A raft of new, interesting Tory centre-left, progressive pledges…
Some of their stated aims and values include:
- Economic stability before tax cuts
- Policies must help the least well-off, not the rich
- Women's choices on work and home lives will be supported
- Public services will not necessarily be run by the state
- Party will fight for free and fair trade
- Tories will be hard-nosed defenders of freedom and security
- Government should support home ownership, saving, families and business
- Government should be closer to the people
Gulp.
After a genuine moment of interest and surprise, my many skeptical/ cynical suspicions start to kick in:
- Politicians generally say one thing and do/ think the other…
- They’re just courting a public new wave vote as Labour did pre-‘97/ Clause 4…
- All these nice-looking policies are actually a way of hiding their capitalist, right-wing credentials, which will come to the fore once they get elected…
- The Tories are just learning to play Labour at their own game…
- They’re moving to the centre-left to reclaim the middle ground from the de facto Tories we have been voting for nationally since ‘97
I’m a Christian, 20-something, “child of Thatcher” with a Politics degree. Surely I should be able to make a way through all of this? If Nick Robinson can’t, then what hope, I ask…
Answers in time for the October Brown-Cameron-Hughes 2008 election (you heard it here first).
Coffee and Papers
We're trying something new this Sunday morning at Nexus. Nexus will be open from 11-1 and there will be coffee and papers available for people. At mid-day a few people will then give some reflections on the news items that they have read that morning.
It's an attempt to build a sense of community in the northern quarter of the city centre, if you're around the city centre on Sunday then drop in to see us.
It's an attempt to build a sense of community in the northern quarter of the city centre, if you're around the city centre on Sunday then drop in to see us.
Sideways
Last night - Gujarati Ras, Sideways, and a cheeky bottle of Rioja. Good job it wasn't Merlot...(Going into a restaurant on a double date)
Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot. Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any Merlot!
A slightly melancholy buddy road trip film about love, wine snobbery, grapes, loneliness, love, Californian wineries, sex, marriage, and love.
Sanctus1 present 'Live'
‘LIVE’
A service exploring live events -
sharing experiences, being in the here and now, coming together…
Date: Sunday 26th February
Venue: Sacred Trinity, Salford
Doors open: 7.45pm
Main stage acts: 8pm onwards
Chill out space: open all evening
Admission: free
Dress code: rock stars and roadies (optional)
Standing room only
Right of admission refused
Technorati Tags: emerging church, Manchester, sanctus
Politics reading group?
For those who don't want to be in Eyan's choir... There are a few people in Sanctus1 with a passing interest in politics. I wondered whether anyone fancied getting together once a month in a pub to talk about politics. Maybe we could read an article and then discuss it. Join me on the road to world domination. Or something...
A woman after my own planet...
Maggi Dawn's thinking about selling her car to help reduce her household ecological footprint. As a non-car-owner, I've posted a comment to hopefully encourage her.
Obviously, you have to be more organised about living and traveling than car owners, but I do love having the view from the train window, rather than the blue signs of the motorway, for example. And if God's love really does go at 3mph (walking pace) then even a trip to Sainsburys or a trudge to work can be divine.
Obviously, you have to be more organised about living and traveling than car owners, but I do love having the view from the train window, rather than the blue signs of the motorway, for example. And if God's love really does go at 3mph (walking pace) then even a trip to Sainsburys or a trudge to work can be divine.
I got to spend Valentine’s Day with Sean Penn
OK so I didn’t really. Yep, you got it - Tuesday night curry and film night was reinstated after a fortnight’s break (London and Glossop intervened).
And the film was probably one of the most un-Valentines possible – but then we are the couple who got engaged on Friday 13th February…
The Assassination of Richard Nixon (served up with chicken Kasmiri Mogali, rice and naan bread, now you ask).
A film based on true events about power and powerlessness, respect, maleness, family, money, anger, frustration, and Sam Bicke’s plan to kill the President. As one of the taglines says “the mad story of a true man”.
And the film was probably one of the most un-Valentines possible – but then we are the couple who got engaged on Friday 13th February…
The Assassination of Richard Nixon (served up with chicken Kasmiri Mogali, rice and naan bread, now you ask).
A film based on true events about power and powerlessness, respect, maleness, family, money, anger, frustration, and Sam Bicke’s plan to kill the President. As one of the taglines says “the mad story of a true man”.
Love Saves the Day
At last. A welcome return, and not a moment too soon...
How appropriate too that this date of all dates, they should be giving away freebies to mark the re-opening. Love does indeed save this day.
Good to have you back guys...
How appropriate too that this date of all dates, they should be giving away freebies to mark the re-opening. Love does indeed save this day.
Good to have you back guys...
The Time Traveler's Wife
Well Neil predicted that once I'd finished this book, I'd be blogging about it within minutes. And I'm pleased to say that he's both right and wrong...Within minutes yes. But within 4320 minutes (Sat morning for those who can't do the maths).
Simply put, I'm still far too intensely involved in the story, the characters, the possibilities, the narrative that I don't rightly know what to type. Maybe more soon.
In the meantime, anyone else got any starters for ten about it?
Blah Manchester...New Monasticism
New Monasticism with Brother Paolo
‘The renewal of the church will come from a new type of monasticism which only has in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount.' Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Across the western world young communities of faith are embracing new monasticism, a movement that calls for a disciplined spiritual life of radical simplicity that follows the teachings of Christ. What is it that a contemporary monastic community has to offer the wider church in terms of the values it holds and way of life it models? What part does it play in the church’s mission?
We are delighted that Brother Paolo from the Taizé community will be joining us for the next blah...manchester. Brother Paolo is interested in new monasticism and would like to engage in conversation, share his experiences and identify some similarities between the Taizé community and new monasticism. There will also be a Taizé service in Manchester Cathedral afterwards.
Taizé, in the south of Burgundy, France, is the home of an international, ecumenical community, founded there in 1940 by Brother Roger. The brothers are committed for their whole life to material and spiritual sharing, to celibacy, and to a great simplicity of life. Since the late 1950s, many thousands of young adults from many countries have found their way to Taizé to take part in weekly meetings of prayer and reflection. In summer 2006 a group of young people from Manchester diocese will be making a pilgrimage to Taizé.
blah...manchester is a series of conversations hosted by CMS in partnership with The Church Army and Manchester Diocesan Board of Education in 2006 on mission, worship, church and Christianity in today’s rapidly changing culture. It’s a time to keep listening, chatting and reflecting as God beckons us into the future.
Monday 6th March
5:00-6:30pm
Supper provided
Admission free
Venue: Manchester Cathedral Visitor Centre
We have a limited number of places and will be providing food, therefore it would help us to know in advance if you're coming, so please book a place and turn up!
E-mail Ben Edson on: blah@sanctus1.co.uk
Technorati Tags: Blah..., emerging church, Manchester, mission
I predict a choir
We're not too good at singing in Sanctus 1, for which I am thankful as it would bring back too many memories of miming in church with some hairy-eared nutter bellowing in 12 different keys next to me.
However, as a former and founder member of the Manchester Boys Choir (when I was a boy and that), I have to give some credit to choirs especially when they are as barking mad as Warrington's Cheshire Chord Company (pictured).
We should set up a Sanctus 1 choir. Who's in? Can you, my tired-eyed blog reader, suggest any songs for us to bellow, I mean, sing? I'm thinking along the lines of adaptations of popular beat music such as Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell and other such religious anthems.
shared food last weds
Here's a picture of the shared food and service last weds...It's a bit dodgy in quality as i took it on my phone.
Technorati Tags: sanctus
Sanctus2nds: The Greatest Love
Sanctus2nds is an intergenerational service that Sanctus1 run every 2nd Sunday, this Sunday it's in Sacred Trinity and is called 'The Greatest Love' and will be exploring Love and St. Valentine.
The service starts at 4pm and all people are welcome.
Sanctus2nds will also feature an under 5's play space.
Technorati Tags: sanctus, spirituality
And for all you Nick Cave fans out there...
... you can now have a radio station full of music just like his! Pandora will ask you what music you like and then play music that is like that in terms of tone, instruments used, erm... that sort of thing.
I will not be having Nick Cave on my radio station. Matt probably will though :(
I will not be having Nick Cave on my radio station. Matt probably will though :(
God is in the house
(aka Nick Cave at the Bridgewater Hall last night)
Quote. One of the few truly great, genuinely maverick songwriters and performers of the present day, Nick Cave has announced a very special UK solo tour with just three of his Bad Seeds - Warren Ellis (violin), Martyn Casey (bass) and Jim Sclavunos (drums). SOLD OUT. Unquote.
He was so impressive that only nouns, adjectives and swearwords might do it justice...
Genius. God-like. Thumping. Tender. Raw. Punishing.
Called us c**ts. Told us he loved us. Was sh*t hot and f***ing brilliant. His words, not mine.
Acoustic? My arse. Three broken drumsticks, a fiddle played like an electric guitar, and a song for Johnny Cash dismantled that idea.
They played some classic Bad Seeds tracks (like Red Right Hand, and God is in the House) and some Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus faves (like Cannibal’s Hymn). The latter is a double album that The Bad Seeds' own website describes as “two storming, driving, relentless, devotional, slinky, subtle, heartbreakingly-beautiful records that, lyrically, switch from the cynical to the sanguine, the defeated to the defiant, dealing in love, war, beauty, children, romance, rejection, Pethedine, poetry, panties, God, Auden, Johnny Cash, cold potatoes, too-much-money, not enough money, writer’s block, flowers, animals and more flowers. But maybe we’re projecting here.”
And on the last night of the tour, a glimpse of the homecoming that’s looming:
When I get home, I'm gonna make that call;
When I get home, I'm gonna talk it through;
When I get home, I'm gonna straighten it out...
But right now, right now, right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home, I'm gonna unpack my bags;
When I get home, I'm gonna wash these dirty rags;
When I get home, I'm gonna pack 'em up again
And I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go right back a'roaming.
Last night, God was in the house. Damn right. His name was Nick Cave.
Quote. One of the few truly great, genuinely maverick songwriters and performers of the present day, Nick Cave has announced a very special UK solo tour with just three of his Bad Seeds - Warren Ellis (violin), Martyn Casey (bass) and Jim Sclavunos (drums). SOLD OUT. Unquote.
He was so impressive that only nouns, adjectives and swearwords might do it justice...
Genius. God-like. Thumping. Tender. Raw. Punishing.
Called us c**ts. Told us he loved us. Was sh*t hot and f***ing brilliant. His words, not mine.
Acoustic? My arse. Three broken drumsticks, a fiddle played like an electric guitar, and a song for Johnny Cash dismantled that idea.
They played some classic Bad Seeds tracks (like Red Right Hand, and God is in the House) and some Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus faves (like Cannibal’s Hymn). The latter is a double album that The Bad Seeds' own website describes as “two storming, driving, relentless, devotional, slinky, subtle, heartbreakingly-beautiful records that, lyrically, switch from the cynical to the sanguine, the defeated to the defiant, dealing in love, war, beauty, children, romance, rejection, Pethedine, poetry, panties, God, Auden, Johnny Cash, cold potatoes, too-much-money, not enough money, writer’s block, flowers, animals and more flowers. But maybe we’re projecting here.”
And on the last night of the tour, a glimpse of the homecoming that’s looming:
When I get home, I'm gonna make that call;
When I get home, I'm gonna talk it through;
When I get home, I'm gonna straighten it out...
But right now, right now, right now I am a-roaming.
When I get home, I'm gonna unpack my bags;
When I get home, I'm gonna wash these dirty rags;
When I get home, I'm gonna pack 'em up again
And I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go right back a'roaming.
Last night, God was in the house. Damn right. His name was Nick Cave.
Shared Food and Service
It's shared food and a service this wednesday night and we're trying something new...All three groups will come to Nexus, the doors will open at 6:30 and food will be at 7:15. The food this month is a curry and will cost £3, unless you're unemployed, a student or a visitor, then it's free!
Whilst we're eating different parts of the service will take place between courses, the service intends to be a place of gift exchange where people bring something of themselves and share it with the wider community. This month there are about 5 people who have offered to bring something to share.
We're going to see how this works and then experiment with other formats over the next few months.
Whilst we're eating different parts of the service will take place between courses, the service intends to be a place of gift exchange where people bring something of themselves and share it with the wider community. This month there are about 5 people who have offered to bring something to share.
We're going to see how this works and then experiment with other formats over the next few months.
The devil has all the best tunes...
Well maybe he doesn't. But it seems the wrath of the Lord is coming if you're a rock star...
(Hat tip to ST via Popbitch)
(Hat tip to ST via Popbitch)
Fairtrade high street?
M&S set to launch Fairtrade clothing range
How does that work then?
In Dec 2005, didn’t Ethical Consumer say that good ole M&S were the third least ethical clothes shop (after Primark and Mk One) by ranking the leading clothing chains on criteria such as workers' rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes?
Maybe this is Marks and Spencer’s response… if so, it’s good that the leopard might be changing their spots. But then PETA might not be happy about that…
Sigh – you really can’t win if you’re a high street retailer: online retailing on the one hand, and us fickle campaigning opinionated consumers on the other.
How does that work then?
In Dec 2005, didn’t Ethical Consumer say that good ole M&S were the third least ethical clothes shop (after Primark and Mk One) by ranking the leading clothing chains on criteria such as workers' rights and whether they do business with oppressive regimes?
Maybe this is Marks and Spencer’s response… if so, it’s good that the leopard might be changing their spots. But then PETA might not be happy about that…
Sigh – you really can’t win if you’re a high street retailer: online retailing on the one hand, and us fickle campaigning opinionated consumers on the other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)