Away to Root 06

We'll be away from Friday to Monday at Southport for the Roots 06 festival.

I will try to get online if I can... We are contactable if you have our moby numbers... Love you!

not content to be spoon-fed

another characteristic of the emerging postmodern culture is a tendency to question everything. Postmodernists are not content to be spoon-fed “truths”, but prefer instead to arrive at their own decision on matters through questioning and experimentation.

Fortunately, there is already a working model of Church that allows for this tendency. Cell Church, based around small, mutually accountable groups, allows people to discuss matters in-depth in a way that simply is not possible in a larger gathering.

Although Cell Church is seen as a new concept, and may therefore meet resistance from some quarters, there is a historical basis for small groups in The Salvation Army. During the Army’s early history, towns were divided up into “wards”. Comrades from each ward would meet together in a small group setting. Reintroducing this idea as part of corps life, while ensuring opportunity is given for discussion and teaching in the ward meeting, would allow people to explore their faith in a mutually supportive and accountable environment. Whether the groups are called “cells” or “wards” is irrelevant, it is the idea of allowing people to explore issues rather than being spoon-fed on a Sunday that the Army needs to embrace if it is to effectively reach people today.

My pal Chris over in Glenrothes is a Salvation Army officer... this is a quote from an essay he wrote while at College.

It approaches post modern life from a fresh perspective. The above quote lends weight to my view that "cells" are key to church :: building and maintaining community in this way is critical to the development of meaning - meaning in relationships and meaning in our understanding of the faith.

Recommend you check it out... I've not finished digesting it and will post on it further.

Technorati Tags: post+modern, church

Love this :: Headporter "Black Beauty" Notebook case

I have posted before of my love of RHODIA stationery - Paperchase only has three different pads in Glasgow... I feel so disadvantaged!

I mean in New York they can get the full range... and in Tokyo they can get their hands on a super-duper-sweet Headporter :: Black Beauty case designed by none other than Hiroshi Fujiwara to hold their RHODIA notebook in.

I have always had an obsession with bags... and cases... and things that hold things... and gaze from afar at the gorgeous utilitarianism and practicality of Headporter but know it is out of my league. I need a Japanese friend ^____^

Thanks to Hypebeast and honeyee

Technorati Tags: porterage, headporter

New Friend :: CowPunkMom

Made a new friend last night :: Paula aka CowPunkMom left some comments regarding some of the previous posts and I always appreciate that.

There are a number of strings to Paula's bow - she blogs with a rare honesty about her previous life. It is beautiful to see someone transformed.

Anyway, thought this was cool ::

OK, so I'd been wanting a new tattoo for years and years. I finally decided on a Chi Rho, a symbol from the early church that combines the first two Greek letters in the name "Christ". They used it to mean "in celebration of Christ", and also "Christos Rabboni", or "Saviour-Teacher". I like both of those meanings a lot.

Check her out and give her your support.

Paula... thanks for dropping in on the Nanolog.

Technorati Tags: blogs

New music :: Note For A Child

Olly, the we'ans and I are away to ROOTS 06 at Southport from Friday to Monday. Should be a ton of fun!

On the Friday night, a band called Note For A Child are playing a short set. When I read the description of their music I was intrigued ::

Percussive rhythms, subverted dance beats and hooky grooves create a canvas for genre defying and heartbreakingly beautiful songs. There lies an irresistible marriage between poetry, vocals and atmospheric soundscapes...

Sounds like my cup o' cha! If they are defined as ambient/ meditative and Bob Harris from Radio 2 considers them to be "Perfect" then I had better check them out.

Hear snippets to Impossibly Beautiful :: Link & Eternal Curve :: Link

Will let you know how they sound...

Technorati Tags: ambient, meditative

Game on :: PingPong is the new Golf!!!

My sister-in-law called to remind us that where we are going on holiday (Italy - July) has a fab table tennis space... outdoor... flood lit...

Now, I'm not a sportsman unless they have just introduced "walking while listening to an iPod" to the Olympics. However, I can get into ping pong. Its my kind of thing...

Well it turns out I am not alone :: Gravis have a paddle case on the market with paddles and balls -

Check out Fader Mag for more info :: Link

It also looks like the folk at Rockstar Games (the Soos' employer) are in on the revolution - they have created a table tennis game that looks nothing short of supersweet!

That's my kind of game... and it makes me think that they may be going for the Rightwing Evangelical Christian market with this game - you know, the churches where they bang a table tennis table in the middle of a room and call it a Youth Club... Some how I doubt it...

So anyway... bring it on, sister-in-law - I'm gonna be ready!

Technorati Tags: table tennis, ping pong

Neighbours

As the song goes... everybody needs good neighbours!!! but just like family, you can't choose your neighbours.

We live in a 4 bed semi-detached... the folk we are attached are basically going out of their way to exclude us... We say "Hi... how are you?" - they say "fine" and walk away.

We don't understand it - we are not loud... except for the mornings after they've been loud ALL night. Afterall, there is nothing like some APHEX TWIN to say I love you - is there?

Maybe I just don't see what we've done to them... Do the budgies keep them up at night? or my we'ans listening to Kids Praise - I mean, Psalty drives me mad!

I don't know.

They have been building a big, fancy decked area with roofing... and are now going to block over our fence. Which is cool because it will give us both privacy with only one of us having sunlight (us)...

Anyway, what's the point of this post??? Well... I'd like to personally thank everyone who reads the Nanolog... who contribute with comments or suggestions... who actively encourage Olly and I... Our true friends have supported us since day one :: The Soos... Bobby & Diane... Janey and Roscoe... Studgie & Emma...

But we have also found we have a ton in common with other folk :: DJ Haggis in Ediburgh... The Existential Punk, JD & Jake in the USofA... The Bennetts in Kirkwall, the Hintons in Glenrothes and the Roys in Fauldhouse... JB in London... Ian in Canada... Nuno in Portugal... and Joel in... er... the UK somewhere.

Who needs neighbours when we have friends like you!!! If I have missed anyone then leave a comment and tell me off ^____^

Technorati Tags: neighbours, friends

Interesting :: TechEBlog

Check this out :: TechEBlog :: The Soos sent a link to this blog and I have to say its worth a look. Sure it is competing with Gizmodo and Engadget but it has a nice feel about it...

Check it out if its your sort of thing...

Technorati Tags: tech, blog

Geek out :: Steve introduces the iPod

Enjoy...it all started here!

Technorati Tags: apple, iPod

Meet-Up :: Alpha & House Groups

House group shot (get it???)

Last night we hosted a Alpha + House Groups meet-up to celebrate the continuing success and growth of both events.

25 of my friends shared in fellowship over Isobel's famous vegetable broth and big slabs of bread. We then went through to the main hall for some worship led by Olly and BLOC with a couple of guests :: Liz & Sarah on vocals and Roscoe on bass for a couple of songs. Fab - the band really sounded spot on and were so appropriate for the evening.

I have uploaded my powerpoint slides plus the 2 movies used for reference here :: box(dot)net

I then kicked things off with a quote from Edward de Bono ::

Imagine a ship at sea that is in trouble. The lights keep going out. The engine is faltering. The rudder (not rubber as I said ^___^) is unreliable. The first mate is drunk. The crew is very demoralized. The service is appalling. The passengers on the ship are very dissatisfied. Then a new captain and first mate are brought in by helicopter. Very quickly everything changes. The morale of the crew is lifted. Service improves. The engine is fixed. The lights stay on. Everything is fine... but the ship is still heading in the wrong direction.

The rationale for this quote is for us to continually review every element of our approach - not just tinker with the key variables like content and leadership but ask the BIG questions like "is this going in the right direction?"

We then discussed the Malcolm Gladwell quote I posted a few days ago ::

As I see it, one of the most unfortunate misunderstandings of our time has been to think of small intentional communities as groups 'within' the church," the philosopher Dick Westley writes in one of the many books celebrating the rise of small-group power. "When are we going to have the courage to publicly proclaim what everyone with any experience with small groups has known all along: they are not organizations 'within' the church; they are church."

It really helped to put things into a truer context.

I then played the Suburban Monastry movie from Thinker Labs and asked what the difference was between the church building and the home... the response was nothing...except for the home having comfier seats ^___^

I opened the Bible and read from Ephesians 6: 13-18 (the Message) ::

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply to them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drop out.

This is why we do Alpha and the House Groups - to ensure people are prepared and able to look out for each other so that no one falls behind.

I then opened up the discussion :: Bobby & Lawrie presented their thoughts on Alpha and we had further comment from the group. Ruth and Sarah then gaves us their thoughts on the House Groups followed by further discussion by the group.

We came to the collective decision that from the 8th May, the house groups will follow the sermon from the Sunday and discuss it further. In addition, in Autumn, we will run Alpha again with the follow-up course : "A life worth living" : running in conjunction within the House Groups.

Absolutely delighted with the support and participation of all involved. Everyone there wants to make this work and I was surprised by their willingness. So surprised that I was called on it - one of the attendees, Jim, asked why I was so surprised... He said that I shouldn't be surprised if I trust in God and do what He wants me to do - He will make it His own.

Another comment that delighted me was when one of the attendees, Betty, recounted a story where she had defended the House Groups from a criticism of cliquiness. The last thing is that we are a clique - everyone is welcome and doing the topic in multiple locations at different times allows people who do shifts or have commitments to attend at least one group a week. This was encouraging.

The evening closed with coffee, cake and a good giggle at the expense of the Farting Preacher... followed by some great music from BLOC

What a great night!

Technorati Tags: church, alpha

Hanon x New Balance :: Northern Sole series

Chosen Few M576CHF

Wigan M577WIC

Love these... especially the Chosen Few! Hanon (up in Aberdeen) have teamed up with New Balance to release 2 limited colourways that represent the Northern Soul movement. Here's what they are saying ::

Both the the 577 and 576 are classics and hold iconic status within the New Balance archives. Each Northern SOLE model is designed exclusively by hanon and assembled by the New Balance Flimby factory here in the UK. The colour-ways on each style pay homage to and refer loosely to some of our favourite Northern Soul patches as collected by the Soul boys from the clubs they visited.

The upper application on each hanon 'Sole' shoe is a mix of luxury suede, leather and nubuck. Each style features parallel perf detail and is finished with plush pigskin lining. Both models hold their own as technical training shoes and include all of the attributes of the original styles including reinforced heel units and Encap and C cap sole technology.

The hanon Northern SOLE series is released as a strict edition of 120 pairs per style globally. A badge and hand numbered post card set featuring photography by Brian Sweeney is included with each pair.

What I love is that Hanon continue to drop quality product from their base in Aberdeen. Shame the aren't nearer - they are what Dr Jives could/ should have been!

Check them out :: Link

Technorati Tags: freshness, trainers

WanderingScribe

WanderingScribe

Check this out... the blog of someone (I think a lassie) who is homeless, living out of her car and disconnected with the world around and yet connected to the larger world via the blogosphere.

Makes for interesting, thoughtprovoking reading...

For the past five months I have been living alone in a car at the edge of the woods — jobless and homeless and totally unable to find a way out of it. I can't sing, I can't dance, I can't scream loudly enough, alI I can do is write. So here I am laying down tracks...

She can write...and does it very well! Somebody give her a book deal!

This time the donuts will not be televised

Here's an interesting blog for you :: Free Donuts at the Revolution :: Roy Petersen left a comment regarding the 17" MacBookPro and I followed the link to his blog... Very interesting and unique take on faith and stuff...

Some people are really into the hidden or lost years of Jesus, like from the time he was 13 to when he was 30, but I think that is unimportant since we get a great picture of him from the Gospels. But there's something really powerful about Jesus in the post-resurrection, pre-Ascension (pre-trib, pre-emergent, pre post modern, etc) accounts of Jesus in the Gospel of John-- man this Jesus was unlike we had seen him before. I wish there were more stories from the Gospels on this time period.

Check it out...

Technorati Tags: blogs, donuts

JB interviewed...

repent
Originally uploaded by jonnybaker.

Jonny Baker :: Inspiration and Flickr-buddy (not pictured right) has been interviewed on Jamie Arpin-Ricci's (e)mergent voyageurs blog. The topic is on alt.worship and is an insightful discussion.

Would recommend you check out the interview and bookmark Jamie's blog - its a belter!

Protect your banana!!!

Every so often an idea pops up that makes me go "WOW!!!"

One of my colleagues pulled out his bananaguard and I just needed to know more... Underneath all the inuendo and jokes, bananaguard is a practical case that protects your banana in your bag. Genius.

Sure they look silly - I mean, who needs a "glow in the dark" one? - and are not the kind of thing you want have in your bag when it goes through an x-ray but... they are cool! Check them out ::

Original American site
bananaguards - UK eshop
Lakeland

Technorati Tags: food, porterage

OMG aka Oh My Goodness

The MacBook Pro has gone to 17" - oh my goodness!!! 5x faster!!! 36% brighter!!! 1 inch thin!!! Only £1999!?!

Donations readily accepted - I could finally use Songpro on a Mac ^____^

Technorati Tags: Apple, MacBook Pro

love

love
Originally uploaded by duncan.

Who do I love and who love's me?
Why do I love them and why do they me?
Where do I love?
When do I love? Sometimes? Always?
How do I love?
Metaphorically?
Physically?
Theoretically?
Practically?
Extravagantly?
Selfishly...or Selflessly?
Why do I love?

Question :: Are you in the epicentre of your effectiveness?

Question? Are you in the epicentre of your effectiveness? (Erwin McManus)

Been catching up with some of my podcasts and am on the 7th "Catching Daylight" podcast from Mosaic. This was almost a throw-away comment from Erwin McManus but spark my thinking... Am I? Are Olly and I? Are my closest people?

It seems when we try to do something new... something special... for God and for the community... that we face opposition and after a hard session last night, this got me thinking.

Technorati Tags: thought, mosaic

Thought...

Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

Ephesians 2:16-18 (The Message)

When you consider that God treats us as equals and made us equals... it makes you think about our personal view of equality :: do we treat everyone equally or hold some people higher than others?

Technorati Tags: faith

Today is a good day...

Went to a car boot sale today and picked up a few fab things... Picked up the Sony Walkman WM-36 with original headphones for £2. The Walkman looks sweet and won't be used - I just like looking at it - sweet design. The headphones will get used, though, with the Nano :: there is a delicious irony in using the old headphones (from 1987) with the Nano... I am such a GEEK

More on the Walkman WM-36 via Walkman Central

I also picked up some vinyl for £2. Glen Campbell's greatest hits / Gladys Knight & the Pips / The Godfather OST (not pictured) / a couple of Motown 12" - one has a superfab cover of King Stevie's "As" and a 1978 record by Aquarian Dream called Fantasy that was execproduced by Don Mizel :: check out the pic on FLICKR for more detail - Link

We then went for a walk with Pippin at Chatelherault in Hamilton - the Avon Gorge is beautiful and Pippin loved the walk...although, thankfully, there was no cow dung for her to roll in.

I'm now chillin' before going with Bobby to see Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds

DUN DUN DUHHHH DA DA DAHHHH DA DA DAHHHH

Technorati Tags: walkman, vinyl, hamilton

Cool :: Pixelgirl

Loving this :: pixelgirlpresents(dot)com :: is a fab resource site for wallpaper and icons. As you can see from my desktop on the iBook, I now have a fab headphones wallpaper and some super-sweet Star Wars icons. There is just so much there to choose from... Glad to see David Lanham represented.

They also have a super-dooper shop with fab goodies like this iPod cover:

Or this piece of "Newton" art by Cynthia Malaran

Great site :: Great resource :: Great shop - check it out... for Windoze as well as Mac ^____^

Technorati Tags: wallpaper

Check out :: Malcolm Gladwell on church

Malcolm Gladwell on church ::

Churches, like any large voluntary organization, have at their core a contradiction. In order to attract newcomers, they must have low barriers to entry. They must be unintimidating, friendly, and compatible with the culture they are a part of. In order to retain their membership, however, they need to have an identity distinct from that culture. They need to give their followers a sense of community—and community, exclusivity, a distinct identity are all, inevitably, casualties of growth. As an economist would say, the bigger an organization becomes, the greater a free-rider problem it has. If I go to a church with five hundred members, in a magnificent cathedral, with spectacular services and music, why should I volunteer or donate any substantial share of my money? What kind of peer pressure is there in a congregation that large? If the barriers to entry become too low—and the ties among members become increasingly tenuous—then a church as it grows bigger becomes weaker.

One solution to the problem is simply not to grow, and, historically, churches have sacrificed size for community. But there is another approach: to create a church out of a network of lots of little church cells—exclusive, tightly knit groups of six or seven who meet in one another's homes during the week to worship and pray. The small group as an instrument of community is initially how Communism spread, and in the postwar years Alcoholics Anonymous and its twelve-step progeny perfected the small-group technique. The small group did not have a designated leader who stood at the front of the room. Members sat in a circle. The focus was on discussion and interaction—not one person teaching and the others listening—and the remarkable thing about these groups was their power. An alcoholic could lose his job and his family, he could be hospitalized, he could be warned by half a dozen doctors—and go on drinking. But put him in a room of his peers once a week—make him share the burdens of others and have his burdens shared by others—and he could do something that once seemed impossible.

When churches—in particular, the megachurches that became the engine of the evangelical movement, in the nineteen-seventies and eighties—began to adopt the cellular model, they found out the same thing. The small group was an extraordinary vehicle of commitment. It was personal and flexible. It cost nothing. It was convenient, and every worshipper was able to find a small group that precisely matched his or her interests. Today, at least forty million Americans are in a religiously based small group, and the growing ranks of small-group membership have caused a profound shift in the nature of the American religious experience."

As I see it, one of the most unfortunate misunderstandings of our time has been to think of small intentional communities as groups 'within' the church," the philosopher Dick Westley writes in one of the many books celebrating the rise of small-group power. "When are we going to have the courage to publicly proclaim what everyone with any experience with small groups has known all along: they are not organizations 'within' the church; they are church."

Make's sense to me!

U P D A T E
Turns out that I wasn't alone in picking up on this comment :: Check out Van's Missionthink :: Van spotted the quote too - I only noticed this after I downloaded the SAGE RSS reader plug-in for Firefox. I recommend Van's blog - he is a church planter with some real experience and insight.

Technorati Tags: church, malcolm gladwell

Sweet :: Pepsi Max Cino

A colleague at work let me try a sample of the new Pepsi Max Cino... and I have to say I love it. I like my flavoured soft drinks - I have a fridge full of Diet Coke with Lime at home thanks to my sweetheart.

It turns out that I was the only one who liked it... It tastes like super-Pepsi Max... and I may become obsessed ::



Check it out... Do something different... Try something new...

Technorati Tags: cino

Take the test...

Thanks to Joel for the heads-up on this test... Turns out I am an emergent/ postmodern Christian (is that the same as an alt.Christian???)

Check it out ::

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 89% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 82% Reformed Evangelical 68% Neo orthodox 64% Charismatic/Pentecostal 64% Fundamentalist 61% Classical Liberal 46% Modern Liberal 39% Roman Catholic 21% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

If I am going to be classified then I am a SALVATIONIST in that I am a member of the Salvation Army Church and firmly believe in heart to God, hand to man

Great read :: "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Copyright :: Brooke Williams

Big hair and a tie!!! Cool... This is Malcolm Gladwell - a writer with the New Yorker magazine and the author of two books :: the tipping point and blink

I am presently listening to the tipping point on my iPod :: downloaded it from Audible and am loving it... Its about how ideas are transmitted like social epidemics - it is truly fascinating. I am going to buy the book to re-read it... but the take-away is ::

The Three Rules of Epidemics

The Law of the Few:
The 80/20 Principle states that in any situation roughly 80 percent of the 'work' will be done by 20 percent of the participants. This idea is central to the Law of the Few theory where a tiny percentage of people do the majority of work. But say you took those 20 people who do all the "work" away, would changes or epidemics never occur or would the next 20 people step into that role and assume the position of "workers"? Is one born an exceptional person, a 'one of the few,' or could someone eventually learn how to become a member of this exceptional group?

Stickiness Factor:
Stickiness means that a message makes an impact and doesn't go in one ear and out the other. Take a simple, every day example of this. Think about a song that you couldn't get out of your head or that television commercial you still remember from when you were a kid. Could you pinpoint what it is you think makes them "sticky?"

The Power of Context:
This says that human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment than they may seem. How attuned are you to your environment and its effect on you? Have you felt your mood change because of the surroundings even if it's as subtle as standing near a couple in a bitter argument or being in a cluttered, messy bedroom?

Malcolm also talks about 3 kinds of people :: connectors (people who have strength in their weak ties with others and connect people together) / mavens (people who love to research ideas/ products and then share that information with others) and salespeople (people who take the idea and persuade others to take up the idea) :: I actually see myself in all three roles, certainly the first two.

There is so much in this book for me to blog about... what I would say is that its the small things that make the tipping point... what small things could we do to make the difference in our own situations?

Check out Malcolm's webspace :: gladwell(dot)com and read up on his work. We need more boffins like him! folk we can understand and relate to... with cool hair!

Technorati Tags: tipping point, malcolm gladwell

So this is what Christians look like!?!

Copyright :: Johann Rousselot

Love this... Link from BoingBoing :: Photographer Johann Rousselot has taken a series of portraits of "alt.Christians" in Ukraine & Colorado... New Life Church in Colorado and the Embassy of God, Kiev, Ukraine are vivid portraits of normal Christians doing what Christians do... It is very well shot and captures the mood of worship/ praise/ prayer - it portrays Christians as normal people in a world where we are portrayed as Ned Flanders

Have to say, though, that I am not sure what alt.Christian means but when I compare myself to the fascist, legalistic, right-wing fools in America who think they own the term Christian then... hey... maybe I'm alt.Christian in the same way as Lambchop are alt.country

These are the days where anything goes... EVERYDAY IS A WINDING ROAD!!!

U P D A T E
Comment from my pal Adele aka Existential Punk ::

These are NOT alt. Christians but modern, megachurch evangelicals.

Never been to a megachurch so I wouldn't know... I naively used the terminology from the BoingBoing post. Question is :: who/ what is alt.Christian? Did a google search and didn't get anywhere... Only seemed to be a genre in Rhapsody... and I'm not sure if that was just google's search.

Can anyone throw some light on this?

Technorati Tags: alt.christian, photography

A bowling ball engraved with "Homer"

Did you see the episode of the Simpsons where HOMER buys a bowling ball for MARGE with HOMER engraved on it..?

Well... I bought the Erin Brockovich soundtrack for Olly :: Thomas Newman is the main conductor/ composer of the OST and Olly loves his track - Whisper of a thrill from the Green Mile OST. It was £2 from HMV and... well... I LOVE IT!!!

Its stocked high with short tracks :: ideas :: beautifully organic, almost bluesy, piano-orientated soundscapes. Fab. Reminds me, in part, of the Regarding Henry OST but not as jazzy. It comes in at just over 35mins...and that's with 2 Sheryl Crow tracks...

The two Sheryl Crow tracks are well fab too :: Redemption Day is amazing with a sweet country bounce and thought provoking lyrics... "...was there no oil to excavate? and... let's face it Everday is a winding road is a classic!

I love the fact that I haven't seen the film and I am listening to this piece of music out of context. I am creating the context... filling the void with my memories... my associations... my ideas...

That's one of the reasons why I listen to soundtracks to films I haven't seen :: to make up my own context... Sure I listen to OSTs to remind me of films I have seen but they can take wings and fly... Take BLADERUNNER for example :: one of my fav films... with an OST thats in my top ten most fav albums EVER! It has become more to me than the memories it brings of the film... it is more :: beautiful and significant times with Olly come to mind.

So, yes, this was a bowling ball with Homer's name on it... but I did genuinely hope Olly would love it. She will... especially when I buy her some chocolate tomorrow ^____^

Technorati Tags: music, soundtrack

From Dayna

Keep it up honey!

Hey Mr DJ :: Thanks to the Soos!

Thanks bro for giving me the opportunity to hear the following ::

Scottish post-rock from Mogwai :: Mr. Beast :: its a truly amazing, expansive musical experience... reminiscent of Sigur Ros but uniquely special.

On DFA, the Juan MacLean :: Less than human :: is an excellent album filled to the brim with electro soundscapes and super beats. Some fab ideas from a chap who used to be on Sub Pop with a band called six finger satellite... very now

I missed this album by Buffalo Daughter :: I :: when it was first released... Don't know why? Love Cornelius and Takako Minekawa and see Buffalo Daughter fitting into that Japanese, quirky, new rock genre. Glad I have a second chance to check them out. Experimental and fresh... puts the new into new rock.

Lastly, my fav album on the iPod... especially in the car... is the superskanking, bum-mover from Nightmares on Wax :: In a space outta sound :: super chilled but with a massive skanking, soundsystem vibe - this could be the soundtrack to the summer. Lovely loops and big, big bass. Kind of disappointed that I missed them at the Arches... Supersweet!

Thanks bro!

Technorati Tags: tunes

Manchester Passion :: "Love will tear us apart"

Link :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYCB8odruEU

"Jesus" singing Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" while breaking bread with his apostles during the last supper :: From the MANCHESTER PASSION

Technorati Tags: easter, manchester passion

Olly is...

I am convinced that my wife is Wonder Woman... She manages to get so much done in a day... you know - fighting crime, keeping house...etc and just keeps on at it until its done.

Thank you honey... for being my Wonder Woman!

My iPod :: 'tis a miracle!!!

I should have posted this sooner but was a bit reluctant... My iPod came back from the dead over the Easter weekend. I followed some advice on TUAW :: gave the iPod a wee smack on the bum :: and it started working again. I then discharged the battery. I reset the iPod while plugged in and it came back to life - allowing me to add songs and podcasts.

I think it is still a wee bit unwell - it has frozen a couple of times since... but I am happy-as-Larry (whoever Larry is...)

Thanks to everyone who expressed concern :: especially Olly who didn't panic when I was running about like a headless chicken. G'on yersel, honey!

Technorati Tags: iPod

Cool :: nostar tee's

Loving these tee's from nostar clothing

Join up :: People2Pray

Remember a while back I got all giddy as a school girl over People2Pray??? Well... its gone into PUBLIC BETA and is ready for you to join up and get using.

Basically, its an online resource for recording and tracking your prayer requests... very "web 2.0" and "noughties" I know but I like it... Its like FLICKR but instead of building community around photos, you create community around prayer. My pal JD from Texas is on already - he beat me to it ^_____^ - its fab to look after your friends in such a practical way.

Anyway, I want you all to join up and get involved. Its in BETA so it may be a wee bit buggy but that's life... We can make it better AND work together for the greater good.

Check it out :: Link and get involved... oh and add me :: headphonaught :: as your friend.

Technorati Tags: prayer, web 2.0

Cool Hunting :: iPod speakers

Most of my friends have iPods... Olly, Janey, the Soos, my dad, Bobby (oh... that's right, I have his iPod :: Cheers, Bobby!), Roscoe...

Where we differentiate ourselves is the things we have that accompany our fav pieces of tech... The Soos has his LV cases and Bose sounddock. I have a case from Paperchase and a Logic3 system. Roscoe has a Gravis case and a transmitter for his car (which the girls picked up in Janey's car when we were driving to Cora Linn)

Anyway, Coolhunting has a fab article on iPod speakers that's a worthy read if you are in the market for some speakers.

Check it out...

Technorati Tags: iPod, speakers

Check out :: Passion for Your Name 2006

Check this out :: Passion for Your Name :: is a 5 day conference / festival held in Bath. It is organised by Tim & Rachel Hughes :: that's the Tim Hughes... one of Olly and my fav worship leaders.

Tim's music is really accessible and relevant :: it really catches the mood with us - Olly uses some of his songs with BLOC and they go down a treat.

It's £80 a ticket for 5 days of worship/ learning/ chilling, starting on my birthday :: 19th August...

I would loved to go with Olly but I'm not sure of the cost or what would happen with the we'ans... Hmm??? Anyone got a spare £300 and a fondness for our we'ans?

Check it out :: pfyn

Technorati Tags: worship

Funny

A man and his ever-nagging wife went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the wife passed away.

The undertaker told the husband, "You can have her shipped home for £5,000, or you can bury her here, in the Holy Land, for £150."

The man thought about it and said he would just have her shipped home.

The undertaker asked, "Why would you spend £5,000 to ship your wife home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only £150?"

The man replied, "Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead.

I just can't take that chance.........."

Technorati Tags: joke

Yesterday was a good day :: for drinking coffee

Coffee with breakfast
Originally uploaded by Headphonaught.

Finished my first Lent with a coffee at breakfast with folk from my church.

Breakfast is always good when surrounded by your friends from church... but this one was extra special because it was Easter.

Afterwards, Roscoe brought over some super-smooth fairtrade Colombian coffee from Whittard of Chelsea.

According to Whittard, the coffee is grown by a co-operative of over 360 women coffee farmers. The "Mujeres Caficultoras Caucanas" own small-holdings around the southern Colombian town of Popayan.

Thanks Roscoe & thanks to the "Mujeres Caficultoras Caucanas" for making such a fine coffee.

The future is plural :: Christian Thrash Metal

Found this on youtube... Martyr/ Betrayal were a Christian Thrash Metal band who released 2 albums :: Renaissance by Death and The Passing before moving on to other things.

Had a thing for thrash a long, long time ago... Still listen to Bad Brains on the occassion... Just love the clash of two subcultures here - faith and tight, black jeans!

Its easy to mock :: and I don't intend to :: but if it works for you then, hey, I'm cool with that.

Check it out...

Technorati Tags: christian, thrash

Yesterday was a good day :: for walking with friends

Our Easter celebrations at our church were fab... We had breakfast together, a wonderful joyous service then a march in the cold but sunny April morning.

Afterwards, Roscoe & Janey came over for lunch :: we all had Olly's fab and closely guarded secret recipe barbeque chicken and veg lasagne. Lovely!

We then went for a long, wet, mucky walk to Cora Linn at the Falls of Clyde, near New Lanark. Great fun playing about and trying to recreate the AMARILLO video. (Check out the FLICKR set for more pics :: NEW LANARK

When we returned home... we all watched Howl's Moving Castle and totally loved it - think we've converted two more folk to Miyazaki's art.

Always a pleasure to see you, Janey...

Technorati Tags: friends, falls of clyde