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So this weekend I had the delight of celebrating my old pal Kyb’s 30th, and meeting his wife and some of his other friends.
We had a great time, it was good to see the old boy again, although he is looking pretty old and wizened, its all that city living 
Anyhow, I was kind of intrigued by the job title of Roo Reynolds, one of Kyb’s other friends, he works for IBM as a ‘Metaverse Evangelist’. I dont think I have knowingly met a metaverse evangelist before, so it was quite a thrill… well you know.
Anyhow, Roo’s site is worth a poke around, although his extraordinary collection of lego leaves me a little worried. At the party I almost got drawn into a potentially troublesome discussion on the nature of consumption and the importance of efficiency, but felt that it might ruin the mood, besides there was really nice cake to eat.
Anyhow, the whole metaverse thing got me interested. I first came across the notion of a metaverse in Neal Stephenson’s novel ‘Snow Crash‘ which was one of the many pieces of Cyberpunk literature that I devoured during my student days. Stephenson and his more famous counterpart William Gibson formed an important part of my higher education, and informed some of my later writings. Notably of course Gibson is credited with the invention of the notion of cyberspace, which is considerably better known than metaverse.
The Metaverse is easiest to understand as a virtual world, in which you can act and interact with others, the kind of thing that is manifested in stuff like second life. I dont use any kind of metaverse myself, unless you can count what I’m doing now, which I dont think you can strictly. Metaverses require avatars… so perhaps this is a metaverse then. I dunno, but it sure aint cyberpunk!
So there we are, a good ten years or more since I first studied metaverses, I meet a metaverse evangelist. Interesting. Evangelist is often synonymous with missionary…
I am delighted to see that Keith Smith now has internet access in his mud house, he doesnt yet have running water, but after four years of doing without both water and power, he can now write emails, surf the web, and crucially blog - from his home in Burkina Faso!
Of course this development while on the one hand welcome, has led the good mr Smith to consider - ’should I now be moving to somewhere more remote?’
a good hour or two can be happily wasted at this site - which my good friend Joel put me on to - for what its worth, I like number four best, but they are all good for a laugh - and bit of the heavy heavy style…
a good article to be found on the guardian website today - for all those of us with ‘lil uns’ who like to eat fish fingers… never had much taste for fish fingers myself, never even seen a fish with fingers!
But the whole thing of sustainably sourced fish is an important issue - its good to eat fish, even for non meat eaters like me, but vital that we source our fish from sustainable stocks.. or else we’ll run out!
So the ask Leo article about fish fingers makes interesting reading…
It’s been great reading the guest blogs on backyard missionary from Jarrod McKenna - who has written eloquently about Ghandi - and the outworkings of what he said. The latest addition to the series is no exception!
McKenna seems an interesting an intelligent guy - and I was able to take a few minutes to read more about the work he does in Australia this morning. Seems like he’s in the same line as Shane Claiborne - the prominent activist from the US, and indeed the two reference one another here and there.
McKenna’s thoughts make inspirational and encouraging reading for anyone who wants to embrace the radical nature of the Christian faith - just as Shane’s book provides a good platform for those who want to learn what it means to live a Jesus following life - rather than just ‘be a Christian’. I did enjoy McKenna’s comment that if he were to write a book, it wouldnt be ‘how to live as an ordinary radical’ but rather “A how [not] to”.
McKenna also quips that: “Maybe our book would be called ‘The Resistible Revolution’ or ‘The Very Resistible Revolution’.”
I particularly like the focuses on peacemaking and community which both of these guys espouse - in my view this is integral to Christianity.
I would encourage anyone interested to read more about what Jarrod has to say in his guest blogs on bym, and to take a closer look at both the Simple Way community and EPYC in Oz.
I am thinking of doing a new blog, entirely devoted to simple ways of greening up your life, I know there are others out there, but none of them are doing exactly what I am thinking about, so I may crack on with it in the next couple of weeks.
Watch this space - I’ll let you know how it goes on
kybernetikos put me on to this one, a nifty little exercise which tells you what you know already… but puts it into a nice little graph!!
So go visit the political compass test to make your own little mark. I note that Kyb is clearly a lib dem type, pah! But at least he’s nearer to Ghandi than he is to Mugabe.
Here’s where I sit
Which, according to the following graph, puts me around the same area as Nelson Mandela!! Not sure what to make of that, but I’m sure glad its not Hitler that I’m nearest to.
On the authoritarian scale, I thought I’d be nearer Uncle Joe than I am, phew…
Nice to see the names Hitler and Thatcher in the same area though, reassuring when it comes to ones little prejudices!
Thanks for that Kyb, turned out to be a lot of fun, and btw, congrats, sorry I couldnt make the wedding, I am assured it went off well!
I read that the definition of a computer virus is: “…a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer; “a true virus cannot spread to another computer without human assistance”…”
Now when you come to consider the way that now millions of office workers are using facebook during work time, and the incredible speed of growth as the virus gets into more and more systems… facebook sure seems like a bit of malware.
The Times quotes Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, who said: “Websites like Facebook, Bebo and MySpace fall into the category of websites which can easily gobble up hours of worktime and distract from the employees’ real duties. Facebook is a procrastinator’s paradise”
The Sindie says: “In London, two-thirds of companies are banning or restricting use of the famous website, while some have made it clear that visiting the sites at work is a sackable offence. City firms, including Crédit Suisse and Dresdner Kleinwort, have taken the lead in the crack-down, following similar bans in America and Canada.
“British Gas, the Metropolitan Police and Lloyds TSB were among organisations named as having installed internet filters preventing access to the site.”
Why are they doing this? Because this pernicious site is gobbling up the capacity of workers and their computers, like a nasty little worm virus hidden on the system. A worm after all is defined as: “an independent program that replicates from machine to machine across network connections often clogging networks and information systems as it spreads.”
Or perhaps its more like a Trojan, which I found was defined as: “An apparently useful and innocent program containing additional hidden code which allows the unauthorized collection, exploitation, falsification, or destruction of data.”
And with the recent revelation that Myspace had deleted the accounts of 29,000 sex offenders - who were (it is implied) collecting information and exploiting opportunities, falsifying identities and engaging in destructive behaviour, there is clearly a link.
The disposable heroes of hiphoprisy said that TV is the drug of the nation, and Michael Franti later added that Sattelite is immaculate reception… and it seems to me that just like TV, ’social notworking’ is eating away at the heart of the collective psyche.
The lyrics from that excellent song could easily be replaced: for example…
‘(T.V./Bebo) is the reason why less than ten percent of our nation reads books daily’
‘(T.V./Facebook) is the stomping ground for political candidates’
‘remote control over the masses’
‘(T.V./Myspace) is the place where the pursuit of happiness has become the pursuit of trivia’
So we have facebook as: Virus, Worm, Trojan, and opiate. Told you I didnt like it! I dont think much of TV either.
there’s an interesting graphic novel thang going on over at Ken Raney’s website. Each week there is a new episode of the novel Forever Quest, being uploaded - for free!
Raney and his wife are a top writer/illustrator team, and the forever quest story certainly doesnt lack charm in terms of either text or illustrations.
There is something of the old school childrens book about the whole thing, with a live stuffed panda called Theodore… well you can see what I mean… right?
Well worth checking out though, I particularly like the artwork which is very british, and makes a pleasant change from much of the manga styled stuff around. This is not a graphic novel as I know them though, much more of an illustrated book - which is fine, great in fact, not really a graphic novel though.
You can read a bit of stuff about the project on this handy pdf! fq-launch-news-release.pdf
Talking of graph novels btw, and thinking of manga, I saw the gn version of stormbreaker in a shop today, it’s a year old I know, but I havent seen it before, and it looks great, its illustrated in the manga style by two Japanese sisters, one in London, one in Tokyo… puts south Wales to Grimsby to shame…
George Monbiot has a good groan about ‘ethical consumerism’ which I have always said is an oxymoron - yes buy ethical products but only if you are going to cut your consumption overall…
The eloquent Mr Monbiot says it better than I: “…Green consumerism is becoming a pox on the planet. If it merely swapped the damaging goods we buy for less damaging ones, I would champion it. But two parallel markets are developing - one for unethical products and one for ethical products, and the expansion of the second does little to hinder the growth of the first. I am now drowning in a tide of ecojunk. Over the past six months, our coat pegs have become clogged with organic cotton bags, which - filled with packets of ginseng tea and jojoba oil bath salts - are now the obligatory gift at every environmental event. I have several lifetimes’ supply of ballpoint pens made with recycled paper and about half a dozen miniature solar chargers for gadgets that I do not possess…”
Cut consumption… lets not prat around telling everyone how green we are by consuming our way into the future!
Want to see our latest effort?
We’ve been a bit quiet lately - what with one thing and another… but we managed to put together this competition entry for our old pal Nate.
I’m sure you would be most welcome to vote for us… oh go on, please….
Actually, lots of interesting things to see there - why not vote for who you think best. (Obviously us).
Respect to the Greenjade and Gunzdown crew who provided the inspiration for this story - which is based on real life. Respect in particular to Steve who did most of the work, and made things as easy as possible for me!
Writers…. easy life.
I saw a cool thing today, a picture from the hubble telescope, which shows the core of a galaxy called the whirlpool galaxy… its almost as if the guy who made the stars wanted to remind us of what he did for us…
see more pictures and view the creator’s cosmic brilliance at the hubble telescope site.
a good interview with Jonny Baker is available on the Allelon site, Jonny is interviewed by Alan Roxburgh, who is an intelligent and insightful interviewer - although looking at him on his site, he does look a bit like Hannibal out of the A team!
Again this is a good listen, as was the earlier interview with Andrew Jones, which proved to be very illuminating too.
I do like the description of Jonny as a ‘younger leader’, very tactful… younger than who would be my question…
I must say though - Jonny may not be ALL that young, but he’s certainly a great thinker, a great do-er, and a great writer, great leader, I reckon he’s probably a great guy altogether… typical!
Just seen the guardian article about the craziness of ethical materialism.
”The environmental movement has often been compared to a religion - the kind of religion that sets great store by self-denial, purity, and a personal route to salvation. Increasingly, however, it is hard to think of a religion that spends this much time shopping. Go to almost any green website - campaigning, as well as commercial - and you discover that the journey to perfect sustainability can be a distinctly materialistic and costly one, requiring not only the replacement of unsatisfactory cars, boilers and windows and the acquisition of a worm farm, allotment and wind turbine, but the discovery of an entirely new consumer identity, whereby the born-again green learns to spend more money, but with a clear conscience.”
I have to say that I agree with some of the sentiments expressed, the only real ethical way to consume is to cut consumption down. Stop buying stuff.
Slightly dissapointingly the article sites the same old cliched companies… what a surprise…
And it points out that the afore mentioned yoghurt that is setting out to save the world, is part owned by Danone… doh.
Proves my earlier point about selling out to the man.
Of course I’m just proving my own hypocrisy by having links to stuff you can buy from my blog…
I like the idea of being a ‘hell snob’.
I like the idea of being an anhilationalist. (When I can spell it.)
And I very much like Andrew Jones’ blog.
Tall skinny kiwi - I can only salute you.
man this sounds like a spiritual post, should guarantee me lots of hits… but its just about comics.
Just about comics!!!?
What, you might cry, could be more important?
Well anyway, on with the post… I noticed that wee beautiful pict posted about Godman, which reminded me that Ross, who writes and draws Godman sent a mail out recently plugging it, and I forgot.
So then I had a crisis, should I mention it, so late in the day?
What the heck… WBP is absolutely right, Godman is very funny indeed. Check it out now, all in stunning black and white! I like everything about it, particularly the questions for discussion at the end… “is Judges 3:31 funny ha ha, or funny strage?”
If you want to know a bit more about Ross, and his pedigree, then read this interview I did with him last year.
And while we’re on the whole God comic thang, I hear that Acts Of The Spirit won the silver medal at this years IPPY Award presentation, for the category of dramatic graphic novel, well deserved too. Very different stuff to Godman, but very well done indeed, hats off to Bob Luedke, who I believe to have great artistic ability and gifting, and to be a man of great integrity. I interviewed Bob last year too, read that here.
Long may your comics win awards Bob. Long may you make us chuckle Ross.
can I reccomend as a good listen Sally Rodgers’ programmes on Different Noise, ecelctic and surprising each time.
Sally is one half of A Man Called Adam - brilliant band.
I really like the ability to look at the search engine terms that are used to bring people to this blog.
Usually its the straightforward, organic cotton, or soap nuts for instance.
Sometimes, its slightly more leftfield.
Apologies to the person who was looking for real life stories to do with oil rigs… not much here for you after all
Just been putting some nicer links in on the music section, and noticed this interview with Ben Okafor, who just happens to be one of the best musicians around at the moment.
As the interview points out, he isnt just a musician, but a talented and passionate man in many areas of life. It is in Cross Rhythms of course, which means it is a nicey nicey interview, because thats what they do. But I think that anyone who hasnt checked Ben’s work out, should have a read.
He has quite a tale to tell, and I cant think of anything I dont like about him. He’s a good guy. And a genius. Now I’m being nicey nicey too… must be catching.
Good to see that the Iranians have handed over the british sailors who may or may not have been in the wrong place at the wrong time…
I note that speculation is rife over the whys and wherefores of their release. Some speculation of a deal, or even worse… an apology!
But as it happens, I have my own theory.
I think that like me, Mr Ahmadinejad, was given a ‘Bushisms’ calendar.
Surely its no coincidence that yesterday, the very day that the sailors were released, the ‘Bushism’ of the day was from a speech made in Brussels on Feb 22, 2005.
“This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table.”
Dur.
For those of you unfortunate enough not to own a Bushism calenda, which contains a word of wisdom from the American commander in chief(!!!) for each day of the year, then you can check out this Bushisms site, which is also highly educational.
I spoke to my old friend Adam last night, it was one of those good phone calls, where even though we hadnt spoken for some time (years) we fell in very easily again. Adam was my best man, and I was proud when he reminded me that I had introduced him to some of the science fiction writers, who have gone on to influence him. (Proxy influence!)
Now Adam is a clever person, cleverer than me even (is that possible?) and the sort of guy who it will be useful to know come the inevitable(?) meltdown of our planet
Why would he be useful? Well, for a number of reasons, not least his ability to build a computer out of dominos… Now that is clever! I dont understand it of course, but that’s the point, if I understood it, I wouldnt need Adam around.
There’s something wonderfully artistic about this simple calculating machine, which makes me feel…. reassured.
I’d been considering posting something about the small furore that has blown up about the Chocolate Jesus sculpture, however, before doing that I read Kester’s post about it, which expresses things much more eloquently than I could.
I humbly suggest you visit, gentle reader.
I got a whale song CD for a quid from the British Heart foundation this afternoon. Squeaky!
Reminded me of the Whale song project which you can log on to anytime, and listen to live whale song via real player. Highly entertaining.
Steve Davies over at Voice in the desert is looking for a little bit of help with his new book. For reasons he explains on his blog, he has to think of a fictional name for an internet auction site. He is asking his readers to post suggestions in the comments section of the post, the best one will be in the book.
He’s a great writer, so here’s your chance to make your mark on a potential children’s classic!
Toadzilla has been captured in Australia. This is when life gets a bit too close to comic book fiction for my liking.
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