Disabled presenter ‘scares children’

From today's Independent:

Disparaging comments by adults about a children’s presenter have led to an angry backlash in support of Cerrie Burnell, the 29-year-old CBeebies host who was born missing the lower section of her right arm. One man said that he would stop his daughter from watching the BBC children’s channel because Burnell would give his child nightmares.

(See hyperlink for full story.)

This story makes me really sad. It's parents, not children who are making complaints about this presenter being given air time. Never mind the fact that she's a fantastic role model for disabled kids, she's also a bloody good children's TV presenter.

My 5-year-old friend Luca is completely comfortable watching Cerrie Burnell on CBeebies, and it's good for him to see that she's just as much a human being as anyone else and is a skilled presenter for children on one of the few channels to still offer decent children's TV.

Parents like the one who commented “I didn’t want to let my children watch the filler bits on The Bedtime Hour last night because I know it would have played on my eldest daughter’s mind and possibly caused sleep problems,” are symptomatic of society's rejection of anything that can be perceived as 'other' or 'different'.

Why can't they just simply explain to their children the nature of Ms Burnell's disability and that it is not something frightening? These children are being poisoned by their parent's prejudices.

Some days I wish people would just wake up and live in the real world.

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Cindy McCain Claims She’s ‘Just Like Any Other Female Human’

Very funny

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Cindy McCain Claims She�s �Just Like Any Other Female Human�

Some Christians make me think decidedly unChristian thoughts...

Atheist adverts reported to industry watchdog
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article5478036.ece

Stephen Green and Christian voice are an embarrassment to Christianity - they don't represent me by any stretch of the imagination. What a wonderfully, tolerant, engaging and loving image they must be seeking to project...

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It could be an atheist bus, but we're not quite sure

Slightly harsh take on the story in today's Evening Standard, but perhaps a fair one...

It could be an atheist bus, but we're not quite sure
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23612599-details/It+could+be+an+atheist+bus%2C+but+we%27re+not+quite+sure/article.do


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Atheist buses to hit London streets today

British comedy writer Ariane Sherine is the brains behind the Atheist Bus Campaign, hitting London today.

I met up with Ariane just before Christmas to find out more. You can find my interview on the Methodist Web Radio page.

We spent a lot of time chatting and she's very cool. We agree on many issues and I can't help thinking she'd be an excellent Methodist spokesperson if it wasn't for that whole God thing...

Also check out the News Stories page for the Methodist response when the Campaign was announced back in October.

Laters.

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And now we're in the Daily Mail!!

Fears that gambling addiction will soar as ministers relax rules and double prizes of pub slot machines
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1105425/Fears-gambling-addiction-soar-ministers-relax-rules-double-prizes-pub-slot-machines.html

Awesome first day back.

Maybe I'm just tired, but it's nice to be saying something important about issues that really matter.

I will now go to bed and stop all this silly web surfing. Have started purchasing random things online. We will soon be the proud owners of a 5ft bean bag. That's when you know you should have gone to bed half and hour ago...

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Never thought I'd be a page 3 girl....

...but I don't mind when it's today's Times.

Jackpots and stakes doubled as gaming industry given boost by ministers
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5447526.ece

A great comment piece by an expert follows the story here...

Fruit machines could start a life-long addiction
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5447513.ece

Tonight, the wonderful David Bradwell made his first TV appearance, speaking on precisely this issue. It was on the BBC News channel and I nearly cried with pride.

Not a bad first day back at work for the New Year, considering I expected it to be rather less exciting.

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10 Things I Hate About Commandments

Brilliantly done. Second only to Tom Q's 'Team Commandments'...

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Like almost every American Sci-fi film you've ever seen

President To Face Down Monster Attack, Own Demons In Action-Packed Schedule

*snigger*

What did the aide say about the Bishop ...?

Okay, I shouldn't really find this funny. Clearly someone was having a bad day, did something a bit stupid and now is paying by losing their job.

It's a shame that such animosity exists in the CofE (and other churches) between the conservative and liberal camps. One reason I'm proud to be a part of the CofE is that such a wide range of theological, spiritual and ethical positions exist under one umbrella. There are those who think that each group should split off into like-minded groups, and if we want continue to only mix with those who think the same way as us, then I guess that might as well be the solution.

It might be idealistic, but I'd like to see Anglicans of different traditions and perspectives actively seeking each other out in order to better learn from and understand one another.

Until then, maybe we'll just call each other names....

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Wish I was Ritalin Kitty

On a day (one of the many) when it feels like my brain had dislodged and is rolling around in my shoes, this seemed appropriate...


more animals

The humans are dead

Have only just discovered the Flight of the Conchords thanks to my cousin Sam (it seems that I'm ages behind everyone else on the planet). This song is now a personal fave...

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Sarah Malik named first salaried Methodist Youth President

Methodist Youth President Sarah Malik
Originally uploaded by annadrew

Sarah Malik named first salaried Methodist Youth President... check out the story at:

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.newsDetail&newsid=306

This is seriously good news - the Church putting its money where its mouth is.

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Couldn't happen to a nastier bunch of people...

This story has caused much uproar and there's a great deal of media focus on the different elements (understandably so):

BNP membership list posted online by former 'hardliner'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/19/bnp-list

Okay, so it's very illegal and not terribly fair to post all their contact details, hobbies etc online... but it couldn't happen to a nastier bunch of people.

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What if Starbucks marketed like a church?

My thanks to Richard Hall over on the Connexions blog for drawing my attention to this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_dZTrjw9I

I have been to churches like this.

made me smile...

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Sweet irony....

The Paperless Christmas initiative strikes me as rather a good idea. In a virtual world, why all the paper that's only going straight in the bin on boxing day?

While not terribly involved, I've always rather approved of the whole thing. I doubt I'll have the cunning or the motivation to go entirely paperless this year, but it seems like a good thing to aim for.

So, having received the Paperless Christmas email publicity, telling me about the fab new online advent calendar, I was rather surprised to next receive an actual Christmas card from them. Not an e-card, but a physical-comes-in-an-envelope-from-the-postman-type card.

Even better, the card had a little tiny bit of paper inside, with the words:

Less paper
Please send this card to a friend for Christmas

I admit, I'm rather confused....

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new blog: Work of my Own Fiction

My colleague Karen Burke has entered the world of blogging!

Check it out at: http://workofmyownfiction.blogspot.com/

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Latest Methodist podcast

Latest podcast from the wonderful Methodist media team, featuring Tom Quenet talking to Karen Burke about revival in the Colombian Methodist Church. Revd Stephen Poxon talks to me about the realities of street life for Children in Bangladesh. Also, Father Taddy, a Benedictine monk from Belgium, dropped by to share his thoughts on Methodist worship in England...

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.webradio

Also, Karen's first interviews to be broadcast - hurrah!

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Stable masculinity?!?

A rather good article on the Interface regarding the Vatican's plans for the psychological screening of ministerial candidates...

http://www.theinterface.org.uk/?q=node/203

I wonder who wrote it?

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Fantastic media coverage for the Dawkins story...

Yesterday, the Methodist Church issued a press release welcoming news of Richard Dawkins' 'atheist bus' campaign. We wanted to take a different approach, thanking Richard for his continued interest in God and for getting people talking about the big issues of life.

You can check out the press release here: http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.newsDetail&newsid=295

We got lots of good media coverage from this, thanks to the hard work of the CCEA cluster and our Senior Leaders. Jenny Ellis did a turn on Premier Radio, Christine Elloitt appeared on London Tonight (ITV) and I was on BBC London. In addition, we got great coverage online and in the newspapers - check out the links below...

Thanks again to everyone for their hard work and creativity,

Anna

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3236701/Atheist-buses-ready-to-roll-across-country-after-making-31000-in-a-day.html

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1839299.ece

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/22/religion-atheist-dawkins-god

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/7811

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/methodists.see.opportunity.in.dawkins.no.god.bus.slogans/21703.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7681914.stm

http://www.itvlocal.com/london/news/?void=248598