Monday roundup

Some blogs I follow have a Friday roundup, but a lot seems to happen over over the weekend, and I don't have time to cover it all in full detail. So here's my first Monday roundup:

Corrupt Formula 1 - I'm not an F1 fan, and this is part of the reason why. Call me naive, but I thought the point of a competitive race was to see who comes across the line first, with all competitors having given their all to do so. Shame on Ferrari!

Howzat - There's an inherent risk involved in watching a cricket match live. If the batsman has a real heave, it's possible that you could be struck by the ball, wherever you are in the crowd. A couple of cricket fans at a Sussex game must have wondered what was going on when they saw a meteorite hurtling out of the sky in their direction! It landed just in front of them, and no-one was injured.

RIP Hurricane Higgins - After a battle with cancer, Alex Higgins has died. Snooker is a game where the exceptional characters stand out, and Higgins was one of these. I remember watching snooker on my grandparents' TV on a Saturday afternoon, and even as a child, I could see that Higgins had something extra. Why does it seem to be that the brightest stars in our culture are often troubled in their private lives?

BBC News app - I've been waiting for this for a long time, and finally it's here. I have to say, though, I'm not convinced. Of course, it's slick and quick, and I do like the streaming live news, but the selection of stories is too restrictive for my tastes. I like to ferret around on the BBC news website, so only being presented with the top stories isn't quite what I want. This is why I don't regularly watch TV news - it's too filtered.

Royal Flickr stream - You can't accuse the British Monarchy of not engaging with new media, and I think this Flickr stream is a good innovation for an institution that is seeking to maintain public support. Maybe the CofE should take note. I'm not suggesting a Synod Flickr stream or anything, but we don't see much like this from the CofE - another institution seeking to maintain public support.

CofE app - h/t to the Church Mouse for this one. Having just criticised the CofE for not engaging with the internet and new media, they have issued a new app called myDiocese. It's a good start, and it has the much requested daily prayer feed (thankyou!). I have, however, had contact with the developers over the formatting of the offices - they aren't very legible at the moment due to the formatting inherited from the CofE feed. I'm assured that they are working on this, so I'll look out for an update. The app is being developed by the folks behind the methodist app I have mentioned earlier. This is a good start, and I hope they continue to work on it. 

Fame for Newport - If you haven't already seen the internet phenomenon about Newport, you have to go and look. h/t to the whole internet community for this one - it's everywhere, and I can't list all of the places I've seen it!

Reasons to be cheerful

I know that some Anglicans will be feeling a bit glum following the news from Synod, so I thought I would post about a few reasons to be cheerful from the news:

1. I know it was only against Bangladesh, but England produced a stunning batting display yesterday to seal the series win. Given the embarassing defeat on the weekend, it was good to see Strauss hitting the ball into the Edgbaston building site with great frequency. This was probably one of the finest batting displays by an England captain in recent years.
2. It's taken months, but it looks like BP have managed to make some progress on halting the oil tragedy in the Mexican Gulf. It seems to have taken a ridiculous amount of time to get to this stage, but at least there's an end in sight.
3. The best team in the world cup actually managed to win it! Despite the ugly tactics and technique displayed by the Dutch, then Spaniards' dedication to playing good football eventually shone through. Howard Webb had a hard match to referee, and I think he struck a good balance between keeping the game moving and dealing out some justice. Holland should have been down to 9 or 10 men by the end of the first half, so they have no right to complain about the referee's decisions!
4. A planned cull of badgers in Wales has been halted. I am still known to some people as 'Mr Badger' (following an innocent adoption of a call-sign at a Chaplaincy Carol Service many moons ago), and I have an affinity for the furry little critters! I must also add that when I last checked, the scientific evidence did not support the hatred which is shown towards my monochrome kin. Leave us alone! We're not giving TB to your cattle.
5. Hayley Matthews, currently at Lancaster Priory (who have a new website), has been appointed as Chaplain to Media City. This is the new development in Salford which will house a massive new BBC development. Well done Hayley!
6. This wonderful story about a milkman in Lancashire made me proud of my East Lancs roots. I'm not always so proud when I see stories of the BNP gaining ground in elections, but this is the kind of story that lifts the soul. This white, working class man from a depressed former mill town has challenged stereotypes by becoming fluent in Gujarati so he can communicate more effectively with his Asian customers.

64 days

Thunder and lightning

Last night we were treated to a rare (for Lancater) display of nature's power in the form of a spectaular thunderstorm. LittleLanky slept right through the excitement, but MrsLanky and I were woken by the show. 

I know some people find it scary, and I can understand why, but I just find it exciting. It's like taking part in an extreme sport without leaving the comfort of your own bed. A little bit of risk, but zero effort!

Needless to say, the rain that accompanied the thunder and lightning means that the water butt is now full, and I certainly don't need to water any plants today. Maybe United Utilities can postpone the hosepipe ban for a little longer.

Surprising bird

Whilst walking away from the Chaplaincy Centre yesterday after the 'Reflect' service, I was surprised to see a lone oystercatcher wandering around the lawns. I know they aren't a particularly rare bird in the UK, but I don't think I've ever seen one on the university campus before. There definitely aren't many oysters to be caught here.

Squash, strawberries, sprouts and parsnips

Thanks to the generous holidays we enjoy as university staff, Mrs Lanky and I are enjoying the post-Easter period with some rest and relaxation. Today has consisted of a further scan for Mrs lanky's bump, which went fine. The little Lanky wasn't so cooperative as on the previous occasion, and the sonographer had a bit of fun trying to take the appropriate measurements.
The dry weather this afternoon has given me an opportunity to assemble our new coldframe/miniature greenhouse type thing. It looks good, and is now home to some freshly planted squash seeds and some sprout seedlings. The parsnip seeds are safely nestled in an old dustbin full of compost, and we also have half a bed of strawberry plants. I just need to remember to water everything and cross my fingers for some sun.

Astronomical phenomenon

There are some great photos on the BBC website of the heavens smiling down on us.

the no-plastic challenge ends

Congratulations to Rose and Ele on completing their challenge to try to live without buying any new plastic for 3 months. Their efforts have certainly made me think a bit more about the choices I make on a day-to-day basis, and whilst I don't think I'll fully follow their example,  I like to think that my habits are a bit better than they were before.

Thanks to Rose and Ele for making us all think.

I promise this is my final post for the day!

It's a strage feeling when you wake up to hear a familiar voice on the radio. I don't mean Gordon Brown, or John Humphreys. They are familiar, but not in the same way as a friend or a colleague's voice is familiar.

Nigel Paul from the Lancaster Environment Centre was on The Today Programme the other day. It was a bit weird to say the least! Good to hear Lanacster research making the news.

Lancashire wind farm

The Scout Moor wind farm has finally opened. In my opinion, this is great news. I firmly believe that electricity generation by wind, when the farms are appropriately planned and located, has a significant part to play in the future of our energy provision.

Hoist by their own petard

I've been thinking about posting a comment on the 'creation in science lessons' issue, and my anger has just about settled down enough for me to do so. (David Keen has some good background on the topic here)

Shame on the Royal Society for 'allowing' Michael Reiss to resign over this issue! Surely what he said was absolute common sense! This is what I understand he said (my paraphrase):

If, in a science lesson (or anywhere else, for that matter), a child asks questions about the scientific credibility of the creationist view, rather than being rudely dismissive (the Dawkins approach), the teacher should seek to engage the child in a full discussion about the subject.

In his speech he estimated that 1 in 10 children come from a background where a literal view of creation is accepted. I'm not sure if the estimate is accurate, but even if his estimate is inflated, it's likely that there's a large number of children in this situation. Of course these children should be engaged over their views/beliefs. But note the use of the word 'engaged'. You can't expect a child to learn anything if you simply dismiss the view they've held for their entire knowing life as rubbish.

The Royal Society said that Reiss's comments had 'led to damage to the Society's reputation'. This seems somewhat ironic; I think that they have done it themselves.

Hen Harrier 4.0%

I'm pleased to see that the hen harrier is doing well in the Forest of Bowland. Perhaps a subliminal reason for my fondness for the bird is that it gives its name to rather nice beer.