by Nick
The movement is gathering pace! We have had literally single units of people joining the new Extraordinariate. (Which is at least as good as the Ordinariate can claim.) But we’re not resting on our laurels. Oh no. Now it gets even better. Because, what if you want to do church differently? What if you want […]
by Nick
Are you bored with being boring? Want to be part of a church that is interesting? Do you want a life less ordinariate? Then join the Extraordinariate. You might have heard of the Ordinariate – being set up for the masses of Anglican clergy who want to ‘defect’ to Rome (around 50 last count.) But […]
by Nick
There are many days when you wonder about the future of the Anglican church. And then there are days when the Anglican church does something so mind-numbingly asinine that you wonder if it deserves a future at all. Pete made a big mistake in some of his language. Looked at in context the post wasn’t […]
by Nick
The Eynsham Mysteries 2010 are coming! In two weeks’ time I shall be treading the boards – or the floor tiles, at least – of St Leonards Church, Eynsham, in the 2010 version of the Eynsham Mysteries. These are versions of the medieval mysteryplays, rewritten by my good self (this year with Vanessa Sampson) and […]
by Nick
Gap’s new logo has been a disaster. But nothing daunted, their PR department has come to their aid with a carefully worded entry on facebook. It’s a fascinating insight into the world of PR… Here’s what they said and what it actually means. Gap: Thanks for everyone’s input on the new logo! Translation: ShutupShutupShutupShutupShutupShutup. Gap: […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
I think I’ve just discovered my dream office. Sadly, it’s in Costa Rica, so the commute is a bit of a pig. Still, the coffee would be good. More at BLDG BLOG
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
I came across this blurb the other day. It’s not perhaps the most positive start to a sales pitch: ‘This book represents a radical new departure for Jürgen Moltmann, not least in the lucidity of its writing.’ In other words, for the first time you might actually understand one of his books. One gets the […]
Categories: Stuff, Writing & writers
by Nick
But I do. According to the blurb on the blog, the jorunal was ‘a sophisticated international review, on the Dada-Surrealist axis, but with a strong Constructivist component as well.’ So now you know.
Categories: Stuff, Writing & writers
by Nick
I’m always intrigued by ingenuity in fitting a lot of living into a small space. Claire and I started out our married life in a bedsit, our living room was our bedroom. I wish we’d had this kind of furniture. I love the desk that converts into a bed. It would enable me to combine […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
There’s something about a man and his shed. (I was thinking of writing an English version of the Shack, only calling it ‘The Shed’.) Anyway, there are sheds and then there are SHEDS. And here, people, is the Cuprinol Shed of the Year 2010, a pirate-themed extravaganza from – where else? – Essex. And, yes, […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
Great story from the G20 summit today, when the Toronto Police put on a display of the dangerous weapons they had confiscated from protestors. The display was designed to respond to criticism of their heavy-handling of protestors and included a machete and baseball bat to bear spray and crowbars. the police chief particularly drew attention […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
Watching the world cup with all its usual English hysteria. The Germans look annoyingly good, however they do have a player called Schweinsteiger and, childish though it is, every time I hear that word I think of this scene from Young Frankenstein. He’s a good player. It goes without saying.
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
Hamstergate. Part 3000007. As some of you may know, a couple of weeks ago the hamster went missing (again). She’d previously escaped for nine weeks before being recaptured. Anyway, As if a missing hamster wasn’t enough, two days ago we came down to find that the hose to the dishwasher had been chewed through and […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
They’ve been breaking up the protest camp in Parliament Square. Can’t have the people take over a public space, after all. And it might upset the Queen as she drives by. Might scare the horses. But what is the point of Parliament Square if not to provide a place for alternative views? Boris Johnson, Mayor […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
The Independent newspaper has an announcement today about changes to its comment section: Websites have been encouraging cowardice. They allow users to hide behind virtual anonymity to make hasty, ill-researched and often intemperate comments regardless of any consideration for personal hurt or corporate damage. There is a certain irony here, in a newspaper accusing others […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
Last week the wife and I went to Leveller’s Day at Burford. The event is held in commemoration of the Levellers killed there by Cromwell in 1649. This year the theme was about food sustainability and the speakers gave some fascinating facts. Here are just a few of the thought-provoking nuggets which I jotted down. […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
Great line from Lucy Mangan: I would say that the average Conservative, while 100% wrong, is no more than 30% actual evil. It gives you something to work with.
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
OK, after the elation of Thursday and the depression of Friday morning, here are the facts, people: The Tories got 36.46% of the vote and ended up with 47.1% of the seats. Labour got 29.01% of the vote and ended up with 39.8% of the seats. The LibDems got 23.03% of the vote and ended […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
I was going to try to write about the sense of importance of election day, only Jonathan Friedland in The Guardian has already done it. Here’s a bit: There is something beautiful and sacred about this process, something those of us who have always lived in democracies take for granted. Today a friend told me […]
Categories: Stuff
by Nick
I’m off to play poker tonight. At my poker group we play for bottles of wine, rather than money. (Old nonconformist dissenting background. Still suspicious of gambling.) But had to come up with a system that was fair, because otherwise, all that happened was that it led to one huge hand at the end and […]
Categories: Stuff