Some great podcasts
Here are some of my favourite listens at the moment. It's all great teaching to challenge those who want to follow Jesus.

Tony Campolo - professor emeritus at Eastern University (iTunes)
Rich Nathan - at the Columbus Vineyard, Ohio
Steve Nicholson - at Evanston Vineyard, Chicago (itunes)

Finally! My favourite gospel choir has a website...

Angry
As I alighted from the train yesterday morning I was greeted by a smiling man who handed me the day's Metro. I smiled back, thanked him for it and, still walking along, took a look at the front page. It read:

"Bullet Points:
- £561bn : what the world spent on arms this year
- £32bn : the annual amount given in aid
- £275bn : total debt of developing countries"

I felt like crying. What kind of world would allow this kind of injustice? Had we merely spent half of what we spent on arms on alleviating poverty we would have made a HUGE impact. I then began thinking of the fact that this money comes from taxpayers, and that means us. Our money is feeding injustice. Innocent people are dying while world leaders play an international game of "my willy is bigger than yours."

But what can we do? My first response to this question was, "I have no idea," this problem is so big and I have so little access to the corridors of power that I can't do a thing. But I suppose the real answer is that we can all find ways of giving away some money which can address issues of poverty in the world. And, as the old cliché goes, "every little counts".

There is also the serious work of putting pressure on our western governments to stop:
a) Allocating money in this fashion, and
b) Promoting the sale of arms in developing countries

Does anyone have any ideas of how these things might be achieved?

Update:
A few articles on the subject:
Oxfam - Global military spending set to top Cold War high as conflict causes record hunger
Metro - Arms spending hits all-time high

Yes, I know, it's been too long.
So what do I have to offer for my absence? hmmm, where do I begin?

Looks Can Kill (they can y'know)
First off, I've finished the Looks Can Kill website. It's taken me some time because of the pressure of designing a website for a web design company. I wanted it to look just right and have over the past weeks and months dabbled with everything from a complete redesign to a mild tweaking. What I did know was that I needed my portfolio on there, and that people loved the Geisha.

So I turned her around, meaning that she's now looking towards the work, which visually 'feels' better. I kept the simplicity of the original site, but added classic touches of serif headings and tiny embelishments, not to mention the wallpaper. So, go take a look.

Location, Location, Location
It's official, I'm moving countries. On the 14th October I fly back to Malmö to continue my Swedish adventures. I wonder what God has in store?!

Sneaky Sneaky
Guess where I've been? I snuck over to Malmö for a week to hang out with some friends and explore the possibility of moving back.

Unfortunately my camera refused to work while I was there, so I have no photographic evidence. I also got a head-cold after a couple of days, so had to tone down the partying and avoid the Kallbadhuset (where you sit in a sauna and then walk out and jump into the sea, naked.)

Highlights of the trip include talking music, community, life and faith until the early hours, trying to convince Peter to sing "Love is all around" (by Wet Wet Wet) to Ellen at their wedding, while wearing a white suit, hat and two-tone shoes, and hearing some of Niklas' new songs...