So What?

The Locomotion Explained

The video below is a fascinating historical relic.  In those days regulations were very strict and some of their practices are incomprehensible to modern viewers.  For those of you too young to remember, here are a few pointers to enhance your enjoyment of the video. 

1. In those days studio time had to be strictly controlled (studios were few and far between) and so if even a main performer was late they had to lock the door and make a start.  The singer would upon arrival have to find their way to the door in order to be let in, perhaps even starting to sing outside.  Note how an announcer (he'd obviously been peeling onions immediately before volunteering to step in) attempted to delay the start to give Jackie Lee time to arrive. (It appears her steam train was late, hence her stated preference for locomotion.)
2. Just as today, health and safety regulations were strict.  Only accredited people were permitted to dance.  Singers' movements were very circumscribed and the dancing was left to highly trained professionals.  You will note that all the dancers wear safety helmets, a practice sadly discontinued with the introduction of the fabled Pan's People, who were noted for their daredevil dancing technique without protective clothing or safety nets.
3. Backing groups were expensive and where resources were scarce, it was not uncommon for the performers to bring their dads.  Dads were encouraged to put down their pipes and take off their slippers before performing. 
4. You will notice the lead dancer arrives on stage from the basement.  It is likely she arrived by tube.
5. Singers were not allowed to stand for more than 2 minutes.  As Jackie Lee was late, she was allowed an extra 30 seconds before she had to have a rest.

Enjoy ...

Methodists Possibly Thwart the BNP

 

Methodist Conference 2009, agreed that members of the British National Party (BNP) cannot be members of the Methodist Church.   

The BNP started it with their advert depicting Jesus on the cross as racist, which angered many Christians.  The syllogism Jesus was good, Jesus was racist and so racism is good, is somewhat flawed. 

So, the Methodist Church has banned members of the BNP from being members of the Methodist Church.  The reason we did it was because we are able to do it.  We are able to do it because we have members.  Most Christian traditions do not have members.  At least, not like Methodists have members.  We are the only Christian tradition with card carrying members!  This annual card contains an inspirational verse from the Bible, chosen by the year’s President and is signed by a local minister and class leader. 

The card itself is not terribly useful although I once used it as evidence of identity to draw my benefit (a long time ago before they invented passports and driving licenses).  However, as I have pointed out to ecumenical friends, should I meet St Peter I’ll have my class ticket to show him, what will they have?

The privileges of membership are easy to summarise.  We are expected to make a financial commitment in order to ensure assessments are paid so that our ministers and their families do not starve, and we are supposed to sit on committees.  Consequently, members are part of one of the biggest common ownership movements in the country and participants in a highly democratic organisation that means, through Conference, any member can (once there through due process) make decisions about the church’s mission, beliefs and administration.

Loads of people worship in Methodist Churches who are not members of the Methodist Church.  Methodists welcome anyone who wishes to worship with them.  The BNP are welcome to worship, drink tea and presumably be saved alongside Methodists but no longer as Methodists.  They no longer have a stake in church finances and committees.  It makes sense because it excludes them from wielding power in the church.   I’m not sure how central to their plans control of the Methodist Church was but now they are thwarted.

Dog the First

Normally I don't do sentimentality but against my better judgement this video does make theological sense.  It appeared last week and I've seen it in a couple of blogs.  Apparently it has gone viral, whatever that means.  The last line sticks in the mind and is difficult to dislodge; although the whole thing is not really my cup of tea it makes its point.

(I've got a second sentimental dog video to post in a few days time; something to look forward to?)

Improvisation and Spirituality 1: Caligula

Caligula was not his real name of course.  He was Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus and Caligula was his nickname.  In view of his popular reputation for cruelty, extravagance, and sexual perversity, in other words as an insane tyrant, one has to ask why Victoria Hesketh has named herself after him.  Little Boots (Caligula in Latin) is a talented musician rather than a tyrant; I'm no longer young and so can't be expected to understand these things.

Anyway, she is an interesting musician and this is one of her best videos:

The interesting thing is you can view alternative recordings on YouTube.  This is one of the same song without the backing group.  You also get a better idea of the use of the ternorion.

Now those of you with a courageous turn of mind might try to listen to this.  I suggest you listen with fingers in your ears; I usually manage 30 seconds max before I switch off.  It is of course the commercial version.

If you're wondering what this has to do with improvisation and spirituality, it's a slow build - there will be more posts on this theme.

The Death of (a Small Green) God.

I met a friend the other day who was complaining about the ferris wheel that has appeared at the top of Fargate.  A distraction from all the more important things we should be concentrating on.

I suggested the only reason I would consider going up there would be to take a closer look at Vulcan.  Vulcan is the green figure on the top of the Town Hall in the picture.  He is the god of iron and steel making and so the god of Sheffield, the steel city.

I'm asking around and haven't found anyone who has heard of him so far.  Someone I spoke to had been up there and not noticed him!  Is it possible the decline of the steel industry has meant Sheffielders have forgotten their little green god?  Or maybe we're all so depressed it takes an effort to look at the tops of buildings.

We'll All Bake Together When We Bake

So what is this new blog for?   After several months of worthy blogging about ecumenism, I am finding the constraints do not allow me to write on certain topics.  So here is a new blog which will:

Ask questions.  So What? is one of them.  We live in a world where public statements seem increasingly bizarre.  If they’re not wrapped up in jargon they are redolent with unspoken assumptions.  Politicians, church leaders, the media - they all do it.  So what are they actually saying?  Who benefits?  Who loses out?

Local and global perspectives.  The world of a half-employed, aging radical:

• My place is perhaps called Pitsmoor, a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan, highly contentious inner city area of Sheffield, England ...
• My faith is Methodism - a branch of Christianity specially set aside for genteel eccentrics.
• My politics are Green with a reddish tinge perhaps – sadly red is the new blue these days ...
• My profession is development work in community, in and between churches, anywhere that will put up with me ...
• A one-time scientist - doctoral thesis about activated sludge since you ask - and I'm not going to blog about it ... this background does inform my views on the great atheist / theist debate - there's something to look forward to ...
• My music is classical opera, jazz and anything that appeals to me ...  there will be videos!
• My prejudices include (in no particular order) trainers, political extremists of all hues, fundamentalists, people who don’t look where they’re going – are these really prejudices? – I’ve been around long enough to know what they’re like.

We’re all in denial.  The world we have lived in for the last 20-30 years, maybe my whole life (so make that 55 years), is coming to an end.  (I'm not talking about the end of time but of our modern oil dependent civilisation.)  Are we all suffering cognitive dissonance?   Still, it goes against my instincts to be censorious.  We’re all in this together and even Methodists are playing their small part to screw up the planet.  Essentially we are living through absurd times and it falls to me and others to point out we're all rowing the same boat to oblivion, whatever direction we're rowing in.

So, I will point out the absurd.  I don’t want to laugh at people so much as point out the sense we have all been caught with our hand in the cookie jar (or biscuit barrel in English English). 

Some will think all this has been said before.  They would be right, here is one example, (I love the rhyme for ICBM):