Monday, November 29, 2004

Conversation Overheard

8 year old: Enjoy being a kid before you are an adult
5 year old response: I want to be a boy so I don't have to have babies


Posted by: Jethro | 9:21 PM |

Sunday, November 28, 2004

Church Governance

Well I didnt receive the 75% vote I needed to make it onto the church board.
I some ways I am disappointed as I had grand ideas of changes I wanted to make in church.
After talking to some people though I am more positive and happy that this is the result. Now I have the ability to take issues and ideas to the members directly without being shackled to a board that would restrict the ability to communicate ideas that it didn't agree with as a body.

Some of the 'radical' ideas I will continue to espouse in the church and will also discuss on here include:
Empowering members to minister in their local streets, places of business and extended families.
Reducing the "club mentality" that exists at church where people want a safe, "seeker sensitive" environment to come to. For me these words are excuses for them not actually facing the confronting message that is the gospel and ignoring the fact that their unsaved friends and family are going to hell without their direct internvention.

To this end I will continue my existing efforts to teach and mentor young people in the area of envagelism and reaching out to their friends, and continue to explore the models of sub church culture that are vehicles for these types of empowered ministries to occur within.
Complacency is the Enemy of Achievement. (I made that up!)

So for those who have come here looking for emerging church stuff and living proof christianity recently and found a paucity, sorry, but I have found myself rather unwillingly shackled by this whole process of board nomination and acceptance.

The gloves are off now. Back to examining church as its done today and why its not relevant to 90% of Australians (there is a connection there!) and what we can do different to change that.


Posted by: Jethro | 4:29 PM |

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Photos of Ukraine Election Protests

Jono has posted some pictures of the Ukraine Election Protests in Kiev.
Check them out.
I hope this doesn't turn into a civil war.
It appears America may get involved. Articles from New York Times and the San Diego Union Tribune indicate Colin Powell's involvement.
Yushchenko's supporters have started a national strike.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:38 PM |

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Ukraine Elections

My brother Jono is in Kiev right now. or Kyiv to spell it the Ukranian way. The elections there are crazy. I am hearing so much on the radio over here in Australia. ABC News Article.
Jono has posted some information about the elections and as I was chatting with him on MSN earlier he said he was going to try and get some pictures up later.
Check out his perspective on the elections firsthand.


Posted by: Jethro | 11:24 PM |

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Urban Space update

I have stopped procrastinating and am trying to reach the 50,000 word mark by the end of November.
Today I got a few thousand words done and am up to 17,217. Way behind but I am working on catching up.
Chapter 14 and Chapter 15 are now posted up.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:19 PM |

Away and reading blogs

I am currently travelling away again.
Here are some of my favorite blogs I read when on the road.
Maybe you know these guys maybe you don't. Feel free to drop in and tell them I sent ya.
The Cursed Juggler
The Knight of Blogging
The Marathon Runner
The Crazy Lady
The American Fish in the Insane Fishbowl called England
The Wife of Mike
The Preacher
The Honest Housewife
The Novelist
The Doting Grandma

and last but not least my favourite wife.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:36 PM |

Schizophrenia?

Something I wrote several years ago as I contemplated my mental state.

I continuously scan all channels – audio, visual, oral, touch, all sensory faculties at constant alert, my mind is in overload and burning out – I feel as if I cannot record any more information in my memory, whether RAM or ROM or Cerebral. – I am like the archivalist of time, forced by circumstances to record every second of time, all significant events, monotonously like a stenographer in a court room, drowning out all external influences and thoughts - only I do not have that luxury of singlemindedness, I must catch hold of the seemingly insignificant nuances of life, the trouser tugging of a toddler, the eye catching smile of an infant, the underlying smouldering desire of a loving partner and friend.
I am aware of several simultaneous threads of thought and conversations happening, both with other people, and mostly myself. I talk to several alter egos at a time. If that is the clinical definition of schizophrenia, then maybe I am, but I don’t think it is and therefore by my own definitions I am not, but I digress. (Editor’s note: Troy always says I digress and I know I do it but he puts up with it if it contributes and doesn’t tell me to f@#k off)


Posted by: Jethro | 7:30 PM |

Sunday, November 21, 2004

The woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8

I have always loved the story in John chapter 8:1-11.
It tells of a woman caught in adultery brought to Jesus for judegement. It was actually a test or trap for Jesus set by the pharisees, but it backfired on them.
Real Live Preacher has dramatised ths story in two parts. Part 1 and Part 2
He makes it very poignant and real.
To me this story tells me that God is the only Judge that matters, not man as we are all sinners.
In this case Jesus forgives the woman, and instructs her to go and change her life.
We are all given that opportunity, but not always do we choose to take it.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:14 AM |

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Photo Friday Patterns

Photo Friday challenge Patterns


Posted by: Jethro | 1:33 PM |

Friday, November 19, 2004

What a week this has been!

I have had a HUGE week.
In the last 7 days I have gone to an animal farm with the kids,

run the Grand Final KROSTech LAN for 2004, gone to church, finished updating the church web site and gone live, worked for clients for 3 days, worked on finances and web development stuff 1 day, edited, altered and finessed the church budget for 2005, done 2 exploratory meetings with potential new business partners, coordinated a series of meetings (to start next week) between one of my major clients and a software company whose products I think will benefit them, played running races with Jadeen and Erin, attended a Girls Brigade Nativity Play, taken Miranda to basketball and played basketball myself, hosted home group (at least I didnt have to prepare the talk this time as we watched a video on Ian McCormack's Near Death Experience) watched two movies with my wife, eaten 5 icecreams, drunk 3 cokes, 4 vanilla cokes, 2 XS, 3 Gatorade, 3 Bundaberg Ginger beer, 2 Kirks Dry Ginger Ale, 1 Solo, 2 coffees, 1 iced coffee, 1 rose and mango tea, some milk, apple juice and a lot of water, killed 3 large cockroaches, emptied the paddling pool and refilled it twice, fed my fish 4 times, written 1,900 words in my novel, written the longest sentence on my web site ever (this one), published 20 blog posts on various blogs, and my brain is struggling to remember the rest...

I have also read a bunch of others web sites but havent had time to make comments, I will get around all my normal ones over this next week and say hi.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:22 AM |

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Urban Space Update

I have completed Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 in my MaNoWriMo Novel.
I am a fair way behind at 14,850 words but next week while I am travelling I will have a fair bit of time for writing.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:06 AM |

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Follow up to Child Porn Arrests

I recently posted some information regarding Operation Auxin that resulted in over 200 arrests relating to child pornography in Australia. 4 people already have committed suicide over this, rather than face the wrath of the other crims inside jail. "Rock Spiders" are dealt with very harshly by other criminals.
Reverend Dr Gordon Moyes writes a compelling article against the evil that child porn is.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:33 AM |

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Battlefield 1942 Desert Combat and Warcraft 3 and Moto GP2

The Grand Final of the LAN was a huge success.
Our team lost - narrowly as it happened. SO we were runners up - but it was a fantastic night.
Battlefield 1942 Desert Combat we could have won had we had a couple of extra players, we were playing with three less than the other team. In Warcraft we got our butts kicked, and in Moto GP2, we would have also been beaten. Because by that time we had already lost the final we just played a 'friendly' game!

V8 Supercars and Insane Racing along with UT 2004 were also fun games.

I am completely ready for bed.
Good night!


Posted by: Jethro | 1:50 AM |

Saturday, November 13, 2004

Things I need to do today

Write 8,771 words for my NaNoWriMo novel Urban Space.
Pack up the PC's in 1 hours time and take them to the LAN I am running today.

Maybe I can write while the others are playing games....


Posted by: Jethro | 8:24 AM |

Friday, November 12, 2004

Urban Space Update for NaNoWriMo

I have fallen behind my required word count - though I hope to rectifiy that soon.
Currently 12,900 words. so I am quarter of the way through.

Chapter 11 posted today.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:37 AM |

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Snowflakes are like Farts...

Courtesy of the Sandman on SBS tonight.
"Farts are like Snowflakes - they are all different!"


Posted by: Jethro | 11:15 PM |

Osama Bin Ladens Recent Speech on Aljazeera

I have just finished reading the transcript of Osama Bin LAden's speech as published on Aljazeera.
I would recommend all Americans, Australians and British people read it.
Understand the man's intentions and motives and maybe research the interviews he had with various journalists as referred to in the speech.

While I think I understand his point of view, I still believe that the war on Iraq was necessary from the perspective of removing Saddam Hussein but I don't see the ongoing conflictit as necessary.
I have understood economically all along that the "war on terror" in both Afghanistan and Iraq has actually been about control of oil resources. In fact the war on Iraq was primarily started because the USA lost control of Afghanistan's oil to the Russians when the Northern Alliance jumped in ahead of them. Specifically control of pipe lines from the Caspian Sea. (World Press has some great articles about this.)

Any economic student of the Austrian school of thought understands that the massive expansion of the money supply will eventually end in collapse.
How soon before America bankrupts itself and thuis achieves Osama's goal. I have read articles in Time magazine suggesting the same thing. Already its dollar has weakened, and the war is a necessary economic (although artificial and temporary) attempt to boost a failing economy. However it cannot be sustained and the inevitable collapse after the war ends could result in hundreds of thousands of job losses, massive hikes in interest rates and spiralling inflation.

All that said and done I don't condone Osama's use of violence, but I think I maybe see his point of view.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:54 AM |

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Sub in a Hurry - Geeks Rule!

Sometimes its very rewarding being a geek.

I just ordered my sub from Subway using their online ordering system. I then drove down to the store to pick it up.
The store was full and there were 8-10 people in line. I was able to go straight past them all to the cashier and pay for my sub (which had been made already) and go, before the next person in line had even been served. The dirty looks I got were worth it!

Geeks rule!


Posted by: Jethro | 1:03 PM |

NaNoWriMo update

Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 posted.
I am behind (due to not doing anything last weekend)
Currentlly at 11,700 words and I need to be at 16,667 by end of the 10th of November.
I guess I will be writing lots later on today - now I am going to bed!


Posted by: Jethro | 1:10 AM |

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Fashion Model and other activities

I am a real busy boy right now.
Still I took some time out on Sunday to be a fashion model.



Actually my wife made me go shopping and update my polo shirt collection. I also took the opportunity to grab a new pair of pants and a singlet for basketball. 30% off sales are great!
Then she made me model them for her. Notice the really cool fashion model stance. I thinking about quitting the day job and heading for the runway! (That is also a geniune halo above my head not a wall light)

Lots of other stuff on as well, church functions, web site development for myself, church and clients as well as normal client work and now I need to write some more of my novel Urban Space.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:14 PM |

Phonics and other literary stuff

We home school our 4 children. Actually only 1 right now, with the second starting officially next year, though she is currently starting her ABC's. Even the 3 year old gets involved in this process.
We use the phonics method and use the School of Tomorrow curriculum supported by the Australian Christian Academy.
An article that backs up our choice for this method of learning to read over the whole language approach was printed in The Age 8 November

The article cited a sudy here in Brisbane that returned a result of more than half the teachers and final-year trainee teachers questioned didn't know what a syllable is.

The scary part is this isn't new. "Why Johnny Can't Read" and "Why Johnny Still Can't Read" were published in 1955 and 1983 and explain why the whole language approach doesn't work.
The Reading and Language Arts Centre posts an excellent article about it also.
What does it take for the national education system to be changed? Maybe its when enough parents remove their kids from the badly performing public schools.


Posted by: Jethro | 11:03 AM |

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Urban Space Update

Powering on in the writing department.
So far 10,500 words.
Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 are posted.


Posted by: Jethro | 1:40 AM |

Thursday, November 04, 2004

Urban Space Novel Update

I have completed Chapter 4, Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 and posted them. Over 8,100 words so far!


Posted by: Jethro | 7:00 PM |

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Urban Space Chapters 2 and 3

I have completed Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 and posted them. Over 5,000 words so far!


Posted by: Jethro | 6:59 AM |

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Dr Octopus

Dr Octopus


Posted by: Jethro | 11:01 PM |

Monday, November 01, 2004

Shocking Child Pornography Ring Arrests

Latest news in this case is that already 6 men in Australia have committed suicide in relation to being charged or questioned over this.

I am not going to really comment on this one - but will post a few links to news sites.

For the record, I am totally against child pornography in all forms. This whole thing disgusts me. However I do feel sad for the innocent families of the people involved. They will probably suffer for the crimes of their relatives, and that is not fair on them. It is also sad for those whose fathers and husbands have committed suicide over this rather than face their punishment like men. Maybe because they weren't men - but animals to have involved themsleves in this debauchery to start with.

Able2know
News Channel 34
The Australian
Fairfax Digital
The New Zealand Herald
ABC News Online

Four suicides follow Australian child porn swoop
Reuters
October 04, 2004, 11:55 BST
After 200 arrests and 2,000 charges being brought over child porn offences in Australia last week several of those implicated have since taken their own lives

Four Australian men have committed suicide after being caught up in an investigation into child Internet pornography that has resulted in more than 200 people being arrested and charged with 2,000 offences, police said on Saturday.

Justice Minister Chris Ellison said 700 Australians were now under investigation in the country's biggest child pornography crackdown and up to 500 people could eventually be arrested. "It's regrettable that four people, the subject of charges, have taken their own lives," Ellison told reporters. "But this investigation is an extremely important one in dealing with criminal activity which deals with the violation of innocent children," Ellison said. "This will not deter, in any way, the investigation."

The four men, one in Western Australia state, two in Victoria state and one in Queensland state, killed themselves after being interviewed by police. Two had been charged with pornography offences.

Police launched Australia's biggest child pornography crackdown on Thursday, raiding 400 premises and arresting hundreds, including police, teachers, clergy and a child-care centre owner. Those arrested in Operation Auxin face charges ranging from sexual abuse, to downloading and distributing pornographic images to child sex tourism. More arrests are expected, say police.

A 46-year-old electrician was found dead in his car at his home in Bunbury in Western Australia on Friday after he failed to appear in court earlier in the day. He had been charged with three counts of possessing child pornography. "His body was discovered by a friend who was concerned for his welfare," a Western Australia state policeman said. "From what we can ascertain so far, it appears he has died by his own hand as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning," he said.

In the southern state of Victoria, a prison guard's body was found in his car on Friday after he was interviewed by police a day earlier, said local media. Another man's body was found in Victoria after being interviewed by police. "Victoria Police can confirm that two men have died after being the subject of separate police inquiries," a spokeswoman said. "One man had been spoken to in relation to Operation Auxin. Neither man had been formally charged with any offences."

In the tropical northern state of Queensland, a former police officer facing 46 charges related to child abuse computer games, was found dead last month in the first phase of the child Internet pornography investigation, Queensland police said. "There were no suspicious circumstances," a police spokeswoman said Saturday. The officer was relieved of his duties in June when the pornography allegations first emerged. The day before he killed himself, he was ordered to appear in court to face 46 charges.

The Australian child Internet pornography crackdown stems from a US investigation in February that produced 95,000 child pornography leads worldwide, say Australian police. Police say US authorities, mainly the US Customs Service, called a meeting with Interpol in February and revealed Internet child pornography mainly from Belarus in eastern Europe.

Australian police have yet to examine 400 computers and other material seized in 400 raids in the past week. Police said some people arrested had child pornography libraries with more than 250,000 images collected over three decades and what appeared to be home studios designed to produce child pornography. Dozens of those arrested have appeared in court, including a male Sydney school teacher who faced 22 child pornography charges that include setting up a video camera behind a mirror in a school changing room to film young girls undressing.


Posted by: Jethro | 10:08 PM |

Urban Space Chapter 1

I have posted chapter 1 of my novel Urban Space.
So far 2,156 words. 47,844 to go!
Part of the NaNoWriMo Challenge.


Posted by: Jethro | 8:50 PM |