LAMENT HOPE These two signs hang on the fence surrounding the charred remains of our local shopping centre. One expresses the deep sorrow of the community, the other is a pointer to the community spirit that will carry us on. Both lament and hope need to find expression and it is my desire that weContinue reading “Fire aftermath”
Author Archives: wonderingpilgrim
Burn after Reading: Review
Well, it’s a Coen Brothers production, and that generally means it will be different. I went along to this with heart in mouth because we had recommended it as a high school chaplaincy fund-raiser. Many of the people I was with were senior genteel church folk, and, since booking the theatre, intelligence was coming inContinue reading “Burn after Reading: Review”
Local shops destroyed by fire
Our local shops have been very handy to us – just across the road from where we live. More than that, however, they were the hub of the Wembley Downs community. As I write, the street is full of emergency vehicles while the ashes are hosed down. The crowds have dwindled now and the heartbreakingContinue reading “Local shops destroyed by fire”
A quick lesson on how the Stock Exchange works
I’ve seen this before, but it seems the time is right to put it out there again. Once upon a time, in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest andContinue reading “A quick lesson on how the Stock Exchange works”
Blogging against Poverty – Blog Action Day
Ever wondered what more you can do about world poverty? It’s a bit like the kid throwing beached starfish back into the ocean – not a hope of saving the thousands of stranded ones so why bother at all – what difference does it make? “It makes a difference to this one,” he says, chuckingContinue reading “Blogging against Poverty – Blog Action Day”
Wall Street – bankruptcy over bailout
OK, having owned up to my own sense of economic bewilderment and yet a gut feeling that congress made the right decision when it denied a $700 billion bailout, I’ve found an article that makes sense to me. (Click here). It clearly advocates bankruptcy over bailout. I think it’s right because it’s an honest acknowledgement ofContinue reading “Wall Street – bankruptcy over bailout”
Off to Adelaide
Time to catch up with all my kin in my home town of Adelaide – lately I’m managing to get over there every couple of years or so. This means things will be quiet here over the next week. Plenty of good blogging material out there at the moment. I’m not an economist – butContinue reading “Off to Adelaide”
The Visitor – more movie dipping
They told me I should see this one. So I did. The Visitor certainly evoked memories from not so distant times when folk from my church and I sat through tribunals, negotiaited immigration interviews and confronted officialdom on behalf of “illegal immigrants,” otherwise deemed by the international community to be legitimate refugees entitled to protection underContinue reading “The Visitor – more movie dipping”
Movie Dipping
How could two films be so different yet so similar? I saw them randomly and almost back to back (give or take a week or two). Both drama/comedies, both dealing with the paradoxical art and escapism of cinema, both unconsciously aware that the “acting out” before the camera mirrored the real life dramas of theContinue reading “Movie Dipping”
Despair by chocolate
I sit at the desk opening mail while tucking into a Father’s Day chocolate – a delicious indulgence. My eye falls on World Vision’s Action News – the lead article takes the chocolate industry to task for failing to meet yet another deadline to meet certain measures to curtail the use of child labour inContinue reading “Despair by chocolate”
