Consumerism

Cornel West on courage; Peter Singer on designer shoes and children's lives

John_Tillson — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:34:23 +0100

The video begins with Philosopher Cornel West discussing courage as a virtue for self examination. Shortly after that Philosopher Peter Singer, walking around Times Square, discusses about what we spend our money on . He argues that we are unjustified to spend money on designer clothes when we know that we could equally well give that money to charities working for people who need it more.

Lauren - burger bar - The Catherine Tate Show - BBC comedy

Amaranatho — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:07:35 +0100

Lauren gets caught working at the local burger bar - she's still not bothered though. Another hilarious sketch and impression from Catherine Tate and BBC.

Lily Allen-The Fear lyrics

Amaranatho — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:04:55 +0100

What do you fear ?

Thanks to West Kent College for this

Church and Politics

Alan Murray — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:28:53 +0100

New Statesman interview with Rowan Williams on the Church's role in political and economic matters, especially the crisis and the 'Cut Everything' response from government. He talks about the human need to be treated as more than customers, and to anchor our worldview and values in something beyond materialism.

http://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2010/07/interview-religious-human

Creating and clearing a home

Debbie Young-Somers — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:46:20 +0000

I admit it, I love to shop. I am a real nester and I love finding that perfect little something for the home, especially if it's a bargain. I try to buy fair trade, but the lure of the bargain does sometimes divert me.

Faith and the Global Agenda - Values for the Post-Crisis Economy

Debbie Young-Somers — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:10:12 +0000

This is a rather heavy duty paper from the World Economic Forum but one that might be useful for further reading, and extracts of which could be used for discussions on the economy and life post the 2008 crash in classrooms.

http://www.weforum.org/pdf/faith/valuesreport.pdf

Chanukah Shmanukah

Debbie Young-Somers — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:57:50 +0000

As I write this we are on the second day of Chanukah. Chanukah is one of the least important festivals in the Jewish calendar because the story of Chanukah doesn't appear anywhere in the Hebrew Bible. In fact the first place we hear about the story of Chanukah is in the book of Maccabees which is preserved in the Christian Apocrypha. But Chanukah is an incredibly popular festival, in part because it falls in midwinter and brings a bit of warmth and light into a period with not much else going on in the Jewish Calendar.

Carols for Christmas: Sentimental Nonsense?

Alan Murray — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:37:52 +0000

Bishop of Croydon’s new book criticizes some Carols and Nativity Plays as 'sentimental nonsense'

Good starter for a classroom discussion of what Christmas is about.

Make Me White

Seeta Lakhani — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:27:18 +0000

Make Me White:

Skin lightening is big business. The market for cosmetics to lighten darker skin is now reported to be worth millions of pounds; Anita Rani (presenter of Watchdog and The One Show) is on a journey to find out why. Starting in her own family, with her mother's preference for lighter skin, she explores the pressures within the Asian community that lead a growing number of people to want to "lighten up".

A Study of the Sari

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:47:29 +0100

Section from 'Introduction: Material Culture' http://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/staff/d_miller/mil-7

White Tiger

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:34:27 +0100

The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga

A chatty murderer exposes the underbelly of India's tiger economy in this thrilling debut novel

Reviewed by David Mattin

Earth Couture and Indian Fabric

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:28:52 +0100

Kolkata Fashion Week II kickstarted on September 9, 2009 with the theme Earth Couture: http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/article17626.ece

Fashion-designer exploring ancient Hindu civilizations for her next line

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:23:08 +0100

Famed Croatian-American fashion-designer exploring ancient Hindu civilizations for her next line

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed and renowned Vaishnava theologian Dr.
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Dissolving Boundaries - Inspiration behind Mistress of Spices

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:18:37 +0100

A Personal Essay by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

It was Memorial Day, 1994. I waved good-bye to my two year old son and his grandma as my husband pulled our car out of the driveway, tires squealing. "I'll be back in a few days," I called out to my son, "with a brand new baby brother for you." As our car sped onto the freeway, I tried to reassure my nervous husband, telling him the pains weren't too bad, and that everyone said the second time around was much easier. I had no premonitions at all.

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Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:05:58 +0100

Exhibition Highlights

The word maharaja, literally ‘great king’, conjures up a vision of splendour and magnificence. The image of a turbaned, bejewelled ruler with absolute authority and immense wealth is pervasive and evocative, but it fails to do justice to his role in the cultural and political history of India. Maharaja: the splendour of India’s royal courts re-examines the world of the maharajas and their extraordinarily rich culture.

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Hindu Health Check

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:53:15 +0100

BBC Documentary: Diwali - Hindu Health Check:

Can the ancient eastern medicine called Ayurveda work in Britain today? Jessica Frazier investigates with the help of three Londoners who need help with their health, and a Hindu GP who believes a unique combination of Ayurveda and Hinduism can help them.

They attempt a five week experiment to see if this alternative to Western medicine can improve their health, while Jessica looks for the hidden Hinduism in the treatments.

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World's best passenger complaint letter

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:48 +0100

Virgin: the world's best passenger complaint letter?

Dear Mr Branson,

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Read more here:

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Challenging Materialism

Seeta Lakhani — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:15:41 +0100

Challenging the Paradigm of Materialism - TED Conference at Warwick University

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/audio/more/tedx/?podcastItem=jay...

"Trust Me - I'm a Dealer/Christian/Banker !*" (*delete as necessary)

Mike Ward — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:08:10 +0100

Ho, hum…It seems the Beeb has got tired of daytime antiques programmes which show well-meaning couples in colour co-ordinated fleeces getting fleeced by dealers and seeing their purchases lose squillions of pounds at auction. Presumably in these hard-up times, the Beeb thought the license-payer might like to see a success story. Enter Paul Martin, he of the toothpaste-advert Cheshire cat grin, and so we have Trust Me – I’m a Dealer!
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"Our coffins are made to order..."

Mike Ward — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:35:26 +0100