Wedding Party Entrance Dance

This ones done the rounds of media outlets today and it is very funny with only a 90min rehearsal and everyone in the extended wedding party onboard!!

WWJD @Assembly

Despite adding a few days to my experience of our UCA national Assembly, the Orientation for Under 30s was the making of my experience last week!!

It meant I had friendly faces in the crowd, energetic and clever folks to 'hang out' with and a reason to turn up each day!!

Evidence of this comes in the form of a website of cartoons which continued to be a source of fun as they were displayed on the big screen before and after some otherwise long sessions!!

It all started with 7.7.7 and you can check out the Team and the Cartoons here

As Usual Clever VB advert for the Cricket

VB adverts are generally clever and this latest one for the cricket from England is no exception. The agency seem able to hone in on some aspect of Aussie humour and amplify it for effect. This self effacing humour extends to a parade of likely VB drinkers including: blokes punching above their weight; manscapers; those who took a sickie to be there; streakers; and aussie cricketers to name a few.

ASBO Jesus July 23rd I CAN RELATE

Geez, welcome to my world!! Not my home patch at 'The Dungeon' but lots of places visited, worked with and known about who whilst faithfully trying to do their best are blissfully unaware of the issues around following a model no longer needed by punters everywhere!!

"Redneck Wonderland" Midnight Oil

“Redneck Wonderland”
I dont want to run I dont want to stay
Cos everything thats near and dear is old and in decay
Emergency has gone, apathy rolling on
Time to take a stand
Redneck wonderland
Got you in my sights, spotlit by the fence
If your small you’re faking, its just common sense
Brick and tile for miles, rolling in the aisles
Rifle in my hand
Redneck wonderland
Well the streets are clean, nothing gets away
I can see the beauty treatment draining from your face
It is vision free, its poor bugger me
Something less than grand
Redneck wonderland

UCA Preamble Acknowledging First Peoples

On the verge of something so significant I have rarely been so angry, dismayed and stressed at the stubbornness, lack of empathy and the dishonesty of people who were part of the Assembly meeting today at UNSW!!
I wanted to speak the other night as a supporter of the brilliant work that's been done by a Taskgroup with our Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress towards the Preamble. BUT due to something of an overrreaction to a question thr time got blown away.
We then went to working groups and listened hard to issues of: time people have had to consider the Preamble; views about it's Christology; and what people could and couldn't say!!

This was represented by a Facilitation Team in a great summary of many issues and then listed as [3] ammendments. We got within 1-4 blue cards of a decision depending on who you speak to and all those concerns tumbled out to again threaten the Proposal. Congress left an 'unsafe space' and despite standing to speak about how we felt I was so angry at the crap being spoken by some people I had to sit back down to avoid swearing and offending people.
I believe those with blinkered evangelical agendas have been pig headed and failed to listen. They have behaved like a dominant culture still rubbing it into to aboriginal people and I was disgusted with the lack of empathy [total lack] and the inability to listen and listen to ourselves.

Here's hoping tomorrow brings a decision it's something we must decide and a chance to speak about why... we'll see I guess!!

Mistakes Mistakes Mistakes

The Wallabies failed to breakthru for a win tonight but my predicted score is what it coulda shoulda been! The mistakes were typical and a sign they have plety to do with some encouraging aspects to their play!!
The kicking isn't great [though the breeze didn't help] and the defence was strong but not unbreakable.
More disappointing is that we were thrashed at the breakdown and couldn't blame some admittedly erratic refereeing foe the end result!!
Even then we still had a throw with minutes left if only we could have held the ball!!

Maybe next time!!

Go the Wallabies!!

Tough taks this afternoon at 5.30pm local time to overcome the All Blacks at Eden Park Auckland but I think we have our best chance for a long time [since 1986 perhaps]!!

Predictions: Australia 28 All Blacks 17!! Ok I said it, let's see !!

Tonight at Our National UCA Assembly

It's been another long day here at the UNSW campus as we thrash out some issues in the life of our church and work in groups around issues of: identity; agency reports; being multi-cultural; and now tonight we are hearing the significant presentation about putting a "preamble" at the start our constitution which will recognise aboriginal and islander peoples as the first peoples of this land!! It's an amazing prophetic and gutsy thing which I hope when we come to decide, does get passed!!
Amongst other things this is a symbol too of how we're moving on from some other divisive issues and still talking about and acting out important things.

The preamble takes seriously the Bonhoeffer notion of the question from Jesus of "who do you say that I am?" being tied up with the "where?" question. That location is significant.

Check out this and other Assembly developments here.

In the end the speakers took extra time so when questions and comments were called there were only a few. One question [greeted agressively as an attack] sidelined other feedback and just as I was about to stand up and say "this is a brilliant thing and I hope we can just pass it when the time comes!" The Prez needed to call 'time' and just hear from one or two who were still standing.

We were again priviledged to be a told a story from our northern synod brother about the aboriginal sense of 'good' and 'evil' and their awareness of 'God' always which underpins the ability to make statements in our proposed preamble about the history of belief and spirituality amongst aboriginal people right back to the earliest times!!

This move could lead the country in what I came to believe in the 1980s was the thing holding us back from great nationhood/community in much more subtle but just as pervasive ways as South Africa's apartheid.

No scan of life expectancy, health or literacy statistics for aboriginal and non aboriginal Australians could lead you to any other conclusion.

Anyhow, we discuss this in working group Saturday and will seek consensus Sunday!!

Wordle - Salt factory 01

Wordle - Salt factory 01:

Colleagues have made reference to this site where you punch in a bunch of words and it produces a poster. Still playing but we'll see what can be done for Salt [Factory]

U2 Ramping up the Tour

Last post before the 'Pumphouse' U2 blackout of their supposed 'world tour'!!

With rumoured dates soon for a South American leg early 2010 and maybe Australia late 2010!!
The tax evading Irishmen have been criticised for 65,000 or is it 650,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions footprint and unanswered questions about whether they'll offset!!
It should be noted that despite my admiration for their music I have not gone as far as attending the 'Hype' Conference this coming October in North Carolina in the US... which has some interesting presenters and a concert nearby with tix available during the event!! Check it out here!!

"Laughing With" Regina Spektor

Here's the clip Selina mentioned in comment around my 'Adamstown Dungeon' posts!! It's this kind of 2000s reflection not unlike Alanis Morisette's "Ironic" from some years ago!!

I had seen the clip on TV but not with the sound up one Saturday morning while the girls had a CD on in the background as well!!

Stress Down Day for Lifeline

Coming soon!! FRIDAY 24TH JULY check it out here

Interesting or New Music

'The Script' were huge in the UK this time last year with this quirky album
Haven't heard these tracks yet but it'll be interesting whatever

50+ shows across the country and counting!

Great aussie hip hop protest music

I'd go to the SCG in December but I'd feel too old

Eskimo Joe attempt to move on again, with some idea what 'Inshalla' means but not quite

Bliss n Eso are creatively interesting

Second last post before the U2 Blackout

U2 kicked off their 'world tour' [well the top half anyhow] last night in Barcelona with, by all reports, an amazing stage 'the claw' and show!

Here's your playlist:
Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Angel of Harlem [with comment for Michael Jackson]
In a Little While
Unknown Caller
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (In The Name of Love)
MLK
Walk On
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
-------
Ultraviolet
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender



And the night included a live call to the International Space Station!! celebrating the upcoming moonlanding anniversary!