So, what have I been reading recently? Here’s some stuff that you may find interesting…
The dread forces of corporate power are trying to exert their baleful influence over the book industry as Waterstones attempts a takeover of Ottakars bookshops. Waterstones was taken over by HMV a while back, and since then has tried to sell books in the same way that HMV sells CDs – heavily marketing a few big sellers rather than trying to sell a wider range of books in smaller numbers. Combined with Waterstones’ centralised buying policies (that is, all Waterstones bookshops everywhere stock the same books), this is pretty damaging to smaller publishers and to variety in the book industry, and if Waterstones takes over Ottakars it will further increase the power of a few Waterstones executives to control what become the big successes in the book world.
The Guardian gave a glowing review to the film of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, with critic Peter Bradshaw saying “There is no need for anyone to get into a PC huff about its Christian allegory”. But don’t worry, this sudden bout of unexpected reasonableness at The Guardian didn’t last long – today Polly Tonybee gave just that: a PC huff about Narnia’s Christian allegory.
Dave Bish over at the Blue Fish Project has written a response to Tonybee’s criticisms of Narnia discussing the offence of the cross, which is pretty much what I though when I read the article, so that’s saved me a blog entry!
I just discovered the blog of Steve Kneale, with whom I was on a beach mission team at Benllech a while back, and he has some interesting political commentary and other stuff.
Speaking of “Steve”s, I’ve also been having a look at Steven Carr’s blog, where he discusses various theological issues. His most recent entry argues that Paul’s view of the resurrection as something spiritual contradicts the Gospel’s view of a flesh-and-blood resurrection.
Rich Andrews, my sister’s boyfriend and International Secretary of Bangor CU, has resumed blogging on a regular basis with various musings on studying literature, Ultimate Frisbee and Seth Cohen off The OC. His housemate Mark also has a good blog, The Zone – I particularly like the suggestion that all that The Sound of Music lacks is some explosions and a Death Star, and he also does some great cartoons.
Dave Williamson, Western Mail reporter, fellow Mackite and charming Irishman, has been talking about the strange relationship between evangelicalism and Catholicism, in particular “Why We Need A Conversant Communion with Catholicism in Ireland”. Meanwhile, Dan Edelen over at Cerulean Sanctum has been talking about the importance of introverts in the church, something that I found helpful as nominations for the new CU committee are currently open.
Gary Andrews, former editor of Gair Rhydd, is trying to get 25 people to join him in refusing to shop at supermarkets. You can read about how this mission is going, along with various other stuff, on his blog Coffee and PC. While I’m not sure I’m going to try and avoid supermarkets altogether, what he’s said has challenged me to think more carefully about where I do my shopping.
I suppose that gives you some kind of insight into what I’ve been distracted by recently! But it’s now almost time for me to go to bed, so I’d better wrap up here.