Ch Ch Changes

A little ahead of time, my company (formerly known as BBC Broadcast) has announced its new identity. I can now announce, before the first press reports, that I now work for Red Bee Media. There will be a few pieces in the media press tomorrow.

‘All our services bring stories and people together – whether it be a news story on BBC World, a promotion on UKTV Food for Ready Steady Cook, delivering last week’s episode of EastEnders over broadband on the interactive media player, or the latest football highlights to a 3G mobile,’ Pam Masters CEO of Red Bee Media said.

Also today, my wife and son visited the Saatchi gallery in London and turned out to be its last visitors. The gallery has sadly had a run-in with the landlords and has been kicked out of the building. My wife is not a person to be rushed or told what to do and so became part of the final event.

Lighter of lights

Lighter of lights – illumine us
Fire of fires – thaw us
Power of powers – strengthen us
Lover of lovers – warm us
Teller of tales – encourage us
Destroyer of darkness – save us
Touchstone of truth – examine us
Summoner of stars – amaze us
Wellspring of wisdom – weather us
Water of life – refresh us
Dancer of days – delight in us
Breath of the universe – bless us.

(Words by Ruth Burgess, picture Wallpole Park, London )

Rain

It's been raining in London today. The weather is considered bad if it's raining here in the UK, but I guess for many people rain means life and joy.

I love the rain, especially warm rain. Not much fun if it's cold but to have no rain, no unexpectedness in the climate must be no fun either.

Picture, White City London W12

Oliver Twist

Storytelling is at its best in a tale by Dickens. Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist is marvelously atmospheric and captures the brutality of the workhouses of Dickens' time. As Fagin I have to admire Ben Kingsley in this adaptation who, at the hands of Polanski, was a very human Jew. Thankfully no sentimental singing this time and more blood than I remember. And, may I say, Michael Heath, you were great as Mr Sourberry.


Here's what the BBC had to say

Brands on the Brain

Graham McCullam of the Branding agency Kemistry has been writing about the brain and brands. I've had the pleasure of working with Graham and respect him thoroughly. He says that brand names and logos give us an instant emotional fix. Children as young as 18 months have come to associate the MacDonalds golden arches with comfort food and toys.

Our relationship with brands is, as I have come to understand, less about the products and more about perceptions and emotions. The value of a brand has absolutely nothing to do with the thing in the bottle it's a mind thing.

Here's a story from his article:

During the Korean War the Coca Cola Company decided to send every US soldier a free bottle of Coke. Some of them took the bottle to bed with them, many wrote home to their parents and loved ones about it, while others kept it for a special celebration. To these soldiers it was more than just another drink. The brand meant home and raised memories of sitting in the soda bar with their first girlfriend, summer days with friends and all the other life experiences in which Coke had played a part.

Full article by Graham McCallum

Hope of New Life

Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies....

Let's be grateful to God for the beauty that has been, the nourishment it bore which will carry us through to a new season. Let our sadness at its passing be lifted by hope of new life.

Question: What in your life must be let go in order to make room for something new?

(conkers from a park in West London)

Grace Create

Grace Create tonight was curated by Adam and in a master stroke he managed to get the congregation to create the the entire service. Prayers made to look like blackmail notes, shredded ideas, "consequences" prayers and leggo were among the activities. All the pieces were hung on camouflage netting for everyone to view immediately after a low key and very reflective communion. Some great discussion about being creative. There you are Andy, a blog post at last.

Malicious Attempt?

What do you think?

I find it extraordinary to see how easy it is these days for the media to propagate fantasies masquerading as truth. For a while now I have been amazed at the transparently biased and finger-pointing FOX NEWS. And here in the UK editorial standards seem to be a bit wobbly.

I do agree with the Director General's defense of the BBC's journalism following evidently misleading articles in the The Daily Telegraph, The Times and The Daily Mail following up on an article by John Kampfner in the New Statesman. (To give the NS a plus point they did refer to, "Lord Hutton and his wretched report") I don't know what the truth of the various conversations is, but I'm inclined to go with the DG on this one

The upshot of my thoughts is that there are very few people or organisations we can really trust these days - and that includes those selling us dodgy goods and services. We are living in a time of information transparency, but this can only be a good thing if the quality of the information can be trusted and that our interpretation of it is sound - a case for a strong BBC.

To give you an example of this sad state of affairs, I bet that this blog entry will soon attract one or two 'comments' which are in fact adverts produced deceptively and automatically.

Trust no-one!

link to mark thompson's statement

Boundaries

Here is an image taken in the Yorkshire Dales. The significance of a boundary I think is interesting.

In England, boundary lines are very evident. Dry stone walls which have survived for centuries & boundary stones set at the junction of ancient parishes are among the most interesting.

The Celts talked about 'thin' places where the boundary between earth and the spirit world could most easily be crossed.

Whatever the significance of a boundary, they hold a powerful emotional quality forcing us to stop or at least question our progress across them. They can be tempting and forbidding, welcoming or threatening. My challenge to you today is to take notice of the boundaries which exist in your life and try crossing some of them.