Australian Open

Nadal celebrates after beating Lopez

 Thought that I'd post about Melbourne.  We caught some of the fourth  round tennis last weekend -  Victoria Azarenka v Iveta Benesova; Rafael Nadal v Feliciano Lopez, and the pick Li, Na playing Kim Clijsters. 

While both Nadal and Azareka won in straight sets,  Li Na held four match points (during a tie-break) against Clijsters, yet lost that tiebreak, 8-6 and then lost the final set 6-4 (Clijsters held a 4 love lead, so Li Na worked her way back into the match. 

Can't help but feel a touch sad that Clijsters didn't make the final, especially given this is likely to be her last Australian Open.  The final Will be tight tonight, but I do favour Sharapova slightly, given her experience.

 

Melbourne, from our hotel room.

Was glad to see Murray play so well against Djokovic, especially given the Final last year. Murray seems a lot tougher mentally, and had his opportunities to win, even after going down 2-5 in the fifth set.  

From the Australian point of view, while we may have put Stosur under way too much pressure, both Hewitt and Tomic had great tournaments, and are set up beautifully for the year. 

On the Men's side of the tournament, have to say, I'm disappointed Federer didn't make the Final. Although the rivalry the top three players have is  fascinating -- Nadal has an ominous record against Federer; who has an excellent record against Djokovic. Though Nadal leads the head-to-head, Djokovic has beaten Nadal the last 6 times they played; including both the Wimbledon & US Open Finals last year.

In that light, the final is shaping to be a classic.  I also have to say, and surprisingly to me, I'm really enjoying Hewitt in the commentary box, he's a got a great understanding of the players, the game and its history. 

To finish with a brief aside, the Black Caps had there biggest ever test win today!  I'm not sure how many times, one team has lost 20 wickets in one day's play??

Sense and sensibility - library and kindles.

Adele Horin's piece in today's SMH describes a lttle bit of how I feel. I'm not yet ready to give way to the Kindle.  I love going to the library and there's not an equivalent experience in the kindle world. But even as I say that, there are only so many shelves in each bookcase, only so many walls in a room, and only so many rooms in a house, so the day is coming, where the addiction to buying books will stop because there is a limit to the amount of books one can have in one's house.

Yet, in playing with the Kindle, so far, I'm not convinced that its for me. However, while I love the experience of reading a physical book, and the sensations which come with it, a tipping point will come for me when e-books as well as being  lighter, they will also be cheaper and equally accessible. Sense won out with CD's, though I still by the occasional physical CD (special versions, and some which are unavailable),  I'm now buying almost all of my CD's through both i-tunes and the artists website. 

Reading - 2012

Each year, I decide that I'm going to spend more time reading especially this year, since it's National Year of Reading, and my aim this year is to read over 50 books. In January so far, I've read -

O - A Presidential Novel - Anonymous

A little obvious who its about, but was a shame the book didn't reveal more. If you are interested in US politics then rather than reading this book take a few months and work your way through The West Wing. 

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

A historical novel, set during the 60s, about the hired help  - these are my type of novels - historical fiction. 

The Sorrows of an American - Siri Hustvedt

The core of this novel is a letter discovered after the death of the narrator's mother, and the quest to find out their identity.

The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen

Franzen's book is well written, but at the same time, I found very little to like about any of the main characters.

Bruar's Rest - Jes Smith

Didn't really remember too much about this one, it's a story of a women, who is searching for her husband who was missing in action during WWI.

The World Game: The Story of How Football Went Global - Les Murray

Les Murray's love for football is so wonderfully put across in this book. Murray writes about the history of the game, the great teams, his favourite players, and the history of the game in Australia. It rekindled my love of Football. 

Separate kingdoms : stories   Valerie Laken

A series of short stories about human relationships in the US and Russia, the few that stood out was one about a women with a disability, a couple flying to Russia to adopt a child, and a story told from two perspectives, which was quite interesting to read - do you read one at a time, or try and read them in tandem. 

The River

I was listening to some of my older CD's recently, and I was struck by the song - The River by Michael Sweet (formerly the lead singer of Stryper).  It's one of my all-time favourite Christian songs.

If you're hurting, I'll take your pain

If your life is dry and weary, I'll bring the rain

If you're searching, then search no more

If you're drifting on an ocean, I'll be the shore

I see the scars that you hide

I've kept the tears that you've cried, they were not in vain

And every prayer that you've prayed

I have treasured and saved, my love will never change

If you're looking for the river

That runs with healing water

Bring yourself to me

And I will wash you in an endless peace

I'm your Saviour,And I'll save you Tonight

If you're blinded by The darkness, I'll be the light

If you're hopeless, I'll be your faith

If you're lost, I'll Lead the way

from Real, 1998.

2011 in Sport

Couple more highlights from 2011:

The New Zealand Breakers were the first NZ team to win an Australian competition, and in the NRL - the Warriors made their second grand final. 

Via the NZ Herald, here are the must see sports events for 2012, Not surprisingly a few Olympic Events appear.

more on 2011

A couple of standout memories during 2011 from the sports field.  Can't really go passed the Rugby World Cup Final, and the All Blacks 8-7 win against France as the highlight of the year. You also would have to acknowledge the great season of the Queensland Reds too, from last to first.

But, a couple of other standout performances which should be mentioned are:

• Barcelona are the best team watch playing football, and their 3-1 win over Manchester United in the final was something special.  
• Cadel Evans winning the Tour de France. I can take or leave cycling, but Cadel's performance was amazing. 
• Novak Djokovic - his 2011 record ended up about 70-6, and he holds three of the four grand slam trophys, beating Rafa Nadal in two finals, and Andy Murray in the third.
• And on the Cricket Pitch, NZ's two best performances were the win against South Africa in the World Cup Quarter Final, and the victory in Hobart. 
• AFL: I'd give the Sydney Swans a pass mark for the year,  for finishing in the top 6.   Looking forward to next year and seeing how the Suns and Giants do in their second and first years respectively. 

Music 2011...

Taking the time to reconsider the music I've been listening to during the year, and give the top 5 for 2011. A couple which were up there, but can't be included are:

• Sigur Ros - Inni (Live CD + DVD).
• U2 - Achtung Baby (Kindergarden version and the B-Sides Disc, from the 20th Anniversary Edition).
• Derek Ellis - The Reconstruction (EP) - His "Nail-Scarred Hand" is one of my favourite tracks of the year. 
• Andrew Osenga's - Leonard the Lonely Astronaut - Acoustic Session at Sputnik (EP). The short EP previews songs from his new Album, which should be out later this year.
• All Sons & Daughters - Brokenness Aside (EP) and Prone to Wander (EP), they will release a new EP next week, and a full album in March. Both of which I am looking forward too. 
• The Civil Wars - Live @ Eddie's Attic.
• Sleeping at Last are another band which I have been listening to quite a bit (especially their Christmas Collection, which has a beaut version of "Christmas is All Around". The song made famous in Love Actually. Noisetrade now have a sampler available from there website which has songs from their previous albums. The songs, are mostly him singing with a background of  piano & strings.

The 2011 Top 5.
5.  Lisa Hannigan - Passenger 

I think Lisa Hannigan first came to attention through on Damien Rice's album 'O'. Passenger is her second solo album. I'd describe the album as folk. Its easy to listen to. One of my favourite songs on the record is O Sleep, which is a lovely duet. The selling point of the album is Lisa voice. It seems a stronger album that her first record See Saw.

4. Gemma Hayes - Let it Break

There's just something about her music which grabs me. It's such a shame that she doesn't get much airplay. She has a beaut and pure voice, and her lyrics have more depth than what else is out there. Another singer that I'm hoping takes a trip down under. Favourite songs - Shock to the System & Waiting for You (which is on the Janie Jones Soundtrack)

3. Switchfoot - Vice Verses

What is the highlight of this record is hearing Jon Foreman doing different things, rapping on"Selling the News" and "The War Inside" Jon Foreman seeks to capture the polarity of the human experience, and the desire to seize the opportunities life has to offer (see Restless, Afterlife). Looking forward to more from Switchfoot,. Jon Foreman, is one of the best lyricists out there at the moment.

2.  Dan & Lauren Smith - The Revive Project

Written quite a bit about this recently, so the only thing I'll add here is how encouraging the lyrics of the CD are. 

1. Marketa Irglova - Anar

Marketa also was part of the duet The Swell Season, with Glen Hansard, and this is her first solo album. Given that she mostly played second fiddlle to Glen on the Swell Season records, it was great to see her put out her own album. I think what I really love about this CD is the honesty in the lyrics. And hopefully she'll come to Australia to play these songs. But if you need some more, see played a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, and recorded a session with Daytrotter.

2011 - Books

The full list of books I read during 2011 is below. I do think its probable that a few of have been left off. I'll be aiming to break 50 books during 2012. I broke the list down into various categories, and in each grouping I've listed a few of the books which stood out:

Novels:

Victor Hugo's Last Day of the Condemned Man, Gabrielle Ambrosio's Before We Said Goodbye, Yannick Haenel's The Messenger and Tea Obreht's The Tiger's Wife were the standouts.  Not surprisingly, the novels which have stood out to me, are those which have some political historical angle.  Last Day, is an impassioned plea from the 19th Century, for the abolition of the death penalty. Before We Said Goodbye is set on the Gaza, and without taking sides, focuses on a suicide bombing. I found The Tiger's Wife to be a beautiful and original read.

Biography:

The two that really stood out to me, were Malcolm Fraser's Political Memoirs and Goodbye Sarejevo. Prior to reading Malcolm Fraser's book, I hadn't read too much about Australian History, but my respect for Fraser grew through reading the book. Goodbye Sarajevo, is one of those must read books -  set in the middle of the Balkan Conflict, it is a moving and compelling true story of courage,  and hope. 

Political 

One of the highlights, was George Negus' The World From Down Under, which drew on his interviews with a wide range of world leaders. The books by Rebecca Hamilton and Samantha Power were eye openers to America's responses to genocide since the beginning of the 20th Century.

And in the other categories, I found Nicholas Carr's book on how Google is changing the way we think, to largely ring true, as does a bit of Andrew Keen's thesis in The Cult of the Amatuer.

So, I'm looking for more books to read this year, so let me know what you're reading.

Full List:
Novels:
Ernst Hemmingway - Farewell to Arms
Alain Robbe-Gilbert - In the Labyrinth
Mirza Waheed - The Collaborator
Tea Obreht- The Tiger's Wife
Jack Kersh - Hotel Sarajevo
Jessica Rudd - Campaign Ruby
Colm Tobin - Brooklyn
Victor Hugo - Last Day of a Condemned Man
Gabrielle Ambrosio - Before we Said Goodbye
Louis de Bernières - Captian Corelli's Mandolin
Freedom (Collection of Short Stories)
Chimamjanda Ngozi Adichie - The Thing Around my Neck
Phillip Roth - Everyman
Phillip Roth - The American Pastoral
Jonathan Franzen - Freedom
Yannick Haenel - The Messenger: A Novel
Biography / Autobiography
James Hird - Reading the play
Wayne Bennett - The Man in the Mirror
Kevin Sheedy - Stand Your Ground
Michael Chugg - Hey You in the Black Tee-Shirt
Malcolm Fraser - The Political Memiors
Izzeldin Abuelaish - I Shall Not Hate
Peter Fitzsimmons - Beazley
Hana Schofield & Atka Reid - Goodbye Sarajevo
Edward Kennedy - True Compass
Anh Do - The Happiest Refugee
Politics / Sociology / History / Psychology / Religion
Samantha Power - A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
Rebecca Hamilton - Fighting for Darfur: Public Action and the Struggle to Stop Genocide
Laurie Oakes - On the Record
Dambisa Moyo - Dead Aid
Hugh Mackay - What Makes Us Tick
George Negus - The World From Down Under
Lindsay Tanner - Sideshow
Paul & Tania Roos - Life is Sport & Sport is Life
Andrew Leigh - Disconnected

Ravi Zacharias - Has Christianity Failed You

Kevin Lenman - Have a New You By Friday
Technology
Andrew Keen - The Cult of the Amatuer
Nicholas Carr - The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain
Humour
Richard Glover - Why Men are Necessary
Sport
Jim Main - Shake Down the Thunder
Duncan Hamilton - The Last Summer

Fresh new music

As I've mentioned, this year I have really got a lot of new music from Noisetrade. A couple of the great discoveries have been All Sons and Daughters, Dan & Lauren Smith and Derek Ellis.  All Sons and Daughters have a beautiful version of the hymn "Come Thou Font".

The Revive Project is a beaut collection of songs, and in Dan's words

"Lauren and I were made to love people and love music. So when we found ourselves in the midst of a dark and broken city – this was all we had to offer in desperate measure – our voice and our song. The Revive Project is a non-profit album project to benefit the poor and needy in the city of Reading, Pa and raise awareness of her struggles and plight."

Their website has a video of the song Awake.

The EP "The Reconstruction" by Derek Ellis is a moving collection of three songs, my favourite of which is 'Nail Scarred Hands".

So, go on, check them out.

Christmas Music

So, now that it is December, its truly time to bring out the Christmas music. Here's a few of my favourite Christmas Albums:

Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs.
One of the few albums which has "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" on it. Along with some lesser known Christmas carols, and songs penned by the band.

Third Day - Christmas -
Mac Powell sings a great version of O Holy Night.

Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong
 I really love Sarah McLachlan singing River, and In the Bleak Midwinter.

On giving and receiving gifts ..

Here's a really timely (and interesting) piece about giving and receiving gifts...  (via The New Zealand Herald).

More on music

In writing the last post, I've realised that I didn't post a top 10 albums from 2010.  So, in a quick reflection, going from the most frequently played album, by a long way, it is Brooke Fraser's 'Flags'. I totally love the album, and Brooke continues to develop and impress with each album. Here's one of my favourite songs from this album - "Who Are We Fooling" 

. 

2011 in Music

With the Annual Australia Music Awards (the ARIAs) held last weekend, though I'm not too sure that many the the albums below will end up on any list at the end of the year.,I thought that I'd take some time to look over some of the music which has been running through my head this year. Being able to listen to new music via NPR; Daytrotter and Noisetrade has been great. I've downloaded some great Christmas songs via Noisetrade to increase my stocks a little.

But, here's a short list of the new music I've heard through 2011 (to date):

• Boy & Bear (Moonfire), 
• Florence + the Machine (Ceremonials), 
• Fleet Foxes (Helplessness Blues), 
• The Hawk in Paris (His & Hers), 
• Hayley Westenra (Paradiso), 
• Switchfoot (Vice Verses, with a great addition being Hello Hurricane - Live), 
• Marketa Irglova (Anar), 
• Lisa Hannigan (Passenger), 
• Laura Marling (A Creature, I Don't Know), 
• Katherine Jenkins (Daydream), 
• Mark Geary (Songs About Love, Songs About Leaving),  
• Rachael Yamagata (Chesapeake), 
• Rebecca St. James (I Will Praise You), 
• Gemma Hayes (Let it Break), 
• Sara Groves (Invisible Empires), 
• Sarah Jarosz (Follow Me Down), 
• The Middle East (I Want That You Are Always Happy), 
• Elizabeth Marvelly (Home), 
• The Civil Wars (Barton Hollow).

The ten which stand out at the moment are: Marketa Irglova, The Civil Wars, Switchfoot, Elizabeth Marvelly, Gemma Hayes, Rebecca St James, Mark Geary, Lisa Hannigan, Fleet Foxes & Sara Groves.

Though it would be remiss of me, not to mention a few albums that I've listened to quite a bit - the bonus material from the Achtung Baby reissue; the album featuring cover versions of each track from Achtung Baby. 2011 has also been the 20 Anniversary of R.E.M's Out of Time, and the 10th Anniversary of the late Mic Christopher's Skylarkin', and The Frames' classic For the Birds.

My favourite new artists for the year at the moment are William Fitzsimmons (I bought Goodnight this year), and the Kiwi singer Elizabeth Marvelly, whose CD Home has become one of my all time favourites, because of the memories it brings up.

At the moment I'm really looking forward to Andrew Osenga's Leonard the Lonely Space Alien, which should be out next year.

Five artists >>>

(via - @strictlyLeisure).
 1. The Frames
 2. U2
3. Brooke Fraser
4. Switchfoot
5. Jars of Clay.

These were the first five which popped into my head, without looking at the questions below

What was the first song you ever heard by 1?
Lay Me Down. (For the Birds)

What is your favorite song of 5?
World's Apart  (Jars of Clay)

What kind of impact has 1 left on your life?
Hard to really say, open got me into more music from Ireland.

What are your favorite lyrics of 5? 

Will you teach us how to love? / To see the things you see / Walk the road you walked / Feel the pain that you feel / At your feet I kneel, / I want to see you shine / See your light not mine / 'Cause light gives heat / Your light gives heat
Light Gives Heat. (from Good Monster)


 How many times have you seen 4 live? 
Once at the Roundhouse, UNSW (2005).

What is your favorite song by 2? 
Bad

Is there any song by 3 that makes you sad? 
Albertine.

What is your favourite song by 1?
What Happens When the Heart Just Stops

When did you first get into 2?
I think it was a combination of hearing 'The Fly' and a road trip to the Bennelong (with Rattle and Hum).

 How did you get into 3? 
I think, reading the lyrics to Lifeline on a blog.

What is your favourite song by 4? 
Currently 'Restless' of Vice Verses.

What is a good memory concerning 1? 
Seeing them live with F. in Australia. Can't get over how good they were. (you can see some of it here).

Is there a song by 2 that makes you sad? 
Kite, Love is Blindness, All I Want is You

What is your favorite song of 3? 
Arithmetic. (which F & I had during the signing of the register at our wedding)

R.E.M. Calls Time

I'm sure "Losing My Religion' was the first R.E.M. song I heard. I was struck by the distinctiveness of Stipe's voice, and the mandolin (with the stunning film clip, see below.

The clip for Everybody Hurts is one of the best I've seen.

This cover version is beautiful too... So naturally I was saddened to hear Adam Spencer (on ABC Radio) say they were calling it quits. The quote, by Warner Brothers Records chairman Rob Cavallo sums it up:

They leave behind a body of work whose breadth, honesty, creativity
and power has not only inspired millions of fans around the world, but
also has influenced — and will continue to influence — generations of
songwriters and performers for years to come.

At least, they have left on their terms doesn't seem like there will be a farewell tour, I'll cherish the two concerts I saw in Sydney during 2005. R.E.M. are one of a kind, and have left a lasting legacy, not only in terms of their own songs and the influence they have been to other musicians.

So thank you again for sharing your music with us.

The problem of genocide

Just finished Samantha Power's A Problem from Hell - America and the Age of Genocide. The book is a detailed analysis of the last century of American Foreign Policy - from President Wilson through to George Bush (Junior).  The book highlights American (and perhaps - the worlds) indifference and courage in the face of genocide. The book clearly establishes, how much was known and when, and how difficult it was of people to believe the stories they have heard.  (Read more about Samantha here)

Power writes that 'no US president has suffered politically for his indifference ... it is thus no coincidence that genocide rages on'.  She talks from the Armenian Genocide of 1915 through to Rwanda and the Balkans. It would be interesting to read her thoughts about Sudan.

I noted down a coupe of thoughts I had flowing from her conclusion.

• Knowledge: we are more aware of what is occurring, as it happens
• Influence: we possibly have more means of influence than ever; (and politician do listen, if enough noise is made (but as per my previous post, politicians should be seeking to lead, or drive public opinion)
• Will: this is perhaps the key - we and our governments lack the will to act (perhaps, at least in part, because we understand the cost of action. 
• Accountability: Given the awareness we have, we are accountable for how we respond. 

In summary, the book is well worth reading, and after reading we are witnesses of history and must be changed. After reading this book, its worth having a look at the material surrounding the 'responsibility to protect'. )

Last Day of a Condemned Man

But public order will not disappear along with the executioner; never believe that. The vault of future society will not collapse for lack of that monstrous keystone. Civilisation is no more than a series of transformations. So what is it you are about to witness? The transformation of the system of punishment. The gentle law of Christ will finally penetrate thee penal code and extend its influence across it. Crime will be seen as a disease, and this disease will have doctors instead of judges, hospitals instead of penal colonies. Liberty and health will be the same thing. Balm and oil will be poured on where once steel and fire were applied. The evil that was treated with charity. It will be simple and sublime. The cross in place of the gallows. That is all.
Preface to Victor Hugo's The Last Day of a Condemned Man.

Just started this today, it is written as a diary of a prisoner preparing for his execution - and a plea for the abolition of the death penalty, equally as relevant today as when it was written - 1829.

Recollections of a bleeding heart...

Tonight I went to hear Don Watson give the 2011 National Biography Award Lecture, about his biography of former Prime Minister Paul Keating "Recollections of a Bleeding Heart", which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The book is based on diaries kept during Watson's time as Keating's speechwriter and advisor. I haven't read it yet, but after tonight, I'd definitely recommend it.

Some points that I jotted down during his talk.

• Vsion doesn't win elections, the current Australia is one without a vision or narrative,
• Polls tie you to the immediate and the present, not what the future can be,
• With the defeat of Keating, Australian politics lost "language"
• Governing is about leading and changing public opinion, not just listening to polls; we have lost the language of change and leadership
• speech-writers - the work of the author & speaker, the author writes the words and convictions of the speaker (and the speaker brings life to these words)
• speech writing is about the putting people into the story of the nation

Ater tonight, I am missing Keating, would love see more people with his vision in politics; and I'm missing Watson too, would love to have more people like him working and writing for our politicians.

Page turners ..

Fighting for Darfur: By Washington Post reporter Rebecca Hamilton. The book is a detailed account of the public action surrounding Darfur (in Sudan). It provides some compelling insights into both the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of this movement. An important book to read, given the world in which we live.

Goodbye Sarajevo- Atka Reid and Hana Schofield - A moving true story about what happens to one family during the siege of Sarajevo (in the 1990s). Read more one this website. I found it so eye-opening as it brought a human face so the history we've lived through.

Before we Said Goodbye - Gabriella Ambrosio - Based on the true story of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem. The story follows a number of characters in parallel which is at times hard to follow. But what was striking about the book, is that the author did not take sides, she simply presented the story, and presented a human face to what is happening in the Middle East. Perhaps for this reason the book is
endorsed by Amnesty International.

Next on my reading list is Samantha Power's book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide which was quoted by Bec in her book. I also have The Collaborator on the "to read" pile. Mirza Waheed's The Collaborator is set in Kashmir, you can read more about the book here.

Freedom.

Found a collection of Short Stories celebrating the Declaration of Human Rights (Published by Amnesty International), in the local library, and have been reading it on my way into work over the past few weeks.

Like most collections, its a little bit uneven, but the premise is fantastic, give each author one of the Rights as a base or inspiration for their short story. The collection is quite eclectic due to the diversity of the authors.  You can't help be moved be the stories, as its clear they illuminate the lives of millions. But i think its a great way to get people to look beyond the words of the Declaration as they are illuminated, illustrated, and expanded through the stories.

One paragraph that struck me today was an answer to a question posed about what Education means and the character's response really struck me:

Education, whether brief, or just memories of it, creates the anchors that prevent us from losing our humanity completely, as a society and as individuals .... Education is the most powerful medicine that cures violence. It strengthens the mind to resist violence, to transform the elements of violence, which are fear and loss of self. Of course, one has to have some basic understanding of reality. In general, education can reawaken the mind and spirit after it has been broken.  Ishmael Beah - ABC Antidote

There's more about the anthology here and here.

Sideshow - Lindsay Tanner

Just finished reading Lindsay Tanner's book Sideshow; about the relationship between journalists politicians and the rest of us. To sum up, I don't think that there's anything much in the book that will surprise anyone given then 2010 election campaign; which could be summed up as spin, slogans without substance, remember "moving forward to stop the boats and end the waste".

 Tanner doesn't blame the journalists or absolve the politicians and does also point the finger at us. There is definitely something that resonates when he suggests that facts and figures aren't really the most effective for changing peoples opinions,instead arguments which hit on the emotions are going to be more effective. The book is worth a read if you're keen to explore the relationship between media and politics. We are crying out for politicians who will lead with ideas, not follow the polls or focus groups.

Five books which changed me

One of the meme's doing the rounds is the five books which changed you...

(1) The Bible,  I guess in some ways this is a given, but it is hard to overstate the impact this book has had, and is having, on my life.

(2) Knowing God - J. Packer, One of the first Christian books I read which has really helped me as I have sought to know God better. There is so much depth to what Packer has written, that there is always more to learn.

(3) Les Miserables - Victor Hugo  - I've always loved how the musical brought the story (and characters) to life. But the book, is the inspiration behind the musical,

(4) Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card, Easily the most enjoyable science fiction book I've read, And actually the whole series of books is enjoyable (and thought provoking reading)

(5) And perhaps the series of books which was one of the first books I recall reading, and perhaps gave me the love of reading are Williard Price's series of Adventure books. These books brought a sense of wonder in the natural world. Hard to pick favourites, but the ones I remember the most were Volcano Adventure and Amazon Adventure.

It so great having a great library nearby, as it is enabling me to pick and read books which I may not have read if I needed to pay for them.

Home (Elizabeth Marvelly)

Currently, I'm addicted to the aptly named Home (the new CD by Kiwi artist Elzabeth Marvelly). To be fair that is really what drew me to her album - a glimpse over the track-listing and you see classic songs, classical NZ songs and traditional maori songs (and quite a good mix). As I listened to the album my memories of NZ were rekindled - especially in hearing How Great Thou Art (Whakaaria Mai) and Amazing Grace (Te Atua) (with parts sung in both Maori and English).

A number of other tracks stood out Home (one of her own songs), the Dave Dobbyn song Welcome Home, a beautiful arrangement of Don't Dream its Over (Crowded House), the The Prayer (sung with Paul Potts) and I Vow the Thee My Country. Also included on the album is a wonderful version of "Over the Rainbow / I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", and two traditional (and very catchy) Maori songs E Papa and Tarakihi.

The album reflects on her love of NZ, and provided a tangible reminder of New Zealand to me bringing back to my mind, my experiences in growing up there. Not sure when this will be released in Oz (but if you want, you can buy it from Marbecks - a kiwi music store).

Stories without borders..

This is a powerful and moving piece on the immigration debate  (which we're not having & no-one's leading).

Stories Without Borders (Maria Tumarkin) 

Here is a boat, made of wood, nine metres by two and a half, with forty people (babies too) crammed onto it, that no-one wishes was turned back. Read more  > > > (via Meanjin)

An update

I'm now thinking a little bit more about how I use this blog. Recently, I decided to join the tweet-space, (not sure what the technical term is?). As I often use my blogposts to share what I've been reading online, and twitter seemed like a good (maybe better) way of doing this. So I'm going to tweet regularly, and then every now and again try and write a blog post - though perhaps my frequently than now ;-)

My twitter account is located here.  Stay tuned, as I'm hoping to write a little post about what I'm listening to and reading to shortly.

Stay well~!

Jars of Clay

I recently found that Dan Hasltine, the lead singer of the Christian band, Jars of Clay has been writing a blog, and the last few posts have been on the story behind some of the songs he has written, including Light Gives Heat and Oh My God, both from what I think is my favourite one of their albums, Good Monsters.

And a post about the meaning of songs in general

Page turners

I've finally finished reading the Memoirs of former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser,  I was fascinating by the account of his life, his politics, and how his relationship with the Liberal Party changed. Since then I read Dambisa Moyo's book Dead Aid -which I found to be a well reasoned argument for why western-aid is not only not the solution to Africa's problems, but also part of the problem - I guess the problem is the way we face these problems is that "we are 'westerners' how can we fail to do good'.

At the moment, I've started reading Hugh Mackay's book - What makes us tick - about the 10 major drivers of our behaviour - so far I'm about a third of the way through, and again I don't think there is anything in there that is a shock, but its been an interesting read - especially the way he talks about religion (be it the theist or atheist type). 

And it is lovely to have a five day break, hopefully I'll get a bit more reading down, and also find the time to write a touch. Last weekend we went and saw the Ballet Madam Butterfly, which was really amazing, I can't get over the dancers stamina and grace of equal portions. 

Driven to distraction ..

Fascinating piece in the SMH on Saturday (in the Spectrum), bottom line: We have access to more information than we have ever had, but little knowledge or wisdom as a result because the internet is changing how we think, read and act.

Luck...

Here's an interesting piece on luck, in the HuffPost.

On the reading list

Just finished...

:: Paul Roos and Tania Roos book Sport is Life, Life as Sport  -  the central comment of the book is to talk about life through illustrations from sport. A little side-bar here - its great to see the AFL season start, and I guess a draw was a good result.

:: The Shallows - Nicholas Carr; the often quoted book about how the internet is changing the way we think. He writes about how our brain is changed through how we use it; and how the way we use technology also reshapes the nature of our brain. Its quite a worthwhile read.  Its also worthwhile looking at his blog.

Just started..

Malcolm Fraser's political memoirs. I have to admit that I haven't done a lot of Australian history, so I thought I'd start by reading Malcolm Fraser's memoirs as I found a lot of his comments fascinating (see the University of Melbourne's collection of his papers.

Next on the list are the memiors of John Howard and Peter Costello, and then Peter Fitzsimon's biography of Kim Beazley.

despair for Australian politics ...

Fascinating pieces on the state of Australian politics here and here

more on connecting ...

I looked at Andrew Leigh's book on social capital again this morning, and he makes about trying to increase our social capital are: reclaiming the footpath by saying hello to people as you walk down the street; using your local stores; donating time (and/or money); using social media to supplement (not replace) connections; reviving organisations you are part of; writing to politicians; breaking bread with each other; and to trying new activities.

So, I'm going to try and do some of these; I will try to engage with my State and Federal representative more this year, and when I get back into the habit of walking I'll try and say 'Hello' as I pass people. Given there are a few great shops in this area, I'll try and regularly shop there.

on the internet ...

A couple of interesting pieces about the social side of the internet ...

The value of online friends
The social side of the internet

(re) connecting

I've just finished reading Andrew Leigh's book Disconnected about how "community engagement in Australia has declined. Organisational membership is down. We are less likely to attend church. Political parties and unions are struggling to keep their members. Sporting participation and cultural attendance is down. We have fewer friends and are less connected with our neighbours". In his book he also explores things we can do to reconnect with people. I also found it good to see that in his capacity as Member for Fraser he is seeking to encourage his constituents to reconnect with each other by hosting street parties. There's something there I think .. but I'd find it hard to actually take that step. The book is definitely worth have a look at, his writing is very engaging, and thought provoking. It would definitely be interesting to hear more of his thoughts around religion.

Economic benefit of the churches

Here's a fascinating article about a study trying to understand the economic benefit of the church, from The Inquirer (Philadelphia). I would like to read the full report, if there is one.

Black Swan...

So last week, I went and saw Black Swan. Its one of those films which stay with you as the credits roll up at the end. The highlight of the film along with the soundtrack and cinematography was the acting of Natalie Portman, Natalie's portrayal of the up-and-coming dancer Nina was very believable. The film reminded me of Enduring Love (the adaption of Ian McEwan's novel). There was also something unsettling in watching Natalie's character unravel as she became wrapped up in the demands of her role. Its also impressive that Natalie Portman actually did the dancing herself. Its one of the films which left you with questions about the characters, and events in the film, yet it was so real, I'm not sure I want to see it again.

Yesterday, we had a look at the First Emperor exhibition at the NSW Art Gallery, which was amazing, they had 10 types of the Terracotta Warriors. I found them to be so impressive, given their size, and their unique and detailed faces. Its well worth the visit.

On Serve

Was a little bit sad to see Rafa go out last night, but this comment is the mark of a champion, he was asked about the injury:

RAFAEL NADAL: I can say nothing about the injury. Seriously, I would prefer don't talk a lot about the injury. Tonight, first of all, I don't know nothing. Second thing, for respect to the winner and to a friend, I prefer to talk about the match. I think he played at a very high level. I just congratulate him and wish him all the best for the semifinal. I think he's doing a fantastic tournament. If he keep playing like this, he going to have a good chances. What David told me at the net is for me and that's it. >> Read more

To often, you hear sports people say, I was injured and that's why I lost. Always encouraging to hear players say, I was outplayed, and give the credit to their opponent. Given the two great semi-finals: Djokovic v Federer and Murray v Ferrer coming up the Final will be great.

Musical notes..

I've been meaning to post this for a while; here's to music lists ...

• Australia's top selling CD's for the past decade:
• The US End of Decade charts 
• NPR's list of the most influecial cd's from the last decade.

No surprise guessing what proportion of CDs are on both lists.....

Australia Day

So its Australia Day again, and there's the usual bits and pieces, tennis in Melbourne, a cricket game in Adelaide, talk about a new flag and moving Australia Day - and perhaps one surprise, the Australian of the Year was not a sportsman or women. (Maybe its partly because 2010 wasn't a great year). Aussie cricket fans will be relieved to hear that they have the Ashes back ... the women regained them in Bankstown yesterday.

Was also nice to see that The King's Speech did well in the Oscar nominations (I quite enjoyed the film). I'm hoping to see Black Swan next.

2011: Obscure events ...

Here's a few interesting things happening during the next 12 months ...

Cricket...

Here's an interesting explanation for Australia's declining fortunes in the Cricket ... Aussie Rules. I am sure there is a bit of truth in it.

Compact Discs ...

I read today that HMV is closing a number of stores in the UK, and the article asked whether people still by CDs. Until recently, I would have probably said that I would prefer to buy the CDs, and for some artists, and releases I probably will still, but when you start thinking about storage, there's only so much space. There is something about coming home with a new CD, and looking through the booklet, while listening to some new music.

While I've moved a little on CD's, I just can't see myself moving from books to a kindle (or similar).

more on the books (and the cricket)

A few other books I left off yesterday, fittingly for summer I read The Last Summer (which as a book about the 2009 Cricket season, also reflection on the changes in the game - mostly around 'hit and giggle', I've also got Michael Chugg (the concert promoter's autobiography, and yesterday I added Richard Glover's Why Men are
Necessary to the list.

Briefly, on the cricket, I have said this before, but I would like to receive the technology out of the game, leave the decisions to those on the field. Yes some days the wrong decision will be made, but we're not seeing many howlers overturned when the players review them.

Also, I think the South Africa-India series is showing how good Jacques Kallis, Sachin Tendulker, and Dale Steyn really are.

A New Year

I hope you all had a great Christmas, and all the best for 2011. To begin here's an article about new year's resolutions (or aspirations). In terms of my aspirations for 2011, I have being reading a lot more
over the last 12 months, thanks mainly to a great local library, a generous family, and would like to keep this up.

Over Christmas, I read Wayne Bennett's autobiography, Man in the Mirror, Helen Fielding's book Cause Celeb (a great parody of celebrities being involved in social justice campaigns), Alberto Barrera Tyszka's novel The Sickness, on how two men dealt with their illnesses.

I 'm also intending to read the books I was given for my birthday and Christmas last year -- two of Hugh Mackay's books: What Makes Us Tick, and Advance Australia ... Where?, George Negus's book, The
World From Down Under, Andrew Leigh's book Disconnected and Kevin Leman's book Have a new you by Friday (I've have found a few of his other books helpful), and a one more from my last visit to the library, Reading the play: on life and leadership by one of the great AFL players James Hird.

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I enjoyed the The Late Session (the new show hosted by Waleed Aly) last night on SBS. A fascinating discussion around storytelling.  It looks like the series will be fascinating with great topics and
interesting guests. Though to think the five who I'd invite an imaginary dinner party, though I'd also pick Waleed to facilitate the conversation.

Here's another article, about a philosophy book which talks highlights the impact of communal experiences.

Australia and refugees

It's no crime to seek a better life... (interesting piece on Australia and refugees). I think that its time to rethink our policies (not a fan of Tony or Julia on this at the moment).

On Christmas

Thought this piece in The Age today made for interesting reading. Here's an one excerpt to ponder (which
kind of summarises the point of the article).

Finally we could all do well to heed the advice of Michel Leunig's Vasco to Mr Curly "What is worth doing and what is worth having?" asks Vasco of his friend Mr Curly. 

"It is worth doing nothing and it is worth having a rest," advises the sagacious Mr Curly. "In spite of all the difficulty it may cause, you MUST rest Vasco — otherwise you will become RESTLESS!".

Music

Here's a list of artists of grown to love during the course of 2010, which I hadn't heard much of before:

• Josh Ritter, I really love his song "The Curse".
• Gemma Hayes, at least I think I first listen to her earlier this year. 
• Rosie Thomas, one of the girls in our bible study group introduce me to her (and a few other similar artists, Melaine Doane and Sarah Harmer).
• Brian Eno, I've known him as a genius producer, but this year I listened to one of his records for the first time. 
• Midlake, Deb introduce me to this group when she was in Sydney earlier this year, and I've really enjoyed their new record: The Courage of Others. 
• Noah and the Whale

and, briefly thinking about 2011, I'm looking forward to the new CDs from Bright Eyes (February) and R.E.M. (March) at the moment (I'm sure they'll be more, but that's a good start).

No leave no life(?)

Here's an interesting article by Ross Gittins on our leave balances(via the SMH), and the interesting contradiction between how we would prefer additional leave to additional pay, yet so much leave in Australia is just accumulating. (some research suggests it could be in the order of 117 million days) for the proverbial rainy day, Worth thinking about.

page turning..

It has been quite a while since my last post. Have been quite busy with work.

On the recently read list, I finished Paul Kelly's March of the Patriots, a fascinating book about the time spent in government by Paul Keating and John Howard, it was a little eye-opening reading their accounts of policy decisions. It did remind me of parts of our recent history which I'm not sure I entirely agree with, and to that end I'm kind of interesting in reading the autobiography of John Howard.

I also finished The Winter of our Disconnect (Susan Maushart), how one family with without their technology for, about three months, and what they discovered in the process. It would be great to take up the challenge, and go without my ipod; facebook for a while, and I wonder what I could do with the time I save :)

Samuel Huntington's book 'The Clash of Civilisations' was a book I encountered doing a global politics course while at University, and had been meaning to read for a while. It was written in 1996, yet given recent history, it seem more relevant now, even if we're not embracing the thesis totally.

I also have two books at on the go at the moment: Jostein Gaardner's Through a Glass Darkly, and a book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn - Half the Sky, which details how the great struggle we face today is how women, and their children are treated. It is a heart-breaking read, but there is also hope, as the stories also share how some women have used the circumstances as an opportunity.

Disconnected ...

This looks like a fascinating book; its about declining community engagement in Australia. Robert Putnam wrote a similar book called Bowling Alone, about the same trend in America.

Faith and morality ..

Here's a few pieces from the Guardian on Faith and Morality, without God.  With faith, I actually think its the object of your faith which is the issue, I'd argue that everyone believes something. Be it in the truth of the gospel or that religion is dangerous, or that they just aren't sure.

Thought that these were interesting responses to the questions, and revealing how those of "secular" faith respond to these questions.

Faith in decline in the UK ...

A UK survey, suggests that God is disappearing, here's the article and three responses.

• 'Indifference' may be church's best hope.
• Christianity in France is fading.
• Better to be hated for the right reasons than ignored.

turning the page

We visited the library last weekend, and a got a few books to keep me going. I borrowed Nice Work by Jana Wendt.  For the book Jana interviewed a series of people about the work they do, including a Catholic Priest, a boxer, a forensic scientist, the CEO of a major cruise company, volunteers (at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum), and a few others. Its a fascinating account of how people think about the work they do. [read more], next in the list is another of Malcolm Gladwell's books The Outliers, which sounds fascinating.

While we were in library I placed holds on Half the Sky (read more here), and Committed, (the sequel to Eat, Pray, Love) -  , which also sounds quite interesting.  Speaking about Eat, Pray, Love, I saw the film last weekend, it was beautifully shot (in Italy, India, and Indonesia). It was quite an enjoyable film, and at the same time it did have a message in it too. 

Hope to go and see The Social Network next... 

more dangerous ideas

Over the long weekend, Sydney hosted the (I think, second) Festival of Dangerous Ideas ...  not to be out done, SMH columnist Richard Glover offers some more dangerous ideas for us to ponder.

• The bad public transport in Sydney is not the fault of the NSW government
• Wikipedia is accurate
• Most of the ways Australians describe themselves are not true
• Books are great but . . .
• We don't mind the ads on TV
• Mainstream media is not dead
• Parking meters are a good thing
• Personal privacy is overrated
• Plastic bags are not so bad

He's got a point with a few of them. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the talks from the Festival on ABC's Big Ideas (given how enjoyable the Q&A episode was).

Sunday morning shorts..

On Music 

For those like me who have been missing The Frames, here's a link to their recent set at the Electric Picnic in Ireland.

Belle and Sebestian have a new album out this week - Write about love - have a quick listen here. (Thanks NPR).

I listened to the new album by Hillsong (Beautiful Exchange) this week -- and really love this song "Like Incense/Sometimes by Step". Not just because Brooke Fraser Ligertwood sings on it, but it also features the Rich Mullins song - Sometimes by Step, which is just such a beautiful song.

On writing

I'm sure I've written about this before, but I feel like I need to pick up a pen, and write a letter ... Has anyone seen the collected emails or tweets of Jo or Joanne up for sale?

On "Noise and our communication age"

Here's an article by Kate Crawford (based at UNSW) on "listening to networks". She's part the way through a fascinating project looking at the uses of social media ... (listen to her talk about the project here). 

The Artist's desire ...

Fascinating post on the Artist's Desire ... well worth the read [from the Rabbit Room]

Religion and Extremism..

A couple of interesting pieces from the Guardian in the UK.
:: Recent research shows that the long decline in church attendance [may have] has finally stabilised
:: Apparently societies without God are more benevolent.

I really liked this piece from Nick Kristof from the New York Times - arguing that if we want moderate muslims to denounce extremism, then we should similarly apologise. I reckon he's got a good point.

Beyond the Eleventh ...

In the New York Times, there's a great piece "The Healers of 9/11", speaking about the work two widows have been doing since 2001. It was a refreshing read.

We Used to Wait -- Arcade Fire

I saw the "video" for the new song by The Arcade Fire 'We Used to Wait' ... go this site and have a look. (You can also read about how the did it here. It was quite amazing.

Thieves in the temple

Fascinating op-ed in the New York Times (more on clergy burnout here), in central point of the article is that there's fundamental problem [for clergy] that no amount of rest and relaxation can help solve: congregational pressure to forsake one's highest calling. Church goers want pastors to soothe and entertain them rather than change them to live their confession.

Here this conclusion:

Ministry is a profession in which the greatest rewards include meaningfulness and integrity. When those fade under pressure from churchgoers who don't want to be challenged or edified, pastors become candidates for stress and depression. 

Clergy need parishioners who understand that the church exists, as it always has, to save souls by elevating people's values and desires. They need churchgoers to ask for personal challenges, in areas like daily devotions and outreach ministries.

[Read more on G. Jeffrey MacDonald's website here].

page turners ...

Recently read ..
Musicophilla - Oliver Sacks - found this to be a fascinating read about how our brain interprets music.
Post-birthday world - Lionel Shriver - about the nature of choice.

Currently reading..
Mao's Last Dancer - Li Cunxin - really enjoyable read .. almost done.
March of the Patriots - Paul Kelly - I've been taking my time reading this, but its a good look about PM's Keating and Howard time and the links between them.

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And U2 resumed their tour today .. here's the songs they played, a few surprises...

Some more random pieces

• Dispelling Myths about 'Boat People (from the CASE Blog, and links to this interview on the UNSW website)
• Brooke Fraser ... Something in the water - the base line is reminiscent of Albertine; will have to listen to it a little more to understand what she is singing about. The album "Flags" is out on October 12, and listen online now.
• via NPR listen to the Swell Season (from the Newport Folk Festival) and Arcade Fire's 'The Suburbs')

on the poll

Interesting piece by CPX's Director John Dickson in the SMH on the Christian vote, here's a four key points:

• First, a Christian vote is a vote for others. It is basic to the Christian outlook that life is to be devoted to the good of others before ourselves.
• Second, the moral health of our community will provide another motivation for the Christian vote.
• Third, Christians will think of promoting the Christian message.
• Finally, Christians will mainly have in mind the poor and powerless.

I also found this point interesting: Christians should be willing to change voting patterns after Christian reflection on particular policies. A believer who cannot imagine voting for the ''other side'' has either determined that only one party aligns with the will of God or, more likely, is more attached to their cultural context than to the wisdom of scripture.

Will be interesting to see what debate this stirs in tomorrows paper.

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Wednesday's paper had a great piece on 15 questions which won't be addressed by the election ... well worth a read.

August 21 ...

It's on (a five week campaign)  ... here's hoping its a positive campaign about what the Australia become..  but we'll see.

The key slogan for the Labour Party is: "Moving forward together to a Stronger and Sustainable Australia".
[Gillard's speech] - via SBS

The key slogan for the Liberal/Nationals is "A great people deserve a great Government not a Gillard Government."
[Abbot's Speech] via SBS

So at the moment, it looks like the Coalition will run a negative campaign -- you can't trust this government; will Gillard serve a full term, and the Labour party (at the moment at least) is talking about moving forward.

the octopus and August 21

Given this article (sadly Paul was unavailable) it looks like Labour and Gillard will win the election. So, can we spare the expense and not worry about the next five weeks and just move forward? ;-)

World cup

I haven't posted this just yet .. but given the world cup has now finished, I can say that only one team went through undefeated ..  [drum roll]  New Zealand. The coach Ricki Herbert reflects on the campaign here. And no, he won't coach Australia ;)

"Westerners on white horses..."

Fascinating article by Nick Kristof from the NYT's about how he, and I guess at lot of western journalists, report about Africa.

Never tear us apart

Here's a great cover of INXS's Never Tear Us Apart by Beck's Record
Club (featuring St. Vincent, Liars, Os Mutantes)

technology is oh-so "creepy"

I am not ready to accept that a person's online profile - be it on Facebook, a dating site or some other manufactured and commercially constructed environment - can ever be a substitute for a way a human presents themselves in person.

What is diminished when we filter our personalities through the interweb is the essential stuff of humanness - a person's capacity for empathy, their uniqueness and idiosyncrasies, the quirky way they respond to a social environment. [SMH]

I think there may be some truth in this...

an election on the horizon...

Here's an interesting piece by Ross Gittins wondering why Gillard has to run to the poll. Especially given the start Gillard has made. But its also might be totally irrelevant given the news headlines today.

Time to seek the lost?

Greg Clarke and Simon Smart (CPX) on refugees. interesting read. Need to take some to think about the issue some more.

Some random shorts..

On the world cup -- one of the good pieces about the world cup was how the players who were featured in the Nike advertisement all had "ordinary" world cup...  I'm hoping for a Netherlands v Spain final given that neither Spain or the Netherlands have won the world cup yet..

On the next challenge for Julia Gilliard -- how will she look at the issue of refugees

On faith and politics ... how to churches understand government ... and how the government understand churches (in the UK)

The Romantic Comedy ... (for men)

As you'll know the World Cup is currently being held in South Africa ...  and one thing I've often thought is that sport could well be described as a romantic (perhaps tragic) comedy for men ...  reading this, it seems I'm not the only...

And, in terms of the on field action ... I couldn't be happier with how the All Whites went, three draws is a respectable performance.  Australia did okay, I think the most dissappointing thing was the way they played during their loss to Germany, it was almost as if they weren't giving it a go.  It doesn't do Auatralia (or England) much credit when they blame the referee for their results. The ref doesn't ruin the game with his decisions, its what makes sport, sport. I'm not so keen on goal-line technology (or video replays) - leave the decisions to those on the field..

As for a winner ..  I'd say now its pretty close between Argentina and Brazil, but we'll see, as it has been a tournament of shocks.

June shorts ...

I've been watching the Football World Cup. Been quite an exciting ride so far with a few of the big names not getting out of the group stages, and New Zealand's performance (two draws, against Slovakia and Italy) has been great. It was funny to find out that if both Italy (v Slovakia), and New Zealand (v Paraguay),  have identical draws (ie 1-1); the team to progress into the second round will be decided by the toss of a coin~! (Not that this will actually happen mind you).

Its been quite an interesting with the media circus around that Australian team; the implosion of both the French and English teams. (I'm thinking the favourites to win would be Brazil, Argentina and maybe the Netherlands). Here's who could qualify for the second round .

I just bought a DVD of U2's concert from Pasadena last year ... I've literally just got to fourth song, but its been quite impressive so far ... the stage is amazing. Tthe new songs have grown on me too. Will write more on this once I've seen the full concert. 

I've also been able to read a couple of Neil Gaiman's books (Stardust and Coraline), both of which I really loved; and I also read Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell) which I found a little tough going in places, but worth it ...  just started The City and The City (by China Melville)

In Brief ...

on the soccer .. so the socceroos went down 4-0 this morning. Sure its a touch dissappointing, yet the Aussies are exactly where we expected them to be. The Germans are not one of the best in the world for no reason, and there performance this morning was awesome. Will be interesting to see how the Kiwi's go.

Via NPR, I've been listening to a few performances from Bonnaroo. So far I've heard Tori Amos and Mumford and Sons, which have both been great. Look forward to seeing what else is there.

Also am interested in reading the new book by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen - Worse than War (on Genocide). (Here's more about the book).

To finish, here's an article on Facebook and its impact on young people.

Christian music on the radio

Was intrigued by the fact that: "forty-eight of the top 50 Christian songs in the last decade were by males, a figure primarily determined by women who listen to Christian radio. Why don't they want to hear their female peers on the air?".

Weekend recap

Been a great weekend, after a wet week we made the most of our Saturday and spent the day in the Blue Mountains. On the agenda was a little walk to the Bridal Veil Falls at Blackheath, and just a little
bit of window-shopping. Today, I went to the special Survive Past Five service at Barneys which aimed to celebrate, raise awareness and pray for mothers and children particularly those around the world whose expectations are vastly different to ours. It was a really challenging morning. Read more about the Millennium Development Goals here; and here.

Since then, I've just been watching the Swan's win against the Bombers (quite an exciting game -19 lead changes), and catching up on a bit of reading. Here's a couple of pieces which have been sitting on my web-browser for a while. In the first of these David Brooks writes about the limit of policy, given cultural differences. The second is about umpires and "errors". I'm all for keeping the human element in sport; and not going down the path of replays for everything. With the World Cup now only 6 days away - here's a piece on the experience many in Australia will have, over the next month or so.

Petro Georgiou's Valedictory speech

I have been impressed with Petro Georgiou, the Liberal member for Kooyong, particularly how the took on the rights of refugees during the final years of Howard's Government. Unfortunately he is not standing this
year, but his final speech is great reading. (Here's how the SMH reported it).

On Coffee

So it seems, my morning coffee may not have the effect I think it does ...

Leviathan ... and other pages

Just finished reading John Birmingham's Leviathan; which is a biography of the city of Sydney. It was great to learn more about the history of Sydney; and it doesn't just focus on the positive character of the city. Well worth a read. I'm now starting to read Cormac McCarthy's The Road, the bit of which I read is beautifully phrased; before diving into: Battlelines (Tony Abbott); Stardust (Neil Gaiman); and Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell).

It will be interesting to read Tony Abbott's book; I haven't agreed with him on a number of key policies (eg Immigration and refugees), but it will be interesting to read how he thinks about these issues. A few of my friends have always raved about Neil Gaiman, so I will be good to read another of his; and David Mitchell was another recommendation. It is so great living close to a great library.

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And on another note ...  I'm not one to read much into these things, but in a friendly last weekend, New Zealand beat Serbia 1-0 in a game of Football. It is only the second time that the All Whites have beaten European opposition.

The Curse ...

Here's a cool clip for the new Josh Ritter song, "The Curse", which is a love story between the archeologist and his mummy... (Also on NPR you can hear two songs from the new Arcade Fire album).

Graduation speeches ..

I'm not sure if I've linked to these before, but here's two 'great graduation speeches', from Bono and JK  Rowling. (Along with the "anti-U2" stuff in the comments, which I don't get, there's a few other speeches to read as well).

weekend reading ...

While reading the Spectrum last weekend during I noticed an interesting article on evil by Terry Eagleton. Here's a couple of links to look over; I think, the fascination of evil was reprinted in the SMH.

:: The Fascination of Evil
:: Of men and monsters

Last week I also went to a lecture at UNSW on refugees - (here's the audio). It was quite sad to realise that just after I starting working at UNSW (in 2001), I sat in the same room listening to Ruddock outline the government's policy on border protection. During the lecture last week, I heard the Director of the Centre for Refugee Research, Eileen Pittaway, tell a different story from her experience in refugee camps. It was quite disheartening to realise how little has changed, and perhaps the obligation we have to do more to protect those who have displaced; and move away from the dialogue based in fear, and the language of queue jumpers, and 'illegal immigrants'. Perhaps the only resolution is the unachievable 'peace', but that doesn't mean we shouldn't advocate for change now.

Less than three weeks...

So, tonight in Melbourne New Zealand played Australia in their last game at home before the World Cup. Such a shame that it wasn't on free-to-air, but ABC Radio was broadcasting the game. I was encouraged
in spite of the result. (a 2-1 loss - with the winner scored from the last kick of the game), and if you read this report it looked like the All Whites played a great first half. Not sure it is as dire as that for Australia (but would be interesting to read Craig Foster's thoughts).  NZ has two more games before the World Cup against Serbia and Slovenia; while Australia will play Denmark and the US, but I can't wait for it to start on the morning of June 12.

Happiness conference...

Earlier this year there was a conference on Happiness ... who knew that there was a conference on happiness. There was a piece in Thursdays paper about Hugh Mackay's presentation ... where he reminded the delegates that "through sadness, disappointment, grief, failure, and doubt that people learnt and grew". The idea that we need to fail to learn how to cope (and to my mind find success), resonated along with the comment that if he had to wish anybody something it might be "Be whole' since wholeness strikes me as a far healthier, more realistic goal than happiness."

The Truce

Over the last week I've read If this is a Man // The Truce and The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi; a survivor of Auschwitz. Hasn't been the most pleseant reading ... The Drowned and the Saved talks of memory and how the will and spirit of prisoners was broken; I found how he writes of himself as a witness rather than a judge intriguing. If this is a Man / The Truce was more autobiographical, as he wrote more about his time in the camp; and his journey home from the camp. Its intriguing to read how he answers the questions about how he feels towards the Germans; and whether or not they knew.

He also writes of what he witnessed and seeks to understand what enabled him to survive. The books are a reminder of the nature of evil - and as Levi says - that we can not understand it, as to understand is to contain; and "almost to justify", and to keep reminding our conscience, that this could happen again.