Yellow is the color of manliness in this shawl-collared, saddle-shouldered, patch-elbowed pullover. Ann Budd added ribbing at the shoulders and patches in a contrasting yarn. Warm and fabulous. Made in Tahki Donegal Tweed and Bunny.
Yellow is certainly the colour of manliness. And if there’s a day for being warm and fabulous then February the 29th is it.
By the way, in case you have come here seeking information: Wibsite.com has broken again. Realistically it is going to be this evening before we get it fixed. Apologies again.
Posted by Dave at 1:45 pm on February 29, 2008 and filed under Religion, Sundry posts.
I’d like to give a quick mention to Paul, whose children’s comic book ‘Exile Road’ is being used by the Spring Harvest Christian holidays this year. Paul writes a ‘Wiblog’ on my other site (the one that was broken but is now less broken than it was). You can read information and discussion about it on the Spring Harvest Christian holidays site.
Just as an insignificant aside, is anyone who reads this weblog going to the Minehead Week 1 Spring Harvest Christian holiday from the 5th to the 10th of April this year? I have no particular reason for asking – it is just idle chatter.
This cartoon can be freely re-used on your blog – to find more of its kind see We Blog Cartoons.
I’m aware that this blog is not very good value at the moment. I can explain everything though – I have a major deadline this week and am also involved in a new project being launched in the very near future.
In the meantime please excuse my slap dash attitude: unanswered e-mails, blog posts with no titles, cartoons I’ve already posted six times, that sort of thing. Thanks for your patience.
Ben Edson has been causing the evolution of a worshipper cartoon to evolve. The interpretation will follow in a few days.
Perhaps other people would like to undertake the creation of their own evolution. I have uploaded the high resolution original of the 2008 version of the cartoon (with Emergent Guy) for you to download and photoshop. Or of course you can use the original original. Let me know if you do something with it.
Tomorrow morning, Sunday 24th of February I am being interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire. It is nothing to do with SPCK or the Lambeth Conference, but rather because I used to live in Berkshire. I am told that it is this website that will be talked about on a show about ‘Berkshire’s religious news and ethical debates’. It will only be a five minute interview and will be at about 20 to 9 in the morning. I’m not usually very awake at that time on a Sunday morning, so I might say something outrageous. (Note to the producer: I’m joking.)
Don’t get up specially or miss going to church or anything. Who knows, you might even be able to listen again via the internet. I don’t know about that as I haven’t looked into it.
I’ve added an ‘interviews’ category to the blog. If this is the last and only time I’m interviewed I’m going to look pretty silly.
Update, Sunday 9am: Well, it happened. A fairly very short interview in which my church quiz specialism was revealed and I had to hide the fact that I haven’t been drawing cartoons of Archbishop Rowan. To listen again click ‘listen again’ in the right hand column of the Radio Berkshire page, go to the ‘Clare Catford’ show and go in 2 hours 45 minutes. My slot is after the song ‘I thought it was over’ by ‘The Feeling’ which is what you hear when you arrive at the 2minutes 45 mark. Steve Madden did the show rather than the usual presenter – just in case the fact that you hear a male voice confuses you.
Posted by Dave at 9:00 am on February 24, 2008 and filed under Interviews, Religion.
You can see a larger version of this cartoon here along with information about using it in your parish magazine and elsewhere.
This cartoon was originally published in the Church Times and can be found in the Dave Walker Guide to the Church published by Canterbury Press, available from good booksellers. Ask the person behind the till – they probably keep it under the desk wrapped in plain brown paper.
Warning: repeated use of the word ‘pisseth’ (as used in the King James Version of the Bible).
I found the clip via Real Live Preacher (who, incidentally, has a new website – worth adding to your feed reader). Apparently it is for real – it is by Pastor Steve Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church. To quote his website:
Pastor Anderson holds no college degree but has well over 100 chapters of the Bible committed to memory
As you’ll have noticed I haven’t been commenting and drawing much about Anglican goings-on. This is a temporary state of affairs. But I couldn’t resist making one or two insignificant remarks about the fact that the ‘Gafcon’ alternative Lambeth Conference has been rearranged so that the ‘political’ bit is now only for invited dignatories. You’ll need to go elsewhere for in-depth analysis of course, but just one or two things that I noticed:
Fairtrade Fortnight is nearly upon us – it is from the 25th of February to the 9th of March 2008.
I heard on the grapevine (I think my wife told me) that Fairtrade communion wine is now available. Jo mentioned it on the Eco Congregation blog, and I found a press release on the Exeter Diocese and Church In Society (pdf) sites which is reproduced below.
The concept of Fairtrade communion wine raises many questions of course. For instance, as someone has asked in the comments – is it better to ship Fairtrade wine half the way around the world rather than buying something produced more locally? And why not just use ordinary Fairtrade wine?
Press Release January 9th 2008
Los Robles launches first Fairtrade Communion Wine in UK
Ehrmanns, the UK importer of Los Robles Fairtrade wines, in partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation and Whitebridge wines is delighted to announce the launch of the first Fairtrade communion wine in the UK. ‘Poterion’, a Communion Wine made from Fairtrade Certified Wine grapes, and produced by Vinos Los Robles from Chile, will be available from Whitebridge Wines from the 4th February in time for Fairtrade Fortnight (25th Feb – 9th March). Through the sale of this wine, grape farmers in the Los Robles Co-operative receive a Fairtrade premium to invest in social projects of their own choice, such as housing and healthcare. For further information and to order these wines, please contact Francis Peel on +44 (0)1785 817229 or email
info at whitebridgewines.co.uk
About Los Robles:
In 1939 a massive earthquake devastated the Curico Valley in Chile, killing 10,000 people in just two minutes. Following this devastation a group of small and medium sized farmers formed the Los Robles Co-operative to help rebuild the community. In 1990, when Chile became a democracy, two Fairtrade companies, Oxfam (Belgium) and Fairtrade Organisatie (Netherlands), visited Chile looking for trading partners. (Traditionally such organisations set up developmental projects to assist disadvantaged communities to earn a more sustainable livelihood through export trade) This visit marked the beginning of a commercial relationship between Fairtrade organisations, wine importing companies and Vinos Los Robles, and in June 2004 Los Robles was certified by
FLO International (Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International) to use the FAIRTRADE Mark on their wines.
To date 117 Fairtrade farmers and their families have benefited from the many projects that have been set up in the Los Robles community, including:
A school bus for the children of the El Corazon Cooperative
Supplementary Health Insurance for Los Robles Workers
Down payments for Housing in order for Los Robles workers to apply for government grants to purchase their own home
Replanting of vineyards from Pais to the more export friendly Cabernet Sauvignon
What the FAIRTRADE Mark means:
Education classes including Computing and English language
Educational trips to museums and historical sights for Children
Housing repair and extension
Notes to Editors:
Fairtrade in the UK:
The UK is the second largest Fairtrade market in the world, with over 3000 Fairtrade products available and over 57% consumer awareness of the FAIRTRADE Mark. Wholesale wine volumes increased 116.7% in 2006 compared to the 2005 volumes, and a further 113% in 2007*.
The UK is by far the largest consumer of Fairtrade wine, representing a market value of £16.4 million in 2007. (this figure has more than doubled from the £7million market value quoted by Nielsen in 2006).
The FAIRTRADE Mark is an independent consumer label for products that have been certified to internationally agreed Fairtrade standards, set by the Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International. The Fairtrade system enables disadvantaged
producers in developing countries get a better deal from International Trade.
The Fairtrade Mark guarantees:
farmers a fair and stable price for their products;
farmers and plantation workers the opportunity to improve their lives;
greater respect for the environment;
small farmers a stronger position in world markets;
a closer link between shoppers and producers.
Ehrmanns Ltd.
Is the leading importer of Fairtrade Wines to the UK, including Los Robles, Stellar and Thandi and as such has a particular commitment to Fairtrade. Its overriding principal in this area is to offer a fairer deal to producers in developing countries. For further information about these Fairtrade wines or images please contact Karis Hunt, PR Manager, Ehrmanns Ltd. 0207 418 1804, M: 07971 161167 karis.hunt at ehrmanns.co.uk or Fairtrade Brand Manager, Ehrmanns Harriett Gething DL: 0207 418 1847 harriett.gething at ehrmanns.co.uk
*All figures quoted from Nielsen data, up till WE 11.08.07.
Los Robles and Ehrmanns are both mentioned in the press release, but I couldn’t find anything about the communion wine on their sites, or indeed on the Fairtrade Foundation site. It would appear that the Poterion wine has been available for quite a few years, but perhaps it hasn’t been Fair Trade certified up to now.
Posted by Dave at 3:17 pm on February 19, 2008 and filed under Fair Trade, Religion.
Blogger Maggi Dawn will be interviewing the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in Cambridge this week and is asking for questions from bloggers (and, I’m sure, blog commenters). It looks as if lots of the events are ones you can attend too if you are in the area.
The not- quite- daily internet column of Dave Walker. Dave is a freelance cartoonist who also writes and draws for the Church Times. (
Especially like the "thistles"!
Posted by Dave at 1:45 pm on February 29, 2008 and filed under Religion, Sundry posts. 
