A top immigration official recommends more community based schemes for processing asylum claims and raises questions about the effectiveness of unnecessary detention. Will our politicians listen? Doesn’t take much to blow out a candle. I’m indebted to Jack Smit of SafeCom for posting the following transcript. Check out SafeCom, by the way – it’s oneContinue reading “At last – a candle lit in the darkness!”
Author Archives: wonderingpilgrim
Nothing personal!
The High Court of Australia has several interesting cases before it right now. I’ve already pinpointed the challenge to the federally funded School Chaplaincy Program. Rocking the boat is a very succinct article on the current injunction to halt the Malaysia refugee swap scheme on the basis that the Australian government does notContinue reading “Nothing personal!”
A weak question…
It is occasionally suggested for interviews…”What is your greatest weakness?” I occasionally sit in on job interview or performance review panels as well as having been subject to my own annual performance reviews. I am glad, for the right reasons, that this question never arises. It seems to appear frequently in interview guides, however. MyContinue reading “A weak question…”
Correcting the Teacher
We’ve all done it in our student days – or held our breath as others have been foolhardy enough to attempt it – correcting the teacher. We learned a lot from how the teacher responded, particularly when the student was actually right. Adolescent joy abounded if the teacher blustered and blundered and obfuscated around hisContinue reading “Correcting the Teacher”
The joys of being a railway tragic…
I went through a boyhood phase of wanting to be a train driver (when I wasn’t wanting to runaway and join a circus). I don’t think the desire ever left me. Then I came across this full length silent Buster Keaton movie: Heaven on a stick!
Monkeying Around with Genetics
Another cinematic prequel has arisen. Many may remember the fascination we had with the late 60s TV series and eventual movie Planet of the Apes. The plot explored what it might be like to consider a kind of reversed evolution process, where humans were a subspecies to the intelligently superior ape. Rise of the Planet ofContinue reading “Monkeying Around with Genetics”
One thing my training never equipped me for…
… is IT troubleshooting. For a small, ageing congregation, we’re very wired up. We digitally record our services, network with one another through email and a few are even braving Facebook and Twitter. This week I ventured into Android tablet territory and began teaching myself its various idiosyncracies and exploring the wonders of syncing itContinue reading “One thing my training never equipped me for…”
Jumping to conclusions and landing on our faces…
We are quick to name the culprits if there’s a possibility of reinforcing our prejudices. Two instances are apparent today: the London riots – in this far flung outpost of the old empire we hear alarmed predictions of “how the same will happen here if we don’t stop the boats” and “just as Enoch PowellContinue reading “Jumping to conclusions and landing on our faces…”
Census night
The choice tonight is to catch up on this blog or fill out the census forms. My son with eagle eye already discovered a discrepancy in the registration number on our form and rang up about it. Sure enough, the number was ‘invalid’ and we had to arrange for the census office to SMS aContinue reading “Census night”
When the High Court saves us from ourselves…
There’s a very good reason for the separation of powers – particularly law and governance: High Court puts Malaysia deal on hold | News.com.au. There will be many who gnash their teeth and wail that a High Court intervention interferes with the so-called “will of the people.” It depends, however, on what theContinue reading “When the High Court saves us from ourselves…”
Wondering Pilgrim 