Lawyers for the Department of Transport were busily preparing their case in defense of the charge relating to the station owner’s lost prize Brahman bull. It had gone missing around the same time that the weekly train had gone through and, as far as the squatter was concerned, there was only one conclusion. The government’sContinue reading “Time for something light…”
Monthly Archives: June 2011
A Thousand Splendid Suns – a book review
This morning brings the news of a Taliban raid on an international hotel in Kabul. Innocent lives lost have added to the growing tally that amounts to the tortuous agony of Afghanistan. It takes a book like A Thousand Splendid Suns, however, to reveal the complexities of a society that lives with violence almost everyContinue reading “A Thousand Splendid Suns – a book review”
Report on Children in Immigration Detention
The government proposed deadline for removing children from immigration detention centres is only 2 days away. In March, The Minister for Immigration told parliament all was on track for this to occur. A more recent report by the Australian Government to the UNHRC admits that this deadline will notContinue reading “Report on Children in Immigration Detention”
Solar rocks!
Even on this cloudy day, the church’s newly installed solar energy system is neutralising what we are currently taking from the grid. (It is a low activity day with just the office and kitchen fridge consuming power). Nevertheless, did you know that one unit of energy will: drive a car (@ 6 litres/100km) 2 kmContinue reading “Solar rocks!”
Fallout from today’s harangue
Well, no-one said that preaching on Genesis 22 would be easy – YHWH tests Abraham’s faith by calling on him to sacrifice his son Isaac then stops him mid-strike of the knife. The story contains all the things that shock and offend modern sensibility. We find it almost impossible to get beyond the ancient patriarchy,Continue reading “Fallout from today’s harangue”
God sanctioned infanticide?
Genesis 22:1-14 is one of the texts up for tomorrow. Although I’d rather spend time on Matthew 10:40-42, the call of YHWH on Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice is the one that will have everyone asking questions. “What sort of a God would ask this of a parent?” we ask. TheContinue reading “God sanctioned infanticide?”
Super 8 – a movie review
Not my normal pick – sci-fi with a lot of teenage angst thrown in. But it’s the late 70s and there’s enough nostalgia for the technology of the era to catch a baby-boomer’s attention. Directed by J J Abrams, it seems to have been inspired by the “coming of age” flicks of the era. IContinue reading “Super 8 – a movie review”
Toiling against the spin…
There is an unsound mythology surrounding Australia-bound asylum seekers that is taking a few hits this week. Tonight SBS will screen the final episode of its three part series, Go back to where you came from. There has been much conversation around my neck of the woods as folk from all walks of life have beenContinue reading “Toiling against the spin…”
Grim statistics
CSIRO scientists have established a raw data page to counter accusations that their work is “not real science” – see it at aptly named Cape Grim Data. I guess it is very difficult to communicate objective, uninterpreted information when the population is caught up in an emotive and political ideological storm surrounding the proposed carbon emissionsContinue reading “Grim statistics”
Going back to “where they came from”…
This looks like a “must see” for all who have minds made up about “fake asylum seekers”, “queue jumpers” and “economic refugees.’ Six Aussies take the reverse journey, starting with a leaky boat, transiting through refugee staging areas to lands of origin, in order to see for themselves…
Wondering Pilgrim 