frogmouth

Pelican Feathers

2008-04-27T13:24:00.003+10:00

A visit to the zoo with Henry inspires one to see differently. Today three of the children ran through the church waving streamers. It was uplifting and joyous. How powerful our own presence can be on others!

Doug's Impact

2008-04-25T19:29:00.003+10:00

Doug Fullerton died a few days ago. Like a pebble tossed into a still deep lake, Doug has continued to cause ripples through my life reaching the very edges of my soul.

I knew parts of him. The man who placed an age wrinkled hand on Henry's head at church and blessed him each Sunday. The passionate voice of justice and warmth friend to many. The academic, missionary and minister. The encourager and the wise counselor. Doug would insist any conversations and questions reverberated around others. He had a keen love of people - particularly those who had found themselves at the fringes of our world.

I'll miss his handshake, his reflective words and his deep and rich love.

Puff Puff

2007-10-23T17:27:00.000+10:00

I thought people might enjoy my latest get fit routine.

What the World Eats

2007-06-24T12:13:00.001+10:00

Thanks Libby for passing on this great time photo comparison!

The Weight of the World

2007-06-23T16:45:00.001+10:00

Watching

2007-06-22T21:38:00.000+10:00

The Budget

2007-05-09T20:37:00.000+10:00

The Howard Government's vision of the future is clear. While $2.1 billion dollars has been set aside for improved pay and conditions for defence personnel in the budget, Julie Bishop admits that her 'performance pay' model will see the salaries of many teacher's fall. I can see a new vision. It will be a remarkable day when our budget commits to billions of dollars in extra funding to improve pay for teachers in our schools and places our defence force on 'performance pay', reducing the salaries of many personnel. Perhaps then, such an expanded defence force may not be needed.

Julie-No Idea About Much At All!

2007-04-15T20:09:00.000+10:00

It seems Julie Bishop has revealed her true colours in her eagerness to push for performance based pay for teachers. Two days after the States were invited to sign off on the new paysystem for teachers (thankfully they were willing to hold out on this one at least!) Julie Bishop noted that 'some' teachers would be paid less. She really has no idea about much at all! Read the Full Article.

Easter

2007-04-02T14:47:00.000+10:00

Prisoners of revolution threatening the established order. Political deals done in whispered conversations. Public trials masquerading as justice aimed to quell public opinion.

Any connections to the Easter Story?

Amnesty International's Response

Organised Chaos?

2007-04-01T17:43:00.000+10:00

We headed into Jerusalem on the Palm Sunday March today. Saw this treat. Is it just me or is this a little bit funny?

Holidays are Over

2007-02-09T22:41:00.000+11:00

It seems for the moment holidays are over. Rising to a book each morning is sadly replaced with the thud of morning radio as the alarm turns the wheels of a well worn routine. Oh, for the weekends!

Australia Day Reflection

2007-01-28T21:33:00.000+11:00

Thanks Mr Bush

2007-01-28T09:33:00.000+11:00

While Alexander Downer berates Labor for their weak foreign policy on the war in Iraq [The Age], Mr George Bush pointed out that ... "(The) Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude." [The Age]. Can our leaders become any more deluded?

The Giving Garden

2007-01-27T20:31:00.000+11:00

About to head back to school and with the threat of questions such as 'What have you been up to on the hol's?' I have enthusiastically created our new vegie patch! Provoked by lots of questions from recent Belfast philospher, Pete Rollins, I have entitled this space as our 'Giving Garden'. Hopefully it will be a place to question, think and potter!

Education

2007-01-27T20:02:00.000+11:00

Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey.

Hiding the Poor

2007-01-22T23:12:00.000+11:00

The Church of All Nations have been questioning the planning and the rational behind some of the decisions of Melbourne City Council as it seeks to make changes on the housing estate. It seems that the Carlton community are asking the same questions!

Birding WA Style

2007-01-19T13:24:00.000+11:00

Most interesting spots included:

Splendid Fairy Wren
Wedgetailed Eagle
White-browed Babbler
Rufous Treecreeper
Splendid Fairy-wren
Sacred Kingfisher
Long-billed Black Cockatoo
Osprey
Hobby

Fairwear Awards

2007-01-16T11:43:00.000+11:00

Fairwear are the muscle that force textile manufacturers to adhere to just working conditions for home workers here in Australia. Each year they name a manufacturing label that doesn't fairly or transparently employ it's workers! Check out their site and recieve an invitation to year's awards. Thanks for Age at Praxis for reminding us all.

Back from WA

2007-01-16T11:32:00.000+11:00

Just back from Perth break. Thanks to Libby, Matthew, Nellie, Lucy, Zoe and Campbell we had a terrific holiday! It was a time full of delectable foods, belly laughs, wide eyes and fun. Thanks. Thanks. We're waiting for the accomodation chain to open and buying shares!

Emerging Church?

2007-01-16T00:09:00.000+11:00

Scott to his Wife

2007-01-12T22:22:00.000+11:00

This article from The Age prints Scott's final letter to his wife moments before his own death returning from the South Pole. A remarkable letter, a gentle gift to his wife and son.

Happy Christmas?

2006-12-30T22:58:00.000+11:00

Christmas morning in Sydney. Some people know what to ask for! I only asked for a little peace and hope in the world!

I Cried Today

2006-12-03T12:57:00.000+11:00

As I cradled a snoozing fragile Henry. As I remembered the spirted Aunty Thel. As we sang this hymn. I cried. I felt a connection with a line here and a phrase there and a haunting tune whispered in a melodic tune.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
his voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay,
from his own fulness, all he takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored,.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blesséd we shall meet at last.

In the Early Hours

2006-11-15T22:48:00.000+11:00

Just as Henry was born, in the early hours of the 28th, a storm thundered outside the hospital. Small hail stones tapped at the glass doors gathering on the balcony. Perhaps I was still awestruck at the remarkable birth of a little boy accompanied by the ferocity of this storm but at that moment I was reminded of the wonderful love that enfolds us. It was an assurance I could almost physically feel deep within me. I'm not sure what you might call it but it was a profound moment. It was as if the whole world shifted underneath me so I stood in a different place, with a different viewpoint.

Just exhausted I guess .... or not?

A World of Dignity

2006-11-13T18:26:00.000+11:00

This little gurgling presence has flooded every bit of our lives, like refreshing rain. Somehow the demands I place on the world have become so much more urgent. After all, this is the world that Henry is awakening to. I want it to be a world of repect, celebration and dignity.

Human Rights are surely at the centre of the world I want Henry to grow into. Thanks Olivia for reminding us of this centrality in the latest hot release of The No-Nonsense Guide to Human Rights.

"I commend to you The No-Nonsense Guide to Human Rights as a call to question, to think, to act, and to contribute."

The Most Reverend Desmond M. Tutu, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Never the Same

2006-10-29T22:58:00.000+11:00

Click on Henry to see more of this wonderful adventure!

Welcome Henry Charles

2006-10-29T09:52:00.000+11:00

And the remarkable thing is that there is so much wonder to come!

28th October 2006
4.1kgs
54cms

Apology

2006-10-21T11:03:00.000+10:00

I, Jeff Jackson, with all solemnity and deepest regrets do apoligise unreservedly for the prior posting. What I can only explain as a stupid and uneccesary attack on Sue's wise and wonderful council I have bared to the world my shame and utter ignorance of all matters pertaining to plumbing.

Yes, Yarra Water has been called just a moment ago and will be sending out an emergency team. I recognise that there is no use mentioning the wisdom of my comments relating to the storm water when the sewerage is pouring across the front lawn. She was correct when she notted that I should have looked down rather than up to see the sewerage pumping from the ground!

With sincerity and a bottom lip curled, I hereby agree to defer all decisions relating to the plumbing directly to Sue prior to any further decisions.

What's that noise?

2006-10-21T09:35:00.000+10:00

A person that I live with who is either about to have a baby or experiencing the effects of an abnormially large stomach goita and who hereafter remain nameless said a remarkable thing this morning! Having ventured to the shower first and hearing the sound of rain outside she made the worring remark, "I think that there is another water problem outside. Water is gushing down just outside the bathroom window." Having dug up nearly half the neighbourhood recently in search of broken and clogged pipes my eyes instantly rolled several times. I, like any super hero, leapt from the bed to explore.

It has been a long time since a downpour, even in Melbourne. It made some sense to the unmentionable person when I pointed out that the water did need to run somewhere after collecting in the roof gutters and probably the best place to run is into a downpipe just next to the bathroom window!

I recalled a moment when Braddon, 'Wise Soothsayer of the West', was explaining to a pregnant woman that their brains don't function as effectively as normal and pointing to a wide range of research pointing out this fact.

It was in this moment I thought not to dwell on this matter with her but to write it on my blog.

A Cry

2006-10-15T09:59:00.000+10:00

Who's Counting? I am!

2006-10-14T15:08:00.000+10:00

40 Years Young

2006-10-11T18:22:00.000+10:00

Forty years, a Frenchman and two children down Sarah had reason to celebrate. A gentle evening of drinks and intelligent chat was a relaxed moment to stop and wonder at life. Sarah was game enough to say a few words and was able to present a list of wise learnings about her life. Perhaps the most pertinent fragment of wisdom was that after two children it was clear that deprevation of sleep is torture.

Very Exciting

2006-10-10T20:17:00.000+10:00

The world has changed. The headlines blaze with news of atomic madness. Yet there is a dash of hope in the age today. A new bird has been discovered in Colombia. (The Age)

As excited as this is, and it is exciting, I was a little concerned at this odd note at the conclusion of the article.

'One of the two birds caught by the team was released unharmed after they took pictures and DNA samples, while the other died in captivity. Donegan said this is the first time researchers were able to confirm a new bird without having to kill it.'

Big Boys with Big Sticks

2006-10-07T08:57:00.000+10:00

Like most other schools we have a rule in our school about not playing with sticks. Sticks can be dangerous. Anyone who has seen the energetic play of little boys in the playground will attest to the enthusiasism for most boys to cut and whoosh with anything from a twig to half a tree!

Hypothetically ...

A group of lads were armed with sticks were playing in worlds unseen as I rounded the corner of the playground. Another student bent down and picked up another twig to join the thrust and parry of the sword fight. It seemed the only reasonable thing to do as a teacher ... everyone had to put down their sticks, afterall they are dangerous.

Today the boy has been asked to put down his stick while the others have been encouraged to continue their games. I'm not an international expert on foriegn policy nor do I think the world can be seen purely through the actions on a school playground but it seems to me that in order to ask North Korea to surrender its nuclear program, the rest of the bullies must also be asked surrender their sticks!

I can't help but think the playground is run by bullies.

The Age

Year 4 Chemistry

2006-10-03T19:18:00.000+10:00

Yesterday began the term. A little weary and dreading the initial weeks of routine I found myself, like Pavlov's dogs, becoming more anxious as the sound of the bell drew near.

Initial catchups over I thought it best to invite the students to brainstorm questions or 'wonderings' that they wanted to answer within the boundary of our topic for the term - 'Solids, Liquids and Gases - What is Our World Made Of?' Surely it can't be a bad way to start the term. Engaging them in the learning ahead, surrendering control over the planned outcomes and fostering creative and dynamic investigations. I wondered what lay ahead in our term when the first student to suggest a question perked up, "How do you make heroin?"

Swans Sore

2006-09-30T21:08:00.000+10:00

It was great to experience Grand Final Football at the MCG today with Dave Williamson and Megan - two unflappable Sydney Swans Supporters.

We witnessed the Swans and Eagles play a mix of brilliant and ugly football. The Eagles took control early and controlled much of the midfield for too much of the game. It was frustrating to see them running and supporting each other again and again as they moved the ball up the ground. Sydney, in what has become a rivalry from which legends are born (a little overstating it), took the game up to the West Coast during the final moments. A real one point thrill.

The buzzer went and hysteria ensued. I was facinated to watch the various reactions of such a range of people. Tears of defeat, hugs of exultation. Although a supporter, I haven't reached the dizzy heights of football fanaticalism yet. Dare I say it? Perhaps with a light whisper .... it is only a game!

Fire

2006-09-26T16:06:00.000+10:00

War Etched

2006-09-26T09:09:00.000+10:00

It seems the horror of war is etched into the monuments at the war memorial but I fear not in the hearts of our politicians.

Swarm

2006-09-25T19:34:00.000+10:00

Not Just Art 3

2006-09-24T16:01:00.000+10:00

Cheryl always has a facinating insight worth listening to. Here she responds to the invitation to search out three significant artworks she finds great meaning in ...

There are so many others, but these are the three that came first to mind. Who knows why they’ve stuck in my mind, but I won’t think about it too much… one’s reaction to art shouldn’t be analysed!

Rembrandt “Two scholars disputing”…

I love the man’s eyes in this. Rembrandt makes his people so evocative – so human – like you want to sit in a room with them, and be inspired by them. Where most scholars disputing just look obnoxious, these two look wise.

Henry Moore, “Rocking Chair”…

http://hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/record.asp?Artist=Henry%20Moore&hasImage=1&ViewMode=&Record=19

This is in the sculpture garden at the Hirshhorn Gallery in Washington. We sat and looked at it for hours. I’m not sure why I love it, but it kept drawing me back. Maybe it was because it says something about the give and take of relationships and families… holding each other in balance and tension…

Sam Taylor-Wood “Still Life”…

I saw this in the Tate Modern in London. They don’t have pictures, due to copyright restrictions, but you’ll be able to imagine it.

It’s a time-lapse video sequence of a bowl of fruit decomposing. The video screen is flanked by two 17^th century Dutch still life’s (much like this: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/ast/norton.jpg), and at first glance it looks to simply be a photo of a similar scene. Gradually, though the fruit begins decomposing, a fly buzzes around it, and over 10 minutes or so the whole thing degenerates into this festering mess... and all the time, the oil paintings on either side stay perfect and pristine, being shown up for what they really are… It was absolutely compelling.

Lilly

2006-09-24T15:13:00.000+10:00

The Heart of the Matter

2006-09-22T15:36:00.000+10:00

Sue's Fav

2006-09-21T23:01:00.000+10:00

Ode to Mum's Garden

2006-09-20T15:00:00.000+10:00

Andrew at Urbanstone has prompted me to refocus the camera and play a little more. Thanks.

Same Problems ... Smarter People?

2006-08-16T17:31:00.000+10:00

Today’s problems will not be solved with the same level of thinking that created them. (Einstein)

Not Just Art 2

2006-07-26T17:45:00.000+10:00

Sue has been hard at work thinking of her favourite artworks. Thanks heaps for sharing this little insight into a nother world.

John Brack - Collins St, 5pm. 1955
National Gallery of Victoria

This is one of my favourite paintings. I think because it's local - I can picture where this is happening - because it is both simple and complex and manages to convey the individualness of these people whilst at the same time give a feeling of the plodding crowd action they are caught in. It's about work and life.

La Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, 1238-1244
TrekEarth

I know this one is a bit lame, but it has been one of the only person-made spaces I have entered which literally made me catch my breath. It was a sunny day, I was in Paris, all was good with the world, so maybe it was the sum of those things. But I literally gasped as I climbed the small staircase and popped out into colour and glow of all that glass in the upper chapel. It was like being in another time, or space. Quite surreal and overwhelming whilst at the same time projecting a feeling of peace and comfort.

I didn't take, nor have I found on the web any photos that give any sense of what it was like to be wrapped in this space.

Not Just Art 1

2006-07-19T21:48:00.000+10:00

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are magicians. They take the everyday away and uncover the beauty of the world around us. They have taught me to open my eyes and see again. A remarkable gift of freshness and mystery.

In 1968-69 they wrapped Little Bay, Sydney. The coast remained wrapped for 7 weeks. And this mysterious work is but the invitation to uncover the rest of the world they have wrapped!

Beirut Blogger

2006-07-18T20:06:00.000+10:00

Here's an Australian's picture of the chaos in Lebanon. Antoun Issa was on what sounded like a remarkable holiday until the bombs began to drop.

Warning: the horror of this war is found in some disturbing photos.

The Most Important

2006-07-18T19:33:00.000+10:00

Went to a Professional Development Day for teachers in our local area. The morning ended up being a personal development lesson with a 'motivation' speaker. Seemed all we needed to do was respond to the reality that we face. No opportunity nor invitation to change reality. Seemed very individualistic and reinforced the pedigogy of the powerful... he probably hasn't read Freire.

He asked what were the three most important things in our lives. Here were my immediate responses not in any order ...

1. Relationships.
2. Contributing.
3. Belonging.

SievX Remembered

2006-07-08T18:15:00.000+10:00

Thanks to MorePraxis for brining my attention to a proposed monument to the sinking of the SievX. The Siev X was 19 metres long, less than a tennis court in length, yet it was crammed with over 400 people and we had some responsibility for what happened!

You may wish to get involved. Check out the SievX Memorial Site to find out more.

Twin Tree

2006-07-07T19:05:00.000+10:00

Reaching

2006-07-07T18:58:00.000+10:00

Not so omnipotent?

2006-06-30T10:14:00.000+10:00

Surely God wouldn't let us hurt this bad if God could make a difference.
Surely God must be involved somehow or he'd just be playing SimCity

God must be a partipant without the ultimate control.
A God who joins the side of good and struggles to make things better.

Rightsbase

2006-06-20T11:51:00.000+10:00

Olivia Ball has a remarkable collection of resources and thoughts concerning human rights on her new blog entitled Rightsbase. In a world that seems to leave people isolated and disenfranchised, define social value with economics and abstain from reflective and thorough critique Olivia's blog is really refreshing. She looks beyond the daily headlines to ask the thoughtful questions from a human viewpoint.

New

2006-05-11T20:56:00.000+10:00

And so I have come to the conclusion that life is about living in flux. Change seems to be a fundamental element of life. Here a picture of our latest change!

Surprise

2006-04-28T17:28:00.000+10:00

Lisa's Latest

2006-04-27T18:53:00.000+10:00

Lisa has written about the wonderful experiences of joining a group from Mulga Bore in their first visit to Melbourne.

First time seeing the ocean - running towards it with joyful excitement then stopping at its edge unsure of its dangers and perils. Showing the kids how to roll your jeans up and go paddling, racing the tide and laughing when the tide beats you. Someone picking up a shell and asking me 'Lisa, what's this?'

Well worth the read.

A Day to Remembering What?

2006-04-25T11:43:00.000+10:00

Just what are we remembering on this first ANZAC Day without a living Australian combatant from WWI?

I can't remember the dead without the horror in which they died.
I can't understand a single battle nor a war without considering the context of war.

And so I remember ....
...the horror of war.
...the fragility of humanity.
...the need to find new ways of living.

Locked Behind Doors

2006-04-23T17:33:00.000+10:00

I couldn't move on from the first sentence of today's lectionary reading;

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19

Rarely am I afraid. Rarely do I allow myself to fear. I prefer the security and strengths of facades perhaps rather than the fragility and weakness of truth.

Perhaps in the narrative I am the powerful. I am searching from house to house for the weak, for those who threaten the foundations upon which my strength is derived, for those who huddle in fear and truth.

And yet Christ appears and reassures the fearful and fragile. He is present with those who dare to understand the truth and all its implications. Perhaps this is where I should be.

In the Catholic University of San Salvador the Jesuit Community has established a chapel. When one enters it is full of the vivid colour and shape of Salvadoran artists. It is full of life and celebration. But as one leaves the chapel one sees for the first time the stations of the cross that hang on the back wall of the chapel. They are the remarkable and horrifying images of torture that the people of El Salvador have experienced drawn by Roberto Huezo. In hanging the images, Jon Sobrino reminds us, that we can enjoy the fellowship of Christian community during worship as long as we leave recognising the world in which we live.

Perhaps in these places, behind locked doors and in the scars of our world and our own lives, Christ's words of peace can still be heard. If only we were there to hear them.

Stations of the Cross in The University's Chapel

New Bloggers Worth Reading

2006-04-22T18:24:00.000+10:00

Two new bloggers are bound to cause ripples throughout the cyber world.

Lisa Hall is a primary teacher in a small Northern Territory community of Mulga Bore. In her new blog she explores the remarkable responses to a recent trip by a group of Indigenous kids to Melbourne and the Commonwealth Games. A laugh and eye opener and certainly worth book marking.

The Crawfords are planning a trip to the USA and have some very creative ways to raise money. Of particular interest is the Photographic Challenge although my inspirations were cut short with the conditions of the challenge '...Nothing illegal, immoral or resulting in likely deportation'.

UNrepresentative

2006-03-17T16:24:00.001+11:00

Was it not Hill who isolated the UN and worked with the US to invade Iraq ... and who partly bears the responsibility for the horror and destruction that continues there today?

Am I right in understanding Robert Hill has just been appointed to the UN as Australia's representative??? What's next? Will we be appointing arsonists to run the fire brigade?

The PM Doesn't Apoligise

2006-03-17T14:17:00.003+11:00

For those who enjoyed the film entitled The Yes Men, the latest censorship controversay will cause a chuckle. The Prime Minister's Office has ordered a shut down of a satirical site set up to copy the Prime Ministers site at www.johnhowardpm.org. The site published Mr Howards deepest apology for Australia's involvement in Iraq. A pdf of the page shouldn't be missed and can be read at The Age.

Incurable 2

2006-03-14T11:23:00.000+11:00

A good book hangs with you like walking through a sticky spider web. Something has stuck and despite the attempt to brush it away every action wraps it further around you. John Marsden's incurable has stuck.

Ellie is faced with a decision like no other. Gavin has fallen down a cliff and clings perilously to an earth mound. It won't hold him for long. He will eventually loose his grip or the earth will break away. Either eventuality will lead to the same outcome. As Ellie looks down she suddenly reaches a new understanding ...

'At some point I realised what was happening. All those stories on the news about drownings ... so often it seemed like one person would get into trouble, be carried out to sea by the rip, and one or two or even three others would jump in to save him, men usually: fathers and uncles and brothers, who could not swim and knew they could not swim, but in their hearts was another knowledge, that they could not stand and watch, they had to be with the person in the water and share whatever was coming to them.'

Quick Thoughts and Questions ...

Is this a story of the incarnation?

Does the response to the horror of the immediate outweigh the suffering of the loved ones that are left behind?

Perhaps love is revealed as the saving grace?

Playing Pokies Invite

2006-03-05T12:15:00.000+11:00

The members of the Church of All Nations have exchanged coffee cups for scripts. Here's your chance to catch a glimpse of their talents.

Incurable

2006-03-04T12:03:00.000+11:00

I've just finished Incurable: the Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden. Heres a great excerpt.

'For the first time he told me his own stories. I remember writing quite recently about how stories give you an identity. In some ways they give you your life. You think you're a big lump of skin and bones and blood adn organs and cells, an of course you are, but you're also a big lump of stories. You know those pictures they have in butchers' shops showing how sheep and cattle are divided into rump and blade and so on? They should have another one, in bedrooms maybe, showing humans divided into the stories of their early childhood, the stories of their primary school days, the stories of their birthdays and Christmases, the stories of their friendships, and so on.

If you know someone's stories, you know them. If you don't know their stories, you don't know them.'

Perhaps that'as what I miss most about living in Melbourne, people who know my story and the knowing of other's stories.

A Few More Wedding Photos

2006-02-27T21:37:00.000+11:00

For those not flooded and drowning with wedding photos from our big day you can visit the latest couple of pages added from Cousin Jen! Enjoy the two pages added to Urbanstone! Thanks Jen for some remarkable memories of a wonderful day.

Lord of the Buckle

2006-02-24T17:30:00.000+11:00

It seems brother Gary (not a religous term)and Russell Reinke as well as other urbanstone visitors, have let loose with rumours of the opening of the Commonwealth Games. Catch up with Gary's latest claim for family attention at Urbanstone.

Pender's in the Paper

2006-02-19T18:09:00.000+11:00

Readers who are responding to the Premier's Reading Challenge at Penders Grove Primary were featured in The Age today. It's a great thrill that so many are participating!

Dragon Boating

2006-02-15T20:03:00.000+11:00

A small article on the Victorian Synod Website includes photos of some of the thrills (no spills ... just) during our Australia Day paddle.

Noah's Pudding

2006-02-14T22:14:00.000+11:00

Our congregation at CAN joined with muslims to celebrate Ashura. A Day of great significance for many muslims, the day commemorates the hotch-potched pudding that was cooked from what could be found by Noah upon the cessation of the flood.

A wonderful event that was evidence that our faiths hold much more in common than they do differences! Threatening for many no doubt. Thrilling for anyone who celebrates what humanity has to learn from each other and the world.

The Age reported on the event.

Another King Passes

2006-02-06T21:44:00.000+11:00

Coretta Scott King died today. A sad day indeed. [The Age]

Who's the Terrorist?

2006-02-06T21:34:00.000+11:00

Fantastic cartoon I saw in a magazine recently. A suited male standing tall with AWB name tag passing money onto Saddam Hussein. The only difference between the AWB and those who resource terrorist organisations is that the AWB officials don't have beards.

Bird or Christ?

2006-02-05T20:00:00.000+11:00

In an article entitled 'Bird or Christ?' The Age reports that Superman is being conscripted to teaching the faith in schools. "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Superman and he's bringing his otherworldy powers to British schools to teach godless children about Christianity." [The Age 5/2/06]

It seems that 2000 years on we have still missed the point! Jesus was no superman. He came not as the expected conquering Messiah but from the dusty back blocks of Palestine. Christ is more the antihero, perhaps more Mr McGoo like.

Any better suggestions?

The World's a Washing Machine

2006-02-05T16:06:00.000+11:00

Was flicking through the online papers the other night and came across a small newspiece. A ferry had dissappeared from radar. I skimmed the international rags and the story revealed as a tradgedy. I went to bed imagining the thrashing for survival and wondering about the horror of it all. I don't know whether to feel guilty or thankful for a peaceful night's sleep.

Image from The Age today. Survivors of the ferry disaster arrive at the Egyptian port of Hurghada. There is little hope of finding the 900 people still missing.
Photo: AP

A Day at the Cricket with John

2006-01-31T21:38:00.000+11:00

An awkward moment?

Who's Australia Day?

2006-01-28T08:22:00.000+11:00

Can you believe our prime minister? In his Australia Day Speech at the National Press Club he speaks of balance in our nation. Here's just a glimpse of his pearls of wisdom!

The social attitudes report that I mentioned a moment ago also had something to say about what ordinary Australians think of the Australian Achievement. It found that, compared with a decade ago, fewer Australians are ashamed of this nation’s past. I welcome this corrective in our national sense of self. It restores a better balance between pride in our past and recognition of past wrongs.

Too often history has fallen victim in an ever more crowded curriculum to subjects deemed more ‘relevant’ to today. Too often, it is taught without any sense of structured narrative, replaced by a fragmented stew of ‘themes’ and ‘issues’. And too often, history, along with other subjects in the humanities, has succumbed to a postmodern culture of relativism where any objective record of achievement is questioned or repudiated.

Australia’s standing in the world has never been higher. We are seen as a fair-minded and generous country. We are seen as a country that stands up for what it believes in. We are respected for who we are, for the quality of our ideas and for the unique perspective we bring to our region and to the world.

It's an odd speech that shows little understanding of the Australia or the world as I know it. Perhaps it is what he leaves out that is the most interesting. He celebrates that ... 'India and China combined could easily produce middle classes of 400 to 800 million people' because of the benefits that would bring Australia's economy. There is no mention of the the imbalances of poverty or the impact that this will have on the environment. There is no mention of the environment at all!

Perhaps what is missing most is the desire for our leader at least recognise the imbalances of a society divided by class, culture and geography. A healthy place to consider balance would be to reexamine the federal government's education budget between public and private schools.

What Comes from Whales?

2006-01-26T22:08:00.000+11:00

Here's a great report that was mentioned in the Age on Tuesday ...

The product of a whale's intestines may make a South Australian family up to $1 million richer. The 14.75-kilogram lump of rare whale excretion, naturally expelled orally, was found by the family on a beach near Streaky Bay on SA's west coast.

They were baffled by the substance before inquiries revealed it to be ambergris - a wax-like substance originating from the intestine of a sperm whale that is greatly prized for its use in perfume. Ambergris was worth between $US20 ($A26.60) and $US65 a gram, said marine ecology consultant Ken Jury.

Mr Jury, who is representing the family, said ambergris was material that sperm whales could not digest and was belched from the whales as a foul-smelling substance. It was cleansed by sunlight and salt water after years of floating in the ocean.

Hot

2006-01-22T16:42:00.000+11:00

Australia's hottest recorded temperature;

Oodnadatta,
South Australia 50.7 C (123.3 F)
on the 2nd January, 1960

Nothing compared to today's temperature;

Fairfield,
VIctoria 1000 C (42 C)
on 22nd January, 2006

Almost hot enough to get married!

A Woman of Independence

2006-01-20T11:38:00.000+11:00

This is a remarkable account of Kirsty's relationship with Xanana Gusmao. A very extraordinary journey beginning in the dark prison cells of Cipinang gaol in Jakata and then moving to the celebrations of Timor Leste's independence. The reader is left wondering how people live through such extremes! This book is rearkable for its personal and private insight into the lives of these two remarkable people.

It's not an attempt to explore the political machinations of the emergence of East Timor but a human and intimate account of the relationships along the way.

In a Blink

2006-01-19T21:21:00.000+11:00

Thanks Kent who has replaced Jenny Craig as Australia's weight loss expert. Upon a recent post I suggested that I was a little rounder than I thought. Kent (perhaps through religous connections?) has rebirthed me!

Before ...

After ...

Remarkable how much thinner I looker having lost a double chin, puffy cheeks and a wife? What makes the most difference I wonder?

Fisherman Friends

2006-01-18T08:53:00.000+11:00

Thanks to Rodd and those who participated in my prewedding wallowing on the Bay. It was a bright and enjoyable day. Competition for the pot that everyone contributed to was serious. Gary disappointed that his giant squid with tenticles, the size of old lady's arms, was pipped in the last 30 minutes of fishing by Jan's catch of a talented Banjo Shark. A wonderful time.

Some stunning photos are available on the urbanstone site. What is the collective noun for a boatload of Rex Hunts?

The Constant Gardener

2006-01-17T05:59:00.000+11:00

The Constant Gardner is a fast moving thriller that invites the viewer into a muddied world of international diplomacy, multi international influence and the poverty of Africa. A haunting love story that unravels an international conspiracy this movie has something for everyone. Whether you're gripped by the intrigue of international scandal and corruption or romanced through the passionate relationships of the leading characters, The Constant Gardner is a worth the Academy Award nomination.

Watch out for the way in which Justin's garden changes!

Honeymoon Highlights

2006-01-15T21:26:00.000+11:00

In order of appearance ...

House Sparrow
Little Raven
Black Falcon (perched high in dead tree over grassy field - just before Ararat)
Eastern Spinebill (up close and personal on Grampians Walk)
Crimson Rosellas (pair)
Gang Gangs (group of three - one juvenile)
White Winged Choughs (on Henty Hwy just out of Dunkeld)
Willie Wagtail
Long Billed Corella
Eastern Yellow Robin
Starlings (ugly little rats)
Ravens
Kookaburra
Superb Fairy Wrens
Magpie (Race Leuconota)
Yellow Tailed Cockatoo (Road into Dunkeld)
Straw Necked Ibis
Nankeen Kestral
Shelduck
Pelican
Black Swan
Great Comerant
Masked Lapwing
Magpie Lark
Pidgeon
Galah
Brown Falcon
Welcome Swallow
Grey Strike Thrush
Yellow Faced Honeyeater
White Eared Honeater
Pacific Black Duck
Eurasian Coot
Purple Swamphen
Blue-Billed Duck
White Naped Honeyeater
Pied Commerant
Whitebacked Swallow
Eaurasian Goldfinch
Grey Teal
Australiasan Gannet (coolest bird of the trip)
Ibis
Pied Oyster Catcher
Pacific Gull
Fairy Tern
Seagull
Singing Honeyeater
Black Winged Stilt
Sharptailed Sandpiper
Common Blackbird
White Throated Treecreeper
Brown Thornbill
Red Browed Finch
White faced Heron
Yellow Spoonbill
White Faced Heron
Emu
Little Egret
Wedge Tailed Egret
Blue Winged Parrot
Common Bronzewing Pidgeon
Grey Currawong (Manja Shelter)
Yellow Rumped Thornbill
Bassian Thrush (Billimina Shelter)
Red Rumped Parrots
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Spotted Pardalote
Jackie Winter
White Browed Scrubwren
Red Wattledbird
Pied Currawong
Powerful Owl (Intersection of Henty Hwy and Halls Gap Road, 10.00pm and a real thrill)
Rufous Whistler
Skylark
Red Goshawk (Natimuk)
White Plumed Honeyeater
Black Fronted Dotteral
Brown Songlark
Crested Pidgeon
Grey Fantail
Shearwaters
Black Winged Kite
Rufous Bristlebird (Lochard Gorge)
King Parrot (Lavender Hill)
Indian Myna

As you can see we both had a wonderful time away!

Sunset at Port Fairy

2006-01-15T12:54:00.000+11:00

Confetti Swamp

2006-01-14T21:00:00.000+11:00

Just home from our time away (bird list to appear shortly)! Thanks for the mysterious mischievous mercenaries who thrived on finding every nook to locate the confetti! Sue has spent the last hour crying out from every room, "That's clever isn't it!" I'm not sure when or if it will ever end!

Heroes

2006-01-07T12:34:00.000+11:00

Spent the day at the Victorian War Memorial.

A cold and lonely place.

Where the fragrance of pride overwhelms the stink of horror.

Last Flight out of Dili

2006-01-05T12:06:00.000+11:00

Just finished a detailed account of David Scott's involvement in the struggle for independence of East Timor in Last Flight out of Dili.

Although lost in correspondence at times, Scott's book is a reminder of the failure of successive Australian Governments to prevent and then respond to the Indonesian invasion of 1975. It details Australia's complicity in the invasion and ongoing occupation.

Worth a read with interesting insights into the life of Jose Ramos Horta and the emergence of Timor Leste as an independent state.

Glimpses

2006-01-04T19:26:00.000+11:00

Catch the first glimpses of the thrilling wedding photos at urbanstone. Keep an eye on the site as even more photos are added. Don't forget to leave a comment for the remarkable photographer Andrew 'Flasher' Johnson.

New Year Wedding

2006-01-04T10:13:00.000+11:00

A real thrill to the new year! Photos to soon hit Urbanstone site. Will let you know soon.

Get Up!

2005-12-17T08:45:00.000+11:00

School has tangled me up with frantic and frenetic activity in these last weeks. Starting to breathe again. Will have to find a Lake Lacuna (Leunig) somewhere.

Getup! Action for Austraila is a site Lyn in Sydney has passed onto me. It's a chance for us all to take action in response to the riots in Sydney and has campaigns concerning a range of Australian issues.

Budding Photographer

2005-11-25T17:00:00.000+11:00

Here's another remarkable photo of our class from my budding photographer. Even her mistakes are brilliant! Make sure you check out Andrew's latest digital piccs at urbanstone.

A Fresh Breath

2005-11-21T19:01:00.000+11:00

Amidst the flurry of reports and end of year activity, today I had two invitation to draw a smile.

1. A student beamed as she showed me her PowerPoint presentation on saltwater crocs that she had been working on during the last week. Amazed at her achievements she exclaimed in a disbelieving voice, "I didn't even know I had PowerPoint on my computer until we did it in class!"

2. A thank you note from a parent for being patient with a student in the class who was going through a rough trot.

I can tackle reports with a little more tap on the keyboard! It's the smallest of things that can be the most significant.

Renewable Energy

2005-11-19T19:09:00.000+11:00

Here's a great snap from one of my budding photographers in Year 3 (won't let them use my camera again). A fantastic shot - it's great to have fresh eyes. We visited CERES and explored the use of solar, wind, water and methane as alternative enrgy sources. Loved the hands on experiences! We really have got some energy options Mr Howard!

Watery Reports

2005-11-14T19:25:00.000+11:00

It's snifflin', sneezin' and snorts
as I work on this term's reports.

Is it the dust, pollen or the grass
or am I allergic to this task?

Whatever it is,
It makes my head fiz,
This reporting I will surely not mizz!

Emerging Artists!

2005-11-04T17:59:00.000+11:00

Fairfield was fortunate to host two of Australia's soon to be famous artists. Emma Dilemma, the extraordinarily gifted chalk artist, shows off her masterpiece! Rory McRory is eager to present his parachuting snake to the public!

The whole of Melbourne's artistic society will hold their breath and patiently await their next community exhibition.

Holiday for Horses?

2005-11-01T11:07:00.000+11:00

We were lucky to have Rory and Emma decorate our concrete on a recent visit. Here is Emma's homage to today's big Melbourne Cup!

I've always been disturbed that we should build a horse race into an event worth celebrating a public holiday over. Many will look to tradition or perhaps place emphasis on the larconic national character as reasons to support such a holiday. I keep asking myself ... who does it say we are?

Five better ideas for a public holiday ...

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Day

2. Another Language Day - a celebration of culture and diversity. Signs could be changed to incorporate local emphasies. Greetings and general conversation starters could be promoted through local councils.

3. Absolute Silence Day - a day where noise will be expelled from our lives. Sue points out that it might be better to have this on a school day.

4. National Origami Day - surely a lot more good then harm can come out of origami! Politicians folding paper cranes seems a lot more friendly then them passing laws on 'security' or industrial relations (perhaps more appropriately renamed 'industrial non-relations')

5. Fasting Day - to refocus our excessive lifestyles

Any other suggestions?

A Buzz in the Air

2005-10-29T20:04:00.000+10:00

Woke and stared out the window. A backyard tree now hung with a new moving mass of bees. The power of the queen to harness so many energetic workers! Perhaps there is something to the monarchy ... not for the worker bees!

Bono

2005-10-26T17:59:00.000+10:00

The Alternative Hymnbook has a great link to a recent interview in Rolling Stone with Bono. He says, "The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God."

The problem is I feel like most of the time I'm meandering rather than running.

5 Reasons I Like My Class

2005-10-24T22:01:00.000+10:00

Sometimes teaching is tough and tiring. It's good to remember the recent positives ...

1. The questions that seem to come from right angles! They often tell of a student making connections with their world.

2. The excitment bubbling from students confronted with a creative opportunity.

3. The grin and wide eyes as a student whispers "Look! I think I get it!" as we look at the relationship between multiplication and division.

4. The inquisitive questions that reflect an eagerness to understand.

5. The silence in reading as students retract from the classroom and move into a world of words and imagination.

Amajuba: Like Doves We Rise

2005-10-22T10:14:00.000+10:00

Sue and I went out for the night and thrived on the thumping dance and melodic strains of an African theatre production company. Stories retold with energy, inviting the audience to enter. The taste of township dust as it was shovelled across the stage, the disturbing smell of rubber recalling the horror of necklacing and the refreshing smiles enjoying the bath along the journey. The evening retold the personal experiences of the actors as they grew up in South Africa. All seeking new ways to live while understanding the past and the influences it has had on them.

We are often imprisoned by our past but the journey to define who we can be is perhaps the greatest challenge of all!