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I've been a paid livejournal user for about 3 years now, and an unpaid user for a while prior to that. Infact my stats currently read: Date created: 2001-03-03 Journal Entries: 1,704 Comments: Posted 2061 Received 2,150 2005 brings some changes to my online projects, firstly I'll be launching a youth ministry website that I hope will gain national support hosted by the kind folks ar unitingchurch.org.au and created and designed by the lovely folks at redfish bluefish and yacmas. I'm hoping that this will provide a neat space for youth workers and leaders to write articles, connect, learn... Along with this I've decided to not pay for lj anymore and move my blog to Bur.st who will allow me 1GB of hosting, the ability to put up a blog using wordpress among other things. lj has been fine for what I've been doing up until now but it's beginning to annoy me with it's inflexability, and the fact that it'll cost me less to have a bur.st account than it would to have a lj is just plain old stupid, lj doesnt even host anything for me. So, I'm leaving lj... I may continue to post here on occasions as wordpress has a lj addon but sometime during January I'll be moving web-homes. huzzah!!!
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 Mr Turco said no one had told him that hanging the work would result in the show's cancellation. "I approached them with the idea of bringing an edgy show by emerging artists here. I showed them an issue of our magazine, and they were psyched," said Mr Turco, publisher of Animal, a quarterly publication that features photographs and graphics inspired by urban culture.
"When we hung the show on Wednesday, we were asked to take down the Bush piece," Mr Turco said. "I agreed but said I thought it makes a strong addition and I would rehang it for the opening."
He did that and, on Thursday, the meandering hallway of the market, on Manhattan's West Side, filled with a gallery crowd of artists, models and rap singers. But the presence of a disc jockey and open bar created a nightclub milieu. That provoked another person who helps manage the market, Mr Turco said.
"The party's over right now," the market worker told him before calling security to clear the crowd.
"I said, 'Let's walk and talk this over,' and when we passed Chris's painting, he flipped," Mr Turco said.
"If I didn't take the show down he was going to have me arrested, seize the art, and evict me from of my office." Full Article: Making a monkey out of BushI like the piece... Currently Listening To: u2 - Love And Peace Or Else
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Who else hasn't had the same thought go through their mind at one point of time or the other? A radio reporter in Philadelphia has resigned from her job after an angry message, left by her on the phone of a lobby group whom she believed were spamming her, was sent to her employer and the media.
Rachel Buchanan, 27, wrote that she had been receiving unsolicited email at her web mail account from a group known as www.Laptoplobbyist.com.
The group makes money by charging $US20 to send faxes to people in power and lobby on selected issues such as minimising separation of church and state and preventing the UN from "brainwashing our kids" into "despising" America.
Ms Buchanan wrote that she had called the number at the bottom of one of the emails only to go to an answering machine. This annoyed her, she says.
Unfortunately, she left her name and number when asked to do so by the recorded message. She put this down to an automatic reaction as she normally leaves these details many times a day in the course of her job.
Then she lost her temper and after calling laptoplobbyist.com again left a voicemail wishing their children ill. She described it as a "terrible message."
This voicemail has been published on laptoplobbyist.com's website and says:
"Hi, my name is Rachel, and my telephone number is [number]. I wanted to tell you that you're evil, horrible people. You're awful people. You represent horrible ideas. God hates you and he wants to kill your children. You should all burn in hell. Bye." Full Article: 'Spam rage' leads to reporter quittingOf course, even though the book of Romans does in explicit detail tell us that all spammers will indeed go to hell Rachel Buchman resigned from WHYY. A mp3 of the lovely message can be found at this link and while Rachel is being demonised for her actions and the lobbyist is being praised for being in the right... I think this is horrific and what's actually needed is not to force Rachel to resign, instead it's to uplift her and follow her lead... what would happen if the average person's response to spam was to hunt down the originator and phone them up or yell at them a little? I'd think that ther'd be a lot less spam going around that's what... Currently Listening To: u2 - A Man And A Woman
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Well folks, Here we go again. Abbas has finally had a decision on the Protection Visa that has been in process for about 9 months now. Unfortunately he has been turned down. This means that if he doesn't appeal the decision he will probably be returned to detention pending deportation. This is exactly where he was two years ago, sitting in a detention centre, waiting to be deported. He had been waiting for almost two years before that, when the Federal Court deemed his continued detention illegal. If you've managed to follow the movements of the last few months, you would know the ruling that released him has been overturned, so within the law Abbas may be returned to detention indefinitely. The appeal deadline for the Protection Visa is early January and at this stage Abbas doesn't want to appeal the decision. He has been down and getting worse since his release from Baxter in September and (understandably) has no faith left in the bureaucratic processes. It will be 5 years on January the 5th that Abbas has been in Australia seeking an outcome. At the moment we are seeking a political solution to the problem with Christopher Pyne MP talking to Sen Vanstone on Abbas' behalf and Laurie Feguson MP (Opposition Spokesperson for Immigration) taking some sort of interest in the case also. Trish Worth is also doing everything she can to call in favours from her time in parliament. Thankyou to all of those who responded to my last email, by writing a letter (sorry if you didn't get it, my email list is evolving). Politicians often do respond to the public's concerns; usually not on the timeline we would want or in exactly the way we would want, but they do respond. Christopher Pyne has been quite helpful so far and should prove to be a friend in parliament. If you haven't already, now would be a superb time to write a Christmas Card to Sen Vanstone wishing Peace on earth and Goodwill to all people, especially Abbas Al Khafaji. The Hon. Amanda Vanstone, Senator 81 Flinders Street, Adelaide SA 5000 We are also trying to get a couple of other coalition MP's onside, so if you live in any of the following electorates, a letter to your local MP would go a long way to finding a solution to Abbas' situation. Better yet, if you are willing to arrange a meeting with your MP, you, Abbas and myself or another of Abbas' friends, that would be fantastic. The electorates we are working on are... Makin - Mrs Trish Draper MP 959 North East Road Modbury SA 5092 Kingston - Mr Kym Richardson MP 209 Main South Road Morphett Vale SA 5162 Boothby - Dr Andrew Southcott MP 760 Marion Road Marion SA 5043 Letters to Sen Vanstone, really just need to mention Abbas Al Khafaji's name and maybe ask for a Permanent Protection Visa. Letters to local MP's should give a bit more background than that. I'm assuming because you are on this list, you have an idea of the history. If you need more info, just let me know. The pertinent points are... Ask for your MP to speak to Senator Vanstone to ask her to bring this situation to an end. Ask for a permanent protection visa. Stick to these points and things you know to be true. Mistakes will slow down his visa application. Ask what they are going to do with Abbas now and suggest that it's not really feasible to send someone back to Iraq in the current climate, especially as without papers, he will not necessarily be accepted into Iraq. Do not be aggressive in your letter. Make the letter as personal as possible- in your own words. A hand written letter is more valuable than a printed one, but any letter is great. Apart from all of that, we are trying to keep Abbas' spirits up. Any prayers/ positive thoughts you can send his way would be fantastic. It would be good to light a candle every night as a prayer for Abbas; for his mental state and for a good outcome SOON. There are currently 86 addresses adding up to over 300 people on this mailing list, so at least 86 candles glittering away on Abbas' behalf is a beautiful image. Thankyou for all of your work to date. If there is someone you think might be interested in this email and hearing more about Abbas, please forward this on and ask them to get in touch so I can put them on the mailing list and give them any more information they need. If anyone is willing to arrange a meeting, particularly with Trish Draper or Andrew Southcott, let me know. If you have access to a church newsletter and would like a notice to go in it asking people to respond to Abbas' situation in some way, let me know and I'll put something together. It is always good for people to mention him and general asylum seeker issues in points of prayer during the service too. Thankyou again. Yours without guile Nathan March for Abbas Currenttly Feeling:  crappy
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 Therapy mentioned tonight that he was contemplating his top 10 cd's from 2004. It seems that since triple j have released their top 10 CD list he thought that as a radio dj it was a part of his new found calling to release his own top ten. triple j really had their jobs cut out for them this year, no Radiohead, Coldplay, Muse, Powderfinger or You Am I cd release to take a few of the spaces up and so I'm not surprised that a number of the dj's have completely different lists. I am however surprised that William Schatner's "Has Been" didn't make it onto ANYONE's list at all!!! That being the case I started to contemplate what were my top 10, in doing so I decided that numbering them would be one of the harder jobs of the task, hence why I'm still up with a half full glass of coke at 1am in the morning... Heh, so... here's my Top Ten for 2004. 1. A Ghost is Born - Wilco This cd got number 1 without much thought, these guys continue to surprise me with their musical ability and it's a cd that has had a lot of rotation on my cd player this year. 2. Summer Make Good - MumI wanted to be different, hardly anyone will have this cd and even less of you will have it in the Ltd Edition format that I do :) Needless to say that I'm a musical snob and I'm damn proud of it and these guys are one of the best things that has ever happened to my ears. Their gig in Adelaide last year ssent me into a spin that took me a few weeks to recover from. 3. American Idiot - GreendayNormally these guys would shit me to tears, but this year's release really made me turn around and have a second and third listen, it's a rock opera from a band that's growing up and yelling out for people to pay attention to them again., probably not worthy of the number 3 but I felt that they deserved it for effort. 4. John Butler Trio - Sunrise Over SeaAnd the Aria goes to..... John Butler. This cd should lose a few demerit points for the 20 minutes of Rain Forrest noises that comes at the end of the cd. I bought this to listen on a road trip and as I drove through the mountains to Tahmoor I thought I'd accidentally ran over a bird and got it stuck up my vent... That being said it's a great cd and well worth the Arias that he received for it. 5. Little Chills - Darren HanlonAhh my little indie collection jumps for glee when Darren releases another cd. This cd is full of great little ditties and I enjoy playing it around the house... He also deserves a place for writing a song titled "(There's Not Enough Songs About) Squash." 6. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb - U2I'm running out of spaces, and I've got to include the U2 cd in the list... It's formula U2 which makes me kind of depressed that the days of Zooropa and Pop may have gone by, but it's still a great cd. Currently getting a lot of rotation in my car and house it'll continue to get a lot of play through the next few years. 7. Smile - Brian WilsonSo, I added SMILE, if you have an issue with this then go and suck on a lemon. Therapy and I were talking a while ago about if we liked it or not, and although I'm still not sure if i do indeed like it, the cd needs to be in this list because it exists. Brian Wilson put together the remaining pieces of this fabled album and released it this year and although it may not be to everyone's tastes it's certainly getting a lot of play here. 8. There Will Be A Light - Ben Harper & Blind Boys Of AlabamaAhhhh, there's nothing like some good old time gospel roots and blues music and there's never anything like a new Ben Harper cd. This cd is heavenly. 9. No Roots - FaithlessUncut dealt with this cd harshly, but Uncut loves Johnny Cash and John Cale (who are great musicians by the way). My point being is that they never seem to deal well with dance, electronic or rap that well. I love this cd because it's fun to listen to, the video clips that are coming out for it are great and I just love hearing Maxi Jazz's voice again. 10. Time In The Sun - JuniorI've given this position to some mates of mine in Adelaide... Favoritism? Yes, I won't deny that but it's still getting tonnes of rotation in my cd player, it's still one of the first cds to be in the player on a road trip and it brings back tonnes of memories, so bite me if you think that Xavier Rudd or Elliot Smith or The Libertines should have made it. Special mention goes to these cds:- Butterfly Boucher - Flutterby - Xavier Rudd - Solace - The Libertines - The Libertines - Uh Huh Her - PJ Harvey - Seven Swans - Sufjan Stevens - Dear Friends and Enemies - Big Heavy Stuff - Please Describe Yourself Dogs Die In Hot Cars - From A Basement On The Hill - Elliott Smith - Inner North - The Guild League Therapy's just pointed out that I'm a sexist pig and that there are no females at all on this list, sure that Mum has a female vocalist and that PJ, Butterfly and the chicks in The Guild League get a mention, but all up none of them made it top 10. I guess that I could just add PJ or Little Birdy to make me a little less sexist, but to tell you the truth I don't care :) Besides... I hate Little Birdie, the Dresden Dolls make my ears bleed after the third listen, Delta Goodrem makes me cry, Missy Higgins is great but too cliche at the moment, I'm not going to mention Kylie Minogue or Hillary Duff and all The Waifs did this year was release some live double cd for the Christmas rush... Currenttly Feeling:  bored
Currently Listening To: The Brian Jonestown Massacre - geezers
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I've refrained from all work related Christmas dinners since the one time that I went to a Bilo Dinner and had to carry my drunk manager out and apologise to a number of bouncers on the way out in the hope that they wouldn't beat him to death.
I decided then and there that nothing could ever compete with that, so I've avoided them since, I avoided all 4 BP ones and worked through them, after the gig I'd hear about how so and so broke up with so and so because they kissed whatshername and that whats his face found out that his fiance had slept with the manager at this store three weeks ago... blah blah blah. Not one Christmas bash turned out well, the last one I remember at BP i had to do some double shifts because the party was so good that two people resigned and one woman was placing sexual harrasment charges onto one of the managers...
Back at Salisbury Council I went to a couple Christmas bashes and lunches with my staffmates, most of who I didn't get along with well, I hated every second of it, even when the recreation planner gave me a water pistol and I ran around the office shooting the security guards...
Ok, I enjoyed that.
But sitting with a group of people that i don't really share that much with and having a happy happy joy joy meal at a time where I'm excited by the new possabilities that Christmas brings but am brought down by the reality that next year will be very much the same doesn't do much for me.
So imagine my joy when I received an invite to my Presbytery's Christmas Dinner, two mates of mine have found ways of avoiding it, I however believed that if I just didn't RSVP it'll be all ok and I'll be able to sit at home and eat a nice steak.
Except for the part where someone decided to RSVP for me because they thought it'd be nice for the young person to go...
So, in about 50 minutes time I'll be sharing a meal that I really dont want to be at because I'm too much of a soft co&k to tell them that I'd prefer watching CSI than do a happy happy christmas dinner with a bunch of church people that I rarely see.
Oh the joy...
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High sarcasm warning...  Christmas is coming fairly quickly and, due to my slackness and holiday in Adelaide I'm yet to have purchased my Christmas presents for the family (although I know they'd love me even if I am late with my presents). Wandering into Toys R Us I was amused to find the McDonalds toy series.
Yes, for all of you parents who are resigning to the fact that your child will be able to do nothing more than work at a fast food restaurant, or for those ex-McDonald managers who are now raising children and long for the days where you could boss a large number of teenagers around here's a toy for you!!!
I mean, lets face it people, these are EDUCATIONAL toys, they even have calculators and checkouts!!! If you're living in a low economic area and there's a McDonalds (Lets face it, who doesn't live near a McDonalds?) the formative years would be a great time to make working for McDonalds seem like fun, so that when the young people grow up they can find their place in the world asking people if they'd like fries, or if they'd like to upsize that meal...
Or, if you're living in an area with high single/teen birth rate then teaching your child to feed a baby, or his/her dolls McDonalds is a GOOD THING, McDonalds is HEALTHY for your baby!!!
This selection of toys can also educate kids on how to order McDonalds, with the Drive Through Centre complete with window friends can drive up to the window, place an order and get served. To make this experience more real you can purchase 2 Drive Through Centres and ask your friends to drive tot he next window while you spit on their toy burger!!!
( mmmmmmmmmmm burgerrrrrrrrrr )
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I've been asked many times this visit if I've found a woman. Each time I've responded with a no and each time I'm questioned further as to why I'm still single.
I'm happily single, it's not like I've got time for anyone else at the moment, heck I've barely time for me, but let's take a short look at my track history with women...
Jess. Broke up with me after almost 2 years to move to Queensland because she'd fallen in love with someone who she met there on a holiday when she visited her parents. She told me this by sms, on a phone I owned and using a sim card that I'd paid for.
Nardia. Broke up with me after 2 years and was seeing Matt within about 2 weeks. I met Matt before we'd broken up... "He's just a friend" I was told.
Linda. Broke up with me after only 6 - 7 months, but soon started dating her best friend who she had told me that there was nothing going on with, although I might add she never introduced us. They're now living in the same house.
Personality wise they're each different, and I could share more but I'll stop now simply because I don't want to come across as a brooding, depressed whimpering male...
I may be one, I just don't like coming across as one.
Anyhow, point being is that currently I'm not sure if I'm able to have a relationship yet... maybe in time but I'm not holding my breath.
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Can you imagine Dirty Harry Callahan attending a highly effeminized church?
Dirty Harry is a rough, butt-kicking character portrayed on the movie screen by Clint Eastwood, an accomplished man and a noted actor and director. Envision Callahan pulling into the parking lot in a black Range Rover amidst a sea of minivans and station wagons.
Picture it.
Hesitantly, Harry gets out of his ride, straightens his Ray Bans, adjusts his jacket and begins the testosterone death march to the front door of the ?sanctuary.?
Ascending the steps toward the entrance of the church, fourteen women and one man greet Harry. The male greeter he?s forced to interface with is the kind of guy you wouldn?t want to have as your young son?s babysitter. I?m talking a Mango meets Dom De Luise amalgam.
The excessively excited quasi-male greeter hands Harry a pastel-colored flyer detailing all the weddings, baby showers, birthdays, picnics and covered dish dinners for that month, and then he plasters Mr. Callahan?s suit with an "I'm a Visitor" smiley face sticker.
Moving past the ?greeter,? Callahan is then hit with more contrived hugs than he would face at a Stuart Smalley-run support group. Attempting to avoid this barrage of groping, flabby, clutching arms belonging to people he doesn't know, but now is expected immediately to embrace, he tries to fade from view and take refuge against the wall. Unfortunately for him, he cannot hide because the floral arrangements in the narthex are so profuse that they make an FTD warehouse look like the Mojave Desert. With no other recourse, Harry frantically begins to move two big sprays and one gaudy wreath in a worried attempt to carve out a refuge from this molestation.
Finally, out of reach and trying hard to avoid eye contact with anyone, Harry starts whistling and locks his gaze on the artwork. On his right are six matching prints of fat baby angels in various Little Rascal poses; they look like they have a good buzz going from their mommy?s milk, laced as it is with Diet Coke and Xanax. Book-ending the baby angel prints are two Precious Moments posters: one shows Christ holding a bunny rabbit, and the other one shows Christ skipping while carrying a lamb. On Dirty Harry?s left are three pieces of art which depict Jesus, Peter and John the Baptist, all in aggravated states of angst, looking more like soft-focused and melancholic Victorian women than the men they were: masculine revolutionaries, heralds of truth, and rough pioneers of the greatest story ever told.
Finally it is go time. The service is begins. Read The Full Article: Dirty Harry Goes To Church
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I'd like to welcome into the world... Katelin Skye Wright Born 1:38am November 18 2004 3.14kg 47cm I'm a very very happy Uncle... How beautiful if nothing more
Than to wait at Zion's door
I've never been in love like this before
Now let me pray to keep you from
The perils that will surely come
See life for you my prince has just begun
And I thank you for choosing me
To come through unto life to be
A beautiful reflection of his grace
For I know that a gift so great
Is only one God could create
And I'm reminded every time I see your face- Lauren Hill - Zion Currenttly Feeling:  ecstatic
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There are so many good things to look forward to under a second Bush administration: A re-instituted draft will radicalise a generation of young Americans in a way not seen since the sixties. The Canada escape route has been closed, but Mexico is willing and able to take talented young Americans into her swarthy bosom, as is Europe. America's loss, their gain. Another draft-dodging option is to be openly gay. This will further homosexualise American youth, undermining Christian values enormously.
Crackpot Supreme court judges will ban abortion, turning women against the Republicans in droves. Wire-hanger companies will make millions of dollars. I've already bought thousands of shares. I advise you to do the same. My new book "Backstreet Abortions for Dummies" will be released sometime in 2005, Christ willing.
Greenhouse warming will continue thanks to Bush's rejection of the Kyoto treaty. Rising sea levels will destroy the State of Florida. Serves 'em right for voting for Bush and his twisted brother Jeb. If the sea rises high enough it might drown the mid-west, thereby taking many red States off the map. (Laugh as the ''conservative'' red-staters plea for federal assistance!)
A huge number of the working classes in America vote for Bush, even though his policies hurt them the most. "Gee Maw, we shur did have fun spendin' that $300 tax cut the preznit giv us! Whoo-EE!" Under Bush, they'll be worked to death in a minimum wage McJob with no health care. Good. Serves the stupid #####ers right for voting for the guy. This is Darwinian natural selection in progress my friends. Kill 'em off quick, Bush style! Full article at: LinkCurrenttly Feeling:  amused
Currently Listening To: The Brian Jonestown Massacre - A new low in getting high
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Bush and Howard seem to be among the smartest politicians (when election is concerned) in the world. Long gone are the days of trying to please everybody, looking at the big picture of the world and the country and thinking "How can I make sure that everybody is happpy?" No, because it'd be a hell of a lot easier if you picked out 55% of the country and played to please them. We hear about how polarised America is, and in similar ways how polarised Australia is, especially when it comes to the love and hating of our "leaders" and how it's apparently a bad thing, when politically it's such a great thing for those heading into election. For Liberal in Australia all they need to play on are the ideas that Liberal are better for the farmers, Liberal will protect our borders, Liberal hates refugees, Liberal will stop gays from being married, Liberal are better for those of you with large morgages, (f**k those who don't have a house or are in detention)... Cater for only 55% of the population and you'll be re-elected every time. Thats smart politics. As depressing as it is for me sitting in my rental unit hearing stories of friends who are still waiting for permanant visas and stories of refugees being deported to be killed for converting to another religion... It's smart politics. George's Speech: LinkKerry Concedes: Link
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Sorry guys, I know it's a bit of a pot shot and this site and Johnathon has some decent resources, but check out the cover of this package.  If this woman walked towards me looking that blooming happy, eyes popping out of her head and nametag in full view I'd run the other way too! Now, I am in the middle of writing a rant about these resources that promote themselves by saying "Reaching out to the Un-Churched just got easier" because I think we've forgotten... or completely missed the point. this stuff only exists to continue the consumer culture within the church, the bums on seats, bubblegum theology, plastic green gospel that I am just completely sick of. And we keep selling the new and latest resource to make talking to real people easier... There's a secret that these kind of people don't want you to know, because if you knew the secret you'd stop buying the latest purpose driven, life together, indroducing god, WWJD resource that they've just packaged. Talking to people is not hard. No, it's true, I'm not joking... Just having a conversation to people is easy, you don't need a book or dvd to do it, infact it's probably easier without the "12 steps to having a conversation with a heathen."
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I'd like to introduce a couple of friends to all of you, my lovely readers... C-Change (Sea Change) is a new community in Port Adelaide, South Australia. A good friend of mine Robin Trebilcock who wrote " The Small Church at Large" (another review can be found here pdf file) and Geoff Boyce are connected to this community. Both Robin and Geoff are/were a part of the TOLLS Community in Adelaide. I've been in regular contact with the guys and am excited abotu their new direction. Geoff's been putting together a video clip for each gathering to a song that kind-of fits their theme, this week I've suggested Lauren Hill's song "Gotta Have Peace of Mind" for their service and they've picked it up and are running with it. C-Change describes them selves as: Sea ChangeA lifestyle change resulting from reviewing one's life values and finding them unsatisfying and them choosing new values that give promise and hope for the future. c-changespirit helps people discern the spirit of a sea change. See ChangeA visible demonstration of a way of life that is helpful, healing and loving within everyday personal, family and work relationships. c-changespirit spiritual exercises offer small experiences of a different life. C (for community) ChangeMaking the Port Adelaide community a place where citizens enjoy good, supportive social amenities and a healthy environment. c-changespirit puts "heart" into the process. C (for culture) ChangeEngaging in the social processes from which a renewed Port Adelaide culture will emerge from the major housing and infrastructure changes to the dockside areas. c-changespirit draws creative spirit out of the culture of Port Adelaide to help enable it to re-invent itself in an authentic, Port Adelaide way. C (for Christ) ChangePioneering new ways of relating to Jesus and experiencing Christian spirituality that can empower people to change. c-changespirit takes spirituality beyond "churchiness" and doctrinal formulas. C (for church) ChangeHelping Port Adelaide Uniting Church to engage with the lives of new generations of un-churched people and their issues. c-changespirit challenges the church to be relevant to its social setting and times. They've just launched their new website http://www.c-changespirit.org/
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So, after an interesting Friday night I awoke Saturday to do a training activity with Children's ministry leaders in the area. Dismal turnout, increased levels of depression. Came home, vacuumed, washed, hung out washing, folded clothes, cleaned bathroom... yay me! 7pm came and I was already up at the Merry Muse drinking 500ml bottles of Polish Beer and vegetating until the gig started. Fred Smith was fantastic as per usual, the Canberra boy's heading to the US for a couple of years with his wife, this was his farewell gig so a large number of fans and family had come along to bid the man farewell. Fred's website has a couple of downloads, I'd encourage you to download "When she Cries," it's one of his more serious tracks but it's beautiful. Junior came on and were great, it's actually good to catch the guys at a venue where people are wanting to listen to them, the audience had paid money to hear the gig, rather than a number of noisey people who are playing pokies in a bar while they play. It was nice to hear them live again, in Adelaide I'd caught almost all their gigs since I was about 17, so they're like one of my holy places, I like touching base to centre myself. For those of you who are interested, the set list included (not in order)... Long Way To Go Mercy Road Secret Life Tonight Saturday Morning Sad But It's True Maybe She's in the Next Town The Shame of Going Back (With Fred Smith) Love Up Ahead Fall Down Perfect Skin Robert She's On My Mind Weather Girl Lyrics can be found on their website: http://www.junioronline.net/They were in fine form, Justin babbling about road trips and tours and the strange people they meet on the way. The guys are great but that little voice that most people have in the back of their heads that screams DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER when approached by a strange drunken man on the street is pretty much non-existent in each of the lads. this leads to a number of crackerjack stories. After they all stopped playing I was having a conversation with Ped, Danny and AJ (Andy was playing Bass) and a couple of people I'd met at the gig while Justin and a few others were mugged by people asking for signatures on cds and yadda yadda. This is when three girls who had been sitting in the front came up and asked Justin, Danny and Ped to autograph their jacket, their cigarette packet and their shoe... Apparently they're musical groupies and tend to stalk all musicians indiscriminately. they spoke of being able to hug John Butler, giving Fred Smith their numbers... When the girl with the shoe asked me to sign her shoe I was thrown back, all I'd done during the night was talk to strangers n drink beer. I suggested that It'd be weird, and when she went all teary and said that she'd really like me to sign it. I drank from my beer again, laughed and looked at Ped and Danny, Danny laughed and handed me the pen and so I did. Somewhere in Canberra today there's a young, attractive and slightly weird woman (Bec) walking around with my signature on her shoe... The night ended around 1ish with me hugging Ped night and heading home for a microwave chicken roll and another beer or two before remembering that daylight savings started and It was actually 3am, not 2am.... ( Photos from the Junior Gig: )
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I think that it should be a non-negotionable that the UN send in Peace Keepers to assist with the democratic process in the USA prior to, during and imediately after each US Election. It's quite obvious that this isn't really a democratic election at all and that they need serious help to allow the voting process to go smoothly.... Tens of thousands of postal ballots have gone missing in the state of Florida, sparking fresh fears of irregularities in the US poll campaign.
Authorities are investigating the apparent loss of 58,000 absentee forms in Broward County while officials have said replacements are being sent out.
Controversy over the vote in Florida in 2000 delayed the national result.
With five days until the poll, the presidential candidates are focusing their campaigns in crucial states.
The accepted wisdom is that whoever wins two out of the three states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida will win the election, the BBC's Rob Watson in Washington says.
The latest opinion polls suggest that the race in all three is still fairly close, our correspondent adds.
For the fourth day, Mr Kerry held the president responsible on Thursday for 350 metric tons of explosive missing in Iraq.
"The commander-in-chief is not getting his job done," the Democrat said.
Mr Bush hit back, saying John Kerry was "the wrong man for the wrong job at the wrong time". Full Article: LinkCurrenttly Feeling:  nauseated
Currently Listening To: Eat the menu - Always
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punchdrunk's journal
Previous Entries
exhausted
Someone asked for photos of the car post-accident. Unfortunately I failed to remember that I had the camera in the boot at the time of the incident so am missing photos of the car that hit me... tust me, their car was worse off than mine, but still I'd prefer the whole thing to not have happened :(
angry
