up north 2

just sitting in coral bay waiting it out for a week. Great weather up here - not really looking forward to going back down south!
Just finished reading yancey's "whats so amazing about grace". i think I've read it before but it is just a great book - really thought provoking and inspiring...

Anyway - might go lay on the beach for a while then go find somewhere to wactch the footy....

up north

haven't been blogging much - coz I'm up north... :-) Just finished at karijini National Park - God was having a field day making that place, unbelievable. The shear size of the place is mind blowing. Anyway, will continue on, don't go on holidays to sit on the computer the whole time!

nice sermon about the current world happenings.. and includes bono!

might pilf from in it one day. here.

Missy Higgins

Just got the new CD (kath bought it for me - I love CD pressies!!) from Missy Higgins. Good to her a young female australian singer/songwriter. Nice music so far (only 2 listens), probably excells at the piano ballad. Shes got a haunting voice with very strong Aussie accent, which I think is a good thing - as long as shes not over doing it!

I wonder how bad Metaldehyde is...?

Its in snail bait and i was chucking some out on my plots this morning and I think i inhaled some dust and got some on my hands, hope i didn't ingest to much. I'll guess I'll find out how bad it is if I start convulsing....

Christian Music...?

christian music in the mainstream...here

Noel Gallager quote...about bono

"Before going to see U2 in Manchester recently, me and my girlfriend were saying, 'I wonder what it is with Bono and God?' Anyway, we're sat around a table after the gig and I go, 'Explain it to me 'cause I was brought up Catholic and it means f--- all to me.' We had a good three hour conversation about his religious philosophy, which is basically, 'Go to God, tell Him what all your flaws are and say, Can you work with me?' Which is completely different to the 'Don't drink, don't screw, don't take drugs and always go to church' bollocks you get taught in school. I didn't think a whole lot more about it until two days later when there's a knock on the door and the recorded delivery guy hands me two books that have been sent by Bono. There's also a little note, which reads, 'I don't know if you were serious the other night, but here's something that might give you a bit more of an understanding.' What a f---ing top geezer! His Dad's on his death bed, yet he still takes the time to go out, buy two books and send 'em to me! . . . I tell you, I'm going to read 'em from cover to cover."
--Oasis' Noel Gallagher [Q/HM, March/April 2002]

Israel v's Palestine...

I've made a quick trip down to the farm to pick up the farm ute for a trip up north (see earlier blogs...) and had a good yarn with my old man about the Israel/palestine situation. He had some good things to say, generally in line with what i thought, although the bottom line is that is should probably read Romans 9, 10, and 11 a bit closer... also something in Hebrews apparently!

Russia

How bad is the stuff which has been happening in That little russian town?!! Mind boggling to think that people can justify those decisions....

Multi-Effects Pedal

Just bought a Boss ME-50 last week. While is not the "Professional" option, for my price range ($500) its is pretty good - and its Boss. Fantastic fun, and a good way of increasing creativity. I'll be using it for the first time at church tonite, and will be a good way of introducing different sounds to fill songs out, eg: a touch of distortion at the right time...
Might go and play with it now :-)

Homosexuality and the Church

Go here for an interesting article on how chrisitans and the church should address homosexuality.

The GM debate

Due to the fact that I am a plant scientist and a plant breeder i spend quite a bit of time thinking about this topic. In all, I can understand the apprehension of the public towards new technology to do with food but i think it has become a bit of a joke. The Anti-GM groups, and mainly Greenpeace, have prepetrated a huge amount of misinformation about the tecnology and possible dangers of GM technology. I struggle to understand their motivation as to why they oppose it so violently.
GM has a heap of possible possitive spinoffs for the environment - eg. less herbicide use, less fertilisers... and possible benefits for humans, better nutrition in foods (Omega 3's, essential vitamins in staple deits which don't normally have it...).
Anyway, I get very frustrated at the (normally) left wing approach to GM technology. Lets make some robust laws to address concerns and move on and see what the technology can do for us.

Phil Bakers blog

I quite enjoy going to Phil Bakers blog for a bit of a look but the comments are a bit weired. It seems like a whole bunch of people have attached themselves to the blog and sometimes gets a bit fanclubby. Most of the time they aren't even commenting - just posting to each other. I dont think Phil likes it either - he posted about it the other day...

Justin Langer this Sunday at Rivo

We're having our normally yearly "sport service" where the sport ministry is the focus and the like. The difference this year is that whoever has organised it managed to get Justin Langer to come and speak. Being a huge cricket fan I am quite excited about Langer coming! So if your in Perth and you dont mind sitting though a few Rivo sport movies come along - plus I will be on the guitar for the night!

Elections

Theres to much on at the moment. The Us and Aust elections - i think i am getting overload. In summary i dont think Bush is going to get back in and I'm not sure if howard or latham are going to get through - at this stage I'm thinking Howard might be ahead a bit.

On the US - I saw a bit of an interesting think about Bush and the republicans on SBS last night. It was comenting on their Evangelical bent but i think it was getting a bit carried away saying that anyone in america who is christian is also a Zionist (see blogs below on middle east).

time for a U2 update...

Some good stuf floating around the net in relation to U2 at the moment. I think its all the pre-release excitment.

Stop Press! First confirmed information on song titles from the new album. U2.Com can exclusively reveal that completed tracks from the upcoming album include: Vertigo,Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own,City of Blinding Lights,A Man and A Woman,Yahwehand Crumbs From Your Table.The album, produced by Steve Lillywhite, will feature 11 tracks and is set for a late November worldwide release.
look like theres going to be plenty of bible refernces in this one - Pastors must be rubbing their hands together...

look here for an article about a prominet americans view on bonos work with africa - if theres this much cynisism about aid work then we're in trouble...

and here for a great blog on preaching U2