Merry Christmas ...

Loving ... the Adam4d.com webcomic

I found this site >> Adam4d.com << fascinating when my friend, Jonathan, linked to it this morning on Facebook.

The site is entitled 'a curiously Christian webcomic' and it does a remarkable job of challenging the norms in church and really having a go at pricking the pomposity of some folks who call themselves Christians.

It does the XDCD thing of having an additional comment that shows in the hover-over text ... a comment that really adds to the piece ... like the one above called "the Anxiety Circle".

Well worth a bookmark if the Christian faith is your thing.

Tx

My latest post is up on Big Bible ...

I’m of the opinion that if you go looking for the worst in something, somewhere or even, dare-I-say, in someone … you’ll find it. Its remarkably easy to find something to complain about and … with social media … its remarkably easy to make your complaint known. It is, however, very difficult to distance yourself for these comments once they are out … its like a fart in a car … once its out, there is no way of taking it back. Trust me on that one … there is no way you can turn back the clock after you let one slip out.

My latest post is up on Big Bible ... and yes, I did say 'fart in a car'.

Tx

http://bigbible.org.uk/2013/08/lets-focus-on-things-to-praise-rather-than-curse-headphonaught/

Photos from the Salvation Army's East and West Scotland Summer School's 2013 Final Festival

Its been nearly a week since the Final Festival of the Salvation Army's East and West Scotland Summer School ... and I wanted to share some of my fave photos from the 222 that I posted last weekend.

It was a great show and I had a pretty good spot that meant I didn't need to walk about ... the lighting was fab too which meant I didn't need to faff about with my big flash.

Anyway ... here are a few of my faves:

















The rest of the set can be viewed >> here <<

Tx

Photos from the Salvation Army's East and West Scotland Summer School's 2013 Midweek Festival

On Wednesday evening ... I had the pleasure and privilege of taking some photos at the Salvation Army's East and West Scotland Summer School's 2013 Midweek Festival.

It is a stressful shoot, if I am honest ... the chapel where it is held gets dark quickly and both my cameras only go to 1600ISO. I also discovered the spare batteries I had taken weren't up to powering my flash ... which was disappointing.

All in, however ... it was a great night. Each group did really, really well. I was biased towards the choral groups as both Miriam and Dayna were in the Girls Voices ... as well as Dayna being in the 'A' Chorus ... but the Brass Bands sounded excellent and the other non-musical items were also of a very good standard.

Anyway ... I've shared my photos with the attendees yesterday and received just short of 7,000 hits on Flickr ... I thought I'd share some of my faves on here.

The full set is available >> here << ... enjoy.

Tx

My photos from Airdrie Salvation Army's Open Day

Yesterday I had the privilege to photograph the first Open Day at Airdrie's Salvation Army. I had a hand in organising the event and it was fab to see it all come together ... through my lens and through my own eyes.



The event was organised by this man ... Bobby Weir Jnr. A very passionate man with a heart for his community. It was free and featured games, face-painting, hot-rolls and a good, ol' fashioned Army cup o' tea.



I managed to take over 200 photos ... with 199 making it onto Flickr. I'm more interested in documenting the day than just sharing my best ... so you've got pretty much all I took on the day. I particularly loved taking some portraits. That was a lot of fun ... as was the whole day, to be honest. I was grinning like a loon for the most part all day.

Here's to the next one!

I've shared some of my faves ... the rest are available over on FLICKR.

Tx

Photos from last night's Charity Concert in Airdrie

Last night I had the privilege of taking photos at a charity concert in aid of St Andrew's Hospice in Lanarkshire. The concert involved both the Airdrie and Bellshill Salvation Army Bands ... and featured a solo vocal performance from Fraser Thomson.

It was a fab night ... both bands sounded amazing and Fraser Thomson's voice blew me away.

I was also delighted with the moments I captured ... and include my faves on here.













The full set can be seen here on Flickr

Tx

The West Scotland Divisional Youth Band and The Glasgow Phoenix Choir at Ibrox Parish Church

I help out with the Salvation Army's West Scotland Divisional Youth Band. I'm not sure what my 'official' role is but I do the slides, take photos and make posters. I'm also chauffeur for Dayna - my eldest daughter - who plays horn in the band.

I was out last night in Glasgow at Ibrox Parish Church. The band were performing along with the Glasgow Phoenix Choir ... and I had the privilege to be able to take some photos.

Above and immediately below are my faves ... to catch Chris in action is always a pleasure ... and I love the photo of the choir because of the lass second in who is looking right at me.



Anyway ... here are a few more that I liked:











All in ... it was a great night. The rest of my photos are available here.

Tx

the iPhone 5 and the need for decent debate

Last Wednesday saw the launch of the latest iPhone. It is a phone I have waited for since I went out of contract and it is a phone I *think* I'll get. I say I *think* because I’m not entirely convinced about the change in dock connector. That aside... it looks like a good phone and Internet device. I am an Apple fan and am somewhat tied into their ecosystem... so the iPhone makes sense to me.

This, however, is not the point of this post. The point is to comment on all the hate that I’ve witnessed upon the phone’s release. You don't need to go far to see it... a wee trip to the BBC’s news site will be enough.

Apple fans vs non-Apple fans... fighting it out to convince themselves and others that they are right and the other is wrong. Scary.

It scares me for three reasons:

Firstly, we have lost the art of a decent debate. There is no such thing as politeness, decency or graciousness in these arguments. It's all “i’m right and you are wrong... and here’s why”. I genuinely wish I had the self-belief of some folks but I don't... certainly not when it comes to phones. I mean... the iPhone is a good phone... it does a number of things well but it doesn't do everything that everyone wants. It works for me and all the other “sheeple” that buy it... but compared to *this* phone with *that* feature... it's not the best. I can and do acknowledge both the flaws in what I like and the better features of the other ’thing’ but most don't and this is worrying. Everything is black and white.
The way the ’other’ is abstracted is also worrying in these arguments... I've already used one term thrown at Apple fans. The minute we depersonalise the ’other’ we have lost our humanity... our compassion... our reasonableness. Android fans are not the devil incarnate... they are normal folks who have a different preference. If I can't or don't want to see this then I have failed.
I know this full well after referring to folks who watch “Hollyoaks” as morons. A couple of people who I love and trust called me out on this... because they were watchers of Hollyoaks and were most definitely NOT morons.

Secondly, I see an overwhelming need for people to prove, through argument, that they are right and the other is wrong - it's like their whole being is made up of being *against* something. This worries me because I have never conceded anything by being shouted at. I concede points through conversation and decent debate but never through such vitriolic hate. I see it in our politics, and it is commonplace in the expressions I hear of faith and non-faith within the public domain.
Atheism is perceived as being all about standing *against* the notion of deity... and being *against* the tyranny of organised religion... and whilst it is *for* many things - science and human endeavour, for example - it is known primarily as being anti-religion.
Conservative Christians seem to define themselves by what they stand *against* (abortion, evolution and gay marriage being three key areas) instead of what they stand *for*.
Why can't we be known for what we stand for rather than what we stand against? Why is such an emphasis placed on what we do NOT stand for?

Lastly, I am not defined by any *thing*... I am defined by who I am. This is key to this whole post. I may be an Apple fan but it doesn’t define me. What defines me is the relationships I have and the art I create. This will be my legacy. I want on my gravestone that I was a loved husband, father, son, and friend... who made the world a better place through what he brought into it. That's what I want. I don't want to be remember for being an Apple fan... certainly not as the main thing folks remember.
I love my Apple tools. I love my Moleskine and Rhodia notebooks. I love my Bic pens and my Manhattan Portage bags. But these things are tools... a means to an end... a means to creation and the sustaining of relationships. Nothing more. Let’s get this straight: I am not the sum total of all my tools but the sum total of all my experiences. We all are. It's time we realised this.

Tx

PS I see the irony in me going on about folks who think they are right and the ’other’ is wrong... and then closing this post in the manner I have. If you think I am wrong then please engage me in a decent debate. I may be wrong. It happens more often than I would like to acknowledge. Speak to my wife... she knows this. This is what I think. Don't take as being gospel... think it through for yourself... challenge the ideas if you need to but don't accept it as anything other than my opinion.

Some quotes from the 'something beautiful podcast'

I co-host the something beautiful podcast with four friends... JD, Johnny, Stewart & Travis. Its a faith-based podcast where people talk about their journey... their experience... and tell stories worth listening to. It's a wonderfully open, liberal and moderate expression of the Christian faith... and something I am very proud of.

Anyway... my co-host JD created these fab flyers quoting some of our guests. I thought they were great and wanted to share them with you. Feel free to grab them and post them about the interwebs... and come visit us over at http://somethingbeautifulpodcast.com

Tx