Three Wooden Crosses

This song is a good reminder of our lives as testimonies

Rivers Of Babylon

I was asked about the song Rivers of Babylon whether it was a Christian song. I wasn't too sure of the full story and promised to blog it. Now having researched the answer, I say well yes but no. It was written by the Melodians in 1972 but is mostly famous for the 1978 Boney M version. I know my mum sung it to me as a lullaby so it is a song that has stuck with me for a long time.

Why it is Kinda a Christian song:

Well it is based off Psalm 137:1 and Psalm 19:14. Psalm 137 is a hymn sung by the Jewish people in exile in Babylon. To us I suppose we can identify- that we are kinda in exile as well- until the day we are able to join with others in God's Presence- there is a sense of expectation and loss.

Why it is Not a Christian song:

The song takes verses well and truly out of context- whilest there are large "Christian" music groups (one in particular) who do this often, I think it is enough of a departure from the original Psalm to disqualify it from being a "Christian" song much in the the same way System of a Down's "Chop Suey" is not a Christian song. But make up your own mind:

Psalm 137

¹ By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.

² There on the poplars
we hung our harps,

³ for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

⁴ How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?

⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill .

⁶ May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.

⁷ Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
"Tear it down," they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"

⁸ O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-

⁹ he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.

Psalm 19:14 (New International Version)

¹⁴ May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

David Williams

Fury apparently have signed David Williams to a 2 year deal. I'm very excited- that is huge news as there was lots of clubs chasing the one-time socceroo. If only wasn't injured along with half of the fury team he'd probably be playing again soon for the roos....

and here are some danish highlights from when he was there.

The Night Before Christmas - Brandon Heath -

Mark put me onto this video--- Have a great Christmas everyone

Avatar

Decision reached... going to see it tonight in 3d at 8:30 at reading if anyone wants to join us they are welcome to.

Smeagol vs. PC

lol oh dear... why aren't i asleep

Avatar: The Movie

I've been looking forward to seeing this movie... but the question is whether to see it in 2d or 3d first... any thoughts?

Paul Washer's Shocking Message

There seems to be a return to the shocking sort of preachers. This guy Paul Washer seems to give a welcome rebuke to the churches of today. In the little I've heard and seen of him he is attacking the False prophets of today, and challenging us to repent and believe. Now I don't know much about him but from what I understand he became known through a message he preached at a youth conference. This is a shortened version of it- set to music to make us connect more emotionally (not done by him but by some one else)

Thought provoking post

Quite an interesting post here on as Christians encouraging people who are having a tough time. I think we do it badly...

They're taking the hobbits to Isengard - Lord of the Rings

hehehehehe made me smile

Experience Milne Bay

This was where I grew up---- warning there is some cultural dress shown which includes some topless women----
I lived east of the china straits on a small island- at 3:32 you the middle of the picture I'm pretty sure thats the boat we used to travel on.

Taking your trolley back

Something that annoys me terribly is when people don't take their trolley back at shopping centres. Today I saw a lady leave her trolley against the rails of the trolley return. IN THE CARPARK SPOT NEXT TO THE TROLLEY RETURN..... honestly 2 movements and it would have been in it. Now I know sometime places don't have easy to see trolley returns but- as Christians could this be causing a brother to stumble- I know I've said a few not nice words as I've finally found a parking spot only to find a trolley in it - meaning I had to get out and move it with my car in the middle of the intersection. Poor form I say poor form. In fact it is even worse than those people who don't throw their rubbish in the bin at hungry jacks- and please before you give me some rubbish about helping people to do their jobs- following that same logic I'll go out and kill someone so the policemen have something to do...

School holidays

well its school holidays and I have made a list of thing i want to have done by the end of break

1 Clean my room

2 Establish some good habits in personal devotions and quiet time.

3 Catch up with friends especially those I haven't seen for a while.

4 Do some touch up painting at mum and dad's place.

5 Get fit

6 Lose some weight (tough at at Christmas time)

7 Read some good books both fiction and Christian

What else should I be adding to this list? What is on your list?

Play Fair

Joga Bonito is a saying which in Portuguese means Play Beautiful- This was used in an add campaign by Nike where Eric Cantona bemoaned the lack of hard, fair play in football. The adds followed some of the top names in football. Henry was one of the main guys- however recently he cheated - deliberately hand balling the ball back to a team who scored costing Ireland a place in the world cup. Hmmm Hardly Joga Bonito

NIKE: TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL (high quailty)

And since we are talking football here is a pretty good add about the rise of a young guy who ends up starring for Arsenal and the Netherlands.

Balanced view of the world cup

You may remember I posted the Australian bid video for the 2018 and 2022 world Cups here. Our main rivals to winning this are probably England and the USA here are their videos and a few others- judge for yourself a winner.

England

USA

Russia

A kinda provocative one- Israel Palestine

Caught in the Crowd

One of the ladies I work with at school showed me this video clip. Its a good sentiment but one that is too common. I also would like to believe her that she IS sorry but some of her expressions make me doubt- and I know it is just the video clip but...
I've been working on trying to do less things that I regret being passive about. It has caused me to withdraw from some circles but it is something I'm going to continue to work on.
As the quote on my phone says "Which hurts the most: saying something you wish you had not, or saying nothing and wishing you had" I vote the latter... you?

True Union

Well I couldn't sleep tonight so I thought I'd stay up for the rugby union... big mistake. Decided I like union's free flowing game. Problem is it doen't happen much- so I think I'll stick to highlights on Sports Tonight. I think Union is in a fair bit of trouble world wide- less and less people are playing and watching. Already football (soccer) is well and truly taking over Union's ranking of fourth most watched sport in australia- and if australia gets to host the world cup it will take off. The problem for rugby is they had their world cup in OZ and it didn't make much difference to player's numbers or viewers once it was over. Well how do the americans get people to watch their boring sports? Make movies about their sports with high intensity highlights, add personal touch, maybe a bit of racial inequality to make you 'connect with the people'. Well union is trying the same thing with Invictus. Three of the biggest hollywood names in Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman starring with Clint Eastwood directing. And whilest I cringe at the prospects of terrible attempts at south African accents (Mett Demon) I'm actually looking forward to this movie. And who knows it may get me watching rugby.

Mulan-I'll Make A Man Out Of You (English)

This is for Pete- (and grace and Lisa)

Attempt at a List

Nathan suggested if you can't think of what to write, Post a list- so here it goes.
Statements I hate
1. But what do you know?
2. Look I'm the doctor here leave that to me.
3. You wouldn't understand
4. One day you'll think the same.
5. You don't know what its like.

Henceforth when I hear these statements punishment will reign down like fire from heaven so consider yourself warned.
What statements do you hate

Shows i hate

There are many shows I hate on tv. Soap operas. Medical show. Medical soap operas. (Scrubs of course is excluded).
But by far and wide the show I have hated most on TV besides the 3am tele evangelists is a show I have blocked the name out in my memory.
It consisted of hanging around in a hospital Foyer waiting for the next sad case to come through. If a Lawyer did this they would be sent to jail. It is capitalizing on people when they are at their most vulnerable for the sake of trying to pull your emotional strings and make you feel like you have an emotional attachment to these people. Let them be in their hour of sadness- Let people grieve in a dignified manner without shoving a camera in their face stickybeaking. Next we will have the tv crews sitting outside the morgue hoping for good stories

Bible thought

What do you do when a organizer of a good christian event continually quotes the bible out of context?

Murder in the High Seas.

Found this article here. Makes a very good point.

THERE appears to be a VERY BIG shark out there.

We know this because it made a snack out of just a BIG shark, a 3m white pointer, off Stradbroke Island last week.

Photos of what was left of the hapless great white, huge chunks of flesh torn from its once streamlined body, flashed around the world.

The size of the bigger shark was estimated to be at least 5m, causing the sphincters of Straddie's surfers to get very watertight indeed.

Shark photos and stories always elicit fascination but this particular photo should have caused cheering. It should have sparked a celebration that an animal that big still roams our seas.

And then it should have caused outrage that Queensland conducts a shark control program of dubious worth that indiscriminantly kills a creature listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

If you or I went out there and killed that 3m great white, we would be prosecuted and fined.

But Queensland and New South Wales have exemptions under the Act that allow the killing of these rare and beautiful creatures in the name of keeping swimmers safe.

"The shark control program is a bather-safety initiative and white sharks are an acknowledged threat to bathers," Queensland shark control program manager Tony Ham said. "There is an exemption for the shark control program in the fisheries legislation that allows their take within the program."

This is a great example of why governments are such a rich source of material for comedians.

There are hardly any great whites left. They are protected in Australia. Australia lobbied to have the species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora to deter the lucrative trade in their jaws and teeth.

The Federal Government has what it calls a White Shark Recovery Plan. And then Queensland is allowed to throw baited drumlines into the sea and kill every peckish white pointer that passes by. What a joke.

The netting protecting Queensland and NSW beaches is a problem too, snaring its share of white pointers. And aren't we all getting a bit sick of seeing whales hooked up in the nets?

Hardly anything is known about white pointers – other than their numbers have crashed around the world, with estimates ranging between 60 and 90 per cent.

The Shark Recovery Plan says this about them: "The listing of the white shark as vulnerable was based on a number of factors, including evidence of a declining population, its life history characteristics (long-lived and low levels of reproduction), limited local distribution and abundance at the time of listing, and still being under pressure from the Australian commercial fishing industry."

There would be few things more terrifying than being attacked by a great white shark, no argument. But the chances of it happening are laughably remote. This is what the International Shark Attack File, which monitors shark-related incidents around the world, has to say about your chances of getting a nip:

"From a statistical standpoint, the chances of dying in this area (the sea) are markedly higher from many other causes (such as drowning and cardiac arrest) than from shark attack," it says.

"Many more people are injured and killed on land while driving to and from the beach than by sharks in the water. Shark attack trauma also is less common than such beach-related injuries as spinal damage, dehydration, jellyfish and stingray stings and sunburn. Indeed, many more sutures are expended on sea shell lacerations of the feet than on shark bites!"

The United States has more shark attacks than anywhere else.

But the ISAF says more people die in the US from sand-hole collapses on the beach than from an encounter with a Noah's Ark.

Certainly, in Queensland, you are more likely to die going for a few quiet drinks at a nightclub than being chomped in half at Straddie.

Perhaps the State Government should introduce a dickhead management program whereby the police are allowed to set mantraps baited with schooners of beer or bottles of Bundy near where potential glassers might lurk. It won't matter if the odd innocent drinker gets caught because the cops will be granted a legislative exemption.

Almost without exception, the people who survive shark attacks wish no ill-will to the creatures and anyone who has seen one while diving or snorkelling can't help but marvel at their sleek grace.

Great whites are the best sharks, the most awesome sharks, the sharks everyone would love to see.

So why are we still killing them when there are so few left?

There should be a moratorium on both netting and drumlines until a non-lethal method of shark management can be devised.

It's a small risk with a big reward.
by Rory Gibson.

He's right- I was in the water with a great white once in PNG and I'll never forget the grace of it and awe it inspired in me. I'm sure other people feel the same way about wild tigers and lions. Clearly we need to save these apex predators- But as they say in Shark water- no one wants to give money to save sharks as they arent fluffy and cuddly enough. Not quite like a pigmy hedgehog.

Kasabian Football Hero

Hmmm these guys have too much time on their hands- when guitar hero meets football

NQ Fury win Again

I continue my attempts at education

A-Ha - Take on Me (Literal Version)

Nathan posted one but I thought this one was better :) here is take on me the literal version. Thanks to Gum for the introduction. Also there is a funny star wars thriller clip- sorry the host is a bit wanna-be

Cool Guys Don't Look At Explosions

Hmmm is this what I've been doing wrong for all these years

I need a Hero

Today we had a training day for school chaplains. Dave walker spoke and one of the points he made was that once we understand where we sit with God that is where we put our ministry in perspective. We aren't to be a hero- Jesus is the hero. He merely allows us to be a part of his ministry. We realise we need to rely on him more and more. I like this song- even though it isn't overtly religious- but I I think it shows how we do need a Hero- and there is only one Hero who can be trusted to save us just in time.

I'm just a step away
I'm just a breath away
Losing my faith today
Falling off the edge today

I am just a man
Not superhuman
I'm not superhuman
Someone save me from the hate

It's just another war
Just another family torn
Falling from my faith today
Just a step from the edge
Just another day in the world we live

I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero, save me now
I need a hero to save my life
A hero will save me just in time

I've gotta fight today
To live another day
Speaking my mind today
My voice will be heard today

I've gotta make a stand
But I am just a man
I'm not superhuman
My voice will be heard today

It's just another war
Just another family torn
My voice will be heard today
It's just another kill
The countdown begins to destroy ourselves

I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero, save me now
I need a hero to save my life
A hero will save me just in time

I need a hero to save my life
I need a hero, just in time
Save me just in time
Save me just in time

Who's gonna fight for what's right?
Who's gonna help us survive?
We're in the fight of our lives
And we're not ready to die

Who's gonna fight for the weak?
Who's gonna make 'em believe?
I've got a hero, I've got a hero
Living in me

I'm gonna fight for what's right
Today I'm speaking my mind
And if it kills me tonight
I will be ready to die

A hero's not afraid to give his life
A hero's gonna save me just in time

I need a hero to save me now
I need a hero, save me now
I need a hero to save my life
A hero will save me just in time

(I need a hero)
Who's gonna fight for what's right?
Who's gonna help us survive?

(I need a hero)
Who's gonna fight for the weak?
Who's gonna make 'em believe?
I've got a hero

I need a hero
A hero's gonna save me just in time

The beautiful game

Well I was was going to comment about how some people did have no idea about football and that you could tell a lions supporter from the way they support the team only when they are winning or in the world cup... but I wont. :)
Instead I'm going to post this link just to enjoy it over and over again and enjoy the memory of a thrilling game and one which I believe might of even have convinced some of the eggheads supporters, whose idea of atmosphere is the sound of chip packets opening, that football truly is a beautiful game.
Nathan also posted a similar post which is well worth checking out here

Book Sale

I love books. I love reading. Coincidentally I love reading books. I've been trying to track down some books I read as a kid which I wanted to re-read. Now I went down the e-bay route and google searches and stumbled across this site: http://brotherhoodbooks.org.au/ It is a site done by the brotherhood of St Lawrence with all profits going back into the charity. It made me fascinated- so often our Christian charities are no up with it technologically and resort to waving around collection tins or little side street op shops. Added to that the books I ordered were cheap- in good condition and arrived promptly. Now admittedly they have a smallish range but well worth checking out first.

Karma???

Sometimes people get what they deserve. Case in point the Brisbane Lions. Daniel Bradshaw a long time servant of the club- from all accounts a decent bloke father of 4, had taken a pay cut to play at the club, was stunned to hear his club offer him as trade bait for Fevola- talented footballer but a real grub. Eventually they got Fev without having trade Bradshaw and trumpeted how good they would be with the dual strike force of Fevola and Bradshaw. However Bradshaw no longer wants to play for Brisbane (or Fevola maybe???). Better yet he told them after trade week so brisbane get nothing for him. Love it. Wonder how many supporters they'll lose too. Is is worth winning a final by losing everything your club stands for? (the family club)

Funny goals

I've have a fair number of own goals scored on me over the years.... As a keep all you can do is laugh... but trust me people who have scored against me while on your team- these wouldn't have been as funny

autistic basketball player (Jason McElwain)

I'm sure most of you guys have seen this clip- but with the discussions on Carly and Nathan's blogs I felt it was relevant enough to post.

Lack of bloggage

Well I've decided to bow to public pressure (who am I kidding???) and follow my esteemed peers Joel and Phoebe (who am I kidding- I just write a blog to try be like them) and write a blog appologising for my blogging or lack there of. I realise I am making a number of assumtions in this statement. Firstly I am assuming people actually check this or haven't deleted me off their google reader. Secondly I am making the assumption that they are actually my friends. Finally I am making the assumption that I will blog more. One or more of these assumptions may be incorrect. Now onto the obligatory excuses for not posting.
Well in all seriousness I've been struggling a fair bit. I guess the closest thing I could call it is depression but I'm not sure if it has been that. Maybe Aloneness (it isn't a I need to find a wife right now- its more of a I feel like my life is on a different orbit to everyone else) might be the better word but it is hard to track down. I've been struggling with this for about 2 years now and it comes and goes. Most people will not have noticed this. Do not feel bad if you haven't- this isn't aimed at you it is me who has needed to open up to people and I've had amply opportunity but haven't.
This affected my life in many ways--- and all of them are inter-twined and I'm sure I've missed noticing some but here are a few.
Firstly when I get depressed I eat- I know its bad for me but... this has meant I've put on more weight. This has impacted the amount of physical activity I do making more depressed and not to mention all the other issues that go with that.
Secondly I'm Kinda like a volcano or a high tensile (sp???) metal rod. I internalise many things and take heaps until I snap- or explode and some of the people I have snapped at haven't been the people I've been annoyed at- for this I appologise deeply. My behavior towards some people towards whom I've snapped mentally (not a big explosion but only in my mind) there has been no excuse for and against every type of behavior a christian should be living for. Again most of you who read my blog probably will not have noticed but I appologise deeply to anyone I've hurt, physically or emotionally, gossiped about or not been more friendly towards.

What this has ment is also an high level of apathy towards many things (especially my blog). Some one told me that I'm willing do do anything to help some one else but unwilling to help myself. I'm not meaning in a greedy way but am not looking after myself either physically, mentally or spiritually. I write this not as a cry for help but rather a step on the road to recovery. A public (again I delude myself) acknowledgment of my failings and a pledge to keep relying on God rather than this world or my emotions.
So hopefully this will mean some more blogs- I realise this will be a change from my usual lack of anything significant, preachy rants and humorous rubbish which I was posting to appear to be cultured. I also wont be hurt if you stop reading my blog if it is getting you down- please mail me if that is the case- as I can be very self absorbed in that or often say things I don't mean.

Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me;
from my birth he has made mention of my name.

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.

He said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."

But I said, "I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand,
and my reward is with my God."

And now the LORD says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength-

he says:
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

This is what the LORD says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
"Kings will see you and rise up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."

This is what the LORD says:

"In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

to say to the captives, 'Come out,'
and to those in darkness, 'Be free!'
"They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.

They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.

I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be raised up.

See, they will come from afar—
some from the north, some from the west,
some from the region of Aswan. "

Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, ¹³ O mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me,
the Lord has forgotten me."

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.

Your sons hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.

Lift up your eyes and look around;
all your sons gather and come to you.
As surely as I live," declares the LORD,
"you will wear them all as ornaments;
you will put them on, like a bride.

"Though you were ruined and made desolate
and your land laid waste,
now you will be too small for your people,
and those who devoured you will be far away.

The children born during your bereavement
will yet say in your hearing,
'This place is too small for us;
give us more space to live in.'

Then you will say in your heart,
'Who bore me these?
I was bereaved and barren;
I was exiled and rejected.
Who brought these up?
I was left all alone,
but these—where have they come from?' "

This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"See, I will beckon to the Gentiles,
I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.

Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the LORD;
those who hope in me will not be disappointed."

Can plunder be taken from warriors,
or captives rescued from the fierce ?

But this is what the LORD says:
"Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.

I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh;
they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.
Then all mankind will know
that I, the LORD, am your Savior,
your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

Isaiah 49

Shattered Fathers day

Its worth remembering about what Father's day means to many people- As Christians its so easy to join that slow fade. We played this at church this morning and I thought it worth sharing- although most people would have seen this then.
Also sorry this is another you tube video- I'll make some decent posts once I get back from Yr4 camp

Faithful Friend preformed by Twila Paris and Steven Curtis Chapman

We played this song in church tonight... made me think... I would like- one day for this to be said about/by me

CGU Insurance Add and parodies

Down south they did these CGU insurance adds and the AFL footy show did a great take off of them- well worth a watch...

The NRL footy show with the wolfman from manly tried to do one but wasn't nearly as funny

Good Sport

I found this on The Sun website. In fairness we were awful and I would have probably mocked the POMs if we had won so

Q: What is the main function of the Australia coach?

A:To transport the team from the hotel to the ground.

Q: What do you call an Australian with a champagne bottle in his hand?

A:A waiter.

Q: Who spends the most time on the crease of anyone in the Australian team?

A:The woman who ironed the cricket whites.

Q: Why don't Aussie fielders need pre-tour travel injections?

A: Because they never catch anything.

Advertisement

Q: What's the Aussie version of a hat trick?

A: Three runs in three balls.

Q: What do Aussie batsmen and drug addicts have in common?

A:Both spend most of their time wondering where their next score will come from.

Q: What is the most proficient form of footwork displayed by Australian batsmen?

A:The walk back to the pavilion.

Q: What did the spectator miss when he went to the toilet?

A:The entire Australian innings.

Q: What's the Australian version of LBW?

A:Lost, Beaten, Walloped.

Q: Why do Australians call their favourite drink XXXX?

A:Because they can't spell beer.

Spectator attempts speccy behind the goals at the Gabba (22 August, 2009)

Heheheh just shows that queenslanders can't catch... and hawks supporters well :D

Worst Worship Ever?

I dunno how to describe this just sit back and enjoy

SOLO Heritage ad

Hmm I seem to be finding cool youtube adds today- I like solo adds. they are almost as good as beer adds

Star Wars Jedi Church

And since I was posting Star Wars this was kinda amusing.

JEDI GYM

Keagan I found the perfect gym for you. I'd go too.. though I disagree with the ending.:)

Food that most people think are healthy but are actually bad for you: Part 1

I realise I am going to have the majority of the human race disagreeing with me. But Most of them don't read my blog- you however do and all of you are going to disagree with me. However don't feel like any of these blogs are aimed at you- if you do maybe you have been convicted of something. They really aren't aimed at anyone in particular- well maybe a bit aimed at some one- more blog two than one. These are only my thoughts backed up by slightly dodgy research found in even more dodgy press. However since this is my blog I can do and say or commentate on what I like or even, Gosh horror, do it with bad grammer and spelling.
Things that are bad for you Part 1
Obsessing about eating healthy is bad for your health.
I find people who excessively focus on eating healthy annoying- I have no problem with changing what I am cooking due to allergies. But people who make comments like I'll bring a salad annoy me because it assumes that I wouldn't include that in the menu. And besides if you have baked veggies you don't need a salad. Or people putting themselves on Maccas (Mr Bell) or just general fast food bans (I'm looking at you Nathan Campbell). I am willing to bet that many non-fast food places are just as unhealthy as fast food especially now that some have healthy options (though some aren't that healthy and their name is a lie). All it does is make it harder for people to afford to go out therefore making it more exclusive. Although I'm not struggling anymore despite the fact I get paid less than the majority of you paid in tax I still remember what it was like to be struggling week to week hanging out till pay day and then having to blow a good chunk of it to go to Hog's breath because some people felt like steak. And yes I know there are cheaper things but it is hard to resist steak there and thus falling behind in your rent is far better than the loneliness of going to hungries alone or sitting at home by yourself. (and that isn't aimed at anyone- more of a comment on several groups of people over a 10 year period)

Anyway back on track reported here was this article
An obsession with eating healthily could be bad for your health, scientists warn.

Those who deny themselves entire food groups or worry too much about the "purity" of their meals are risking their mental and physical wellbeing.

Experts have reported a rise in such extreme behaviour, known as orthorexia nervosa.

Sufferers of orthorexia nervosa tend to be over 30, middle class and well educated.

Anorexia patients restrict the quantity of food they eat, but sufferers of orthorexia, named after the Greek for "right or true", fixate on quality.

Sufferers can eliminate sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol, wheat, gluten, yeast, soya, corn and dairy foods from their diet.

Foods tainted by pesticides or that contain additives such as MSG can also be ditched.

Such habits may seem quirky, but they can have a serious effect on health.

Cutting out entire food groups can leave sufferers malnourished, while rigid rules can make eating out impossible, putting a huge strain on friendships and relationships.

Ursula Philpot, chairman of the British Dietetic Association's mental health group, said: "I am definitely seeing significantly more orthorexics than just a few years ago.

"Other eating disorders focus on the quantity of food, but orthorexics can be overweight or look normal.

"They are solely concerned with the quality of the food they are putting in their bodies, refining and restricting their diets according to their understanding of which foods are truly 'pure'."

Deanne Jade, founder of the National Centre for Eating Disorders, said: "There is a fine line between people who think they are taking care of themselves by manipulating their diet and those who have orthorexia.

"I see people who have no idea they have this disorder."


Hmm cutting out full food groups (such as fast food or soft drink) :)

disclaimer: I know the food I eat is rotten and I need to lose weight. You could always help me fix this by inviting me over for dinner :) but like I said being my blog you can dismiss it in a postmoderistic sort of way- It might apply to him but not to me.

Cultural Studies

I don't mind people sticking up for their culture. But you need to be able to laugh at the oddities in it. Americans for instance- they made fun of Bush like crazy but then the moment someone else did- it just wasn't on. I like this video it is a great blend of cultures in a way you don't expect.

Sunday Trade

I grew up in an interesting culture in PNG. It wasn't a Christian culture as such. However the Lord's Day was always Sacred. No work was to be done on that day. I'm not meaning like the jews of old where you couldn't carry stuff or go somewhere. But if it was the normal work you did in the week you kept Sunday free. If you were travelling somewhere you could have a line out the back trawling for fish but you didn't go out for the specific purpose of fishing (Fishing wasn't a fun sport to these people it was a means of getting enough food to live hence work). This time was spent at church and then socialising with other people deepening their relationships with each other. My View of the Sabbath is different but now caught up in the hectic life we live in I'm starting to wonder if the people of Tubetube had it right. You see with my Sundays being busy and working Saturdays, I don't have a day off and I think I'm starting to suffer for it. I read this story on the Sun about one of the top BBC sports commentators who refuses to work on Sundays because of his Christianity. I also think of the movie Chariots of Fire- another guy who refused to run on sundays in the olympics. These guys have caused discssion about beliefs and Christianity which I think is good... I'm really starting to think about setting aside a day off in my week.
What do you think? Do you take a day off or I just need to Harden up and go to bed earlier.

The President Reads "Where the Wild Things Are"

I believe children's ministry is one of the hardest there is. My respect towards people grows or slacks depending on how they act towards kids. I was quite amused to see this Video of Obama

A boat ramp- how do you not see a boat ramp?

Was quite amused to see this story in the papers. Apparently

A New South Wales woman travelling in the Northern Territory accidentally submerged her four-wheel-drive in a crocodile-infested river after mistaking a boat ramp for a river crossing.

Photographs released by police show a crocodile lurking close to where the woman's white Troop Carrier became stranded in the East Alligator River, about 300 kilometres east of Darwin.

Police said the woman had mistaken a boat ramp for Cahill's Crossing, where vehicles are able to cross the river between Kakadu and Arnhem Land.

In 1987, a 40-year-old man was decapitated by a five metre crocodile near the area where the woman's car became submerged.

Two people, including a 11-year-old girl, have been killed by crocodiles in the Territory this year.

Police say the woman was able to get out of her vehicle and back to the riverbank without any problems from crocodiles.

But they have reminded tourists to take extreme care near Top End waterways.

"Members of the public need to be reminded that when travelling through the NT it is their responsibility to research the area and be aware of the extreme road conditions, especially that of remote areas," Brevet Sergeant Ben Higgins said.

"All water crossings should be considered extremely dangerous and exceptional care should be taken to avoid similar incidents such as these, especially considering the number and size of crocodiles that inhabit remote waterways."

Yeah I can see how a boat ramp looks like a river crossing :D

Ashes..

Noticed how the POMs seem to take more importance out of beating us than we seem to do. Having said that gone are the days where we were writing songs for events. Here are some of the best for this ashes. I think the 2nd is slightly better.

Danny Boy Version 2

This version is better and probably reflects my attempts to sing it more. Kudos to Justine Beal for giving me this

Danny Boy by Celtic Woman

Realised the other day though I have sung the tune many times I have never actually heard the original Danny Boy song. I always have a go at church in hitting the high notes but never seem to quite make it :) oh well one day. P.S. sorry about the quality.

Chaser's war on everything - 2.30 report

Was watching last weeks chaser and enjoying it so far,,, it reminded me of this sketch which is one of my favorites. No wonder Christians aren't taken seriously

Funny e-mail

I got this the other day.

Last month, a survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was:"Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?"The survey was a HUGE failure because:

In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant.

In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant.

In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant.

In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant.

In the Middle East they didn't know what "solution" meant.

In South America they didn't know what "please" meant.

And in the USA they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant.

Very funny but yet so true. If Australia was important enough to be noticed what do you think they'd say about us?

French Slip

I'm watching the French Australian rugby union game (easy choice over Brisbane Lions V Melb) and was reminded of an incident when Townsville hosted the french team. After the game there was an article written by a team official or a french journalist and he praised the Townsville crowd for their support and friendliness towards the french team even going to the extent of learning the french national anthem. However what he didn't realise was the tune from the French national was used for the theme song for the brisbane lions. And as they had just won a few premierships (The only time lions get support is when they are winning) most knew the song. It did sound like people were singing the Anthem but then "All for one, one for all.... Brisbane lions, brisbane lions rang out" Ooops. And who says the french think the world revolves around them.

Come Play! Australia's FIFA World Cup Bid 2018-2022

I like this- this is the video supporting the Bid for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups Finals. This event would be huge for Australia and would come very close to making Football our number 1 sport. Already more people watch socceroos games than watched the rugby league world cup final on tv- it is arguably bigger than the olympics (based off average viewership and a greater number of countries are involved in the pool games than compete at the olympics) If we won the bid surely townsville would get some games since we will have won the A-league by then. :)

Things out of context

I always laugh when you hear words from another language used in English. No I know English is a jumble of other languages but it is just funny how people try and pronounce things. However English isn't alone in this. In Bwanabwana the language where I grew up in PNG the word for a really big fish is a "Biggie Bugger" (pronounced Biggi Bugga) But the bwanabwana people would swear it it has always been in their language.
Soon however we might see the words Billabong and Jumbuck become part of Spanish Vocabulary. See if you reconise the song from A Spanish Orange Mobile Add

Forgiveness

Onlinesoph who commented on Nathan's blog has a great post about forgiveness that you should read.
Read it here where she talks about a post by Author Tim Challies.

This post will give you wings

Can I open this post by saying I don't like energy drinks. I think even Coffee overindulgence is wrong. Anything that causes an addiction can not be good for you. However energy drinks are something I try hard to stay away from. Personally a few times when I have drunk an energy drink it has sent my heart racing in a bad way. I'm unable to think properly and it just feels wrong. And I haven't had 3 or 4 cans at a time just one. I've also seen kids come to school and be bouncing off the walls all morning then crashing in the early afternoon. quizzing them you find out they have had 3 energy drinks in the morning. But 'clearly there is no scientific link' according to the advertising executives who responded to a yr 7 letter sent to them last year. These are the people who tell you if you have an exam tomorrow and you haven't studied for it- don't worry have a can of our product and no only do you not need to study you can have sex all night as well. Or you can become a ninja just by drinking the product. And as Nathan always says "who doesn't want to be a ninja?" Yes i get that it is the fastest growing area of drink retail. but Red bull Germany tried something new. According to news.com.au

RED Bull Cola may be banned in Germany after traces of cocaine were found in samples of the drink.

Six German states have ordered retailers to stop selling the beverage and more are expected to follow this week.

Samples of the popular drink examined by the German food authorities were found to contain 0.4 micrograms of cocaine per litre. They were said the have been caused by the method of processing a cocoa leaf.

'The institute examined Red Bull Cola in an elaborate chemical process and found traces of cocaine,' Bernhard Kuehnle, head of the food safety department at the German federal ministry for consumer protection said.

Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said the cocaine level was too low to pose a health risk. It planned to produce a more detailed report tomorrow.

A spokesperson for Red Bull Australia said: "Germany authorities have raised concerns regarding Red Bull Cola due to the use of a decocainised coca leaf extract in the product. We are in contact with the authorities to clarify the issue.

"Decocainised Coca leaf extracts are used as flavouring in foodstuffs around the world and are considered as safe (eg FDA Gras Status, Council of Europe). Red Bull Cola and other foodstuff containing such extracts may therefore be sold legally.

"Recent product analysis has confirmed that the leaf extract use in Red Bull Simply Cola is safe."

New Zealand woman fighting Red Bull addiction

Meanwhile in New Zealand, a 23-year-old mother who lost 45kg in eight months by drinking nothing but Red Bull says she has ongoing health problems because of the diet.

Brooke Robertson shrank from 105kg to 60kg drinking nothing but 10 to 14 cans a day.

"I just started drinking it. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't eating - I was exhausted,'' she told the Herald on Sunday.

"I just continued to drink it because it's an appetite suppressant and I noticed I was losing weight so stuck with it.''

Following a minor heart attack, Ms Robertson was admitted to hospital where she was weaned off Red Bull.

"I managed to wean myself off it by being in hospital for that long but I had severe withdrawals - sweating, nausea, shaking. It was an addiction. The doctors stated that.''

She said she has a heart murmur, gets severe pain and cramping in her stomach and bowel, and suffers anxiety attacks.

A Red Bull spokesman said there was “scientific evidence that caffeine is not addictive”.

Red Bull is available in 148 countries. It is banned in Norway, Denmark and Uruguay and now Germany because of health fears.

Banned is a pretty strong word, I probably wouldn't go that far. But I would like to see it not able to be sold to kids, regulated and taxed. less people will buy it then.

The Codfather

It seems a Danish journalist has taken a page out of our friend Saddam Fishler's book. Accordingly to news.com.au A DANISH television journalist was found guilty today of killing 12 guppy fish and violating animal protection laws by pouring shampoo into an aquarium for a report, the Glostrup court said. Lisbeth Koelster, a television presenter on the Danish public channel DR1, said she poured a "very diluted" amount of shampoo into a fish tank on a 2004 episode of the consumer affairs show she fronted to demonstrate the level of toxic material in a brand of anti-dandruff shampoo. After three days, all but one of the fish were dead, the court said in its ruling. A veterinary practitioner who saw the show pressed charges for causing unnecessary suffering to animals, an offence under Danish law. Judge Thomas Lohse said Koelster had "deliberately committed an act of cruelty to animals" and violated animal protection laws. He acquitted her however of violating laws on experimenting on animals. But the judge said he had decided not to hand down any sentence since an unreasonable amount of time, "four-and-a-half years," had passed between the date the complaint was filed and the trial. Koelster had pleaded not guilty and her lawyer Tyge Trier had prior to the trial said he expected his client to be acquitted. "The allegations are this experiment caused the fish's fear and suffering ... but expert witnesses told the court on May 12 that this was not the case," he said. "Fish are killed by suffocation in industrial fisheries and we throw live lobsters into boiling water, but we don't press charges against fishermen or restaurant owners," Mr Trier added. Well well well.... Mr jonny you have a lot to answer for

Top 30 A-League Goals Of All Time

Just to get everyone excited about the A-league season coming up... Brendon Santalab who is now an NQ Fury player has a number of top goals in there...
anyone want to get season tickets with me?

High school prom fiasco

Read this today.
A TEENAGER at a Christian school faces suspension and being banned from his graduation after he went to his girlfriend's formal, where was in danger of doing "lustful" things.

Tyler Frost, 17, from Ohio said today he is expected to be suspended from a Christian school for attending a public school formal with his girlfriend.

Officials at Heritage Christian School in Findlay had warned 17-year-old that he would be suspended and prohibited from attending graduation if he went to the Saturday dance.

The fundamentalist Baptist school in northwest Ohio forbids dancing, rock music and hand holding.

Frost says he went to the dance because he wanted to experience the prom and didn't think it was wrong.

School officials say he could complete his final exams separately to receive a diploma.

But Frost's school principal claims that going to his girlfriend's formal could have "tempted him to do ungoldy things", and be tempted to have "wrong and lustful thoughts".

Frost's stepfather says the rules shouldn't apply outside of school and he may take legal action if Frost is suspended.

What a load of garbage.... Sometime soon i'm going to post my concerns about Christian schools... its school like this who don't equip their kids for life in the real world and thus they really struggle when they do hit the real world

Chuck Norris saves a bakery

I was quite amused to see this on news.com.au, apparently there is a poshbakery in Split, Croatia, has been broken into almost every week.

But not since the shop owners posted a life-sized photo of the toughest man in Hollywood Chuck Norris in the window.

The sign says: “This shop is under the protection of Chuck Norris.”

Now the bakery hasn't had a single burglary for more than a month.

Sales assistant Mirna Kovac said: "To be honest we just started it as a joke but it really has worked. Thieves haven't been anywhere near us for ages. People seem to respect him.

"Everyone around here has seen his films and he's quite a popular character, perhaps even among criminals, so they've decided to leave us alone."

She added though: "We have had a few customers come in and ask us whether they can get Chuck's autograph.

“They really believe he is sitting in our storeroom out the back ready to pounce on any burglars."

Anzac day

This is a song which I like and it seemed appropriate to post before Anzac day.
"The green fields of France" covered by the Drop kick murphys

Full Frontal - Rhetorical Sale of The Century

Another reason I like Eric Bana as an actor... found this the other day...

Aspergers syndrome

In the news today was the story of a 15 year old boy named Ethan Johnson who ran away from home and rode his push bike to Sydney because he wanted to see more of the city. Initial reactions might have been give the kid a good smack. However this kid sufferers from Aspergers syndrome. This is defined as a pervasive developmental disorder, usually of childhood, characterized by impairments in social interactions and repetitive behavior patterns.

Whilst I'm no childhood expert I have worked with Aspergers kids before and if they have their mind set on something it is almost impossible to change their mind. However I'm not sure his parents had the best approach to keeping him safe. Apparently they were putting money in his account "enough to keep him eating". Well surely police could have tracked his eftpos transactions and stopped him.
Yes He would have been hard to stop but surely the parents have a duty of care instead of leaving him to sleep on park benches and providing him with income to keep going. The police could have picked him up- given him a tour of Sydney and sent him home safely- I mean it took him 6 days to ride to Sydney but then he was gone for almost 2 weeks??? He was found in a western Sydney train station- West Sydney is a dangerous place- people are killed there routinely.
I'm not blaming the child but I am saying parents should be held a bit more accountable- yes he has a disability but that isn't enough of an excuse and neither is passing the buck by blaming it on bullying.

Christian Leadership is Lonely

I've been thinking about this for a while and just thought I'd write a few things down to kick start a discussion- Now it may be this doesn't apply to you or you have such close friends that it isn't an issue but I think at some time in our lives it is a huge issue and one that is worth thinking about.

A few months ago I asked the question what does the word Leadership mean to you? Now the majority (if not all) of the people who reply are involved in active christian leadership (as are the people who are most likely reading this blog, but loneliness wasn't really mentioned. Leah did mention sacrifice however and self sacrifice was mentioned but it isn't something people often think of when thinking of their leaders. Now just to make a side point here- I'm not really talking about about team based leadership- I think being on the Christian union leadership team (the exec) or Impact or adventure club leadership teams are quite different from solo leadership e.g. church pastor, small group leader, chaplain, or any other group where you alone are answerable to people. Now our churches/organisations do often mention the need for accountability in leadership but I think if we filled the loneliness hole we wouldn't have so many christian leaders crash and burn.

Now why is it lonely? well A.W. Tozer gives an answer I like with relation to Christians being lonely in the world :
The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.

The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.

The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.

He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.

Now I think that in a Leader this is amplified. For me personally I find it very hard to admit faults or struggles to people I am leading. I think that if people realise how much i am struggling with something they will look down upon me as a leader. Now if our entire network are people we are leading we find that we isolate ourselves very quickly. Thus you withdraw and fill your life with things running away from the loneliness.
Also leaders feel like they are pulling in a direction and no one seems willing/ enthusiastic to go with them. I'm sure as a church pastor it must be draining to preach a real get up and evangelise sermon when the first comment to you at the door is 'Man those cowboys are terrible aren't they...' ' Appreciated the sermon- gotta get home for lunch' 'thanks for that- would you mind locking up for me- just gotta do something'
Often our pastors are the first ones there and the last ones to leave. Your emotions push you from the high of having some many people listen to me to the depression of no one actually listened to what I said tonight. And yes I said Depression... I think many of our leaders do have incidents of depression- most burst out of it but what happens if they don't.
Andy Rau comments in his blog

...depression is the ultimate incurvatus se. You are turned inward, and emotions that are focused outward (like anger or love) are barely on the horizon. Everything is turned inward. So while the good preachers go through themselves in terms of understanding the human condition to preach the Gospel, the depressed person can’t go through themselves. They get stuck. They are in the black hole of their own doubts and fears, and rather than expressing them (theologically in confession, pastorally in preaching, and psychologically in counseling), they simply stew in their own juices so that nothing can come out.

I might also add that in dealing with depression, it is also incredibly hard to take anything in. Reading, meditating, discussing the texts of Holy Writ are almost impossible. So if the depressed pastor… is forced to continue preaching, in pretty short order he will be running on nothing, stuck saying words he doesn’t mean, recycling sermons or copying others’ words.

Yikes—that’s something that can affect the health of the entire church body.

I guess what I'm trying to say is When was the last time you took the time to encourage your leader/pastor etc. Have you ever asked them how they are doing? Be prepare though- they might not give you a straight answer as they are leading you. If you are a leader can I encourage you to seek out someone who isn't in your group- to build a friendship with. It took me a while to realise that my small group (who I love dearly) was made up of most of my friends whom I did open up to and so when i became leader over them it became hard to have the same relationship with some of them as before. I'm conscious that being single it is vastly different being married especially the friendship area but now I'm turning it over to you guys: what do you think about loneliness affecting or being a part of ministry- how has marriage changed that?

note: something that helped me work through things was this link, encourage everyone but especially singles to read it-It helped me a fair bit over the last few years

Indoor soccer

I got asked the other day if I'd ever played indoor soccer... :) I didn't take offence as I'm not currently... but it did make me think about how many teams I have played for... I thought I'd have a go at listing them and giving a quick history of some of the names. Some of which I can't remember the names but I'll put a description of them and try and remember who we played with and maybe some one can remind me of team names.
Started off with The Red team (can't remember name)... this team had Robbo, james d, stevo, ben cameron, nathan (can't remeber his last name) and Jude. This was pretty much a feader team for the Blue team. evntually we added tim jones, matty b and adam b. Eventually this team split in two and we had the Custard chunks as well which i also played on.
Some time later we started Eripmu (Umpire spelt backwards as we had 3 umps on the team) and also 4n20. These teams edded up playing against each other in a grandfinal that went down to a penalty shootout- first ever mixed final at willows ISA.
Then I played for the Knightriders, Los conquistotdores and a couple of other teams. At the time i was also umpire co-ordinator at the centre and re wrote the rules for indoor soccer to be easier to interpret.
Moving centres we then had Ben's team, custard chunks (revived) and the strikers. Wobblies and the warriors. At this time i started the Gumbies- the team was mostly made up of people who were keen on playing but probably weren't quite ready to play in the higher levels. The manager of the time asked what level they were at I replied well they'll be a bit gumby so he stuck that as the team name. They ended up being our main mixed team as the other one folded for a while. Then we started Tim's team (which became Tim's team and the terrible betrayal after I quit) and Capitol. I also played for a couple of mens sides when Capitol and ben's team had a break for a season as kind of an outreach sort of thing.
So I count 15 seperate teams though there were 4 other teams I played on a fair bit but don't remember their names. So yes I have played a bit of indoor soccer. I think my favourite one was when i was playing for a team as a witness and got player of the final for a game of A mixed. However if you asked me for a favourite team hmmm... The old Eripmu was fun as was tim's team but is tough to beat the undeafeated season we had for Capitol.... A mens- soccer off season- so a lot of outdoor players were playing for fitness. :) good time good times

Townsville, everyone's home

One of mark's entrys in a competition.... who would want to live anywhere else

Cirque du Soleil - KA - Special 10 Min Teaser

Cold

I just thought I'd make a note about how cold it here in Ohio. It is 2:48 in the afternoon and is 7 degrees. It is so cold that the water in the toilet cistern (the part up the top) is forming moisture outside of the plastic in the slightly less cold apartment I'm in. I will never complain about the NQ weather again.

Fail blogger

Well unfortunately I've failed to do any sort of tracking. My holiday is almost over and I'm posting my first blog. I will try and upload some photos which means you guys rather than my facebook stalkers will see these first.(hey i know I'm deluding myself but...)

So we landed in LA where I got picked by one of my former classmates- In fact they lived across the road from me in PNG, and then we all headed over for breakfast where i was astounded by the size of the meals. There we met up with a bunch of people the majority I hadn't seen for 10 years so that was awesome. The next day we headed down to downtown LA and saw all the stars. I recognized most of the names but I guess that is why they got stars because they are so famous.
The next day we headed out on the cruise and had a few sea days. I really enjoyed just sitting around doing nothing as well as playing table tennis on a boat. That was crazy- the boat was massive so it didn't rock much but it was enough to effect your game. However I still won the Ship's table tennis tournament which was kinda cool.
We had a stop in Acapulco and that was interesting. It is famous for its cliff divers and it's party scene. However the beaches were really nice (which i didn't expect.) We booked this crazy driver who took us around. At one stage when we were on the beach I was hungry and asked him where he had lunch. he took us (Matt and Christine (vic Aus), Charlie (US) and I ) to this little back street canteen where a full mexican meal was purchased for about 4 aussie. Best mexican food I've ever eaten. It was also one of the highlights of my trip. (I will blog more about this and bargaining later) I also bought a corona for $1.5 (double the size of the aussie ones). A place where coronas were cheaper than bottled water :D
We had a few other shore stops highlights of which included 4 wheeling motorbikes, lounging on the beach, kayaking, walking around downtown away from the areas where english is spoken, seeing some nice views, watching cliff divers, eating Italian Mexican and many more.
After the cruise we said good bye to a few people and then headed off to Las Vegas. Now I'm not really a gambler but it was incredible to see the city. Think Melbourne's crown casino multiplied by about 100- absolute madness. Every place had a kind of theme and they decorated accordingly. All were mind blowing but in particular the Venetian which was set up inside like a little Venice (see photo below and to the right- keep in mind this is all indoor and the sky is painted on the roof). Also while we were there we went and saw Cirque de Solice KA which was unbelievable.- thanks Scott for the recommendation. Following that I went to phoenix Arizona for a few days and then on to Columbus Ohio where I got to see an ice hockey game as well as catch up with a few more people I hadn't seen for a while.
So it has been really good catching up with lots of people and I'll be doing more of it tomorrow night then start heading back to Australia.




Yes everything is bigger in the US

Day 1

Well i left 6am and got to LA at 7am. :) One hour. Longest hour of my life. end of story.

Bon Voyagee

As Many of you would know (when i say many i mean all 8 who read the blog and then probably because i said goodbye to you last night) I am embarking on a trip to the US today. Carly Suggested I keep a blog log ala Nathan. So I'm gonna give it a go. However i'm gonna a be on a boat. Did I mention I'm going on a cruise? This boat pictured above is the girl (unless your russian in which case ships are masculine so boy) that I'm travelling on. if you would like to take a virtual tour go here. This is my intinerary below

Saturday, Mar 4

San Diego, CA

4:00pm
View Shore Excursions
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Sunday, Mar 5
Fun Day At Sea



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Monday, Mar 6
Fun Day At Sea

Tuesday, Mar 7
Acapulco, Mexico
12:00pm

View Shore Excursions
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Wednesday, Mar 8
Acapulco, Mexico

1:00am
View Shore Excursions
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Wednesday,
Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Mexico
9:00am
6:00pm
View Shore Excursions
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Thursday, Mar 9
Manzanillo, Mexico
7:00am
6:00pm
View Shore Excursions
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Friday, March 10
Fun Day At Sea
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Saturday, march 11
Fun Day At Sea

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Sunday, march 12
San Diego, CA
7:00am

So I'm pretty stoked.

On a small side note I was walking through the brisbane terminal and i was right next to the PNG check in desk- Felt incredibly home sick: this is my overseas trip w/o going to png. But on the plus side my pidgin got a good working over in the customs line.

Anyways it looks like I'm getting booted out of the gate area- Apparently they need to set up the security area and there is a lady approaching with white gloves on :0.

Anyways Have a great week and stay Posted.