symondrake

Goodbye Blogger, hello Wordpress!

2010-01-03T20:04:00.002+13:00

This is my last ever official post on Blogger. I have made the jump (and what an exhausting, frustrating jump it was) to using the Wordpress.org platform. You can visit it on: www.symondrake.com.

Please, please take the time to update your 'blogs I follow' list with the updated URL, as blogger doesn't do it automatically.

It's gonna take some time to get it looking right - so please be patient. In the meantime I will be continuing to post all the regular blogging goodness you've come to expect from me ;-)

God bless

Syms

Burton's evolution of musical taste

2009-12-21T22:59:00.001+13:00

Being a child of the 70's my taste in music was influenced by my older siblings - Disco Europop.

Abba

The 80's started with a bang, and like most kids my age I whittled away many a Saturday cradling my poor-man's 'Ghetto Blaster' listening to Casey Kasem's American Top 40.

Too many classics to mention but one band pretty much sums it up:

A-Ha

The 90's began, and so did my guitar playing. Overnight it seemed my taste in music matured from cheesy pop to Christian heavy metal...

King's X

King's X would still be one of my favourite bands if it weren't for their public turning away from the Christian faith.

Someone must have been praying for me during this time because folk music started to be played on my system more and more...

Keith Green

During the 90's and early 2000's because of my loathing of 'artificial music', I simply refused to listen to, let alone buy any band that featured a keyboardist. One band caused me to repent of my syth-descrimination...

Delirious

The early 2000's showcased some simply amazing New Zealand guitar driven worship - which I might add, has shaped my music style permanently. Props to Dean Rush (Form), Bruce Conlon (Eight), Brian Platt (Solace), and Mark Bourgeois (Elephant). Amazingly, all of the above attended the same church in Auckland.

Eight

One band has dominated my stereo in recent years: David Crowder Band (which genuine Christian isn't a fan of him?)

David Crowder Band

2010 is just around the corner, and where is my taste in music heading? I'm not too sure, but thanks to a good friend of mine, my latest musical purchase is reminiscent 80's disco synthpop.

Owl City

And so, my life defined by music genres...

1970's - Disco
1980's - Pop
1990's - Christian Heavy Metal
2000's - Guitar Driven Worship
2010's - Reminiscent 80s disco synthpop???

Full circle it seems. (I don't know whether to laugh or cry ;-)

Mysterious Mr. X and the perfect body

2009-12-08T16:07:00.004+13:00

A doco screened recently which showed that only 2 women out of 60 had the 'perfect' body proportions for their size.

3% = perfect body proportions.

If only 3% of women have one, that means that 97 out of 100 have 'imperfect' body proportions (imperfect being the opposite of perfect).

97%= imperfect body proportions.

The dictionary defines the word 'imperfect' as: characterized by faults, mistakes, etc.; defective. Not good news for you ladies reading this who are in the 97%.

Good grief. Have any of you actually wondered who decided what was the perfect body shape (and what wasn't) in the first place?

Let's call him (or they) Mr. X.

Fact #1: Most people are slaves to Mr X's personal opinion.

Whoever Mr X. is, he sure wields a lot of power... Or perhaps we give him that power when we choose to believe he is right? Has anyone actually taken the time to think if Mr. X is wrong? Have we become so stupid that we absent-mindedly believe what he says without any hesitation?

Fact #2: Mr X can't make up his mind.

The 'perfect' body seems to change from generation to generation. Breasts, the waist, buttocks and legs have all been in or out of fashion. Women (and men) have subjected themselves to endless bodily transformations, ridiculous contraptions, and dangerous fads followed to force their bodies into fashionable shapes (as highlited in the book "Vanity: A Very Peculiar History")…

450BC: Lean muscular physique (Greece)
1400s: Small bust, big stomach (Europe)
1600s: Cellulite, fleshly rounded figures (Europe)
1800s: High rounded bust (Greece), Fatness & large stomachs for men (Germany)
1870s: Large backside (Western Cultures)
1900s: Wasp waist - ridged corset distorted spine's alignment (Western Cultures)
1920s: No bust - chest flattening corsets, Boyish look (Western Cultures)
1960s: Adolescent figure (Western Cultures)

How much of a hold does mysterious Mr. X have on you?

The butler's rolling pin (and 20 other differences)

2009-12-03T22:52:00.002+13:00

The clip below is extremely well done and very entertaining. I bet your bottom dollar you will view it more than once.

Anyone for a game of Cluedo?

Demi's body has been snatched

2009-11-29T21:13:00.003+13:00

A couple of posts ago, I commented on a recent magazine cover shot of Demi Moore and how her thigh was not quite the same (a photoshop blunder).

Well folks... the plot thickens. It just so happens that another image has arisen which shows perhaps that Demi's body is not Demi's body at all.

It appears that 26 year old model Anja Rubik's body has been miraculously attached to 47 year old Demi's face.

New York magazine has gone on record to say that celebrity heads are often superimposed on model's bodies for advertisements...

Invasion of the photoshop body snatchers.

How can real people compete?

An intriguing entomological experiment shows that a male butterfly will ignore a living female butterfly of his own species in favour of a painted cardboard one, if the cardboard one is big. If the cardboard one is bigger than he is, bigger than any female butterfly ever could be. He jumps the pieces of cardboard. Nearby, the real, living female butterfly opens and closes her wings in vain. (Annie Dillard, The Writing Life)

God is now the bad guy?

2009-11-25T21:13:00.010+13:00

A surefire way to put your finger on the pulse of western culture is to look at Hollywood. Movie-mongers make films that the masses are compelled to watch, and at the same time make films to influence the masses... and what we influence, we change.

CGI, action scenes and witty dialogue only goes so far. When we boil it down, it's the story that captivates, is remembered, has influence.

With that in mind let me tell you about one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2010.

Legion.

Legion in a nutshell:

CGI drenched action/horror flick where God is the bad guy, and sends his angels to destroy mankind. Meanwhile, a rebellious fallen angel decides to fight against God on behalf of mankind, and I guess saves the day.

I don't know about you, but this disturbs me.

Hollywood has the audacity to cast God as evil, and a rebellious angel (remind you of anyone?) as good...

Have we forgotten that God loves mankind so much that He sacrificed His Son for us? (John 3:16)

... or that He desperately wants all mankind to be saved? (2 Peter 3:9)

... or that Jesus came to give us life to the full, while Satan wants to destroy us? (John 10:10)

Maybe we have forgotten.

Fake flowers, butterflies and thighs

2009-11-21T09:19:00.012+13:00

I heard a great message last night about the real world. The gist of it was - how this 'real' world isn't all that real... more fake than real actually.

Plastic flowers look real from a distance, but plastic flowers will never ever be real, no matter how well crafted they are.

This world is full of plastic pleasures, pleasures which make promises they can't possibly keep... and we never learn. Promises like...

... wealth brings happiness
... extra-marital escapades bring happiness
... breast augmentation brings happiness
... power brings happiness
... meth brings happiness

Empty promises, plastic flowers. Reminds me of a quote I read once...

An intriguing entomological experiment shows that a male butterfly will ignore a living female butterfly of his own species in favour of a painted cardboard one, if the cardboard one is big. If the cardboard one is bigger than he is, bigger than any female butterfly ever could be. He jumps the pieces of cardboard. Nearby, the real, living female butterfly opens and closes her wings in vain. (Annie Dillard, The Writing Life)

What's the Demi Moore cover shot got to do with fakeness you ask? Alas, another Photoshop blunder. One of her thighs are not like the other, one of her thighs are not quite the same... (anyone else having a Sesame Street flashback right now?)

In your pursuit of happiness, please don't reject the authentic because of the well-crafted counterfeit.

Don't get sucked in... pass it on

2009-11-19T19:40:00.013+13:00

Did you know that the word gullible has been taken out of the English dictionary?

Actually no, it hasn't, but you'd be amazed at the amount of people that have responded "Really?" to that verbal statement over the years. A cheap and nasty joke I admit, but good enough entertainment nonetheless.

You'd be amazed at the amount of emails I receive weekly informing me that...

... I need to send money to fund little Maria's cancer treatment or else she will die,
... I apparently have long lost Nigerian relatives who want to give me millions of dollars,
... I must protest against the movie being made portraying Jesus as a homosexual,
... I need to pass this on to ten people or else something bad will happen to me,
... I need to pass this on to ten people and Microsoft will give me a free laptop,
... I need to have more than 8.1 children or else the Muslims will take over the world,
... I just witnessed authentic video footage of two New Zealanders getting attacked by Bigfoot,

Yadda yadda yadda

Quite frankly, responding to well-meaning (but gullible) people gets a little tiring at times.

So, let me give you the great advice I give them...

1. Don't believe everything you read.
2. Wikipedia and Youtube do occasionally tell lies.
3. Learn that www.snopes.com is your friend.

In conclusion, if you share this post this on Facebook, all your wildest dreams will come true ;-)

Revenge of the Water Buffalo

2009-11-18T16:06:00.005+13:00

Nail biting drama doesn't come any better than this folks.

Lions ambush buffalo family...
Lions catch baby buffalo...
Lions begin to eat baby buffalo...
Crocodiles steal baby buffalo from lions...
Lions steal back baby buffalo from crocodiles...
Baby buffalo's extended family seek revenge on lions...
Lions get pwned...
Baby buffalo is rescued...

Baby buffalo lives happily ever after.

Don't believe me?

The Ted Dekker challenge

2009-11-16T22:08:00.008+13:00

I've just finished yet another Ted Dekker book.

In two words... pure awesomeness.

Without any exaggeration - I wholeheartedly believe that Ted Dekker is one of the best writers currently on the planet - and it just so happens that he is a Christian.

Naysayers.. don't stop reading this post just yet...

Many of you probably think that Christian fiction authors only write second rate drivel, cheesy romance novels or cliched 300 page evangelistic tracts...

Think again.

I encourage you... no, urge you... no challenge you to read a Ted Dekker novel. Regardless if you are a follower of Christ or not, you will be impacted by many of Dekker's stories.

The man is incredibly talented - and his tales, plots, twists, messages are nothing short of brilliantly crafted and some would say divinely inspired.

One word of caution though - don't expect your average Christian romance novel.

Click here to visit Ted Dekker's website.

Click here to read reviews of Dekker's works at over at Flannelgraph.org.

Mary Poppins. Hide your children

2009-11-11T21:45:00.007+13:00

I've never seen Mary Poppins in its entirety. Parts of it have always given me the creeps.

Perhaps it's is because of the not so subtle (down right scary) imagery hidden throughout the movie. Don't be deceived by it's cute Disney musical facade with the ever so innocent Mary (fresh from singing in the Swiss alps).

Pure evil I say.

You doubt me? Watch the original trailer if you dare.

*Shudder*

Giant devil fish, rays and panic attacks

2009-11-10T12:00:00.012+13:00

Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated by rays... PaislyeJade has been terrified by them.

She remembers an obviously doctored photo in an old local surf shop of an areal view of a dingy dwarfed by the shadow of a giant manta swimming beneath it. The imagery that fuels nightmares.

In our early years of marriage we had a couple of too-close-for-comfort encounters with rays.

We were having a leisurely snorkel one afternoon at a picture-perfect inlet and I came across one rather large ray basking beside a rocky outcrop. I pointed it out to PJ and couldn't believe her courage as she she swam right up to it. It wasn't until it started looking very threatening, did PJ then proceed to have a panic attack. Courage didn't motivate her to get close up and personal with the ray that day... her mask was so fogged up that she couldn't see it, until she was almost kissing it.

On another fateful Monday morning, we had only just started a classic surf session when I noticed that the sandy floor a couple of meters below us was quite literally covered with rays. What they were doing I cannot say... basking, spawning? But it was a little unnerving. Why oh why did I point them out to an oblivious PJ? Panic attack no.2.

Alright, so we all know that rays are harmless beautiful creatures. A reassuring fact sure enough, until its believability is shattered when Google reveals pieces of trivia like...

"Simon Pierce of Queensland University's School of Biological Sciences said there were no accurate records of stingray deaths, but estimated there had been about 30 worldwide in recent years."

And of course we can't forget the late great Hunter of Crocodiles... by crikey.

Ever wanted to know how big these suckers get?

The Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research, Inc. website claims that the largest manta species 'Manta Birostris' can have a wingspan of 9.1 meters.

Maybe the photo in the surf shop was real after all.

Save the fluffy bunny!

2009-11-05T20:00:00.004+13:00

I remember dissecting a rabbit at high school... while my friend fainted. Good memories.

Now a couple of decades later, at approx 8:01pm I stumbled upon a fluffy bunny in desperate need of life-saving surgery... with only a minute to operate.

Talk about pressure.

The story has a happy ending (after three attempts). House would have been proud.

Click here to operate on fluffy bunny too ;-)

Flipper meets The Bourne Identity

2009-11-04T21:37:00.009+13:00

Before I begin on the topic at hand, please accept my humble apologies for not blogging in weeks. Family, Ministry, Renovations and having to single-handedly keep the flannelgraph site stocked with reviews (not so subtle hint ;-) is keeping me rather busy these days. But, and dare I say it... the Life and Times of Burton has a new lease of life! and a fresh makeover too.

Anyway. The International Film Festival is coming to town next week, and while most arty-farty films should be avoided like the plague, every once in a while one appears that actually looks intriguing enough to be worth the price of a ticket.

I'm thinking 'The Cove' is one of those films.

While I do think our clean, green 'save the whales and kill those who don't' philosophy has gone overboard (heh - unintentional pun), I do think the slaughter of 23,000 dolphins a year, and selling their often contaminated flesh to unsuspecting citizens is something to take notice of.

At least watch the trailer...

Halloween revisited

2009-10-17T13:15:00.002+13:00

Yep, it's that time of the year again, when young Jimmy pleads with his mum to buy him that blood-splattered-glow-in-the-dark meat cleaver on display in the toy store's window.

Halloween is 2 weeks away, and once again I'm concerned at the amount of parents encouraging their kids to participate in a celebration which has its roots in pagan devil worship.

I wonder, as Mary delights in how cute her 5-year-old daughter looks in her which's hat and broomstick, does she have any idea what that broomstick was originally used for?

Probably not.

I've spent the morning revising the Halloween origins study. It is now up to date, and relevant.

Click here to view the PDF.

Please read it through, and even if you don't agree, you will understand it's origins.

God bless.

When your head is bigger than your pelvis...

2009-10-16T10:17:00.010+13:00

PaisleyJade showed me this article (related to the above image) in the NZ Herald this morning .

The image to the left is a digitally enhanced photo of Filipa Hamilton (real-life on the right), A former Ralph Lauren model who has recently been fired because she is 'too fat'.

I pulled the following from a sermon I preached in '07 about this very thing. Sorry, can't recall the original source...

Thanks to technology, often not even the models themselves can compare to their portfolios. Increasingly, photos for print are enhanced and perfected to an astonishing degree. Not only are moles, big pores, acne and subtle facial hair erased from already pretty faces, but retouchers are routinely asked by editors and advertisers to enlarge eyes, trim normal-size ears, fill in hairlines, straighten teeth and lengthen the already-narrow necks, waists and legs of 18-year-old beauties. "We're always stretching the models' legs and slimming their thighs," says a photo retoucher who works for a high-end Manhattan agency. In some cases, hands, feet and even legs are replaced in photos when the subject’s parts don’t add up to a perfect whole.
“Sometimes I feel a little like Frankenstein,” says the retoucher, who would only speak anonymously because of the potential for professional backlash. The irony, she adds, is that the models and actresses pictured have usually already been through hours of hair styling and makeup—including body makeup—to remove the slightest blemish. Yes, you heard that right, even after all of that, a 5-foot-10, 110-pound model still does not have legs that are long or skinny enough to suit some advertisers and fashion editors.
One might argue that photo alteration has been around for eons, but what is new is the industry shift from film to digital media about four years ago. Now it's easier, faster and more routine to clean up and “perfect” faces and figures. The doctored images are now so believable that our eyes are becoming too accustomed to them. "The result is a culture of kids who are believing that unrealistic images are real and normal.

Makes you think doesn't it?

The Mair Park Bigfoot pays off

2009-10-06T17:01:00.009+13:00

Many moons ago while surfing Amazon's Listmanias I came across an author by the name of Jeremy Robinson. To cut a long story short, he was running a viral video contest to promote his new book, Pulse. I bribed my good buddy Lesmondj into spending a Saturday afternoon in the bush and what eventuated was two versions of the now infamous Bigfoot attack video (over 10,000 hits now on Metacafe and YouTube).

We won by a landslide, the closest (and only) opponent trailing by 9000ish hits (but who's counting) and I was delighted to recieve the promised books last week.

A massive THANKYOU to Jeremy Robinson for the very generous prize (and for forking out mega moolah for the postage). Please check out his site here.

And for all those dying to know how the movie magic was created, here is some Bigfoot Attack Footage trivia...

1. No, the Bigfoot wasn't real. There was more than one concerned person thinking the footage was authentic. Lesmondj and I must have the mean acting skills (and girls dig guys who have skills...).

2. The entire attack scene was done on the first take... with an imagined Bigfoot, yes imagined, not real.

3. Jon Dylan used his computer hacking skills to overlay the Bigfoot sound effects (purchased from Itunes for $1.79).

4. Apparently, the Bigfoot growls sound identical to a real Bigfoot, as one reader commented (as she deals with them on a daily basis - seriously).

5. The Mair Park Ghost legend is mostly true.

6. On the short version, Yes, the blood was real... from my nose. Don't ask.

7. The rotting bone at the cave's entrance (tedious version) was stolen from my dog.

8. Lesmondj spent the majority of the attack scene voluntarily lying in a puddle of water. The mark of a true friend.

9. There was no script.

View the short (and exhilirating) version below:

Footage of Bigfoot Attack? - Click here for more blooper videos

View the long (but informative) version below:

Behind The Shack

2009-09-18T08:44:00.004+12:00

The Shack was a story written for my six children, with no thought or intention to publish. It is as much a surprise to me as to anyone else that I am now an ‘author’. (William P. Young)

Last night I finished reading The Shack (You can read my review over at flannelgraph).

Currently (September 2009), The Shack is #2 on the NY Times bestselling paperbacks list. It debuted at #1 in mid 2008 and stayed at the top spot for 36 weeks. It has sold over 7 million copies and counting, and people are ranking it among Christan literary masterpieces like Pilgrim's Progress.

Wow.

What not many people realise, is how the book became popular...

William P. Young wrote a story about his journey with God for his children. He gave it to his close friends to read, who all thought that the story was too significant not to publish. Problem was that no Christian publisher would take it on, saying it was 'too controversial', and no secular company would publish it due to it being 'too Christian'. What did Young's friends do? They started their own publishing company of course! Windblown Media was launched and $300 was spent marketing the book. Over 7 million copies later, the rest is now history.

Imagine the joy of Young and his friends (and their wonder of God). Imagine the tears of every publisher that turned down the rights to the book. Imagine the millions of lives this book has impacted.

If you haven't already read this book (whether you have a faith in God or not), please do... it could quite possibly change your perspective of life.

(If you want to read more of the story behind The Shack, please visit William P. Young's blog.)

The Goonies and the illusive Giant Octopus

2009-09-17T13:11:00.011+12:00

In relation to a recent Facebook thread, I couldn't help but take 5 minutes out of my afternoon to write a quick post about the mysterious Goonies Octopus scene.

Back in the day (1985 to be precise), Goonies paraphernalia came out months before the release date here in NZ. The ever popular (at the time) Goonies Bubblegum Cards contained a couple of shots of the Giant Octopus scene. So, if you were anything like I was in '85 (and still am), I couldn't contain my excitement as I awaited the movie to start. The movie started and ended, there was no sign of the awesome giant octopus, I was gutted and it tarnished my view of the movie forever.

To rub salt in my wounds, at the film's conclusion, when Data (the same kid who was in Temple of Doom) is talking to the reporters, he says: "...Yeah, and the part with the octopus was really scary!"

I could have cried.

And now, thanks to the magic of Youtube, let me reveal to you, the deleted Giant Octopus scene in all it's glory. 29 years later all I have to say (once again) is... "Meh."

NZ's very own giant man-eating bird

2009-09-16T20:51:00.003+12:00

Those of us with a fascination for cryptozoology will be familiar with Americas 'Thunderbird' (giant man-eating) bird legend. Well, wouldn't you know... I Came across an extremely interesting article in this week's NZ Herald about New Zealand's very own man-eating bird with a 3-meter wingspan and talons as big as tiger's claws that terrorised the early Maori.

Now if that's not worthy of a blog post, I don't know what is.

The Maori Legend of the giant man-eating bird, Te Hokioi, is a legend no more. It is now believed by scientists to be the Haast's Eagle that was discovered in swamp deposits by Sir Julius von Haast in the 1870s.

Haast's eagle has until now, always been thought to be a scavenger because its bill was similar to a vulture's, but a re-examination of skeletons using today's technology shows it could easily deliver a killing blow as it dived at speeds of up to 80kph.

"They were certainly capable of swooping down and taking a child... and had the ability to not only strike with their talons but to close the talons and put them through quite solid objects such as a pelvis. It was designed as a killing machine." says Paul Scofield, the curator of vertebrate zoology at the Canterbury Museum.

The eagle's main prey would have been Moa, flightless birds which grew to as much as 250kg and 2.5 metres tall. Tragically, it is believed that once the Moa were exterminated by humans, the giant man-eater simply died out also.

Read the original article here.

Whippets 101

2009-09-12T21:13:00.006+12:00

As I look at sleeping beauty in her favourite (and prohibited) napping spot, I can't help but forgive her for all the shenanigans she puts me through.

Yep. Whoever it was that coined the phrase "Dogs are a man's best friend' must have owned a Whippet.

Check out the clip below... it was one of the contributing factors in our decision to buy Narnia.

Flashback Friday

2009-09-11T23:48:00.004+12:00

It is 11:52pm and I'm sitting at the computer half asleep. A couple of minutes ago I was snuggled up in bed and Paisleyjade asked me if I had written a blog-post today. I hadn't, so here I am. Sleepy, cold and half-naked. The things we do for fame.

Anyway. The above pic was taken in early-mid 80s. and there are several things very wrong with it.

1. The stubbies
2. The shirt tucked into the stubbies
3. The bowl cut
4. The buck teeth
5. The bike bell

Can you spot anymore?

Burton.
Over and out.

old dunga house doer upper skills

2009-09-10T19:23:00.012+12:00

One of my heroes once said... "Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills... You know, like nunchuck skills, bow-hunting skills, computer hacking skills..."

Let me present you with before and after shots of our humble but happy bathroom...

BEFORE

AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER

Honey, does old-dunga-house-doer-upper-skills count?

...like I change my underwear

2009-09-09T20:33:00.006+12:00

Welcome to my new and improved blog. You like? I tend to grow tired of my blog layout at least once a year, and on a whim today I changed it.

My wife says I change my mind like I change my underwear. I disagree... I change my undies everyday (sometimes twice). She wonders why I keep changing a perfectly good-looking blog. I guess I get bored easily... seeing the same layout everyday (sometimes twice). Besides, I enjoy the process of upgrading, learning new stuff, change etc.

Problem is, you can't please everyone, and I have already received conflicting comments. For example... "Great layout!" and "Blue looks cheap, I liked your old one better". Hmmmmm.

So, I put it out to you, my blog friends, to decide. Please post a comment and let me know if you like it or not, and why.

I may be tempted to change my mind... like I change my underwear.

Narnia and Me

2009-09-08T19:37:00.010+12:00

Our Whippet puppy, Narnia, is 7 months old. Although I love her to bits, sometimes I really do wonder if it's worth it. Let me give you a run down on the finer points of life with a Whippet...

1. Narnia was created by God to bring embarrassment to an otherwise happy life.

2. Narnia has almost an acre to herself but insists on visiting the neighbour's properties and inviting herself into their houses.

3. Narnia get super-excited, jumpy and licky when she meets people who hate dogs.

4. Narnia can sit, lie down, speak, shake hands, and come on command... but only if she sees a treat in my hand, and then only when she feels like it.

5. Narnia is just now coming to terms with toilet training.

6. Narnia is in love with our cat Barney.

7. Narnia will jump on the sofa, stand an inch away from my ear, and bark until I play with her.

8. Narnia is a firm believer in the age-old addage, "If it can be chewed, it will be, or I will die trying."

9. Narnia enjoys a bone in the sunshine, tied to the clothesline, until she gets bored and then she will bark continuously until she is brought inside.

10. Narnia's shenanigans have prompted a visit from the SPCA, and a visit from a disgruntled neighbour.

I don't think there is another human being alive who relates to 'Marley and Me' more than me.

B1509: The Hand Of God

2009-09-07T19:53:00.003+12:00

The 'Hand of God' taken by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory Satellite.

A 13 mile wide pulsar known as PSR B1509-58 (B1509) is responsible for this beautiful X-ray nebula that spans 150 light years.

B1509 makes one full rotation every 1/7 of a second. Think about that for a second. An immensely heavy star neutron star, 15 miles wide, spinning 7 times a second. Crazy. It's magnetic field is estimated to be 15 trillion times stronger than the Earth's. Double Crazy.

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:20 NLT)

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” (Psalm 15:1 NLT)

Click here for a very large image of the Hand Of God.

The mobile phone and the poo explosion

2009-09-06T21:09:00.006+12:00

Yesterday's post reminded me of a fateful day in 2006 while living in our very first house.

Prologue

Daddy's little princess decided to send daddy's phone on a marvelous adventure into the wonderful world of waterland.

Chapter 1: What if?

It all started a couple of days before when, one moment I had my mobile phone, and the next minute I didn't. That, in itself is not unusual at all for me, because I misplace things all the time. What was strange was that after hours of searching in our very small house, the phone remained elusive. I came to the conclusion that it had been abducted by the same aliens that had stolen everything else that I have lost and never found again. That was until our toilet decided to have the mother of all blockages, and I began to wonder "What if...".

Chapter 2: Evacuated

Yes indeed. The toilet was blocked so bad that absolutely no water would flush, and no amount of plunging would unstop it. The family had to be evacuated (as is usual procedure for civil emergencies), and I spent the next day excavating the back yard in an attempt to find the drain pipe.

Chapter 3: Drainman

I employed the services of an elderly (but very experienced) drainman, who assured me there was no pipe in existence that couldn't be unblocked with his 'contraption'. This contraption was a highly modified high pressure hose which worked its way up/or down blocked drain-pipes blasting (and therefore dislodging) every thing daring to stand in its way. All seemed to be going according to plan, until the contraption met with a very solid immovable object (phone-shaped if you will) which had lodged itself in the pipe, effectively halting a week's worth of poo and paper.

Chapter 4: Fire in the hole!

The drainman, realising that his reputation was on the line now, determined that no blockage would get the better of him. He proceeded to break a hole in the pipe's wall, and with the contraption at full throttle at one end, attempted to dislodge the blockage with his bare-hands at the other. Very bad idea.

Chapter 5: Oh ...

I never did see what caused the blockage as it was well and truly 'flushed away' in the deluge that ensued... What I did see however (and I'm sure it was in slow-motion), was the drainman coming face to face with his adversary in explosive fashion, quite literally. If ever there was a wrong time to be in a wrong place... it was where the drainman was. I only wish I had a video-recorder.

Chapter 6: ...Happy Day

Have you ever had one of those precious moments in life when, although you know you shouldn't, you laugh at another person's expense, and it makes your day? This was one of those times. It was almost worth all the trouble.

Chapter 7: Hardly ever after

The drainman, with his vast years of experience said that blockage was consistent with the mobile-phone-flushed-down-the-toilet-by-a-toddler hypothesis. Before he went home to wash up, I asked him if he ever got sick. He replied... hardly ever.

Epilogue

850,000 phones meet death by toilet yearly in the UK. http://www.wirelessinfo.com/

What's really lurking down the plughole

2009-09-05T20:41:00.006+12:00

I had to unblock the bathroom sink the other evening... joy. With the help of a crochet hook borrowed from PaisleyJade (yes, they really are good for something), I was able to pull out what I can only describe as a greeny, slimy, smelly, hairy, stringy goop that had to be seen to be believed. What caused it? Who knows... who wants to know? Which got me thinking...

Does anyone really know what lurks in the pipes under our houses? One recent discovery has been aptly titled 'The sewer monster' (see clip below).

They are saying that the monster is nothing more than masses of Tubifex worms... but I say that is very debatable. If you watch the monster closely, you will notice that it has what looks like a membrane enveloping it, unlike worms, and it is above the water, unlike worms, and it retreats from light as one organism, unlike worms (see clip below).

To conclude, I wonder if what I pulled up out of the plughole was a decomposing 'sewer monster'? My advice is don't get too close to the plughole next time you brush your teeth.

(Why am I thinking about the facehugger from Alien right now?)

The world's fastest Indian Murray

2009-09-04T10:39:00.005+12:00

Welcome to the third and hopefully final installment of the Murray lawn tractor trilogy.

If you have been following my posts, you would have, by now, been educated in the finer points of Murray lawn tractors, specifically Racer-Murray and Monster-Murray.

And now, let me introduce you to... Speed-Demon Murray.

If you have ever wondered, as I have, how fast a lawn tractor can go (with stock engine... the record is a whopping 130 km/h!

I could mow my lawn in less than a minute ;-)

Meet Murray's BIG brother

2009-09-03T10:08:00.008+12:00

Continuing on with my current 'Murray the retro lawn tractor" theme... I stumbled across the above pic of a pimped Monster Murray. Alriiiiight.

There is something to be said about yanks and their obsession with taking anything with a piston and souping it up... even if it is the humble lawnmower.

You don't believe me? Check out: www.xtrememowermayhem.com.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of my Murray trilogy tomorrow.

Murray, the 80's lawn tractor

2009-09-02T20:56:00.008+12:00

We live on a 3/4 acre property, which has the potential to be pure awesomeness. The problem is this: big purely awesome property = big purely painful maintenance, and those of you who know me will testify that maintenance is definitely my middle name.

One reason why I decided to buy the property in the first place was that I saw a ride-on lawn mower (lawn-tractor) on Trademe for $400 Buy Now, and just couldn't pass up a bargain like that. Everyone knows that you need a big back yard to warrant buying a ride-on. Heh.

Enter Murray.

Murray is my '84 red lawn tractor. He's seen a lot of action in his long lifetime, but alas, isn't the sprightly shiny red hot-rod he used to be. Almost every time he cuts the grass now, something breaks down or falls off, and due to my extreme lack of maintenance skills, I spend most of the mowing time, doing a Macgyver on Murray. Meh.

For example... Murray's battery is flat. In fact, I took the battery out a few weeks ago to get it charged but keep forgetting to borrow the charger from my dad-in-law. So I jump start Murray with the people-mover, but a spring-clip on the jumper lead is broken, and I forgot to mention, Murray's starter switch is long gone... To cut a long story short (too late), I have to hot-wire Murray with one hand and hold the jumper cable on the terminal with the other (not an easy feat).

Murray's drive belt came off 5 times today, and after the fifth jump start I got sick of the shenanigans and went off to the ride-on mower shop to buy a new belt.
The man asked me what model lawn-tractor I had, and what year... I said 'Murray' and 'old'.

Don't feel too sorry for Murray though. His future is very bright. One day when his grass-cutting days are over, he is going to have a new lease on life.

Lawn tractor racing.

I have just discovered that old Murray's are hugely popular in the US of A for hotting-up and racing. Yeehaar!

Post a day for the month of September

2009-09-01T23:44:00.006+12:00

It's 11.49pm and PaisleyJade has been harassing me to start blogging regularly again. Well, blow me down, I'm gonna attempt a post-a-day-for-the-month-of-September (has a certain ring to it, don't you think?).

11.52pm. Thinking, thinking... Eureka!

I hereby dedicate September's first post to the one and only LesmondJ.

(I'll think of something more intelligent to blog about tomorrow... 6 minutes away ;-)

Google is the Antichrist

2009-08-18T09:17:00.013+12:00

Now that I have your attention...

We have a sign on our church building that says 'Jesus is the answer', but I wonder if we unconsciously believe that 'Google is the answer'?

I must confess, that if I want to find out anything about anything... where do I go first?

Google.

In fact, anything I may want to do online, I can do through Google.

Email? Gmail.
Advertising? Adwords.
Make money? AdSense.
Start a blog? Blogger.
Shop? Froogle.

The examples are endless (click here to see the full list of Google products).

It cannot be denied that Google has successfully infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and it's almost as if we have become dependant on Google as our IT surrogate mother and cannot live without her.

Should we be concerned at how globally intrusive Google is becoming? Let's face it, if your local terrorist network is frequently using Google's free satellite imaging app. to accurately identify targets, then yes, you should be concerned.

Does anyone else think that taking photos of every street in the western world is a little obsessive (and creepy)?

Is there some sort of whacked out conspiracy happening right under our noses? Could Google be the affront for world domination? If I was an evil 'take over the world' kind of guy I would be taking Google very seriously. Check out the images below.

Indeed, the plot thickens.

(and just for the record... no, I don't think Google is the Antichrist).

2012: The end is near

2009-07-13T11:58:00.011+12:00

I simply cannot wait to see the upcoming movie '2012', coming to a big screen near you on November 13. I must say, although CGI drenched, the trailer looks absolutely awesome.

For those of you unfamiliar with the current cuffufle about the year 2012, let me enlighten you. Apparently, the ancient Mayan Calendar ends on December 21, 2012, marking an end of a 5,126-year era. That's it folks... and many people are quite literally freaking out that Dec 12, 2012 will indeed be doomsday (and in the meantime Columbia Pictures are using the opportunity to make a few bucks).

Do I believe the world will end in 2012? No way Jose. My reason? Because the Bible says quite specifically that no one knows when that day will be, not even God the Son (Jesus Christ), only God the Father (Matthew 24).

So I ask you... Do you place more faith in an old Mayan calendar, than in the infallible Word of God? Unfortunately, it would seem that many people do.

Getting back to the end of the world... The Bible does tell us to be ready for that day... and I am hoping that if nothing else, this movie will make people think about what is important to them, about eternity, and if they are ready to meet their Maker.

Peace Out.

Authentic footage of Bigfoot attack?

2009-07-08T21:43:00.002+12:00

A couple of weeks ago Lesmond and I entered a viral video contest promoting PULSE by Jeremy Robinson.

Although entertaining, the movie was far too long and I hate to say it... boring. Good news folks. I have re-edited it to a lean 1.15 minutes, and thanks to a blood-nose (don't ask), it now has an alternate ending (like special edition DVDs ;-)

So PLEASE view the clip below and tell your friends about it as the more views it has, the better chance I have of winning. Thanks heaps!

Footage of Bigfoot Attack?

Mair Park Ghost Footage

2009-06-15T18:52:00.008+12:00

About this time last year, I wrote of the time when my parents had a close encounter with the urban legend known as 'The Mair Park Ghost. The original post created quite a stir, and you can read the subsequent shenanigans here:

The Mair Park Ghost

Haunted houses, ghosts and demons

Ghost mystery solved... or is it?

Symon Drake... Ghostbuster (heh)

Revenge of the Mair Park Ghost

On Saturday, my good buddy Lesmond and I decided to make a small video diary/doco about the ghost legend. What ensued was far from expected, or rehearsed. Disturbing footage follows.

Revenge of the Weta!

2009-06-11T18:46:00.010+12:00

New Zealand Giant Weta

A year ago I confessed to blogosphere that I was scared of spiders. Over the space of three months, I willed myself to tolerate them, and now actually like them in a warped kind of way. You can read my journey from considering spiders eight legged freaks, to eight legged furry friends here, here, and here.

Confession time again... I'm not fond of Wetas either.

When I was five, a lone Weta terrorized my primary school. I, being the bravest of them all, climbed up the tree where it was scaring us witless with its pure horror and crushed it with a rock. I faced my fears, saved the day, and then faced Weta pulp. Problem was I felt ashamed for what I'd done and my fear for Wetas only grew.

Last night a discovered a Weta on my back doorstep (perhaps a descendant of the one I murdered seeking vengeance?). As I am 'not of those who shrink back' I picked it up, got Paisleyjade to get photo proof and have now begun a new journey... overcoming my fear of Wetas.

The plan:

1. Make a Weta Motel
2. Pray hard that I don't get bitten by Wetas
3. Handle Wetas
4. ~~Kiss a Weta~~
5. Overcome fear of Wetas

Dad, will you join me?

My not-so-giant New Zealand Tree Weta

Flannelgraph book giveaway!

2009-06-10T08:41:00.006+12:00

Flannelgraph has been online for half a year now... woop woop! To celebrate (and monthly from now on) there will be a book/books up for grabs.

This month we are giving away Robert Liparulo's acclaimed Comes A Horseman and Kim Vogel Sawyer's bestselling Where The Heart Leads. All you have to do to be in to win is to become a follower of Flannelgraph's blog (you need a blogger account to do this) and at the end of the month the winner will be randomly selected. (Hopefully it will be you ;-)

Flannel Blurb:

Any church-going kid growing up in the 70's will remember Flannelgraph only too well. It was THE Christian storytelling tool back in the day. Nowadays, it is nothing more than a nostalgic memory (although I'm sure some retired Sunday school teachers still swear by it.)

I love reading, especially stories which strengthen my faith in Christ. I also love recommending good books to others.

So, I have come up with a cunning plan. To create a blog where myself and other like-minded friends can share our views on the various novels we've read... hopefully encouraging you to buy them, read them, be encouareged, and support the authors in using their gifts to glorify God.

What better name to call this... than 'flannelgraph'?

'Dangerous breed' dog owners with children beware!

2009-06-06T11:19:00.003+12:00

If you are an owner of a dog that belongs to a 'dangerous breed' category and you also have a small child please take this as a warning. Don't leave your dog with the child unattended under any circumstances.

Only a little moment was enough for the following to happen.

Crochet rocks! (Thanks to Woo)

2009-06-02T21:16:00.007+12:00

Yes, you did read the post title correctly. I, Burton... former mocker of crocheters worldwide have changed my ways. I have seen the light, and I owe it all to Woo!

This guy has actually succeeded in turning me from one who was embarrassed to be in the same car with my wife while she crocheted, to someone who not only is okay with crochet... but who now thinks crochet ROCKS!

Be sure to check out his blog, his work is very impressive, and he is absolutely hilarious!

PS - Howie... do you have the instructions for those awesome grenades?

Green 'round Grenades from WooWork on Vimeo.

Treat your mother right... fool!

2009-06-01T22:21:00.008+12:00

Anyone growing up in the 80's loved Mr. T. He was an icon of a bygone and fondly reminisced era. My wife even had a crush on him back in the day (married me because we look so similar;-) But I digress.

What I bet most of us Gen X's don't know (or anyone else for that matter) is that Mr. T had a brief stint as a singer/songwriter. I kid you not... and video proof follows.

Kinda catchy if you ask me...

You call that firewood? This is a firewood!

2009-05-26T12:13:00.013+12:00

We own an old doer-upper bungalow that was built a century ago. There's one word to describe old doer-upper bungalows that were built a century ago...

COLD

Fortunately for us... the previous owners installed a brand-new large-capacity fireplace just before they sold the house to us (funnily enough, there's more documentation for the fireplace in the house's LIM report than the house itself ;-).

Fortunately for us... my awesome in-laws gifted us with a whole heap of firewood from their old property a couple of summers ago.

Fortunately for us... the same in-laws spent half a Saturday helping me cut up the firewood.

Fortunately for us... we have an old decrepid shed to store the wood.

Did I mention that there is also two big wool sacks full of kindling that couldn't fit in the same pic? Now I must ask you...

is that an impressive stash of firewood for the winter or what?

Water water everywhere... not

2009-05-19T08:34:00.010+12:00

I have always thought that our planet has a lot of water (understatement again). With over 70% of the Earth's surface covered with water, in some parts over 10km deep, any educated person would naturally believe that there is more than enough H20 to go around.

Well, actually...

If every drop of water in the world (1.4087 billion cubic kilometres of it) including sea water, ice, lakes, rivers, ground water, clouds, etc. was collected in a single sphere, it would be just over 1400 kms across - barely big enough to cover Eastern Europe.

I still find it hard to believe, nevertheless, the math works out. Click here if you are skeptical.

Photo credit: Adam Nieman / Science Photo Library.

Hip Chess for retro kidults

2009-05-18T09:08:00.011+12:00

Chess rocks. I was in the chess club at school. I once had a very expensive medieval chess set. I love chess. Alas, I can count the number of fellow chess-loving-enthusiasts in my current circle of friends on no hands... zilch. nada. zero.

Imagine my delight when my 7 year old son came home from school last week and said, "Dad... can you teach me how to play chess?"

Parental bliss.

And so, having a re-kindled desire to go out and buy a Chess set which oozes awesomeness, I've been doing some research... and it seems that Chess for retro kidults is now very, very cool indeed. The problem is, you need a lot of money to be that cool. Looks like I'm gonna have to start saving ;-)

Spider-Man Deluxe Pewter Chess Set: $499 (USD)

Aliens Deluxe Pewter Chess Set: $374.99 (USD)

Lord Of The Rings Collectors Chess Set: $649.99 (USD)

Lego Ultimate Castle Chess Set: $300 (USD)

Star Wars Collectors Chess Set: $599 (USD)

NGC 7293: The Eye Of God

2009-05-11T09:20:00.014+12:00

This awesome image (click pic to enlarge) is an authentic photograph (actually, a composite of images) taken by NASA's Hubble telescope. It featured as NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day in May 2003 and thereafter has been immortalised on various websites and blogs (heh) ever since. It has earned the nickname 'Eye Of God' (I never knew God's eyes were blue).

To astronomers, NGC 7293 is a Helix Nebula. To us normal people, it is "a trillion-mile-long tunnel of glowing gases" caused by a dying star.

Pretty awe-inspiring if you ask me.

It will forever confound me as to how some of us will ponder this image, and see it as further evidence of a Creator, and how others will view the same image and harden their hearts to even considering the notion that such a Creator could exist.

Click here for immensely large image of the Eye Of God.

I'm okay with crochet

2009-05-05T08:59:00.011+12:00

For those of you that follow the world's most amazing wife's blog, you will know that her new found love is (ahem) crochet.

At first I thought that my wife was having a crises of sorts. I mean crocheting? That's what old-fashioned ladies carry in their 2-wheeled-shopping bags. Even the word 'crochet', if pronounced the way it looks is off-putting.

Nevertheless, for the last few weeks, my wife has been crocheting everywhere... in the car, in the bed, at the dog park, probably in the bathroom...

PaisleyJade's womanly wiles have paid off and I have finally come around. I Burton, confess that I'm now okay with crochet. In fact, some (and I emphasise 'some') crochet is actually very cool. Still, most (and I emphasise 'most') crochet is atrocious.

The good...
The bad...

Where’s Wally Matt?

2009-05-02T14:51:00.006+12:00

A friend at youthchurch last night told me about a guy called Matt. A little video clip that Matt has put together of himself and his unique dance in unique locations has made him world famous. 14 months in the making, 42 countries, and a cast of thousands, over 20 million views on YouTube... It really is quite legendary.

So, without any further ado... click the clip below.

How to avoid Swine-flu

2009-05-01T10:19:00.003+12:00

Burton's number 1 tip for avoiding the current swine-flu pandemic... Avoid doing this.

The Sound Of Music rocks!

2009-04-30T17:09:00.009+12:00

I have a confession to make... I, Burton, think The Sound Of Music rocks!

...And that would make me cool (because we all know that anyone into retro stuff is rather hip). Another, even more shocking confession... We even own two copies of the DVD ( original and special anniversary edition).

I do believe a Sound Of Music revival is coming to the world... View clip below, be inspired, and spread the love.

Angel Of Death?

2009-04-28T21:02:00.007+12:00

I was enduring the trailer of Hellboy 2 recently when I saw the disturbing images of a creature with eyes on its wings (on the trailer that is, not in real life ;-). My mind immediately thought about the Bible's description of heavenly creatures in Revelation Chapter 4...

In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back... Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered with eyes, inside and out...

After some cyber-digging I discover that the creature in question just happens to be the Angel of Death. Hmmm. I'm not intending on ever seeing the movie, but it makes me wonder...

1. Who, or what is influencing Hollywood's creature creators to imagine such morbid beings?

2. Are these creatures perhaps closer to the truth than we realise?

Food for thought... Comments welcome.

Fred and Barney's Nicotine addiction

2009-04-27T08:55:00.008+12:00

Anyone in their 30's and older will remember well the Flintstones. The cartoon was one of my all-time favourites and I reminisce (with nostalgic happiness) the 80's when the show screened every school day around 4pm. Any cultured kidult will know that the Flintstones equal retro cartoonsville at its very best. I even named my cat 'Barney' in honour of the show.

What I bet you didn't know is that good old Fred and Barney were also heavy cigarette smokers, frequently lighting up and at the same time encouraging their impressionable viewers to do the same.

Shame on them. Actually, same on the shows producers. Let me explain...

The Flintstones series was initially aimed at adult audiences, and the first series was sponsored by Winstone Cigarettes. Hanna Barbara allowed Fred and Barney to appear in several black and white television commercials for the cigarette company.

And we think that today's cartoons are a bad influence!?

Rich

2009-04-21T10:24:00.011+12:00

A reasonable mortgage, four kids, one dog... bills. Sometimes it's a challenge to make ends meet... but God is always faithful, and it's nothing short of supernatural how He meets our needs (and the occasional want).

This morning I stumbled upon a very interesting website called: http://www.globalrichlist.com/.

The site calculates your rank in the world's 'rich-list'. Suffice to say that we are incredibly more wealthy than we realise when compared to the rest of the world.

More from the site:

- $8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

- $30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

- $73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

- $2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

It makes you think doesn't it.

Defeat (but goodtimes) on the battlefield

2009-04-18T13:53:00.007+12:00

My best welt, shot by Isaac pointblank in the ribs... yes that is bruising.

Two church teams, 20 guys, one paintball field, 2 hours of carnage, Goodtimes! Sadly my team (CRF Central) were defeated by Shaun' team (Bream Bay CRF).

A couple of comments. Shaun, you got lucky this time buddy. Isaac, you are a marked man my friend. Rhys, I think the DIY paintball field is a phenomenal idea... I'm in!

Thanks for such a great time guys. I can't wait unitl the next game. Until then, let the following vid fuel your keenness!

What's your Pro Wrestling name?

2009-04-16T20:36:00.008+12:00

Thanks to Betty I've just been cracking myself up discovering my pro-wrestling names. Depending on whether I use my online name or real one, if I were a Pro Wrestler I would be called:

Big Ace

Sheik Grinder

They have a certain ring to them, don't you think? Click here to discover your wrestling name (and post it in a comment below so I can join you in your laughter).

The Tunguska Catastrophe

2009-04-15T16:30:00.000+12:00

I had never ever heard of the name Tunguska before... until I bought a PC game (for the kids) called Secret files: Tunguska. Then I became enlightened to an extremely fascinating and equally mysterious event which occurred 101 years ago in Central Siberia.

In the Tunguska region at 7:17am on 30 June 1908 something of apocalyptic proportions occurred. This ‘happening’ flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2,000 square km. The blast (if that was what it was) was 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and generated a shock wave that knocked people unconscious 60km from the epicentre. In the following weeks, night skies over Europe and western Russia glowed brightly enough for people to read by. Mysteriously, there was no crater or any other clear evidence for what exploded.

The first report of the explosion was in the Irkutsk paper dated July 2, 1908, published two days after the explosion:

The peasants saw a body shining very brightly (too bright for the naked eye) with a bluish-white light... The body was in the form of 'a pipe', i.e. cylindrical. The sky was cloudless, except that low down on the horizon, in the direction in which this glowing body was observed, a small dark cloud was noticed. It was hot and dry and when the shining body approached the ground (which was covered with forest at this point) it seemed to be pulverized, and in its place a loud crash, not like thunder, but as if from the fall of large stones or from gunfire was heard. All the buildings shook and at the same time a forked tongue of flames broke through the cloud. All the inhabitants of the village ran out into the street in panic. The old women wept, everyone thought that the end of the world was approaching.

S.B. Semenov, an eyewitness in the village of Vanovara about 60 km south of the explosion site, gave the following report...

I was sitting in the porch of the house at the trading station of Vanovara at breakfast time... when suddenly the sky was split in two and high above the forest the whole northern part of the sky appeared to be covered with fire. At that moment I felt great heat as if my shirt had caught fire; this heat came from the north side. I wanted to pull off my shirt and throw it away, but at that moment there was a bang in the sky, and a mighty crash was heard. I was thrown to the ground... and for a moment I lost consciousness... The crash was followed by noise like stones falling from the sky, or guns firing. The earth trembled, and when I lay on the ground I covered my head because I was afraid that stones might hit it.

The most accepted explanations as to what caused the Tunguska event are:

A fragmentary asteroid or meteorite that exploded in the atmosphere.

The nucleus of a comet that likewise exploded in the atmosphere.

But I ask you, could a comet cause the following enigmatic effects that were recorded at the site?

disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field.

a local geomagnetic storm.

a reversal of soil magnetization.

an electromagnetic pulse, similar to what would be created by a nuclear explosion.

aurora displays before and after the event.

unusually bright nights seen before and after the event.

genetic mutations in plants and animals.

accelerated growth of plants afterward.

radiation-like burns and deaths of exposed people.

Not surprisingly there are many learned people who disagree with the 'accepted' explanation. Among the more 'exotic’ theories are…

An unusual tectonic event.

A massive methane gas explosion.

A black hole that entered the Earth's atmosphere from outer space and imploded.

A chunk of antimatter that reacted with the matter of our planet.

A crashed UFO.

A deliberate attack by extraterrestrials.

The result of a test of Nikola Tesla's wireless power transmitter.

I agree that most of the theories listed above sound utterly ridiculous... but the event itself simply cannot be adequately explained using natural reasoning. Even now, 101 years later Russian scientists are still struggling to get a clearer understanding of what really happened that day.

What is disturbing is that if the Tunguska event occurred 4 hours and 47 seconds later, it would have hit the Russian Capitol.

(For an intriguing look at the Nikola Tesla hypothesis click here.)

Surviving the first month with my Whippet

2009-04-09T19:53:00.007+12:00

Narnia our ADHD Whippet puppy has been a part of our family for almost a month.

Being the bookworm/research nut that I am, I made sure I was prepared for Narnia's arrival by scouring as much material on puppies as I could.

What the 'Your First Puppy' books didn't tell me...

Whippet puppies are unbelievably energetic. They seem to have two speeds: Go-Fast-and-Furious, and Sleep. They will chew anything that does not chew them back, and they love to dig. Many young Whippets are "high energy" dogs for the first two or three years. Around that age, their 'on' switch seems to get turned 'off' and they become more mellow (though still up for occasional bursts of zeal). American Whippet Club

If you aren't a bundle of energy, beware the puppies. Whippet puppies are hell on wheels. Whippets can take two to four years to mature, and one that isn't crated can tear apart your home. It's not that they are hyperactive, they are just in a constant state of, "Now what can I do?" dogworld.com

"Mine is now 13months old and has finally got out of the "Let's destroy everything I touch" stage." Whippet forum comment

Sittercity posted a survey invloving 3000 dog owners... The Whippet was crowned as the fourth most destructive dog breed (behind Mastiffs, Chihuahuas, and Great Danes)...

"These sweet-looking pups apparently cause around $900 worth of damage in their lifetimes."

So, in conclusion... Nothing (note the capital N) can prepare a virgin dog owner for a Whippet puppy. Note that the first quote said that Whippets eventually calm down after two or three years...

How encouraging. Pray for me.

Symon and the Real Girl

2009-04-06T10:00:00.006+12:00

It's our wedding anniversary today. I was scrummaging through my shed this morning (as you do on your wedding anniversary) and found my Best Man's wedding speech. Wayne, you did a legendary job with this, and it still makes me crack up thirteen years later!

So for a window into our life almost a decade and a half ago, read on...

Ode to Symon and Kristy

Symon was a quiet lad, or so we have been told
But we knew that things would have to change before he grew too old
At the age of sixteen he picked up a guitar and began to sing and write
Committed to his cause he wrote a barrelful of tunes, sometimes two or three a night
They were songs to change the world, and songs to spread the word
And yet most of the songs that Symon wrote, no one ever heard (except me)

A few years down the track, God answered Symon’s prayer
On Friday night the phone did ring and a voice said “It’s Brian here”
The news that Brian brought gave the greatest of great joys...
An offer for Symon to play the bass for a band called “The Flatboys”
Symon quickly accepted Brian’s offer to play
He rang his mum and told his friends and started the very next day
With lots of gigs booked and Summer Harvest camp
Symon took his biggest step yet and bought a brand new bass amp

Symon’s new Peavey was all his pride and joy
At $2000 he told his mum that it really wasn’t a toy
With low gain, high gain, crossover and DI
The bass amp had Symon’s heart, and to girls he turned a blind eye
For several years Symon and his amp continued in perpetual bliss
And whenever he spent a few days away, it was only his amp that he’d miss

And then one day without warning, a girl came on the scene
She went by the name of Kristy, and Symon was definitely keen
Kristy, Kristy meek and mild... No one knew of her intent
But between you and I and Warren and Brian, the bass amp knew what it meant
As time went by the Kristy thing eventually took its course
Symon and his poor old amp had to file for divorce

So if you’re wondering if these two are a good match
Of Symon at least you can be quite sure, in Kristy he’s found a good catch
Late at night when Kristy tells Symon it’s his turn to turn off the lamp
She knows without doubt she’s the only girl in the world...
Who got him to sell his bass amp

Happy anniversary Princess! I still think you are a 'good catch'. Love you heaps babe.

My close encounter with a UFO... cult

2009-04-04T20:18:00.017+13:00

It was a fateful night in 1997 when the Aetherius Society came to town to promote their religion. For those who don't know what the Aetherius Society is (I'm guessing about 99.9% of the people reading this post), it is a UFO cult.

I was a zealous (and somewhat tactless) Bible College student at the time, and had just finished writing a study on Aliens from a Christian Worldview. So armed with my Bible... (yes, I took my NIV Study Bible to a UFO cult meeting - told you I was tactless ;-), a wad of my UFO studies, and my 6'4" friend (you can never be too careful), I made my way into the venue, past the freaky door greeter (who had a crystal the size of a tennis ball around his neck) and sat down with about ten other people.

For the next hour, two Atherius reps spoke about what they believe in. This is it in a nutshell...

George King was born in England in 1919. He dedicated his life to the practice of Eastern Mysticism. One day he he heard a loud voice saying...

"Prepare yourself! You are to become the voice of Interplanetary Parliament."

Apparently, the voice belonged to one of the 'Cosmic Masters of the Solar System' and George King became their 'Primary Terrestrial Mental Channel', bringing their message to Earth.

At this point I would like to include an except from the UFO study (soon to be posted on this site)...

Some people claim that by putting themselves into a hypnotic trance they are acting as a channelling device in which extra-terrestrial beings speak through them. The same general message permeates over 90% of the words received by millions of people over the world while they are channelling. The following is an actual example:

We come from the Interplanetary Configuration of solar systems, and our purpose is to aid our brother man on the earth as the new age dawns. The teacher that was known to you as Jesus was able to use many more of the abilities than the people of this planet. Unfortunately, man upon planet earth has misinterpreted the meaning of this mans life. He was no different than any of you; he was simply able to remember certain principles. These principles may be realised by any one of you at any time, it is only necessary that you avail yourself to our contact through meditation in order to begin to realise that which is rightfully yours, the truth of the creation and the truth of your position in it. Know ye not that ye are gods? We have been puzzled at times by the inability of the people in general of this planet to be awakened to this truth. We find the state of hypnoses, brought about by the evolution of thought by the people of this planet is so great, that it is necessary for him to maintain a constant awareness of his spiritual nature by meditation.

I might add that there are absolutely no reports of any alien ever proclaiming that Jesus is the only way to find salvation.

This is from the Aetherius site...

At this significant point in the history of mankind, the Cosmic Masters have chosen to release a new level of understanding and wisdom to those who are ready on Earth. This wisdom in no way invalidates or replaces the wisdom given to mankind in the past by the great teachers such as Shri Krishna, Lord Buddha and the Master Jesus. These beings and several more, were also Cosmic Masters from advanced worlds sent to Earth to help mankind in the best way possible when they came.

I always find it amusing how so many New Age religions claim that Jesus Christ is 'a way', when Jesus Christ Himself said that He was 'The Way' (John 14:6). There's a very big difference between 'a' and 'the'.

Anyway, back to the story... At the conclusion of the night the well-meaning reps asked if anyone had any questions. It was then that I stood up and asked them to explain what the Bible meant when it talked about end-time deception and doctrines of demons (I even read out the relevant verses). As you can imagine, it didn't go down too well. One of them said that it was easily explained in Revelation chapter 23 and asked me to turn there. Problem was, there is no Revelation chapter 23. And so the evening ended, much to the relief of the hosts, and I handed out the studies to the folk leaving the building ;-)

I sometimes think back to that time and wonder what on earth I was thinking. Did I do the right thing in my challenging confrontation? Did I exhibit the love of Jesus or push the people further away from Him? Would I do the same today? Lord, help me to be zealous... with knowledge.

To visit Wikipedia's page on UFO cults click here.

Robo Croc: The future of jaw enforcement

2009-04-01T08:38:00.002+13:00

On a lonely road in Florida keys last year a crocodile had the misfortune of having its head run over by a rather large vehicle (probably granny's SUV). Subsequently, it's snout was crushed, and being unable to move it's jaw, the 'poor' animal hadn't eaten for months.

Enter Douglas Mader, of Marathon Veterinary Hospital... the saviour of the croc and the creator of Robocroc.

Mader reconstructed the giant reptiles face by placed four metal rods down the length of it's skull and securing them with forty-one metal screws, drilled into its hide, keeping the skull and snout together.

An unfortunate crocodile comes between a car and the road, the vet who saved it becomes a hero and the croc will probably have a lucrative future in horror movies.

I wonder if Robocroc would have received such royal treatment if it was discovered that he had been hit while taking a leisurely after-dinner stroll... the dinner being someone's little girl?

We see what we want to see

2009-03-30T20:08:00.011+13:00

My sons reckoned they saw a UFO today (I was quick to remind my eldest that the last UFO he saw turned out to be a seagull). Like father like son.

Ever since I watched 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' as a kid, I've been fascinated by UFO phenomena. As a Christian, I definitely believe there is something out there, but I don't suspect they come from other worlds... more like the demonic realm. I have an essay that I'll post here one day, and might even tell the story of the time I gate-crashed a UFO cult meeting when I was 'zealous without knowledge' and told them quite impolitely exactly what I thought of their beliefs ;-).

But for now I would like to prove that we generally see what we want to see. If we see something that looks like an alien craft, we'll probably believe it is.

Check out the first clip below.

Quite convincing isn't it (especially with the X-Files theme included). The Chilean air force released a press-statement claiming that the lights were from their training aircraft flying in formation. Surely those lights couldn't possibly be training planes? Surely it must be a cover-up. Well... no.

Watch the following clip to understand what I mean about seeing what we want to see.

Narnia the Whippet... so there.

2009-03-14T21:00:00.008+13:00

Narnia is:

1. The fantasy world created by C. S. Lewis as the location for his series of seven fantasy children's novels.

2. Our 6-week-old purebred Whippet girl puppy!

It's interesting the snide remarks certain people have made about the Whippet breed... and that I should have picked a real dog like a Pitbull. Meh. It seems like people use their dog breeds to re-assure themselves of their own masculinity.

Whippets rock. Get used to it ;-)

Man survives 55m Niagara plunge

2009-03-13T13:33:00.005+13:00

This brief post is dedicated to all my water-fall jumping friends...

A suicidal man jumped into Niagara Falls yesterday, miraculously surviving the 55m plunge. He resisted rescue attempts before eventually being pulled from the icy water to safety.

He had minor injuries, but no broken bones ;-)

See the news video below.

Titanaboa update

2009-03-12T20:54:00.003+13:00

Don't ask me why I'm writing multiple posts about giant snakes. I really don't have a clue, other than the concept is an entertaining one.

Anyway, I came across this diagram depicting the size of Titanoboa in comparison to a bus and human... goodtimes.

For those wondering if Titanoboa is just a fable, click here to read all about it.

Great Snakes: the slither continues...

2009-03-07T22:29:00.021+13:00

And just when you thought my giant-snake obsession was over!

While having some brief down-time and browsing some crypto blogs I came upon the above photo (click on image to enlarge). The caption translated follows (the original photograph has it written on the back):

"This is a ‘jiboia’ snake of which only part appears. It has approximately 48 meters and was found on the ‘Jari’ Lake, Pará state, where some people say there are no Big Snakes. On 11/10/1949".

The photo is authentic but there is no way to accurately judge the size of the snake. 48 meters sounds impossibly huge... but even if it was half that size, it would be an absolute monster!

www.strangeark.com states the photo was originally published in April 28, 1949, in Brazilian newspaper... "The snake was alleged 45 meters, and was found on the Rio Abuna."

A photographer has commented that the snake could be very close to the camera and its apparent size could very well be be just a perspective trick.

It's nice to imagine it's real anyway... in the relative safety of my house in 'snakeless' New Zealand.

X-ray vision... for real

2009-03-02T15:51:00.010+13:00

Comics of the 70's, and early 80's were graced with mail-order children's novelty advertisements. These, I used to practically drool over, but it was torturous, as they never posted outside of the US. There were two items that I coveted most (well, three if you include 'Kissing Secrets' but that's a bit embarrassing)... The classic 'Sea Monkeys' (more about them in another post), and the infamous 'X-Ray Specs'.

I've spent most of my life pondering if they actually worked or not, and now, thanks to the modern-day wonder of Wikipedia, the secret is out... and it's a resounding 'not'. The lenses consisted of two layers of cardboard with a small hole in diameter punched through both layers. A feather was embedded between the layers of each lens. The vanes of the feathers diffracted light causing the user to receive two slightly offset images. For instance, if viewing a pencil, you would see two offset images of the pencil. Where the images overlapped, a darker image was seen, giving the illusion of seeing the graphite embedded within the pencil.

The cheesy X-Ray Vision gimmick of yesteryear, probably disappointed American kids by the thousands. Those kids now have another opportunity to 'see through clothes' for real.

Enter the X-Reflect Glasses. The Advanced Intelligence Company, Ltd. manufactures a device called X-Reflect Glasses which is claimed to allow the user to partly see through certain types of clothing. These goggles are a variation of thermal imaging goggles, and retail for US$2400.

I can see their value in regards to intelligence and anti-terrorism, but shouldn't x-ray vision be prohibited to save us innocent from daylight voyeurism?

The manufacturers state that approximately 45% of swimwear can be seen through as though seeing through glass. Honestly, with the skimpy underwear people call swimwear these days would it make much difference?

So, next time you are enjoying a relaxing swim at the public pools and happen to see a strange person wearing strange glasses wired to a strange box looking really strange (and creepy), you may have spotted a daylight peeping tom. I wonder if he was 'accidentally' pushed into the pool, would the glasses' battery pack electrocute him?

Big Wendy, Super Whippet

2009-02-28T07:51:00.006+13:00

It's no secret that I'll soon be the proud owner of a whippet puppy, but if I had a dollar for every time someone has said: "Why don't you get a real dog?" it would have paid for the puppy!

Let me introduce you to Wendy the Schwarzenegger of all dogs. It just so happens that she is a Whippet, a 27-kilogram-rippling-mass-of-muscle whippet (forget the six-pack stomach, Wendy has a 24-pack)!

Surprisingly, Wendy is steroid-free. The reason for her appearance is a rare gene mutation which has made her 'myostatin deficient' and essentially 'double-muscled'. Being super-buffed is not without its downside however as unfortunately, the mutation has condemned Wendy to a short life.

Name that Pup!

2009-02-22T23:04:00.005+13:00

Not letting any cat out of the bag (whippets love chasing cats by the way) but what do you think the puppy in the pic would most suit? Bear in mind that fully grown she will be extremely skinny (see previous post pic.), far removed from the plump little ball of fur she is at the moment. Here are the top five...

MOLLY. This is my wife's preference.

WILMA. Childhood crush from Buck Rogers... see here. Wife's not too fond of this one (I can't imagine why). Wilma's also the name of one very neurotic cat I once had.

DAISY. Another childhood crush from the classic Dukes of Hazzard.

MURIEL. Kinda old-fashioned and retro, but not too sure if it would suit a dog.

LOLA. Lola's the name of the puppy's mother. Hmmm, this is actually growing on me... ('Lola the 2nd').

Would love to see your comments.

The Whippet made me do it

2009-02-19T18:58:00.009+13:00

I've always been a cat guy. For a few legitimate reasons too mind you, among them being...

Dogs smell
I never grew up with a dog... because they were, well, smelly.
I was bitten by a dog at primary school.
I had an unpleasant experience with a friend's over-friendly dog.
I've stepped in more than my fair share of poop in my lifetime.
Dogs sniff you in the most awkward of areas, at the most embarrassing time (have you ever noticed that dog owners usually laugh when their dog is humiliating you?).
I was almost mauled by my friend's guard-dog (slight exaggeration).
I was bitten by the in-laws dog (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) and had to have a week off work.
I've watched a few episodes of "It's me or the dog".
My son almost got mauled recently by a giant Alsatian (while fetching his basketball from the in-laws' neighbours yard).
Did I mention dogs smell?

Despite the far-from-exhaustive list above, and although I've always come across as a hard-nosed feline-preferee, I have always secretly dreamed of owning a dog. Lately that dream has become a rather gnawing hankering for a puppy (Mum and Dad, if you are reading this... please don't stop breathing).

If only dogs didn't smell...

Dreams have a funny way of coming true. I have been researching breeds like mad over the last week, devouring a stack of dog books from the library, been taking various online 'perfect dog for me' tests and have discovered that there is actually a breed that blows away all my preconceived ideas, and arguments casued by past unfortunate dog events...

Introducing the Whippet. Get this (and I quote)...

"Whippets are virtually odour-free."

The ironic thing is that both Paisley Jade and I have always liked the look of Whippets, and the more I read, the more I realise how incredible and how awesome these little hounds are... Almost too good to be true in fact.

I can feel myself turning to the darkside (and becoming a dog-lover). Mum, Dad... keep breathing.

Tomb of the Seven Sleepers

2009-02-16T13:23:00.009+13:00

I came across an extremely interesting account while researching the city of Ephesus last week. The legend goes like this...

Around 250AD, when Christians were being fiercely persecuted, seven young men refusing to recant their faith, gave their worldly goods to the poor and retreated to a mountain cave to pray (and await capture, followed by execution I presume), where they fell asleep. The emperor, seeing that their attitude towards Christ had not improved, ordered the mouth of the cave to be sealed, and effectively sealed their fate.

Two centuries passed and the landowner decided to re-open the cave, thinking to use it as a cattle pen. He did so, and to his astonishment, found seven men sleeping inside. They awoke and believed they had only slept one day. They wandered into the city of Ephesus, and were utterly bewildered at the many churches and the freedom of worship for Christians. The Sleepers later died naturally (and this time permanently) and were buried in the cave in which they had slept.

The 'Cave of the Seven Sleepers' became a major place of pilgrimage from the 5th to 15th centuries, and as often happened with venerated sites, a church was built above the seven original tombs. The site was excavated in 1927, and brought to light many hundreds of graves which were dated to the 5th and 6th centuries. Inscriptions dedicated to the Seven Sleepers were found on the walls of the church and in the graves.

And so ends my history lesson for today.

The story reminds me of the Templar Knight in Indiana Jones 3. The Last Crusade was a fictional story... The Seven Sleepers possibly isn't. Although seemingly impossible, early Christian documents are strewn with this legend (a similar story even appears in the Quaran), and may I remind you, that stranger things than this have been known to have happened...

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. Matthew 27:50-53 Holy Bible (NLT)

Once again, the truth is quite possibly stranger than fiction.

The Seven Sleepers at Wikipedia here.

Croc-swallowing monster exists!

2009-02-05T19:12:00.010+13:00

At last, tangible proof has surfaced that giant snakes do exist (at least they did, once). A snake so huge it could swallow a crocodile in one gulp.

Remains from no less than eight giant snakes have been unearthed in a coal mine in Colombia. Aptly named 'Titanoboa', researchers estimate (from the size of its vertebrae) that it was 15 metres long, a metre wide and weighed well over a tonne.

To put the size of this monster in perspective... The giant snake from the cheesy B-grade horror flick 'Anaconda' was 40-foot long. Titanoboa is 5 foot longer!

Are Titanoboas slithering around South Africa today? Researchers estimate the snakes lived over 60-million years ago. Meh. I have more faith that Elvis is alive (and is presently finishing a Sudoku puzzle on Mars) than in inconclusive dating methods. But I digress. Truth of the matter is that in recent history there have been , and still are, numerous eyewitness accounts of gargantuan snakes.

For me, I like to believe they are still around... at least from a distance.

Click here to read another post on giant snakes which you'll find extremely interesting (if not unsettling).

Flower Killing 101

2009-02-04T14:41:00.017+13:00

Only a maniacal psychopathic would mortally wound a puppy and present it to a loved-one as a symbol of love and appreciation.

Considering this, read on.

Flower killing 101

1. Pick flower, thus condemning it to slow death.

2. Present dying flower to someone special.

3. Someone special places flower in water, displaying its slow death for all to see, in similar fashion to roman crucifixion.

4. Flower, once dead, is discarded and forgotten.

Shops exist specifically for the purpose of trafficking dying flowers for human pleasure.

On February 14th each year, flower traffickers worldwide take advantage of sadistic tradition by doubling price of dying flowers.

Humans, are now so de-sensitised and depraved that the practise of flower giving (torture, display and death) is seen as an expression of love. Marriage, mankind's ultimate ceremony of love, is celebrated with women holding clusters of dying flowers, and men displaying them proudly pinned to their chests.

Sick.

You can take this job and...

2009-01-28T21:05:00.009+13:00

Some people think being a full-time youth pastor (or any pastor for that matter) is very easy money. You can see it in their eyes when they ask "What do you do all week?" (if I had a dollar for every time...). Agreed, I don't have to perform endless hours of manual labour, but believe you me... pastoring does have its huge challenges, and yes, even pastors come home sometimes dreaming of another occupation.

A long time ago when I sanded car doors, when I packed kiwifruit, when I milked cows, when I washed hair, when I flipped burgers... I could forget about work at the end of the day. Work ceased to exist from the time I clocked out to the time I clocked in. My non-work hours were spent thinking about everything else but work. For a pastor, 'work' never stops (except maybe for holidays, and even that's debatable). Pastors don't really have a private life. Unlike certain politicians, what we may choose to do or not do in our spare time could very easily destroy our lives... and the lives of many others. It's a big deal.

Just this morning I was staring at the ceiling at 4:30am thinking, praying, worrying, then stopping myself and praying again... for people. People. Jesus lived and died (and lived again) for people. So that people could know God. Pastors are pastors because they feel called to spend their lives helping people know God.

It's hard when people I pastor experience tragedy, trials, conflict. It's especially hard when people are offended at me, but it hurts most when people walk away from God... I wonder how God feels? I can't clock out and forget about that.

Please don't think I'm asking for sympathy. On the contrary... I doubt if I would be fulfilled doing anything else. I'm built for this, and do it gladly (most of the time ;-).

For the pastors reading this, be encouraged. Pastoring is a high calling. When you feel like throwing in the towel and doing something easier, don't. Think about how the person in the Chinese sweatshop feels right now... assembling Barbie ripoffs for 80 hours a week so that their children can eat.

For everyone else reading this... your pastors (if they are genuine and unfortunately there are some who aren't) love you and want the very best for you. They work not for 'easy money' but for your well being.

I thank God for my pastors. I thank God that I'm a pastor, and I thank God for the opportunity to help people know God (and get paid for it ;-).

So what does it all mean?

2009-01-21T23:10:00.006+13:00

The following video will blow your mind... trust me.

R.I.P Burton's DeLorean

2009-01-20T16:46:00.005+13:00

You are feasting your eyes upon the blog formally known as Burton's DeLorean.

I grew tired of looking at the 2008 layout, and since discovering that the DeLorean is on Time magazine's 50-worst-cars-of-all-time list (click here), the name just had to go.

So here you have it... May I present to you 'B is for Burton' (kinda catchy if I do say so myself ;-)

Out with the old... in with the new

2009-01-20T11:11:00.007+13:00

Today is the last day of my holiday ;-(

To cheer myself up, I've decided to work on a new look for this blog. The layout will be a bit random in the process with strange links, images etc. so please be patient.

'Burton's DeLorean' sounds so 2008 so I might even rename it... Stay tuned.

It's a shark-eat-shark world

2009-01-19T20:39:00.003+13:00

I love great marketing ploys. I also have a fascination with sharks. Imagine my excitement when I came across this desktop wallpaper.

Click here for the big picture.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

2009-01-16T15:54:00.019+13:00

PaisleyJade just finished reading a story about wolves, entitled 'A Wolf Story' (witty title), by James Byron Huggins (her review is over at flannelgraph). I'm a huge Huggins fan, but reading about cuddly talking animals doesn't sound all that macho... that is, it didn't until this morning. I was researching broad-tipped arrow heads (Deadfall got me curious) when I stumbled upon this photo on a US hunting site...

Way down under here in New Zealand, wolves would be on the very bottom of my imaginary 'animals that scare me' list. I mean, come on... they are just big dogs aren't they? Now, I'm not so sure. The 'big dog' in the photo looks like he came off second best.

I'm interesting in reading that book now Paisley...

(Read the article accompanying the photo here.)

Kali, Thugees & the Temple of Doom

2009-01-12T16:35:00.021+13:00

Those of us raised on a regular media diet in the 80's will remember well Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I was all nostalgic the other day, and watched it on DVD (the first time in nearly twenty years). I must say that I was appalled by the human-sacrifice-to-Kali-goddess-of-death-by-thugge-cult-fanatics-in-temple-under-palace scene. The 'Fast Forward' button was used fuequently. Perhaps, I've become resensitised (opposite of desentitised) in my old age, which is a very good thing.

The disturbing part is that the Temple of Doom and corresponding cult is based on fact.

Thugee (from the Hindi verb 'thaglana' meaning 'to deceive') was a secret society based in India with followers who regarded murder as a legitimate sport and a very important part of their faith. The Thugees used scarves to strangle unsuspecting travellers whom they would befriend on the high roads of India during the pre-British era. At its prime, the Thugee cult was responsible for about 30,000 killings per year.

Thugees worshipped 'Kali', the Hindu goddess of death and destruction. They believed Kali had ordered them to destroy all men who were not of their kindred. Hence, every murder carried out was considered an offering to Kali. Surprisingly, Kali's followers were normally good citizens (many were influential in Indian society) who were also devoted to their families.

The cult was eventually eradicated by the British colonists, led by Sir William Henry Sleeman during the second quarter of the 19th century.

A few concluding questions...

- Do Thugees still exist? Who really knows for sure that they were completely eradicated?

- Would Sir William Henry Sleeman be tried for War crimes if he was alive today? Thugee extermination does not sound very PC to me.

- Killing was considered crucial to the Thugee's religious practices. If they were active in New Zealand today, would they get away with murder? After all, a former NZ polititian frequently (and flauntingly) broke the law during his days in parliment. His excuse? Religious practice.

- Just how authentic did Lucas and Speilberg make the Temple of Doom? The freaky chanting and sacrifice rituals... I shudder to think. I know that during the sacrifice scene, Mola Ram chants in Hindi, imploring "Kali Ma Shakti de," asking for the "Spiritual power of Mother Kali." It is very disturbing actually. Where does acting become reality? Where does 'being entertained' become 'being defiled'?

And finally, yes... the english word 'thug' originated from 'thugee'.

Nana was kung fu fighting

2009-01-08T20:35:00.008+13:00

Nana passed away when I was a tween. She lived out of town and I never saw her all that much. She was an elderly, eccentric, half-Italian lady, who knew a lot of grief in her lifetime.

One memory of her that always makes me smile is the time she stayed with us a few days during the school holidays in the eighties.

It seemed like Nana lived for soap operas and no one could pry her from the television set during her daily helping of Young And The Restless, Days Of Our Lives and other similar drivel.

I was going through a Jackie Chan phase at the time and had absent-mindedly forgotten to eject 'Project A' (Jackie Chan classic) from the video player, when it was Nana's turn to watch the tele.

Nana must have wondered why her much-loved soaps had become so action-packed all of a sudden, because unbeknownst to me at the time, she had accidentally pushed 'Play' on the remote and watched Jackie Chan for two hours!

Wax on wax off Nana! The following youtube clip is dedicated to you ;-)

Flipper... shark repeller!

2009-01-02T19:47:00.013+13:00

Q: What do you get when you cross Flipper with Jaws?
A: A fish that will bite you in half then save you from drowning.

But seriously folks, as a follow up to my Surfing With Jaws story, I would like to retell the events which happened at a local beach (about 45 minute's drive from here) in 2004.

Four people were doing lifeguard training about 100 metres off Ocean Beach, Whangarei when they were menaced by a 3 metre great white. Frightening stuff indeed (I wonder if it was the same shark that menaced me? ;-)

Incredibly, a pod of dolphins came to their rescue and surrounded them until they could get to safety. The dolphins 'herded' the swimmers to shore, continuously swimming tight circles around them and slapping the water with their tails to scare the predator away, which at times was only a couple of metres from them. The ordeal lasted a lenghty 40 minutes and the group were in no doubt that the dolphins were trying to protect them.

It sounds almost too good to be true doesn't? Lovable Flipper and his friends protecting man from certain death by Jaws... At the time it made global headlines. What is more startling, is that it isn't the only time this senario has played out.

In November 2007, Surfer Todd Endris was badly mauled (sharks maul?), by a 12-15 foot shark and was in desperate need of a miracle. I wonder if he prayed, because miraculously a pod of dolphins surrounded him and safely got him to shore, where he was air-lifted to hospital (read the story here).

I have always had a bad attitude towards dolphins. Mainly due to the fact that so many people love them more than unborn children. I guess it's not the dolphins fault that mankind is so badly misguided.

So in conclusion, I say hooray for Flipper... shark repeller!

Flannelgraph is born!

2009-01-01T22:32:00.008+13:00

Any church-going kid growing up in the 70's will remember Flannelgraph only too well. It was THE Christian storytelling tool back in the day. Nowadays, it is nothing more than a nostalgic memory (although I'm sure some retired Sunday school teachers would still swear by it.)

I love reading, especially stories which strengthen my faith in Christ. I also love recommending good books to others. So, I have come up with a cunning plan. To create a blog where myself and other like-minded friends can share our views on the various novels we've read... hopefully encouraging you to buy them, read them, be encouareged, and support the authors in using their gifts to glorify God.

What better name to call this... than 'flannelgraph'.

Click here to visit flannelgraph. It's only a day old, and the other intended contributors are away on holiday at the mo, so there isn't much to read yet. Please click the FOLLOW button once you arrive, as there will be a review posted every couple of days.

God bless, and happy new year!

A Treasure Deep by Alton Gansky

2008-12-30T08:32:00.010+13:00

The wealth is unbelievable. The impact on history immeasurable. The danger unimaginable. And Perry Sachs is just the man for the job.

I finished Alton Gansky's 'A Treasure Deep' the other day. When I saw it on sale and read the backcover, the Indiana Jones inside of me just couldn't resist. The book's plot revolves around one archaelogical dig containing a relic which will undoubtedly be the biggest discovery in modern history, effectively re-writing all the history books and confirming the Christian faith beyond all doubt. The problem is that the reader is kept guessing as to what the 'relic' is for most of the book. Cleverly written, fun and fustrating. Gansky's writing contains less action than I usually enjoy, but his characters and the cleverly written dialoge between them makes up for it.

Perry Sachs has just become my favourite protagonist and 'A Treasure Deep' contains the best conversation I have ever read in a novel. A portion of that conversation follows...

"The few times I've told my story to a Christian, they immediately try to explain things away. They say they're sorry, then try to explain why it's not God's fault. So go ahead. Who knows; maybe you'll say something new."
"You don't want to hear what I have to say."
"What no pity? No pat answers to deliver from the Word of God? No 'You'll get to see them all in heaven'? You dissappoint me. Go on, regale me with your Christian wisdom. I want to hear it.
"You're an idiot."
"What... what?" she spluttered.
"I said You're an idiot. You blame God because you've faced a tragedy.You want fairness in an unfair world. You want sinless behaviour from sinners..."

Perry... my hero.

A Treasure Deep scored an average reviewer's rating of 4 stars out of five on amazon.com. It is Book One in a trilogy of 'Perry Sachs' mysteries. It is followed by 'Beneath The Ice' and 'Submerged' (I gave myself 'Submerged' for Christmas ;-)

Beneath The Ice
At the bottom of the world lies a secret: a mysterious object buried three miles beneath the Antarctic ice. Famed engineer Perry Sachs and his crew face subzero temperatures, shifting ice, and the opposition of men determined to erase all knowledge of the expedition.

Submerged
While Henry Sachs lies in a hospital bed, dying from a mysterious illness, Perry must uncover the secrets of his father's past to try to save his life. Perry believes that Henry's condition stems from a time when he worked to investigate a secret underground base not built by the U.S. After a year of research yielded almost no information, a drastic decision was made: To prevent the base's unknown builders from ever returning a dam was built, flooding the area. What holds Henry Sachs in its grip? Can Perry face his toughest excavation yet-and find out before it's too late?

Freaky Cloverfield squid discovered

2008-12-29T08:37:00.000+13:00

I've always been fascinated by the giant squid. Click here to read the account of when my father's friend witnessed a giant squid attacking a whale.

Imagine my excitement when I discovered the following?

On November 11, 2007, an unknown species of giant squid (6 meters long) was filmed off a drilling site in the Gulf of Mexico. A portion of the footage is shown below. Imagine doing some night scuba diving and seeing that emerge from the murky distance. *shudder*

'Happy Jesus Birthday' Blogosphere!

2008-12-24T22:31:00.010+13:00

It's 10:39pm on Christmas Eve and PaisleyJade and I are absolutely exhausted (She made the cake... for the full story click here).

Therefore this is just a real short post to say a huge HAPPY JESUS' BIRTHDAY! to everyone in Blogosphere.

Peace on earth.

Mike the headless chicken

2008-12-22T19:55:00.006+13:00

Seems like my posts come in themes. Currently, it's poultry.

As Mr. Taloola was relieved of his head yesterday, he didn't realise it for a couple of minutes. Perhaps he wanted to kiss his girlfirends (Daisy and Cornflower) goodbye before he went to the big chicken coop in the sky. We need our inner-ears to keep balance, maybe that's why Taloola couldn't walk straight...

I remembered reading a story once about a rooster who survived quite a while after being beheaded. Just how long?

1.5 years.

I kid you not. It's name was Mike... Mike the chicken. He lived in the 40's and has quite a following. Check out his website here: http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/.

The day Taloola crowed

2008-12-21T22:04:00.007+13:00

I thought Taloola was a just a really big hen, until recently, when my son mentioned that he saw her 'riding on the other hen's backs'. And so, we realised that she was actually a 'he'... and Taloola became Mr. Taloola.

Surprisingly, Taloola never crowed until today (perhaps his name confused him somewhat). He sealed his fate at 5.30am this morning, when his masculinity kicked in and for the first time he was the king of the roost. Unfortunately, keeping roosters is illegal in urban areas of NZ. Seeing that free-range chicken meat is very expensive and that Christmas is only a few days away, I decided that Mr. Taloola would give his life for a worthy cause.... Christmas lunch.

My brother, his wife and son are staying for a few days. This afternoon, as I dispatched Taloola (with my rather blunt garden-machette), little did I realise that my nephew was watching... in horror.

A scene from Napoleon Dynamite immediately came to mind... and although the situation was unfortunate, I can't help but smile.

The Greatest Gift

2008-12-19T08:46:00.005+13:00

A television interviewer was walking streets of Tokyo at Christmas time. Christmas shopping is a very big commercial success in Japan. The interviewer stopped one young woman on the sidewalk, and asked, "What is the meaning of Christmas?"Laughing, she responded, "I don't know. Is that the day that Jesus died?"

Sadly, there was some truth in her answer. Christmas is always a stressful time of the year. It shouldn't be really, but with all the end-of-year functions, family get-togethers and Christmas shopping, Jesus can easily be neglected, and the 'reason for the season' distorted.

Click here to view the study in PDF format.

God bless

Killer Trench Rats

2008-12-17T10:47:00.006+13:00

War is hell.

As a kid, I thought war was cool (as most boys do). Films like ‘Saving Private Ryan’ gave me a much needed education. We need to be reminded occasionally about what the former generations endured for our freedom. The following is a little disturbing, so please don't read on if you're squeamish.

During the trench warfare of World War 1, many of the dead were buried almost where they fell. These corpses, along with food scraps (there was no proper system of waste disposal) attracted rats, and the trenches became infested by millions of them.

Soldiers tried to kill the rats with bullets, shovels or anything else they had at hand, but they were fighting a losing battle, as a single rat couple could produce up to 900 offspring in a year. Veteran soldiers swore that the rats sensed impending heavy enemy shellfire, as they inconsequently disappeared before an impending attack. The trench-rats remained a constant nightmare for the entire duration of the war, spreading infection, contaminating food… and eating people. Cat sized, telepathic, man-eating, trench rats. I’ll let the eye-witness accounts speak for themselves…

"The stench of the dead bodies now is awful as they have been exposed to the sun for several days, many have swollen and burst. The trench is full of other occupants, things with lots of legs, also swarms of rats." Sergeant A. Vine, diary entry (8th August, 1915)

"Rats came up from the canal, fed on the plentiful corpses, and multiplied exceedingly. While I stayed here with the Welch. a new officer joined the company and, in token of welcome, was given a dug-out containing a spring-bed. When he turned in that night he heard a scuffling, shone his torch on the bed, and found two rats on his blanket tussling for the possession of a severed hand." Robert Graves, Goodbye to All That (1929)

"I saw some rats running from under the dead man’s greatcoat, enormous rats, fat with human flesh. My heart pounded as we edged towards one of the bodies... the skull was bare, stripped of flesh, the eyes devoured and from the yawning mouth leapt a rat." Original sourse unknown

Hard to believe? Initially yes, but when we consider that rats are insatiable breeders and that a constant food supply almost always equals ‘rat plague’, we realize once again that truth is stranger (and more frightening) than fiction.

Eventually the rats became so vivacious that as well as feeding off the dead, they began to feed off the living. One soldier wrote, “The rats were huge. They were so big they would eat a wounded man if he couldn’t defend himself.”

Flip.

Monster rat discovered in Indo jungle

2008-12-16T15:03:00.008+13:00

Rats.

Ok. This may be old news to some, but I thought it was blogworthy anyway. A year ago, a previously unknown species of rat was discovered in the jungles of Indonesia. The rat was huge, at least five times the size of a common rat, and showed absolutely no fear of humans.

If the population of these rodents was ever to reach plague proportions, imagine the potential destruction (and death) that would ensue?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post about man-eating rats in WW1: 'Killer Trench Rats'

That's why we pray...

2008-12-14T21:20:00.013+13:00

We visited the in-laws today. They have just moved into a new house. My 4 year old daughter went into the bathroom to find a facecloth. I was in the hallway at the time when there was an almighty BANG, followed by extremely loud WAILING coming from the bathroom.

I dropped my icecream (as you do) and ran to the room only to find a heavy wall unit had fallen and my daughter was wedged underneath it. My first thought... broken limbs. I felt sick. But by the grace of God, my daughter was unhurt as the facing wall had stopped the cabinet's full weight from seriously injuring my little princess. I was amazed as the space where she was (under the cabinet), was tiny to say the least. All she could do was cry, "Sorry... sorry...". Apparently she had opened a high drawer and placed her full weight on it, causing it to fall.

Apart from a now damaged cabinet and wall (house warming present), everything was fine, and once little Miss 4 had settled down and eaten a gingernut, she felt much better.

As a dad, I pray almost daily that God will protect my wife and kids. It's times like today when I wonder if it wasn't for prayer, would the outcome have been different?

What would my response be if she had been seriously hurt? I'm not sure. One thing I do know is that God's goodness is not dependant on if my prayers are answered or not. The Bible says that the heartfelt prayers of righteous people are powerful and effective. God's Word does not lie. That's good enough for me.

Surfing with jaws

2008-12-13T20:57:00.011+13:00

It was the summer of 99... oooo yeah (in my best Bryan Adams voice). Me and my good buddy Les were surfing at Elliots' beach, Far North, New Zealand. It was a brilliant summer's day, the waves were small but clean, and I was out the back by myself waiting for the next set (Les was grovelling further in due to his board being too short).

While waiting for the next set I saw a huge form cruise slowly past me, about 10' away and about 4' from the water's surface. It took a couple of seconds for my mind to register what it was... a huge shark, longer than my 9' longboard (10'-12' would not be an exaggeration). For a brief moment I was in awe of the creature, until I realised that it looked remarkably like a Great White, and that my legs were in very close proximity to it's jaws.

Anyone else ever had a terror-rush? It's something you never forget.

I prayed silently while trying to gently catch a wave in using only my fingers to paddle with. Somehow, I managed to ride in (an angel must have pushed my board ;-). I came up beside Les, who was in wastedeep water, and pointed to the water out yonder. We both saw the shark's silouette in the oncoming wave... it was a truly awesome sight, albiet for only seconds. Wonder had overtaken fear.

Needless to say, we didn't go surfing again... that is, at least for a couple of hours.

I've read recently that it is not the shark you do see that is dangerous. It is the shark that you don't see that is dangerous, as sharks use the element of surprise and attack their intended morsel unseen from underneath. So, next time you are out surfing or swimming, remember... if you don't see a shark, be afraid... be very afraid.

Exploding whales

2008-12-12T22:25:00.008+13:00

It appears that dead whales have a habit of exploding at the most inconvenient times and places.

Exploding whale 1: Nov 12, 1970... on a beach in Oregon USA

The following youtube clip proves once and for all, that deliberately blowing up a dead whale using generous ammounts of dynamite is not a very bright idea. Imagine running for your life while dodging rotten whale blubber chunks? (say that five times fast). I laugh out loud everytime I watch it, but, seriously... it's a miracle no one was hurt (check out the damage to that sweet car).

Theres even a website devoted to that fateful day in 1970: www.theexplodingwhale.com.

Exploding Whale no 2. Jan 12, 2004... on a city street in Southern Tawain

A dead whale was found on a beach in Southern Taiwan. Being more intelligent than their American friends, the Taiwanese people decided to transport it to a local University to be studied. While in transit it suddenly exploded, splattering blood and guts over surrounding shop-fronts, bystanders, and cars (not to mention the poor scooter). Who would have thought?

Just to let you know, I've been writing this while eating dinner. The two activities aren't very compatable.

The Last Hunt by Mike Dellosso

2008-12-11T08:35:00.013+13:00

For those of you who haven't heard of Mike Dellosso, he is the author of the highly acclaimed debut novel 'The Hunted', which you all should read (my review here).

Mike also happens to be a really awesome guy! I subscribed to his free monthly newsletter the other day and was rewarded by being sent a PDF of his short story 'The Last Hunt' which is exclusively available to his subscribers. I can't say that I've read multitudes of short stories in my lifetime, but compared to those I have, 'The Last Hunt' is by far the best (and creepiest).

I won't divulge any of the story, except to say that it includes an isolated hut in the woods, otherworldly screams and...

So, I encourage you to visit Mike's website: www.mikedellosso.com, subscribe to his monthly mailinglist, and to follow his excellent blog: Wide Eyed Fiction.

Bat-eaters from the abyss

2008-12-09T10:53:00.019+13:00

I am once again made slightly uncomfortable by how disturbing real-life creatures can be.

The Amazonian Giant Centipede (Scolopendra gigantea), is the largest existing species of centipede in the world. It grows to over 35 cm in length and has the strength of a small snake. Here's the freaky part... it catches bats in mid-flight and eats them.

Yes indeed, and to prove that I didn't read that in a tabloid, I've embeded video proof below.

On a lighter note, let's talk about centipede venom. Centipedes bite using two gigantic hollow, venom-pumping fangs. Those unfortunate enough to have been bitten liken it to being burned by a lit cigar. One death has been reported where a seven year old girl was bit in the head... she died hours later. Click here to see a Discovery Channel clip of a centipede owning a tarantula. It has to be seen to be believed.

For those of us living in New Zealand who think we are free from these 'centipedal monsters', think again. The New Zealand giant centipede grows to 25 cms.

How big do centipedes grow? It is rumored that there is a rare species living in the Galapagos Islands that exceeds 60 cms. The now extinct Euphoberia centipede grew to over a metre in length. Imagine waking up to one of these monsters coiled around your neck, about to sink its fangs into your head! Who decided Euphoberia is extinct anyway? Doesn't 'extinct' just mean that none have been seen recently?

Once again, sweet dreams...

Treasure, death and a severed hand

2008-12-08T13:54:00.017+13:00

I was reminded today of the 'Money Pit' of Oak Island, probably the longest running treasure hunt in history, and the most mysterious...

For all you archaeologically-challenged readers out there, prepare to be enlightened.

Oak Island is a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. While exploring the island (1765), 16-year-old Daniel McGinnis discovered an old oak tree bearing marks caused by a rope and tackle system. Beneath the tree was a depression in the ground and Daniel believed he had stumbled across the location of buried pirate's treasure. Young Daniel had discovered what is now known as the money pit, and to this day, whatever lies at the bottom of the pit continues to elude discovery... and six people have died trying to recover it.

In a nutshell... the money pit is 200 foot deep manmade shaft, constructed centuries ago in such a way that recovering its contents would be an impossible feat. What lies at the bottom was never meant to be retrieved, buried in a shroud of mystery and death.

I have previously written about ancient booby traps, and the money pit is extraodinary in this regard. Whoever designed it, dug sloping tunnels from the vertical shaft which joined the ocean. When the digging got deep enough, the shaft was flooded by ocean water, and has been so ever since.

The existence of this flood trap was confirmed by the discovery that the beach of Smith's Cove, located some 500 feet away from the pit, was completely artificial. Ingeniously designed for the sole purpose of flooding the pit if anyone ever got close to its contents.

How many men would it take to create an artificial beach? I dare to ask. What could possibly be so valuable? Experts can only surmise.

In 1970 one group bored a hole 90-metres from the site and found several artificial cavities. They lowered a camera down the borehole and saw three chests a severed hand, and a body.

The plot thickens, the death-toll mounts, the facts provide more questions than answers, and no one is really that much closer to discovering the treasure than young Daniel McGinnis was over 200 years ago.

Double-click the clip below for doco about the money pit

Click here for Unmuseum's excellent Oak Island article (with pictures!).
Click here for Wikipedia's Oak Island entry.

Now that you're 'Indiana Jones alter-ego' appetite has been whett, feel free to peruse my other posts on crazy archaleogical finds...

The real Temple of Doom
Giant boulder booby traps
Cave of the giant crystals

How to have big guns

2008-12-05T07:00:00.000+13:00

Nobody was as surprised as I was to be hailed as the undesputed arm-wrestling champ of Overwhelmed Camp 08. People have been asking what my secret is. Well, here it is in one word...

Kids.

Yep, have kids (make sure you're married first ;-) and make sure you carry them whenever and wherever you can.

For example, Paisley Jade and I took our two lovely daughters to the hospital for ear appointments today... way up on the 5th floor. Little Miss 1.5 decided to make a scene while wife and Miss 4 were in the doctor's room (at least she didn't yell 'Help' this time).

"What would MacGyver do?", I thought at first, but having realised I left my pocket knife at home (for once... seriously), I needed another cunning plan.

Making sure I carried Miss 1.5 in my wrestling arm, I power-walked down 5 flights of stairs to the lower ground floor, wrangled some M&Ms from the vending machine (to pacify baby and relieve stress), and power walked back up to the top floor.

Boy, did I feel the burn in my legs and arm... big time. "Who needs the gym, when you've got four kids?" I smiled to myself as Little miss 1.5 and I quietly shared the M&Ms.

Yet another proof that children are a blessing from the Lord.

The date night of doom

2008-12-04T07:00:00.001+13:00

On Monday night Paisley Jade (wife) and myself had a date night. All four kids were fast asleep, so we moved the sofa closer to the TV, turned out the lights and snuggled up to watch 'August Rush' (movie recommended by Lesmond J)...

The DVD case said the movie ran for almost 2 hours... It lied. The following events of our 'date night' will show you how easily a 2 hour movie can transform into a three hour dilema.

1. We hit the 'Play' button... so far so good.

2. About 30 minutes into the movie we hear a big bang, followed by unearthly wailing coming from the girls room. Our 4 year old had fallen out of bed onto her head. After about 15 minutes of mum comforting her, she finally settles down and falls back to sleep.

3. Back to watching the movie.

4. We hear a scuffling noise coming from behind the sofa, and discover our stealth sleep-walking 7 year old son in laa-laa land walking in circles, in the dark. This is usually a sure sign that I have exactly seven seconds to get him to the toilet or else...

5. Whew, made it. Tuck son into bed, back to watching the movie.

6. Crying erupts from the girls room. No, no one has fallen out of bed this time... it's much worse. Our almost 2 year old has just vomitted all over herself, her hair and her bed. Goodtimes.

7. Paisley Jade changes the bed and washes the sheets while I give our darling daughter a bath and wash half-digested tomatoes (among other unrecognisable and reeking food items) from her hair... without complaining I might add. (Did I mention I am superdad?)

8. Finally, back to the movie.

9. About three quarters of the way through the film and the movie freezes. After several attempts to stop, start, skip, fast foward etc. nothing works. We eventually resort to watching the rest of the film huddled around the laptop computer.

10. Movie ends... what a mission.

Now is that romantic or what!

Germ

2008-12-03T07:00:00.003+13:00

Imagine an airborne strain of the Ebola virus that targets only the people who has the DNA strands encoded within it. No one is safe, and if you breathe, it will find you. To prove it, the germ's creator targets ten thousand victims: politicians, housewives, children. Only three people can possibly stop it: a pastor, a doctor and a federal agent... if they survive long enough.

'Germ' is the first Robert Liparulo novel I've read. I must say that until now, my favourite Christian action author has been James Byron Huggins. My preference may be changing...

Germ is not an overtly Christian novel but successfully combines a terrifingly realistic plot, suspense, mayhem, brutal action and Christian morality to make it a very compelling read.

Reviewer Kevin Lucia (suspensezone.com) remarks...

Robert Liparulo has taken a very realistic threat and crafted a story that ranks right up there with any of Robert Ludlum’s novels. The dialogue is real, the characters painstakingly crafted, and it’s not hard to see this projected onto the big screen in a Hollywood adaptation... Most importantly, Germ embodies what “faith fiction” should be: an excellently written and crafted work of fiction that adheres to a sense of moral value and worth, realistic and accessible to all...

Average rating on Amazon: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 47 reviews). I give it a 4 out of 5.

Click here to visit Liparulo's website.

O how He loves us!

2008-12-02T07:00:00.003+13:00

This song is absolutely phenomenal! It's amazing how powerful a worship time one can have with the assistance of Youtube ;-). Thanks heaps Neen and co. for introducing the song at camp.

Whoever's leading worship on Sunday morning, 21st Dec has to do this! (I have a cunning plan...)

And for everyone who has a problem with the 'sloppy wet kiss' lyric... just get over it. One of the best moments in the world is when your one year old child, totally out of the blue, kisses you for the first time. Three words to describe it.... wet, sloppy, and amazing.

1919 anti-drinking poster

2008-12-01T09:07:00.005+13:00

Seriously guys... if you had a drinking problem, would this convince you to stop?