square pegs

Man the Dishwashers Boys!

2012-02-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

Some people would wonder why I bother. Seriously. Even I wonder why sometimes but there are occasions in life when you simply have to stand up for what you believe in. Regardless of the cost, the potential ridicule and the likelihood that you efforts will be exactly like attempting to resist the Borg: futile.

The current television ad for Finish Powerball, that's dishwashing detergent not the lottery, offends me. There I said it. I find it so disturbing that I have written to the company to complain. The ad suggests that only women use dishwashers. That crowd of enthusiastic Finish supporters at the end of the ad is comprised solely of mums. No dads, no singles, although there may be a few single mums, just mums. However, mums are not the only ones who use dishwashers. Everyone in my family uses the dishwasher and I am solely responsible for the choice of dishwasher detergent. All I'm asking for is a little credit.A little respect.

I clean the shower but I've never seen a man cleaning a shower in an ad for some too-good-to-be-true cleaning product. I'd like to see them use that stuff on a real bathroom, an old one, a dirty one, instead of a showroom version, but I digress. Am I the only man who washes the shower? No way. Am I the only bloke who cooks and cleans? Fat chance. So where are the men in the ads doing the business with the toilet brush, or scrubbing, spraying, wiping, chopping, dicing and cooking(celebrity chefs aside)?

A recent survey showed that an increasing number of women are becoming the household breadwinners. Househusbands are on the increase. Is this really happening? Or are women doing even more than they have traditionally done, that is, just about everything, and men doing even less? Whether it be childcare or housework, shopping or cooking, I don't think it is at all unusual for men to share the load at home these days.

That's not what I'm seeing in advertising though. Advertising, which targets particular demographics with particular products, reinforces cultural stereotypes as it serves its master and searches for sales. To the companies who use these discriminatory ads to promote their goods and services, I say...beware the slighted househusband. Ignore us at your peril!

To my fellow househusbands, and all those men, who may eschew that title but nonetheless pull their weight at home, and do so willingly and modestly, and even enjoy it, I say...bravo. I love you all. Man the dishwasher boys!

I believe in thongs

2012-02-04T12:18:00.000-08:00

I'm talking about footwear, not underwear.They are variously known as flip flops, plakkies, clam diggers, jandals, chinelos or go aheads,depending on where in the world you are. I believe that thongs are simple in design, comfortable to wear, convenient, generally inexpensive, and extremely popular.

They offer some degree of protection for the sole of the foot but are otherwise not a safe form of footwear. They don't come in steel capped versions, they don't block UV rays and if you step on a nail, you will know about it. They are comfortable to wear although the cheaper brands may cause extensive damage to the area between the big toe and its next door neighbour: at least until they are worn in.They keep the foot cool by not incarcerating it within leather or canvas, but anything that is going to fall or spill on your foot will hit the foot directly. They are easy to put on and remove, although under pressure, for example when running or climbing, they can remove themselves. Thongs are also renown for going M.I.A. Widely accepted in a plethora of casual situations and gatherings, they are frowned upon at formal engagements and in the workplace.

Everybody believes in something. We all have some religion or philosophy or code of ethics by which we live. We either inherited it from our parents, subscribed to it because it was cool at some stage, discovered it for ourselves, or assumed one by default. Nobody lives without a belief system of some kind. It might be mainstream religion, a cocktail of religious beliefs or a homespun philosophy. Whatever it's called, whatever it looks like, however it operates, it's influence is unmistakable and irresistible.

You could believe in thongs if you won't to because most religious/ethical beliefs and especially practices are not too dissimilar to thongs.Religion and ethics will provide some protection for your soul but they won't provide salvation. They are comfortable because they can be adjusted to suit your circumstances or your feelings. Ever heard of moral relativism or situational ethics? They allow plenty of freedom, the rules are flexible. They work in easy, casual circumstances but when faced with tragedy and suffering, they fall apart and leave you defenseless. They cost nothing at all, they make no demands on you, they don't force changes in your life or call you to sacrifice.

If you like the comfort zone where faith is cheap and undemanding, where you won't make waves by offending people, where you'll fit in, then design your own belief system. Take the bits you like from wherever you can find them, and build a religion that suits you. Personalize it. Never mind about the truth. You believe in thongs.

In Varietate Concordia

2012-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

It means Unity in Diversity, and it is the motto for Indonesia, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, India, South Africa and the European Union. Multiculturalism in Australia has, for decades now, focused on the same ideal without ever stating it so explicitly. We have sought in this country to allow people from all over the world, who come to make Australia their home, to continue their customs, culture and language while enjoying the benefits of living in a free and tolerant society.

Tomorrow is Australia Day. January 26. We commemorate the arrival of the First Fleet under the Command of Captain Arthur Phillip, and the establishment of a penal colony at Sydney Cove in 1788 from which our nation was born. It is the official view of the government and the belief of the many people, that we find our real strength as a nation when we embrace the diversity which comes from our history of migration. Not everyone who arrived on the First Fleet was a convict. There were many free settlers who chose to come. Nothing has changed. Although we are no longer a penal colony, there are many who still arrive against their will. Refugees forced from their homes by war, persecution or famine. Others choose this country because of what it offers. Millions are born here and though they may travel, they never find a better place to live. We all call Australia home wherever we originally came from.

There are those who see multiculturalism as a weakness. The old trade union slogan, 'united we stand, divided we fall' is used to support calls for greater assimilation. Critics, usually racists, argue that we have become too tolerant, and as a result we are losing our identity.

The problem with both sides of the argument is that the concept of the nation-state, or country, is a modern construction. It is an invention of man designed to serve political purposes. Yugoslavia and the USSR are just two examples of how the devolution of nation states is almost inevitable. People find their identity first as a part of their family, then as members of a particular race or ethnic group, then, finally, with the country in which they live.

It would be unnatural for anyone to be more loyal to their country than their family, or even sometimes to their ethnic group. That is why nationalism falls short of its goal of unification. Nationalism purports to bring peace through allegiance to one's country, and the common ideals to which it subscribes.

However, only Christ can bring true peace and unity as he calls for not just allegiance but also submission to Him, The Lord of all creation. It is Christ who tears down the walls that divide us, and brings us together as one family. Beware of the false god called nationalism.

The Thrill of the Mundane

2012-01-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

It's not the most exciting way to spend a Saturday afternoon but there I was yesterday, washing windows and removing spiderwebs. I also hosed down the front wall of our house even though said wall would certainly be considered a hard surface, and as such not allowed to be hosed down, according to the rules in New South Wales. (Maybe vertical hard surfaces don't count, I don't know.)

So this is already sounding like the most boring blog I've ever posted. I'm losing interest and I'm writing it!

The point is, for the majority of us human folk, most of our time is taken up by ordinary, everyday tasks. Those windows at our place had to be washed. In fact they should have been washed a long time ago, and they should be washed more frequently but I don't really like doing it. It's not exciting. I'd rather be watching an episode of ER. Or reading a book, or running, or dining with friends, or doing just about anything else. However, those windows won't wash themselves, nor will our resident arachnids deconstruct their miniature mansions. These jobs have to be done. I am the designated do-er of these chores. I console myself by seeking satisfaction in the successful completion of the task. The end result of my labour is that the windows and the front wall look much better. They won't stay that way. Everything gathers dirt,dust and spider webs. Everything deteriorates. Nothing maintains itself or improves by itself.

There was a guy at the local swimming pool the other day who had his very young son with him in the water. The boy was around a year old and clad in a protective flotation device, otherwise known as a life jacket. His father was thrusting him high into the air and allowing him to crash land into the water, and the little fella was absolutely loving it. I wonder if that child will be able to enjoy a simple swim when he grows up, or will he always want the thrill of flying through the air, and descending at a rapid rate from a great height. Did I witness the birth of a thrill seeker? A man who will never be able to enjoy the mundane? Who, when asked by his wife to clean the windows, will jump on his Harley Davidson and tear off to the nearest skydiving centre, and jump out of a plane? A guy who, while his wife is at home with their two young children trying to explain why daddy isn't with them again, and feeding them fishfingers, is swimming with piranhas in the Amazon River?

There is a great deal to be said for finding pleasure and satisfaction in simple things. Life is not about the pursuit of the next buzz, the next big adrenalin surge, the desperate search for greater excitement in increasingly risky adventures. My windows are clean so I can clearly see the trees outside. Every leaf, trembling slightly in the gentle breeze. I can feel that breeze blowing in through the open window. I am experiencing the thrill of the mundane, and it's good enough for me.

Ten Pin Living

2012-01-14T14:50:00.001-08:00

Strikezone is a 24 lane bowling alley in Albion Park Rail. I was there recently with my family enjoying the action and excitement. I was thinking about all the bowling balls and pins, the music and amusement machines, the dodgy food, and the people: bowlers, employees and spectators. Where do you fit in at the bowling alley of life?

Propelled by incomprehensible forces, balls rumble along polished wooden lanes. They have no drive of their own, but they do have direction and momentum. They crash right into the pins of life's troubles, and send them flying. Pins have no choices: they don't move unless acted upon by an external force. At the bowling alley, they stand around in frightened little groups, trying to be inconspicuous, and hoping that when the big bowling balls of tribulation come thundering their way, they miss!

The bowling alley needs pins and balls, and workers. The latter group take your money and give you disturbingly unfashionable and ill fitting shoes, and over priced, under tasty food. Spectators are also good because they provide noisy encouragement for the bowlers, and atmosphere for the cavernous interior. While these things and people are all necessary, the bowling alley exists primarily for the bowlers.

They might start out not knowing that a bowling ball has holes, let alone which fingers are supposed to go into which holes, but they find the right ball - not too heavy, not too light - and they learn to bowl. It takes practice but eventually even the worst bowlers, the weakest, the least athletic, the most uncoordinated, can score the odd strike. And what about the massive celebration when they do? The glorious thrill of knocking over all ten pins. It's fun and exciting and it makes you want to keep bowling until your arm falls off or your back gives out. It makes you want to crash through the frustration of a gutter ball or split pins, and keep trying.

In the Strikezone of life, if you're not bowling then you're just ripping yourself off.

A Mocker and a Brawler

2012-01-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Had a few drinks this festive season? Had a few more than you should have on occasion? Wished you didn't have that much? Wished you hadn't have done what you did, or said what you said because you drank more than you should have? Think that everyone does it, so it's okay? Tired of all these questions?

Lindeman's used to advertise their wine with the slogan, 'the one purpose of wine is to bring happiness'. According to the Bible 'wine is a mocker and beer a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.'(Proverbs 20:1) From Noah, to the man passed out drunk in the gutter last night, the misuse of alcohol, the abuse of alcohol, has caused massive problems in society throughout the ages, by stealing the ability of individuals to control their words and actions.

One in five deaths in Australia, and 30% of road traffic deaths each year are alcohol related. One half of all assault hospitalisations and nearly 60% of victim reported crime are alcohol related.40% of people arrested by police blamed alcohol for their offences. Half the alcohol being consumed in Australia each year is being consumed at levels which exceed safe drinking guidelines, leading to thousands of deaths and injuries. 70% of the latter go unreported.

So wine, and alcohol of all varieties, brings happiness. Happiness is a worthy pursuit isn't it? Not if it's your only goal, and not if the use or especially the abuse of alcohol is the only way you can find it. Alcohol doesn't fix problems, in fact it often causes them, or makes them worse. If booze is your best medicine, then you are really sick. Alcohol is not a healer. Our heavy drinking culture is a festering sore which is infecting us all.

'Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Those who ,linger over wine, who go to samples of mixed bowls of wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. They hit me, you will say, but I am not hurt. They beat me but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?' (Proverbs 23:29-32, 35)

No More Resolutions

2011-12-30T12:58:00.000-08:00

Today we say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. It's the last day of the year but apart from being an excuse for another party does it really mean anything to anyone? When the clock strikes midnight does anything magical or mysterious happen? Does anything change? It's like birthdays: one day you're a certain age and the next day you're older but you are still the same person as you were the day before. Nothing has changed.

The beginning of a new year is a time for making resolutions as we look forward with hope that life will get better, that we will become better people. Tradition holds that on New Year's Eve,we resolve to change things in our life with which we are unhappy or dissatisfied. Lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, look for a new job, spend more time with the family etcetera.

Naturally, people make these kinds of decisions about their lives all through the year but there is feeling, a mystical belief that a New Year's Resolution will provide the extra will power needed to achieve that particular goal.

The last time I made a New Year's Resolution was in 1989 when I stated before my friends as we sat on the beach in Molokai, that I wanted to be more consistent in the practical application of my faith in Christ. Even though I achieved that desire with God's help, I don't make resolutions anymore. I just pray that God will continue to make me more like Jesus as he deals with the things in my life which hurt me and sadden him.

The problem with new year's resolutions is that they rely on will power, and will power is notoriously fickle. Some possess it in spades while others are bereft. Will power may be available, and useful, to tackle over eating but it may go AWOL or simply fail in the battle against nicotine addiction. Is will power as dependable as some make it out to be? Ask yourself the question. Think about it. Romans 7:15-20 is an explicit indictment of will power. The fact is, will power is overrated, and all the best intended new year's resolutions in the world won't be strong enough to change our hearts, or our minds. New Year's Resolutions are simply another one of society's band-aids. We need more help than we can possibly give ourselves.

Deliciously Ugly

2011-12-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

Many years ago. there was an ad for Cadbury Picnic, a chocolate, caramel and peanut bar. The unusual but effective epithet was "deliciously ugly". Picnics do look a bit rough and lumpy when you take off the wrapper but after the first bite, you forget what the thing looks like, and only remember the great taste.

The ad played with the well known adage "you can't judge a book by its cover". This saying warns that very little of what can be known about a person can be ascertained from observing their cover, that is their outward appearance. Most of what a person is lies hidden from others, beneath the surface, behind the physical curtain of flesh. To judge a person solely on what you see, in other words, what they look like or what they do, is foolish and unfair to the person.

Obviously people make superficial judgments about other people all the time. We can't help ourselves. Perhaps the maxim should be changed to say, "Don't judge a book by its cover". You can judge a book by its cover but you shouldn't because you might be wrong. Just as God told Samuel when he went to see the sons of Jesse to anoint from among them a successor for Saul to the throne of Israel. (1 Samuel 17:7)Jesus said, "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement." (John 7:24)

It's Christmas, and I'm reminded of how the baby Jesus was wrongly judged by some, and again later as he grew to boyhood and then into a man. God incarnate, deity in human flesh. He was subjected to the folly, the bigotry and the cruelty of men who did not know, who could not see, who he really was. Those who saw just another man, were very much mistaken. Some still are.

Returning to the deliciously ugly Picnic. One day, I grabbed one for morning tea and was of course keenly anticipating the joy of eating it. I'm not put off by appearance, and I know they taste great. However, when I opened the brightly coloured wrapper there was nothing inside. True story. The message is clear. Looks can be deceiving so it's wise to take time to get to know the real person inside the mortal wrapper. Look inside, because that's where God is always looking... into the heart.

2011-12-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

The Explorers by William Stuart Long

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

View all my reviews

Don't Tell me What to do

2011-12-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

The flight attendant made the announcement as the plane touched down at the airport and began its taxi to the terminal. "Please remain in your seats with your safety belts fastened until the plane comes to a complete stop," she said. As soon as she had finished speaking, half a dozen people unclicked their seatbelts, stood up and began to gather their belongings from the overhead storage compartments.

The lifeguard blew his whistle three times, pointing and gesturing to a group of people, children and adults, who were swimming outside the flags at the beach. Because they ignored him, he was forced to move closer to the water and repeat his warnings. Shortly after, this group finally heeded the lifeguard and left the water. At the same time, another smaller group entered the ocean and began swimming outside the flags.

People still get booked for speeding, not wearing seatbelts and drink driving. These rules are designed for our protection, but some people apparently don't want to be protected. Some people think that only they know what is best for them. "Don't tell me what to do, " they say. "Don't tell me what's best for me. I'll be the judge of that."

God's "rules" are for our protection and benefit but most of us think that we know better than God. Pride is a huge obstacle to salvation, and rebellion is seated deep in the hearts of us all.

How Low Can We Go?

2011-12-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

I discovered an unknown direct debit coming out of my wife's bank account so I called the bank to check it out but they wouldn't talk to me because I am not the account holder. I explained the problem knowing full well that the person to whom I was speaking would probably not help me. I was right. Even on a hypothetical question, this guy stuck to the company line. I called a second time and spoke to someone else who was more helpful although likewise unwilling to actually do anything. Customer service person number one even threatened me by mentioning the law and the fact that if he knew the account number and password, he would put a stop on the account to prevent me accessing my wife's information.

I understand the rationale behind this policy. Stringent privacy provisions are needed to protect people. I might be trying to steal from my wife, or gain some advantage over her by accessing her financial details. I could be doing something wrong and potentially harmful to her. The person on the phone doesn't know me from a bar of soap. Just because I say that I have my wife's permission to access her account, doesn't mean, from their point of view, that I do.

Because some people lie, everyone is a potential liar. This is the world we live in. The default position is mistrust. My word counts for nothing with strangers because of all the people who can't be believed. Honesty surprises us because dishonesty has become so acceptable. We all say tsk tsk, what a shame, most people are good but the few rotten apples spoil the basket. The problem is that we are all living under the rules and regulations foisted upon us by those trying to protect us from the rotten apples. A worse problem is that we are all rotten apples but we keep pretending we are not. We tell ourselves we are the good guys and we sit around lamenting the tragic decline of standards in our communities but we have contributed to that degeneration, either by our actions or our inaction.

Imagine a world where people could trust each other. No need to lock the car or the house. People would be respectful and polite. No one would be self serving. Our teenagers wouldn't be having sex and getting drunk, and killing themselves by driving their cars too fast. No one would be trying to rip anybody off. Money wouldn't dictate what can be done and what can't be done.

If you think all this sounds too fanciful, too utopian, if you want to call me an idealist then go ahead but know this: such criticism implies that you have given up and accepted the new norm, the new low standards. If you are willing to keep on lowering the bar just to keep people happy, consider the end result of such thinking. Consider the future we are heading for if this slide continues. Everyone else is doing it, is not a statement of tolerance, it's an admission of weakness and defeat. We should keep fighting.

If You can't Stand the Heat

2011-12-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

I have a massive beef with cookbooks. I've been cooking a lot more over the last couple of months and whilst I am more than competent with the basics, I feel the need to try new things and attempt to improve my craft. I like variety and I don't mind having a go at something a bit different: exotic even. However, I have no natural flair for culinary pursuits. The limit of my gastronomic innovation is the addition of chopped mushrooms to the mince and jar pasta sauce. And so I turn to cookbooks.

There are several problems with many cookbooks: they are written in chefinese, they use ingredients which you can only buy in Bolovian street markets, and the instructions are so vague that the novice may as well be trying to prove Pythagoras' theorem on the back of a beer coaster.

If your kitchen pantry is not stocked as well as the shelves of Woolworths or Coles then it soon will be if you try to follow the recipes found in their respective advertorial cookbooks and brochures. And I haven't mentioned the fact that the portions which you end up with aren't sufficient to feed the family of pet mice in your office, let alone the human stomachs you are trying to fill.

Somebody has probably already written it but I am still waiting for the perfect cookbook. You know the one with chicken instead of spatchcock or quail. Mushrooms don't have to be fresh shittake which you have to travel to Japan to buy. There's no mention of Jerusalem artichokes, tagliatelle, witlof, pancetta or pimento stuffed green olives. Four maryland chickens won't feed a single teenage boy so the fair dinkum cookbook doesn't pretend that the whole family will be satisfied. The cookbook I am looking for tells me whether to use Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon or Sauvignon. It doesn't just say white wine. It doesn't say season to taste, or cook the meat to your liking. It doesn't say process the flour and polenta briefly. It warns you about soggy bottomed pies, and tells you how to avoid them because even though your children like soggy bottoms, you still feel like you've failed.

The bottom line is that, as a slave to recipes, I am at the mercy of chefs who speak a foreign language, chefinese, and who don't overcook or undercook anything. Cooks who evenly multiply ingredients, cut things up just right, and don't murder roast pumpkin salads with lethal doses of parsley.

My success rate is running at about 50%. Everything is edible but sometimes it's only possible to eat after including a prayer for protection with my prayer of thanks.

Creative Juice

2011-11-26T12:21:00.001-08:00

It was while drinking a glass of orange juice one morning that I had a burst of creativity. In just a few minutes, as the sweet citrus danced on my taste buds en route to my stomach via my throat, I came up with three ideas. This post is one of them.

The idea for my most recently published short story, Goyyou, came to me in a dream. Another time, I was standing at a urinal in a public toilet in Greta when the idea for a story about a small group of insects meeting in a awkward social situation struck me. It became the story, A Place of Refuge which was published by Countdown: School Magazine.

Virtually no one reads Square Pegs so I feel there is no harm in blowing my own trumpet. However, that's not what I'm trying to do. Here's my point: I have lots of ideas. I'm always coming up with interesting characters and plots and weird situations. I've written over 60 short stories and I have plenty more to come. I'm a creative person. God made me creative.I love to write and I feel exhilarated by the process of writing. When I write a story, I feel "right". It is one of my escapes. One of my pressure release valves. Writing helps me maintain my sanity. I have to write.

To paraphrase a quote I read a long time ago, "why wouldn't God, having made me this way, not provide opportunities for me to use my talent to bless others and glorify Him?"

It seems as logical to me as orange juice and toast for breakfast. I have a way with words. I'm not Shakespeare but I can write and I love it, so why shouldn't I pursue it? The answer is, that I am, but it can be awfully frustrating. Writers want readers but I have so few that if my readers were books they wouldn't even occupy one shelf in a small library. For thirteen years I have been working on my craft; writing stories, using valuable writing time to research markets and fiddle with the formatting to satisfy various submission criteria. Submitting stories, waiting sometimes for months, sometimes literally forever, and then having those stories rejected, frequently. Finding time to write more stories and repeating the whole process. It can be terribly disheartening but what can I do? It is no overstatement to say that I was born to write. I love writing. I am a writer so I'll just keep writing.

And so ends my self indulgent post for this week. To my army of readers...

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

2011-11-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

There is something that both amazes and pleases many parents, at the same time, about their children's behaviour. Your son for example, spends some time at a friend's place and you speak to the friend's parent, thanking them for looking after your son, and they say, it was a pleasure having him. No trouble at all! He's so quiet. You ask yourself: who are they talking about? Not my son. It couldn't be. Quiet? He's not quiet at home.

Hands up if you've ever had that experience? It's not that much of a mystery at all really. Most children subconsciously modify their behaviour depending on their circumstances. They reserve their worst behaviour for the people they know best: their parents. Most of those children grow into adults who consciously alter their behaviour depending on the situation in which they find themselves. Do you only show your worst to the people you know best? Familiarity breeds contempt. Ouch! That shouldn't be true, but it is.

In different groups of people, we act differently. Especially when we are new to that group. Or is just me? Am I the only one who bites my tongue when I strongly disagree with someone I have just me, and with whom I am going to have to spend more than five minutes? Aren't we all naturally more relaxed and friendly when the people we are with are chilled and amiable? Am I the only one who doesn't say much until he figures out the dynamics of a new group?

Sometimes I actually admire those people who apparently aren't bound by the aformentioned conventions. They act the same, speak the same to all people, in every situation. They are seemingly so comfortable with themselves that they can be themselves all the time. Or is it a lack of self awareness and sensitivity rather than a supreme sense of comfort in their own skin, that makes them act so?

Take the guy who drops the F-bomb regardless of who hears it. Or the woman whose breasts always overflow her low cut dresses. Or the man who makes tasteless jokes, which he thinks are funny, just to break the ice. What about the woman who laughs like a woodpecker, or the fella who has to virtually touch his nose to yours in order to speak with you? Or how about those who have loud personal conversations in public places?

When does 'just being yourself' end, and causing offence, or public nuisance, begin? When does adjusting your behaviour, (controlling yourself) out of sensitivity or simple shyness or caution end, and being a faker, or a game player begin?

If you have simple answers to these questions, I'd love to hear them but Solomon's been dead for thousands of years, and I'm just bumbling through life by the grace of God. Sometimes I don't know who I am.

Household anti-rules

2011-11-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

One of the best pieces of advice you can give, or receive, with respect to managing the inevitable problems which arise out of co habitation is "choose your battles".

Basically conflict is unavoidable because people have a propensity to annoy other people. However, if you want to fight about, or pick on everything that someone you share a house or home with does, then you are essentially precipitating nuclear war. One of the cute acronyms which arose from the arms race between the USSR (now defunct)and the USA (now sliding down the toilet on its way to defunct) was M.A.D. Mutually Assured Destruction, and that's basically what you get if you don't know how to choose your battles at home.

In the spirit of acceptance and tolerance, and of forgiveness and grace, I would like to present the following household anti rules.

1. Don't park the car in the empty garage. It must be left on the driveway so the birds can have their evil way with it.

2. Don't hang the hand towel on the rack after you use it. It looks much better, and dries much better if it is left screwed up on the bathroom floor.

3. Rinse the dishes in dirty, oily water and leave them there overnight as this will make them easier to clean in the morning.

Do you have any of your own household anti rules to suggest. I'd love to hear them.

Truth Hurts

2011-10-25T15:05:00.001-07:00

Truth is a hammer
Truth is a fist
Truth is a lightning strike that will not miss you
Stand up. Face it. Be a man.
Don’t be afraid of pain. Pain is good.

Destination Unkown

2011-10-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

If you catch a train to work, you arrive at the train station knowing what time your train is due. It might arrive on schedule or late, or even be cancelled, but eventually you will get to your destination. The trip itself will be predictable and unless you have a good book, somewhat boring. After eight hours or so, you will ride the train home again. You paid for a return ticket because you don't want to stay at your destination. You want to go home.

Maybe you are about to take a long overdue and well earned vacation. You have chosen a destination from literally thousands of possibilities, a place where you really want to get away from it all and relax. You might catch a ship or fly, you'll find when your transport departs and from where, and you'll be there, on time and ready to go.

The time spent travelling to your holiday destination may be predicable and not especially enjoyable but when you get there you'll have bucket loads of fun. After a week or two you'll have to go home, and although you might want to stay on vacation a little longer, you can't. You bought a return ticket, so you have to go home. In fact, part of you wants to go home.

It doesn't matter where we go, or how long we stay, or for what reason we are travelling. Most of us will always want to go home eventually. Home is where we belong.

Life is often described as journey, and it is a good analogy. It is a voyage which we must all make and one for which we cannot purchase a return ticket. We do not choose to be born, and death is unavoidable. Much of what happens in between is beyond our control. Sometimes we feel as though we have very little choice, or worse; no choice at all.

We do however have a choice about the final destination of our souls. The Bible says that choice is simple. Hell is eternity without God. Heaven is eternity with God.

Of the two, heaven is the preferred destination, and the only way to get there is to choose to repent of your sin and place your faith in Jesus Christ. Climb aboard the train which is bound for the glory of our eternal home. It is where we belong.

Two Baskets of Mysteries

2011-10-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Why does tragedy scar some people's lives while others escape the carnage of apparently random misfortune? We all have only partial control of what happens to us. Most of the time we are weak and vulnerable. Any single car journey I make could be my last. I am relatively healthy now but I could be diagnosed with cancer tomorrow. Anything could happen to me or anyone else in this crazy rollercoaster ride called life. But what's the point? So far I have pretty much cruised through life unscathed. Why have I been so blessed when others have been hammered? If 1 in 4 children have been sexually abused, why wasn't I one of them? We hear so many stories of children with serious illness, yet the worst thing my teenagers have been afflicted with is a 24 hour gastro bug.

I could spend the rest of my life presenting examples of the seeming randomness of life but I still wouldn't be able to answer the question, "why?" Perhaps a better question would be: is it even possible to answer the question "why?"

The latter question I can answer. There is much in life which can only be described as inexplicable, as mystery. There is a difference however between mystery that isn't understood, and mystery which can't be understood. Mystery that isn't understood suggests that it is at least possible to find some rational explanation for the unknown. Much like an Agatha Christie novel, one only needs to investigate the clues and apply logic, and the mystery can be solved. Life is not like that.

The mystery of life and its irregular bestowal of blessings and curses upon participating individuals, that is, all of us, cannot be understood. It is, I believe, very wise to know your own limitations. The mystery of random suffering cannot be solved.

There are then, if you accept this premise, two possible responses. Many people take the philosophical view that is so eloquently summarized in the bumper sticker slogan, "shit happens". They accept life as it is without needing a reason or an explanation. That's just the way it is. Others don't need an explanation because they know if they were told the answer, they would not understand it anyway. They do, however, like me, believe that there is a reason. That reason can't be comprehended by feeble finite minds because it emanates from the infinite and indescribable awesomeness of God. There is a reason. There is purpose.

Many say the purpose of life is simply to be born, to live, breed, eat drink and be merry, suffer, ride the rollercoaster, and then die. If that's all there is, then I want my money back. What a rip off! What a waste of precious time. Almost as great a mystery as the question of suffering, is the question why people accept the philosophy that we live, we suffer and then we die, and there is no point to it. That's not good enough for me. I need to know there is more, even if I can't understand it, and I do...and I can't.

The Law is my Mother

2011-09-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Apparently there have been a number of cases of pedestrians walking into the paths of oncoming emergency vehicles and receiving injuries and occasionally death for their carelessness. The cause is earphones, or more specifically the music screaming from them into the eardrums of those with the aforementioned items inserted into their ears.

Deafened by their audio entertainment, they step forward, oblivious of rapidly approaching catastrophe. Pedestrians can be pretty stupid. Lazy. Reckless. Careless. Pedestrians are people. Speeding emergency service vehicles are not.

Anyway, I've heard a suggestion from some relevant authority; one of the blessed and chosen ones who speak publicly on behalf of others and have the pleasure of witnessing their wise counsel reduced to silly soundbites. He said, he thinks we need a law to force earphone users to only plug one ear when they are in public.

Awesome idea. Let's disengage police officers from crime fighting duties to arrest people for using two ear phones to listen to their mobile music players in public. Let's beat them with canes in public so people learn to act more sensibly, and take more thought with their actions, and the possible consequences of said actions.

I love laws which attempt to protect people, not from others, but from themselves. What about a law that forces people to brush their teeth twice a day. We have a shortage of dentists, so if people take better care of their teeth, they won't need dentists. Let's publicly abuse people with poor oral hygiene to make sure they get the point. Humiliation is great for modifying behaviour.

We need the law to be our mother: to tell us what to do and to threaten punishments if we don't obey. Finally, a law I would really like to see introduced is one that makes it illegal for my wife to say that I don't listen to her. Are you with me fellas?

Design Flaws

2011-09-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

British adventurer, Ranulph Fiennes once said, when talking about preparing a team for an Artic region expedition, that "human beings are very badly designed for getting on with each other. Basically they don't. if you put two of them into a confined space like your average home you get, at the moment, a one in three divorce rate which is just a symptom of this bad design factor."

Are we poorly designed for good relationships? We have many of them, but is that because there's something wrong with the way we were made, or with the we behave, or the choices we make? Is there something wrong with us? We certainly have the capacity for healthy relationships.

If we only talk about our bodies then we have to take our hats off and give a standing ovation to our Designer. The human body is an engineering masterpiece. An unbelievably sophisticated machine. Yet one which is susceptible to the poison spread by microscopic bacteria and viruses. Should we have been better constructed to be impervious to infection? Perhaps that is a question for another day...or one for your Maker when you meet Him.

The complexity of our design extends to the area of our intellect and our emotions, and to the interplay between them and the x-factor known as free will. We have the ability to make good and bad choices and therefore the ability, at least potentially, to have both good and bad relationships. We can choose right. We can be selfless. The problem is we often lack the power to choose wisely and lovingly at crucial moments of human interaction. When humility is required. When compassion, and forgiveness are required. Can you rightly describe this failing, on our part, to properly exercise the gift of free will, as a flaw in our design?

I believe my Creator is perfect, and He made me in His image. If He created all of us in His image, why are we so messed up?

The Masochist Within

2011-09-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

We must all be masochists. Gluttons for punishment. When it hurts we cry a river then we run back for a second helping. Please sir, can I have some more? We fall but we struggle up on our feet again. We want what we can't have and we drive ourselves insane in futile pursuit of it. Or if do we achieve the desired outcome, we find it's taste is not as sweet as we imagined and are forced to pretend it is delicious. We are fearlessly fragile. Knowing we are broken and vulnerable doesn't stop us from lining up for more pain. We warmly embrace suffering. We are mad, aren't we?

There is an alternative lifestyle available. It is peaceful and harmless, and experiencing the pleasure it promises only requires our surrender. All we need to do is give up. Stop trying. Stop striving. Want nothing more than what you have. Don't love anyone or allow them to love you because that is way too risky. Close your heart. Close your mind. Block out the misery and misfortune of others. Don't try to change what cannot be changed. Accept injustice.

How does that sound? Sounds to me like the pain is worth it. I choose option A. Thank you very much. I'm not going to go searching for trouble and problems but I'm not going to faint with fright when they come, and they will come. Nor am I going to run away. I choose to fight though I may suffer injury. I already carry the scars of previous battles and I cherish them. They have made me who I am. I won't invite suffering into my life, that would be stupid, but when it comes, and it will come, I will welcome it as irrefutable evidence that I am alive. I am really living not just passing the time. If that makes me a masochist...so be it.

In the arms of my father

2011-08-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

I don't remember what it felt like as a child, to be hugged by my father. I know he did it and it must have felt good to be carried or just held in his strong arms. It must have felt safe and secure, and it must have made me feel important, but I don't remember the feeling itself.

I was in church one Sunday, more than ten years ago, standing and singing the song, In the Arms of my Father, while my daughter Alana slept in my arms. Undisturbed by the volume of the music or my loud singing right above her head, she slept peacefully. I had the full weight of her little body in my arms and I cried. I was happy.

As I held my daughter and sang to give thanks to my Father in Heaven, I had a fresh revelation of exactly what kind of love God has for us, his children. It's the kind of love I'm not sure I would have or even could have understood without the experience of being a father myself.

I can't remember what it felt like as a child to be in the arms of my earthly father, and it's unlikely Alana will remember when, God willing, she reaches my age and perhaps holds a child of her own. However, I do remember exactly what it felt like that day in church with Alana in my arms. I vividly recall being 'hugged' by my Father in Heaven that day, and I have felt it again since.

There is nothing in all of the universe that even comes close to the power of God's love for us, and I am so grateful to Him. So with Father's Day coming up, remember to thank your perfect supernatural Dad.

What do our Schools Produce?

2011-08-20T05:24:00.000-07:00

The idea of successful learners suggests achievement. To be considered successful what must one do? How is success measured? Is society's view of what may be deemed “success” as important, more important or less important than the individual student’s own conception of success?

Although “Successful learners” is a little vague, significant benchmarks have been introduced into the Australian education system, such as NAPLAN, which do a reasonable job of measuring academic achievement. The question is, I guess, is academic achievement our only goal?

What about confident and creative students? It could be easily argued that confidence is a non academic measure of success. Creativity, however, is not a measure of success. It is debatable whether or not creativity can be taught, or even enhanced in those individuals who are naturally creative. Some people are successful without being especially creative.

Hardworking people who may or may not be creative, can be, and often are, very successful. In my view, perhaps turning out creative individuals should not be a goal of the education system. I just don’t know whether you can create creative students.

Active and informed are good goals but what does active mean exactly? Are we expecting our students to all become champions of various causes, members of political parties, unionists, community volunteers? I guess that’s not unreasonable. While “active” may be debatable, “informed” is not. Ignorance is one of the biggest problems we have, not only in our schools, but in society in general. It’s one thing for students not to want to know what’s going on, to be socially aware, quite another for educators to accept, in any way shape or form, the questionable maxim, “ignorance is bliss”.

I think they only thing missing from these goals is diligence but I suppose it is implied in conceptions of success and active involvement. As a Christian I wonder where is the mention of making a primary goal of education the development of loving and caring people who respect others and work to promote peace in society by building good relationships. Perhaps such talk is too “Christian” or “religious” for our secular system.

A way that seems right

2011-08-06T05:28:00.000-07:00

A footpath curves to the left away from the road and around a landscaped garden with a bench for the weary traveller. Between the garden and the road was intended to be a lovely green grassed area but it is bisected by a terrible scar running across it in a direct line to where the path curves back towards the road.The scar was caused by many lazy feet walking across it, making their own path instead of using the one built for them.

A woman ran across the road in between two sets of traffic lights, both with pedestrian signals. Had she walked an extra fifty metres, either to her left or to her right, and used the crossing she would not have been knocked down by a car and injured.

The Bible says, "There is a way that seems right to man but its end is the way to death." (Proverbs 14:12)There was a way that seemed right to the many who took the shortcut across the grass, widening and deepening the scar with each step. There was a way that seemed right to the woman who risked her life for the sake of convenience to run across the road between the lights. There is a way that seems right to the Buddhist, to the Muslim, to the Humanist, and to the man who says he has no religion but worships the gods of his favourite sport. These ways lead to death.

There is a way that leads to life. Jesus is that way, (the only way), the truth, (the only truth) and Jesus is the life, (the only life). (John 14:6). There is no other way.

Dark Light

2011-07-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Whether you are perceived by others, or even see yourself, as a good or a bad person does not alter the fact that you are, at the very least potentially, both good and bad. People have the capacity for both good and evil. Given the right set of circumstances, anyone is capable of producing uncharacteristically bad deeds or unusually good deeds.To dispute this is to deceive yourself.

Light is a metaphor for goodness and dark is a metaphor for evil. Light represents not just goodness, but truth. Here is truth: God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. Here is another truth: If you claim to be without sin, you are a liar.

For those who are offended by God and the positive influence of his followers, here is a question: What would the world be like without any light? What would the world be like if there was no truth? Would you like to live in a world where evil reigns? What is it that restrains evil?

God is light. If you turn off the light, you invite death.

Smarter Devils

2011-07-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

Why do we teach others, and learn things for ourselves? Why is education so highly esteemed by the majority of people, in a majority of cultures, in a majority of countries? Why do we speak of educated men and women as though they are better than uneducated men and women? Do we truly believe that more knowledge is the answer to the world's problems? Are we learning more and doing more? Are we knowing more and loving more?

Knowledge is not the ultimate goal of education. The Bible says that knowledge "puffs" a person up with pride when it is pursued as an end in itself. If then, education should be a means to an end, what is it we are attempting to achieve? What is the end?

Humanists believe that increases in knowledge lead to improvements in society. The more we know, the better able we are to avoid problems or to fix them when we can't dodge them. Education makes people better and therefore leads to a better, more efficient, more caring, more peaceful society. That's the theory. Reality tells a different story. But even allowing for this beautiful albeit Utopian ideology, I want to ask why. What is the point of striving for the betterment of mankind? Why bother? Don't say education is a universal right. It may well be, but that is not an answer to the question. In fact, it only leads to another question about the basis for human rights.

The fault in the argument put forward by Humanists and arrogant athiests like Dawkins is that it has no moral foundation. Humans are intrinsically moral, and to remove morality from education is to render the latter, an exercise in futility. Education does not produce angels but rather, as C.S.Lewis puts it, "education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make a more clever devil."

All education should have as its goal, the edification of mankind which is itself ultimately for the Glory of God. God has given me a brain so I should use it to learn and grow but I must also share and apply my knowledge to help and encourage others; not to become better people but to recognize their need for God. To accept weakness and failure is to become complete. The purpose of life is to know God and to make Him known. Education alone will never achieve this objective, never fulfill this purpose, and it will never make the world all right. The world is all wrong and education is only a treatment, not a cure.

Taxing my Patience

2011-07-13T00:12:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, the majority of people, according to the ubiquitous and irritating polls, accepted climate change (formerly known as global warming which is a discredited term), and the need to do something about it.

Now that the government has released the details of its temporary carbon tax, and may I emphasize the word temporary because it is a precursor to a market based emissions trading scheme, nobody wants to pay for it.

For those of us in the minority who will not receive compensation, the imposition will be around $400 per annum. I will have to sell my car to pay for that, won't I?

The rubbish and lies being flung about the place these days are driving me insane. Don't get me started. I just want to say three quick things.

First, I am a climate change skeptic but I am not against reducing pollution. Asking ridiculous questions about the exact temperature drop which will result from the carbon tax in forty years time is not helpful to the discussion. Nor are tongue in cheek references to taxing volcanoes. Second, Australia is not going out on its own with a carbon tax. That is wrong. Other countries have had carbon taxes for years. Third, Julia Gillard lied about the carbon tax. Big deal! Politicans lie frequently. Either directly or by diversion, obsfucation or omission. Sometimes they just change their minds. God forbid. Twenty odd years ago, I didn't want to ever own a house, nor did I want to finish high school. I didn't see value in those things at the time. Surprise, surprise, now I do.

Stop whining about the lie about the carbon tax. Stop whining about the tax. Stop whining Australia. Just lay back, close your eyes and I promise you won't feel a thing.

Riding Bulldogs

2011-07-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

In 1999, after the war (the war between Newscorp and the Australian Rugby League)the South Sydney Rabbitohs were excluded from the premier Rugby League competition in the world by the new administrators of the game. I will never forget seeing the reaction of the fans to that monumental decision. It was as though a family member had been murdered. One image is indelibly printed on my mind: that of a Rabbitohs fan, dressed in full club colours and regalia, as though he had raided the supporters shop before being filmed, facing the camera and crying, blubbering over the demise of his beloved footy team. I could not believe all the snot and hot tears. This was a staggering manifestation of an illogical yet undeniable emotional attachment.

In 1979, aged 11, I fled the living room of a family member in horror and disgust as my team, the Canterbury Bulldogs, crashed to an insurmountable 17-0 deficit at half time of that year's Grand Final against the St.George Dragons. In the 1994 season decider, I spent more time in the toilet than in front of the television as the Bulldogs fumbled and bumbled their way to a shellacking at the hands of the Canberra Raiders. I have been nervous before matches and exhausted after them. I have paced the floor, groaned and complained, lambasted the opposition, the referees, and my own players. I have punched the air in triumph and punched pillows in anguish. I have experienced the thrill of victory, and the devastation of loss. For 32 years I have been riding the rollercoaster, following my team through the highs and the lows. From Premiership glory to the ignominy of the Wooden Spoon.

When I watch the Bulldogs play, I fall into another dimension. I escape the real world to live, albeit temporarily, in a fantasy universe where a sporting contest has eternal significance. The thrill is addictive, the tension is electric, the pain is real. I lose myself in the epic battle in which superb athletes brutally collide with each other as they struggle for supremacy.

This year, 2011, the Canterbury Bulldogs are embarrassing me with their onfield performances. Not only losing but playing poorly. They are a shadow of a football team, a spiritless gaggle of brightly uniformed geese. Nevertheless they will remain my team. I won't dump them, I won't walk way. I am committed. They are a habit I cannot break. As much a part of me as my job and my church, and all the other interests I have in life.

Having said that, you will never find me shedding tears over them. I will never plummet into a pit of depression because of what they do, or don't do. It took some time, but I have learned a little perspective. I love the joyride I get to take every footy season courtesy of my team. For eighty minutes, the suffering is contained and focused, the emotion is raw, there is only the battle. There are cheers and boos ans sometimes too personal abuse. There are winners and losers, and people get hurt, but no one dies, and when it's over...it's over but only until next week, or next season. Being a fan of a football team can be heartbreaking but that's life.I love it.

When you invest yourself in something, or someone, you should expect to suffer. To live and to love is to feel pain, and in a way that makes most of us just a little bit masochistic, doesn't it?

Let the Whales Save Themselves

2011-07-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

The mutilated and sadly deceased sperm whale which was washed ashore at Newport Beach, in Sydney recently, got me thinking about the mysterious phenomenon of whales beaching themselves. The ten metre Sperm whale at Newport needs to be moved because its rotting flesh is stinking the place out, and its blood is attracting sharks, but if it was alive when it landed, then people would have flooded the beach and worked together day and night to save it.

Scientists do not yet understand why whales beach themselves. I think their best bet is to contact Science Officer Spock, from the planet Vulcan, and ask him to communicate directly with the whales and ask them why they do it. As this is a somewhat unrealistic suggestion, we must simply accept the fact that beaching is a part of the life cycle of whales. It happens. It's a natural behaviour.

That being the case, why do we interfere? Why do we expend so much time, effort and money to move the stranded aquatic beasts back into the ocean? There must be more to it than the selfish desire to avoid putrefaction and grab a spot on the evening news.

We like whales. That's why we do it. They are the gentle giants of the seven seas. Naturally we want to save them, either from commercial hunters or self destruction, because it is inhumane to allow suffering. Even the Bible says that the righteous man is kind to his animals. Motivated by compassion, efforts to help these cuddly cetaceans are commendable.

However, there are some who take kindness to animals to extremes by placing animal welfare above human welfare. These people dispute mankind's God given dominion over the earth. They advocate vegetarianism because they say it's cruel to kill and eat animals. We should shut down entire industries and cause people to lose their jobs because cows don't die happily. Even if it is natural for whales to beach themselves, we should still try to save them.

Such people have their priorities all wrong. All the energy and passion invested in the protection of animals and other environmental causes would be much better spent on trying to eradicate human suffering and misery. Let the whales save themselves.

Ash Clouds Over our Future

2011-06-25T14:27:00.000-07:00

While the boring debate about human induced climate debate is enthusiastically participated in by zealots on both sides and dismissed by the majority of people who have more important things to worry about, the Earth, this planet we temporarily inhabit, keeps delivering reminders of its frightening power, and absolute disregard for us.

There have been more earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, and a volcano in Chile which would not have made the news in our part of the world but for the tragic fact that it messed up the travel plans of tens of thousands of air commuters and holiday makers. That damn ash cloud also cost the airlines a lot of moolah: Australian airlines reported losses of around one hundred million dollars. Rainy days ruin picnics, and cause the cancellation of junior football matches. Windy days make people crazy. Cold snaps mean we fire up our various heating devices, as do heatwaves necessitate more power for cooling. Electricity costs money and, is mostly generated by coal fired power stations in Australia. Shame on us. Why can't we control the elements and live more low or zero cost, 'minimal impact on the environment' lifestyles?

The Chilean ash cloud is a curiosity to me. I was fascinated to learn that it is largely composed of bits of pulverised rock and glass, and amazed when it circumnavigated the globe and then did it again. Cool. My interstate plans were not interrupted. I didn't lose any money or any sleep. It had no effect whatsoever on my life other than the fact that I had to listen to, and watch dull, repetitive news reporting on the issue. Usually we get a break in the news cycle between stories of similar or identical bent, but within a week of the first load of tripe about the ash cloud and the poor little aeroplanes which couldn't fly through or around or under it, we received more of the same riveting coverage delivered by beautiful reporters standing in airports.

We care most about what directly affects us most. While it is easy to feel great sadness and genuine empathy for a woman in Japan whose whole family was killed and her house completely destroyed by the tsunami, that emotion is nothing compared with the grief the woman herself feels and will always feel because of what the Earth did to her. This is not intended to be a lesson on perspective. Perspective lessons suck! I'm into sympathy and empathy. Telling someone that there are people worse off than them, is patronizing and insulting. My point is that we cannot totally control what happens to us, and there are times when we should just accept that fact, and stop trying so hard to be masters of our own destinies.

Review of The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith

2011-06-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the second time I read The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith. Loved it again. I felt such incredible empathy for Jimmie and anger towards the racist mean spirited pigs who exploited him. I wanted Jimmie to succeed but there was in the book, and in life I suspect, a sense that somethings are inevitable and that good does not always triumph over evil.

Keneally is a terrific writer, I love his books. The way he writes, understating and overstating at the same time with crisp, vivid descriptions of people and places, and pulsing narratives that bubble with historical authenticity. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith is deservedly considered an Australian classic.

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In Support of People Swapping

2011-06-18T00:23:00.000-07:00

I know he is the Opposition Spokesman for Immigration but could somebody please shut Scott Morrison up. Him and his boss, the chronically disagreeable and compulsively anti everything, Tony Abbott, are barking up the wrong tree with their back to the future solution to the problem of the marauding hordes of asylum seekers who are invading our shores.

The government said no to using Nauru again as a processing centre but Tony Abbott went there anyway. Screaming Scott is off to Malaysia soon to find fellow oppositionists, co conspirators against a common sense approach to reality. Of course he will find many of like mind, with respect to the yet to be signed agreement between Malaysia and Australia for a people swap. There are many here who oppose the idea. The parliament is split which accurately reflects public opinion.

Despite all the whining from alleged humanitarians, the Australian government seems determined to push on with the arrangement, and the official word from Malaysia is also positive. I say, good on the government. The stupid and ubiquitous polls tell a tale of woe for the Prime Minister but she remains dogged. Hoo - bloody - ray! John Howard did not let even worse numbers in the polls deter him from introducing the GST, and that's exactly what I want from my leaders. Not populism. Leadership.

The message to people smugglers and the desperate unfortunates they are trying to "help" is that if you make it to Australia, and think you've made it to the front of the queue, think again. Here's a one way ticket to Malaysia where they use canes for discipline in their gaols, sorry, detention centres, and by the way you'll probably never reach Australia.

Here's a few alternatives to the government's people swapping policy. Locate the asylum seekers in their rickety boats and murder them. Sink the boats and let them drown, or shoot them all and then sink the boat. Or let the boats reach our shores and then kill the queue jumpers. Maybe we could, let them come, and lock them up for the term of their natural lives. After all, Australia was founded as a penal colony. How about this one? Let them come, provide with them with truck loads of cash and let them disappear into their ethnic communities.

This is the one I like the most: send them to the back of the queue in Malaysia, and allow, in exchange, 4000 genuine refugees, who have already been processed, to migrate to Australia. Then watch them make a wonderful contribution to our society as have 99.9% of all the refugees and migrants who have come before them.

The Cows Win

2011-06-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm disappointed with the government's decision to suspend live cattle exports to Indonesia. I think they are weak for caving in to whining vegetarians and animalarians (I invented that word) who have more compassion for dumb animals than human beings.

With no thought for the impact on Australian families whose livelihoods have been stripped away with a stroke of an overly-sensitive-to-public-opinion bureaucratic pen, the Federal government has made yet another mistake. What about a phasing out of trade with Indonesia if they cannot improve the treatment of cattle in their slaughterhouses? What about allowing time for a shift to more humane slaughter methods? What about insisting that some of the aid money we send to Indonesia be used to buy stun guns for their abottoirs, and education programs on how to use them? What about some common sense?

What about people? What about compensation for businesses and families affected by this knee jerk reaction? The Prime Minister says they'll continue to consult the industry. How impressive. More consultation. What about Indonesian families who will be forced to pay higher prices for meat due to the sudden drop in supply? Who cares right? As long as those four legged factories are looked after, and the government doesn't have to put up with protests from bleeding heart animal lovers.

review of Good News, Bad news

2011-06-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Good News, Bad News by David Wolstencroft

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Good News, Bad News is a story about a very complicated relationship between two spies, Charlie and George. Author, Wolstencroft paints a dark picture of the destructive nature of duplicity. It makes you wonder about those who lie because they have to, because it's their job to lie. It presents a credible challenge to the idea that honesty is the best policy. Sometimes people are faced with painful and difficult choices about what they reveal about themselves.

On the negative side, I found Charlie a bit annoying occasionally and I wasn't sure at times whether I was reading comedy or serious fiction. Overall, Good News Bad News didn't really grab me and shake me, but I enjoyed it and recommend it.It was a fast paced story with lots of twists and surprises. I liked that, and the slow reveal of back story. I also enjoyed the developing friendship between Charlie and George.

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Prevent Cruelty to Australian Families

2011-06-03T23:49:00.000-07:00

60% of Australia's live cattle exports go to Indonesia where, we have learned this week, they are being inhumanely treated on slaughterhouse floors: stabbed multiple times, garroted with blunt blades, and tormented, before dying to feed the voracious appetite of our large northern neighbor.

Now that many Australians have seen what goes on in Indonesian abbatoirs, courtesy of the Four Corners report, the cry of outrage is shaking the walls of parliament. What do the people want? A ban on live animal export trade. But should we turn our back on a $351 million dollar trade arrangement to prevent the suffering of the innocent bovines? Should we sacrifice Australian jobs for the sake of the poor cows? How far should we go to protect these loveable four legged factories?

Actually, the answer is simple. Blame the backward, cruel Muslims, and wail about how evil they are, and then start a war against some terrorist organisation in Afghanistan, and tell everyone we are fighting for the cows in Indonesia.

I do believe that animals should be killed humanely. Cruelty is ungodly, but I'm a bit tired of the excessive moral outrage people express when animals suffer, compared with the relative silence when people do. By the way, if you think that some cows aren't mistreated right here in our backyard, then think again, and, may I suggest you re-examine your priorities. Did I hear someone say hypocrisy?

The Weariness of Exhaustion

2011-05-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Tiger Airways have a problem with their aircrew flying tired. So tired in fact, that they can't be bothered reporting their weariness to the supervisors. According to Captain Tim Berry, who is the Director of Operations for Tiger, crew who were fatigued sometimes lacked the energy even to fill out a report.

How many times have you uttered the words, "whatever", in response to some suggestion that you didn't understand or like, or to some unpleasant or unsatisfactory situation in which you found yourself? Rather than fight, we sometimes simply throw up our hands and surrender. Why? Because we are tired. We've had enough. It can get so bad that we can't even find the strength to protest. Ever heard the saying, no use complaining because no one listens anyway. Why waste breath on a pointless gripe which won't change or achieve anything? What's the point?

Many people adopt this pose as they confront life. They lay down and accept what life dishes out to them because opposition requires too much effort and promises too little compensation. Others are engaged in battle all the time. For them conflict is the reason for existence. Winston Churchill's immortal speech about fighting them on the beaches etcetera is engraved in their mind. To live is to fight.

While the warrior group may be extremists, they are closer to the truth. Life is a war and there are things worth fighting for. The trick is to figure out which battles to wage. There are some causes which should not be championed and some enemies which should not be pursued. Marked by human frailty and brokenness, we cannot fight everyone and everything, but neither should we lie down and allow life to kick us in the ribs and stomp on our heads.

Wisely choose your battles, and carefully select your allies because no one has ever won a war by themselves. And if you get worn out, make sure you tell someone. And get some rest!

Review: Hit List by Lawrence Block

2011-05-26T03:18:00.001-07:00

Hit List by Lawrence Block

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Having read Hope to Die previously, I expected a bit from this Block novel. Unfortunately I was disappointed. I didn't find the KC, Keller, believable. Perhaps because he was not backgrounded. A killer without a conscience who collects stamps. I just din't get him. A lot of the dialogue, especially between Dot and Keller was trite and boring and a bit try hard, trying to be funny that is. As for Dot, I didn't like her at all.

The narrative kept me interested but it was too punctuated by other stuff and the ending was anti-climatic which I think was a comment of mine about Hope to Die. One thing I did really like and appreciate was the lack of detail in relation to Keller's hits. It made the violence in the novel seem...I can't think of what I want to say. Anyway, overall, not such a good read.

View all my reviews

Life is not a Roundabout

2011-05-20T21:17:00.001-07:00

I remember when that wonderful innovation called "roundabouts" were introduced to our roads and we, as children riding bicycles, considered them a wonderful novelty. There was a time before roundabouts, chicanes, speed humps, pedestrian refuges, and other so called traffic calming devices. In that marvelous era, roads were wide, footpaths were narrow and street furniture was not even a twinkle in the eye of an under-worked town planner.

I seriously doubt whether any of these things are anywhere near as effective as their designers intended, but they do provide an excellent series of analogies for life and the human condition.

Roundabout signs are triangular in shape for a very good reason. Give Way signs are also triangular. As the former came into being along time before the latter the message is clear. Cars approaching roundabouts are supposed to slow down and give way to traffic already in the roundabout. That is the rule. That is the correct way to use a roundabout.

I have observed, and you probably have as well, two other ways drivers use roundabouts. First, they slow on approach, as one should, then they look to the right and when it's clear, they proceed. They don't look to the left or even directly ahead sometimes. In life, it's okay to be cautious, quite sensible in fact, and it's not a bad thing to only look one way...unless it's the wrong way.

The second group approach at speed, ignore the give way sign and drive straight through, oblivious to any other motorists. People get hurt by other people who tear inconsiderately and recklessly through life.

Just because other people have successfully negotiated roundabouts time after time does not mean they are doing it properly. It's likely to be more a case of good luck rather than good management. Look around you. Other people may seem to successfully handle life and its inherent and inevitable problems but looks can be deceiving. And even if they are, it does not automatically follow that they are living life right in God's eyes.

Life is not a roundabout but there is a wrong way and a right way to live.

The Sauce of all Problems

2011-05-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Adam Jonathan Meyer was ordered by a judge to pay compensation to Gordon Price for repeatedly squirting him with soy sauce in a Brisbane shopping mall. Meyer pleaded guilty to assault, and had apparently attacked price on other occasions in the same way, although Price said he did not know Meyer.

In London, a dissatisfied customer tried to break into a pub to prove the chef had used HP sauce instead of the home made chili sauce promised on the menu. During the dinner an argument erupted over the authenticity of the sauce. Infuriated, the man and his wife, both professional chefs, stormed out of the restaurant. Several hours later, the man, armed with a hammer, returned to the restaurant wearing a balaclava, black gloves and a combat jacket, intending to break in and discover whether the kitchen had HP sauce in it or not. His attempt failed and he was fined $210 for damaging the door of the pub.

These stories are funny but they demonstrate a major flaw in human nature. Everyday all over the world, people are going to 'war' over such unbelievably trivial things. It's no wonder none of the serious problems society faces can be solved when people struggle to sort out minor disagreements peacefully.

Romans 12:17, 18-21 says, "Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all...do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

The source of all problems is our failure to live by these words.

An Eye for an Eye

2011-05-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

"With the death of Osama bin Laden, the world is now a safer and better place."

This may be the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard or will ever hear. I know, as president of the United States, Barrack Obama had to say it but when I heard it, I almost laughed out loud.

The 10 year old shameful war against terror which has already cost thousands of lives will continue unabated despite the assassination of the the world's most wanted man. The world is not safer or better. In fact, it may, at least in the short term, be even more dangerous for the enemies of Islamic fundamentalists. Revenge is sure to be high on the agenda of Allah's warriors.

Did you know that Osama bin Laden was found many years ago and could have easily been killed then? The order was not given.* How did you feel when you heard the news that the Al Qaeda leader was dead? Did you feel differently when you learned that despite being unarmed, he was shot in the head and murdered? Did it make you feel a little uncomfortable to see video footage of the U.S. President watch the assassination of bin Laden live on a television? What about the news that his body had been quickly removed then dumped in the sea? Does it make you scratch your head to learn that he was found in a million dollar, high walled compound in a militarized Pakistani city? Do you wonder if perhaps Osama has simply moved to Graceland?

Osama bin Laden achieved exactly what he wanted: he changed the world, made us fearful, and died a victorious martyr's death. Even with his violent demise, he has defeated us again by evading true justice. An eye for an eye is not justice.

* Michael Scheuer was head of the CIA's Osama bin Laden Tracking Unit. He was interviewed by Richard Fidler on the ABC radio program Conversations, in 2007.

Saints with Parkinson's Disease

2011-05-05T03:13:00.000-07:00

Leaving aside the fact that the transformation of mortals into patron saints who can be prayed to, that is, what the Roman Catholic church calls beatification, is not possible, I want to say something about JP II.

By most accounts, Karol Wojtyla, a.k.a. Pope John Paul II was a great man. A popular and influential leader of one of the world's major religions. A man of God, highly respected and loved, and rightly so.

His recent beatification places him one step away from being canonized. This means he will be officially recognized as a saint. The Bible says that all Christ followers are saints. The 'b' word and the 'c' word are made up words which honour certain members of the church as greater than others. Nasty. I don't like that. I wonder what God thinks of it?

Anyway, to be beatified, JP II, had to have a genuine verified miracle accredited to him. His miracle was to cure a woman of Parkinson's disease. There is no medical cure for this cruel disease, and the irony is, that not many years after healing this woman, JP II himself was killed by the same scourge.

Saints and sinners alike are born to die and then to face judgement. So it is written. So it is.

Frog in Love

2011-04-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Why do people feel the need to criticize things which are good and nice? Why do we, as humans, tend so often to tear down rather than build up? Why is a negative thought always so readily available? Why can't my dog make up his mind whether he wants to be inside or outside? Why are we so intent on dying rather than living?

Perhaps you might like to answer those questions but I'm not going to because a man and a woman were married yesterday. William and Kate are in love, and on the 29th day of April in Westminster Abbey, they exchanged vows and, in the sight of God, their family and friends, and a couple of billion spectators, became husband and wife. Naturally this wedding was not an average nuptial ceremony. It cost truckloads of cash, and attracted huge amounts of attention and why shouldn't it have? A prince married the woman he loves and she has become a princess. Who doesn't love a fairytale?

The vision of the beautifully happy and totally in love young couple that I watched on my television screen last night melted my heart. As for the extravagance of the occasion, the opulence of the setting, the cost of security, and the political irrelevance of royalty...so what? Hear me loud and clear: it was lovely and delightful. Yes, I used those adjectives willingly, and I am not ashamed.

I see nothing wrong with people celebrating love. If you have ever been in love or are in love right now, then you know how all consuming the passion is. You know the dizziness, the butterflies, the joy. You know how love makes you crazy and gives you strength. Like the Frog who fell in love with the Duck*, you know that love crosses all divides of race and religion. You know it is worth celebrating, and if you had as much money as the British royal family, you would spend it without a second thought to tell the world how magnificent and wonderful love is, especially your love.

Given a choice, I would not have watched the wedding instead of the football last night. However, I was happy the match was delayed so that I could see William and Kate in love and getting married because it made me feel good. I pray their love and happiness never ends.

* Frog in Love, by Max Velthuijs, Anderson Press (1989)

Fighting Losing Battles

2011-04-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you can try your hardest to do something but it won't be good enough to achieve success. Sometimes you can play as well as you possibly can, but it won't be good enough to avoid defeat. We may fight with everything we have, with strength, bravery, skill and doggedness, but sometimes everything is not enough. Nobody wins every battle they fight. There are some wars which simply cannot be won, and some enemies which cannot be defeated. There are times when we need someone else to fight for us.

This brings us to the common theme of Easter and Anzac Day: sacrifice. Our soldiers fight our battles for us and many of them lose their lives. In the great wars of the past many have died to save others. Our troops are still dying as they fight unwinnable wars. Without wishing to cause offence though, I believe Easter is of greater importance because of the nature of the enemy, and the totality of the victory.

We are fighting a losing battle against ourselves, our selfishness, our pride, our greed, and our brokenness. Death is the certain outcome of this war and the casualties are mounting. Look around you, listen to people's stories, learn of the pain and suffering which defines our lives. We do not have the resources to win this fight. We are far too weak. We need some else to fight for us.

Jesus Christ sacrificed himself so that those who believe in him could have their sins forgiven, and be healed of their pain. He was broken so that we could be fixed. Three days later, he rose from the grave having defeated the ultimate enemy, death itself, and in doing so he made true, meaningful and eternal life possible.

If you are tired of battling alone, struggling through one war after another. If you are on the verge of surrendering because of exhaustion and hopelessness, hear the words of your saviour, Jesus Christ: "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Our Men Are Afraid

2011-04-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Some fool over in Afghanistan, a local politician or something, added his two cents to our current debate about allowing women in the Australian Defense Forces to serve in frontline positions. Obviously an ignorant sexist with a flare for being offensive, he said that we must be considering women for combat roles because our men are afraid. Fair enough, this may have been a juicy example of hyperbolic rhetoric but it really annoyed me. What a stupid thing to say when our men, our soldiers, are dying in his God forsaken country to try and secure a peaceful future for them.

The re-ignited public discussion about women in combat roles is also stupid. As with just about everything kicked around in the forum of the vox populi, it is largely drivel. People have a right to their opinions but we should all be aware that there is a difference between points of view which are informed by relevant knowledge and/or experience, and hot air fuelled by ignorance and prejudice.

Women and men are not the same but they can do the same things. The only pre-requisite for employment in a particular profession, in this case, the armed forces, should be a person's ability to do the job. Are they physically, intellectually and emotionally capable of executing their duties? The presence of a penis between the candidate's legs, or lack thereof is not a relevant criterion.

Speaking of penises: have you heard the one about how women on the front line may get raped if captured? Men get raped too. What about that women are too soft and they might not be able to handle the terror of combat? Men have had their insides ripped out, literally and metaphorically, ever since they first raised arms against one another after they were expelled from Paradise. What about the one that says men will feel overly protective of the females in their unit? I believe that the bonds that exist between members of a combat unit are unbreakable; thicker than blood in some cases.

I don't know anything about war other than what I read, listen to, and watch. I've been to the War Memorial, and I've felt the intensity of overwhelming emotions when I think of what has been sacrificed by our armed forces, but I have never experienced it. Saying that I know about war is like stating I understand brain surgery because I watched a edited version of it on RPA.

To say that I admire the bravery of people who go into armed combat is such an understatement that I feel embarrassed to write it. The debate about whether courageous women should serve on the frontline is best left to people who know what they are talking about. Ignorance, like that demonstrated by our Afghan friend, is not helpful.

Straight Shooting

2011-04-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed sometimes when I hear our political leaders speak. In fact, I don't think many of them deserve to be called leaders. Let's just call them politicians and we all know what politicians are like, don't we? What a tragedy that we live in a country where we don't believe what our politicians say. What a shame that we laughingly accept truisms like, all politicians lie and break promises. They can't even lie straight in bed. Not only do they lie and say whatever is politically expedient at the time, but they can't even do it convincingly. If you expect an honest, direct answer to a question, then you are dreaming, living in a fantasy world where politicians say what they mean, and mean what they say.

I know that not all of the current crop of politicians are crooked doublespeakers, and I also know that many who come across that way, are probably different in private. They may well be honest, passionate people who ooze integrity but I want to see those qualities in their public life. I want leaders who are not allergic to straight answers, not afraid to say what they think, and who actually act instead of mouthing empty rhetoric.

With incessant and totally justified bagging of our politicians a completely normal, and totally acceptable national pastime, I want to break away and offer some praise. This week, two men stood tall. Take a bow, Federal Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, and NSW Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay.

Leaving aside the issue of the secret filming and broadcasting of some horizontal folk dancing by an army cadet, I want to rap Stephen Smith for speaking very strongly against how the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) is handling the matter. Until his intervention, the decision by the female cadet at the centre of the maelstrom to go public had left her bullied and isolated without any offer of counselling, and under implied orders from her superiors that she would have to apologize publicly to her fellow cadets for embarrassing them. She was then hauled before a disciplinary committee on unrelated charges. Mr Smith described the decision to conduct her hearing at this time as either inappropriate, insensitive or completely stupid. Yes, he used the words completely stupid. Bravo! Furthermore, he refused to give his support to the ADFA Commandant. Full marks for straight shooting and direct intervention.

Newly appointed Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay, was interviewed on radio during the the week in relation to the government's plan to audit the state's fixed speed cameras. In response to public concerns that speed cameras are revenue raisers and not safety devices, the government wants to know factually, whether or not fixed speed cameras have reduced accident rates. People feel that many of the fixed cameras are simply in place to raise money by catching drivers unawares in tricky locations, for example, the bottom of hills, around bends or in multiple speed zones. Said Duncan Gay, 'it's hard to argue against that, and that's why we are independently auditing the system' He also said that having marked police cars on our roads was in many instances a much more acceptable option. Common sense and genuine empathy with the public? Minister Gay sounds like a representative of the people. Hats off to you sir.

Great Expectations

2011-04-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

School awards ceremonies, a.k.a presentation nights are notoriously dull. Dutiful yet proud parents rock up to these events wishing they could fast forward all the other bits to get to the moment when their child receives an accolade. Prepared for boredom as a succession of names are read out, and ready for lame attempts at humour from the emcee, they endure the momentary pain for the somewhat longer lasting pleasure of seeing their child's achievements formally recognised.

These occasions almost always have a highlight or two. I remember one ceremony I attended in which a Year 6 boy come up to receive an award for maths and was audibly heard to say, 'But I hate maths!'

The other highlight on that night, was watching the same boy, and a Year 6 girl snagging nine or ten awards between them. With academic achievements, sports awards and library service recognition, these two were clearly the stars of the show.

I recall thinking at the time that they were the big frogs preparing to jump out of the pond of primary school and into the lake of high school the following year. I wonder how well they did. What sort of expectations would have been placed upon them? By themselves? Their peers? Their parents? How did they respond?

Most parents want their children to do well at school or at sport, but some mothers and fathers expect big things. Early success is a portent of future greatness. The eager anticipation that these children will produce glorious fruit as older children, and then as adults can hang above their heads like a storm cloud. Some parents attempt to live their lives again through their children to try to somehow atone for their own perceived failures, or lack of success. The weight of these often unrealistic and unfair expectations crushes many young spirits by sucking the fun out of their lives.

God does not place such expectations on his children. As a parent who expects great things from God, my expectations for my children revolve around them finding meaning and satisfaction in living in obedience to God's will, and in them learning to love God and others more than themselves. Who they are matters more to me than what they do. God is more interested in our characters than our achievements but for those who follow Him, and love like Him, the awards ceremony in Heaven will be the most awesome party of all time. I hope to see you there.

Tamper Proof Seals

2011-03-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how ridiculously hard it can be these days to get what you want out of a bottle, a jar or a box? Whether it's food, medicine or simply a new toy, the glues, plastic and wires of packaging, or the wickedly engineered variety of tamper proof seals and caps; the everyday act of opening these vessels has been rendered a challenge of biblical proportions.

The manufacturers of these various products design their containers and packages to be difficult to open because they want to ensure that the only person who gets what's inside, is the person for whom the product is intended. Sometimes packaging is intensely intricate to protect the contents during travel. Fair enough, but sometimes it's so hard to get into what you want that you wonder if it's going to be truly worth the effort.

In the case of food and medicine, tamper proof seals are used to protect the contents from contamination. To ensure it's purity. When you buy a drink for example, and break the seal as you unscrew the cap, you can be reasonably sure that the liquid inside the bottle is exactly what the producer intended you to consume. No hidden nasties.

Because God is holy, nothing impure or sinful can enter his presence and so, in a sense, Heaven is sealed against contamination, and entering it requires much more than any mere human attempt to break the seal. You cannot force your way into heaven either by sheer volume of good deeds or by an extreme effort of will power or wishful thinking. Your "goodness" will never be sufficient.

The only way in is through faith; faith in the redeeming power of Christ whose body was broken and blood shed that we might be able to have a relationship with God. It was our Maker's plan that the tamper proof seal of Heaven could only be broken by a violent and sacrificial act. Jesus broke the seal by his death and resurrection. He made a way for us to enter the perfectly pure peace of Heaven.

Headbanging with Wolves

2011-03-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

The story of a Norwegian boy who frightened off a pack of wolves who were surrounding him by blasting them with a heavy metal track, made me think about the significant times in my life when music in general, or a particular song, has been inextricably linked.

Every time I hear 'I See Red' by Splitz Enz, I recall sitting next to my mum in the car when another car rear ended her as she waited to turn into the driveway of my uncle's house. Hearing Tears for Fears always makes me think of an old girlfriend. Songs by my boyhood bands, Australian legends, like Midnight Oil and The Angels, transport me back in time. I associate Stryper with my early years as a Christian when I abandoned all my heavy metal music, including giving away my 15 album strong KISS collection. It was time when I needed to hear 'To Hell with the Devil', by Stryper rather than 'we worship you Satan' by Possessed.

At different times and in different situations, the lyrics of particular songs can be remarkably poignant. "Wherever you Go" by Richard Marx is our song. The words were so appropriate as my wife and I spent most of our courtship separated by thousands of kilometres. In this song we heard our own voices, our emotions, our thoughts expressed better than we could have done ourselves.

This is the real power of music: to connect to the heart of the listener. Regardless of the style of music, (everyone knows metal rules anyway), the songs I love, speak to me. They provide words when I cannot find them. Have you ever listened to the lyric of a song and thought it was written for you, or to you, or about you?

Sometimes these kinds of high impact songs can be helpful, they provide happiness, empathy and even comfort, but sometimes they can be harmful. How many times can you listen to a song before you know the lyric, and at what point do you believe it? When does it become a part of you forever? When does it transform your mind? When does it convince you? When does it drag you into dark places and lock you up? When does it seditiously plant lies in your mind?

When wolves surround you, how will you scare them away? Are the songs in your head powerful enough to defeat your enemies, or are they eroding your will, weakening your resolve, leaving your vulnerable. Hugely popular heavy metal band, Disturbed, have called their current tour, Music as a Weapon. I rest my case.

Abstract Distractions

2011-03-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

A man and a woman, finding their way into love, meet each other at an art gallery, and they spend the afternoon wandering around gazing at paintings on walls.The art they see generates discussion, and evokes some mirth, as they learn more about each other, in a very indirect and non threatening way.This is a cliche which belongs in the middle of a romantic comedy but there is something profoundly true about how people react to art, and both find and reveal themselves through it.

Yesterday I was at the Art Gallery of New South Wales with my daughter. We came upon a wall size portrait which took my breath away. I stood and stared at it for a long time, fascinated by the way the family in the painting seemed so lifelike yet very ethereal at the same time. The artist, Zhang Xiaogang, had captured the watery sheen of the human eye yet there was a strong unreality about the faces. Maybe it was the size of the portrait. Maybe it was the haunting shades of grey Xiaogang used to depict the husband, wife and child. Whatever it was, it was magical. Kiwi artist Godfrey Miller, used straight lines and colour to amazing effect in his Nude and the Moon. I was entranced as I imagined the passionate dedication required to bring his vision to life on canvas. If I could afford such masterpieces, I would love to hang them in my home.

On the other hand, there were paintings which left us shaking our heads and suppressing laughter at why they should be considered worthy of a place on the wall of our state gallery. I was very disappointed with Brett Whitely's half hearted attempt to paint a shower rose in one of his works, and Tony Tuckson, needs to explain to an art heathen like myself, what he had in mind when he brushed five vertical strokes on a canvas and called it Five White Lines.

I appreciated the hours and hours of labour that must have gone in to the production of these works of art. I admired the dedication to craft, and I could feel the intensity with which the artists had painted. Some of the works were eye catching, clever, and thought provoking. I was taken on a journey as a strolled the polished floor of the gallery. It was beautiful and I was awestruck at the creation of such sublime artistry.

Then I thought of God who spoke this magnificent earth, and the mind numbingly massive diversity of life upon it, into existence, and I was humbled.

Illegal. Immoral or Both?

2011-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Apparently generous Commonwealth bank ATMs were dispensing more money than requested by customers earlier this week. The bank said people were deliberately overdrawing their accounts, and that this was possible because the ATM's were offline, and therefore not connected to the bank's database.For those collecting the bonus cash, it must have seemed like a miracle but banks don't give money away. It's not like Monopoly where a bank error in your favour can net you a cool $200. The beneficiaries of the surprise cash have been told to return the money. Fraud squad is involved, and advising people that keeping money which does not belong to them is a crime which may result in prosecution and a 10 year jail term. That seems a bit over the top, doesn't it? These people aren't criminals...or are they?

You can be fined for littering, but is it immoral? It's against the law to use a handheld mobile phone while you're driving, but it's okay to eat, drink, smoke, have a conversation, or listen to the radio - or even do all five things at once. Is talking on the phone while driving immoral? Is it even criminal?

The possession and/or use of heroin is a crime even though it is less harmful to the body than tobacco which is a legal product. Slander is illegal but it's not a crime to assassinate someone's character in a secret whisper. You can be fined for staying ten minutes too long in a parking space. It's illegal to exceed the speed limit but you can't be fined for overstepping the boundaries of truth in order to manipulate somebody, or their opinion of you. Telling lies is, in many instances, perfectly legal. It's not against the law to be greedy or selfish or to fornicate or to commit adultery, but it is illegal to cut down a tree on your own property without permission.

Consider these many examples and ask yourself the question: Is every illegal act also an immoral act? Or try this one: Should all immoral acts be illegal?

My Suffering is Greater than Yours

2011-02-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Two tragic situations weigh heavily on my mind like crushing weights upon my back: the earthquake in Christchurch and the revolution in Libya. The only thing these have in common though, is death.

With 113 confirmed deaths and 228 still missing, presumed deceased, the violent indiscriminate wrath of nature manifested itself yet again in New Zealand recently. Aftershocks continue. There is fear, shock and great sadness. I feel it from afar but I'm not there. It's not my suffering. I cannot experience it, nor can I imagine it.

Inspired by their Arab brothers and sisters in Tunisia and Egypt, the people of Libya began a revolution. Their leader, the despot Gadaffi responded to calls for his departure and a transition to democracy with angry defiance and bloodshed. He went on state television and called his own people cockroaches. He told them he would send soldiers to hunt them down and kill them. Libyan protesters, who were doing something which we take for granted in our free nation, were shot mercilessly in the streets by hired guns. Firing from the ground, and from the air in helicopter gunships, mercenaries murdered innocent people. Libya is closed. Nobody really knows what's going on there and we have seen very few pictures of the carnage. I feel great rage towards the madman Gadaffi, and tremendous sorrow for those who have suffered death and injury. It will continue but I'm not there. I cannot experience it or imagine it.

When we are suffering we tell ourselves that there is always someone worse off than us. It's a way of reassuring ourselves. Our loved ones, or even acquaintances, may offer similar platitudes in an effort to rescue us from despair or from the mire of self pity. But no one knows a person's suffering better than that person themselves. Making comparisons with other people's tragedies may provide a quantum of solace but it doesn't necessarily ease the pain or remove the source of suffering.

I long for the day when suffering and sorrow will cease and every tear will be wiped away, but until then the only encouragement I can offer is that it won't last forever. Even if it lasts a lifetime. Even if it seems to be endless, suffering will end one day. While we wait for that glorious release from this prison, let's be wise and sensitive, and above all gracious, kind and loving. It's not hard. In one way or another, we are all suffering together.

The Survival of the Meekest

2011-02-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

A wise and Godly man once encouraged his readers to think positively, to dwell on excellent and pure things, to ponder righteous deeds, to praise generosity and celebrate goodness and kindness.

This man, Paul, was a follower of arguably the most influential figure in history, Jesus Christ. In perhaps his most famous sermon, the one on the Mount, Jesus told his audience that the meek would inherit the earth. Jesus disappointed many people with his talk of meeknessweakness because they wanted strength. They wanted displays of divine power, they wanted direct intervention to relive their suffering.

The so called Enlightened One, a.k.a. Buddha, correctly identified suffering as a universal characteristic of human existence. He was also right, at least partially, in saying that suffering comes from desire. Jesus clarified the issue by pointing out that war has its origins in illicit desire, and that much suffering in this world results from individuals desiring things they shouldn't and suing whatever means they deem necessary to satisfy their lust. Greed is, nine times out of ten, bad.

People who believe in a personal God, expect that deity to help them, to bless them, to rescue them from danger, to alleviate their suffering. These people know, however, that their God does not usually step in to fight their battles. This adds to their pain and in some instances causes them to attempt all manner of "home remedies" and some of these cures are worse than the disease. Desperate times may require desperate measures but do we have the strength to fight and be victorious in all these battles.Are we strong enough in our selves to overcome all our suffering?

From Darwinism comes the adage "survival of the fittest". If you are strong you will make it through, if you are weak you will die. The strong prey upon the weak in this dog eat dog world. Dog eat dog doesn't exactly conjure up pleasant images in my mind. I see nothing admirable or excellent in people devouring one another for personal gain. The kind of self reliant strength which often gets labelled as the allegedly indomitable human spirit is not worthy of exultation, nor is it true strength.

True strength is in weakness, in the confession of dependence, in the forgiveness of failure in yourself, and the acceptance of it in others. In humility, or meekness as Jesus said. It was Paul again, who noted that God's power was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Embrace weakness and brokenness, humble yourself and be truly strong.

Give Me a Dictator

2011-02-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

All right, I don't really want a dictator. Just because Hosni Mubarak unified and protected Egypt, made her strong, and got her out of debt and back into the Arab Alliance, does not mean that I, if I was an Egyptian citizen, would be prepared to put up with that degree of corruption, despotism and fascism. The prospect of being locked up simply for criticizing the government is not one which holds any appeal.

Australia would need to start a penal colony in the desert or on some far flung Pacific island if our government starting arresting people for bagging it. Thank God that's not the case, and I am free to write of my extreme disappointment with our political leaders.

Our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and her predecessor, Kevin Rudd spent a great deal of time talking about making tough decisions. All the government minsters do the same thing, as they dribble out the nausea inducing phrase, 'what's best for the national interest'. They don't follow through though. Lots of talk, and very little action.It happens at the state level as well. They make some big announcement, they encounter opposition, they say they will resist that opposition and make it happen, but the criticism increases, the political heat rises, and they back down.

Kevin Rudd gave the states an ultimatum on health. Sort yourselves out, he said, or I will. When he first talked about nationalising the health care system, I could have hugged him. There is insufficient time here to go in to the details as to why this was and still is, not only a great idea, but absolutely necessary. The point is when the deadline arrived the Prime Minster caved in and went for a namby pamby compromise which he tried to sell to the public as some sort of revolution. It was nothing of the sort, but it was at least a start. Julie Gillard announced this week that the government has decided to ditch that allegedly revolutionary deal. Why? Too much opposition from the states. Who wears the pants in this country, Julia?

Politicians speak as though their every word, tone of voice and facial expression will become the subject of intense scrutiny. That's because it will. They waste endless words justifying and explaining themselves. They can't talk straight and they can't back up their rhetoric with action. Why? No courage. They are afraid of the polls, afraid of the media, afraid of being unpopular. Tell me how many great leaders throughout human history cared about their popularity. Great leaders, I said. Whether they were good or bad men or women is beside the point. I'm talking about leadership.

Where are the true leaders; the courageous, the visionary, the passionate and the single minded? I'm so sick of poll driven, media boot licking, indecisive political leaders who talk the talk but don't walk the walk.

No talking please, I'm driving.

2011-02-07T22:24:00.000-08:00

Last year nearly 50 000 people were fined for mobile phone offences whilst driving their cars. Everyone knows it's against the law to talk or text and everyone knows it's dangerous but 50 000 is a fair whack of naughty people. Surely that is only the tip of the iceberg. Think of all those who didn't get caught. How many did you see today?

A new study, hands up if you have had a gutful of studies, has shown that talking on your mobile phone even using a hands free system, dramatically increases your crash casualty risk. Presumably it's not the use of the hands that is the problem, but the use of the mouth, ears and brain that causes people to become distracted from the task of driving, sometimes with terrible consequences.

The response to this study has been so predictable that it makes you wonder why we needed the research done in the first place. What can we do about this newly revealed hazard? Ban all mobile phone use, including hands free.

Let's ignore the fact that any new laws will join the swollen throng of stupid, paternalistic and impractical ones already on the books. (Did you know you can be booked for leaving your car unlocked in a public place?) Let's also ignore the fact that eating, drinking and smoking are allowed in private cars as well as all sorts of other interesting pastimes like reading, and playing drums on the steering wheel,for example. Let's say it's a great idea. Anything we can do to reduce accidents, injury and loss of life is good. Right?

Wrong! Even with such a ban people will still talk and I want to know what the difference is between a conversation with a present person and a conversation with an absent person? No, any new law must ban conversation in cars all together. Actually why not ban all conversation during your favourite television show? Ban all chit chat which interferes with, either the execution of your work duty, or the enjoyment of your passive hobby, whatever it may be. What about banning all conversation that doesn't interest you? What else? Help me out here because everyone knows what the world really needs is not love and peace, or even common sense. What the world needs is more stupid laws telling us how to, or how not to live.

The Aussie Spirit

2011-02-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

I love how parochial we Australians get in times of disaster when we pull together and help each other. The never ending media coverage on the recent floods and the even more recent storm of the century, has strongly focussed on the efforts of people in assisting other people in times of need. Strangers helping strangers and neighbours helping neighbours. Everyone pitching in to alleviate the suffering and clean up the mess. And all those people who weren't able to physically help out have donated huge amounts of money. Unity in suffering.

(By the way, if you didn't give anything you are a bad Australian, an uncaring, and mean spirited person. But don't worry the flood levy might still extract your contribution.)

The Aussie spirit of helping your mate has been frequently mentioned and continually held up and celebrated as though it is unique. As though it is a thing which lives in all of us and bursts forth when required. We must feel great sorrow for people in other countries when they face disasters because the only people who rush to their rescue are Australians. And if we don't charge in to save the day then they are all damned. The only people who give money are Australians because we are the most generous people on the planet. Praise the Aussie spirit. Go Australia.

Too much? Sure but, obviously Australians aren't the only ones who help their neighbours. It does add to the feelgood vibe post catastrophe though, and that's okay. Of course, people help each other in times of need. People even risk their own lives for others. People are certainly capable of generosity, goodness and sacrificial love. This is excellent and praiseworthy but it's not some mystical Aussie Spirit, or even the so called human spirit. These characteristics that are manifested in troubled times are Godly characteristics. They originate with God. We can be generous and good and we can risk our lives for each other because that is what we were designed to do. Made in the image of our Creator who is the ultimate source of all that is good.

Let's celebrate goodness by all means but is it too much to ask that we give God some credit? Rabbitting on about alleged triumphs of the human spirit stinks of conceit when we exclude God and claim divine attributes for our pitiful selves. When was the last time you gave God a bit of glory and praise?

A Flood of Antipathy

2011-01-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

I'll say it right up front. I don't want to pay the flood levy. Call me un-Australian if you will but what's wrong with people donating money to worthy causes because they want to. There are many people who regularly, and I'm talking on a weekly basis, give money to various organisations which help people less fortunate than themselves. Even irregular givers, and those who spend their discretionary income on fuel for their jet skis and motorbikes, or on cartons of cigarettes and cases of beer, have dug deep into their pockets over the last few weeks to find some extra dollars to support what is the most immediate and worthy cause in our nation: the floods crisis.

The impact of the floods in Queensland and Victoria has not been overstated, so nothing more needs to be said. The generosity of Australians in times of crisis is well known and has again been demonstrated very clearly in their response to the flood disaster. At charity sporting events like the Legends of Origin game and cricket's KFC Big Bash, at fundraising concerts, through radio and television appeals, and at sausage sizzle stands around the country, Aussies have been coughing up for a very good cause. It is doubtful that there is anyone who has not made some sort of contribution to flood relief efforts. On top of all the donated money comes insurance which, although problematic due to mean spirited insurance companies, will also provide financial assistance.

Now the government wants to impose a one off flood levy. If you earn under $50000 a year you don't have to pay, but above that, you do. Presumably this includes all the families who were directly affected by the floods, and all the people who have already made donations to the various appeals. It's a small amount of money the government proposes to tax us; between one and five dollars per week, but it's not the money, it's the principle. The package announced by Julia Gillard includes government spending cuts to the value of two dollars for every one dollar collected by the levy. Why not have the whole thing funded by spending cuts? Or why, as every economist in the country, and around the world probably says, not simply borrow some money?

Heres' the argument. Suppose you are working on a plan to pay off your credit card debt by 2013. You are committed to this course of action as you believe it is necessary for your financial health. Suddenly and without warning, your car develops serious engine troubles and because you need your car, you have to get it fixed. The repair bill is in the thousands. How will you pay for it? Spending cuts aren't going to help, it's too much money and you need it now. You can't impose an engine repair levy on your friends and family, so you use your credit card right? And you say, oh well, I'll just have to adjust my credit card debt retirement plans due to unforeseen circumstances.

The recent floods were definitely unforeseen, a natural disaster which nobody could have predicted. So borrow some money to pay for infrastructure rebuilding Julia. We already pay income tax, and we've already donated money. You pay to fix the roads and bridges, that's your job. The reason why the government won't take on more debt when nobody would mind if they did, is because of politics. They promised to return the budget to surplus and damn it all they are sticking to that promise. The Prime Minister was questioned about this in light of the sensible view put forward by economists and every one else with half a brain, that the deficit should be added to, and said she disagreed with them, and had made up her mind to go down the flood levy path.

I think it's stupid and I resent it. I'm tired of governments and politicians who talk about making tough decisions to disguise the reality of their stupid, gutless and short sighted decisions. Ill conceived, poorly executed policies which achieve nothing. The next disaster to hit the Gillard government may well be the flood of antipathy towards it which results in its destruction. The great worry is that the opposition is just as bad. Maybe the next deluge to fall from the sky will wash away all the politicians.

Cheer Up

2011-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

There's nothing worse than being told by someone to cheer up when you feel miserable or angry. When a person tells you to smile because it won't hurt you, or because it'll make you feel better, your reaction will probably be like mine. A forced smile and an almost overwhelming desire to tell that person what to do with their cheery disposition and request for a happy face. It's very hard for some people to fake happiness, and I'm one of those people.

Sometimes you feel crappy and you want the world to know about it.Sometimes you have the poops and all you want is to be left alone. And as well intentioned as bubbling words of encouragement might be, they often don't actually help. One person's genuine, heartfelt attempts to cheer another person up, even if motivated by compassion, can have catastrophic consequences.

I read a story about a postman who tried to cheer up one of his customers and it struck me as a "surely there must be more to this story than meets the eye" piece of news. Although not in the cataclysmic consequences category, it does serve as a timely warning to those who wish to cheer others up. Be careful how you attempt to spread your sunshine.

A 52 year old United States postal worker told a woman that he would deliver the mail to her in the nude, to make her laugh. The story doesn't report on whether she laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion or if she encouraged him to do it, or indeed what her reaction was when he did rock up to her office with some letters in his hand but not a shred of clothing covering his body. Does nudity make people laugh? Have you ever seen a naked person in a public place and giggled at the sight? If a person dressed in their birthday suit handed you your mail, how would you react?

Simple gestures often work best for lightening gloomy moods. And personally, I prefer those simple gestures to come from people I know, and in case you're interested, in case you are considering ever trying to cheer me up when I'm in grumpy old man mode, on the outside chance that you might be mulling over more offbeat possibilities, you can rule out nudity.

Also, don't tell me to cheer up. I don't like being told how to feel and I don't think anyone does. Do I sound like I'm in bad mood today?

The mail carrier, by the way, was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious behaviour. I hope the woman he delivered to sent him a note to thank him and try to cheer him up.

Windows to the Soul

2011-01-07T11:32:00.001-08:00

Everyone has heard the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul but there is another window: bumper stickers. What are people saying about themselves and their view of the world via the stickers they place on, or leave attached to, the rear bumpers or windows of their vehicles?

Some stickers are funny, at least the first two or even three times that you read them. The one that says, "If you can read this, I've lost my caravan", is amusing. Others are more informative, telling you what causes the owner of the car presumably supports, or what footy team they cheer for, or what breed of dog they like. Of course it is not always the case that the sticker on the back of the car in front of you can be used to make an accurate assessment about the owner of the vehicle, but it is natural to make such an assumption. What else would one think?

What am I supposed to think about a man wearing a cowboy hat, and driving a Ford F-350 ute with the following stickers on it: a United States confederate flag, a rodeo sticker, and a sign that says, "keep honking, I'm reloading!" All this paints a pretty clear picture about the bloke and what he's in to, doesn't it?

Some bumper stickers really make you ask the question why. Why would a person put a sticker on their car which says "bad boy" or "bad girl"? Because they are bad and proud of it, or because they want to be bad? What about "zero to bitch in 60 seconds", "no sex, no ride", "gas, grass or ass - no free rides", "get in, sit down, shut up and hang on", or "don't like my driving? dial 1800 eat #@*%" ?

The answer is obvious. The people who put these stickers on their cars, think like that, they identify with the sentiments expressed, they make statements about themselves with those stickers. If you bought a car which had a sticker showing an outline of Australia with the words "*#%@ off we're full", you'd remove the sticker, unless you were a racist like the person who put it there in the first place.

It's hard not to judge people by their bumper stickers, but by plastering their vehicles with such decorations, they are asking for it, aren't they? Inviting judgement. They are not shy or ashamed about having such attitudes. Their bumper stickers are proud declarations, and that's a bit of a worry, don't you think?

Or is it all just harmless fun?

Sell Out or Die

2011-01-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

Byron Bay metalcore band, Parkway Drive, headlined a show at the Hordern Pavillion in Sydney back in September 2010. That gig was sold out. People wanting tickets on the night, at the door, couldn't buy any. Parkway Drive have been accused of selling out in another way. Some people say they make music to make money. (There's something wrong with that?)In other words, making more popular, commercially viable music in order to make more money.

This accusation is nothing new. Throughout the history of popular music, bands and solo artists have had their integrity questioned by alleged fans and music lovers whenever they have, in the artists' own words, "changed" musical direction.

Recently I watched Australian hard rock band Grinspoon perform. Grinspoon started their musical journey as a hardcore post grunge band but over the years they have developed into a more mainstream rock act. Some people don't like that they've changed. They are angered by the irony of Grinspoon performing a cover of INXS Don't Change. But what's wrong with a band growing, even changing their style? Writing and playing music requires creative force. Why should Grinspoon, for example, keep writing the same style of song about the same subject matter? People change and mature, so why wouldn't their music reflect that? What's wrong with a band trying to attract new fans to their music by writing a few radio friendly songs here and there? Or even all over the place?

Payable on Death is another band which began as a punk band in the early nineties and over time developed a style of their own with elements of reggae, hardcore, rock and rap all fused together. Some people say the old POD was better, and they wished they still rocked like they did back in the day.

Fans of groups like POD, Parkway Drive and Grinspoon (like me) love what they do. They have opinions about songs and albums they like better than other songs or albums, of course, but they follow the band. They grow with the band. If you start rocking with a band when you're a teenager, and they are a bunch of teenagers then the connection is solid, but you don't want your fave band singing about teenage angst and pimples when they, and you, are in their thirties or forties. Being a fan means liking the way the band does business. If your favourite band wants to go on writing new music and experimenting, or if they want to carry on producing the same beast in different clothes, then it's all good. If they want to start writing songs about the environment instead of songs about getting wasted at parties, then good luck to them. When interviewed about the band's last release, When Angels and Serpents Dance, Sonny Sandoval from POD admitted that they were no longer a bunch of kids playing punk in the garage. There's no selling out here. True fans know it. The critics can rack off and listen to something else.

What about bands who deliberately write songs to achieve, and then to maintain popularity? Nickleback comes to mind. They smashed into the mainstream with Silver Side Up and the modern classic single, How You Remind Me. They followed that CD with two more just like it, and fans lapped it up. Dark Horse was their last release and it was less popular than the previous three because it was different. Was Nickleback selling out with Dark Horse, or trying to return to their hard rock Metallica inspired roots? Speaking of Metallica, they are another band who have been accused of selling out and going soft, but they are rightly numbered among the great bands of all time, and Death Magnetic proves they are true masters of heavy metal.

What about stars who burn brightly for a short time? What would Jimi Hendrix have been playing had he survived the sixties? Would Nirvana have developed into the Foo Fighters even if Kurt Cobain had not killed himself? What might Jim Morrison have written songs about had he made it through the muddy swamp of drug addiction as Phil Jamieson of Grinspoon did? What do Hendrix, Cobain and Morrison have in common? They didn't grow up. They didn't live to go on writing great music. They killed themselves before they had time to mature as people and as artists. Maybe they had nothing left. Maybe they were afraid of being popular. Who knows?

Hate a particular band and their music if you must, but don't waste your breath on pathetic self righteous judgements about them "selling out". They don't care and neither do their fans.

The Lifter

2010-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

Nursing homes accommodate some very large and heavy residents who have mobility problems due to their size and various health complications. In some cases they have nothing much else to do besides eat so they can hardly be blamed for their obesity.

As well as being physically incapacitated, many residents of nursing homes also suffer varying degrees of mental impairment. The combined effects of old age on the mind and the body of these people means they require full time care. They need to be washed, changed, fed, given medication, and moved around. Only a few can successfully go to the toilet by themselves.

When a heavy resident has to be moved out of bed, the nurses are not allowed to do it alone. They must receive assistance from another nurse and together, use a piece of equipment called a lifter. It is designed to prevent injury to the backs of the nurses, and to remove the possibility of the resident being accidentally dropped.

Consider the situation these beautiful human beings, these children of God find themselves in, and realize that it could be you in the future. Think about the difficulty of caring for them. It is a tough job for nurses, requiring strength and stamina to do it well, and with compassion. And what of those people who care for elderly or infirm relatives in their own homes on a full, or even part time basis? Imagine the strain, the sacrifice. These carers carry an extraordinary weight of responsibility: a load which would crush most of us.

Who lifts the flagging spirits of these people? Who sustains and encourages them as they care for adults who have lived full lives only to return, in their twilight years, to a child like dependency on others?

People who give so much must also receive a lot. Otherwise how could they do it? They need a lifter too. In fact, they need, as we all do, The Lifter. His purpose is to make it possible for those who care to keep on caring, for those who love to keep on loving, and to remind all of us of our own frailty and dependence on Him.

Shout out to Nurses

2010-12-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

Even though nurses are undervalued economically, I don't believe they are undervalued socially. I reckon most people know, either personally or courtesy of time spent as a patient, that nurses are terrific. I'm speaking generally here because I know that there are dodgey operators in all professions but nurses do work which makes non nurses say, 'I could never do that!' and they do it in a way that fills us with admiration.

Over the past three years, I have come to appreciate how hard it is, not only to practice nursing, but even to become qualified as a nurse. The Bachelor of Nursing strikes me as a very intense course which makes some other academic degrees look like puzzles from That's Life magazine.These men and women have to learn a lot in a very short space of time, and they have to begin to practice and, in the case of young nursing students fresh out of high school, be confronted with some very full on, challenging and at times disturbing facets of human nature. Emotionally, spiritually and physically, this is hard yakka we are talking about here.

Last night, nursing graduands from the University of Wollongong celebrated their wonderful achievement with a fancy ball at the Fraternity Club. I was there and what I saw was relief and satisfaction. There was loads of laughter, and beautifully clad, happy faced, if somewhat inebriated people, burned up the dance floor to booming pumping duff duff music. They were letting their hair down to rejoice in a hard fought achievement. Those crazy dance moves shouted victory.

I just want to congratulate them and their partners and families for making it to the end of what at times looked like a black hole of eternal stress and late night study sessions. Well done, girls and guys.

2010-12-09T11:57:00.001-08:00

How to Seduce a Ghost by Hope McIntyre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Surprising and entertaining, even if slightly annoying at times. I developed a love/hate attitude to the main character, Lee, and actually enjoyed the supporting cast more. The plotting was a bit scattered and there were sections I could easily have left out, in fact I did skip bits but the mystery angel remained a mystery until it was revealed and it was full of surprises, humour and charm. It's got nothing to do with ghosts though if you're looking for supernatural action, look elsewhere. Lee is a ghostwriter and a very reclusive person, who gets caught up in a series of murders. This is a good read.

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Shades of Green

2010-12-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

In childish representations of outdoor scenes, the sky is blue and the grass is typically green. A child will colour the grass one shade of green, and the trees maybe another, (light and dark are the usual options). The detail is not so important to a child. Green is green. On the other hand, to a mature artist trying to authentically portray the scene they are painting, green is not just green.

There are, in fact, many shades of green: light and dark, lime, emerald, olive, khaki, asparagus, and myrtle and many more besides.

Next time you walk along your street, look closely at the greenery and you will be amazed at all the different hues. Even the grass is not just green. There are numerous shades.

A man was having a conversation with a Christian who brought up the subject of the Bible. The man replied, a little contemptuously, that the bible was just a history book with no relevance today. Merely a diary. Many others have dismissed Jesus Christ as simply a good man, a moral leader or even a great religious teacher, but just a man, nothing more. Surely, these people are the very same ones who only see green when they look at the trees and the grass. They don't care to delve into what lies beneath the superficial. They probably don't want to believe the reality of different shades of green because it makes things too complicated. Nor do they want to accept the reality of the Bible being a God breathed, powerful and relevant collection of books because that would upset the apple cart of their world view.

To accept these truths requires the humility to admit you have at best been ignorant about the shades of green, or at worst deliberately ignored them and denied their existence.

Look out of your window now, and tell me what you see.

The cost of coal

2010-11-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

Coal is a combustible black brown sedimentary rock composed mainly of carbon and hydrocarbons. It is a non renewable source of energy. In other words, the supply of coal will eventually run out.

The biggest use of coal today is to produce electricity.(94% in the United States for example.) Coal is burned to produce steam which is pressurized and then used to drive turbines which creates electricity. Coal is also used in iron, steel and cement production. It is used to make a multitude of everyday items like car brakes, pencils, washing machine powder, aspirin and other medicines, and fertilizer. Coal is used for road surfacing, waterproofing, the production of paint and, of oil which is then used to make petrol for cars. Is anyone sensing any addiction to coal? We need coal. Can't live without it in fact. This isn't, or shouldn't be news to anyone.

Some forecasts have world coal consumption nudging ten billion tons by 2030. I don't care if we, because of our insane lust for power and comfort, exhaust the earth's supply of coal. I don't. I don't lie in my bed at night fretting about the coal well running dry. People say we should switch to other, greener forms of energy production, in order to save the coal and save the environment. Sooner or later, one way or another, we will be using alternative methods of energy production. However, I have no anxiety related to this issue. That isn't the sound of my teeth grinding that you can hear.

What does trouble me though, is the fact the people die to get the coal. The only loss of life involved in the production of the food I eat is that of the plants and animals themselves. That's okay with me, that is their purpose: to feed me. But coal mining is dangerous. In the 21st century it has been less dangerous thanks to technological advances but men and women, and let's not forget that children worked and perished in coal mines during the glory days of the industrial revolution, die to extract the coal that society craves.

Last week 29 men died in a coal mine explosion in Greymouth, New Zealand. In the United States coal mining is listed as the second most dangerous occupation. Thankfully, multiple fatalities are rare in developed countries but in less developed countries like China, death rates are shocking. Think about 6 027 people dying in coal mines in 2004 alone.

What's my point? I am not an environmentalist but I do care about people, and I appreciate sacrifice so I simply want to say thank you to coal miners. Take care.

The Necessity of Lies

2010-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

In the Ricky Gervais film, The Invention of Lying, nobody in the whole world tells lies. They don't even know what a lie is. There is no word for truth because truth can only be defined in relation to its opposite. There is no trickery, no deception, no falsehood, no pretense and no fiction.

Imagine such a world where advertising is factual and straightforward. The slogan for Pepsi is: when they don't have Coke. Visualize a world where there are no movies other than historical documentaries made by the Lecture film company, and read to camera by serious academic looking types. Think of a world where people are offended, wounded and humiliated on a daily basis because of the dearth of sensitivity and tact. Put yourself in a world where everybody says exactly what's on their mind whenever they want to. Where truth is the only option. Anybody want to live there?

Truth is upheld by most people, in most societies, as a quality of infinite worth. It is to be cherished and treasured, honored and protected. However, there is nowhere on earth like the fictional town in The Invention of Lying where there is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The people there are uncreative, motivated by pure selfishness, and are without hope because there is only absolute truth.

When Ricky Gervais' character lies to his mother about the after life in order to comfort her on her death bed, she dies in peace. Her fear disappears and she fades blissfully into eternity. When news of this lie spreads from the hospital to the whole town and then to the whole world, it's a mind blowing revelation which shows us how desperate people are for hope. They latch on to the lie about a wonderful afterlife and hold it tight because it's a beautiful lie. It gives them hope and makes them happy.

The Invention of Lying is a very funny film, but it is also very profound. A world without lies would be horrible but a world without truth would be equally bad. A can of worms has now been opened. When is a lie okay or even necessary? When is it vital? And if truth is absolute then how can we draw lines of relativity in the sand, and allow everyone to decide for themselves when truth should be used? How can we safely allow the selective application of such a powerful instrument? Is truth a healing balm or a hammer?

Does anyone see a problem here?

2010-11-18T02:48:00.000-08:00

Here On Earth: An Argument For Hope by Tim Flannery

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the first book of Flannery's I have read. There is something very appealing about his writing. Despite being an unrealistic optimist, a classic humanist, when it comes to the destiny of man, he comes across as being quite rational and reasonably passionate. I don't share his view that mankind's salvation is in mankind's hands nor do I understand fully, let alone totally accept, the climate change bogeyman. Overlooking his ill informed and cynical view of religion, I put forward a couple of noteworthy tidbits from the book.

The highest level of radioactivity ever recorded in a living thing was in a krill in the Mediterranean Sea after the Chernobyl disaster.

The disruption to trade that is an inevitable consequence of war is almost as great a deterrent as war itself.

Here on Earth: full of amazing and interesting facts and alleged facts with enough science and statistics to easily bamboozle feeble minds like mine.

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More Chewing Gum Anyone?

2010-11-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

You may well wonder what on earth chewing gum could teach us about life. (see November 6, 2010 for my initial musings) Life is short and then you die. Chewing gum gets chewed up quickly and then discarded, often carelessly. Whatever pleasure it may have provided is soon forgotten. It is a question of comparisons, of relativity. I could eat a whole packet of Extra but still feel infinitely more satisfied with a baked dinner. Life lesson #4: in crude terms life is packet of chewing gum whereas Heaven will be a banquet.

Is the chewing gum fulfilling its calling in life? After the initial burst of flavour it gives, chewing gum soon becomes a taker; the more you chew the harder you have to chew. Someone should invent a slow release chewing gum. That would be a better, more balanced approached which would prevent the chewing gum suffering burnout. Life lesson #5:Godly people are nothing like chewing gum in this regard. In fact the harder life chews them, the more flavour they release, and they don't get hard or become hard work for others. God's power is more than sufficient to sustain the righteous. Love doesn't get tired.

Life lesson #6: Even the humblest, most mundane things in the world, like chewing gum for example, can be used by God to teach an open minded soul who is listening. Are you listening?

This post is rated MA

2010-11-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

As I listened to radio talkback callers this afternoon on the subject of Joel Monaghan, one word erupted continually in mind like a psychological Mt Merapi: hypocrisy.

Why is is that the outrage is greatest when some variation of sex is involved? In the Monaghan case, for those who don't know, he was photographed simulating intercourse with a dog. His friends, family and rational compassionate strangers, say he is a good person who made a stupid mistake. His enemies and a vociferous minority of puritans say he is the Devil incarnate. Some people are even more worried that the dog may have been mistreated than they are about Monaghan and his family.

Hypocrisy.

Most adults have sex and apparently most of those people do it their bedrooms with their husbands or wives. Every other variation on the theme gets dismissed with the slightly ridiculous statement that people can do whatever their like behind closed doors in private. Unless of course they are footballers, movie stars or politicians then they can still do whatever they like, but the public has to know about it and has to moralize about them and their disgusting behaviour, and they'll have to stop doing it.

Hypocrisy.

My friends and family presumably think I'm a good bloke. But if I gather them all together and confess that I watched a video of a gang rape and found it arousing, what would they think then? What about if said I have sex with prostitutes, and sometimes dogs if I can't afford a decent hooker? Or, suppose I casually mentioned that I was a proud paedophile? Maybe, I just lust after every woman I see, and have been actively plotting to seduce a married woman? Felatio on horses or group sex anyone? Even if I had ever participated in any of the aforementioned variations on a sexual theme, there's zero chance I would tell anyone, and if the reason isn't obvious, then may I suggest you have a brain scan?

Most people's private lives are exactly that: private, but sex has become so twisted and depraved in the way it is portrayed in the media and in movies, including pornography, and the way it is used to sell us all the things we need, that incidents like Joel Monagahan's appalling attempt at humour spark explosions of moral outrage. And before all you God haters start patting yourselves on the back and saying, "I'm so proud that I'm not a hypocrite like all those Christians", I should warn you that hypocrisy is a human disease of pandemic proportions which afflicts the righteous and the unrighteous alike.

The old prophet Isaiah was right on the money when he denounced the hypocrites of his day, as having outer shells of virtue with inner wickedness. We are no different.

2010-11-08T01:05:00.000-08:00

Scared to Live by Stephen Booth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The was the first Fry and Cooper novel that I've actually read. I listened to all the others. The plotting is amazing as usual and I love the characters but it takes too long, there's too much stuff too wade through. Some of it is interesting but a lot of it makes me want to fast forward to the good bits if you know what I mean. If the narrative moved faster I would happily rate all Booths Fry and Cooper novels as four out of five. It's a minor criticism really. I really recommend Booth's crime fiction.

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Does Your Chewing Gum Lose its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight?

2010-11-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

The other day I was feverishly working at opening a packet of Juicy Fruit chewing gum. But just as I succeeded at one end, the other end of the packet opened by itself and a couple of pellets of gum were deposited on the floor of my van.

In a blinding flash of revelation, I was struck by an epiphany.Chewing gum became my sagacious teacher, a wellspring of wisdom.

Life lesson #1: Sometimes success can come in unforeseen ways. Life lesson #2: Sometimes we can be very zealously attacking a particular task but going about it the wrong way, wasting time and energy in the process.

I popped two pellets of gum in my mouth in eager anticipation of the burst of freshness they would provide and I was not disappointed. It was so good while it lasted, but it didn't last long. After a few minutes, I was chewing a tasteless piece of rubber. Life lesson #3: People are always looking for a burst of excitement in their lives, a buzz, something new and invigorating. We long for mountain top experiences, emotional highs which enable us to enjoy life and suffer the mundane. Many things can deliver this freshness into our lives but no matter where these thrills come from, they don't last.

We have all experienced the flat feeling when some event we had been looking forward to for ages is over. In life when the fun is over, the work begins, but I reckon work should be fun and fulfilling as well. Perhaps the reason it is not, is because we expect too much and live for the weekend instead of gratefully accepting and wisely using each day as it comes.

Juicy Fruit freshness will come into our lives periodically, but the gum will soon transform into tough insipid rubber. Good times come and good times go. We should not depend on the highs to get us through the lows, we should depend on Jesus Christ who does not just offer to help us survive the ups and downs, but promises to give us abundant life. Guaranteed.

The Race that Stops Our Sanity

2010-11-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

They call it the Sport of Kings and bathe it with timeless romanticism but it leaves me as cold as the weather in the sporting capital of Australia. The Melbourne Cup is held every year on the first Tuesday in November. Believe it or not, punters, socialites, and various assorted horse people have been gathering at Flemington racecourse for 150 years. I have no idea why.

If you love horses, which I don't, then I can understand how joy is derived from watching them do what they do very well: run. If you love gambling, which I don't, then I can understand the ecstasy of winning money by betting on the outcome of a horse race. I leave aside the devastation, and the there-goes-my-hard-earned-money-down-the-toilet feeling, when you lose. Apart from these two pull factors, what is the appeal?

Which brings me to Melbourne Cup day when people who never even think about horses let alone speak about them with other people or waste their money betting on them, suddenly and miraculously, in a burst of communal euphoria, are overwhelmed by the excitement of the great event. People take time off work to attend the race itself or special luncheons/booze ups to celebrate something. And they dress up fancy. Man, do they dress up.

Here's a quick quiz. Can you name another occasion for which people don their best formal attire and take time off work in the middle of the week?

Funerals. People dress up for funerals, weddings and the Melbourne Cup. How often have you attended a mid week wedding? Never. That's because weddings aren't as important as the Melbourne Cup. It must be important because a total of $98.1 million was spent on bets at Tabcorp in New South Wales and Victoria.

All this adds up to either absolute collective madness, or just a bit of harmless fun in the true Aussie spirit. You can decide which but I think you know where I stand.

Bending over backwards

2010-10-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity over the past six months to participate in a workplace literacy research project. A dozen of us literacy practitioners were asked to provide literacy and numeracy training to employees at various pilot sites, and to gather information about what worked and what did not.

This week we gathered together at the completion of the project to discuss what happened. Each of us was asked to speak for five minutes on a particular aspect of our project which the project managers had identified, from our final written reports, as worthy of further exploration in the group setting. My topic was flexibility.

I talked about flexibility being a desirable attribute in some circumstances and undesirable in others. For example, flexibility of thought is a good thing when attempting to deal with the unexpected, or in coping with change, but it's not good in relation to adherence to safety procedures. A cricket bat would not function at all if it was constructed of the same type of rubber as floor mats in cars. Sometimes rigidity is crucial to effectiveness and positive outcomes. Other times it is a hindrance.

In the case of the company I worked with, it was necessary for me to be flexible with the training schedule because it had to be changed on a weekly basis due to the unavailability of participants. My flexibility was limited though because I was only available one and half hours, two days per week. The company's flexibility was limited by the fact that they needed to serve their customers first, and attend training second.In the end, training was suspended because the frequent interruptions to, and forced rescheduling of the training caused us to believe that we were wasting our time. The level of flexibility shown, whilst initially helping the advancement of the project, ultimately resulted in early termination of the training.

We have to be flexible in life and in how we deal with people but extremes should be avoided at all costs. We all have to determine how flexible we are willing to be. How far are we willing to bend before we break? How far are we able to bend before we break? Do we want to bend at all? If we are thin rubber cricket bats we won't break but neither will we be of any use. At some point our flexibility stops being useful and becomes unhelpful, or worse destructive. I talked about car floor mats, and some people believe that bending over backwards for everyone indicates weakness. People who are that "flexible" may be labelled doormats. On the other hand, people who don't go out of their way to help others, who don't inconvenience themselves, may be criticized for being selfish.

A line has to be drawn somewhere between flexibility and rigidity. The fact that everyone draws this line in a different place on the spectrum is the reason why we have conflict.

2010-10-24T01:23:00.000-07:00

Twilight Eyes by Dean Koontz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The good, the bad and the ugly. Good: engaging narrative, good action sequences and characterizations. Bad: I was groaning over historical bits and Koontz trying too hard to place the events of the novel in a particular point in history. It didn't seem necessary to me. Social commentary and recitations of lists of artist and songs from the era. Boring. Really bad: the sex scenes were comical but I'm not sure they were supposed to be. eg. silky streams of semen unfurling...arrgghh! Ugly: Hyperbole in hyperdrive describing the inconceivably gross physical appearance of the goblins and the depth of their evil. Too much. Overall I still enjoyed it but silky streams of semen unfurling...arrgghh!!

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Halloween Horror

2010-10-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. The festival is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. The Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped, and the deceased would come back to life and wreak havoc by causing sickness or destroying crops. Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them. Trick or treating resembles the late medieval practice of 'souling' where poor people would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1) receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2).

Early migrants from Europe carried the Halloween festival to America where it was elevated to a whole new ball park, made into an art form and a massive money spinner. The celebration of the macabre, the dark side of life or death, even for skeptics, is big business now. And it's great fun too. It is one of the great American holidays and is an entrenched part of American culture. Every television show that has ever been made has featured a Halloween special. From The Simpsons to Supernatural, the ghosts and ghouls, the jack o lantern, costume wearing, and trick or treating are woven into the fabric of the modern pysche. And let's not forget the multitude of slasher and horror movies which have been inspired by Halloween, including the classic series of films which featured the deranged Jason violently murdering people on October 31.

Naturally, Australians who slavishly follow United States pop culture trends, have embraced Halloween. Why, I do not know. I know why businesses push it. They see dollar signs. Halloween has been added to the crowd of marketing gimmicks, like Valentine's Day which is another crock. Here's a day to do this, and to do this, you need to buy this and that. Hand over your money. Hand over your brain. Let's follow the corpulent zombies, dance with the witches and join with the damned as hell breaks loose over our land. Happy Halloween! Bah Humbug!

Rulers of the Commonwealth

2010-10-16T12:42:00.001-07:00

Fifty four independent countries belong to the illustrious intergovernmental organisation known as the Commonwealth of Nations. It is not a political union, but an organisation through which member nations with diverse political, social and economic systems, treat each other as equals even though they are plainly not. Via various government agencies the member states seek to promote democracy, human rights, individual liberty, rule of law, free trade and world peace. There are 2.1 million people who are citizens of Commonwealth nations and just over half of them live in India.

Interest in the Commonwealth of Nations peaks every four years when the organisation's most visible activity occurs. The Commonwealth Games are seen as the poor relation to the Olympics, and achievements by athletes at the games are considered by many to be less noteworthy because the Games do not feature all the best athletes in the world competing. Significant absences include Europe, America and of course, the soon to be economic ruler of the globe: China. There is less competition, fewer events and less interest which leads to the cyclical debate about the relevance of the Games. This discussion was brought into sharp focus in Delhi recently due to overblown concerns about possible terrorism, and inadequate or incomplete facilities.

Personally, my only gripe with the Commonwealth games is that because Channel Ten hosted the television coverage in Australia, I missed out on two weeks of Neighbours. Otherwise, it was great, especially because Australia is plainly the ruler of the Commonwealth in relation to sport. We kicked butt in Delhi. It was Australia first in the medal tally and daylight second. There was very little equality on show at these games. It was the Masters of the Commonwealth universe crushing the feeble minions from the rest of the nations. We didn't win everything but only because we didn't compete in everything. We must have let the others win so as to not humiliate them. Although we like to win, we also show great sportsmanship: wrestlers throwing fridges out of windows, boxers mooning judges, and cyclists flipping the bird to them.

We have no competition in sport, no equal (in the mighty Commonwealth of Nations - please don't talk about the cricket), our economy is the strongest, and our political system is superior. The biggest scandal in politics is the Federal Opposition Leader claiming the Prime Minster was playing dirty because she invited him to visit our soldiers in Afghanistan with her. We champion free trade and are the epitome of flourishing democracy. If countries had middle names, Australia's would be peace.

With all this is mind, I propose that, following the expiration of our current monarch, Queen Elizabeth (may she live long and prosper,) Australia not only become a republic but also the ruler of the Commonwealth. According to the London Declaration, the head of the Commonwealth of Nations is a symbolic position which does not have to filled by England's ruling monarch. Try this on for size then, President Kevin Rudd, Lord of the Commonwealth. (I foresee Julia Gillard remaining Prime Minister by the way, otherwise she could do the job.)

We'll see all you loser Commonwealth nations in Glasgow in 2014.Go Australia!

The Need for God

2010-10-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

There are numerous misconceptions about Christianity which are held to with religious fervour by members of society. One popular view sees Christianity as a set of restrictive rules and regulations presided over by a cosmic killjoy. In another, a person says they are a Christian because they try to do what is right, and not hurt people. Both of these views should be completely rejected as false by Christians.

Recently I heard a new and interesting theory on what constitutes religion. This young lady, a lapsed Roman Catholic, said to me she believed she was religious, or even Christian in her case, because she sinned and religion depends on sin. She reasoned that if she was not committing any sin, she would have no need to confess and therefore no need of religion.

I told her that I believe religion is based on need and to suit my purpose here, I am referring to both good and bad religion (Jesus talked quite clearly about both). Men have always looked to something or someone bigger and more powerful than themselves for answers, for meaning and direction in their lives. Honest men have always felt and still do feel, overwhelmed at times by the the enormity and complexity of the world around them, and the various problems which have faced them.

Only when a person hits rock bottom, when everything else they have is stripped of value, when they feel lost and realize their desperate need for salvation, will they look up and see their Saviour: Jesus Christ.

I'm not telling you that you have to become a Christian, even though I would like you to, but I am asking you to accept the facts about Christianity. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Christianity is about God's plan to fix this messed up world which is full of broken people. Jesus said that he is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through him. Christianity is about God reaching out to us and saving us from our pride fuelled self destruction. Christianity is all about Jesus Christ and everyone needs a saviour.

Split Ministries

2010-10-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

It started with the Rudd Labour government separating the climate change portfolio from the environment and giving it its own minister. This was obviously done to broadcast the importance the government placed upon climate change. The recently re-elected, albeit barely elected, Gillard Labor Government scrapped the Education portfolio and installed a Minister for School Education,Early Childhood and Youth (Peter Garrett) and another minster for tertiary education and skills (Chris Evans).In the spirit of the Labour government's division of ministerial portfolios, I would like to suggest the following.

Foreign Affairs should be divided into two separate portfolios: one for countries we like and one for countries we don't like. Immigration could be split between illegal immigrants/asylum seekers and legal immigrants. And there should definitely be a distinct ministry for the greatest game of all: cricket. One minister for all the other sports and one minister whose sole responsibility is to look after the interests of our national game.

Lastly, I would like to propose a brand new portfolio to oversee our politicians, and make sure they do their jobs instead of spouting negative and nonconstructive rubbish.

God Had an Accident

2010-09-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

I heard a very learned man on the radio today. A professor of physics, astronomy and natural philosophy (I didn't realize you could have unnatural philosophy). He was explaining, as fact, his opinion on the origins of complex, intelligent life on Earth. Go to http://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/conversations and look for the interview with Marcelo Gleiser. Listen and marvel at the absurdity of an intelligent man describing the miracle of life as an aberration.

Here are some further examples of this man's outrageous folly. Life is a wonderful accident without purpose. This imperfect universe and the life in it are chance outcomes of random conspiracy. Humans are animated stardust. I have to stop. I want to use very strong language to condemn this nonsense.

I am not impressed by people who are "puffed up" with knowledge. I am a simple man so I like simple arguments. What is the origin of life? There are only two possible answers. God, or an accident.

I am not a product of chance. I am not an accident, and neither are you. God doesn't have accidents, and only fools deny the existence of a Creator.

Bonobo Bonkers

2010-09-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

Bonobos are a little known species of ape whose communities are ruled by bi-sexual females. They live on the south bank of the Congo River in Africa where, unlike gorillas and chimpanzees, they don't wage deadly wars over territory. They do have fights but these are often settled by quick aggressive sexual encounters.

The existence of the fascinating Bonobo ape was revealed to me when I listened to the AM program on ABC radio (http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s3010902.htm) As with all little known species, the Bonobo are endangered. Much like the whales which beached themselves in Spirits Bay, New Zealand last Wednesday, the Bonobos, fortunately for them, have human champions who are willing to do whatever they can to save them. Sally Coxe is dedicated to the preservation of the Bonobo apes, and she believes that they can teach people some lessons in humanity. Presumably she's not suggesting we have wild sex with everyone who we disagree with. Says Eric Campbell on AM, "Some scientists believe the Bonobo's behaviour can explain a lot about our own. When resources are plentiful, people tend to be caring and sharing. Scarcity of resources tends to bring out our inner chimp."

These words are humanistic nonsense. People know how to cooperate and share resources, they just don't always choose to do it. The inner chimp reference is of course a reference to our alleged common ancestry. The inner chimp is a myth created by God haters who want animals to have the same status as human beings. I get both frustrated and amused by the constant efforts of many people to categorise humans as animals. We are not animals and we did not evolve from animals. We are the high point of God's creation, fashioned in His image. The fact that we sometimes behave like animals does not make us animals.

The only lesson I learn from the Bonobo apes is that God's creation is astonishingly diverse. Why aren't apes still evolving into humans by the way?

What do Experts Know?

2010-09-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Some people are very emotionally disturbed about the Federal Government's $43 billion national broadband plan. The Coalition Opposition has an alternative, cheaper plan which they put up against the government's plan during this year's (2010) election campaign. Independent MP, Tony Windsor was said to have been swayed to supporting the formation of a minority Labour government by , at least partially, advice from an telecommunications expert about the respective broadband plans.

Rabid opponents of the Government and all things Labour, have tried to discredit the expert who advised Tony Windsor by saying he wasn't qualified to give an expert opinion. Chris Smith, on his 2GB radio program, produced his own independent telecommunications expert, and invited the so called expert who advised Tony Windsor, to take part in a debate about broadband technology. Fearing an ambush from Chris Smith, the pro Government plan expert brought some reinforcements: you guessed it, another independent telecommunications expert. The two experts presented their credentials and in my view were equals. Two men with access to the same information, analysed the broadband options within the framework of equivalent education and comparable professional experience, and came to different conclusions.

Leaving aside the fact that the debate was a farcical attempt by Chris Smith and his independent expert to grind personal axes against the Labour party, and smear the credibility of the other expert by attacking his integrity, what other conclusions could I, as a listener, draw? I am not an expert. Who do I believe?

When two experts interpret information differently and therefore have divergent views on what practical application of those facts should follow, how does a layman like me decide who is right and who is wrong? Who has the authority? Who should I believe?

We have experts declaring that the war against illegal drugs has been lost, but nobody in government is listening. We have other experts wailing about the end of the world being hastened along by climate change and nearly everyone is government is listening. We have telecommunications experts saying fiber optic is the only way to go because it is future proof while other experts assert the technology will date, and the Government's plan will be a $43 billion white elephant. There are many voices claiming to speak the truth and demanding that we believe them. Who should we believe? Who can we trust? As Pontius Pilate said to Jesus, 'What is truth?'

There is no answer in this final sentence.

2010-09-16T17:35:00.001-07:00

Blood on the Tongue by Stephen Booth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Booth still annoys me, as in other Fry and Cooper novels, with very slow paced narrative filled with interesting information which may or may not enhance the story, while at the same time compelling me by virtue of intrigue and wonderful characters. I prefer faster pacing but Booth's ability to plot so intricately is impressive. Overall an enjoyable read and I think I've become just a little but addcited to Fry and Cooper.

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Pride goes before a Fall

2010-09-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

"I was all on my own in a situation that I'd no control over - I started praying...it became a chant as I repeated it over and over to show my sincerity."

In 1999, aged 17, Jesse Martin became the youngest person ever to sail around the world solo. His feat has recently been emulated by coincidentally named compatriot, Jessica Watson who completed the trip three days before her seventeenth birthday. The above quote comes from Jesse Martin's book, Lionheart, which tells the story of his amazing voyage.

When he was in the middle of a fierce storm in which he really believed he might die, Jesse asked God to save him. He later attributed his survival partly to luck, but mostly to the power of the human spirit - no thanks to God. More relevant and powerful to Jesse is the "spirit of adventure which lies in all of us...with faith that we as humans will be able to overcome any hurdles."

Jesse's religion is humanism which is a religion based on pride, and pride is the worst of all sins. Pride caused sin to enter the perfect world God had made. Pride says, 'I don't need God or anyone else, I can do it by myself.' Pride cannot admit fault or weakness. Pride is still destroying lives today, even as you read this.

It's insulting to God to cry out to him in times of trouble, then ignore Him and give yourself the credit when things turn out well.

(see my September 4, 2010 post for more on humanism.)

Political Faultlines

2010-09-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

The doomboosters and nay-sayers are in full voice declaring the minority Labour government is on shaky ground and won't last three months, let alone three years. We are just one by-election away from political catastrophe. All the positive talk about a new era in Australian politics is being drowned out by passionate pessimists and ignoramuses.

Coalition supporters are predicting the end of the world as the Axis of Evil (Labour and the Greens) plots the downfall of modern Australia. People are suggesting the Independents have prostituted themselves in their dealings with their enemies. The Coalition itself is moaning about the illegitimacy of the minority government led by a Prime Minster who hasn't been elected...again.

We have a democratic system for dealing with hung parliaments. Due process was followed and in case you haven't heard, the final seat count is Labour 76, Coalition 74. It's as simple as that really. The Coalition and their supporters need to build a bridge. You lost. I repeat, due process has been followed. A minority government has been formed and it is led by Julia Gillard's Labour Party. Don't like it? Too bad.

Here's a sporting analogy because there is nothing like a sporting analogy, is there?
NRL: National Rugby League. Suppose your team is clearly the best throughout the regular season. They win more games, score more points and concede less than any other team. They qualify for the play-offs in 1st place. Also in the play-offs is a team which only won half of its games in the regular season, and is statistically inferior. These teams meet in the Grand Final and your team loses. That sucks, but according to the rules of the competition, the only thing that counts is winning that final game.

Okay, its a imperfect analogy but aren't they all? Let's accept the umpire's decision and get on with the game. Let's believe that things will be better and that this government will be effective. Not all legislation will be contested. In fact according to Senators Minchin (Liberal) and Milne (Greens) roughly 80% of legislation which comes before the Senate passes easily with bipartisan support. The rest should be, and will be hotly debated. That's what a parliament is for, isn't it? And if you think all 150 of our representatives in the lower house are in it for personal gain, then you need help.

Excerpt from Devolution

2010-09-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Turning around quickly she said, ‘Hush, where’s your father?’

‘Swimming in the living room. You don’t mind if we talk, do you?’

‘No,’ she said, smiling, ‘I kind of like it. It must be such fun for you to be able to voice with your friends at school.’

He scratched his nose and played with the buttons of his shirt. ‘That’s what I wanted to ask you about actually.’

Sensing the serious tone in her son’s voice, 2 rotated her hoverchair to face him.

‘Has dad said anything about our school being closed down?’

‘He,’ she hesitated, and 3 noticed her uncertainty, ‘He says it’s almost a done deal. He’s been pushing hard for years now and has finally gathered enough support among the other councilors to go ahead. Of course he is the education minister.’

Keeping his eyes fixed on the liquid floor, 3 felt a surge of anger in his veins and his head began to ache again. ‘It’s not fair, mum. It’s just not fair.’

Wisely, his mother tried a change of subject to attempt to calm him, ‘What about your dream? Did you want to tell me about it?’ she said. But he turned abruptly and left the room talking to himself. She tried to project a warning to him to stop voicing, but he was so angry she could not penetrate his thoughts.

In the bathroom, 3 looked at his image in the mirror and cursed. His head, a little large for his body, its shape oval yet triangular, narrowing at the forehead. Eyes wide-spaced, under no eyebrows and long lashes, nose flattened, mouth too wide. As far as Newtonians could be attractive he probably looked all right, but how would any girl ever find him attractive? How would a particular Adonite girl desire this ugliness? If he was to be forced into single tribe education then it probably wouldn’t matter anymore. Obviously looks would play no part in the partnering of Newtonians, but he desperately wanted to stay in mixed schooling. Of course there was no hope of him ever partnering with a girl from another tribe but so much of a teenage boy’s world was fantasy, and 3 was no different. He burned with passion for his friend, the goddess, Veena.

The Power of Humanity

2010-09-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

I love how people ascribe greatness to human accomplishment; giving all the credit to mankind without so much as a tip of their collective hats to God. There is a phrase which always makes me cringe: triumph of the human spirit.

What keeps a person alive in a desperate situation? Is it determination? Physical strength? The power of humanity? No. It's hope. Where does hope come from? Circumstances? Positive thinking? The triumphant human spirit? Think again.

What makes people confident enough to share the road with other motorists, tens of thousands of complete strangers? Faith in other people that they will obey the road rules and drive safely, and faith that cars will do what they are supposed to do. Would people bungee jump without faith in the strength of the elastic cord? Does faith come from positive thinking?

What is it that makes people sacrifice themselves for others? Their time, their money, their very lives? Love. Is unconditional and sacrificial love a human quality? Does it emanate from within the almighty human spirit? Is it yet another accidental by- product of evolution?

What is the origin of these three life sustaining immortals: hope, faith and love? The motto of the Australian Red Cross is 'the Power of Humanity' but I don't think humanity is all it's cracked up to be. All goodness originates with God because God is good. All love begins and ends with God because God is love. On what grounds then can we boast of triumphs of the human spirit? We can help people, even save a few but we can't save everyone. We can heal people of diseases but in the end they'll still die. 'We spend all of our lives going out of our minds, looking back to our births, forward to our demise.'(They Stood Up for Love by Live)Desperately clinging to life because we know we cannot avoid death. Pretending we are the masters of our own destinies.There is no life without faith, hope and love and these three come from God. Therefore there is no life without God.

Humanity is not powerful. It is weak and foolish. Paul says that the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom , and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

More Rules Please

2010-08-27T14:58:00.000-07:00

Plainly, I am unable to function as a productive member of a peaceful society without rules. If I didn't have the framework of legislation within which to operate I would be a menace to the community and to myself. I don't have the ability to determine what is right and what is wrong. I don't have the skills to exercise common sense nor do I have the power to make good choices, without rules. I need to be told how to behave because I don't know. I'm a hopeless case, a basket case. But I am not the only one. You are guilty as well. Don't cry innocent. Innocence is only found in babies whose parents quickly dilute it, not because they are abusive or even negligent but because that is the way of the world. We are all guilty and hopeless and lost. Ouch!

If we are not all as I say we are, then why do we need rules? What is the purpose of the law? Why do we need laws against murder? Against theft? This is not the place for a discussion of crime and punishment, nor is there any scope for a full discussion of human nature. Gazillions of word have been written and spoken on these subjects by people who are experts, unlike me. My point is that we do need rules and regulations for all sorts of activities. I want a law that says people should not drink and drive because that behavior is dangerous and should be discouraged by all available means including heavy legislated penalties. I want a law that says my property is not to be taken by another person without my permission. I want a law that discourages an otherwise sane man from violently attacking me because I glanced at his wife for two seconds too long. Some laws are good, and generally rules are also good but...

You could feel the but coming for a while couldn't you? But do I need a law that threatens me with a $3000 fine if I don't tell the Environment Department that I disposed of my pet frogs? If the answer is yes, then I also want the following:

A law that forces people with garages to park their cars in them overnight. I'd also like a law which prohibits the leaving of dirty socks on the floor. What about one that bans opera music? How about some legislation to compel politicians to answer questions directly? I could go on forever but I want to suggest one final law that is essential, critical even; a minimum of one in every one hundred people should be forced, under threat of punishment (although deprivation is surely punishment enough), to read the Cairns Experience - and buy Devolution: the novel.

What laws would you like to see enacted for the benefit of mankind, or just yourself? Comment below.

Not About the Election

2010-08-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

There was a 100km long traffic jam in China which lasted for days. Ever been stuck in a jam like that? When I heard the story I began to imagine everything that would not have happened because of the people on that freeway not being able to get to their destinations. Frustrating doesn't even come close to describing the feelings associated with such a monumental impediment to the execution of their business. That's like saying that apple pie and ice cream is a passable dessert.

The news report mentioned that the people involved were making the best of the situation. That's not what I do when I'm caught in traffic. I get agitated, and start fretting about how I'm going to be late, and how as a result of my tardy arrival, the world will cease spinning on its axis. How much does what I do and when I do it really matter in the overall scheme of things? None of those poor Chinese and Mongolian motorists know that I was fifteen minutes late to work nor would they give two hoots if they did. If I tried to explain to them how important it was, and how essential my arrival was, I would be laughed off the road and out of my car, and into some lonely hole in the ground where I could anxiously contemplate my bleak future in profound obscurity.

I'm a bit stupid sometimes.

Unsustainable Arguments

2010-08-13T22:40:00.001-07:00

Of apparent interest to some in the current Federal election campaign is the issue of sustainable population. Having dumped Kevin Rudd's Big Australia policy, the government has refocused the debate on sustainable growth, and the most pertinent aspect of this is immigration. Inevitably, because they are relevant, the twin issues of over population and alleged food shortages come to the fore. We may be all right in Australia but we are part of the global community, and therefore cannot make decisions as though we were alone on this planet.

According to the FAO, (Food and Agriculture Organisation), there is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone—at least 1.5 times current demand. In fact, over the last 20 years, food production has risen steadily at over 2.0% a year, while the rate of population growth has dropped to 1.14% a year. Population is not outstripping food supply. “

To avoid picking on individuals, I suggest Fred Smith who is a multi-billionaire. Let's say Fred lives in the United States and has a net personal worth of roughly 50 billion dollars. (Forbes magazine has 1100 names on its current list of world billionaires, by the way.)Fred deposits just 10% of his wealth into a bank account where he will earn a 5% per annum return. Excluding the compound interest factor which I can't calculate, this will generate $250 million per year. Money for nothing. It sits in the bank and earns interest. It costs $572 per year to sponsor a child through World Vision. World Vision doesn't throw cash at problems, they invest in sustainable futures for poor communities. With the interest earned on Fred's investment he could sponsor 437 062 children.I'm sure you can see where this argument is leading despite my lack of mathematical prowess.

The world is suffering a food shortage, because of the cost of food. It is a problem of distribution. I repeat what the FAO said above, 'Population is not outstripping food supply.' Two billion people live on an income of less than $2 per day and they spend around 70% - 80% of that income on food. When the price of food goes up in wealthy nations like Australia, we simply eat out less or switch to cheaper alternatives. (Generic bread instead of Helgas, for example). When the price of food goes up in the two thirds world, they don't eat. We’re seeing more people hungry and at greater numbers than before,” says World Hunger Program’s executive director Josette Sheeran, “There is food on the shelves but people are priced out of the market.”There are many reasons for rises in food prices but one of the most immoral is speculation in food community prices on the short term money markets.

The world is not overpopulated nor is it short of food resources. The problem is distribution. The higher the population density the greater the demand placed on resources. Is the answer to stop having babies and ban migration to ensure allegedly sustainable population numbers? Or should we just be smarter and more just with how we use the resources we have? Does the maintenance of high living standards for the few of us who live in affluent nations have to damn the rest of the word to the ongoing hell of extreme poverty? No, it doesn't. So what are you going to do about it?

2010-08-10T13:54:00.001-07:00

Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gripping, fascinating and engaging. Easily the best historical novel I have ever read. The writing was simple and strong and the characters so well defined that I felt I knew them. I almost wanted Temugin to be my king and to protect me. The narrative was compelling. Highly recommended if you like historical novels or even if you don't. This is a very good read.

View all my reviews >>

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

2010-08-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Being serious about the exercise of my democratic right to vote in the upcoming federal election has caused me to think more carefully than ever before about the options. More than that I have had to consider whether I really do have choices.

The Labour Party and the Coalition are the two main parties and one or the other has ruled Australia for my whole life. No other party is large enough to even win an election let alone form a government. Our system requires the winning of a majority of seats (electorates) in a majority of states. The minor parties, and independent candidates may win seats but they can't form governments. The value of independents in the parliament is a debate for another time but from the point of view of the voter, you have to determine whether the person you elect to represent you in parliament is actually going to be able to achieve anything if they are not part of the government or at least a major party.

Running my eye over the options I am left without a party I can call my own. One that truly and totally represents my point of view and one which can achieve things for me locally and nationally. When nobody completely measures up, I am forced into a choice between lesser evils. I am stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea.

A vote for the Coalition gives me a government led by a man who I feel is 'not right' for the job of Prime Minister, and which doesn't like spending money until election time. Their obsession with surpluses is annoying, to put it mildly. A vote for the Greens will give me a carbon tax amongst a host of other extreme environmental policies, soft immigration policies and same sex marriages. I tried Family First, although the name is strange given that the importance of the family unit to a functional society is universally held and self evident, but they don't have policies. They have general statements of principle which I happen to agree with but they don't have any policies. Respecting Rev. Fred Nile as I do, I checked out the Christian Democrats and again courtesy of fundamental shared faith in Jesus Christ, I found plenty with which I could agree. However, their policies on drugs are too hard in my view, almost graceless and some of the CDP's rhetoric on immigration issues borders on racist. And what economic credentials do any of the minor parties have? Finally I return to what has been my default position since I began voting twenty four years ago:The Australian Labour Party.

With the ALP I have a poll driven wishy washy government which has fallen into the sustainable population trap. A government led by someone who modified her public persona and bored us all as soon as she wiped the blood off the knife. This government conducts endless reviews and commissions of enquiry but doesn't act. Their response to the Henry tax review was disappointingly underwhelming.

I need a party with the clout to succeed. The strength and courage to rip the big changes which are necessary to keep Australia the ridiculously prosperous nation that it is. I want people to be put first. I want compassion and grace. I want Christian values because those who love God and people, have positively and immeasurably transformed the world. Governments should pour resources into education, health and public infrastructure. I want a passionate and brave leader who inspires me and makes me proud to be an Australian, and who leads a government which is strong, clever, competent and compassionate.

Daryl Kerrigan might tell me that I'm dreaming but I am happy to admit to being an idealist. Is the Labour Party led by Julia Gillard whom I have always admired as a leader, what I am looking for or will I simply have to settle for second best?

Yours Truly,
Undecided.

Scapegoating Migrants

2010-07-31T00:28:00.000-07:00

We have massive problems in our cities with failing and inadequate infrastructure.
Our relatively slowly expanding population, which is almost entirely driven by net migration not natural increase, is placing ever increasing demands on our public facilities and services. In response to the perceived panic generated by former Prime Minister Rudd's push for a big Australia, his successor, Julia Gillard, has ditched the concept in favour of a 'sustainable' Australia. She says we are going to have a sensible debate about how many people we want living in our country. Bulldust! The longed for rational discussion on serious issues in the lead up to this federal election has been torpedoed by spin and alarmist sloganism.

Cheryl Kernot put it this way, "everything seems to be coming more and more trivialised than ever and I think that the 30 day election campaign is becoming a waste of time and a waste of money and an expensive game between journalists, the media and two big parties." The ABC's Mark Colvin asked this question at the beginning of a recent interview with former NSW Premier Bob Carr: He said, "Are the main parties having a real debate about sustainable population or are they both more focused on finding ways to garner the anti-immigration vote?" (For the record, Mr Carr supports Julia Gillard on this issue.)

So what do we have? Ms Gillard appoints a sustainability minster, and dribbles on about some pie in the sky plan for an offshore processing centre in East Timor while Mr Abbott and his pals in the Coalition can't stop babbling on about how they are going to stop the boats. (Even though they haven't actually told us how) Both parties are talking about reducing migration targets, they just have different numbers to throw in our faces. Who are they talking to? Who is afraid of Australia being overrun at worst, or overburdened at least, by migrants? There is a very strong connection being made between migration and public infrastructure problems. The argument goes like this: we can't handle any more people in this country because there is already too much congestion on the roads, and overcrowding on public transport. Let me reduce it further: F#!* off we're full! Have you seen that bumper sticker? Makes me sick but that is what the current immigration/sustainable population debate has been reduced to.

Professor Peter McDonald is the director of the Australian Demographic and Social Research Institute at the ANU. He doesn't think migration should be or even can be fixed at any particular number because we are in a global labour market. He says migration is going to be highly volatile and we need a system which is foresighted and flexible. No other country in the world has a target for a population growth rate.

The transport and infrastructure problems we are experiencing are as a result of a failure of government planning but if you listen to the rubbish being spouted in this election campaign, it is blatantly obvious who is copping the blame. Migrants are being scapegoated and it's not right.

Sources:

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2963891.htm (Peter McDonald)

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2010/s2969354.htm (Cheryl Kernot)

The Ignorance of Democracy

2010-07-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

There will be a federal election on August 21 in Australia where voting is compulsory. The perennial debate surrounding the apparent contradiction between the concept of democracy and the mandatory call to 'have your say' never gets satisfactorily answered, but who cares. Where is the tidal wave of opposition to this imposition which forces people to vote when they either don't want to, or they do not give any thought to how they use their vote? Is this a decision which the citizens of Australia take seriously?

People might spend three weeks on the purchase of a new car. Perhaps months or even years on the huge choices involving the purchase of their first home. There are women, and men, who probably spend more time thinking about what they are going to wear on any given day than they have done in their whole adult life, considering who to elect as Prime Minister of the country. Generally speaking people do not invest time in the decision making process come election time. There are a number of reasons for this.

Some, as already mentioned, simply don't care. Some can't see the point, either because they see very little difference between the major parties or because they live in a safe seat. A seat which has always been held by a particular party is unlikely to change hands. They believe that after they vote, nothing will change, and more often than not they are right. Even at the national level. Changes in government rarely result in massive changes to the lives of ordinary Australian, and thank God for that. Change happens very slowly in Australia even when the need for change is universally recognised and urgent.

Even if we do care, and we do want to vote, most of us will not find the time needed to because it does not seem worth the effort. Investments are made readily when a good return on those investments is, at least a possibility. What difference will it really make if I spend an hour a day for the entire election campaign researching and ruminating on the issues?

What do we know about the policies of the parties and their representatives who woo our votes with the fervour of teenage boys chasing girls? What do we know? What can we know? If we want to make an informed choice and properly consider the issues, where do we find that information? Not from nightly 'tabloid' news programs which include the half hour of alleged real news. Not from sound bites on radio news bulletins. Not from propagandist advertisements on television, radio and in newspapers. Not from commentators like Alan Jones and Piers Ackerman who have made axe grinding an art form. Not from our politically savvy friends who spout the ideas of others in convincing monologues. The nature of this problem should be clear to the reader by now.

To get to the truth of political spin and sloganism you have to dig deep, and that requires an investment of time which most of us unwilling to make. It is imperative that we use the brains God gave us and make up our own minds.

Here are two suggestions: Firstly, watch full interviews with politicians on television programs like the ABC's 7:30 Report, or listen to them on the radio where again the ABC, on programs like AM and the World Today, offer some very enlightening content. This way you will hear what the politicians have to say in context, and how they respond to questioning. Secondly, research the issues on the world wide web. When in doubt, Google it! Make an informed choice Australia.

In my 24 years as an adult, an Australian citizen by birth, a proud Australian, I can recall very few decisions made by our government which have radically altered my life, and none at all that have messed it up. Life goes on, we vote for politicians because we have to but we want to believe their promises, we want to believe in the system. We cherish the concept of democracy but ignore the practice of it. I think we want to believe that our vote will make a difference. We cling to this hope even though it seems to fly in the face of reality. The absolute rubbish we are bombarded with nowadays is appalling in its superficiality. I need only offer one example: 'Turn back the Boats'. The fact that the arrival of illegal immigrants by boat to Australia is a major issue in this Federal election is a damning indictment on the intelligence of our democracy. It's embarrassing!

Do Australian's take their right to vote seriously? Generally, no, they don't. What about you? Use your freedom wisely.

Too Many Choices

2010-07-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

I went to buy some milk from a supermarket in Manoa Valley, Hawaii when I lived there back in the day. There were more varieties of milk than I had ever seen or even heard of but I could not find 'ordinary' milk like I was able to buy at supermarkets in Australia. With so many different varieties of milk on offer, I felt confused. Many of those varieties are now available in Australia. If you want some milk you can choose from fresh, concentrated, long life (UHT) or powdered. If it's fresh milk you want you have the following options;regular full fat, reduced fat, low fat, skim, modified milk, ultrafiltration milk, lactose reduced, lactose free, buttermilk, fortified milk, or the kids favourite, flavoured milk. Am I boring you yet? I won't go on but it is good to have all these choices right?

Sometimes when I go to buy my regular brand of toothpaste it takes ages to find it amongst the plethora of competitors. Colgate is arguably the number one brand and they alone make over 30 different types of toothpaste, in different sized tubes and dispensers. How they differ from each other may be marginal but it is good to have so many to choose from, don't you think?

Even the humble chocolate bar presents confounding and conflicting alternatives. Once upon a time you could just ask for a Kit-Kat. Then we had the Chunky single finger version introduced which was followed by different flavour varieties. Thankfully, or sadly depending on your point of view, in Australia we have limited choices; dark chocolate, peppermint, caramel, cookies and cream. In Japan they have gone to extremes by offering around 40 different flavours. Worldwide there are over 80 varieties of Kit-Kat available for the pleasure of the chocolate loving consumer. Wonderful, isn't it?

Does all this choice enrich our lives or simply complicate them? With fewer options I would need less time to decide but I might get bored without the chance to try something new. With less to choose from I might miss out if I don't like anything in the range but does that really matter? If Nestle didn't offer me a Kit-Kat that I liked I could simply visit the Cadbury section and see how they might be able to satisfy me. Would it be so terrible if there were only two or three different types of chocolate to choose from instead of hundreds?

I know you think I'm a killjoy. The shine of life would be tarnished by limited choices, wouldn't it? Variety, they say, is the spice of life. Is that true, or does variety merely foster envy and greed? Does it spoil us and make it harder for us to find satisfaction? Does our experience of the exotic, cripple our appreciation for the ordinary? Are we actually becoming insatiable?

The answer is yes to the latter three questions but it probably would not be of any real consequence or concern if I was only talking about food. However, life is a series of choices. Some are important, some are trivial but almost all are necessary. I think life would be much simpler and easier if we had less choice. If there were only one or two types of toothpaste for example, I could like it or lump it but I wouldn't have to spend so much time searching and deciding.

The biggest choice any of us will ever have to make only presents two alternatives. A very clear cut decision between two options. Choose life with Jesus Christ or life without him. Considering the unimaginable benefits of life with Christ, this choice could not be more straightforward. No confusion. No disappointment. It's simple. Choose today.

Little Things

2010-07-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Good Charlotte had a hit song called Little Things which was about the trials and tribulations of high school students. The chorus talks about the little things that always hang around, and try to bring us down. They just won't go away, and the little things have made them who they are today. All the things that have happened to them, testing them, angering them, and bothering them during their lives have helped shaped their characters.

How we react to and deal with people and circumstances in our lives is largely determined by what has happened to us in the past.

In a perfect world, the kind God intended us to live in, we would have been raised in a loving environment by parents who loved God and considered child rearing both a joy and a privilege. Their job was to disciple their children and impart to them the Godly wisdom which they themselves had accumulated from a lifetime of service to God and others.

In the real world, many people have no such Godly influence in their lives. Their parents have still passed on their values but they often aren't even close to God's standards. So sin and its vile consequences are perpetuated through the generations.

Praise God this cancer in our society can be cured. The cycle of sin can be broken when we repent of our sins and give our lives to Christ. Then the healing can begin and all the little things which come along to test and trouble us, will become reasons for us to praise and thank God, and things which he can use to mould us into the image of his Son, the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Honourable Bank Fees

2010-06-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

If you have a cheque account,do you know how much your financial institution charges you for cheque dishonours? When you do not have sufficient funds in your account to cover the cheque and it causes the institution to collapse from the pressure exerted on them by having to cover your cheque so that they payee can receive their money, do you know how much they charge you for that unspeakable inconvenience?

We're with the Greater Building Society. We have a fee free savings/cheque account. Well it's not entirely fee free because they do charge $30 for a cheque dishonour fee. I believe the NAB charges $45. Maybe the extra $15 is to deal with the extra advertising and administrative costs associated with being one of the Big Four.

Anyway, here's my story. It's a story about honour and common sense and good customer service.

We wrote a cheque to pay a specialist doctor's bill. At the time of writing, there were sufficient funds. My pay is deposited into the account every week and every second week I receive an additional pay packet from my other job. Three weeks after I wrote the cheque and one day before I was due to be paid, the doctor cashed the cheque and it bounced. GBS said you owe us $30, and the doctor said we had still to settle the account and pay the $45 that their bank had charged them for the cheque bouncing. Does that even make sense? So, we were up for $75 on top of the original bill because of bad timing.

I know the official line is that it is the responsibility of the cheque writer to make sure there are sufficient funds to cover the cheque. Fair enough, but it's a bit tricky when you have no idea when the person you pay with a cheque is going to cash the thing, and you use all available funds in your account between pay packets to pay bills. I felt this was unfair.

To cut a long story short, I asked GBS to waive the fee which they did, and then I wrote to the doctor to say that, having made a cash payment for the original invoice amount, I now considered the account settled and they should talk to their bank about the $45 because there was no way on earth that I was going to pay it.

I thank GBS for being fair and rewarding us as loyal customers, but this is just one small example of the kinds of rip offs and little injustices that go on all the time. Sometimes you just have to stand up and say 'enough', and this time I did. I encourage to do the same.

Spread the Love

2010-06-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Most families have had their share of domestic disturbance. From trivial bickering over what to watch on television to the unspeakable horrors of sexual, physical or emotional abuse. Families have been torn apart by tragedies like grief and infidelity, and by overwhelming financial burdens. The Beatles told us that love was all we needed, but look around. It isn't enough. Fifty percent of marriages fail.How many more continue in perpetual misery?

Some have suggested that monogamy is unnatural and, that forcing people together forever, or at least until death they do part, is rather like the artificial construction of political nations from disparate ethnic and religious groups who happen to share some geography. In other words, doomed for disater. There is a pattern around the world, particularly in African and Eastern Europe, of nation states devolving into smaller ethnically based nations. It can be argued that this is more natural.

Similarly, it can be argued that it is more natural for people to spread their love around a bit. Love here, is plainly a euphemism for sexual relationships which again, according to some, flow very naturally out of friendships. This is not the forum for debating the pros and cons of monogamy but it does raise an interesting question.

Can people who cheat on their partners still love them? Is it reasonable for a man to have a sexual relationship or even a very intimate emotional relationship with another woman and say that he still loves his wife or girlfriend? Can a man love two or even more women? Equally?

There is man in India named Ziona. He has 32 wives and 94 children. They all live together in one pretty big house in Eastern India. Think about that. This situation raises enough intrigue to fill a book, but of relevance to the current discussion is the question of whether the man loves his wives. Is it possible? Obviously he has sex with them but sex and love aren't the same thing. There is hell of a lot of loveless sex going on in this world. Does he love them? Does he have enough love for each of the women he has married? Obviously, he does not have sufficient time for each of them unless their definition of sufficient, and his, is ridiculously low. Immeasurably lower than most of ours. Fascinating.

I have one wife and no girlfriends or mistresses, so for me to answer the question posed earlier is a long stretch into the realm of the hypothetical. Could I love two women? I don't see why not. I don't, but I really can't see why that would not be possible. The closest analogy I can draw is loving our children. It is an imperfect analogy, I know but it's the best one available. I didn't have to use some of the love I already had for my son to love my daughter when she was born. I found some more. If we had have had a third child, I would have had more love available for that child as well with no diminution of my love for my other children. I don't know if that would be elastic enough to stretch to 94 children, (as Ziona in India has), but I can't see why not.

I believe that love originates with God. God is love. God is infinite and therefore love is infinite. God finances our love from his inexhaustible supply of it, but would he provide the love I would need to love a woman who wasn't my wife? I don't want to know the answer to that question.

All Things are Pure

2010-06-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

French convict, Henri Chariere, a.k.a. Papillion, was planning the final stage of his getaway. Having already miraculously defied the odds to escape from the penal island, Royale, he needed a boat to sail to British Guiana where he and his friends believed they would be allowed to settle as free men.

Another escapee, a Chinese man called Ciu-Ciu, arranged to buy a boat off a negro woodcutter whom he called Chocolate. Having inspected the boat, and seen it was basically sound, Papillion cut a deal with Chocolate which included a satisfactory price and the purchase of some other supplies for their journey. Papillion tore some bank notes in half and told Chocolate he could have the other half when he delivered the finished boat and the other supplies.

When the day arrived for them to settle, Chocolate had done exactly as he was required. Papillion was impressed by the faithfulness of this man who was willing to help a stranger, an escaped convict. Chocolate had brought his half of the bank notes and asked Papillion to stick the notes together again for him. It apparently never occurred to Chocolate not to trust Papillion, or that Papillion might simply keep the money for himself after he rejoined the halves.

Chocolate was a simple man: a honest, hardworking man who wanted to believe the best of Papillion, and of people in general. He could not imagine people were deceptive because he himself was without guile. He had seen first hand the inhumane treatment that prisoners received from their captors in penal settlements like Royale, so he wanted to help Papillion escape and start a new life. Papillion saw God in this man.

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds..." (Titus 1:15,16)

book review: Hoping For Hope by Lucy Clare

2010-06-11T18:36:00.001-07:00

Hoping for Hope by Lucy Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Very well told story. Multiple POV seemed a bit overdone particularly random Jake's view but Hope's cameo at the end was good. Good ending. So glad to have read a book and not been disappointed by the ending. Sharply drawn characters even if a little stronger/stereotypical than believable. Overall A surprisingly enjoyable read.

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Wetting the Towel that Dries You

2010-06-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

Original sayings are as rare as hen's teeth theses days. It says in Ecclesiastes there is nothing new under the sun, and who can deny it? Words are repackaged and reworked but at the end of the day, the song remains the same. Soon we will all hear the mother of all cliches, the straw that breaks the camel's back in terms of our ability to endure tired old adages.

Many hands make light work but too many cooks can sometimes spoil the broth especially if there are more chiefs than indians, so if a stitch in time saves nine, it is high time this plague of aphorisms was nipped in the bud. Maybe the horse has already bolted and although we may be able to lead it to the freshwater of originality, we may not be able to make it drink.

There is apparently a cute little platitude for every experience and situation, but we've heard it all before. We should all pull up our socks and dig deep to unearth some new maxims with meaning. Maybe we could scrape the bottom of the barrel and see if there is any light at the end of this tunnel of torpid tale telling. At the very least we should tighten our belts and avoid verbal extravagance.

However, what we should not do is wet the towel that dries us, that is to say we should not throw out the baby with the bathwater or bite the hand that feeds us. That would be madness. We need words to communicate. Words have power. The pen is mightier than the sword. James talks about the restless evil that is the tongue and he tells us to be slow to speak and quick to listen. Be wise with your words.

Here is a trustworthy saying which rises above the pack, and deserves full acceptance: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst.' (1 Timothy 1:15)

Generosity versus Greed

2010-05-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

How much effort and cash is expended by people to help themselves compared with helping others? This is a frightening question which many will shy away from asking. Many more will not want to hear the answer. The truth can be troubling, to say the least. Truth often is. Despite its outrageous propaganda Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, was well named. Facts can be sledgehammers. Facts can make us squirm and sweat, even make us sick. Contestable? Debatable? Controversial? Yes to all three, but people react and respond to the truth differently, and regardless of whether you agree or not, truth is truth. Not liking something or not believing in it does not alter the reality of it. Some things are true and that's all there is to it.

Former British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli is believed to have once said there are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics. At the risk of being accused of using statistical acrobatics to support my case, I offer the following shocking facts.

The 2005 Boxing Day tsunami was arguably the worst natural disaster the modern world has ever seen. Australians responded to the cry for help from the people affected and by the organisations that moved to alleviate their suffering and begin the rebuilding process. Roughly $100 million dollars was raised by Australians alone.It was a fantastic effort and a wonderful display of generosity. In that same year however, gambling losses by Australians totalled $17.5 billion dollars. Read that sentence again. It's not a misprint. Here's more; total giving by Australians to non profit organisations in 2004, personal and corporate, was $11 billion dollars. Gambling losses in the following year were $17.5 billion.

Statistics from Giving Australia in 2005 showed that Australians donated 0.7% of GDP on a per capita basis. That puts us behind the Americans, the British and our friends across the Ditch. A more recent survey by Commsec showed that Australians spend more on gambling than they do on some bills. $2292 on gambling versus $1830 on gas and electricity bills, for example. Illuminating isn't it?

Why? That's the question. Why are Australians addicted to gambling? Hope. Most of us struggle a little financially, and whether our wallets are fat or emaciated, we would like a little more. The desperate need we feel for more, the belief we have that more money will solve our worries, that having more will make us complete, make us more content, that winning a fortune will rescue us from the prison of our boring jobs with their insufficient incomes, all translates into an addiction. Our hope is in gambling: the small chance that we will get lucky. The statistics say we spend more on this addiction (and I haven't even mentioned alcohol and cigarettes) than we do on helping others.

That's pretty sad, isn't it?

Does having so many options to choose from enhance our lives?
	Yes
	No
	It depends.

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