Posted by Dave at 9:39 am on January 23, 2006 and filed under Cartoons.

4 Comments

It is my opinion, having studied the subject over a number of years, that the Guardian* and Observer* newspapers could increase their circulations dramatically if they somehow encouraged newsagents to stock their newspapers.

It is true here in Essex and it was true where I lived until recently in Berkshire. The Observer is usually unavailable and the Guardian, whilst better, is still sometimes hard to get. Perhaps they need to employ someone in a little office somewhere to spend their days telephoning Essex newsagents and generally being nice to them.

Yes, I know, I could have a word with the newsagent myself, but it is easier to have a moan here on the blog.

*Please note: Other newspaper titles are available.

Tags: observer, guardian

Update: I have done ‘tags’ on the Technorati internet web system to alert the powers that be as I know that the people from the Guardian spend all day surfing the internet. Unfortunately my tags don’t seem to be working. Perhaps Technorati doesn’t connect with the Essex bit of the internet. In fact, does anyone connect with the Essex bit of the internet? Calling the world, do you receive me, over?

Posted by Dave at 11:57 pm on January 22, 2006 and filed under Mundane.

3 Comments

Art on the Cart is an exciting project that is bringing together Southwark’s refuse and culture services. From November, eight of our new refuse collection vehicles will become mobile galleries and will be covered with works of art by local artists and from the Southwark Collection. There is one vehicle for each community council area, so be sure to look out for yours!

Southwark Council – Art On The Cart

If anyone would like me to draw rubbish cartoons on a refuse vehicle I would be happy to do so.

Posted by Dave at 7:00 am on January 21, 2006 and filed under Art, Cartooning.

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BBC NEWS | England | London | Whale spotted in central London

Good heavens.

Update: Londoners learn how to rescue a whale. Though I saw Terry Nutkins on the television who said that if anything is going to harm the whale it is the number of boats following it.

If you really want to help ‘save the whale’ you could do worse than looking at the Save the Whales – 10 Ways You Can Help Marine Life Every Day page.

In fact, did you know that Norway will kill 1,052 whales in 2006 (30% more than last year), whilst Japan will kill nearly that number. All in the name of ‘research’ apparently. Greenpeace has been attempt to disrupt Japanese whaling but has had to pull out owing to lack of resources.

As far as I can understand from various internet searches Japan wants to resume commercial whaling. Japans own foreign policy website attempts to justify it’s ‘research’ but what they say seems to be entirely at odds with what they are doing.

Posted by Dave at 3:09 pm on January 20, 2006 and filed under Current events.

3 Comments

My weblog has become known in parts of the known world for being ‘the Christmas newsletters blog’. Google it if you don’t believe me. See?

I was therefore pleased to receive a comment from Peggy Overstreet on my Christmas newsletters post alerting me, oddly enough, to her blog of mildly eccentric Christmas newsletters. If you’re going to read a stranger’s Christmas newsletters it might as well be these.

Her profile (Interests include ‘wasting time in creative ways’) also contains a link to the insomnia-induced ‘Stories from the Animal Kingdom‘ which is also marvellous in it’s own way.

Posted by Dave at 2:55 pm on January 20, 2006 and filed under Links: bloggers.

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Observers who have been observing may begin to notice a little orange boxy thing with rounded whathaveyous appearing in the right hand sidebar of the blog. I suspect some of you are wondering what it is and if I do not explain it soon no doubt sleepless nights will follow.

It is the symbol for what is know as the ‘feed’ for this blog. If you click it you will be taken to a page which allows you to ‘subscribe’ to the Cartoon Blog using all manner of different ‘feed reading’ sites and programmes. These include things like:

• Bloglines – this is the one I use.
• My Yahoo – this is your own personal homepage sort of thing on Yahoo
• Google – your own personalised Google page with your favourite sites on it.
• Firefox – If you use this web browser you will see the same little orange symbol in the address bar when the site you are lookining at has a feed you can subscribe to.

But why bother with all this? Well, the idea is that using one of these feed-reading sites or programmes can make it much quicker to look at all your favourite websites, blogs, news sites and podcasts. You can do it all in one go without having to go and visit each site in turn, which means you have more time to do other things, like go out for a walk in the darkness, mist and rain.

So go on – click it now and see what happens.

Posted by Dave at 7:01 pm on January 19, 2006 and filed under CartoonChurch progress, Technical.

6 Comments

The Real Live Preacher writes an open letter to the good people of the Schertz Public Library.

Posted by Dave at 6:33 pm on January 19, 2006 and filed under Links: bloggers.

1 Comment

I know the world would like me to supply them with profound yet humourous drawings about women bishops, civil partnerships etc etc etc but I am unfortunately unable to do so today.

The thing I can do though is direct you to advice on growing an avocado tree. Tim Samoff demonstrates that it can be done. I don’t know if it would work here though, what with the damp and everything. If any UK residents have been able to achieve this then please let us know.

Update: Sarah has proved it can be done in the UK:

We started ours in April 2004 like this, and a year later it looks like this.

It’s still going strong, having lasted two winters in a rather chilly conservatory. Thanks for reminding me to water it

Posted by Dave at 11:19 am on January 19, 2006 and filed under Mundane.

10 Comments

Tenants to picket Archbishop of Canterbury over homes sale – news from ekklesia
24dash: Residents mount protest over housing fears
Waterloo residents in Lambeth Palace candlelit vigil < News < London SE1

Well, OK, not quite under siege. But there have been protesters outside Lambeth Palace this evening. The BBC London news had it as their main story this evening (their website is usually a few days behind) and to be honest the report didn’t make the CofE look great. Lambeth Palace media department – you have some work to do.

Posted by Dave at 11:38 pm on January 18, 2006 and filed under Anglican goings-on, Church, Current events.

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Cartoonists are fighting crime though their drawings, as this incident involving a caracaturist who drew a bicycle burglar demonstrates.

In these days when crime stalks our streets* it is important that we all do our bit. I do my bit by looking out of my window at the various goings-on. If there are any crimes going on opposite PO box 2124 in Rayleigh I will be the first to know about it.

*Don’t worry. Crime doesn’t stalk our streets – I just checked. I used the phrase for dramatic effect.

Posted by Dave at 1:01 pm on January 18, 2006 and filed under Cartooning, Essex Life.

1 Comment

Well, let’s hope not, but one could see it happening. Here are various jumbled up quotes from articles I’ve been reading because my drawing is not going according to plan.

The UK is concerned that the international focus will move on from development now Russia has assumed the presidency of the G8

So says this Ekklesia report commenting on Gordon Brown’s article in last week’s Guardian. As Gordon Brown says:

In 2006 we will be judged not just on willing the millennium development goals but on delivering the resources to achieve them. All involved will have to prove that making poverty history is not just a passing fashion but a commitment for our generation.

To quote this piece in the Scotsman by Richard Saville-Smith of Save the Children:

Despite the clear demands of the public to end this injustice, world leaders didn’t do all they could to make child poverty history. Until no child goes to bed hungry and every child goes to school, gets treated when they are ill and is protected from violence, the campaigning must go on.

Together we will go on to hold leaders to the promises they made in 2005.

Posted by Dave at 12:41 pm on January 18, 2006 and filed under Make Poverty History.

1 Comment

The Salvation Army are currently in the process of appointing a new international leader

And then comes the time when the doors of the council chamber are thrown open, and out towards the waiting cameras strides the next General of The Salvation Army – a moment which these days is seen live on the internet by thousands of Salvationists around the world. The General in office heads the group of wellwishers waiting outside and welcomes his or her successor.

The Salvation Army: High Council 2006

The process involves a mixture of prayerful consideration and going into little rooms and writing down names on pieces of paper.

Supported by The International Staff Band and Massed Songsters

Tickets available from Salvation Army Special Events at £3 each

Posted by Dave at 9:52 am on January 18, 2006 and filed under Church, Current events.

1 Comment