Silence

If we practiced silence a little bit more, when we did speak we'd have something to say - John Skinner

The Brightest Colour

The brightest colour upon his palette is of no use to the artist if he refuses to blend with the others. - Hugh Redwood

They Stood Up For Love

Naked lovers feel the blood beneath their veins
Electric nerves communicate
With tiny explosions through our brains
Who is this energy that never left or came?
Give rise to passion the only glory
Of this human story

I give my heart and soul to the one

We spend all of our lives goin' out of our mind
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
Even scientists say, everything is just light
Not created, destroyed but eternally bright
Masters in everytime lord in every place
Those who stood up for love and in spite of the hate
In spite of the hate

Who put the flower in the barrel of that gun?
Who lit the candle, started the fire,
Burnt down the fortress, the throne?
Who could house all the refugees in a single shack
Or a lowly bungalow?
Who lives in a different dimension, free from the
Struggles we know?

I give my heart and soul to the one

We spend all of our lives goin' out of our mind
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
Even scientists say everything is just light
Not created, destroyed but eternally bright
Masters in everytime lord in every place
Those who stood up for love and in spite of the hate
We spend all of our lives goin’ out of our mind
They live in the light

We made it to the moon
But we can't make it home
Waitin’ on a rescue that never comes
Made it to the moon
But we can't make it home
Maybe home is where the heart is given up
To the one, to the one

We spend all of our lives goin' out of our mind
Lookin' back to our birth, forward to our demise
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our mind
They live, they

They stood up for love
Stood up for love
Stood up for love
They stood up for love
Stood up for love
Stood up for love

We spend all of our lives goin' out of our mind
Masters in everytime
We spend all of our lives goin' out of our mind
Stood up for love

Jesus Culture - Consumed

After Daybreak: The Liberation of Belsen, 1945

On April 15, 1945, the first British tanks entered Bergen-Belsen. Inside the concentration camp were piles of dead bodies and 60,000 people--more than half of them Jewish survivors of the Nazi Final Solution. They were still clinging to life and crying out to be saved. Shephard, a documentary filmmaker and historian, notes that it fell to the British to help them. This book is about how they responded to that challenge. He observes that the role played by 96 volunteers from London medical schools who were sent to the camp was lauded, but when historians looked at this event again in the 1990s, they noticed several disturbing elements. Why did it take so long (almost two weeks) to organize a proper medical response? Why were the medical teams sent to the camp so poorly equipped, with only aspirin and opium, and no surgical instruments and anesthetics? Above all, was it inevitable that nearly 14,000 people should die thereafter it was liberated? The answers, Shephard writes, can be found in contemporary military records, diaries, and the testimony of survivors. He concludes that it is a moving story of brotherhood, a sad tale of human frailty, and an illuminating case study. Sixty years later, the author offers readers a precise sense of what went on in the camp day by day. He believes that Bergen-Belsen should be remembered not simply for the evil perpetrated there but for the humane and life-affirming work that was done.

Dude, That's Freaking Awesome

Light Brigade

I’ve just finished reading Light Brigade, an action paked graphic novel that is part Nazi (almost) Zombie, part World War Two action and part angelic (both types) battle. Needless to say it’s theologically wayward, but does come up with some interesting themes for you to ponder.

There’s a war in Heaven, and Earth is the battleground! A ragtag squad of WWII G.I.s must recover the mysterious Sword of God, a heavenly artifact coveted by angels, demons, and Nazis! From Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS, THE OUTSIDERS) and Peter Snejbjerg (STARMAN), the co-creators of THE MIGHTY!

Why Worship?

Ok, so I've got my cynicism back in full force, and why not? It is Sunday after all! One thing that most of the churches I've ever been to does the same every Sunday is to play at least one worship song after the sermon.

Why do they do that? Is there some theological reasoning behind it?

Is it the only way we can leave church feeling good?

It wasn't an issue for me this week, but last week the Pastor preached a really interesting sermon, something I would have liked to ponder. But noooo, the only thing I had on my mind after leaving church was the inane words to Israel Houghton's Friend of God;

I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God
He calls me friend

He calls me friend? All I could think of on the way home was - is that really Biblical? Does it say anywhere in the Bible that God wants to be our friend, or is that just some modern feel good wishy washy watered-down theology?

What was it that the Pastor spoke on? I just can't remember.

That's Retarded.

Sexpedia Price Promise

Ok, so just what kind of holidays is this travel company trying to sell.... $EXPEDIA....

Responsibility

"In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a president, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home." - Barack Obama

Paint it BLACK!

How Busy Are You?

Hidden Violence

Happy Valentines Day

Nerds in the Blue Helmets.

Stoning

Be Optimistic

Kids Shouldn't Watch Too Much TV

We're All Gonna Die

Frank found beauty in urban decay (as do I) but I also find beauty in the diversity of the human race, as captured in Simon Høgsberg's new project; We're All Gonna Die.

Wii Fail

Whilst it does look a little funny, after a little contemplation, it does look awfully fake...

Lego. For Adults.

Model Auckland

Tilt-shift miniature faking is a process in which a photograph of a life-size location or object is manipulated so that it looks like a photograph of a miniature scale model. By distorting the focus of the photo, the artist simulates the shallow depth of field normally encountered with macro lenses making the scene seem much smaller than it actually is. Many miniature faked photographs are taken from a high angle to further simulate the effect of looking down on a miniature. Not all photos make good source material for faking as you can see by some of my images above.

World War 2 photos are even less suitable, as you can see here.

The effect looks better if you click on the images to make them bigger.

Never Too Early.

Slumdog Millionaire

We are happy to inform you that you have emerged a winner under the First
Category of our promotion , Winners were picked by computerized system,
drawn from companies and individuals e-mail addresses worldwide. The draws
are officially announced 12th of January,2009. You have being there fore
been awarded a lump sum of 1000,000.00(One Million Euros) which is the
winning pay out for Category A winners.

NOTE: For easy reference and identification,find below your Reference
Number, Batch numbers, Ticket Number. Remember to quote these numbers in
your correspondence to our claim Department and also the following
information's. Ticket Number: 640/0213, REFERENCE NUMBER: 4034/8161/04,
BATCH NUMBER: 15/011/765.

Please contact Sponsor Lotterij Claim department with your winning
information's immediately for due processing and remittance of your prize
money to your designated account of your choice:

1) Your Name:
2) Tel. Number:
3) Full Email Address:
4) Your Nationality:
5) Ticket Number:
6) Reference Number:
7) Batch NUMBER:

Mr.Erwin Broek.
Tel: 0031-651-781-312.
FAX: 0031-847-323-655.

REPLY TO THIS EMAIL:
Emails: claimoffice2009@gmail.com

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs.Berg Lucy.
(Public Relation Officer)

The Rabbit Knows Too Much

Bullets and Rice

Favourite Things Friday

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the best First Person Shooter ever. Period. No arguments. My XBox live time is split between this game - released in 2007 - and GRID which was released late last year. Admittedly, without the online play I would have traded it in a while back!

Ashamed of our own Nakedness

Condemnation is the fuel of modern western society, it's the driving force of who we are. It's propagated by the media and driven into our homes by our self embraced consumerist culture. We are condemned for being too fat, for wearing the wrong cloths for having an old car, for owning the wrong computer. Condemnation is what drives us to become consumers, but consuming only makes us more ashamed of who we are.

Why do we continually believe the lies that created us to be ashamed of our own nakedness?

Favourite Things Friday

Ok, so I'm going to try and keep this blog up dated a little more, and what better way then the challenge of Favourite Things Friday? So first up is an essential part of my nerdy/geekyness, Flames of War wargaming (and modeling and painting!).

Hat tip to Dee for the Favourite Things Friday concept!

To live.

The word living, when spoken rightly, carries with it a hint of anger, a sense of awe. To live is a courageous act.

And I find it kind of funny...

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World
Mad world
Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad World
Mad World
Enlarging your world
Mad World.

Can you guess what movie I watched tonight?