A bit like Hobart all grown up
03 July 2013
I've always said that San Francisco feels like a grown up version of Hobart. When I say “grown up” I mean bigger. I really liked that San Francisco’s “bigness”, hasn't come at the expense of it’s eclectic charm. Population wise it’s around eight hundred thousand... Hobart at about two hundred thousand, means we’re not really in the same league. That said, it did feel uncannily like Hobart.
I visited San Francisco three years ago and I loved it, in fact it’s my favourite big city. I’m not really sure why I fell in love with the place. Perhaps it was a welcome relief, after spending time in the characterless stink and heat of Los Angels. Perhaps it was the mix of European and American Architecture. Perhaps it was the hipster cafes, and minimal Walmart and Brittany Spears boringness. Maybe it was that I had a couple of mates to show me around, visiting the most expensive car dealerships you can think of...
...But back to the similarities. Hobart and San Francisco both have a lush cool climate. Both have lots of hills and greenness. Both are politically progressive or "left wing". Politically Hobart (or Denison) is one of the most left leaning seats in Australia. San Francisco is seen as a “Centre for Liberalism in America”, at least according to Wikipedia.
In both places the natural environment and landscape features prominently in peoples mindset. In San Francisco the beautiful whips and flow of fog surrounds the Golden Gate Bridge in early morning and evening. In Hobart we have the Bridgewater Jerry. I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between the two following videos.
This video below is taken from the Marin Headland in San Francisco. I can promise you it’s as hauntingly beautiful in real life as it is in the video below, even in the mist of the traffic and tourists. Visiting it felt a little like making a pilgrimage. That said my attempt to cross the bridge on foot was thwarted by a heavily pregnant wife and young child who seemed intent on throwing a tantrum and herself off the bridge.
While watching I couldn’t help but be reminded of this video below. It’s a time-lapse taken from Hobart’s Mount Wellington looking at Ryoji Ikeda’s Spectra (part of the recent dark MOFO festival in Hobart).
I love both San Francisco and Hobart and I think you’d have to agree there are some pretty neat similarities. If you ever get to visit Americaland make sure you go to San Francisco you won’t regret it. It’s a bit like Hobart but all grown up.
tags linkage, thinking, travel, video
Yes I play the drums
13 April 2013
“You play Drums?!... Really I had no idea!”
This is usually the reaction when people find out I play the drums. I love playing the drums. When I say drums I mean kit. I’ve never owned one and am entirely self taught, although I’ve had some tips along the way. I started playing when I was at school and was taking flute lessons (which I hated). When I finished school and after five years of lessons I sold my flute and have not played since. Drumming has stayed with me. Whenever I've had an opportunity I've played and practiced.
In early Crossroads Church music days, I can remember playing with four or five of us bashing out tunes, focusing on “getting thorough song” without mistakes. These days music at Crossroads is much better. We’re more focused on thinking about how we can make the music we sing (and I play) at church better. This means we spend time actually thinking about how to arrange our music. Working out who will play when, where, why and how.
As a drummer I’ve noticed it’s easy to get bogged on technical stuff and showing off cool new beats or solos. While this may show technical brilliance and how awesome you are, often it doesn’t actually serve the song or arrangement. As Anthony Rochester has said to me many times “Just play a straight eight!” Sometimes simplest is the best.
Below are a couple of videos with arrangements of older songs which I really like. I enjoy them because of the way they build toward a climax very gradually. I also like the way the drumming serves the overall arrangement.
tags church, linkage, music, video
The Reason for God
10 April 2013
I don’t post links for many Christian things these days unless I actually think they are actually REALLY worth watching. So it’s in this context that I’m posting this video. Dr Tim Keller was invited to to speak at Google as part of Authors at Google talks back in 2008.
He was asked to speak on the reasons for belief in God. The video goes for just over an hour but the last 20 minutes or so are questions and answers. It’s well worth a watch especially if you don’t believe in God or necessarily sign up to Christian belief. He addresses why this is in his first point. Let me give you a taster summary for his talk.
- Why the reasons for God are important.
- How the reasons for God work.
- What the reasons for God are.
What ever your stripe you will enjoy this... at least what the Google employees are wearing at 54 minutes in.
tags christian, christians i respect, thinking, video
Love, relationships and other stuff
13 March 2013
The ABC does reality TV much better than the commercial channels. When I watch I don’t feel feel like I’m being patronised and having advertising shoved down my throat every second of the program.... Which brings me to Making Couples Happy a four show series that has just finished on the ABC (although you can still catch it on iView). The premise of the show is to counsel struggling couples and seek to improve overall happiness in their relationships. The show had some great one liners. I won’t detail them here but it’s definitely worth watching for that alone.
I’ve enjoyed it because it’s helped me think about my relationships. I found that it held a mirror up to some of my own behaviors showing the effects of engrained ways of thinking and acting. As the show went on I increasingly identified with some of the subjects.
One of the more helpful things was to do with Five Love Languages. If you haven’t heard or read about them before, it pays to check that Wikipedia link out. The basics are pretty simple and you don’t need to read the book to glean very helpful information, and while it’s a Christian-ish book, the principles are secular and universally helpful regardless of what you believe.
In short everyone has one of five different love languages. The theory goes that your personal love language is the the one that you use by default when interacting with others. For example my love language is Words of Affirmation, therefore in my relationships I offer words of affirmation to others.
The problems begin when (for example) my wife’s language is Physical Touch. So where I keep telling her I love her (words) she just wants me to give her a hug. On the flipside she just gives me hugs when I need to hear her say she loves me. Therefore when it comes to showing our love we actually miss each other entirely. Finding this out for the first time was a revelation. I can still remember thinking back over my past relationships and realising for the first time why some of them had hit the proverbial fan.
I’ve also found this sort of stuff doesn’t just apply to “partner” style relationships but relationships in general. To best express appreciation for a colleague friend or student it’s sometimes worth making sure you’re speaking their "love language"... of course you need to be careful here.
To summarise I found both the Five Love Languages and Making Couples Happy series very helpful. And you dear reader, might just find it helpful too.
1 year on
26 June 2008
Christine and I celebrate one year of marriage today. I love her more and more as each day passes I thought for the occasion that I'd dig this little beauty out of my archive of videos. Enjoy.
tags christine, linkage, shameless self promotion, video
I'm having...
18 April 2008
...computer problems. If you are really nerdy you can check these out.
tags shameless self promotion, video
NTE Day 5
06 December 2007
And of course Day 5. I forgot to mention that I did have a video planned for Day 4 but it didn't eventuate.
I think it's time to give up video blogging when I'm so tired. I seem quite hazy in this one.
Please keep all of us up here in your prayers as we truck out the rest of Mission here back in Sydney.
tags christian, focus, ministry, shameless self promotion, video
NTE Day 4
I getting more and more tired in these videos... sheesh I look wrecked.
tags christian, focus, ministry, shameless self promotion, video
NTE Day 2
05 December 2007
I should add NTE began on Saturday morning and finished this morning... Oh and I've obviously been without the internet while there. More to come...
tags christian, focus, ministry, shameless self promotion, video
NTE Day 1
A Video Blog...
tags christian, focus, ministry, shameless self promotion, video
Hot Tub*
12 November 2007
Part of the new look FOCUS will be having Committee meetings that rock. Today was no exception as you can see from the photos. We spent time looking over 2007 student year, learned the history of Christian student groups, examined the new Mission and Strategy document, and looked at some very exciting plans for 2008 and of course there was the...
There are more shocking photos on facebook as well.
We also looked at a video to introduces us to our new associate staff worker Luke Hansard... it's worth a look for Shem's guest appearance.
*Thanks to the Denholms for use of their house and hot tub.
tags christian, focus, ministry tips, pictures, video
VB
01 November 2007
Very very clever
Just what you need...
23 October 2007
tags shameless self promotion, video
The Easter linebacker
16 September 2007
If you thought this was funny you'll love this video.
Jesus all about life...
22 August 2007
*Edit*
The Jesus all about life V8 racing ute... I'm not kidding
If you haven't heard about the Jesus all about life campaign I imagine you will very soon. I've been doing some poking around their website and I'll post some thoughts some time soon.
In the meantime here are their youtube videos for Youth... and Family... and if you're in your Mid Life...
But the most interesting stuff is in the small print to be read (here) and downloaded (here).
tags christian, linkage, ministry, video
What FOCUS really needs
13 August 2007
tags christian, focus, linkage, video
If you love/hate myspace...
08 June 2007
... you'll love my mate Mark's myspace video. It's very very funny (see here).
Eurovison 07 the movie...
14 May 2007
... staring Pipi
Think before you post...
18 April 2007
Happy Easter... march of the Penguins
08 April 2007
Happy Easter to everyone out there.
Thankyou to all my readers for their continued support and for commenting on my blog. For God's glory
Now enjoy this video a nice short one too...
(Cheers to Seumas for the link)
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