Photo of the Week: A Story in Two

   The project began for most in November 2013 and culminated last Saturday with a Premier One's Major Premiership for Wanderers at No2 Sportsground v Southern Beaches... The 1st XV triumph in 2005 was a special victory but this may have eclipsed that [just] in my mind...
   In 2005 our First VX carried the usual Wanderers tag of being soft show ponies with our 'just run it' motto... how could they beat a Waratahs side brimming with tough nuts and large men in the forwards, including Mark Tafua on release from Community Service to play...
   After our own success earlier in the day I watched as a game plan unfolded that yielded a 10-3 GF victory... Coach Al Barker set basically three things in place....

1. They won't expect us to take them on up the middle, inviting a contest in the forwards so let's do it
2. They think we are weak and will come out to smash us, so we must take it, get up again and keep on playing... ask Jules Morton about it, he got belted repeatedly but kept on coming...
3. A couple of simple set piece plays involved a hit up person, a runner and a decoy... repeatedly the backs ran that play in two of those three ways... then when it counted, the in close hit up runner actually received the ball and sliced through a gap as the defence read it as either the runner or the decoy as per the previous times...

As Waratahs became more and more frustrated a 10-3 result was a high win!! The Tahs coach will say "we didn't turn up today" but it will mean, we didn't expect that and didn't get on top...

   At the same time, this Saturday just gone, Wanderers used superior fitness, nerve and the steel of 6-8 weeks of focus on defence, to blunt and meet Beaches right where they needed to... tackling head on, keeping on getting up on them and not flinching!! It meant a less than ideal result by half time was converted into 'enough' points by tackling and keeping on tackling!! 20-17 with 11 minutes injury time on was an amazing result considering time with sin binned players etc...
   The set piece move off which Andrew Tuala scored was a gem... stuff we used to run ten years ago when defences were less efficient... throw in the line out ball, tap down at the back, 1/2 back across field to the hooker whose run around after the throw and charges across field into the middle channel and pushes the defence back and over the line for the try!! They saw it when it was too late!! Their big boppers played the full 80 [well 91] but were slowed and ineffective late in the game...
   Let up, they score even once and the energy lifts for a different result... in the end the resolve and fruition of months of planning 'came off' on the big day... it was great...

   Why the second photo, well as I watched successive teams celebrate their wins all day I cast my mind back to my last year as a coach in 2005 where earlier in the day, before Waratahs were upset, we had hatched our own little tactical win in B Grade!! [our 4th Grade]!! Slime 5/8th fullback Jason Toby [former 1st XV and Aussie touch footballer] was a good rugby player and in this team and grade he ran their attack, kicked well tactically and drove their options... In the GF our match plan was to drive him sideways and deny him room to the point he ran around in a circle at one stage and essentially Slime's attack stuttered and struggled as they got increasingly frustrated!!
   I knew that day I needed to step back as I was busy with work and couldn't commit fully, so other coaches had to carry the load... namely the late Mick Jennings [pictured] who worked all that strategy... From memory the other cog in the plan was Dave Derkenne who turned them around all day and marshalled our defence and kept everyone going!! I copped a full gatorade bucket thanks Taity et al...

They are rare blokey moments of joy, relief and achievement!!

PHOTO of the Week: All Blacks

   There are a few options I had to choose this week but little or no time to deliberate!! This is my FB profile pick from the 'other week' when I was a mix of frustrated and despondent at the performance of our national rugby union team 'the Wallabies.' Such promise and attacking flair, such poor handling and dumb options. They also fell back into talking a good game and then putting out the opposite. I'm tired of reflecting on how there's not much between a win and a loss... that with a few lucky breaks it could be different or that there are parts of the game they are getting better at... they are not playing to their potential and getting hammered for it!! I won't add my profile pic with my Wallabies Cap until they play well... regardless of scoreline...

Wanderers C Grade 2014 Grand Final winners...

"Laughing with" Regina Spektor

It's just an attempt to raise questions and to affirm creative doubt and inquiry alongside the story of Thomas and the notion that doubt is not the opposite of faith.

We're all Storytellers'

'Say It With Your Project'

'Optimism'

"Songs of Innocence" U2 Free through iTunes for a few weeks

   I have been interested in what the Apple Watch might be so I had been acutely aware of the rumour mill around the iPhone 6/Apple Watch launch overnight. I had also been interested in the odd mention here and there of the new U2 record we've been waiting for since maybe October/November last year.  
   At least that was until we saw Chris Martin pictured leaving an NYC Studio having helped 'fine tune' some their work, alongside 'Dangermouse' and Adele's Paul Epworth, in late 2013/early 2014.
I guess I worked out from the rumours that U2 would play a role with iPhone 6 and then that their new music would be pre loaded in the iPhone BUT I didn't think we'd all get a copy overnight direct to our iTunes a/c. This was  a bonus on the day chosen for massive garage clean up post Weekend OUT where I had just been making and dumping stuff around the car for weeks. I enjoyed listening to the new songs today!!
   "Songs of Innocence" is vintage U2 where despite the production grunt, the tunes to me are a stripped back rock sound reflecting the era they draw on as stories. These songs are inspired by 'The Ramones' and 'The Clash'. These songs reflect on stories from Bono's youth through events, spaces and relationships.
   Does it help to know that "Songs of Innocence and Experience" are a collection of poetic works by William Blake. The second album was alluded to by Bono at the Oscars earlier in the year. I wonder if "Ordinary Love" and "Invisible" will be part of that or stand alone as songs in between.
   Blake's poetry in 'Innocence' reflects on childhood, societal loss of values, faith and belief and seem an interesting source for these album themes and names. I read where poet Alan Ginsberg thought they were always meant to be sung.
   At first listen I liked and was drawn to the 'stripped back' 70s sound where there are pop riffs but the songs have a reflective quality. Theme's of love, the loss of Bono's mother who died at her own Father's funeral, a bombing incident and even a song named with Bono's childhood address in mind are worth a few more listens. I hear faith exploration,
   It's no surprise I like it, but I am never too shy to say 'Pop' and 'Zooropa' are hardly high points for me in the bands catalogue, so U2 songs that disappoint do exist. Maybe I'll write some more about the tracks after I drive to and from the Upper Hunter tomorrow!! Anyhow maybe 500 million of you are listening to it already!!

"Let's try to figure out why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships, our lovers, our family. The whole album is first journeys—first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually. And that's hard. But we went there." Bono, Rolling Stone

U2 Give Album Away for Free

'The Writings On the Wall' OK Go

IKEA Book book

PHOTO of the Week: Major Semi Finals

   With the exception of the odd year here and there since 1983, my Rugby Club has been fairly successful across four senior grades and two or three plus Colts in recent years. I've blogged before about a year like 2005 with Club Championship and all other teams achieving things through the Finals... but in this year of re-engaging in a 'player welfare' role I have watched as every senior team were Minor Premiers. That's Women's Rugby who won their Grand Final, C Grade whose Grand Final is this coming Saturday and then on the weekend I was there for Major Semi's for Premier 3s, Colts, Premier 2s and 1s... stunning achievement with the structures and ideas put in place under the leadership of an active committee and Head Coach Todd Louden. 

As it can be, Saturday was a mixed day... 

3rds played a spirited Uni side with a smattering of ex first graders who've had a decent season

Against the breeze our 3rds took 20mins to really get going and endured a heavy rain shower and the usual August winds, straight down the ground... Uni didn't quite make enough of the breeze and although it fined up and moderated for the second half our blokes used the conditions better but also slowly got on top in possession, the drums and use of the ball in attacking positions.

The scrum was dominant and only needs to keep the drive straight to avoid penalties for intentionally screwing the scrum [where it spins right around] It's a fine line as if that happens the others lose the ball but if it's through your spinning it around rather than pushing it around, then you are penalised.

In the end 3rds asserted themselves and came away with a good win. Uni couldn't sustain their pressure and weren't fast enough to stop us in the backs/wide.

Colts were in a wrestle with a committed Hamilton who really turned up at the start. Again it took time for our blokes to settle into a pattern. They have won a few games by 80-100 points this year and that doesn't always set you up for end of season matches against second best... A few key players asserted themselves in the second half and gaps opened up... It was a good win and two more Grand Final appearances secured.

Seconds met a Southern Beaches team they clocked off against in the rounds but Beaches were full of energy and everything went their way. Wanderers worked hard and showed the ability to fight back but I think some disruption to selections showed in rusty combinations. We didn't use the breeze well enough in this game and a few options were costly. The side fought back and showed enough to say they can respond in the Final next week...

Firsts was a disappointing loss for a side that has played so well for almost the whole season!! A few injuries and some team adjustments were problematic but the task here was a difficult one...

Beaches use two big boppers and a quality number 8, plus enthusiasm and commitment to running, chasing, hitting... to be in the contest for 80mins.

Our blokes did well containing and moving up on the big forwards and the 5/8th who can be pushed sideways by a quick defence. A big factor was the Beaches lifted for this game and played very well with the breeze. I thought it was a 17 point breeze against most teams... unfortunately 24-0 was a tough ask.

Almost straight away in the second half, some straight running and a little bit of field position kicking made us look a different side. Beaches were not going away and did win lots of breakdown ball and some good field position. Fitness did begin to show and Wanderers played some smart rugby to get to 21-24 but in the end the clock beat them. If the game had 5 more mins I believe our 1sts would have won, but it would have been a mixed feeling.

I felt for them after a giant slaying year in which they deserve to win through next week and have another crack with some small changes to the team and a bit of early pressure to see if they can't get a lead early!!

It wasn't a comfortable game on the weekend and it wasn't played quite at the pace we need to excel!!

I look forward to cheering them all on next Saturday and Sunday!!

Oh yeah, that photo... one of the things I miss most about playing is that feeling of relief and quiet celebration of winning through and the unique camaraderie of sharing that with team mates as you cheer off the opposition and have a few moments as team mates before the noise and mayhem of the sheds... bring on training and next week!!

Alternative "How I Met Your Mother Ending" set for DVD box set!!

I'm kind of fascinated by the existence of this clip and the article about the shows producers 'trying something' and the audience 'not connecting with it'... there's lots in this story about our society and context...

New Era 59fifty

The New Era baseball cap...
It used to be an unchanged quality aspect of world sport... while uniforms were contracted to different companies the cap was 'the' cap of US baseball...
In recent times the 59fifty and the 9fifty [so called snapback] have made a fashion comeback in flouro colours, superhero themed, with unbent peaks etc etc...
Over recent decades it's been fun to watch the African Americans 'mess with' the hat and I'm sure sit back and laugh at the rest of the west seeking to copy... worn backwards, flat peak, perched just on top of your head, with a bandana underneath....
I picture small cliques in neighbourhoods wondering how they can next have a laugh... in the last ten years the quality of the sewing and style has changed a little, but they still hang together pretty well... I wear them because of the teams, not the themes, because of the sport, not the music... Did you know that the most recent popularity can be sourced back to Spike Lee.
To watch the NY Yankees in the 1992 World Series Baseball he asked New Era to make a bright red version [instead of the navy]... suddenly wearing this peaked cap became a fashion item away from the stadium and still today there are whole pop up stores and sports store sections devoted to hundreds of variations of this one basic cap... meanwhile the developing world still struggles for clean drinking water, tribal and religious groups bomb each other and we are in the grip of a new wave of conflict... it's important to have a hobby though and I gave up stamp collecting in favour of hats n t-shirts a long time ago... I sold lots of my caps at a market a few years ago so others could share in their story.... I'll have to do that again soon!!

PHOTO of the Week: Lap Swimming

   I calculated that as lap swimming was one pursuit I needed to 'give up' to be able to get the recent Weekend OUT planned and executed, I missed approx 500 laps of the pool... the problem was the small 'window' of time the pool has max. lanes available during the day... in warmer months that's from 9.30am on but at the Forum this winter 11.30am or 1pm have been the optimum times...  this matters as I do freestyle one way and breaststroke the other and therefore am immediately 'in the way' of faster swimmers... I could have kept at this if I wanted to take the middle out of the day every second day.... I was also very tired and just staving off a sore throat, so it was an energy preserving break!! Went back this week and really struggled to get rolling but knocked over 22 laps at first go... Three times a week is the idea... here's hoping!! Outdoors in about 2 weeks I reckon!!
 

A Story I've Told Many Times... a Great Concert!!

"Weekend OUT 2014 Rough Cut"

Weekend OUT 2014 15th to 17th August from rob hanks on Vimeo.

PHOTO of the Week: Go the All Blacks

   "I give up Wallabies!!" You just don't take enough care of the ball!! AND attacking opportunities are continually wasted through stupid speculative options. Run straight and hard, hold the ball and let Foley make space for Beale, AAC and Folau.... please!!!
   The All Blacks dropped as many passes as we did and still managed to convert pressure to points, they came out of the blocks more enthusiastic, won the breakdown [and that's without checking the stats] and punished us on the scoreboard!! Coach McKenzie selected the wrong team... I am a huge fan of Kurtley Beale but he should have started both Test Matches wearing number 12, not 10!! I think Palu and Higginbotham should have shared a half each and next week H should start... he is the right kind of abrasive player...
   Sorry but McCabe is not quick enough as a finisher and we were outflanked repeatedly in game two... AND a tight head penalty try... nice going forwards!! That's a great way to continue your reputation as poor scrummagers...
   Now, where's my Steinlager sponsored 1980s Canterbury brand All Blacks jersey... top of the wardrobe in the vacuum bags I believe!!

"Shake It Off" Taylor Swift

'Late Show with David Letterman' on Robin Williams

'Post It Note' Honeymoon Prank

PHOTO of the Week: "Murray Rocking out at Weekend OUT

   My mate Murray [he'll always be Murray to me] took a break from all his female companions and admirers at Weekend OUT to enjoy the musical stylings of Ben Bleyerveen [whose new album 'Solstice' is available on iTunes]. Obviously even a camp mascot [whose travelled the UCA youth events and even the globe] takes time to chill and was glad not to have been left in a bag this time around!!

Boston's 'Good Will Hunting' Park Bench

'Good Will Hunting' The Park Bench

Language warning, some regular readers may be offended, the language is real!!
The insights are important...

"Take Me to Church" Sinead O'Connor

   Sinead O'Connor is great!! She has a way of unearthing a thought, a song, a way of opening conversation... In a way I wish this song had a couple of verses opening up the conversation further but then that's the obvious unpacking activity isn't it. I love how music comes at you in both lyrics and the mood of the tune... this song has just the right energy... honest, searching, discerning and passionate!! It begs the question, what kind of church does church need to be then...?

PHOTO of the Week: Hang Gliding Tryptych

   When I can, when I'm stressed, when I need a reminder of the great place I live... with my sandwiches I head to Bar Beach Carpark to read the papers for ten minutes and enjoy lunch!!
   This week there were maybe six or more hang glider enthusiasts enjoying the thermals at Susan Gilmour Beach up to the Lookout!! This included ducking below the bluff and going vertically back up to loop around and come back!! Stunningly skilful and impressive...

'Happy Birthday' from Darth Vader

National Day of Mourning for the Victims of the shooting down of MH17

   What's the most appropriate way for a nation to mark the grief and the loss experienced in such a tragedy as the shooting down of a passenger jet airliner? Taking a flight path over the Ukraine this aircraft was filled with holidaymakers and travellers of all ages... siblings, children, parents and grandparents... who leave behind stunned families and their immeasurable grief. There are also those who were on their way to an International AIDS Research Conference. As someone said "there was a potential cure onboard that plane."
   I'm no fan of political leadership on this occasion and talk of "Bringing them Home" is unsettling at best. That said, it's important for people to know that the search and recovery teams can get in and do a proper site investigation and the return of human remains.
  Knowing of a directly effected family and community of faith only serves to deepen my sense of of this tragedy... a devastating loss indeed!! I suppose a national day that invites people to 'stop' to identify with the story and to pray as they are able, is a good thing to do... with space for different people's way of dealing with things...

'The Shape of Faith'

   What goes through your head when you have way too much to do and need to be 'creative on demand'... well, first is to create the illusion of time... so it's not on demand. The second is to of course have a head full of thinking about the how and what of 'faith shaping.' At least that's relevant to the work I'm doing for the weekend. I also look forward to a moment of diversion with Wanderers Women's Rugby First XV hosting a BBQ for the Club ahead of their Grand Final on Saturday!! Another Tall Tales night will see an old Wanderer share stories of their rugby days and what it is about Wanderers Rugby Club that keeps them connected... OK I digress.
   With a major Camp next weekend and some work being done towards a conversation at our regional [Presbytery] meeting, I'm thinking about:
What the 'good news' is for the Aussie society I live in and seek to know better, individuals in families and the wider community?
Where are the signs of God's activity in the world, that we are invited to join?
How is it that we have come to regard ourselves as being at the centre of this story, that salvation is about us, that God is so focused on our self actualisation and that the whole story neatly fits into our middle class aspirations, whether we realise it or not?
   I wonder what hope we have unless we can grasp that God is in the whole world and invites us to engage in community as 'culture makers' who want to join in creating 'another world' where the fruits of the Spirit are a blueprint for elevating those who are 'blessed.' God speaks of this from the very edges of our society and calls us to stand with and in those places... returning to McAfee Brown's thinking... where we stand determines what we see... our faith would be shaped by stories of need, not contribution, of hospitality, not exclusion and we would need to 'bite our lip' and allow God to speak, not the clatter of our own filtered agendas.
   So many times when I have been engaged in conversations around how faith must be presented, how programs and initiatives must be 'Christ centred' or we must 'share the Gospel' it's my assertion that this is that persons agenda and need, not God's.
Here's one way of thinking that's exercising my mind towards Weekend OUT...
FOLLOWING...
SPACES we're talking about creating need to be about reflecting, stepping back, intent and people sharing their stories
TIME to be with people getting to know them better and encountering new people
We are called to be an EXAMPLE by DOING
Being followers by paradoxically being a LEADER
Which means giving a bit of yourself away, putting yourself in the situation of being an EXAMPLE
By having to EXPLAIN things and through exploring and SEEING the amazing faith of OTHERS

What ?
OK, so what I've just written will make little sense to anyone else but me... sorry, I guess I'm thinking aloud and trying to get my own brain working... as someone who first stirred this morning at 4.45am

PHOTO of the Week: The Waratahs 2014 Super 15 Champions

   In some ways these championship photos with the streamer canons are awfully choreographed photos BUT this one does represent a team that's done some tough times in recent years. Just when they were renegotiating a Stadium deal to take Brumbies and Reds games to Homebush [as demanded by fans] their form faded and it became a ridiculous waste...
   I was one of only 12,000 fans that turned up to a game last year BUT they have triumphed over the Brumbies and the Crusaders in these Finals to claim the title for the first time in 19 years!! It's a testament to the coach Michael Cheika and what he's asked of the players and it's a sign that they might finally be getting that they need to come together as a team to make this thing work!!
   The Final was a ripper because they 'came out of the blocks' well and the Crusaders had to run them down... they did but fell to a penalty against Richie McCaw who is renowned for playing on the edge of the rules and for being favoured by Refs caught up in how good he is at competing for the ball!!
   This is a team that's had hard work instilled into it and they've broken lots of moulds this year...

Champions of March
Loser to lowly teams from South Africa
Unable to win in South Africa
Softer than Kiwi teams
Can't find a way to win close matches
Reliant on Israel Folau
Final Runners Up

Well done Tahs!!