Virtual Methodist

In my last post about the 4 Corners Festival I made reference brief reference to Tyree Patton, the UU Masters Journalism student hosting our evening with "Blue Light's" creators Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson... She did a superb job, despite her nervousness at having a number of seasoned journalists as well as the two on stage with her...  What I should have done, before recommending that you look up her interview on catch up was to issue a HUGE SPOILER ALERT!!! A key plot point was repeatedly referred to in the interview, and the subsequent Q&A, so if you haven't seen the first series yet, do yourself a major favour and go watch Series 1 before both the interview and Series 2 appears within the next month or so, with the BBC releasing photos and cast from it over the past weekend. As Patterson and Lawn say in the interview, there is no shortage of cop shows on TV, and Northern Ireland produces more than its fair share with "The Fall", "Line of Du...

Yesterday on facebook, my friend Ali White, who is one of the actors in Prime Cut's production of "The God of Carnage", plugged the last few shows by posting: "Four more chances to see God of Carnage in the MAC in Belfast if you fancy it. It even made David Campton laugh and if that's not a recommendation of hilarity I don't know what is." As I commented, I'm not sure whether that is a compliment or an insult... but to be tagged by Ali is flattering enough, and given that she is basing her comment on my carefully cultivated image as a grumpy old man (indeed Ali first knew me when I was a grumpy young man), I suppose it is a fair comment... Because I did laugh... loudly (loudly enough for Ali to identify my laugh)... But I was genuinely disturbed that I had found it funny, because in many ways there is nothing funny about it. Indeed as the play began I felt slightly ill-at ease given that it begins with the repercussions of a violent encounter be...

It's been a while since I've messed around with a meme... And I said a week or two back that I might give this one a go ... Although for a while I was a little hesitant because, first, it seemed a little self-absorbed, but then I remembered that I write a blog which is full of my opinions, so how much more self-absorbed can I appear; and second, frankly, the whole thing seemed a tad girly - I didn't see any other males engaging with it... but then Creideamh forged the way ahead for others with a Y chromosome... So here goes... I'll fit them in when I have time/can be bothered... If nothing else it will help members of my new congregation see what sort of a basketcase they now have as a pastor...The theory is that on each of 10 days we make the following disclosures:  1:   10 Secrets 2:   9 Loves 3:   8 Fears 4:   7 Wants 5:   6 Places 6:   5 Foods 7:   4 Books 8:   3 Films 9:   2 Songs 10: 1 Picture Now my ...

I don’t actually watch much TV at the moment, apart from the occasional snippet of "Bargain Hunt" or "Doctors" while eating my lunch (daytime TV... designed to drive people back to work), although I and all the other members of this household can't wait for Dr. Who to return this Easter. But late Monday night after I’ve got home from playing football, I switch on to watch my current guilty pleasure. Glee… the hit show about an American high school show choir or Glee club… Yes it’s corny, saccharine and crammed full of stereotypes… but it is very well done… and I say it loud and proud "I am a Gleek!" However, it has recieved a certain amount of criticism recently as being anti-Christian … Certainly much of what goes on would not be what I would recommend for teenagers (such as boosting club funds by holding a bake-sale of cup-cakes augmented with weed), although it is no worse, and a lot better than most TV programmes these days. So far as I can see the...