot cards, it turns out the missing bro is a 'Vernian' - someone who believes Jules Verne's writings are factual (or 'science faction'). They use the missing bro's copy of the novel as a guide throughout their adventures. Just don't get stressed as to how the novel and made its way back 'topside' but the bro didn't.

Highlights to watch out for are the 'falling' scene and it's bookend piece, where Our Heroes rise back to the surface world. While battles with carnivorous plants are merely ho hum, the T Rex chase and an aquatic fight with freaky fish and sea monsters are equally riveting.

The mention of the sea scenes raise the question of the 'fun factor' of 3D: it may cost a tad more to see it in this format, but if you are due an outing then why wouldn't you spend a few extra shekels, knowing a lot of the stunts and choreography was consciously and effectively designed to utilise the 3D magic? Kids rightly love that stuff. That said, the movie overall still works in '2D': director Eric Brevig excels at set action pieces (he's the bloke who devised the action sequences in movies such as Men in Black and The Day After Tomorrow).

There is no huge moral to the story, which plays lip service to themes of abandonment and loss, hope and the need to cling to your dreams.

Rated PG for action adventure and some scary scenes, this film offers bloodless violence (not counting plant goo) and batting practice - you are unlikely to be genuinely scared or shocked, but you may end up with sore ears from Brendan Fraser's yelping.

Journey to the Center of the Earth has already made more than 100 million US. It's more than 90 minutes of childlike, occasionally childish, fantasy. 

Barry Gittins

I’d like to know your thoughts about our consumerist culture.
We’ve just heard Simon Carey Holt give his take on how we can live ethically, in a world that’s so focussed on making a dollar, and buying the next flashy toy.
Now let’s hear your thoughts.

• Do you find yourself caught up in an endless cycle of consuming, keeping up with fashion, and meeting mortgage repayments?
 
• When you go shopping, do you find it hard to stick to a budget, and find yourself buying something that you hadn’t planned to, maybe a new outfit, or a new gadget, just because it looks so good?

• OR Have you found some really good ways to avoid getting sucked in by marketing, and only purchase what you really need.

• What do you think we could do to live more lightly on the earth…

• Maybe you live in one of those sustainable, community-style set ups, where neighbours share gardens and whitegoods, in order to consume less and protect the environment?  I’d love to hear from you too…

Our dilemma this week comes from Rob in Far North Queensland.

Rob’s elderly parents live a very solitary life, in far-flung Sydney. His father has a fear of flying, can't drive, is vision impaired, and profoundly deaf - so he can’t even talk on the phone. His mum has all her faculties, but she struggles to make decisions, and hardly ever gets out of the house.

As a result, Rob’s family almost never gets to see or speak to this dear old couple - - Unless they travel the 2000 kilometres to Sydney themselves, which is an expensive exercise when you’ve got three teenagers.

Rob and his wife Jan have offered many times to fly the parents to Queensland for a holiday. But this lonely old pair seem have declined every time. Sadly, Rob’s teenage kids feel their grandparents just don’t care about them…

The dilemma is about what to do for Christmas. Rob & Jan simply can’t afford another family trip to Sydney this year. They want to fly their parents up to Queensland, because two airfares is a lot more achievable than five. But they’re worried about the repercussions.

• Should they “kidnap” their parents for Christmas?  In other words buy the plane tickets as a surprise, in the hope that it will get them out of the house, and help them overcome their fears of the big wide world?
• Or will this cause the elderly couple to dig their heels in even more?
• Should they just allow the parents to make their own decisions at the risk of them having a lonely Christmas Day?

• Do you have elderly parents who are a bit afraid of getting out and about?
• If so, where do you draw the line between arranging things for them, and respecting their wishes?

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS: TV Review by Mark Hadley

The Seven Network has a heritage of marketing to the middle ground. It is the family station, full of household improvements, lifestyle features and feel-good drama. So it’s no surprise that Seven is also the home of Packed to the Rafters, a new one-hour tale about the trials of baby-boomers coping with an unexpected influx of adult children.

The question is, will the series rise about the sentimentality of forbears like Always Greener, or the simplistic morality of Home & Away? The answer may lie in its early commitment to the concept of truth.

Julie and Dave Rafter are the veterans of 25 years of marriage and the parents of three adult children. The series begins with them looking forward to that modern nirvana for Australian baby-boomers, the ‘empty nest’.

However even as their final child takes flight, the family is struck with a series of tragedies that sees a sudden influx of unexpected, long-term house guests. Their daughter returns home to escape an abusive boyfriend; the youngest son and his new wife arrive looking for a shelter from mounting financial woes; and the unexpected death of Julie’s mother sees Grandad take up residence. The result is drama heaven:  a house full of frustrated dreams complicated by adult insecurities.

Packed to the Rafters is not your traditional escapist drama. To begin with episode storylines often run concurrently, so viewers keep travelling back in time to see difficult family days from the perspective of a different house member. It’s a neat tool for demonstrating that households are often dealing with more than one crisis at a time.

But more importantly, the series avoids the usual selection of quirky characters and sets its sites firmly on exploring the anxieties of the middle class. Dave Rafter (Erik Thomson) struggles to reinvent himself after a late-life retrenchment and Grandad Taylor (Michael Caton) provides some career performances as a comfortably retired man coming to terms with the loss of a life-partner.

However the most familiar member of the cast is the grim spectre of financial collapse that stalks the young as well as the old. It is a character that many Australians, particularly Sydneysiders have become all too familiar with. Nathan Rafter (Angus McLaren) struggles under the burden of tremendous credit card debt, and Julie Rafter (Rebecca Gibney) is kept awake at nights wondering how she will pay the mortgage now her husband has lost his job.

For the Rafters and many other Australians, the golden years of financial security promised to all hard workers still seem to be somewhere over the horizon.

The Rafter family solution, though, is to pin their hopes to the power of truth. Nathan realises that the pride that keeps him maintaining the fiction of his financial success is threatening to undo his marriage. “Not telling the truth was the problem,” he tells the viewer. “It was the ticking time bomb that was threatening to blow us apart.” Julie realises that her marriage has problems when she comes to the conclusion that, “Some subjects were still off limits even with the person I normally talk to about everything.”

In every episode so far the Rafters have learned that even the most humiliating truths are better than destructive deceptions, particularly self-deceptions. It is also incredibly refreshing to view a series that presents small lies as the beginnings of betrayal rather than the regrettable necessities of day-to-day life.

Packed to the Rafters has its limitations – what series doesn’t? Mum and Dad Rafter seem to approve, even admire their children’s sexual explorations and the announcement that they are moving in with their partners is invariably celebrated like the news of an engagement.

But for a society that has basked in the deceptive freedom of postmodernism for so long, it is good to watch a show that steadfastly presents truth as its own reward. Episodes often end with the key crisis unresolved. But the relationships remain sound because the people involved have been honest about their problems – which is, of course, the first step to dealing with them.

One step is lacking though if Packed to the Rafters is going to be truly useful to modern Australia. The sort of honesty we really need is that which admits the problem, then admits that we aren’t capable of finding a solution on our own.

What do you think about these increasing security measures that are happening around the nation?

We’ve heard how undercover cops are posing as under fake identities, so that they can get in on the meetings of activist groups;
• Should police be free to do their undercover work, to protect our society from violence and terrorism?
• Maybe you’re part of some community activist group protesting about war, or animal rights… How would you feel if you learnt an undercover officer was at your meeting, secretly taking notes for the police files?
• Perhaps it doesn’t bother you, after all, why should you worry if you’ve got nothing to hide?

And these Millimetre-Wave body scanners, being trialled at Australian airports, that will reveal an image of your naked body.
• How would you feel knowing your body, in all its glory, could be seen on a screen by a security officer – even if your face is blurred?
• Does it worry you?
• Or, would you feel safer knowing this technology will help protect our shores from security threats?
 
• When does security, become an invasion of our privacy?

Right now, one-third of the world lives in poverty, and 20-percent live in absolute poverty—feeling hungry all the time. This Sunday we’ll imagine a better world, and discover how we can be part of bringing justice to the forgotten.

Top producers and international artists have gathered together to create the Heart-Life-Voice project, reflecting God’s heart for the poor. Singer-songwriter Jeff Crabtree will give us a taste of the finished product live in the studio.

Also this Sunday, we'll look at how, in a world where almost anything can be purchased, even religion has been commodified. What are the outcomes of "supermarket spirituality"?

As part of our series called Lifestyle Ethics, Simon Carey Holt talked this week about how the marketplace offers us not only material possessions, but even pre-packaged choices of indentity, and spirituality. If you missed it, you can listen to the podcast.

What are your thoughts on what Simon had to say?

Have you been involved in corporate seminars that help workers to find "purpose and identity"?

What do you feel about the idea of a type of spirituality that is self-focussed, or aimed at the corporate bottom line?

Is there something we can learn from or contribute to this new interest in spiritual things?

“Fantasy with Values” - A review of Christopher Paolini's Brisingr.

Review by Kara Martin

Christopher Paolini was just 15 when he wrote Eragon, a fantasy novel that became a movie. Then came Eldest. The latest in the Inheritance Cycle series is Brisingr. This one has broken some records with simultaneous worldwide release, the largest Random House print run ever, and 550,000 copies sold on its first day of release.
The basic story follows the rise of Eragon, a dragon rider, who with his dragon Saphira, holds the hopes of several civilisations in the struggle against the corrupted dragon rider Galbatorix. He unites elves, dwarves, humans and the horned Urgals as he struggles to grow in wisdom and skill, and find the weakness in Galbatorix’s defences that will lead to ultimate victory.
Some enthusiasts are comparing Paolini to Tolkien, and certainly his books have greater depth than others in the fantasy genre. Paolini has even invented a new language, and created culture and history for the people groups. More significantly there is a moral dimension to these novels.
Eragon is constantly wrestling with ethical concerns, from whether to eat animals when he is able to sense their minds, to intervening when soldiers are looting a city, to always giving his opponents the opportunity to surrender. His brother Roran also stops soldiers he finds are torturing a prisoner, perhaps a comment on the US military.
The novels have received some criticism from Christian groups because of the religious beliefs of the characters. In particular, a wise teacher in Eldest explained why the elves were atheists. However Paolini has defended himself on the basis that these are imaginary people and creatures with imaginary beliefs.
In fact, I believe there is much to commend itself to Christian readers in this novel. For one thing, there are surprisingly conservative values endorsed. Marriage is upheld as the best option for forming a family. Values such as honesty, integrity, courage, faithfulness, loyalty, care, respect, tolerance and honour are what separate those who are good from those who are bad.
There is more development of religious ideas in Brisingr, it even opens with a scene of human sacrifice, but this is condemned as an appalling practice. There is also occultic activity late in the novel which is also condemned as bringing uncontrolled evil into the world.
Eragon is curious about these and other religious practices, such as the idol-worship of the dwarves. He desperately wants to believe in a supreme power because the burden of making his way on his own feels too heavy to bear. In some ways he is expressing the restlessness that Augustine spoke about in reference to the true God of the Bible: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.”
In fact the religious ideas in this novel are primitive, with people and creatures trying to appease the gods, or trying to get something that they want. There is no sense of genuine relationship between gods and humans. Significantly there is no initiative by a god toward humans.
Towards the end of the novel Eragon discovers the existence of the heart of hearts, which is the idea of the true self on the inside. It also connotes the idea of us surrendering our true self to another. In reality, the safest one to entrust your heart of hearts to is Jesus Christ, in gratitude for all he sacrificed to enable us to have true relationship with God and others. It will be interesting to see how Eragon responds to his spirit’s yearning in the fourth and final book of the series.
KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (www.mcsi.edu.au), and is an avid reader and book group attendee. Kara does book reviews for Heart 1032’s Open House (www.theopenhouse.net.au).

Greens leader Bob Brown has made calls this week for an end to the Lord's Prayer being recited at the beginning of each day of Federal Parliament.
The Greens would like to see it replaced with a period of reflection and a conscience vote in both houses on the issue.
So far the Federal Government and Opposition have rejected the idea of making changes or abandoning the prayer.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Harry Jenkins, wants a public debate about the matter. So I thought we might start our own public discussion here on Open House.

• How important is the prayer in parliament? Given that many people in parliament are non-believers, and in their hearts they really don’t participate, would it matter if they stopped the official reciting of that prayer?
 
• Do people like Bob Brown have a point, when they say it’s not right to force people to say a prayer they don’t believe in?
 
• What do you think of the idea of a quiet time of reflection instead? This would allow Christian MPs to still have their own time of silent prayer – is this just as effective?
 
• Are we hanging onto it just for traditions sake?
 
• Or is it more important than that?
 
• Let’s hear your views.

Angela’s got a parenting dilemma. And I suspect it’s not an uncommon one. She and her husband have very strong beliefs about how they want to raise their children – from the values they instill, to the way they discipline, and the kind of atmosphere they set in their home.

Angela’s parents in-law don’t have exactly the same values. In particular, Angela is concerned about the tone they use when correcting the children. She feels they speak down to them and can be quite negative and hurtful. She’s spoken to her in-laws about it, but still finds it hard to trust them in this.

Angela’s children are primary school age. She wants them to grow up having a good relationship with their grandparents, but she also wants to protect them – she fears that what she’s teaching them may be challenged or undone.

• Having already spoken to the in-laws, should she now have some even stronger words with them and risk causing family tensions?

• Should she stop allowing them to stay with their grandparents altogether?

• Or, is she being too protective and wrapping the kids in cotton wool? Maybe she should trust the grandparents more - clearly they don’t mean any harm, they’re really just stricter in the way they correct little ones.

• Are you a parent and if so, what do you do, when it comes to leaving your kids with the rellies? How do you uphold your values, while still keeping the doors open for healthy relationships with the extended family?

• Do you let your parents discipline the kids or not?

We’ve been talking about the income management system, where some people in Aboriginal communities receive part of their welfare payments on cards to spend at only approved stores.

We’ve just heard from some Northern Territorians, who’ve seen first hand the struggles these communities are facing.  And both had different views about the system. Now I’d like to hear your thoughts.

• When women and children are suffering, is it right to quarantine a family’s welfare payments, so that less money is spent on destructive things like drugs and alcohol?

• The government’s review panel says it’s racist, because it’s only being applied to certain people groups. Do you agree? 

• I’d love to hear the views of our Aboriginal listeners…. Or if you’re listening in the Northern Territory, maybe you’d like to share your thoughts.

• There are reports that some women and children are safer and healthier as a result. But some people say it’s triggering other problems…

• Even if it is effective, how long should it last? What can be done in the LONG term, to encourage people on welfare towards healthier lifestyles?

• When John Howard first announced the income management last year, he suggested it might be applied to any Australians who’d been on welfare payments for a long period of time.  What do you think of that idea?

How do you answer those big questions in life—where should I live? Who should I marry? What career path should I take, or should I change jobs? John Eldredge says we have two options: we can try and figure it all alone, or, we can learn to listen to God, hear his voice, and go where he leads.

Join me this week as we welcome back John Eldredge to talk about the important topic of walking with God.

Plus the downside of the internet revolution. With shopping, dating, Facebook and MySpace, the internet has revolutionised our lives, changing the way we buy, sell, debate and relate. But what are its hidden costs? Cultural critic Lee Siegel joins us tonight to talk about hi-tech solitude and its effects.