Andy Ruminations

A new year ...

2007-01-15T13:24:00.000+11:00

... a new blog. Click here.

Time for a fresh start.

My must see films for summer

2006-12-20T23:24:00.000+11:00

I don't get to the movies very often, but I've got my short list ready in case I get a chance over the next month or so, failing which I'll have to wait for DVD. Here's three of my top picks (I may put up more if time permits) ...

Babel - from the same director as the brilliant 21 Grams, this film apparently has a similar, non-linear style, jolting between four different narratives involving different characters, but all intertwined. It takes its inspiration from the biblical account of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages throughout the world, with the different sub-plots peopled by characters of different nationalities and tounges. Probably not your movie if you like pretty conventional storytelling (21 Grams was often difficult to follow, with its jumbled-up chronology, but it was worth the effort). Apart from anything else, it has the fabulous Cate Blanchett in it! Can't wait to see this one. Top of my list.

The Queen - this is getting rave reviews. One interesting aspect of it is that it recounts a period of history so recent we can all remember it like yesterday, the time when Princess Diana was killed in a car accident, the film dealing with how Queen Elizabeth reacted to the event. The whole film, including the script and performances, is being praised, but particularly attracting attention is Helen Mirren's performance in the title role. Even just seeing the photos and movie stills, the way in which she has completely embodied Her Majesty is just amazing. Watch this space for Best Actress at next year's Oscars!

Happy Feet - something a bit more lighthearted perhaps than my other two picks. This looks great. From the pictures I've seen, the animation looks like it will be stunning. And it's a musical too, so sounds like some good old entertainment. The other exciting thing about it is that, although I think financed out of Hollywood (to the tune of $100million or so!), it's essentially an Aussie production - it was directed byGeorge Miller (of Mad Max and Babe fame), the animation was done here in Sydney and many of the voices are supplied by well known Aussiewood stars. I may even take my four year old along to this one for her first ever cinema experience. Warning: may cause toe-tapping!

Some others in brief ...

Flags of Our Fathers - a great war story from Clint Eastwood (Clint Eastwood's last 2 films, Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby were both brilliant, so I'm willing to watch anything by him). This one tells the story of the American soldiers featured in the famous photo where they raised the US flag on the island of Iwo Jima during the war with Japan. (Is this one even still on at the movies??)

Letters from Iwo Jima - this is the companion film also made by Clint Eastwood, but telling the flipside of the story from the Japanese perspective (including being shot in Japanese). It's getting even bigger reviews than Flags. This one doesn't come out till some time early next year.

Casino Royale - the new James Bond flick of course. Apparently quite good.

The religion of war and sacrifice

2006-12-18T10:55:00.000+11:00

More thoughts from my (not so recent now) trip to Canberra.

I spent a morning in the Australian War Memorial. Great place to go and could easily get lost for hours.

One thing that struck me, though, is the way we have turned the memory of war into a quasi-religious experience. I've often thought that Australia's most religious public holiday is neither Christmas nor Easter, but Anzac Day. The whole architecture of the War Memorial is almost temple like, complete with stained glass windows and a domed ceiling, a shrine to the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in service of others to buy their freedom. A place that encourages (like many cathedrals and the like) quiet contemplation and reflection.

This is all well and good to remember and respect those who died in war, but as far as religious experiences go, better I think to focus on the one sacrifice that purchased freedom for people of all nations and ages, not just twentieth/twenty-first century Australians ...

Cloning

2006-12-12T14:08:00.000+11:00

There has obviously been plenty said in the last week about the issue of therapeutic cloning and last week's legislative lifting of the ban. I won't repeat here all the issues and arguments, suffice to say that I join with many other Christians whose views I've read in the world of blogs and online forums who are deeply concerned that human life could be exploited in this way.

What I did want to point out was this disturbing comment I came across in this Herald column titled Five myths of therapeutic cloning:

Myth 5: That respect for human life demands cloning be banned.

While there is a range of views regarding the moral status of the embryo and the degree of protection that should be extended to the embryo, most people would agree that human life, in and of itself, is deserving of respect. But it does not logically follow from this that embryo research and cloning should be banned. That some in the community believe embryos deserve as much protection as adults does not mean the force of law should compel this view.
(italics added)

This argument just doesn't cut the mustard. So, it is not OK for the force of law to compel the view that "embryos" (translation = unborn children) deserve as much protection as adults. But apparently it is OK for the force of law to compel the opposing view, and to compel on society this novel innovation that sees human life created for the purpose of experimentation and subsequent destruction??

If ever there was a case for the force of law being required to protect those least able to speak up and protect themselves, this would be it!

Canberra

2006-12-06T15:17:00.000+11:00

Speaking of Federal politics, I've actually recently returned from a week in Canberra, part business, part pleasure.

I find Canberra such an interesting place - always so many things to do and see. And Canberra is so interesting simply as a concept.

I think its fascinating that the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry at the time of Federation was such that, rather than either city dare let the other take on the capital crown, the founding fathers thought they'd just start a capital city from scratch in the middle of a few sheep paddocks!

And 90 years on, Canberra still feels like a city in the middle of a sheep paddock, a city of major national monuments and institutions, built for the masses that never turned up. As you fly into town, looking out the aeroplane window, it's hard to spot any recognisable CBD, let alone anything resembling a metropolis. I wonder what heads of state think as they fly in?

It's a city of impressive, wide boulevards with barely any cars; massive white marbled foyers with barely any people; a fake, purpose built lake with barely any boats; a business district with barely any taxis (believe me, I've tried!).

It's a city of circles and symmetrical street plans where, in theory, everything is so easy to get to, but in practice a wrong turn can have you hurtling off on some large roundabout to nowhere. A city where you can attend a cabinet meeting one minute, and 5 minutes later go for a stroll in the bush and spot a kangaroo. It's hot in the summer, and cold in the winter, and a blow fly's paradise.

Initially, at the turn of the last century, while the planners dreamed up their new city, Federal Parliament sat in Melbourne. I actually think Melbourne would have made a good capital city - it has the right stately feel about it, and feels like an important metropolis rather than a country town. Sydney would have whinged, but ultimately would have taken over as the party capital and gotten over it, and boasted that it had the harbour anyway so who care's whether the town missed out on having a few extra public servants and bureaucrats hanging about.

But that said, we would then be without Canberra, and probably be the poorer for it. For all its faults and contradictions, it's a fascinating place to visit.

Kevin Rudd

2006-12-04T22:26:00.000+11:00

And so this man now leads the Labor Party, and could be Australia's next prime minister. (Though remember Mark Latham was greeted in the same way ... somehow I think young Rudd has potential to go further than Latham did!)

Kevin Rudd is a committed and publicly open Christian. See here, and here, and here, and here, and here for some good examples of Kevin Rudd's views in his own words, either interviews with him or his own written pieces.

He has some interesting things to say on the interaction of faith and politics. I particularly like how he has highlighted that being a socially conservative, evangelical Christian does not necessarily mean your politics always swings to the right, and does not necessarily mean you will vote Liberal. Or in his words, he has rejected the notion that "God has become the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Liberal Party". Perhaps a bit of rhetoric on Rudd's part there, and no doubt there's an element of playing to Christian voters to win them back to the Labor Party. But why not, when Costello rocks up to Hillsong in a blatant attempt to shore up political support amongst the aspirational, wealthy pentecostal voters.

Rudd has challenged the notion that so-called "family values" should be restricted to matters of sexual morality, and has argued that "family values" and "moral values" might also encompass, for example, industrial relations, health policy and our approach towards refugees.

I also like what Rudd has to say about separation of church and state and how this does not mean (as many secularists would have us believe) that decisions based on Christian conviction have no part to play in a secular state. Rudd seems to be an example of a politician who explicitly articulates his political views and policy stances as being informed by his Christian belief. Good on him!

Crucifying Santa

2006-11-27T23:05:00.000+11:00

There's been a bit of discussion happening today at Ruth's blog (here and here) and at Rodeo's blog (here) about jolly old St Nicholas.

I've expressed many of my views already in the comments sections of both those blogs.

In short, I think Christians can get a bit too hung up about Santa. In my view Santa is not an anagram for Satan. Further, doing the whole Santa thing with your kids is not lying to them (there's a difference between make believe or fiction on the one hand, and lying on the other hand). We don't need to get all santimonious about this.

Ruth pointed to the new Christmas cards that FEVA (the Fellowship for Evangelism in the Visual Arts) have put out, many of which take pot shots at Santa. Some of them border on offensive (see the picture to the left).

Let's use Christmas to point people to God's amazing gift to us in Christ, but this kind of thing can just be a turn off for people. Let them be offended by the message of Christ crucified, rather than by us crucifying Santa!

(By the way, Ruth had some excellent ideas on her blog as to how to explain the whole Santa thing to your kids, and I may well borrow her suggestions.)

The link

2006-11-22T22:36:00.000+11:00

Believe it or not, there is a link between my last 2 posts. Here it is ...

Last Saturday week we decided to venture out to Bondi in the late afternoon to see Sculptures by the Sea and have take away dinner. In the meantime, I had spent the day raving to my wife about how much I was enjoying my new U2 purchases, particularly their latest album, and had listened to them on the iPod whenever I could grab a chance.

We left home about 4.20pm and had a jolly good time out at Bondi, returning after 8.00pm. There was a message on our home phone voice mail left at about 4.30pm. We'd obviously just missed their call.

Later in the evening I asked my wife whether she'd listened to the message and who had called. She said she was in a dilemma as to whether to tell me or not.

She eventually told me. A friend had called us, only minutes after we'd left, saying she was feeling quite sick and would I like her ticket to the Sydney U2 concert that very evening!!!! Missed the call by 10 minutes!!!!

I think I handled the potential disappointment quite well. We had only been discussing that afternoon that there's no use getting worried about things in the past that you can't change (my wife reminded me of this conversation before telling me about the call!). And God in his sovereignty worked it all out for best. I had worked very long hours that week and had barely seen my family, so an extra night out away from them would not have been a good idea (even if it was to see U2 live!). And our friend, despite feeling quite ill, managed to get along to the concert and enjoy herself, and it would have been very disappointing for her to miss it. She was one of the original ticket holders when they cancelled their tour earlier this year.

Plus, we had a great time at Sculptures by the Sea!

Maybe next time ...

Sculptures by the Sea

2006-11-22T08:09:00.000+11:00

Our annual pilgramage to Bondi/Tamarama to see the fantastic Sculptures by the Sea ...

U2 on the iPod

2006-11-21T11:31:00.000+11:00

Equipped with my recently received iPod (a birthday gift from my wife + kids), financed by my recently received iTunes voucher (a birthday gift from my brother + sister-in-law), inspired by my recent reading of the book "Bono on Bono" and enthused by U2's recent arrival here in Australia for their concert tour, I hopped onto the iTunes site the other week and downloaded four of U2's albums. They're incredibly cheap - only $11.99 each! I decided to spread my purchases across the decades and bought the following:

- "War"
- "Rattle & Hum"
- "Achtung Baby"
- "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"

The first is one of U2's very early recordings, a period I'm not as familiar with other than the odd well known song. The second two are from the late '80s / early '90s and I've previously owned them on cassette tape (remember those??) but thought it was time to upgrade them to new technology as they're both great albums. The last one of course is U2's most recent album, but I had not previously heard it.

Well, I've hardly listened to the first three albums in the list because my iPod is now virtually stuck in a permanent "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" groove. I can't stop playing it! Over and over and over and over - I can't get enough! It is absolutely brilliant, both musically and lyrically. In particular, Bono's modern psalm, "Yahweh" is pure poetry. I might do a whole separate post on it.

Suffice to say, I'm very satisfied with my purchases. Thanks Dave & Row!

Mmmmm ....

2006-10-24T16:07:00.000+10:00

.... had my first nectarine of the season the other day. And my first mango.

This is one of the things I love about summer - juicy, fresh, stone fruit. And especially mangoes!

Otherwise occupied

2006-10-24T14:02:00.000+10:00

Been a while between posts again. Guess I've been otherwise occupied these last few weeks ....

(My brother has already well and truly beaten me to the post with that news ...)

Jamie's Kitchen

2006-09-15T08:51:00.000+10:00

Watched this new show last night. The concept in brief: celebrity chef Jamie Oliver opens a restaurant in Melbourne ("Fifteen"), the aim of which is to train disadvantaged young people as chefs, giving them opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have. It's already been done in London, Cornwall and Amsterdam, and has now come "down under".

Now, Jamie Oliver cops a bit occasionally, and I can understand why people would see him as a bit of an annoying young upstart, lapping up the glory and media attention and celebrity and using words like "pucker". But I'm going to stick up for the guy.

Firstly, he's a darn good cook (at least on air and in print - I've not personally tasted his stuff). We've been cooking from his books for years now and watching his shows and he makes good cooking look easy and fun, and his recipies taste fantastic. But the thing we've been particularly impressed by is these causes he's taken on.

Watching the predecessor series a few years ago showed that the young James really put himself on the line financially to open the first "Fifteen" restaurant in London , and a lot of the kids he took on showed no gratitude at all. But he persevered and really gave these kids a go. One of the best parts of last night's show was when they were interviewing potential recruits for the Melbourne restaurant and had to turn away the guy who'd been modelling in Milan and the girl who had graduated from uni - they were too successful. No, the concept is to take kids who've genuinely hit the bottom and try to give them a lift up.

The other series that endeared us to Jamie was the School Dinners series where Jamie made an effort to change the appalling diet of crap they were serving up to kids in state schools and getting their canteens to instead serve tasty, nutricious, healthy food. He no doubt got a few noses out of joint from people who didn't want to change, but good on him. (Serving decent food to kids is a bit of a hobby horse of mine, but more of that in another post ...)

Some might cynically say he's doing it all for attention. I have no idea and it's not for me to question his motives. I reckon its great to see him using his celebrity and wealth and culinary skills to improve the lives of young people, both by giving some who are down and out a bit of a kick start, and by improving the disgusting diets that many kids are fed. Keep it up Jamie!

5 years on

2006-09-11T10:28:00.000+10:00

I'm not really into getting overly sentimental about anniversaries of key events, but I bought the Herald this morning and their front page (see left) reproduced the full front page of the Herald reporting on September 11, 2001. I was somewhat surprised how it brought all the memories flooding back.

I remember holding that same front page in my hands 5 years ago, of all places at an airport about to board a plane, terrified that these same people might also attack another Western outpost like Australia, but trying to reassure myself and my equally terrified wife that a domestic flight from Sydney to Perth didn't quite have the same symbolic potency as the World Trade Centre or the Pentagon.

I remember having earlier arrived at the airport in a taxi, my wife crying in the back seat at the whole shocking thought of it all. We were both exhausted - we'd stayed up late the night before to finish painting the kitchen cupboards in our newly purchased house, to unpack boxes from the recent move and pack our bags for holidays. We heard the story unfolding live on the small clock radio in the kitchen as we painted. First one plane, sounds like some freak accident; then another, sounds terrifyingly planned. Time to turn on the TV and see what was happening. A very late night, and an early rise for an early flight, acrylic paint fumes inhaled, and the emotional exhaustion of listening and watching the unfolding horror, not to mention the thought of boarding a plane ourselves, the very weapon of terror these people had used - no wonder we were exhausted.

I remember the feeling of guilt that I was so shocked at this one event, when people die horrendous deaths that go unreported all the time, and the media puts an earthquake killing tens of thousands on page 7 of the paper, while this event that killed comparatively few has occupied so much front page space and prime-time air time over the last 5 years. But I think the shock was that it brought the reality of death and terror to a place much closer to home. It wasn't my city, it wasn't my country. But it was so close to where I'm at. Office workers turning up to work in their sleek city skycrapers, thinking it's a day like any other. That's what I do every day.

I remember for weeks later staring out my office window at the high rises in my city thinking why couldn't it happen here. I'd stare across the road from where I worked at the high rise which contains the US embassy in our city, the building where I went to park one day a few weeks after 9/11 and had my car searched as I entered, such was the level of gripping fear.

I remember this feeling being brought even closer to home when little more than one year later, they attacked a favourite holiday destination of Australians. Bali brought home that they wanted our blood too. And then there was Madrid and London. Buses and trains, once again ordinary city workers on their way to work in cities not that different to mine. That's me. I'm Australian, I'm a city worker, I catch the train to my tower of glass and steel.

Did 9/11 change the world forever, as they keep telling us? I'm not sure that it did. We ought not be surprised by wars and rumours of wars but an event like this can bring that home to someone like me who lives in an age and a country where, rather abnormally in world history, life has been relatively untouched by such horrors. For me, that is the lingering memory and legacy 5 years on.

been a while ...

2006-09-11T10:26:00.000+10:00

Has been so long since I put anything on here that (a) I couldn't even find the page to begin with; and (b) once found, I couldn't remember how to create a new blog post!

Oh well, I'm here now ...

Small child running around enjoying the Sidney Nolan room at the Art Gallery

2006-07-02T22:24:00.000+10:00

The snake charmer

2006-07-02T22:14:00.000+10:00

Etienne Dinet, 1889, oil on canvas. Art Gallery of NSW, purchased 1890.

OK, another from the Art Gallery's collection. This has always been one my favourites, but on looking at it yesterday, I reckon it might be numero uno, trumping even the Queen of Sheba (see below). What do I love about it? Most of all the faces, and the light. Incredible.

The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon

2006-07-02T21:28:00.000+10:00

Edward John Poynter, 1890, oil on canvas. Art Gallery of NSW, purchased 1892.

This has always been our favourite paining at the Art Gallery. It's so huge and imposing and full of colour and vibrancy and splendour and detail. We took the kids yesterday to see it for the first time, and I think they liked it too.

("When the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relation to the name of the LORD, she cam to test him with hard questions." Read the full story here.)

Art Gallery of NSW

2006-07-02T21:25:00.000+10:00

3am conversation with almost 4 year old ...

2006-07-02T16:18:00.000+10:00

"Daddy!" [calling across hallway from one bedroom to another.]

[Daddy walks in.]

"Yes darling."

"I had a scary dream."

"Well why don't you pray and ask God to take away the scary dreams?"

"OK. Dear God, please don't let me have any more scary dreams. Amen."

"Good night darling."

"Nigh-night daddy."

[10 minutes later]

"Daddy!"

[Daddy walks in.]

"Yes darling."

"I had more scary dreams."

"Did you darling?"

"Didn't God hear me?"

"Darling, God always heres us when we pray to him."

"Is heaven near Australia?"

"Yes, heaven's near everywhere."

"Is heaven near Perth?"

"Yes darling. Good night."

"Nigh-night."

The nations come to King Street, Newtown ...

2006-06-12T23:53:00.000+10:00

Have you ever wandered down King Street, Newton and counted just how many countries are represented in all the various shops in that long inner-city strip?

Australian Film Industry - part 2

2006-06-01T11:02:00.000+10:00

Further thoughts on the Aussie film industry ...

I mentioned in my earlier post that it's not all necessarily bad - plenty of Aussie actors, directors, cinematographers etc are out there competing on the world stage and getting all the accolades.

Of course, the problem is that while our talent is being well used, not many "Australian" stories are being told on the big screen. Our actors are getting excellent roles, huge accolades and massive pay packets, but usually with an American accent (though I did notice that Russell Crowe's Maximus still retained a distinctly Aussie accent). And their fees end up being so high that the local, small budget productions can no longer afford the big stars.

The Herald ran a blog about this earlier this week: where's our modern Aussie big screen heroes, our Crocodile Dundee of the new millenium, our distinctively Aussie characters and stories?

Dan Brown on faith ...

2006-06-01T10:49:00.000+10:00

Langdon smiled. 'Sophie, every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith - acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove. Every religion describes God through metaphor, allegory and exaggeration, from the early Egyptians through modern Sunday school. ...'

Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, 2003.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke, The Gospel According to Luke, c. 60 AD.

Australian Film Industry

2006-05-25T10:50:00.000+10:00

I made some comments in passing below about what many see as the sick state of the Australian film industry. Much has been said about this in the last few years. Apparently, the industry is producing on average about 16 to 19 films per year, down from an average of 30 in the 1990s and even more in the 1980s (see here).

Here's my take on it. I don't think it's so much a case of the Australian film industry being in a bad state, as it having almost "merged" with what is really now a global film industry.

Think how many Aussies are making it big in Hollywood these days. The Oscars red carpet is littered with antipodean talent every year. It's not just the actors (Our Nic, Our Russ, Our Heath, Our Cate, Our Geoffrey just to name a few) but also the directors (think Peter Weir, Baz Lurhmann, Phillip Noyce) and a lot of the behind-the-scenes people who do the cinematography, special effects, make up, costume design etc. Virtually every year now an Australian cinematographer is nominated for an Oscar, and this year an Aussie won. You didn't see that in the 1980s.

And think how many Hollywood productions get made in Australia (Mission Impossible, Matrix, Star Wars etc).

You could think of this as Hollywood swallowing up our local talent. But another way of looking at it is that the locals are taking on Hollywood. Indeed, the term "Hollywood" is really a misnomer - it really is a global industry, with many films being financed from multiple sources and involving cast, crew and shooting locations from round the world. And Australia's right there in the thick of it.

More thoughts to come later ...

Breakfast at Bronte

2006-05-25T10:34:00.000+10:00

Seen at Bronte, Saturday morning ...

2006-05-25T10:28:00.000+10:00

Oyster Farmer

2006-05-22T17:24:00.000+10:00

Saw this film on the weekend on DVD.

Not bad, but a bit disappointed. The highlight was definitely the beautiful cinematography of the Hawkesbury River. Though having said that, I thought the director's comments in the DVD extras about "the river being a character" were a bit much - I'm a bit tired of these "landscape as character" references, ala The Outback in Japanese Story (another yawn of an Australian film, despite the hype) etc etc.

The acting was OK, but I just found the story a bit flat. Got some good reviews, so maybe I'm missing something.

A few reviewers have said this film suggets some hope for the sick state of the Australian film industry. Not sure about that. Though don't give up hope on the Australian film industry - there were some excellent Australian films last year (the quirky and original Look Both Ways and the haunting Little Fish, both of which were brilliant).

Da Vinci Code - the Movie

2006-05-18T12:46:00.000+10:00

So the movie has now hit the cinemas. It's not getting crash hot reviews. But what can be expected from what really is a bit of an airport thriller (or, as this writer suggested, a bus novel)? Dan Brown was never going to win the Pulitzer Prize for this work, and looks like Ron Howard will have to wait his turn for his second Oscar.

Still reading the book and will post more thoughts, though there's not much to say that hasn't already been said by countless others. I'm just up to the chapter (chapter 55) where the character Sir Leigh Teabing reinvents the whole historical basis of Christianity. Notwithtstanding all the cries of "it's only fiction!", there's no doubt in my mind that the "history" recounted in this particular chapter was intended to be read and taken as fact.

Revolving door etiquette

2006-05-15T17:11:00.000+10:00

Revolving.
Originally uploaded by gak.

This is one of the vexing questions of life in a city office tower - what exactly is the correct etiquette when entering and exiting revolving doors? Is it appropriate to jump in for a ride with another person in the same little quarter of the revolving door? Or should entries and exits be spaced so that only one person is present in each quarter?

In my view, if the other person is someone you know and the space is large enough, I think it's OK for both of you to take a ride together. However, if it's a stranger, no matter how big the revolving door, it's far too cosy a space for it to be polite for both of you to hop in together - wait your turn!

Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction?

2006-05-11T10:33:00.000+10:00

Ron Howard gives his view:

... the Oscar-winning director of A Beautiful Mind rejected the notion that his latest film should carry a disclaimer - as requested by Opus Dei - stating what he said was already obvious.

"This is a work of fiction that presents a set of characters that are affected by these conspiracy theories and ideas," Howard told the Los Angeles Times. "Those characters in this work of fiction act and react on that premise. It's not theology. It's not history. To start off with a disclaimer … spy thrillers don't start off with disclaimers."

I've finally succumbed to the hype and have just bought the book and am ploughing through it.

My initial impression? It is not obvious to me that the book is solely a work of fiction. Contrary to what Ron Howard says, the novel does purport to contain both theology and history. And Dan Brown seeks to give the impression that the novel is based on fact.

This book does more than just seek to entertain. It seeks to influence people's hearts and minds about matters of history and religion. And it works. A friend mentioned to me the other day that he had just assumed that what the book had to say about Christianity was true.

I'll post further thoughts as I continue to read.

Wrongful life?...

2006-05-09T14:06:00.000+10:00

.... High Court says no.

"There is no present field of human learning or discourse, including philosophy and theology, which would allow a person experiential access to non-existence, whether it is called pre-existence or afterlife. There is no practical possibility of a court (or jury) ever apprehending or evaluating, or receiving proof of, the actual loss or damage as claimed by the appellant. It cannot be determined in what sense Alexia Harriton's life with disabilities represents a loss, deprivation or detriment compared with non-existence. "

Justice Susan Crennan, High Court of Australia, Harriton v Stephens [2006] HCA 15 (9 May 2006) para [253].

Of course, there is someone who has had experiental access to the afterlife, not that that would necessarily have assisted the court in this case in comparing life with non-existence ...

Born again: miners free at last*

2006-05-09T10:48:00.000+10:00

What fantastic news from the Beaconsfield mine this morning.

A quick survey of other major world news sites (NY Times, BBC, NBC, The Times, The Globe & Mail) shows that this is a major news headline right round the world today.

We love to hear a good story of rebirth and salvation!

* NB: This was the title of the SMH article to which I have linked in this post, but subsequently during the day the title changed. I quite liked the original title and wish they'd kept it!

Love this city ...

2006-05-08T15:34:00.000+10:00

Opera house and harbour bridge
Originally uploaded by kiwikeith.

On a slightly brighter note...

Just been for a jog over lunch time. When I came round the bend of Mrs Macquarie's Chair and turned and faced the sparkling, sunny city skyline with the gardens in the foreground, and the Opera House and Bridge to the side, all against a backdrop of a perfect autumn blue sky, it was hard not to think I'm blessed to live in the most beautiful city in the world. Simply magic ...

Of course, it ain't got nothin' on this city, which has the added advantage of a bit more racial harmony to boot.

"Crash", race & choosing a school

2006-05-08T10:32:00.000+10:00

"Crash" surprised everyone this year when it came from behind and won the Best Picture Oscar.

I saw Crash and thought it was a brilliant movie - amazing acting, beautiful shooting, sharp writing, well paced direction.

I think one reason for the movie's success is that its interlocking stories of racism and prejudice ring true, because we know that deep in all our hearts, even in the most seemingly respectable of people, lies a fear and suspicion of people of another colour or culture. Black and White, Eastern and Western, all are guilty of fearing each other, and it's not just a simple story of the oppressed vs. the oppressor.

This bubbles to the surface when living in a multicultural city such as Sydney and it comes time to choose a school for your children. There are schools that people of Anglo background avoid. Why? Because, for example, 80% of the school might come from a particular ethnic background. When asked why that's a problem and why it matters if an Anglo kid goes to such a school, the typical response is, "Well it's OK if it's a mix of cultures, just not if there's one culture that dominates."

But isn't that what other kids have to endure at schools where the Anglo kids are in the majority? And don't we just expect them to "assimilate"? If it's good enough for "their" kids, why isn't it good enough for "our" kids, the "Australian" kids?

What is "Australian" anyway?

I don't say any of this in a judgmental way. It's easy to get on your politically correct moral high horse and argue the theory of all this, but when you're thinking about your own kid it's easy for the very same prejudices to bubble to the surface.

And that was exactly what was captured so well in "Crash". Whether it's LA or Sydney, you don't have to dig very deep to find an undercurrent of racism.

Some questions ...

2006-04-30T22:52:00.001+10:00

So why am I blogging? Is this really a good idea? Do I want the world at large to read my inner most thoughts, my daily comings and goings, bits and pieces, warts and all?

Do I intend to reveal those matters to begin with? Or keep things at a safe distance? Will I allow my life to unfold before anyone who's interested, or offer not much more than a glimpse from behind a veil?

Who on earth do I think would want to read this anyway? Are they people I know, friends, family, workmates, or just cyber-strangers who stumble across my words in a mistaken turn down the wrong corner, perhaps following some odd search engine directions, or chasing a link from a link from a link from a link from a friend, you know, 6-Degrees-Of-Separation and all that? Or peraps someone will even google "6 degrees of separation" and arrive here in bewilderment wondering what I have to say about that topic?

Is this some kind of therapy for me (not that I think I'm in particular need of therapy), or simply a foray into the world of self-publishing, or self-indulgence even?

You know what? I have no idea. I don't know exactly what I'm doing here nor precisely how this thing will look or sound. A bit of theology is likely, occasional current affairs, miscelleaneous observations. Let's just see where it heads and enjoy the view .....

Numero Uno

2006-04-29T23:52:00.000+10:00

well, here goes ...