Serenity

Serenity is science fiction set 500 years into the future. Increasing population has forced humanity to colonise other parts of the universe. A group of technologically advanced planets form The Universal Alliance and try to bring the fringes of the empire under its influence. The story traces the journey of those who move towards resisting The Alliance.

Director and screen writer Josse Whedon has said that one of his influences was a detailed account of the Battle of Gettysburg. Clear parallels with current global threats of empire are entertwined in this space odyssey and force reflection on US foreign policy.

The movie is awash with thematic undercurrents dealing with the role of media barons, contracted security forces, religion and colonisation.

The dry humour of the crew of the space ship Serenity as well as the delightful echo of the famous Mellenium Falcon in Star Wars enriches the film with humour.

A refreshing invitation to reflect on society and its passion for dominance. Well worth the watch.

Funniest Religious Joke

720 ABC Perth interviewed Simon Jenkins of Ship of Fools fame today. He retold the joke that was nominated as one of the funniest religious jokes. Perhaps we all have something to learn from it.

"I was walking along when I saw a man standing on a bridge getting ready to jump. I tried to find a reason to dissuade him, and asked :

Are you religious? Yes, he replied. Great, so am I

Christian or Buddhist? Christian, he said.

Episcopalian or Baptist? Baptist, he responded.

Baptist Church of God, or Baptist Church of The Lord? Baptist Church of God.

Are you Original Baptist Church of God or Reformed Baptist Church of God? Reformed Baptist Church of God.

Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God Reformation 1879 or Reformed Baptist Church of God Reformation 1915? Reformed Baptist Church of God Reformation 1915, was the answer.

Die heretic scum, I said. And pushed him off."

The Chaser News Alert

For those who enjoy the satire of The Chaser the ABC have their weekly news braodcasts each Thursday afternoon. This week the new security laws are featured. [ABC Link]

Living Together

"We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish,
but we have not yet learned the simple art of living together."
Martin Luther King
1964 Nobel Lecture

Secure?

With agreement from the states secured today, the Federal Government will embark upon further restrictions to civil liberties.

The Prime Minister joined with State Premiers convinced that we " ... live in very dangerous and different and threatening circumstances and a strong and comprehensive response is needed."

Mr Howard continues stating, "I cannot guarantee that Australia will not be the subject of a terrorist attack, no law can guarantee that, but I can say as a result of the decisions taken today that we are in a stronger and better position to give peace of mind to the Australian community, and that is our responsibility." [The Age]

Today's decision does not protect us from terrorism but has feulled the fear that permeates our society today. Security can only be achieved through a compassionate response to a world divided by injustice and inequality! Peace of mind can only be found in reaffirming the worth and dignity of all people.

Time to open doors rather than slam them shut!

Biblical Curse Generator

Thanks to Age at morepraxis for this latest internet gem.

Biblical Curse Generator - Lost for a smart remark to see off your enemies? Unable to deliver that killer insult? Put an end to unscriptural restraint with the amazing Biblical Curse Generator, which is pre-loaded with blistering smackdowns as delivered by Elijah, Jeremiah and other monumentally angry saints.

Don't forget to check out the gadgets for God!

Two Lives

A new arrival. Pasty and plump, Majella entered the world last week. Wide eyed, I was reawakened to this wonderous refreshing action of birth. My thoughts are swamped with amazement at the miracles of life.

On the same day I opened the paper and found the obituary of a friend. Kirk Robson was a remarkable young man who worked tirelessly giving voice to the dispossessed and disadvantaged. His contribution to our community left it more compassionate, insightful and inclusive.

Two lives shining hope.

Craig Mitchell has posted one of Kirk's short films The Smooth Move, from the Ucan2 Country-City Transition Project, on his blog.
episode one : episode two : episode three : episode four : episode five

Heart Stopper

Sydney Swans 8.10 (58) def. West Coast Eagles 7.12 (54)
2005 Australian Football League Grand Final

A cliff hanger indeed. Not sure that Sydney know any other way. The Age captured some of the emotion of the day.

Birdo Brief

Here's a few of the bird list of our trip. Birds AUstralia and the Australian Museum have worked up an amazing site. Check out the links to their site below.

1. brown goshawk
2. white winged choughs
3. crimson rosellas
4. rainbow lorikeets
5. grey butcherbird
6. kookaburras
7. nankeen kestral
8. black shouldered kite
9. little pied comorant
   
10. galahs
11. sulfur crested cockatoos
12. eastern rosellas
13. magpie larks
14. ravens
15. magpies
16. apostle bird
    
17. currawong
18. willie wagtails
19. crested pidgeons
20. turtle doves
21. noisy miner
22. common myna
23. wedgetail eagle
24. white faced heron
25. straw-necked ibis
26. house sparrow
    

Best Bumper Sticker

Just returned from a trip to Sydney. The award for best bumper sticker goes to a VW Van which read:

Frodo failed.
Bush has the Ring!

Substance of Justice

Xanana Gusmao, President of East Timor, spoke with Richard Glover on ABC Radio yesterday.

The interview is an insight into the determination and strength of one of humanity's most remarkable personalities. From almost two decades of guerilla warfare against Indonesian forces Xanana Gusmao has emerged as a leader of reconciliation and peacemaker in this fledgling democracy.

"The spirit to accept sacrifices, the determination to continue to resist was so impressive that, we the leaders, we didn't have any alternative."

[ABC Broadcast]

The new oil and gas agreement between Australia and East Timor will be anounced shortly. We will see if the government is as keen to support democracy in East Timor as it is in Iraq.

Tribute to Jools

A few drinks at the Deco Bar and then we tucked into a feast at the Moroccan Soup Bar. A great night to celebrate the departure of friend Jool's. A gathering included representatives of the artistic (Mel), the ever shrinking (Kent), the creatively inspired (Cheryl), the colour coordinated (Al), the princess (Jools), the contemplative (Tess), the jet lagged parents (Lyndal and Adrian), the chatty networker (Sam) and the incredibly adorable ... twisting of arms and legs ... (Sue).

With a tear forming in our eye and a quickening pulse, Cheryl and I took a moment to compose our homage to Jools.

We gathered last night to say bye,
'Cause on Monday back home he will fly.
He's back to Belfast,
His time here has passed,
The nation will breathe a great sigh!

Best wishes Jools!

More photos at Urbanstone under Jackson or go direct to the gallery here.

Red and White Fever

Have Sydney gone overboard in their support in Finals Fever?

Lemon Delicious

Thrived on thoughts and experiences from Mac, Michael and Rose as well as the culinary delights of Sue last night. The night left me encouraged with lots to think about and certainly well fed. I'm sure Mac and everyone will enjoy Sue's (not so secret) family recipe for Lemon Delicious.

2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup of sugar

Cream and add other ingredients one at a time in order given.

2 tablespoons of plain or self raising flour
rind and juice of 1 large lemon
2 beaten egg yolks
1 cup of milk
2 stiffly beaten egg whites

Put in a greased dish, stand in a dish of water and bake in a moderate oven for 45-60 minutes.

Why Ban the Hijab?

Many are aware of Bronwyn Bishop's August call to ban muslim women from wearing the hijab in public schools [ABC Transcript]. Once again conservative factions eat at the edge of what is an inclusive and multicultural public education system that celebrates diversity.

Here's an invitation to sign an online petition condemning Bronwyn Bishop's remarks. Read the Petition

Where's the Clamour?

Last night John Pilger was interviewed on LateLine by Tony Jones concerning the introduction of anti-terrorism laws in Australia.

If we're talking about terrorism, left off the debate, left out of the debate, is state terrorism. The fact that Australia enthusiastically joined a rapacious, illegal attack on a defenceless country in which tens of thousands of people died. That under international law, under the Nuremberg enactment that formed the basis for international law all those years ago, that is an illegal, rapacious and an act, in effect, of terrorism. Why is that not included in the debate on terrorism, because in the end state terrorism absolutely dwarfs the Al Qaeda variety, which is minuscule compared with the kind of bloodshed and suffering and attack that has gone on in Iraq.

...But these laws are a provocation. Worse, they are the beginning of a kind of democratic police state. That may sound dramatic, but, you know, the most basic freedoms always go in a very quiet and insidious way. [Full Transcipt]

This interview reminded me of how conservative our debate is in Australia. Aunty is forced to call home to find an articulate dissenting voice. Where is the clamour and cry of the people?

Public Education Man

Laughed lots and soaked in early spring at Sam's relaxing birthday lunch with Bindi, Cheryl, Sue, Mel, Kent, Marlia and Luke. They reminded me to laugh and encouraged a little humour in my blog. In a recent post Andrew did the same.

Yes even self respect comes at a price!

Distance Between

UnAustralian?

On Friday our Prime Minister John Howard launched another creative conservative journal entitled 'The Conservative'. He was good enough to define what the average Australian looks like:

"The average Australian, that overworked expression for which there is really no proper or valid alternative, the average Australian is a mixture of a lot of things –
he believes very much in the traditions of this country;
he or she believes this country has been very successful;
he or she doesn’t think this country has much to be ashamed of;
he or she believes that this country is well regarded around the world.
... He or she believes in traditional institutions, like the family and the traditional view of the family...' [Full transcript]

How very unAustralian I am!

Breathing Underwater

The following poem was written by Carol Bialock and comes from Sheila Cassidy's remarkable book Sharing the Darkness.

I built my house by the sea.
Not on the sands, mind you,
not on the shifting sand.
And I built it of rock.
A strong house
by a strong sea.
And we got well acquainted, the sea and I.
Good neighbours.
Not that we spoke much.
We met in silences,
respectful, keeping our distance
but looking our thoughts across the fence of sand.
Always the fence of sand our barrier,
always the sand between.
And then one day
(and I still don't know how it happened)
The sea came.
Without warning.
Without welcome even.
Not sudden and swift, but a shifting across the sand like wine,
less like the flow of water than the flow of blood.
Slow, but flowing like an open wound.
And I thought of flight, and I thought of drowning, and I thought of death.
But while I thought, the sea crept higher till it reached my door.
And I knew that there was neither flight nor death nor drowning.
That when the sea comes calling you stoop being good neighbours,
Well acquainted, friendly from a distance neighbours.
And you give your house for a coral castle
And you learn to breathe under water.

Sheila Cassidy writes of her coming to grips with the passage ...

Now the curious thing is that all the time I was in Chile I understood the sea in this poem as an image of the presence of God - the way he takes over our lives. When I showed it to a monk friend, however, he saw the slow advance of the sea as the gradual encroachment of the agony of the world upon one's consciousness. It is only now, ten years on, that I begin to understand what he meant when he said that the great mystery is that the two are really the same.

Flavour of Fear

All have been horrified at the destruction and death resulting from flooding in the US. Many amazed at the rapid spiral into lawlessness that ensued.

I'm reminded of Michael Moore's thesis in Bowling for Colombine concerning the extraordinary high number of violent deaths in the United States. He suggested fear itself was to blame.

Today Primeminister John Howard announced that "police and the spy agency ASIO will be given new powers to fit terror suspects with tracking devices, detain them for up to 14 days without charge and make random bag searches in public areas under a Government crackdown on terrorism." (The Age 9/8/05)

How long can we let fear determine our reality?