Susan Boyle and the media

Susan Boyle ran second in 'Britain's Got Talent' over the weekend and while they were certainly entertaining the dance group 'Diversity' may just have benefitted from the media focus and the way the machine makes a worldwide hit of someone one week and then chews them up later on...

Stories of ego [she's changed, she was grumpy twice]
Rumours she'd pull out of the competitiion
Psychiatrist called in
yada yada yada...

I suppose it's fortunate for all concerned that recording contracts aren't restricted to the winner and we could expect a Susan Boyle CD in time for Christmas!

No need for the videos as you'll see them all over the media this week...

TED Presentations

Lots of fellow bloggers refer from time to time to the presentations, commandments and videos on TED.... I was interested in this one about Twitter

The Machine that goes BING!

So Wednesday this week sees Microsoft's answer to Google go live here!
The various searches for sites, images and videos is catered for plus a 'hover' function for previews [not unlike the bottom toolbar in Vista I guess]!!

Interesting!!

Done Sundance Done Cannes Dungog!!

This coming weekend brings on the increasingly popular 'Dungog Film Festival' in the rural Hunter Valley [dairy country]! An aussie film enthusiast, the local james Theatre and some creative business folk have conspired in recent years to set this up as 'the event' to draw people, commerce and energy into town.
Matthew Newton brings a tribute this year to the late Bud Tingwell through the unveiling of his last work in 'Three Blind Mice'!!
Of course I'm sorry if you can't fly around the world to be here... or even drive a few hours... so stay tuned for highlights!!

On related matters though, what does this event have to offer our efforts to join God's mission in the world...?
Is there a Festival each church could be a partner in to contribute to their community
What worship theme, style or other event might people find interesting
Who, what, where, how and when could we serve
Hmmmm, what would attract a gaggle of local celebrities besides free grog and clean mountain air...

This and many more questions!!

More on Movies in One Minute

This University Projects MySpace seems to have disappeared but there is a site somewhere with a series of these project films like the 'Forrest Gump' in a Minute

Movie a Minute

Everyone is so busy these days and there are so many classic and favourite films to watch... here's a way to save heaps of time... check out the Movie a Minute website here

"Titanic"
directed by James Cameron
Leonardo DiCaprio
Your social class is stuffy. Let's dance with the ship's rats and have fun.

Kate Winslet
You have captured my heart. Let's run around the ship and giggle.

(The ship SINKS.)

Leonardo DiCaprio
Never let go.

Kate Winslet
I promise. (lets go)

THE END

Worship Reflecting on Young People

I had opportunitylast week, at our gathering of interstate coleagues in children's and youth ministry across the UCA nationally, to quickly put together a 30min worship for a spot where the tag of 'who' had fallen off the sheet!!

It went a little like this...

Pre Worship 'The Door' Flash Animation [with Alex Lloyd's 'The Wonder' looped]
See it here
Audio-visual to "Viva La Vida" Coldplay as per a previous post this year
It's a reflection on feeling invincible but then discovering we're not...

CALL TO WORSHIP
This is our worship,
This is not a concert,
Not just a film, a lecture, or a party…

You are invited to give yourself time and space
to hear God
Let’s commit ourselves to be God’s people
Here in this place and in all places

We search, we question, we celebrate, we challenge…
May God’s Spirit be evident to you
In prayer and song, reflection and conversation

Prayer "Magnificent" U2
Lyrics on screen
Chance to scribe on newsprint about call, confession, reflection

"Flickering Candle" AV from Proost
Read a piece of creative writing that you'll understand was a first draft!!

Who Am I?
Wrapped up in my own world
or keen to make a difference
loved, known, seen
or invisible
When they handed out 'resilience'
Did I get my share?

Can I ask why God would love me?
or should it be obvious to all?
Will I make it?
Can I rise above?

Questions, insights, fears
imagination,
and the will to know myself

The smile, the grimace,
the angry facebook rant
Four friends who keep me going
that I couldn't live without

Constructions, dolls and dress ups
fantasies about teeth and birds,
and monsters in the cupboard
amongst my toys at the end of the hall

Who am I? I need to know
to be asked, to be heard,
to be hugged and understood

I am a kid, a mate, a neighbour
I am the 'trouble' down the road
I know you care
I hear your voice, I see it in your eyes

I got stuck here in this last verse
There's no right word that ryhmes with 'eyes'

The point is, don't forget me
with your strange gift,
to stop and care
I'll appreciate your message
As long as you don't stare
Who Am I?

Matthew 28 :16-20

"Lost Generation" from youtube [a few posts ago courtesy Bradon]

"Speakerdogs" response about gifts, childre/youth/worship

Sending Out "Be Yourself" Melinda Schneider inspired by Enough Rope audience member

Turning Increasingly Green

Ocassionally the weekend newspaper or glossy magazines include snippets about curious and trendy products for home and liesure!! One company often featured is Todae which sells products online and from King St, Newtown!

They include:

help with genuine solar installations

biodegradeable crockery

cornstarch or recycled paper pens and pencils

tote or shoulder bags made from old billboard posters

recycled stationery

usb rechargeable gadgets etc

Unfortunately our sink is too narrow for the gray water bucket that makes saving easy... some other less boutique styled product will have to suffice... Todae risks being expensively trinkety and fashionable but has a huge range of great ideas you wouldn't seek out if they weren't all together in one place! The Bokashi bin is even a composting/worm farm equivalent way to reuse food scraps when you live in a Unit or have no time for worms!!

Waratahs Hurricaned!!

The abysmal Queensland REDS [who would have ever written that in the 1980s] couldn't hold off the Wellington based Hurricanes and so we miss the Top 4 and Semis... hopefully learning from the midseason conservatism and building to next year when lets hope Chris Hickey is still in charge!!

Credit Where It's Due!!

I'm annoyed this post comes after the great news that the Waratahs have a bonus point win in South Africa [especially one I thought they'd struggle to get] because I was going to write and suggest that whatever the outcome of this recent match, they had done pretty well in South Africa.

They demonstrated toughness, the great defence their renowned for. In the case of two weeks ago the coach showed his cred with the use of Kurtley Beale!! I feared with the move to inside centre that he would be cruelled by the defensive workload and sent packing from the team, Instead they used Beale at in centre, fullback and second 5/8th after Halangahu was tackled... and he rose to it and played brilliantly [Robbie Deans take note and get him into your squad working more on this in a quality environment]!! After the Under 20 World Cup etc...

Go the Waratahs... hopefully the Crusaders lose and it's all systems go!!

Lost Generation

This was one clever clip Bradon used and is the second time in as many weeks I'm shocked I hadn't seen a clip before...

"Telling Stories" Social Justice Stuff

Last saturday we did the workshops for "Telling Stories" at Mt Colah and promised people access to some of the info re Social Justice which Bradon used plus the details of the simple guide to capturing/converting Youtube clips...

I promised to load it all here but think it'd be easier to direct you to Bradon's blog here so you can find what works for you!!

"Desperate Housewives" Season 5 Episode 13

The 100th episode of 'Housewives' was to me a return to form for a show that's been rubbish most of this fifth series! Who cares about the intrigue with the psychopath, Carlos getting his sight back [go figure] and the contrived storylines for everyone else... but the death of handyman Eli Scruggs and the girls reflections on his pivotal and supportive role in their struggles and stories had a realistic, grainy and important dynamic in the story...

Who are the people who help you through the tough stuff? What are your priorities? Who tells you you're OK? When has someone or something unexpected been affirming, pivotal or transformative in your life story... how is an overwhelmingly positive energy present in your life? Who listens to you?

Eli Scruggs saved cookbook drafts, changed locks, asked questions, unblocked plumbing and reflected the best in people back to them!!

Woman at the Well

Having used this clip at the 'Telling Stories' Workshops on Saturday I have reposted it here for those who wanted to access it from youtube so you can also see it here.

Laurence Leung's "Choose Your Own Adventure"

Local comic Laurence Leung made a gem of a program for Oz ABC TV this year and I have been remiss in not blogging about it sooner! It's quirky and funny in interesting ways as Laurence sets about 'becoming a rockstar', 'being cool', 'find love' and 'be the best in the world'

It's an interesting take on identity, humour, self iamge, goals and life!!

More on this with a Discussion Guide when I have some time!

"Magnificent" U2

U2's video for their new single 'Magnificent' is out with the usual hype! This is one of the three or so tracks from the latest album that I am keen to use in some contexts. It like many of the other introspective tracks on this record is very much a psalm about call, the impact of being 'loved by God' and the follishness of forgetting it.

Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise…

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

Catch the video here or here

Lilith Fair returning in 2010

"In 1996, Sarah McLachlan became frustrated with concert promoters and radio stations that refused to feature two female musicians in a row.[1] Bucking conventional industry wisdom, she booked a successful tour for herself and Paula Cole. At least one of their appearances together - in McLachlan's home town, on September 14, 1996 - went by the name "Lilith Fair" and included performances by McLachlan, Cole, Lisa Loeb and Michelle McAdorey, formerly of Crash Vegas.

The next year, McLachlan founded the Lilith Fair tour, taking Lilith from the medieval Jewish legend that Lilith was Adam's first wife.

In 1997, Lilith Fair garnered a $16 million gross, making it the top-grossing of any touring festival.[1] Among all concert tours for that year, it was the 16th highest grossing.[1]

Because of its all-female line up, the festival received several nicknames, including "Breast-fest" and "Girlapalooza".[2][3]"
Wikipedia and other sources

Lilith Fair returns in 2010 and that's about all that's been said so far!!

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 5 Epsiode 13

"Stairway to Heaven" was tonight's episode here in Oz and it was 'one their best episodes for a long time' even including that Denny was still hanging around!! It included closing sequences and Slaone voiceover with Powderfinger's 'Drifting Further Away'
They come at questions of life and death froma variety of angles with the various characters stories including the death row murderer, the young boy desperately in need of several transplant organs and whatever the reason is for Denny not being able to leave Izzie!!
The usual Grey's lunacy is maintained through the sub story about Sloane's 'broken penis'... yes you did read that correctly.
Powderfinger feature with the closing 5 min sequence bringing a number of the storyline threads together.

Worship Unplugged # 61 'Choose Serving Over Self Interest'

At one of my local congregations [Charlestown] I was up for one of on average two worship services per year. The locals are focusing for about six weeks on 'stewardship' and I was invited to consider taking that approach from my own perspective... which I was happy to do.

Colleagues on the 'youthmultimedia' egroup passed on a number of helpful suggestions and I found a few bits n pieces amongst an enormous ammount of 'dross'.

While I thought the tag was inadequate the "24" styled clip from Worship House Media about how we spend our time was a helpful substitute for a second 'reading'. The "Opportunities" clip from 'The Work of the People' was a simple observation that when we miss a chance to 'serve' we set off the bitterfly effect of missed opportunity that could be part of the living out of a world lived according to the values of God. I inserted an unexplained snippet of Trevor's assignment from 'Pay It Forward.'

There were a few more aspects as we explored the notion that stewardship was an activity of bringing about a world lived according to the values of God [reflecting on the parables about mustard seeds, yeast and the pearl] from Matthew 13: 31-33 44-46.



Simple definition "choosing serving over self interest"

It's about using your gifts and abilities from a standpoint of thinking about others

Wrestled with and didn't include a reflection time using 'Life Uncommon' by Jewel

Instead chose "Opportunity" Pete Murray/John Mayer from the ARIAs

Added [3] other Photostory videos of images so had four videos in one Powerpoint slide

We earthed the simple definition in a difficult exercise of ranking sceanrios by 'importance'

Drew out the need for communal action and different gifts in the activity




How would rank the importance of:

Giving money to the ‘Fred Hollows Foundation’ charity for eye surgery in the third world
Giving money to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal to rebuild the community
Getting involved in Meals on Wheels visiting older people and delivering their lunches
Joining an Aboriginal Reconciliation Group to work on a communitye event
Being at a Family members Dinner to catch up with relatives you don’t see often
Giving money to your local church activities and mission carried out by teams of volunteers and leaders
Installing solar electricity roof panels contributing power to the grid and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Buying only fair-trade coffee and chocolate from a local green grocer
Talking to a friend about why you’re part of a community of faith and what God’s call means to you
Spending time at your local pub listening to a friend talk about a few of their hassles and current relationship
Encouraging someone you know to give something a go that they are thinking about and would be great at
Writing letters to your local mp about an issue you see as important for the future of your communty

Another Great Motoring Moment

Friends who know me well should be reassured that this is not in fact some footage from my own motoring highlights reel, though it could easily make the list which makes some impressive and hilarious reading... but either way this is definitely NOT how to get your 4WD out of a bog!!

My list includes:

Many memorable empty fuel tanks including Christmas Eve

Brake pads so worn they fell out

A siezed motor on the F3

Being run into in an accident on my way to my first day at work

Being run into at lights just a day after posting my overdue insurance premium leading to a seven week enquiry

A burnt out starter motor from holding the ignition on to get to the auto electrician

My Mitsubishi Van fireball when the car caught alight and was gutted just off Pennant Hills Rd

A rusted out Carolla I left with a wrecker and he didn't charge me for taking it

Electronic failure in my Commodore just as I entered the Harbour Tunnel leaving the rugby That's the highlights anyhow...

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

A classic tune an old fashioned way!!

"Sometimes" Alex Lloyd

As the 'fat man in a thin man's body' has a new single out and will be doing media in the coming weeks I've been reminded of one of my fav. Alex Lloyd songs "Sometimes" and specifically his performance of it including 'dancers' on 'Dancing with the Stars.'

Check out Alex Lloyd' website here

"Telling Stories" Training Day 9th May

Here's a downloadable info and rego flyer for the upcoming training day at Mt Colah which is open to all comers!!

The workshops will include a stream on children's ministry, social justice as a discipleship appraoch, models of youth ministry, storytelling and faith shaping... plus Q&A opportunity and resources to access!!

Let us know if you're coming!!

Row M Seat 30 "The Boat That Rocked" M

OK, so you should be able to download this gif as a readable resource for discussing the film!!

ANZAC Day 2009

Lyrics here and here

It's our day for commemorating the loss of lives of those who've fought in the name of our country in wars throughout our history. A problematic day brooking no argument with those who've felt led to volunteer or have served as soldiers in conflicts we've been part of... but an opportunity for reflection on the futility of war and the need in 2009 for 'another way'.
Indeed, whatever it means to be Australian [and it is unique], nationality is essentially a false construct. The oral history recorded in Scripture makes the argument that different languages and different religious paths are genuinely the result of our fallibility as humna beings... arising out of disobedience or at least selfishness!!
Whether to fight or not is never a decision I've had to literally make... my version is personal relationships, communitcation and how I respond or not to a whole different kind of provocation, power or dispute!!
The rugby field, the working world and family or friends is no comparison to whether or not it's a viable solution to terrorism to invade a training ground country and attempt to 'put things right.'
Specifically, what if someone broke the cycle of violence... hang on, someone did? We celebrate any number of individuals and groups who've 'tried some other way' including: Aung San Su Kyi; Martin Luther King Jnr; and Oscar Romero!! This is surely the example of Jesus of Nazareth whose death occured amidst a non voilent response [again and again] to politics, military rule, religious piety, temptation to power and selfishness...
Sobering then that it cost him and others their lives... so we're not talking about the soft option... would I... could I... just about every week most of us have the opportunity to do so even on a personal level!! The put down, judging people by first impressions, guarded responses, playing games, choosing self interest ahead of serving... choosing differently to these begins the approach by 'a different way...

"Stir Your World"

One of the videos we grabbed for Easter Camp Senior Group Speaker Donna Mulhearn and used in Learning Groups was 'Stir Your World.' Although for some inexplicable reason it played at half speed my main reflection was 'how come I hadn't seen this before?'
It's a World Vision clip apparently created in 2007. I liked it because it was a very simple idea demonstrating that point an Easter Camp often reaches where people have been encouraged and challenged in a particular area of life and faith and begin to ponder how they might best respond, often wondering what they might have to offer ina particular issue... this clip reminds them of their existing gifts and vocation and doesn't ask us all to travel overseas, give up our day jobs or seek ordination... it leaves room for artists to paint, engineers to design solutions to world problems, speakers to speak and letter writers to get cracking!!

South Park cameo for Former PM John Howard

News this morning focused on the cameo from former Oz PM John Howard in a recent South Park episode where world leaders agreed to do away with Finland!!

Kellie Crawford fronts Ralph Magazine

Interesting dilema in the media today as my favourite Hi-5 er Kellie [Hoggart] Crawford, who has left the group, poses for Ralph magazine!! 'Family groups' are upset at the example she's setting and the media went into overdrive this morning about what people thought...

It raises great questions about media, celebrity, fame and role models!! She is no longer part of Hi-5 [except on TV repeats and in DVD players all over the country everyday].

Would any child know unless the breakfast media cover the story?

While I picture a few dads, who've appreciated Kellie's work with the tomba's over the years, buying a copy, I'm not sure how many will sit around discussing the article with their 4 year old daughters [or is that just me]!!

It's obviously done to move her image and profile on and open up new impressions and images for TV and movie producers... expecially given her reputation for saying 'no' to these opportunities in the past while fully engaged in Hi-5!!

But this is the society we've created... that Ralph magazine exists in the first place says all that needs to be said about our values and choices! Blokes 'being blokes' and indulging their fantasies, using their imaginations etc.

I'm sure the debate will go on for... well... today... and then be tomorrows fish n chip wrapper as they say!! I'm more interested in what this story says about who we are than expressing my view on whether Kellie should or shouldn't participate...

Waratahs lose a game [by one point] they would have won last year

Renowned Schoolboy Rugby Coach Geoff Mould was quoted in a Sunday Papers article today having commented about the current Waratahs team in the context of a thirty year reunion of one of the best Australian Schoolboy Rugby Union teams to have ever worn boots!! Read about it here.
They were taught and understood a brand of rugby advocated by the great Cyril Towers [embraced for decades by the Galloping Greens at Randwick] and even barked across the green of No 2 Sportsground in Newcastle by the one and only Tom Towers!!
This schoolboy team included: the Ella brothers, Hawker, Lloyd Walker, Michael O'Connor, Wally Lewis, Tony Melrose and others... I mostly recall the footage of a fogbound tour match in the UK [on their undefeated tour] where they disappeared through the fence gate and thats the last that was seen of them by the cameras covering the match!! These were the players and matches I recall as I first began to switch interest from League to Union...
Thirty years on Mould was apologetically analysing the problems with todays players and specifically the Waratahs [though it was perhaps an amalgem of the collected wisdom of those present]... even given the changes in rules and increased skill of defences!!
What I'm driving at [in an aside for those not slightly interested in rugby] is that there are clear issues with our state team which will again struggle to make a top four by relying on three wins from three in South Africa after their bye next Saturday!!

#They are not good enough at passing, catching and they kick aimlessly
#They are clearly trying to learn to 'pop' the ball to a support runner when they are grounded.... but they'll do it in patches only
#They are built around kicking but seem rushed, ill thought out and often at the wrong time
#Players like Tuqiri may be good talkers in defence or good at encouraging others but rarely make a break or earn their money
#They constantly flip from a forward controlled game to spinning the ball to isolated players and don't seem to know when to do which
#They don't run straight
#They don't naturally support the ball runner and so get caught alone

That's just the start...

As a frustrated rugby coach its annoying to watch... they have won games this year but its built around their defence, [which is great] their scrum and lineout... all three were sub par last night!! Anyhow, what would a lower grade, used to be, hack know!!
I fear that Chris Hickey won't make it through next season as coach... he gets this year because he didn't get to choose all the players...
I'll watch the replay closely on Wednesday on Foxtel to see if I can figure out what the game plan was, apart from decoy runners with Daniel Halangahu trying to get width behind the gain line but I suspect they lost shape all over the park... they were beaten at the breakdown too much in the second half and their handling was awful. Dean Mumm will rue a dropped ball from Palu but it wasn't a good pass and don't get me started on Cliff Palu! Lazy...

"Fifteen" Taylor Swift

A fan made video

"Fifteen"
You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors
It's the morning of your very first day
You say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while
Try and stay out of everybody's way
It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here
For the next four years in this town
Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say
You know I haven't seen you around, before
(Chorus)
'Cause when you're fifteen and
Somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen feeling like
There's nothing to figure out
But count to ten, take it in
This is life before you know
Who you're gonna be
Fifteen
You sit in a class next to a redheaded Abigail
And soon enough you're best friends
Laughing at the others girls
Who think they're so cool
We'll be out of here as soon as we can
And then you're on you're very first date
And he's got a car and you're feeling like flying
And you're mamma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one
And you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends
When the night ends
(Chorus)
'Cause when you're fifteen and
Somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes you head spin 'round but
In your life you'll do things greater
Than dating the boy on the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen
When all you wanted
Was to be wanted
Wish you could go back
And tell yourself what you know now
Back then I swore I was gonna
Marry him someday
But I realized some bigger dreams of mine
And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy
Who changed his mind
And we both cried
(Chorus)
'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you
You're gonna believe them
And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall
I've found time can heal most anything
And you just might find who you're supposed to be
I didn't know who I was supposed to be
At fifteen
la la la la la...la la la la la...la la la la la
Your very first day
Take a deep breath girl
Take a deep breath as you walk through the doors

I bought Taylor Swift' CD before Easter to listen to what all the fuss was about. It's what's called crossover country in the style and sensibilities of Kasey Chambers... country feel with a pop quality and reflections on very contemporary views of relationships and aspirations...
I have quoted 'Fifteen' here because it could be used for a discussion with any group of adolescents asking them to imagine it was their age but also particularly with fifteen year olds and girls... raising questions of hopes and aspirations, coping skills, questions and the fragility of esteem and relationships...