wicked. ayeeit!

found this awesome website (actually mentioned in todays metro) called www.chavscum.co.uk, a site dedicated wholly to "britains burgeoning peasant underclass".

amongst many other things on there is a townie baby name generator. the better ones being, phoebe mercedes, sapphire chardonnay or charmaine daniella marshall for a girl and kyle dean or jake dean marshall for a boy, based on mine and bea's names.

theres also a helpful guide to spotting townies with a section on "chav attire", chav culture (including music points), celebrity chavs, a discussion forum, a shop and a chav of the month competition. the section of chav culture i found so funny i've had to stop reading it as i was supposed to be in a quiet study computer room and the laughing/ hyperventilating/ falling on the floor could be considered inappropriate.

truely a special website.

a few more amusing ones: RaChIe'Z wEbSiTe, banbury massive, goldie lookin' chain

doctrinal pluralisms and other wierdness...

something matt p has just posted up makes for very interesting reading. i say that in that he's describing something i've had rumbling around in my head for a good few years now.

read it here. the passage from the last battle was especially awesome - has anyone got a few of the narnia books - think i need to read them on the strength of that excerpt alone.

GREENBELT 2004

Last year's Greenbelt was fantastic (even though I was having a dreadful time!). I'm organising a block booking before 30th April - that way we get big discounts on tickets. If we buy before 30th April they cost only £65 (£45 for concessions) and under 5's go free. To find out more info go to www.greenbelt.org.uk and let me know how many tickets you want asap.

An evening of high culture and fine wine in aid of Kosovo - a poem written especially for the occasion by Messers Marshall (AM) and Wier (AW)

AM : What, When, Why, How?

. Is that the cries of a pregnant sow?

AW : Who, where, with whom, whence?

. That high octane duck flew over that fence.

AM : Pregnant pigs

AW : Flying ducks

AM : That porker does ride like Lord HawHaw does read.

(pause)

AM : How now you pregnant sow

AW : Chuck chuck you flying duck

AM : From whom did you receive the life you bore within you, you filthy beast?

. Was it that goat in the plot next door?

AW : From where did you come in that flying V?

. Like a squadron of Jerries riding those clouds.

AM : Our origins are known, laid before us.

AW : These pleasures of our flesh are the fancies of our mind.

Both : And now we paupers leave, to other pleasures find.

Andy Marshall and Andy Wier, 8/5/99

coupl'a things

didnt get the job

baby's got a new pic

job interview

had it this morning for the post of clerical assisstant in the finance dept of the learning centre at hallam uni...

went pretty well i think - i was pretty calm and relaxed about it all, and although i forgot a few things i could've said, i did about as well as i could expect to. its only between me and 1 other person, so i guess its pretty good odds.

will find out this afternoon whether i've got it or not.

Bored

work is really quite slow at the moment - i am particularly struggling with the lack of momentum. there's work to do but it's difficult to get on with it and then there's stuff i'm trying to get on with but it's just not happening!! this job seems to be either too hectic or too slow!

wasn't doing so well by the end of Friday as a few more things came down on me after the coffee shop disappointment. There's still a flicker of hope inside me but it's definitely in need of fanning into flame! sometimes i just wonder whether i dreamt up the whole coffee shop vision - that it's just been there for the last 6 years as a form of distraction - that my imagination is just very effective!

our garden is looking quite colourful at the moment which i'm really enjoying and i think i'm going to have a go at some geranium cuttings after Mary has inspired me. i also have some seeds to sow but trying to work out whether to do it in trays or direct into pots.

does anyone want a cabin bed for 6 or 7 years?

coffee shop

well, I've been looking into this really cool premises near where we live which has just gone up to let. the area is up and coming and the rent is reasonable. the guy in the property company has been really helpful but the owner has gutted me! he doesn't want the premises to be used for anything after 7pm and he also wouldn't want there to ba any form of alcohol sold. this is really gutting because it felt so exciting to suddenly have some light at the end of the coffee shop tunnel. if God says anything to you when you pray about this please let me know...

Thank you Val (and Derek - i think this passage confirms your lovely email)

The Return of the Redeemed to Zion

35 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus
2it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7 the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,a
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

8 A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,b
but it shall be for God's people;c
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
9 No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

baby likes folk and grunge update

not posted much up really, so thought i'd quickly say that the baby seems to enjoy music. not only did it get all active when i was playing a mandolin, but it was literally leaping round the place whilst we were playing soundgarden, pearl jam and mudhoney this morning - you could actually watch bea's tummy jumping around!

all good signs...

unless its protesting... but i doubt it.

Camper Van

Andy and I are tracking a couple of camper Vans on ebay. We're looking for one of the high-top ones so Andy has some chance of standing upright and it also means you get extra sleeping space.

Pray for us - wisdom would be good! Really think God wants to bless us with a lovely camper and we'd be exchanging it for our current car (anyone want to buy a Rover 220 SD turbo?).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK!

I love what derek and Amy have been blogging the last couple of days. Yesterday's blog in particular just reinforced what they had shared with us when we were blessed by hanging out with them a few months back. It's so cool how God uses them to make stuff clear but without removing the mystery - it stays mythical and if myths are good enough for John Eldridge and C.S.Lewis then they're good enough for me!

(thanks Andrew Jones for showing me how to adda little bit of Derek to my blog)

happy birthday bea!!!

Bea's Birthday

Hi Folks

Barnaby and I are taking hold of a rare opportunity and we are going to be sharing a MASSIVE joint birthday party on Saturday 27th March at the Marshall Residence. B is coming up from London the day before (his actual birthday) and has made it very clear that he expects to see all the old crowd present and correct for his big do!

bring many bottles!

its snowing!

again

fishing4ajob

had a look - apparently there arent any jobs within 10 miles of sheffield for a desktop or graphic designer.

might start messing round with the website design again soon

dogville

saw last night - it started off unbelievably dull and boring and really hard to engage with but the last 15 minutes or so turning into scarily engaging film. really challenges your perceptions of anger, right & wrong, abuse, death etc...
not an easy film to watch at all, but certainly thought provoking in a way no other film i've seen is.

the be good tanyas

the littlest birds sing the prettiest songs.

think i'm catching the america bug too...

last night

watched spellbound - a documentary type film about the american national spelling bee championships - a little scary at times, and pretty funny too.
a good film

dvd night:

round ours tomorrow (wednesday) night, 7.30pm onwards.

not sure what yet - shall see when we get there.

andy & bea