headwayyouth- phil smith's blog

So much happening

Just on the train back from London after a great couple of days. The meeting at the Foundation was great and the Greenbelt partners meeting got me very excited about this years festival; the site plan is very different this year with what was main stage becoming a skatepark and headline acts performing on a new open-air stage. Nice to see Paul again to meet Jude (who has the fine job of producing Steve Lamaq's show on Radio 6) and to eat lots and lots of sushi and drink some Traidcraft wine.

It was also good to meet Phil Levermore, husband of Jude who sits on the GB board, and here about Ebico, a non-for-profit an ethical energy provider with a bias towards those on low incomes (well worth a look, eco-minded bloggers).

On a completely seperate note, I was well impressed by David Cameron's speech yesterday. "Hoodies are more defensive than offensive" seems quite a wise observation to me and leads me to like Mr Cameron even more than I did two days ago (a task which I didn't think was possible). The only problems with Cameron are the fools he is leading and the lack of trust I have for the Tory party as a whole. To give an example, Cameron may well talk about hoodie loving, but paradoxically last week to Conservative party voted against a £500,000 budget allocation to improve youth services.

If he led any other party (besides the BNP) Cameron would have my vote, but as it stands that's unlikely, instead I'm going to vote for... blimey who am I going to vote for???

Good decision!

I don’t know how it took so long, but it was great to see that General Synod found over the weekend that there is no theological reason why there should not be women bishops (BBC). Like homosexuality, this is another issue which has little effect over me yet has deeply concerned me.

It seems clear to me that Paul’s concern about women in leadership is sociological, not theological; based on his knowledge of the Greco-Roman world, and not his knowledge of God. In the first century, women in leadership would have been an outrage and may well have destroyed the church, two-millenia on it’s the other way around; in the democratic nations, where equality is valued and oppression is despised, the absence of women in significant positions of leadership, has been a PR disaster, both for the church and for God, whom church leader too often claim to represent.

So, in closing, well done church synod. Good decision.

A memorable day...

Today Zoe and I invested.

Today we purchased a MacBook.

Yes that's right my days of DOS and messing around with windows registry errors and other stupid microsoft malfunctions are over. I'm jumping ship and within ten working days the beauty below (left) will be mine, all mine ours, all ours.

Those thinking about making a similar investment here is my tip: hunt down someone with an NUS card! Zoe and I saved over £100 on the laptop itself and £150 on the 3 year warranty.

Incidentally, to those that are interested, I'm just on the trian to London sat next to a girl who is on her phone. In the course of a conversation which lasted just over three minutes she used the phrase "Okey-Cokey" eight times.

Off to the big smoke

Had a great time yesterday at Breakout, a bi-annual event for Methodist Youth, running a seminar on Ethical Living. I'll upload the content of the workshop later this week, but tomorrow I'm off to the big smoke for a Greenbelt get together and a meeting at the Foundation. Really looking forward to the GB get together and looking forward to the festival itself, I'm doing a few bits and bobs in the youth programme including Beyond Ned Flanders, another seminar, somewhat predictably, on ethical living

Carnival of the Green #34

This week I have the great privilege of hosting the Carnival of the Green, a weekly round-up of all things ethical. A big thanks to Jen for hosting the Carnival last week, and to City Hippy and Triple Pundit- the genius behind this idea. Next week The Ester Republic is hosting.

Hippyshopper has a summary of some water saving gadgets.

JBruno @ The Voltage Gate explains why he feels natural places should be conserved.

Josh presents Speaking of the Supreme Court and climate change posted at Thoughts from Kansas.

Starling presents Environment Be Dammed posted at The Business of America is Business. Judy greatly admires Bill Millison,  Bill The Permaculture Guy's for his awesome expertise, but finds that he has a strangely misinformed view of a vegetarian diet.

Sludgie has much to say as Bush, who up to now may have the worst enviro record of any president, declares the largest marine preserve in the world in the Hawaiian Islands.

CityHippy questions the targeting of SUV drivers when surely more would be gained from engaging with ALL drivers instead of just demonising and alienating a minority.

Sally Kneidel PhD, co-author of Veggie Revolution, writes a review of Jeff Barrie's documentary "Kilowatt Ours."  It's a very personal and engaging film about people affected by our country's dependence on coal.  The beginning documents the health and environmental consequences of our energy consumption.  The last half documents just as carefully and convincingly the details of the easy solution.

The Greener Magazine argues that China's newly completed Three Gorges Dam may prove to be a double edged sword when it comes to the environment.

John discusses his first foray into do-it-yourself organic winemaking at home.

A Guide to Green Living offers advice on sustainable methods of maintaining your lawn.

Don Bosch over at The Evangelical Ecologist links to a project by Acton's PowerBloggers to eradicate malaria (and the mosquitoes that carry it) through the judicious use of DDT.

Dr. Fuhrman discusses the chemical contamination of fish

Riversider presents Riverworks - Pub Debate Primer posted at Save The Ribble!

For those who feel strangely tempted to keep chickens Groovy Green has some sound advice.

Ecostreet gives an introduction to the farmer's weekly food miles campaign, which sounds thoroughly worthwhile.

Chekhov answers a reader's question about what to do with formaldehyde-releasing particleboard

U2 lovers this way...

I'm not sure I'm convinced, but this made me laugh...

Wearing a clerical collar and a headset, the Rev. Michael A. Smith swings his hips and, taking cues from the church band, joins worshippers in singing “Mysterious Ways” from the U2 album “Achtung Baby.”

A 4-year-old girl taps pencils on a pew and dances in the aisle. Her mother sings along  with words projected on the front wall next to a carving of Christ on the cross. The organ remains covered at the back of the room. The hymn books are closed.

“To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal,” sing the worshippers, as they continue the Irish rock band's song. “If you wanna kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel — on your knees boy!”

It's Saturday night at Christ the King Episcopal Church.

But this is not a concert. It's serious worship, with U2 as part of the liturgy...

Christ the King has been holding monthly U2 services since September. Each service typically attract 50 to 60 people, from young children to people in their 80s, including about five or six first-time visitors.

More over here