I had occasion to make a short speech at presbytery today. I forgot to start my computer talking thing, so I was slightly on the backfoot. This is what I planned to say, I hope I said some of it well. I think it went over ok bearing in mind i only had 5mins. new motion Urge the Planning and Implementation committee to engage with the Kirk Session of Lanark Greyfriars. at the earliest possibility in the new year. Thank you. Moderator, This new motion in my name is six months overdue, well, nearly seven, The Kirk Session received a final judgment by the General Assembly Mission Plan Review Panel on a Request for Review on the 23rd of May 2025. 197 days ago. The Review Panel considered eight grounds raised by the Kirk Session. The review panel did not accept five grounds; however, three grounds were accepted. This is factual. There is no debate about this Judgment. For information, The appeal could only be made on three grounds. The Kirk Sessions appeal was accepted on all three grounds, including, one, a material error in Church law, two, a material error of process on the part of Presbytery, and three, the plan fails to take into account a relevant material fact. However, there are two other comments which the review committee made in their judgement on the current Mission Plan as regarding Greyfriars parish church. The mission narrative and building categorisation is inconsistant. The Second comment the Review Panel made was, and I quote. “The Panel does not accept the Presbytery’s argument that the resulting inconsistencies should be addressed in future revisions of the Plan. It is the task of the Panel to assess the current Plan and the process by which it was approved.” My interpretation of this point is that the review panel do not accept the presbytery’s argument to leave things as they are, and sort them in the future. That argument was rejected 197 days ago. The congregation of Greyfriars contacted the Presbytery by email 197 days ago asking of comfort in this matter and offering to meet the committee who presbytery has remitted this matter to. This has not happened and contact has not been made. As this is matter with a written final judgement I argue it is not unreasonable to expect a formal written reply to a request to meet within 197 days. It’s worth drawing attention to Presbytery this final judgment, as this final judgment was about Presbytery, and was made regarding Presbytery. As trustees we have think what level of risk we will accept for the presbytery. In this motion, the risk I identify is between the final decision of the General Assembly review panel and the presbytery’s actions in fulfilling this. When I move this motion moderator, technically the motion becomes a possession of Presbytery. If successful, and that is not guaranteed, the Presbytery will and has the right to instruct its committee to do as it wishes, in this case, urging the Planning and Implementation committee to have a meeting with the Kirk Session. The review panel accepted three grounds of appeal. The review panel said the building catergorisation has been done wrong. The review panel said there are inconsistencies in what is foreseen mission of the church. The review panel said presbytery cannot ignore these issues, It is unacceptable to be comforted in the knowledge that this inconsitancies will be solved by a future action. I find it notable that the comfort given by the vice convener in his speech a minute ago was about actions in the future. Yet, demonstrably, the church are in the same position we were 197 days ago, same errors in law, same errors in process and no contact. Moderator, it’s up to Presbytery. What happens next. I urge presbytery to support this new motion, I move the motion in my name, and hopefully someone will second it. ...
Laconic Hegemony 2024 - SideA (vol 28) and SideB (vol 29).
The new Laconic Hegemony mixtape is now out. Laconic Hegemony is a small mixtape with my favourite songs of the past year. So far, I have put out 29 volumes of the Laconic Hegemony mixtape #jings. You can listen to all, some or none of it. It is your choice. All these songs have been songs that have accompanied me over 2024 and mean something to me in some way (and I should point out that 2024, in many ways, was my year). These songs may not mean anything to you; perhaps that will change. Think of it as two sides of musical goodness accompanying you as you are here, wherever here is for you. If you are so inclined, let me know what you like from Laconic Hegemony 2024. If you like something, buy it from the artist as direct as possible. That way, the artists get more money for your listening. (I have). Technically I buy the songs from the artist as directly as possible. I mix the songs on a DJ mixer. I mix in 20-minute sections normally to see what goes together in my head. I then use Garageband to combine the mixes, giving me a mixtape mp3. I uploaded it to Mixcloud, which provides free mixtape streaming; Mixcloud also pays royalties to the appropriate rights body for streaming. [mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/sch3lp/laconic-hegemony-2024-sidea-vol-28/ width=100% height=60 hide_cover=1 mini=1] [mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/sch3lp/laconic-hegemony-2024-sideb-vol-29/ width=100% height=60 hide_cover=1 mini=1] ...
2024 Album of the Year.
An aggregate review site tells me that the top three albums of the year are Brat by Charli XCX Songs for a Lost World by The Cure Absolute Elsewhere by Blood Incantation While congratulations are due to all of these artists on their critical reception, my top 3 are based on my ears and my thoughts. 1- SHINBANGUMI by Ginger Root 2 - Seed of by Seed by Hayley Hendrickx 3 - Below a Massive Dark Land by Naima Bock Every year, I add one album to a list which echoes the Cannes Film Awards catergory of Prix un certain regard. Those albums I like but regard uncertainly. I choose one a year of the albums, which means something to me, but perhaps I do not have the magic for someone else. This years addition is Midwinter Swimmers by The Innocence Mission. Thanks, that is all. ...
Album of the Year 2024 – The long list
As you no doubt know, I select my album of the year every year. This is of no interest to most people but keeps me amused. To match $potify wrapped or whatever, I create a long list and attempt to whittle the list down to 3 top albums to be unveiled within the first week in January. This year is no different. I have enjoyed listening to lots of albums during 2024. In this list, you will also find something to enjoy if you venture that way. You will have heard of some people on this list, and perhaps others you will never have heard of. This year, 40+ albums were on the Long List. {country of birth – artist name – album name}. In alphabetical order. USA - Bad Bad Hats - Bad Bad Hats file under - Joyous pop musicUSA - Caroline Says - The Lucky One file under -Folk/DreampopFRA - Christophe Rousett - Louise Bertin Fausto file under - ClassicalUSA - Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee file under - Indie PopUSA - The Decemberists - As It Ever Was, So It Shall Be Again file under - indie popJPN - Eddie Marcon - Yahho no Potori file under - folkUSA - Father John Misty - Mahashmashana file under - PopNZL - Fazerdaze - Soft Power file under - shoegaze/DreampopUSA/BEL - Fievel Is Glauque - Rong Weicknes file under - Prog-JazzUSA - Ginger Root - SHINBANGUMI file under - Aggressive Elevator SoulUSA - Haley Heynderickx - Seed of a Seed file under - Singer/SongwriterUSA - Helado Negro - PHASOR file under - Joyous Pop musicUK - Ibibio Sound Machine - Pull the Rope file under - DanceUSA - The Innocence Mission - Midwinter Swimmers file under - Folk PopTUR - Isik Kural - Moon in Gemini file under - FolkUK - Jill Lorean - Peace Cult file under - indie rockUSA - Jimmy Montague - Tomorrows Coffee file under - Joyous Pop musicUSA - John Roseboro - Fools file under - post Bossa NovaAUS - Juanita Stein - The Weightless Hour file under - Singer/SongwriterFRA - Justice - Hyperdrama file under - DanceCAN - Kaia Kater - Strange Medicine file under - Singer/SongwriterISL - Laufey - Bewitched file under - Lounge JazzUK - Laura Marling - Patterns In Repeat file under - Singer/SongwriterUSA - Mary Timony - Untame the Tiger file under - Jingle Jangle/ Indie PopUK - Micheal Kiwanuka - Small Changes file under - Indie/SoulUSA - Mo Dotti - Opaque file under - Shoegaze/DreampopBRA - Naima Block - Below a Massive Dark Land file under - Singer/SongwriterUSA - Office Culture - Enough file under - Art popIRL - Orla Gartland - Everybody Needs a Hero file under - Indie PopUK - Our Girl - The Good Kind file under - Indie RockIND - Peter Cat Recording Co. - BETA file under - Indie RockUSA - Sarah Jarosz - Polaroid Lovers file under - Pop / FolkUK - Sassyhiya - Take You Somewhere file under -USA - Sierra Ferrell - Trail of Flowers file under - Country PopUK - Sinkane - We Belong file under - Joyous Pop musicUK - The Smile - Cutouts file under - Indie RockUK - The Smile - Wall of Eyes file under - Indie RockUSA - Sofie Royer - Young-Girl Forever file under -The Softies - The Bed I Made file under - Indie PopUSA - T Bone Burnett - The Other Side file under - Folk PopUSA - Thee Sacred Souls - Got a Story to Tell file under - Soul/GospelUSA - Tim Heidecker - Slipping Away file under - Joyous Pop musicUSA - The Umbrellas - Fairweather Friend file under - Jingle Jangle / Indie PopUSA - Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us file under - Joyous Pop musicUSA - Yasmin Williams - Acadia file under - accoustic / instrumental If you wish you can play a $potify list with all the 2024 great albums on it. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3zEpfCajqshYwsn3Zrq1rd?si=cd644ee6ff72462d ...
Gratitude post.
I write this in the Interregnum between Mr And Dr. This in-between time allows me to express gratitude for my academic journey. My academic journey would not have been possible without my wife Helen and family. My family (and friends) supported and encouraged me to keep doing this. Thank you. I also wish to thank and remember people, including but not limited to those I mention below. However, to everyone involved in my journey, no matter how small. Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you. ...
Albums of 2023, (late I know but reasons).
I forgot to put up my albums of the year An aggregate review site tells me that the top three albums of the year are Fountain Baby by Amarae Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die (world war) by Jaimie Branch Desire, I Want To Turn into You by Catherin Polachek. While congratulations are due to all of these artists on their critical reception, my top 3 are based on my ears and my thoughts. 1- Out and About by Lewsberg 2 - Javelin by Sufjan Stevens 3 - Everything Is Alive by Slowdive Every year, I add one album to a list which echoes the Cannes Film Awards catergory of Prix un certain regard. Those albums I like but regard uncertainly. I choose one a year of the albums, which means something to me, but perhaps I do not have the magic for someone else. This years addition is Romantic Piano by Gia Margaret. Thanks, that is all. ...
January 2024 - I live in these clouds
a small news update I enjoyed time off work. that was good. I attended the International conference of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry and really enjoyed it. The thinking and the people. The small but beautiful attendees from Scotland, (four of us), were in the minority, but engaging with colleagues and academics from across the world was significant, stretching and good. I went to Drag Queen karaoke in the gay village in Manchester. It was remarkable in two ways, beyond the great company obviously. (1) The love and acceptance in the room were significant. It asks questions of any church which says it is welcoming and loving. (2) There were only two songs sung from this century, (Blank Space by Taylor Swift and Mr Brightside by the Killers), while a great line was done in ABBA etc from last century, yet the averge age of the performers was under 25. I have become a member of the Executive Board of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry. If you are working with young people in the church and want to learn from academic research and thought into this, written by people who research, think and act where they are, you may find lots of value in the IASYM association and the associated Journal of Youth and Theology. (The next international conference is in 2 years’ time in Stellenbosch, South Africa!) I had a nice birthday. Thank to all who marked it for/with me. I continue to enjoy the small course I am doing at New College Lanarkshire (not the well respected theological college) in Leadership at Work. I suspect I am enjoying it as we do not have the assement for it yet. Bonus - it was a free night class. My wife suggested I get up earlier and go for my walk before work. It is annoying getting up at 6am but it is good excercise and seeing the world move from darkness to light is a very good thing. I have been listening to three theological books - The Palgrave Handbook of Radical Theology- PDF reader app. I am challenged, puzzled and often mystified by these radical thinkers and their ideas. - Theology - A very short introduction - spotify - A Little Book for new theologians : Why and How to study theology - spotify I often marvel at the simplicity of making ideas simple yet deep. I am encouraged to keep trying by these. I have started a new practice of recording the signs i pass by in life everyday. Seeing the world around me, being amused by it, playing with it, Questioning it, making links with it and being shaped by it. You can follow along on my instagram. #SignsOfLife I am trying to use both Roam Research and Obsidian for keeping notes, and starting to port all my Academic notes into these programs. It is quite a thing from a word file to these formats. but once done, it is easy enought to cut and paste between them so I can decide which one I like best and always keep the other as a back up. recommendations Music - Emma Ayzenberg - Iron Mountain EP. Reading - Why We Love/Hate Brutalist Architecture on Jstor, and A clock in the forest on Noēma. Watch - Zen Motoring on BBC iPlayer. I live in these clouds. more next month. ...
Laconic Hegemony 2023 - SideA (vol 26) and SideB (vol 27)
The new Laconic Hegemony mixtape is now out. Laconic Hegemony is a small mixtape with my favourite songs of the past year. I put this out annually, including 27 volumes under the Laconic Hegemony name #jings. You can listen to all, some or none of it. It is your choice. All these songs have been songs that have accompanied me over 2023 and mean something to me in some way (and I should point out that 2023 was the year that I deserved). These songs may not mean anything to you; perhaps that will change. Think of it as two sides of musical goodness accompanying you as you are here, wherever here is for you. If you are so inclined, let me know what you like from Laconic Hegemony 2023. If you like something, buy it from the artist as direct as possible. That way, the artists get more money for your listening. (I have). Technically I buy the songs from the artist as directly as possible. I mix the songs on a DJ mixer. I mix in 20-minute sections normally to see what goes together in my head. I then use Garageband to combine the mixes, giving me a mixtape mp3. I uploaded it to Mixcloud, which provides free mixtape streaming; Mixcloud also pays royalties to the appropriate rights body for streaming. [mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/sch3lp/laconic-hegemony-2023-sidea-vol-26/ width=100% height=120 hide_cover=1] [mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/sch3lp/laconic-hegemony-2023-sideb-vol-27/ width=100% height=120 hide_cover=1] ...
Album of the Year 2023 – The long list
As you no doubt know by now, every year I select my album of the year. This is of no interest to most people but keeps me amused. In the first month of the new year, I create a long list and attempt to whittle the list down to 3 top albums. This year is no different. I have enjoyed listening to them during 2023. You will also find something to enjoy if you venture this way. You will have heard of some people on this list, and perhaps, others you will never have heard of. This year there are 22 albums on the Long List. {country – artist name – album name}. USA – Gia Margaret – Romanic Piano JPN – For Tracy Hyde – Hotel Insomnia USA – Meg Baird – Furling USA – Brandee Younger – Brand New Life! AUS – Terry – Call Me Terry USA – Youth Lagoon – Heaven is a Junkyard IRL – Anna Mieke - Theatre USA – The Watson Twins - Holler USA – Rhiannon Giddens – You’re the One SWE – Little Dragons – Slugs of Love FRA – En Attendant Ana – Principia USA – Allegra Krieger – I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane UK – Slowdive – Everything is Alive ISL – Laufey – Bewitched USA – Nick Shoulders – All Bad USA – Sufjan Stevens – Javelin MEX – Titanic – Vidrio NLD – Lewsberg – Out and About UK – Cult Figures – Between Us and Heaven USA – Seablite – Lemon Lights ITA – Psyché – Psyché PRI – Epilogio – Cromo Rx https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4PY9OxXt1oU9ejZzEGI0rv?si=a5df24b6cb074a16 There is an option to listen to the longlist on the open spotify for you all. ...
Working again
This blog stopped working. I fixed it. If you tried to use this blog for a couple of days, it said, “There has been a critical error on this website.” No clue was given as to what was wrong. Step one - log into the FTP of the blog. I had to remember how to FTP into my web host. I hadn’t done that for a while, so it took some work to make that happen. But eventually, it works again. Step two - Disable the plugins I disabled the plugins I had running. This instantly solved all the issues. I have had back and forth as I tested the plugins to see what was causing the issue. However, I am pleased I had solved the problem on my first try. The WordPress dashboard now had a big warning banner as I logged in again. The PHP version I was using was 5.4 and needed to be a recommended 7.2 it told me. This was critical. Step three - updating the PHP via the webhost. I logged into my web hosting cpanel to see if I could find a way to update PHP. WordPress was sure I should back up everything before I did this. However, it was effortless to update PHP to 8.1, almost temptingly simple and easy. I had already been psychologically prepared to lose everything, so I risked it. Perhaps a new start would not be that bad for this blogging thing. I refreshed the page. It all worked as expected. I was slightly disappointed. Anyway, all updated now, so that’s good. ...