Wednesday, November 30

Bagel in Limbo

"I think I'm schizophrenic but I'm in two minds about it" goes the joke. The recent pronouncements by the pope seem to betray an absence of single mindedness within the catholic church. I don't mean this disrespectfully, but the pontiff has conceded that there is no such thing as purgatory after all - the place children go if they have not been baptised. Imagine how upsetting this must be to the parents of children who have passed on struggling to know what has become of them. A previous pope, Pius X, was sure there was purgatory. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Pope like Dr Who? They are really all re-generations of St Peter and so essentially the same person, but unlike Dr Who they/he never makes a mistake!

The other point of fuzzyness centres around the gay issue. Those who practice homosexuality are not allowed to become priests. However if a homosexual is able to behave "normally" for a year or two they may take up a position of Deacon in the church. Perhaps this is a bit like saying to someone born a cripple, "stand up straight and walk normally for a few years then we'll give you a job" For heaven's sake!

To be dogmatic one minute and then flexible the next is quite unsettling. My own conviction is that God, and in particular Jesus, offers us all the chance to be in the place we were meant to be, but don't ask me to explain it. I am single minded about my uncertainty and quite happy about that.

There is story about a rabbi on his death bed surrounded by devoted followers looking for a word of wisdom. Faintly the rabbi says, "life is like a bagel". The word spreads through the crowd waiting outside the rabbi’s house, “Life is like a bagel; the rabbi says life is like a bagel,” until finally, at the edge of the crowd, it reaches the town fool, who asks, “What does it mean: life is like a bagel?” The question spreads back through the crowd, “What does it mean, life is like a bagel?” until it reaches the bedside of the rabbi. “rabbi,” his assistant asks, “What does it mean, life is like a bagel?” “Nu,” the rabbi says, weakly shrugging his shoulders, “so life is not like a bagel.”

Sunday, November 27

Participation

In order be able to participate we are often dependent on someone or something which will allow us to do so. Many of us sit in the sidelines not because we choose to do so, but because we don’t feel equipped to do so. There are many people who may be excluded for a range of reasons.

(Where are you? A map of the www, but is everyone able to plug in?)

Some people do not have the technical resources to participate. Digital networks provide the opportunity for interaction, but not everyone can afford the equipment. For other people the obstacles to participation may be psychological - years of being told that you are useless may become an insurmountable obstacle to participation in almost anything. And if you add to the psychological obstacles, physical disabilities you have profound limitations.

Helen Keller was less than two years old when she came down with a fever which left her blind and deaf. She wrote, "I stood between two persons who were conversing and touched their lips. I could not understand, and was vexed. I moved my lips and gesticulated frantically without result. This made me so angry at times that I kicked and screamed until I was exhausted."

At age six Keller met Anne Sullivan Macy, the tutor who taught Keller the alphabet and thereby opened up the world to her. She eventually attended Radcliffe College, where she graduated with honors in 1904. Keller became an activist and lecturer, she championed Socialism and women's rights. She also founded and promoted the American Federation for the Blind.

What can we do to enable those on the sidelines to participate?

Here are some Keller quotes:

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.


Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.


Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.

Friday, November 25

Loft Life

We're having to loft done - looking forward to some creative space in the place. Estimated to complete before Christmas but still lots to be done. more pictures click on the images

Interesting Job

Recent job advert in the media pages:

'Experience: Minimum of three years hands-on writhing/producing experience.'

Wednesday, November 23

Christmas Ads

There have been a couple of interesting articles in the Guardian. The first is on brain activity while watching commercials. It seems that, 'watching the programmes appeared to suppress higher-level thinking that was only reactivated during the commercial breaks'. We also learn that the programme preceding an ad provides an influence on the way we receive it - suggesting that the most effective ads are related to the programme we have just seen. Read article.

In another article the correspondent talks about the influence of the current ad for the Sony Bravia LCD TV. The ad features coloured balls falling on sunny scenes to capture the idea of the beautiful colours reproduced by the screen. While the ad is impressive, see it here, this was just a small influence on the buying choice. Read article.

Ads achieve a lot if they are able to capture a truth. This print ad for John Lewis captures the truth that we often don't want to give anything decent for Christmas.


'Of course you could always give them bath salts instead'

Sunday, November 20

Web


Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.

(Chief Seattle)

Picture, gate of Lammas Park West London. click for bigger image

Creative Day

Had a great day in London - enrolled Josh on a film-making workshop at the ICA. He really enjoyed the experience of making a film in a day - One End of the Street to the Other, but don't have any photos or film to share right now. Filmfantastic ran the course with great energy and commitment, giving them the essentials of story telling, shooting and editing.

We went to the Tate to see Rachel Whiteread's work. She has created a gigantic labyrinth-like structure, entitled EMBANKMENT, made from 14,000 casts of the inside of different boxes, stacked to occupy the Turbine Hall.

Thursday, November 17

Early Morning



I have lapsed on the old blog for a bit. I've been working on a contract for Flextech Television; Red Bee Media has won a huge contract to play out 10 of its TV channels. My role is to set up a production village in central London to produce the on-air presentation elements. Here's an early morning shot of Lammas Park near where I live in West London.

The opinions expressed on this site are those of Mark Waddington and not his employer. If I have made any errors or published anything unfairly please bring it to my attention and I will make corrections if appropriate.