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I stumbled across this today and thought it was too good not to share, all those you know me (and my secret aspiration to be a high flying Catholic Clergyman ;) listen up for what may be the best Christmas present/board game you can buy this year. Vatican - The Board Game! I don’t know what to do first, laugh until my sides hurt or die with anticipation to play it (somewhat dramatic I know, but such is my swooning teenage girl nature when faced with board games which include adopting the role of an aspirational cardinal), I quote: “VATICAN, historically accurate, is more compelling than the depictions of the Catholic Church in popular culture. VATICAN is a fascinating way for all to understand a central point of Catholic identity, and will appeal to a wide variety of...

I have really enjoyed the Olympics this year, it has been brought into my morning habit for the last couple of weeks and it has been great to see Great Britain performing so well (apart from some unfortunate flag waving by my look-alike cousin-so I’ve been told), here are a few photos from over the last few weeks (click on them for higher resolution versions):       ...

Jon and the guys are playing on Conan! Watch out for it on September 3rd! Here in the UK I guess we’ll have to wait for some youtube action. But turn on your sets people and blow the ratings to support them. Im super-pleased for them as they have been touring like nobodies business for the last couple of years. I have owned every release they have put out and now they are re-releasing their Album Ode to Sunshine on the 26th August, glad I got the original! Similar Posts:None Found...

There is an interesting post about the new Narnia film depicting Susan fighting in the battles when she does not in the books at the CBMW and how the director argues that he want to represent secular opinion on women fighting on the front lines stating: "When the issue of Susan not participating in the fight for Narnia was introduced in the first film, I rejected it then. I was like, ‘Well if she’s just gonna make sandwiches then give her a plate and a knife.’ It’s something that I don’t agree with so I wasn’t going to make a movie like that." As the CBMW highlights: Lucy is presented as a model of steadfast faith in the face of adversity. After she apologizes to Aslan for not obeying him the first time and announces her determination to follow...

Probably the first of its kind in the UK, Worship Central, a really superb ministry from Holy Trinity Brompton, has worked with Kings College London to produce an MA in contemporary worship.   Tearfund have begun publishing Daily prayer podcasts, though somehow whilst moving house last week I lost my iPod!Trevin Wax writes well on the subject of being ecumenical. A new free (ish) UK service called freesat is being launched which offers digital HD broadcasting and a good number of channels, even to those areas (like up here in the depths of Scotland) where you can’t get freeview.Had I not recently broken my canon SD300 I would be doing this in a second, lifehacker have featured free software which you can load onto your point and shoot canon through the memory card to...

Plenty of News and good blogging going right now, these are in no particular order there is tech, apple, theology and everything else crammed in:The mighty design software company adobe has released a beta version of free web based software called Photoshop Express. It has some great tools for retouching and free storage. Best of all you get your own address .photoshop.com so I snapped up liam.photoshop.com I havent had the chance to put anything up on it, as the most of my photos are on flickr.Maggi Dawn features a link which shows us why not to aspire to look like cover girls (or boys for that matter)Very Interesting post on ex-communication, something the 21st Century Church doesn’t like to talk about. John Piper explains that excommunication although seemingly harsh is in fact...

As you can tell I have had somewhat of a hectic week and attempt (through various technological means) to blog some of it. Norway was fun but hard work in many aspects and so now I am looking forward to relaxing over the weekend. Im going to see Cloverfield tonight with my ole flatmate Fraser which should be good, we are both avid Lost fans (same director Abrams for this film) and "super psyched" the get geekily enthralled with it.Ive also tidied up my blackberry flickr uploads into a Norway Set which you can check out hereAs I have a few posts in the mix but am rushed off my feet trying to do the follow up from Norway visits and all the new contracts I secured (yay me!) Ill leave you with some of the things Ive been reading.- The internet has certainly moved on from 1996 when...

"In the early 1980s, Charlie Wilson is a womanizing US congressional representative from Texas who seemed to be in the minor leagues, except for the fact that he is a member of two major foreign policy and covert-ops committees. However, prodded by his major conservative supporter, Joanne Herring, Wilson learns about the plight of the people are suffering in the brutal Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. With the help of the maverick CIA agent, Gust Avrakotos, Wilson dedicates his canny political efforts to supply the Afghan mujahideen with the weapons and support to defeat the Soviet Union. However, Charlie Wilson eventually learns that while military victory can had, there are other consequences and prices to that fight that are ignored to everyone’s sorrow." - IMDB Plot...

Relevant published a good review on the Golden Compass which highlighted what an excellent film it was and answered some of the Christian politics surrounding it with: The American Christian response to The Golden Compass feeds Pullman’s view of religion in general and Christianity in particular. In his world, a movie that would dare call the Magisterium to task would be pronounced off-limits for the populace. And why not? It’s a good political move for those who want to consolidate and preserve their power at any cost. Related: Golden Compass - Fuss over nothing...

Apple is to reduce UK downloads to 74p from the current 79p within 6 months says BBCThis is well overdue, Ive given up on the iTunes store apart from the odd impulse buy, its not all as good as it sounds either as apple only plan to match continental european prices which are 74p not the 99 cents (50p) price of the US. That being said it may be indicative that Apple are intending to use their industry clout to benefit consumers, which in the long run can’t be a bad thing...

I saw the Golden Compass over the weekend, really enjoyed it and am perplexed as to why there is so much outrage about it. Quite possibly a clever marketing scam? If so they have many hooked and lined. I am willing to be wrong and deny my desire to see the rest of the movies (its a trilogy). Just to set the context if you haven’t heard anything (and therefore been living on planet zogg) THE MOVIE - IMDB About the Movie - Wikipedia - About the movie THE AGAINST Albert Mohler - "Briefing your concerned Congregation" Catholic League - "calls for Boycott" THE CHRISTIAN FOR’S - Jason Clark - "A Thoughtful response to the Golden Compass" - Jamie Arpin Ricci - "The Golden Compass: A Christian Response" Though I...

Dear People Behind the "Now That’s What I Call Music!" Series, We’re just going to have to agree to disagree. Yours,Maggie Koerth Quite. HT: Daily Awesome More Here, well worth a read These were pretty funny for me as our friend Leslie Stephen wrote a few equally hilarious ones on her myspace blog, not sure whether you can read them unless you’re her "myspace friends" but click here and try anyway!...

Well this week has flown by, and as ever work is at un-precedented levels, Uni is about to start and I still haven’t confirmed funding! So with that understanding I leave you with a few things I’ve been looking at this week as I am out of the office tomorrow and if previous promises to blog through the weekend are anything to go by then don’t hold your breath. Hopefully everyone will find something of interest or amusement through the following: - That’s just not normal - Jim Martin writes about how being self aware, and family aware can be helpful in relating to people in Church. Specifically the similarities between how Church leaders lead, and how they interact with their family, probably the most insightful posts I’ve read this week. -...

I live in St Combs near a large inshore Bird Reserve and every year huge swarms of birds fly near the village, and looks a lot like the video below, and its very cool. If you can see this in HD or on TV for yourself check it out, because this lo-res youtube version doesn’t do it justice. I just saw this advert on TV for Carling Beer, although it would be a cool Ad for church! - Belong!...

This is the only movie I noted in my Movies for the Christmas Period watchlist that I have made it to see: The Museum of Natural History is suffering a downturn in visitor numbers and has to make cutbacks by way of night security men. Step up Larry Daly (Stiller) in an attempt to retain his home and convince ex wife that he is a role model for their impressionable son. The film’s premise that the various waxwork and skeleton inhabitants come to life at night due to the presence of a magical Egyptian golden tablet placed 50 years before. When I saw the trailer for this is looked like great fun, and it was. Rachel and I enjoyed a packed cinema and a good few laughs seeing the film, although if you are fans of Zoolander etc with Stiller and Wilson, then this is maybe...

Well the LOST team North East Scotland has been well and truly dispersed, and over the dinner table last night, Jane, Fraser and Rachel were lamenting over the lack of LOST in our lives, but hopefully the show will be coming back in the US, prime for some iTunes downloading sooner than originally intended due to ABC rating drops. Also it seems that everyones favourite hero Jack (no not the 24 Jack, Matthew Fox, Lost Jack!) wont be around for the first few episodes, leaving some to suspect he’s being killed off, but I agree with Lost review that the episodes will more than likely focus on the other Island, and not return immediately to the story of the operating theatre. Read HERE the Lost Review coverage on this article:...

Since my discovery (through the following of a link at Andys Site) I found allofmp3.com, you can read more about that here but after my first frenzied experience of cheap music, I got broke over the month, combined with allofmp3’s payement methods coming on and offline, to the point where I almost went to sign up for a JCB or Diners Club card just to use the site. None of that drastic action required as the xrost card payement system came back online, which you can update from the Click and Buy Service, and the added bonus of 10% extra for using xrost and 20% extra as a allofmp3 christmas deal! so I got 30% more money on my account! So after topping up came the moment/hour or so where I decided where that money was going. I had a pretty vast list of artists that I had...

I enjoyed reading Andy’s lo-down on the Sacha Baron Movie BORAT, as I was meant to see it with some friends but then we chickened out and saw something a little more safe! In the spirit of passing a Christmas movie lo-down, last night I (not by choice really!) went to see Eragon with the youth group from Church last night.   Eragon effetively the Star Wars Story (scarily close parallels according to Star Wars Fans), set in a Lord of the Rings settings. Heres the Plot outlline from IMDB  "In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon’s egg — a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he’s the one person who can defend his home against an evil king" Plenty of money has been thrown at this,...

I haven’t really heard it for a while, but coming back from dropping Annabel & Margaret at the airport (they’re off to Rome for the weekend!) I heard the full shipping forecast. There’s something really comforting about the announcer reeling off the names: Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromatry, Forth, Tyne, Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, Humber, Thames, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Biscay, Trafalgar, Fitzroy, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faeroes & Southeast Iceland. and the strict format of the synopses themselves: Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Irish Sea, Shannon, Rockall. Southerly 6 to gale 8, increasing severe gale 9 or storm 10, perhaps violent storm 11 later. Very rough,...

OK, I admit it, I’m a closet Meat Loaf fan. Well, I guess I’m no longer in the closet. I love Jim Steinman’s lyrics — who else could get away with a song entitled Objects in the rear-view mirror may appear closer than they are? The operatic sounds, the incredible stories the lyrics tell; just fantastic. So here I am, having just acquired the new album. Listening to track and thinking ‘WTF?!?’ The Monster is Loose is a very different style to his usual fare, isn’t it? Do you somehow suspect he’s emulating the likes of Linkin Park (just listen to the guitars!) in order to endear himself with a new generation of listeners? OK, apart from the silly drum track in the background at the start, Blind as a Bat is getting back to his usual...

Two things worth mentioning, firstly my own work. I wrote a Geocoder. Recently we've been doing a lot of things with maps at work, and getting longitude and latitude from a postcode or address to plot points is always a little troublesome, especially when the best way is to pull values out of the Google Maps query string (for the non-techies, that's the bit after a '?' in a URL). Based on geopy and Google Maps it took about an hour and a half to put together. I don't have a massive database of postcodes—so that's not what my massive database is for! The other thing. TED Talks. Of my semi-daily-non-RSS-reads, Guy Kawasaki is up there, and a while back he mentioned Majora Carter, a woman from the South Bronx who spoke at TED. This led me to investigate more and I've now watched...

I haven’t bought a real, live, proper CD in ages. But patience is not a virtue of mine, so when I discovered that Placebo have a new album out — Meds — I had to rush out on Saturday and buy it. And, as my last.fm profile should attest (though I’ve probably just skewed it by looking for the intro of another track!), I’ve been listening to it constantly since. Definitely up to their usual, wonderful, standard. The combination of stunning, cynical, entendre-laden lyrics with a mixture of musical styles reminds me why they are one of my top bands of all time....