From christianity to croquet, globetrotting to grandchildren, teen angst to telemarketing, immigration to emigration, the complex science of high finance to the simple facts of family life: here you will find all the really big questions... and maybe one or two of the answers if you're lucky!
Most people think of the Bible as a densely printed book with no pictures, but a version of the scripture that resembles a glossy coffee table magazine aims to change that. It's part of a wave of radical presentations of the Bible, including a manga version and a Lego gospel. But how do Christians feel about these attempts to spread the word?
It's the kind of magazine you might find in a doctor's waiting room next to Cosmopolitan or Reader's Digest. On the front is a pale face heavy with mascara. A flick through throws up striking images: urban flooding, a Nigerian abattoir, a girl eating noodles, a pooch in a limo.
It's only when and if you get round to reading the text that the incongruity strikes you: "Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven." What kind of problem page is this?
Sorry that the majority of posts seem Political in nature but I thought this worth sharing:
I went to hear David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary speak today during a Questions and Answers session at the Great Hall, Leeds University. On arrival, what struck me was the obvious presence of Special branch with their stereotypical macs and tashes, and an attachment throng of parked Mercedes Benz cars surrounding a Jag (which at the time, left my imagination to wonder if it was bullet proof or not)!?
'How seriously is the British Government taking the suppression of political rights for minority ethnic peoples in Burma and what steps has the British Government taken to protest over the sentencing of pro-democracy leaders in Burma for up to sixty-five years?'
His response was a little short of satisfactory. He noted his awareness of the importance of the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi who has remained under house arrest for well over a decade. He gave reference to the 'warm feeling' that he felt when in 2006 during the Monk's protests, he was speaking to the British Embassy in Rangoon, over the telephone and how he could hear the clapping of the Monk's as they walked past the Embassy. But in his avoidance of the direct question to what is the British Government doing, he simply pointed to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon's visit to Rangoon in December (see http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/un_action.html and take action). His limited response is a sign perhaps of it not being on top of Britain's agenda. Not of much use in the twin sense of Burma’s locked up activists but also my dissertation.
All together I feel the Foreign Secretary, collectively gave a good response to most of the questions raised. His knowledge basis for varying topics was impressive. Even to some of the more controversial questions posed on the subjects of: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, Israel etc. I think he got off lightly but his human side did come out during his response with a touch of humour; seemingly he was perfectly at ease. Perhaps one day he will be a candidate for the Leader of Labour Party? Watch this space!
Just want to share a clip originally taken from Dispatches which I am using in a presentation on Burma next week:
After 8 long years of Bush – finally a fresh start!
Obama's victory brings a chance for the US to finally join with the world community to take on pressing challenges on climate change, human rights, and peace.
After years, even decades of distrust, let's seize this moment of unity, reconciliation and hope to send a message of warm congratulations and invitation to work together to the new President and the American people.
We've built a huge wall near the White House in Washington DC where the number of signatures on our message and personal messages from around the world will grow over the next several hours. We've also asked Obama to personally receive our petition from a group of Avaaz members. Let's get to 1 million signers and messages to Obama! Sign on at the link below and forward this email to others:
This is a time for celebration of democracy, but already the sharks are starting to circle – oil companies, war contractors, conservative lobbyists, and the powerful neo-con clique that brought us the war in Iraq are looking for ways to dim the prospects for change. Obama has promised national unity, and these interests will ask a high price for that unity.
Let's act quickly to make sure the people of the world are heard as Obama makes crucial choices in the coming days on how to live up to his campaign promises to secure a strong global treaty on climate change, ban torture and close Guantanamo prison, withdraw carefully from Iraq, and double aid to make global poverty history. Rarely has a US President been more likely to listen to us.
We'll make the point that on most of the pressing issues faced by Obama and the American people – from the financial crisis to climate change -- we need to work together as one world to achieve change
Last Tuesday, 28th October, there was an attempt to evict some squatters from an address in Ashley Road, St Pauls, here in Bristol. The attempt failed but one of the occupants of the house has written an interesting article over at Bristol Indymedia on the hows, whys and wherefores of squatting in the city.
We are a diverse bunch. Most people in the house are in paid work, some are not, probably in similar proportion to an average group of people in St. Paul's. We range in age from 16 to 40. We don't have kids or families with us at the moment, simply because of the pressure from the authorities. How we may be different from others is that we try and solve our problems ourselves, collectively. All of us living at Unity House had previously being living in houses that were socially owned (housing association or council) that had been abandoned then sold off to private developers. This is a trend we see increasingly.
People who trash houses, be they developers, squatters, arsonists, thieves or whatever, are not good people. Me and the people that I live with always attempt to make the space we live in as pleasant as possible, as would any decent person. To see any building derelict or destroyed is sickening to me. We are people who are struggling for collective space. We have had gigs and parties, meetings and film screenings for a range of groups. We were part of the International Days of Action for Autonomous Spaces in April and we will continue to look for and help create vibrant spaces in our communities.
WHAT IS 87 Ashley Rd?
We have been sold a lie; that private ownership and placing poor people on the housing ladder is the solution to the so called housing problem.
Places for People Group are the biggest UK housing association. They also have the highest paid chief executives in the housing sector, (Director salary: £258k in 2007). Housing associations were set up to fill the gap left by Thatcher’s destruction of social housing provision. Legally, they can not make profits, so they make up for this through fat bonus checks for the fat cats. That is taxpayer’s money going to fund extravagant lifestyles (see first link above).
The registered owner of 87 Ashley Road is a separate legal charity based in Preston, called Places for People Individual Support. This charity has never contacted the occupiers of 87 Ashley Rd... More
BBC Radio 4's Analysis: Dollars and dominance is broadcast on Thursday 23rd October at 20:30 BST and repeated on Sunday 26th October at 21.30 BST
Listened to this as a podcast last week and thought in very interesting. Even got the transcript as its very relevent to an assignment I'm doing in Globalization. You can listen as a podcast or listen on BBC iplayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/analysis
I think that today's financial crisis is going to hasten the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency.
Avinash Persaud
But as this programme discovers, the dollar may no longer remain such a pillar of US power.
Before the crisis its value had been steadily declining. That suited many Americans and their political leaders - a weaker dollar boosted US exports and manufacturing jobs.
But no longer can the powers that be in Washington tell the rest of the world, as a 1970s Treasury Secretary once did, that the dollar is "our currency, but your problem". And the crisis has raised new questions about how far the US can afford its foreign policy commitments and its need to keep the domestic economy afloat.
Rising powers such as China and the Gulf states now have huge reserves in dollars. That makes them, very keen on a strong dollar now.
But if they decided to switch allegiance they could suddenly destabilise the US currency. It's been called a "balance of financial terror" that the US must now live with.
If the dollar is in decline as a global currency, what of the alternatives? The euro has a global role, but no political leadership to match that of the US. Many expect the Chinese currency to rival or overtake the dollar as the global balance of economic power changes, but that will take time.
It's like the idea of mutually assured deterrence. We hope that everybody becomes respectful of the financial power of the other side, but that such destructive power won't be deployed.
Barry Eichengreen
So in the meantime, we are left with a world in which the dollar plays a more and more controversial and uncertain role - still a key pillar of American power, but a currency over which the rest of the world has more and more control.
Contributors:
Avinash Persaud, Chairman of Intelligence Capital Limited
Barry Eichengreen, Professor of political economy, University of California, Berkeley
Harold James, Professor of History, Princeton University
David Marsh, author "The Euro: The Emerging Global Currency"
Dr Albert Park, Reader in Economics, Oxford University
Jim O'Neill, Head of Global Economic Research at Goldman Sachs
Presenter: Ngaire Woods Producer: Chris Bowlby Editor: Hugh Levinson
We've always been a big family... and we're still growing!
With six boys and one girl, mum and dad have always had their work cut out for them. But now they've got a son-in-law to contend with, 3 daughters-in-law, and 7 grandchildren carrying the flag for the next generation! Ye gods! How will they ever find time to practice their croquet?
It's the Bible, But not as you know it, Jim.
I think that today's financial crisis is going to hasten the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. 
