Possibly the funniest weblog in the UK at the moment (and perhaps the world, though I don’t know that I really have enough information to make such a claim), JonnyB’s private secret diary (NORFOLK VILLAGE LIFE – EXPOSED) is one of my regular must-read reads. I like the comments too. He replies in them, which is good for a celebrity blogger.

If you’ve only got the time to read one post from the archive try this one about moving a table.

[As per usual a disclaimer saying some readers may find language etc etc etc no liability for external links etc etc etc.]

Oh dear. I was going to go and do some drawing at 9. Now look what’s happened.

Posted by Dave at 9:35 pm on October 20, 2005 and filed under Blogging, Links: bloggers.

3 Comments

Make Comics Forever is a blog and self help group for procrastinating cartoonists. Unfortunately my main procrastination activity when I should be drawing is reading blogs, so this may or may not be a help to this particular self.

Ideas generation is really my main problem these days rather than your regular plain old straightforward common or garden procrastination. I do find I spend a lot of time sitting around with half-baked ideas. I tend to like an idea to be at least three quarters-baked before I will start on it. A two thirds-baked idea might occasionally be worth starting on if it is a very good one.

On an unrelated subject Steve’s blog has continued to be very good value all this week. I have received useful instruction on what to wear each day as well as some most thought provoking reflections on ‘tea’.

Posted by Dave at 5:41 pm on October 20, 2005 and filed under Cartooning, Slacking.

Comments Off

It seems that quite a few people using the search box on the site are looking for my cartoon series on the Windsor Report. Just to say that this series is remaining in its original location on Wibsite.com as it has lots of links to it and is fairly well established. But to make it easy for future searchers here is the link which will open in a new window (as most external links here on the blog tend to do):

The Windsor Report

I’m sorry not to have anything else to report. I’ve been trying to do some drawings all day and it has not been terribly easy.

Sooner or later I should tell you about my ceiling which fell down last week.

Posted by Dave at 7:05 pm on October 19, 2005 and filed under Anglican goings-on, Cartoons.

1 Comment

I’ve put a new worksheet up on the main CartoonChurch.com site. This one would be ideal for use on or around All Saints day, celebrated in many churches on or around the 1st of November. As usual the worksheets are designed to either be printed on the back of a service sheet, as a youthgroup homegroup activity, for use as an icebreaker or any other use you can think of. Click here to see the worksheet and for full instructions and format options. Please note that I ask everyone who actually uses the worksheet to purchase a CartoonChurch.com licence. They are only £35 for unlimited use of all resources and cartoons for a year or £3 if you really only want to use one cartoon or resource. Thank you!

Posted by Dave at 1:14 pm on October 18, 2005 and filed under Church, Worksheets.

Comments Off

I was interested to read that blogs can be divided into two categories, those with a purpose and those without.

Purposeless Bloggers are those who approach blogging as a conversational, this-is-my-life, as-our-world-turns, activity. Maybe we can say that purposeless bloggers are primarily dialogue bloggers. They see blogging as a means to share unformed thoughts and doubtful feelings.

Heck, that’s me to a tee. And I think most of my readers too. Please feel free to share unformed thoughts and doubtful feelings in the comments.

I found this link on Bene Diction‘s weblog. I was very sad to hear that Bene is ceasing blogging activities.

Posted by Dave at 12:29 pm on October 18, 2005 and filed under Blogging.

5 Comments

This just in: continued coverage of the Church Games – ‘Church Games in full bloom‘ reports the Bahama Journal.

I see the Baptists are coming on well in both the softball and the track and field. Just wait for the swimming – there will be no stopping them.

The Anglicans are showing pretty well, as are the ‘Full Gospel’ people. But the ‘Church of God of Prophecy’ currently languishing at the bottom of the medal table need not be worried because:

“At the end of the day we are all winners because there are no losers in the Church Games.”

Hurrah!

Posted by Dave at 1:58 pm on October 17, 2005 and filed under Church, Current events.

Comments Off

In America they have been having a convention of Christian Bloggers called GodBlogCon. It sounds like people had a nice time. These things quite often are especially if there is good catering.

There have been calls for something similar in the UK from Richard and this blogger. It sounds OK, (depending on the catering) but really Greenbelt is already the place to go for mingling with bloggers blogging from a Christian sort of a viewpoint. There are seminars and panels and social gatherings and everything you could want.

I would like to start another one man campaign though seeing as my last one was so successful. Please can the phrase ‘GodBlog’ be consigned to the dustbin of rubbish titles? It makes us sound like freaks. ‘People blogging from a Christian sort of a viewpoint’ is much better and although it appears to take longer to say it need not do so if you practice a bit. I have got it down to a little over 2 seconds.

[Update: Other GodBlogCon news that has come in: Dean did a review, whilst Darren had some useful things to say about Christian blogs in general.]

Posted by Dave at 4:22 pm on October 16, 2005 and filed under Blogging, Church, Festivals and Exhibitions.

6 Comments

I’ve added a new cartoon to the main site. It is on the subject of Ikea and things purchased therein. (That link will take you to a larger version.)

Much as I know Steve would like another ‘personal abuse’ cartoon I’m afraid that as you can see I’ve reverted to the usual nonsense on this occasion.

Have you seen Steve’s Wiblog by the way? It really is very good, particularly if you like lists.

Posted by Dave at 11:43 am on October 14, 2005 and filed under Cartoons.

1 Comment

My friends Sarah and Kathryn have started a new blog. FeminYM is all about women in youth ministry. Fem in Y(outh)M(inistry). Do you see? FeminYM is quite a difficult name to say if you try to do so five times in quick succession, but it is probably not something you will need to do that often in real life so don’t worry too much if you can’t do it.

It should be very good because it is material that was going to go in a book. You know, with paper and everything. So it’s proper writing, not just the nonsense that some people put on their blogs. (Ahem.) I don’t know whether there are any plans to put it in a book too.

Here is a quote:

“It is a well established fact that men are from Mars, and women are from an entirely different galaxy/milky way/ chocolate confectionery based universe. Or is it? If we have trouble understanding and communicating across gender gaps at the best of times, how does this impact on our youth work and youth ministry?”

Good questions. So, I’d recommend this blog to the following groups of people: Women in youth ministry. Men in youth ministry. Women not in youth ministry. Men not in youth ministry. Other.

Oh, go on then, let’s try a special tag: youth ministry

Posted by Dave at 10:41 am on October 13, 2005 and filed under Church, Links: bloggers.

1 Comment

I’m continuing my one man quest and mission to put the superb Recusancy at the Rectory weblog on the blogging map. Two more posts yesterday:

From the post ‘Ecclesiastical Celebrity‘:

“Two hundred weight of biscuits are being purchased today, and the suggestion was made to me, not entirely flippantly, that perhaps the SoWEC (Star of the Wider Ecclesiastical Community) would like to bless the coffee before we drink it.”

From the post ‘Spin and the Spirit‘:

“I think that if any theological student aspires to a leadership role within the church then he or she should study political science. Political science gives us an understanding of how groups within society organise themselves for purposes of power, control and dominion.”

So, come on everyone. Add the Recusant Rector to your list of links, post a comment on the blog, add him to your Bloglines selection etc etc etc. Thank you.

Posted by Dave at 10:10 am on October 13, 2005 and filed under Blogging, Church, Links: bloggers.

Comments Off

I am beginning to think that some of the people of Essex do not love me. I keep getting little notes saying that I am not welcome as long as I drive a white campervan. At least this one was polite unlike the last one which was really quite severe in its tone. I’ll try and dig it out at some point as at the moment it is in a box marked ‘things’.

I am starting a new ‘campervans‘ category on the blog in protest. That’ll show ‘em.

[I would like to point out that some of the people of Essex are very lovely. I was using a shocking headline as a cheap way to get more readers. If you have been enticed in by this headline please bookmark this site and come back every day, thank you.]

Posted by Dave at 12:37 pm on October 12, 2005 and filed under Campervans, Essex Life.

6 Comments

So asks a Christianity Today article all about National Clergy Appreciation Day and/or Month. Well, I’m not over-sure about the hugging or indeed about having special days for every sentiment under the sun, but in this case the cause is a good one.

But not one, I suspect, being celebrated at this church (Warning: the link includes a graphic description of earlobe twisting):

“The pastor of a Charlotte Harbor church had 16 church members booted from a service after they allegedly refused to stop singing and let the clergyman preach.”

(Thanks to Mr Barry.)

Meanwhile at the Recusant Rector‘s parish attempts to encourage all member ministry are falling upon deaf ears:

“I wrote an article for St Barbara’s parish magazine that was utterly, banally (sp?) anodyne. It said nothing new, radical or even meaningful. If we limit ourselves, I opined, to thinking that ministry is only supplied by dog-collared people like me, then we are seriously limiting ourselves.
…

Two days after the article came out the Churchwarden was bearded in church after the morning eucharist. “What is this about Recusant Rector refusing to do his priestly ministry any more?” “Why is RR saying that we have to do the priest’s work?” “Why are we paying the diocese all that money for RR is we’re going to end up doing his job? “What is RR for any way?”

(Can I just say, whilst I’m here, that the Recusancy in the Rectory blog really is very very good. Have a look over the archives if you have a bit of time to do so. He doesn’t update that regularly, but when he does it is well worth reading.)

So, the moral of today’s post? Be nice to clergy and don’t try to drown out their sermons. Oh, and ear twisting = bad.

Posted by Dave at 3:20 pm on October 11, 2005 and filed under Church.

Comments Off