Bits and Bytes

Moving house (metaphorically)

2010-08-23T19:42:00.002+12:00

Hello peeps! Bits and Bytes will be moving to its new home on Tumblr soon, due to its integration with Facebook and the fact that making short posts on Tumblr is a lot easier (and looks better because of the layout). I'll be sure to post the new link when it goes live; and this time, I'm not changing my mind.

EDIT: The new Bits and Bytes is hosted on Tumblr.

The End (maybe)

2010-07-30T10:13:00.001+12:00

Hi everyone,

Due to increased spamming and my own lack of enthusiasm to manage 3 Facebook pages + my own profile, a Tumblr blog and this blog simultaneously, I have decided that one of them must go. Yes, Bits and Bytes is finally closing down. I'll leave access open for another couple of weeks, but I've disabled comments so that I don't have to remove any more spam in that time period.

If you'd like to keep up with me, feel free to friend me at http://www.facebook.com/adam.dawson1 and say that you're one of my Blogger readers.

It's been a long road, and thank you all for being there for all of it.

God bless,
Adam Dawson ('Mada')

EDIT: I'm going to give this a break for now and see if the spammers are gone by the time I come back to it. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so hasty in deciding to shut this down after all.

Spammers

2010-07-19T09:01:00.002+12:00

Ugh, annoying Chinese spammers keep commenting on my blog. I'm pretty sure that they aren't bots this time, but then again, they could be. I'd love to be able to trace them back to their source!

It's a livin'

2010-07-14T16:51:00.000+12:00

Whew! After the revamp of my website business's...website, I think I now offer almost 2,000 individual templates (it says over 1,800 but I just added more template links). The most awesome thing about the revamp? I've switched from using the Joomla CMS system to WordPress, which happened to be one of the smartest things I ever did. Trust me, if you're thinking of making a website (and please note that I can save you that pain by doing it for you), DO NOT use Joomla! WordPress is, in comparison, by far superior and has prettier templates too.

So yeah, that was pretty much an unashamed attempt at advertising my business to you all. So, ummm...did I mention I pay for referrals? :-D

The Craziest Country in The World

2010-06-22T20:56:00.006+12:00

http://www.onlineschools.org/blog/the-craziest-country-in-the-world/

I has a new blog

2010-06-16T21:48:00.003+12:00

Behold my creation: Just Another Photography Blog
I'm quite proud of this one.

Oh, and you should check out the trailer for Disney's new fairy tale movie, "Tangled". It's loosely based on Rapunzel, but from the little I've seen, the "lampoon the fairy tale" style reminds me of Shrek. I like. :-D
http://ribbonsoflight.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-disneys-rapunzel-movie.html
(Thanks to The Editrix for originally posting about this)

Awesome Win (literally)

2010-06-15T21:35:00.000+12:00

http://iamawesome.com/

Tell me what you think. :-D

I changed my mind

2010-06-14T20:35:00.000+12:00

OK, so Blogger finally comes out with the cool stuff just as I consider jumping ship. I'm almost disappointed - I kind of wanted to try Tumblr. Oh well, I guess it's fine to stick with the old faithful at the moment.

I've almost finished my semester, and once I have you'll be hearing more from me. ;-)

Blogger is boring

2010-06-09T18:42:00.000+12:00

Well dunk me in vinegar and call me a pickle; Blogger hasn't released ANY new templates since I first joined! I'm thinking of defecting to tumblr. Would any of you guys still follow me if I did that?

This is too hard X-P

2010-06-05T21:45:00.000+12:00

I can't keep this a serious-only blog. I'm sorry. So, it's back to the randomly awesome Bits and Bytes you all knew and loved, starting with today.

Now THAT'S the way I roll!

Generation "Mess"

2010-05-04T21:56:00.002+12:00

A general observation of today's Western society is the prevalence of youth wasting their lives. Drug abuse, fornication, alcoholism, and violent crime are a part of the lives of our youth in some way or another. If you think about it, never has a generation of people made a mess of their lives more thoroughly than that of the teenagers and young adults of today. This is partly the fault of the lies they absorb from modern society, but mostly it's from a general lack of respect for God and his moral laws.

Do you know what concerns me? Wondering what will happen when they replace the previous generation of leaders.

Think about it...

Reassurance

2010-04-21T22:02:00.000+12:00

A world of suffocation, lies and deceit
I know it's not the first time I've been lied to.
But to look beyond what we see, and see what lies beyond
To the tessellations of the fields as the wind plays in the grass
The dominating performance of a springtime thunderstorm
The breathtaking palette of the sunrise
As the light beams dance among the dewdrops in spider's webs.

Reassurance that all is not dark.
Reassurance against the empty claims that ring hollow
Of the absence of God.

Holiday Break

2010-04-16T12:48:00.001+12:00

Apologies for the general lack of updates recently. I'm taking a rest-break until University starts up again on Monday.

Assumptions

2010-03-29T21:39:00.000+13:00

Today I discovered that our Prototype Development lecturer had assumed that we were Level 6 students (semester 2, year 2 for my course) doing a Level 6 paper, rather than Level 5 students doing a Level 6 paper. Because of this assumption, he'd been making us do things that were quite difficult for our current level of understanding.

Making an assumption about someone can be a dangerous thing. You think they're like this, when they're really like that. These little assumptions that we make can really impair the way we relate to other people.

I guess I learned something more than just prototyping today.

Groundwork

2010-03-23T17:34:00.000+13:00

Eat, work, sleep, repeat. Over a period of four weeks, my life from Monday to Wednesday seems to echo that statement. Admittedly, there's a good reason to study at university, but the busyness is a reflection of the modern adult life: as children we had very few things that we actually truly needed to worry about; now, as I fully enter the world of adulthood, in some ways I yearn for the carelessness of youth. Because now it's "study this, work on that, prepare for tests, complete assignments on time", etcetera, etcetera. Several "inside sources" tell me that this is only the beginning of a life constantly on the go, rarely stopping for a break, rarely giving you the opportunity to start over when you mess up. This is it, we're out of the sandbox and we're about to discover that the world is a fair bit more complex than digging holes and making sandcastles. But it's nothing we can't handle, right? Well, let's certainly hope so. Personally, I've seen things about myself that I could stand to lose before fully stepping out of my previously simple little world.

Look around you. There are a myriad of people who gave little thought to what they were going to do once they "left the sandbox". Drugs, getting drunk, sleeping around...no cares, right? Sure, if that's what you want to believe - just be prepared to crash hard sometime in your life. And let's face it: you can still harm your life without even abusing your body. There are those who are "drifters", who never seem to know where they're going, just taking it as it comes. Trust me, you don't want to be one of those - you may think it's all good to start with, but a general lack of purpose will do more harm than good (and as a sidenote, drifters do not make good spouses).

God didn't create us so we could ruin ourselves, and we need to remember that. Sometimes even Christians need to be reminded that their lives are not just their own. Therefore, be diligent in preparing yourself for the future. You can do so much more for God and others if you take it seriously.

A new direction

2010-03-22T15:51:00.004+13:00

So, my current occupation of "university student" made me one of the slackest blog posters I know. Therefore, rather than just abandon my blog, I've decided to be a bit Twitter-esque and commit to posting short, pithy updates about my thoughts, life, faith, religion...anything that happens to be ricocheting around in my brain at the time. I hope I haven't lost all of my readers, but perhaps this way I may be able to win them back...and thus what follows is posed as a question.

I met someone I knew from a while back on the train today, who'd stopped going to youth group and given up on "being a Christian" because of what she perceived as a cold attitude towards her when she started to "backslide". So, what gives? Why do we, who claim to be followers of Christ, DO this to people? Okay, I'm sure that almost every youth group can lay claim to hosting a few "backsliders", but is the right thing to push them away, or just "be there" for them, quietly encouraging them to make the right choices? Think about it, and let me know what your thoughts are on the matter.

Wedding Photographs

2010-02-23T14:13:00.001+13:00

Finally, here are the photos from my older half-sister's wedding. Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=48230&id=1528179060&l=84bfe7d3a4

P.S. You don't have to be a Facebook user to be able to view these photos.

Catch-up

2010-02-05T14:43:00.000+13:00

Woohoo! I have finally updated my blog in, er...a month and a bit. Things have been busy (which I like), what with my older half-sister's wedding, Christmas, Carey Park Kids Camp, the Scripture Union Ponui Island camp, and the Parachute Music Festival (not to mention various other social events in between all of the above).

Carey Park was good, but there were a few things about that particular camp that disappointed me. One of them was the songs. Now, I don't dislike the USA, but I have to say that you guys can come up with some of the cheesiest Christian camp songs. Why am I griping about that in particular? Well, one of the employees of Carey Park went to the States to do a whole summer's worth of leading/counselling at Christian children's camps; add that to the fact that nearly all of the Carey Park leaders had been complaining about how we never sing any new songs at camp, and you begin to see our problem. She comes back to New Zealand all excited about the new friends she's made and whatnot, and when it came time to practice the camp worship songs at the leaders training weekend, she brings out a few of the songs she learned in California. Bad, bad, bad idea! Ugh, there was so much cheese from those songs we could have made enough pizza to feed everyone at the camp.

It wasn't all bad though - personally, I enjoyed meeting familiar faces and catching up with some people, as well as helping out by looking after the campers. However, now that a new camp coordinator will be coming in (the one they had for this camp was a temp) I'm unsure as to whether I really want to go as frequently as I used to. That, and it can kind of drag on you, doing every single camp in the same place. So with that in mind, I'm probably going to volunteer for a few Scripture Union camps for a change of scene (and if the Ponui Senior camp was anything to go by, then they should be pretty good) and cut down my time at Carey Park to possibly once a year.

Oh, and Ponui Island was great! The best camp I've ever been on, even if I wasn't a camper there. Good fellowship, food, worship, talks, activities...the list is a bit long. A link to some photos follow.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=45018&id=1528179060&l=46016ce3c1

Pigeon: Impossible

2010-01-12T11:25:00.000+13:00

It pays to be careful of the rats-with-wings, da?

A short message (regarding a wedding)

2009-12-18T21:47:00.000+13:00

Firstly, I'm sorry I haven't posted in...a while. :-P That's what happens when your family is preparing for a wedding.

Secondly, I would like to wish my older sister Zoë much happiness in her soon-to-be married life! I think she's made a wonderful decision in agreeing to marry Andrew (who has been courting/engaged to her for a little over a year) and hope that they have a wonderful life together. God bless you both!

Christian band parodies Miley Cyrus song

2009-12-02T22:00:00.000+13:00

The Great Rat War

2009-11-18T18:17:00.001+13:00

© 2009 Jacob Dawson (click to zoom)

This is what my younger brother does in between studying. Sure beats my bored doodles.

Re-Transmit

2009-11-16T22:05:00.000+13:00

So today I had to go back to my university for the first part of the student mentor training. Before I go any further, I guess I ought to explain the responsibilities of a mentor first. We're pretty much responsible for ensuring that the new students know at least one friendly face on campus who knows what's what and where everything is (hopefully). The training itself was pretty straightforward; however, it was a bit unnerving when they discussed what to do if a "mentee" (one of the students under your "mentorship") texts you during the night saying they are about to commit suicide (apparently it HAS happened before, unfortunately). Unpleasant topics aside, I made a few acquaintances pretty quickly, and do look forward to meeting more like-minded individuals on campus. The net result of meeting one of them was that we both went to PB Technology on Queen Street to price up some components for the new computer he's planning to build. To be honest, I'd never realised how much I had missed computer-nerd shopping until today - now I wish I had some spare money to upgrade MY computer!

I have to look for a job over the summer break. Finding one is the difficult part. ^_^

Upgrade

2009-11-15T09:09:00.000+13:00

I thought it was time for a theme upgrade. To be honest, I don't think Blogger comes with nearly enough themes of its own, otherwise I would have changed mine long ago. Many thanks to guitargirl, who let me in on her blog template secrets. ;-)

So, what do you all think?

(I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything substantial recently. I'll try to write something decent sometime soon)

Switchfoot's new album

2009-11-06T18:21:00.000+13:00

You can listen to all of Switchfoot's "Hello Hurricane" album on their MySpace profile: http://www.myspace.com/Switchfoot

It sounds awesome! I'm so glad I pre-ordered it from the Christian bookstore. :-D

Photos from Briar's birthday hike

2009-11-02T20:52:00.002+13:00

Enjoy! Yeah, I've switched from Picasa Online Albums to Facebook, but it's easier that way. I hate uploading the same photos twice.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=36317&id=1528179060&l=34029e96b2

P.S. You can view the album without needing to have a Facebook account.

Self-defense: right or wrong?

2009-10-21T19:05:00.000+13:00

I have to say, fellow blogger Spencer has posted what I consider to be a very pertinent Christian view on the ethics of self-defense. Myself, I am in total agreement with it, but I wouldn't mind knowing what you all think about the issue.

http://drpaleophd.blogspot.com/2009/10/warskyl-self-defense-and-holiness.html

Thanks again, Spencer, for yet another thought-provoking blog post!

Pressing On

2009-10-19T21:28:00.002+13:00

Our band is very close to recording our first few demos. Also, we'll be choosing a name soon, so WATCH THIS PAGE.

So, who's willing to hype our band once we have something? :-D

In Memory of Aisling Symes

2009-10-13T16:55:00.001+13:00

I was going to write a poem, but none of the words came out right. All I can say is that I am truly sorry that this happened, and though I can't really understand what her family are suffering, my heart grieves with them also.

Goodbye Aisling. We know where you are now, but we wish you were still with us. God be with you, and with us all.

(For those of you who are unaware of what happened to Aisling Symes, just do a search for her name on any New Zealand news website for the backstory)

Way too cool!

2009-10-10T13:17:00.001+13:00

Musical sweetness, a new instrument has been invented! You SHALL click the link (trust me, it's worth it).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8294355.stm

The most idiotic FAIL ever

2009-10-02T21:58:00.000+13:00

Well, that ought to teach him.

Band name

2009-09-21T12:26:00.001+12:00

The band I'm a part of is coming along really well. So far we've got about 5 or 6 original songs that we're working on. What we don't have is a name.

So, does anyone have any good ideas for a name? :-D

The Noble Man

2009-09-18T22:37:00.001+12:00

"But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands."
Isaiah 32:8

I wish that there were more men like that. I came across this Bible verse today and found it rather poignant, considering how lacking in noble men this world is. But there are still some in existance; I applaud them, for doing what they know is right, for standing up for their beliefs, and for sticking to their guns about it.

The world needs more of you..

Ninja Cat: He moves while you're not watching...

2009-09-08T21:32:00.000+12:00

Please excuse yet another YouTube post.

Glass harp

2009-08-23T18:31:00.001+12:00

A Haiku

2009-08-12T16:59:00.002+12:00

The life I lead
hopeful, grateful
Never wish that you weren't born.

EDIT: I just discovered that this isn't haiku. In fact, I don't really know what it is; perhaps I've invented a new form of poetry?

This, that, and the other (and Kingston)

2009-08-03T16:44:00.001+12:00

'Briar' asked what papers I'm doing this semester, so in answer to that, I will now proceed to explain what I'm studying at uni now. There are four papers: Computer Technical Skills, Information Presentation & Communication, Electronics 1, and Electric Circuits 2 (a continuation from Electric Circuits 1).

Computer tech skills covers a lot of what I already know, i.e. assembling a computer, installing an operating system, safety, etc. It's interesting though, in that I love mucking about inside the box of the computer and setting them up.

Information communication and presentation deals with communication in the workplace, including learning how to do a presentation. It's all right, but I could do without the essay assignment coming up (it's in-class only, too).

Electronics 1 and Electric Circuits 2 are very similar in teaching form, though the topics they cover are different. I have the same lecturer I had for EC1 for EC2 - it's rather funny, because he thought that he'd gotten rid of us and that we'd have another lecturer for EC2. My, how he was surprised.

And now for something completely different. We had a youth event at our church on the 25th of July. The programme was to have some worship with the youth band, a speaker from Scripture Union, more worship, then the main attraction: power-rock band Kingston. Since I was there early to operate the powerpoint for the worship band, I had an opportunity to chat with a couple of the band members before the event started, which was neat. The band's set was a lot of fun, and there were a fair lot of people up the front moshing, clapping and dancing (I joined in a third of the way through, thanks to a friend's invitation. First time I've done that, actually). On their last song (radio single "Round We Go"), they got all the people up the front to dance 'round in a circle; it didn't quite turn out to be a circle, but it was fun nonetheless. Alas, Kingston's set was over far too soon. However, I did manage to come away from their performance with the only copy of their EP that they had there (they didn't bring any merchandise, so the drummer—thanks Ben!—gave me his copy instead). Not only that, but after "lying in wait" for all the band members, I managed to get it autographed as well! So all in all it was an awesome night.

Newsbyte: Guitar

2009-07-17T23:45:00.000+12:00

Today I finally purchased new strings, borrowed some spray paint and got to work re-instating my acoustic guitar back to working order. Some of you might remember that a while back the headstock got broken while at I was at camp. Someone I knew kindly fixed it at no cost, and all that remained was to paint over the filler and sanded areas, and re-string it.

Now that it's done, I'm glad I did it. Playing acoustic rythym on an electric guitar doesn't quite do it. DESPITE the fact that I used my >>credit card<< to purchase the aforementioned strings (must not use it until I pay it off!), I find it hard to regret my decision. At least by cleaning the fretboard myself and not buying the special fluid saved me another NZ$16.00, though lemon juice doesn't polish the wood like the LEMON OIL was meant to (I think). Oh well, I didn't want to get grease on the strings anyway.

Bookworm is starving

2009-06-20T23:33:00.001+12:00

I've run out of good books to read. Do any of my blog readers have anything they could recommend to me?

I like fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction (middle ages, mostly), detective and mystery novels. I'm not so big into thrillers, but if it's good enough AND it's by a Christian author, then I'm fine with that. Also, good classics, like George MacDonald and J.R.R. Tolkein.

At the moment all I've got to read is Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations", which is fine, but I need a bit of literary variation. Thanks everyone!

Keeping it secret

2009-06-16T23:42:00.001+12:00

(I thought I might share some thoughts on what I'm reading in Matthew at the moment)

Jesus condemned those that publicly announced their good deeds and instead commended those who performed them in secret. He told us not to make a big show of prayer, nor to let us think that we would be heard better by loquacious skill or "babbling" in our praying. He urged us not to make it obvious when we fasted; instead, acting as if the day were normal.

But why all this secrecy? Because when we do these things, it is God we are honouring, not man or ourselves. Making a big song and dance about it all really turns the spotlight on...to you. It accentuates your "holiness" and is the reason why Jesus said "They have [already] received their reward in full". But the real reason we give, pray and fast is to bless, connect with, and acknowledge God. There should be no other reason.

Music Video Week

2009-06-11T09:35:00.002+12:00

As I was browsing the 'net, I stumbled across a couple of music videos I thought you guys might like

The Classic Crime - "Seattle"

Regina Spektor - "Laughing With"
This song mentions how people seem to take God very seriously when their life is taking a turn for the worse, but have no problem making fun of him when at a party with friends.

Microsoft's totally awesome console accessory

2009-06-04T21:49:00.001+12:00

I'm considering the possibility of seriously getting a game console for the first time in my life now, after seeing this. And yes, it works just like in the video; reviewers got to test it at the E3 conference and they say it works so well, it's eerie.

The beginning of the end

2009-05-27T17:23:00.001+12:00

Yes, my semester is coming to a close, which means...HOMEWORK, TESTS, IMPENDING ASSIGNMENTS AND LAB REPORTS. Happy days. Still, a month's worth of break is pretty decent; should be long enough to recuperate from study.

I think that I've discovered two vital factors to writing a song in 30 minutes: one, the better you relate to the lyrics you're writing, the easier you can write them, and two, caffeine hyper-stimulates you enough to be motivated to finish writing it. Now all I have to do is match it to a melody.

Can you all please pray for my health? I've been feeling a bit off today, and with exams coming up fast, I really don't want to be sick. Thanks :-)

Travelling the tracks

2009-05-19T17:16:00.000+12:00

As I post this I'm listening to a live recording of Coldplay while travelling home from university on the train. By harnessing the power of my mobile phone, I can continue to blog. Hopefully I haven't lost all of my readers by now. :-P

Last Sunday, my pastor did a sermon (in the evening service) about finding the person you're going to marry. Personally, I found it incredibly interesting (being single and all, LOL); he made some good points too. One was to not continually search for someone, partly because it stresses you out and partly because the opposite sex can usually pick up if you're looking at them as a potential partner. Another is to ensure that you know what you want in a wife/husband: a Christian, loves children, didn't vote for Obama (hahahaha!), etc. I don't know if this list approach to cataloging what you want in a spouse is something that everyone would agree with or even end up using, but it seems to me to be a good idea. It wouldn't be that great if you rushed into marriage without knowing where the other person stands on areas that you're quite adamant on.

"Some people," my pastor said, "are called to be single." My friends and I immediately decided we didn't have that calling. Funny that. But seriously, there are some people who never get married, and have no urge to do so. Myself, I think I'd find that to be quite a lonely life, but that's me.

"Weird Al" Yankovic as Rambo

2009-05-07T18:36:00.000+12:00

Arghhhh! :-D

Listen

2009-04-26T20:56:00.002+12:00

I stumbled across this on the internet, and found it so inspiring that I thought I'd post it here. Shel Silverstein is a children's book author; guitargirl has posted about him before.

Possibly

2009-04-14T23:39:00.001+12:00

Easter Camp was a blast. Nearly everything about it was awesome (except for the colourful language, jokes, etc.); the speakers were great, the food was mostly good, and the socialising opportunities were incredible. Personally, I liked it more than Promise Keepers - especially the speakers. I definitely plan on going back next year.

Anyway, the main topic of this post: I went to a talk given by Geoffery Botkin about the state of Christianity in New Zealand. It was interesting enough, but what really got my attention was that the main reason he was going around New Zealand giving these talks was to give fifteen American men the opportunity to "suss out" NZ as a possible place to relocate with their families (hey Spencer, Matt Chancey was there at the talk!). I got the opportunity (I'm starting to use that word a lot in this post) to converse with a couple of young men around my own age who'd come over with their fathers. Hopefully they'll like what they see here and move over...to Auckland, of course (lost enough friends to Hawks Bay region). It would be great to have some more homeschooled friends, as it's difficult enough for me to find anyone my own age in West Auckland who is/was homeschooled. Here's to hoping that it'll all work out. :-)

Animator vs. Stick Figure

2009-04-07T09:45:00.001+12:00

Beware using Flash, it has untamed powers...

Adam Dawson: University Student

2009-04-04T10:43:00.002+13:00

Thanks to Richard, who suggested that I write about what I'm actually learning at AUT...

Contrary to popular belief, I really am picking up some quite useful information during my time at AUT (that's Auckland University of Technology for those not in the know...and no, it's not a tech, it's a university!). Things like circuits, maths, circuits, boolean maths, CAD, circuits, C programming and circuits. I suppose I could give you a brief rundown on what I'm learning at the moment in each of my classes.

Electrical Mathematics: Good old triginometry and graphing; we've just started on some calculus (differentiation). Lecturer rating: Friendly and Helpful.

Electrotechnology Workshop: Possibly the most hands-on and enjoyable part of the course; I've just finished making a small amplifier circuit with a few surface-mount components (wee tiny things). Lecturer rating: Friendly and Generally Helpful, but sometimes Quite Incomprehensible.

CAD (Computer Aided Drawing): I'm currently learning how to do orthographic drawing; I've just started on isometric and cavalier oblique drawing views. Really not sure whether I enjoy this class or not. Lecturer rating: Strangely Humorous and Occasionally Helpful, with Variable Moods.

C Programming: Going through the basics at the moment - functions (custom and premade), math operators, standard programming conventions, etc. I know enough to make advanced, specific calculators that take input from the keyboard, calculate it, then display the results on the screen. Lecturer rating: Darkly Brooding and Occasionally Helpful, but Rather Strict.

Electric Circuits 1: Ohm's Law, Kirchoff's Laws (in regards to current and voltage), parallel and series circuits, resistance, resistivity, capacitance, charge, ad infinitum. Most of my theory work is done in this class - probably the most intense out of all of them. Lecturer rating: Extremely Sarcastic and Generally Unhelpful, but Occasionally Funny.

And that's about it at the moment, not including the lab reports I have to write up (or rather, should be getting on to sooner than I do), assignments to finish, homework to read...it's a busy life. Still, I suppose this much can be said for it - that it isn't really very hard for a homeschooler to fit in. Weird.

Engage hyperdrive!

2009-03-27T15:49:00.002+13:00

Broadband is awesome, broadband is fun! Broadband is great, broadband HAS COME!!! *does a super-happy-dance* My life is now complete. :-D

That, and I'm having another go at forming a band (first practice on Sunday afternoon); except this time there'll be THREE guitarists, a pianist...and a drummer! Finally! I hope we end up working well together, because I want this band to stick this time. I'm getting very excited for Sunday.

Thanks all for your prayers on that sticky situation I was in. Prayers were answered, relational bridges rebuilt, and things are looking up in that area now, so my thanks to you all, and to God!

I'm having a VERY happy day!

Needing prayer

2009-03-21T23:09:00.001+13:00

Hey everyone. As of late I've been going through some hard times relationally with some people in my life, which is devestating (no, it's not to do with a girl). I'm not sure whether it's my fault or not, but it's still pretty hard for me to handle sometimes. Please pray for me, that this relationship will be restored and that I will be able to treat this person respectfully in the meantime.

Something blew up between us today, so I've been feeling pretty rotten this evening. :-(

Walking Distance

2009-03-12T20:02:00.005+13:00

To get to AUT (that's Auckland University of Technology for those who aren't in the know), I need to walk from Britomart Transport Centre to Wellesley St East. Actually, there's more to it than that: to get to AUT from my house, I have to drive down my road to the local train station, sit tight for an hour-long (give or take 10 minutes) train journey, which will take me to Britomart. From there on it's a 20 minute walk up Queen St to my destination. No, I'm not moaning, I actually appreciate the exercise.

Remember that timetable I posted a couple of weeks ago? Well, it kept changing like crazy until Wednesday last week. If I really wanted to know what classrooms I would be attending for the first few days, I had to check the timetable every morning to ensure I didn't miss a lecture. Now though, everything seems stable. On a whole, the lecturers are pretty good. Yes, some are better than others - one has a tendancy to be a bit...err, loud - but they know their stuff. The most helpful lecturer so far has to be the guy who teaches electrical mathematics. Prize for most, um, "expressive" would definitely go to my electrical circuits teacher (he has a tendancy to single people out with quick-fire questions to check that they're listening, and woe betide them if they are not!).

I suppose you could say that I've made a few friends. I also suppose that none of you are very surprised that it didn't take very long. There are three people so far studying at AUT that I know from previous friendships (all Christians), and I hope to make many more after joining one of the Christian clubs on campus (they should be sending me some information soon). Money is a bit of an issue at the moment, because I don't have any; prayers would be very much appreciated (i.e., I would be muchas greatful).

One more little thing I'd just like to mention: Keep an eye out for Jars Of Clay's upcoming album, "The Long Fall Back To Earth". I'm doing a second-opinion review on it for Jesusfreakhideout.com, and I must say that it is very good...better than "Good Monsters", in fact. Check it out if you get the chance. ;-)

A Travesty

2009-02-26T19:34:00.003+13:00

Texting 'improves language skill'

They've got to be joking; texting does NOT improve a person's language skill! If anything, it's horribly detrimental to the English language as a whole. Thanks to the "texting revolution", we have been subject to such chilling mockeries of words such as "2nite", "m8", "2moro", "l8r", "fr3dm" and "chk" (although this particular term has been in use by programmers for some time). Ugh! *shudders*

A few things to lighten up the week

2009-02-23T20:51:00.002+13:00

The World's First Cellphone
My dad has one of these gathering dust in a cupboard somewhere, I think...it's just as big!

Church's Easter billboard message
Ouch. That cuts to the quick!

And as a finisher...

My class timetable

2009-02-19T15:58:00.003+13:00

Finally! I've been emailed a link to my timetable for this semester. So, from March to June, it seems to be the same every week...

Monday

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: PC Applications and Programming (This'll be a cinch)
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Electrical Mathematics

Tuesday

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Electrical Circuits 1
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Electrical Mathematics

Wednesday

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Electrical Mathematics (Ha ha, seems like I'm going to be doing a lot of math this term :-P )
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Electrotechnology Workshop (Oh yeah! Get to make stuff!)
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.: PC Applications and Programming

Thursday

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: Electrotechnology Workshop
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: PC Applications and Programming
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Electrical Circuits 1

So that's pretty much my life for the next few months; at least I get Friday off. :-D

Bringin' It Back Tonight... Everybody Start

2009-02-14T13:56:00.003+13:00

I saw this on WildWeazel's blog, so I thought I'd do one of my own.

THE RULES:
1. Put Your [media player of choice] on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments after the song name.
5. Tag [as many or few friends as you want]

What do your friends think of you?
Mercedes Baby - House Of Heroes
A slightly misplaced misconception ("Baby"?!)

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
I Watched You, Out from Your Window - Jonezetta
Yes, that's right, I stalk you morning noon and night

How would you describe yourself?
Lord Reign In Me - Brenton Brown
Rather evasive, but a good state to be at

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Orchestral Suite No 3, Aire On A G String - Johann Sebastian Bach
I'm not quite sure what to make of this (and I don't think I want to)

How do you feel today?
The Space In Between Us - Building 429
Rather touchy, I guess

What is your life’s purpose?
Reach That Far - Eleventyseven
So many goals, so little time...

What is your motto?
Everywhere - Cara Dillon
Makes me sound like a New Age-er

What do you think about very often?
Anything You Say - Deas Vail
Hey, it's Valentines Day :-P

What is 2 + 2?
Miracle - Audio Adrenaline
Math is divinely inspired ;-)

What do you think of your best friend?
At The Sign Of The Prancing Pony - Lord of the Rings soundtrack
Anyone up for a pint?

What do you think of the person you like?
Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Awesome song :-D

What is your life story?
Losing Control - Audio Adrenaline
Perhaps we won't go there

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Kill Your Own Despair - Esterlyn
Self-motivational speaker :-/ Hmmm...

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Take All Of Me - Hillsong United
Awww. *sniff*

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Thy Word - pureNRG
Oh no, definitely NOT!

What will they play at your funeral?
Keep Quiet - BarlowGirl
Hey! What do they think I'm going to do, moan during the eulogy?

What is your hobby/interest?
Goodbye - Code of Ethics
Moving on...

What is your biggest fear?
Arise And Shine - Robin Mark
Not my biggest, but certainly a pertinent one if I get to bed late

What is your biggest secret?
Miserabile Visu (Ex Malo Bonum) - Anberlin
That sums it up quite nicely (really good band, too)

What do you think of your friends?
Fuego De Dios (Fire Fall Down) - Hillsong United
Hmmm...

What will you post this as?
Bringin' It Back Tonight... Everybody Start - Jonezetta
Wow, what a song for a post title! Too awesome :-D

I would like to tag guitargirl and Laura S., but it's optional. I enjoyed doing it, anyway.

Try to laugh

2009-01-29T21:05:00.006+13:00

It's a dangerous business walking out your front door

2009-01-24T12:12:00.004+13:00

Please excuse the clichéd statement, but camp was a blast. An exhausting blast, to be sure, but rewarding. Both weeks I was able to talk to some of my campers about Jesus, which was incredible because it's probably the first time I've ever shared the gospel in such an in-depth way with anyone before. The second week I was able to have a one-on-one conversation with one of the older boys in the cabin I was co-leading, and in the end I gave him a New Testament, which he read voraciously during the week. So when I arrived home after the last week of camp, I was drained of energy, but I felt that it had all been worth it. Thank you all who prayed for me/us during that camp - things really happened!

On the weekend after I got back from camp, a hike had been planned by our small tramping group. I wasn't really sure that I should go along, as I was rather tired, but if my friend Matthew (who also went to both weeks of camp) could do it, then so could I! Well, the hike itself was a pleasant affair. Sure, we had to fight our way through gorse scrub and toi-toi, but leaving the beaten track made it that bit more exciting. Reaching Cannibal Creek, we followed it down to the ocean and ate our dinner there, before heading back a ways. Then we stopped. Our party leader, Jim, asked whether anyone was up for more adventure; fools, you who said yes! I said no, of course, but nobody else seemed interested in abadoning so lightly an adventure to be conquered. When all the shouts had died down, Jim announced that we would be spending the night in the bush (a.k.a. "coastal forest") using only the resources we had. What fun. Building the bivouacks was enjoyable, but when it came to sleeping, let's just say it was an elusive goal. Dawn broke, and with it, the rain. Tramping back, we actually lost the trail for about twenty minutes, but found it again after a bit of backtracking. I think all the other guys ever talked about on the hike out was what they wanted to eat once the got home. Understandably, a couple of muesli bars and some nuts do not make a fitting breakfast for a teenage boy. Looking back, it was all they talked about at night, too. When I finally got home, I ate brunch, dried off, then slept for a full three hours. *sigh* What bliss!

Yesterday I went to AUT (Auckland University of Technology) to see if they'd accept me in to their Diploma of Electrotechnology course (a specialised engineering diploma, which the cadetship would pay for). I needed to know, since the one big concern raised by the interviewers for the technical cadetship at RBG was my lack of high school credits. Being homeschooled has many advantages, but it can lend itself to a fair amount of uncertainty when thinking about tertiary admission. Amazingly, I managed to get an interview with the Registrar of Engineering that same day, and after looking through a summary of my work for 2008 said that he would have no problem with accepting me into that diploma. Woohoo! Now I need prayer that after notifying RBG that acceptance is not a problem, that they'll seriously consider me as their tecnical cadet (and, of course, choose me). My mum is ecstatic.

How addicted to blogging are you?

2009-01-07T10:00:00.000+13:00

The first step to overcoming an addiction (or so they say) is admitting you have one in the first place. Of course, one can admit to a blogging addiction and receive admiration, rather than condescension, from most.

I'll admit it, I'm pleased that I was under 50% on the blogging addiction test. Still, that may not be the case for some readers here - feel free to post your results, if you're brave enough! :-D

Back to the 80's

2009-01-02T18:59:00.001+13:00

Gotta love crazy British 80's music videos. ;-)

Ye olde Christmas questionnaire

2008-12-24T15:15:00.003+13:00

I was tagged by The Editrix to do this some time ago, so I reckon now's a good as time as any.

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, because it just adds that extra personal touch, and you know that someone has gone to a fair bit of trouble to make your gift that little bit more special.
Real or fake tree? Definitely real - can't beat the smell of fresh pine.
When do you put up a tree? About a week to a week-and-a-half before Christmas Day.
When do you take it down? Within a week after Christmas Day.
Do you like eggnog? That's an American thing, not so much a New Zealand thing, so I haven't tried it. If it's a drink with egg, then I'm definitely not trying it!
Favourite gift received as a child? I can't even remember.
Hardest person to buy for? Not too sure.
Easiest person to buy for? My second-youngest sister.
Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.
Mail or email Christmas cards? E-cards, if they're being sent to me.
Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A pull-along yellow plastic dog. Not the best present when you're 8.
Favourite Christmas movie? It's a toss-up between A Muppet Christmas Carol or Elf.
When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually later rather than sooner. Sometimes it's last-minute! :-P
Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
Favourite thing to eat at Christmas? Smoked mutton! :-D
Lights on the tree? Yes, but not flashing.
Favourite Christmas song? Sussex Carol
Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay at home, unless it was overseas.
Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? No. Never. No way. (Stupid reindeer)
Angel on the tree top or a star? A star, it looks nicer.
Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? We open them in the morning.
Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The consumer-oriented twist our western civilization has given the whole season.
Favourite ornament theme or colour? Probably gold.
Favourite for Christmas dinner? Food.
Favourite decorations? Holly and fairy lights.
What do you want for Christmas this year? Deas Vail's "All The Houses Look The Same" CD.

Since it's so close to Christmas itself, I won't tag anyone else to do this questionnaire.

In the spirit of the "Golden Age" of superhero comics

2008-12-16T18:43:00.002+13:00

If you are at all interested in reading comics (especially those featuring individuals who manifest unusual powers, causing them to be dubbed "superheroes" by the masses), check out Zot! Online. I personally blame it for wasting two hours of otherwise profitable study time (still, I'm not sure if I would define reading it a waste). :-P

Prayer needed!

2008-12-11T21:51:00.002+13:00

I've applied for a 3 year technical cadetship at Rhema Broadcasting Group, who own and operate New Zealand's only Christian radio stations and TV channel. Tomorrow at 12:00 PM I'm being interviewed, and I must admit to being more than slightly nervous. If I'm accepted as a cadet, not only will all my course fees be paid for (I'd end up receiving a National Diploma of Engineering, geared towards electrotechnology), but I would also be paid for part-time work. I really want to get in!

Please, please pray that, if it's in God's will, I would be accepted into their cadetship program. I'm not sure how many other people have applied, but I do know that I'm on their shortlist.

Oh God, please let me get in!

I wuz tagged!

2008-12-04T21:30:00.005+13:00

Thanks Spencer. :-P Anyhoo, 15 random facts about myself shouldn't be that hard to rustle up.

I am 6' 2" tall, and think it's just the perfect height. My dad looks up to me (sort of).
Despite what some may think, I really don't enjoy driving - however, it sure beats cycling everywhere, especially when you live on a large hill and the local village is at the base. Getting back was...shall we say, invigorating?
I can stretch my facial skin 1.5 inches. That helps when you're a leader/counsellor at numerous children's camps.
I've never had a girlfriend, and don't plan on doing the whole "dating" thing anyway, so I'll probably never have one (ugh, it sounds so much like a possession, like "I've never had a cellphone". What abominable and demeaning terminology).
Coldplay and U2 are the only mainstream bands I like (Coldplay especially).
I found the whole "Spice Girl phenomenon" the most annoying thing in my entire pre-teen life, other than not having broadband...
...which leads into the fact that we can actually get broadband now (woot!)
I write music reviews for Jesusfreakhideout.com (as Adam Dawson)
I can wiggle my ears.
I've only ever had two hobbies: stamp collecting and music. Stamp collecting pales in comparison to the latter.
I know what a broken heart feels like.
I can do social ballroom dancing. ;-)
Someday I really want to visit the States. Especially Nashville, TN during GMA Music Week.
I saw the live stage production of Fiddler On The Roof, starring Topol.
Jars Of Clay are my favourite band. Period.

"Is that cellphone kosher?" and other random news articles

2008-11-26T11:24:00.002+13:00

Is that cellphone kosher?

I can understand them designating certain foods as kosher, but cellphones? It's so sad it's funny.

Compulsive gamers 'not addicts'

Finally, someone who's not afraid to point out the real problems with so-called "video game addicts". I applaud him, actually.

Online time 'is good for teens'

Just in case your parents read the previous article and need some reassuring. ;-)

Crossposting: Why I don't listen to my radio

2008-11-15T15:28:00.002+13:00

I wrote this for Jesus Freak Hideout not too long ago, and provoked some quite interesting responses. Personally, I thought it would be more controversial than it was. (Semi-known fact: I'm actually one of their staff members)

http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/jfhblog/template_permalink.asp?id=161

The Embarrassing Episode of Little Miss Muffet

2008-11-06T21:19:00.002+13:00

by Guy Wetmore Carryl (1873-1904)

LITTLE Miss Muffet discovered a tuffet,
(Which never occurred to the rest of us)
And, as 'twas a June day, and just about noonday,
She wanted to eat--like the rest of us:
Her diet was whey, and I hasten to say
It is wholesome and people grow fat on it.
The spot being lonely, the lady not only
Discovered the tuffet, but sat on it.

A rivulet gabbled beside her and babbled,
As rivulets always are thought to do,
And dragon flies sported around and cavorted,
As poets say dragon flies ought to do;
When, glancing aside for a moment, she spied
A horrible sight that brought fear to her,
A hideous spider was sitting beside her,
And most unavoidably near to her!

Albeit unsightly, this creature politely Said:
"Madam, I earnestly vow to you,
I'm penitent that I did not bring my hat.
I Should otherwise certainly bow to you."
Though anxious to please, he was so ill at ease
That he lost all his sense of propriety,
And grew so inept that he clumsily stept
In her plate--which is barred in Society.

This curious error completed her terror;
She shuddered, and growing much paler, not
Only left tuffet, but dealt him a buffet
Which doubled him up in a sailor knot.
It should be explained that at this he was pained:
He cried: "I have vexed you, no doubt of it!
Your fist's like a truncheon." "You're still in my luncheon,"
Was all that she answered. "Get out of it!"

And the Moral is this: Be it madam or miss
To whom you have something to say,
You are only absurd when you get in the curd
But you're rude when you get in the whey.

Time

2008-11-01T21:50:00.002+13:00

Hey readers,

Sorry I haven't posted my customary rant/commentary/website/review/cool story. At the moment I've been bogged down with end-of-year homework, as well as some other events this week that took up a lot of my time. :-P

I haven't just abandoned you - to be completely fair, I've neglected my Facebook account, forums, even emails to an extent. If anybody from my forum RPG reads this, I'd like to apologize for leaving you all hanging, especially as the deadline for finishing it is ever looming closer; I'll try to log on when I can. Also, to those who have sent me messages on Facebook (you know who you are ;-), I don't hate you at all...I will reply to them as soon as I can.

Wow, I haven't even played my guitar this week! Okay, I am busy!!!

Now I know how those who aren't homeschooled feel about this time of year. LOL

Until later,
"Mada"

So I get out of bed

2008-10-22T21:32:00.004+13:00

I am not a morning person. Once I actually stop reading and get to sleep, I relish every hour of it. Every morning, without fail, it's "Good morning! Rise and shine, we're going on a bike ride!" (I'm being literal here). So I get out of bed, comfy and warm, to sacrifice myself to the morning ride, which is fortuitously only 3 km long. Naturally there are those in my family who believe that anything short of cycling a 16 km route - complete with epic hill - is "not manly enough". So who cares? At least I have the sense to graciously allow my brain to revive gradually, while they insist on giving their bodies the shock treatment.

I have nothing against epic cycling, provided it is during the better part of the day. Indeed, a 24 km mountain bike trail ride can provide some awesome thrills. To be really honest, I've found the short 3 km route to actually wake me up better than just dragging myself out of bed; as pleasant as sleeping in is, I don't like the feeling of sluggishness it brings on.

I bought the video game "Spore" last week, for the exorbitant sum of NZ$119.99 (my $30 of shopping centre vouchers cut the price down to something a bit more reasonable). If I had purchased the standard version instead of the deluxe, "Galactic Edition", I would have been quite happy. Ironically, they were sold out (aren't the deluxe versions meant to sell out first?) so I had to bite the bullet and cough up the dough. In the end it was worth it: I unexpectedly got a quirky free Spore t-shirt as a part of the package; and seeing as t-shirts usually cost that much, the extra $20 didn't seem like so much of a waste.

On a completely different topic, I have three options for my next post: a weird story, a funny story-joke, a random interesting/unusual website link, or me ranting about my life again. Your choice. ;-)

EDIT: OK, so that's four things to choose from. :-P

Jack and the Beanstalk: The Politically Correct Edition

2008-10-13T18:39:00.005+13:00

retold by James Finn Garner

Once upon a time, on a little farm, there lived a boy named Jack. He lived on the farm with his mother, and they were very excluded from the normal circles of economic activity. This cruel reality kept them in straits of direness, until one day Jack’s mother told him to take the family cow into town and sell it for as much as he could.

Never mind the thousands of gallons of milk they had stolen from her! Never mind the hours of pleasure their bovine animal companion had provided! And forget about the manure they had appropriated for their garden! She was now just another piece of property to them. Jack, who did not realize that non-human animals have as many rights as human animals-perhaps even more-did as his mother asked.

On his way to town, Jack met an old magic vegetarian, who warned Jack of the dangers of eating beef and dairy products.

“Oh, I’m not going to eat this cow,” said Jack. “I’m going to take her into town and sell her.”

“But by doing that, you’ll just perpetuate the cultural mythos of beef, ignoring the negative impact of the cattle industry on our ecology and the health and social problems that arise from meat consumption. But you look too simple to be able to make these connections, my boy. I’ll tell you what I’ll do: I’ll offer a trade of your cow for these three magic beans, which have as much protein as that entire cow and none of the fat or sodium.”

Jack made the trade gladly and took the beans home to his mother. When he told her about the deal he had made, she grew very upset. She used to think her son was merely a conceptual rather than a linear thinker, but now she was sure that he was downright differently abled. She grabbed the three magic beans and threw them out the window in disgust. Later that day, she attended her first support group meeting with Mothers of Storybook Children.

The next morning, Jack stuck his head out the window to see if the sun had risen in the east again (he was beginning to see a pattern in this). But outside the window, the beans had grown into a huge stalk that reached through the clouds. Because he no longer had a cow to milk in the morning, Jack climbed the beanstalk into the sky.

At the top, above the clouds, he found a huge castle. It was not only big, but it was built to larger-than-average scale, as if it were the home of someone who just happened to be a giant. Jack entered the castle and heard beautiful music wafting through the air. He followed this sound until he found its source: a golden harp that played music without being touched. Next to this self-actualized harp was a hen sitting on a pile of golden eggs.

Now, the prospect of easy wealth and mindless entertainment appealed to Jack’s bourgeois sensibilities, so he picked up both the harp and the hen and started to run for the front door. Then he heard thundering footsteps and a booming voice that said: ”FEE, FIE, FOE, FUM, I smell the blood of an English person! I’d like to learn about his culture and views on life and share my own perspectives in an open and generous way!”

Unfortunately, Jack was too crazed with greed to accept the giant’s offer of a cultural interchange. “It’s only a trick,” thought Jack. “Besides, what’s a giant doing with such fine, delicate things? He must have stolen them from somewhere else, so I have every right to take them.” His frantic justifications - remarkable for someone with his overtaxed mental resources - revealed a terrible callousness to the giant’s personal rights. Jack apparently was a complete sizeist, who thought that all giants were clumsy, knowledge-impaired, and exploitable.

When the giant saw Jack with the magic harp and the hen, he asked, “Why are you taking what belongs to me?”

Jack knew he couldn’t outrun the giant, so he had to think fast. He blurted out, “I’m not taking them, my friend. I am merely placing them in my stewardship so that they can be properly managed and brought to their fullest potential. Pardon my bluntness, but you giants are too simple in the head and don’t know how to manage your resources properly. I’m just looking out for your interests. You’ll thank me for this later.”

Jack held his breath to see if the bluff would save his skin. The giant sighed heavily and said, “Yes, you are right. We giants do use our resources foolishly. Why, we can’t even discover a new beanstalk before we get so excited and pick away at it so much we pull the poor thing right out of the ground!”

Jack’s heart sank. He turned and looked out the front door of the castle. Sure enough, the giant had destroyed his beanstalk. Jack grew frightened and cried, “Now I’m trapped here in the clouds with you forever!”

The giant said, “Don’t worry, my little friend. We are strict vegetarians up here, and there are always plenty of beans to eat. And besides, you won’t be alone. Thirteen other men of your size have already climbed up beanstalks to visit us and stayed.”

So Jack resigned himself to his fate as a member of the giant’s cloud commune. He didn’t miss his mother or their farm much, because up in the sky there was less work to do and more than enough to eat. And he gradually learned not to judge people based on their size ever again, except for those shorter than he.

I survived a week at camp...

2008-10-05T21:27:00.003+13:00

...and all I got was this stupid t-shirt.

But seriously, it was fun! And extremely rewarding (and exhausting). I don't quite know how or why, but working from dawn 'till dusk supervising children at camp is rewarding. Though tired at the end of the week, it somehow feels fulfilling, as if I've done something right and purposeful.

This camp we had a Mexican theme, so a lot of the food was quite different from the usual camp fare. Delicious, it most certainly was! Granted, it was not restaurant quality, but more than a nod of appreciation must be given to the kitchen staff for churning out mass-produced meals that still tasted really good. Not only that, but the entire week was planned well. The leaders' training weekend had a few new topics to cover, topics that were highly applicable to what we, the leaders, were going to take on when the campers arrived. On Sunday, we all went to Massey Community Church for their evening youth service, which was nothing short of fantastic! the worship, message...everything! Surprisingly, Christian comedian Dave Wiggins was speaking that night, something quite unexpected, but welcome nonetheless.

The week itself is too chaotic to narrate, but for those of you who already know of my rabid ravings and rantings about camp, you'll know what I'd say anyway. Still, it was nice to oversee the best-behaved junior boys cabin in the camp, as well as sharing that responsibility with another awesome new leader, who was wonderful with the boys (it helped that we were both *cough* slightly zany).

One, and only one, thing happened to sour the end of such a superb week: my (or more accurately, Zoë's) acoustic guitar was badly broken. This would have been understandable, if the campers were still at Carey Park; however, it was at the end, when I'd cleared all my gear out of my cabin, and was upstairs filling in a feedback sheet on the camp. The neck was snapped clean through, and no-one seemed to know how it had happened. It was pretty devastating, and I'm not ashamed to say that I cried. Do musicians somehow create a special bond between them and their instruments? Sounds silly, I know, but that's how I felt. I hope I'll be able to scrounge together enough money to buy a new one.

Still, even with such a gloomy ending, camp was still exceedingly awesome. I'd highly recommend volunteering to be a camp leader - if you can take the stress, that is! :-P

Stop-motion animation with plastic bricks

2008-09-25T17:43:00.003+12:00

The things you can do with Lego: Play with it, build extremely detailed models, create vignettes (right, Spencer?). And for those with an aspiration for directing, use it for stop-motion animation.

Such as this short, 15-minute movie, "The Magic Portal". As well as being the earliest-known recorded Lego stop-motion movies ever, it's also the best I've seen, especially with animation. Some stop-motion movies can tend to be a bit choppy, but that's not a problem here. Not only that, but the story itself is unique and clever.

Click here to watch/download "The Magic Portal"

Music Highlight: Phil Joel

2008-09-16T21:59:00.006+12:00

Thanks to a good friend of mine, I have been introduced to the awesomeness of ex-Newboys bassist Phil Joel's solo career. His latest release is an auditory joy to listen to...sonic bliss. And the best part? Recommend it to five friends and you can have it free! Or you can choose to pay anything from a dollar upwards, which would be a nice gesture if you can afford it; as an independent artist, he wouldn't earn much from his music.

Link to download page

Bush declares Texas disaster zone

2008-09-14T13:08:00.003+12:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7614826.stm

Please pray for Texas, as they've been hit with a pretty severe tropical storm. I hope most emphatically that nobody was killed by the storm, and that people will be able to rebuild their lives and homes after the devastation.

DR Congo frees goats from prison

2008-09-10T21:25:00.003+12:00

One of my friends is doing a brief 8-month missionary stint in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and emails me frequently; from his account of the people, this sounds very much like something the Congolese police would do!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7607460.stm

And here are a couple of other "interesting" news articles I thought I'd post as well, just because they're different from the norm.

'It seemed to be a body from WWII'

Elephant cured of drug addiction

Has anyone played around with the new Blogger Followers feature yet? I have, and I think that it's a neat concept. If you like (and I very much would appreciate it!), add yourself as part of my readership on the right-hand side of my blog. So far, I've added myself as a follower (through the Dashboard) for "Asking the Answer", "Books, Bone, Bricks, and Bullets", "Cherrypie's Corner", "The Chronicle of Ages" and "Lexigraphy logic and lists".

My apologies for not keeping to my usual one-post-a-week schedule.

As the light fades

2008-08-30T09:39:00.006+12:00

All of these pictures were taken from my family's property over the period of a year.

Walking? Nah, that's old-school.

2008-08-20T20:22:00.001+12:00

How about...parkour?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour

My fantasies of becoming a ninja are only being fuelled here.

Time to break out?

2008-08-13T21:20:00.002+12:00

Just today I jointly purchased Leeland's "Opposite Way" CD with my mum. While listening to it, the lyrics of the title track jumped out of me:

Living in the same town
For all these years
Doing the same old things
Hanging with the same crowd
And it’s starting to get crippling
You’ve never felt in place
And you tell yourself it’s all okay
But something’s different today
You want to run the opposite way

And it seems like you’re locked in a cage
And you need to find a way of escape
When everyone is setting the pace
It’s okay to run the opposite way

The Father sent His Son down
The light of men
The cross He bore was crippling
Rejected in His own town
They couldn’t see the sun shining
He knelt in the garden and prayed
Father, let this cup pass from me
It’s not Your will for me to stay
Your will for me is the opposite way

And it seemed like He was locked in a cage
And He couldn’t find away of escape
But through the cross He conquered the grave
My Jesus ran the opposite way

Oh, and through the cross He conquered the grave
Oh, He ran the opposite way
Yeah, through the cross He conquered the grave
So you could run the opposite way

I wonder if sometimes we need to run the opposite way, instead of following everyone else. Nobody is perfect. No-one has it all figured out. That even includes us. There are occasions when we're with other people, friends even, and things happen that we know are wrong, but we're either to nervous or too polite to say or do anything about it. Gossip, ostracism, jokes at another's expense...where will it stop? When we're courageous enough to make a stand, even risking our position in others' eyes. Jesus went the opposite way, and was killed for it, for not trying to be what everyone wanted him to be. Yet, through that sacrifice, the ultimate good came out of it: our sins forgiven, and our relationship with God re-established.

By following His example and going the opposite way, we can actually make a difference. If your friends are honest, they'll thank you for calling them up on what they're doing. If you go against the flow, following Jesus in all your ways, people will notice. Sometimes we don't realise it, but we can more effectively shine His light to the world by how we act; it can be like a breath of fresh air to some people, to meet someone who doesn't nag, whine, talk dirty, who serves, smiles, loves, laughs and encourages.

We were called to be a light to the nations. How's you're fire burning?

Ultimate stealth technology?

2008-08-11T22:21:00.002+12:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7553061.stm

I don't know whether to marvel at how awesome it is that real technology is finally catching up with science fiction, or whether to become paranoid and install perimeter sensors all over our property.

Ignorance is obviously bliss

2008-08-07T20:46:00.002+12:00

In the 21st Century, the term "flat-earther" is used to describe someone who is spectacularly - and seemingly wilfully - ignorant. But there is a group of people who claim they believe the planet really is flat. Are they really out there or is it all an elaborate prank?

Nasa is celebrating its 50th birthday with much fanfare and pictures of past glories. But in half a century of extraordinary images of space, one stands out.

On 24 December 1968, the crew of the Apollo 8 mission took a photo now known as Earthrise. To many, this beautiful blue sphere viewed from the moon's orbit is a perfect visual summary of why it is right to strive to go into space.

Not to everybody though. There are people who say they think this image is fake - part of a worldwide conspiracy by space agencies, governments and scientists.

Welcome to the world of the flat-earther.

Our attitude towards those who once upon a time believed in the flatness of the earth is apparent in a new Microsoft advert.

Depicting an olden-days ship sailing on rough seas, presumably heading towards the "edge of the world", the advert is part of a $300m campaign aimed at rescuing the reputation of Windows Vista by comparing its critics to flat-earthers.

But are there any genuine flat-earthers left? Surely in our era of space exploration - where satellites take photos of our blue and clearly globular planet from space, and robots send back info about soil and water from Mars - no one can seriously still believe that the Earth is flat?

Wrong.

Flat earth theory is still around. On the internet and in small meeting rooms in Britain and the US, flat earth believers get together to challenge the "conspiracy" that the Earth is round.

"People are definitely prejudiced against flat-earthers," says John Davis, a flat earth theorist based in Tennessee, reacting to the new Microsoft commercial.

"Many use the term 'flat-earther' as a term of abuse, and with connotations that imply blind faith, ignorance or even anti-intellectualism."

Mr Davis, a 25-year-old computer scientist originally from Canada, first became interested in flat earth theory after "coming across some literature from the Flat Earth Society a few years ago".

"I came to realise how much we take at face value," he says. "We humans seem to be pleased with just accepting what we are told, no matter how much it goes against our senses."

Mr Davis now believes "the Earth is flat and horizontally infinite - it stretches horizontally forever".

"And it is at least 9,000 kilometres deep", he adds.

James McIntyre, a British-based moderator of a Flat Earth Society discussion website, has a slightly different take. "The Earth is, more or less, a disc," he states. "Obviously it isn't perfectly flat thanks to geological phenomena like hills and valleys. It is around 24,900 miles in diameter."

Mr McIntyre, who describes himself as having been "raised a globularist in the British state school system", says the reactions of his friends and family to his new beliefs vary from "sheer incredulity to the conviction that it's all just an elaborate joke".

So how many flat-earthers are around today? Neither Mr Davis nor Mr McIntyre can say.

Mr McIntyre estimates "there are thousands", but "without a platform for communication, a head-count is almost impossible", he says. Mr Davis says he is currently creating an "online information repository" to help to bring together local Flat Earth communities into a "global community".

"If you will forgive my use of the term 'global'", he says.

And for the casual observer, it is hard to accept that all of this is not some bizarre 21st Century jape. After all, most schoolchildren know that ships can disappear over the horizon, that satellites orbit the earth and that if you head along the equator you will eventually come back on yourself.

What about all the photos from space that show, beyond a shadow of doubt, that the Earth is round? "The space agencies of the world are involved in an international conspiracy to dupe the public for vast profit," says Mr McIntyre.

John Davis also says "these photos are fake".

And what about the fact that no one has ever fallen off the edge of our supposedly disc-shaped world?

Mr McIntyre laughs. "This is perhaps one of the most commonly asked questions," he says. "A cursory examination of a flat earth map fairly well explains the reason - the North Pole is central, and Antarctica comprises the entire circumference of the Earth. Circumnavigation is a case of travelling in a very broad circle across the surface of the Earth."

Mr Davis says that being a flat-earther doesn't have an impact on how one lives every day. "As a rule of thumb, we don't have any fears of aircraft or other modes of transportation," he says.

Christine Garwood, author of Flat Earth: The History of an Infamous Idea, is not surprised that flat-earthers simply write off the evidence that our planet is globular.

"Flat earth theory is one of the ultimate conspiracy theories," she says.

"Naturally, flat earth believers think that the moon landings were faked, as were the photographs of earth from space."

Perhaps one of the most surprising things in Garwood's book is her revelation that flat earth theory is a relatively modern phenomenon.

Ms Garwood says it is an "historic fallacy" that everyone from ancient times to the Dark Ages believed the earth to be flat, and were only disabused of this "mad idea" once Christopher Columbus successfully sailed to America without "falling off the edge of the world".

In fact, people have known since at least the 4th century BC that the earth is round, and the pseudo-scientific conviction that we actually live on a disc didn't emerge until Victorian times.

Theories about the earth being flat really came to the fore in 19th Century England. With the rise and rise of scientific rationalism, which seemed to undermine Biblical authority, some Christian thinkers decided to launch an attack on established science.

Samuel Birley Rowbotham (1816-1884) assumed the pseudonym of "Parallax" and founded a new school of "Zetetic astronomy". He toured England arguing that the Earth was a stationary disc and the Sun was only 400 miles away.

In the 1870s, Christian polemicist John Hampden wrote numerous works about the Earth being flat, and described Isaac Newton as "in liquor or insane".

And the spirit of these attacks lives on to the present day. The flat-earth myth remains the outlandish king in the realm of the conspiracy theorist.

And while we all respect a degree of scepticism towards the authorities, says Ms Garwood, the flat-earthers show things can go too far.

"It is always good to question 'how we know what we know', but it is also good to have the ability to accept compelling evidence - such as the photographs of Earth from space."

Taken from the BBC News website - click here for the article.

Wall-E movie trailer

2008-08-02T21:59:00.002+12:00

September is too long to wait for this!

Like it or not, but I do

2008-07-26T19:30:00.004+12:00

So I thought I'd randomly post some music recommendations on here, of some albums that I've sampled and listened to.

Quieter, more reflective: Deas Vail - "All the Houses Look the Same", Mae - "Destination:Beautiful", Leeland - "Sound of Melodies"

Energetic, fast-paced: Eleventyseven - "And the Land of Fake Believe", Capital Lights - "This Is an Outrage!", Eleventyseven - "Galactic Conquest"

Heavier rock: The Wedding - "The Sound, the Steel EP", Fireflight - "Unbreakable"

Alternative: Relient K - "The Bird and the Bee Sides" (26 songs!!!), Jars of Clay - "Closer (single)", PFR - "Disappear"

Actually, I'd very much recommend checking out the PFR album. I'd heard of them, but only now have I actually listened to one of their albums (their last one, tragically), and I must say that they're stellar! Of course, it may have helped that I already liked Jars of Clay, who share a slight similarity in style. I borrowed the CD from a friend, but methinks I might have to hunt for a copy of my own...

A Cat Diary

2008-07-13T21:06:00.000+12:00

DAY 752 -- My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 761 -- Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair...must try this on their bed.

DAY 762 -- Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night.

DAY 765 -- Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was...Hmmm. Not working according to plan......

DAY 768 -- I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid. My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.

DAY 771 -- There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage....

DAY 774 -- I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue (something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time.

Found on http://www.chaosmatrix.org/library/humor/catdiary.html

My valetudinarian malady

2008-07-06T22:01:00.002+12:00

Monday wasn't one of the happiest days of my life. Waking up to an unknown illness (probably the flu) that gives you a sore throat, nauseous stomach, vertiginous in the upper cranium and an overwhelming apathy to moving, is extremely enjoyable. Not.

Anyway, that's ancient history. I've finally got my appetite back! :-D And since I've had my winter sickness, hopefully I'll stay well all through the time everyone else catches something. Kind of like getting it over with quickly (not that I had any choice). That, and I can enjoy my school holidays sickness-free.

Owing to the popularity of the last Rowan Atkinson skit, I've posted another below. Behold, the Invisible Drum Kit!

The Physics of Atmospheric Electrical Discharge (or not)

2008-06-29T20:37:00.006+12:00

In my mind, there is only one thing about winter that redeems it: the numerous thunderstorms. There's something epic, awesome and grandiose about the power of the wind, the chilling cold of the rain, and the booming rumble of thunder, preceded by nature's mightiest electric show ever. More often than not, the terrible weather is the cause of a power cut; sometimes a tree is blown over on to the lines, or a car misjudges the friction of a certain corner in the rain and collides with a power pole (more often than not, with no major injuries to the people within the vehicle). Of course, losing one's power is not quite so funny, when one is halfway through watching a movie. In fact, it's a blasted pain; quite shocking, to be precise. (Feel free to lambaste me for that awful pun)

Music. Ah yes, one of my key passions. I've finally written a song that I feel suitable for actually practising with my other musical friends (consider yourself warned, 'Julian'!). I suppose all that really inhibited me developing my last song further (or even telling anybody about it, except for a few friends and family members) was the simplicity of the lyrical content and chord progression. If there's one thing I don't want to become, is just another one of those songwriters who's songs languish somewhere in a binder; we've got plenty of Hillsong-soundalikes already (no detraction to Hillsong, who write some really good praise and worship songs), and another joining the ranks would just become forgotten after a few years. Christian music oughtn't be simplistic and boring; Switchfoot, Brooke Fraser and Jars Of Clay are some good examples of musical skill being used to a greater purpose than just pithy love songs and teenage love anthems. Still, imagine the worship leader at church suddenly announcing that the band would open in worship with 'Meant To Live', or 'Love Song for a Saviour' (hey, the second one wouldn't be bad at all, in my opinion!); worship and praise music is specifically designed for just that, and is easy for the congregation to follow along with.

My guitar teacher has announced that she's taught me all she can with the acoustic guitar, and in under a year too! Hopefully, by September I may have enough money to purchase an electric guitar, amplifier and effects pedal. I pity my parents ears. :-D

And here I end this post, with the almost-mandatory interesting oddity I trawled up off the 'net. Try your hand at the Japanese I.Q. Test. *evil grin*

Homeward Bound

2008-06-18T16:28:00.001+12:00

A brief summary of the journey home from our trip to Wellington.

Tuesday the 17th:
As of the time I wrote this post, we are driving over the Desert Road, through the National Park. The night is eerie, yet there is light enough for eager young eyes to scan the barren and desolate landscape for a glimpse of Mount Ruapehu. Unfortunately, it is all in vain, with nothing to be seen of that elusive mountain.

Wednesday the 18th:
The overnight stop at Taupo was pleasant. Not only did we get two cabins of our own, but there were also thermal pools, as well as a hydroslide. It's kinda nice, after a long and wearying drive, to give your legs some exercise running up the hydroslide steps. Not too sure on the temperature that night, but it was cold enough to warrant my polypropelene top and leggings. Now we're in Auckland, coming up to Waitakere City. It'll be nice to be home for a couple of days, until I'm off to a youth camp.

The Piano Player

2008-06-10T21:35:00.003+12:00

Some of Rowan Atkinson's lesser known antics include acting as a school principal, representing an unnamed conservative political party, and playing pianos that don't exist...

101 posts and still counting!

2008-06-04T21:56:00.005+12:00

This post commemorates 101 posts of Bits and Bytes. Wow. I had no idea my last post was number one hundred!

Not only has this blog been the host to 101 posts, it has also survived over a year of content, comments, criticism, debates, online wars, practical jokes, and apathy. What follows are highlights from Bits and Bytes since its inception:

Tuesday, 20 February 2007: A blog called "Life, Myst and Microchips" was started (it had a different colour theme back then).

Thursday, 15 March 2007: I propose posting my latest essay online, about...spoons. A general uproar ensues.

Saturday, 12 May 2007: The first and only time I write a post covering anything about life, Myst and microchips all at once.

Monday, 14 May 2007: Farewell, 'Life, Myst and Microchips'; hello, 'Bits and Bytes'! Strangely enough, the web address is still mystmicro.blogspot.com

Saturday, 2 June 2007: The blog comments war begins!

Tuesday, 19 June 2007: 'Funny Phobias' - This is one of my favourite posts. :-)

Wednesday, 8 August 2007: I delve into theology for the first time on my blog. Probably my first truly "thoughtful" post, apart from those just about my life.

Tuesday, 16 October 2007: Notmyown bemoans the bigotry towards left-handers. Hey, I posted this on my birthday! :-D

Tuesday, 13 November 2007: Another crazy essay. This one was based off just one frame of a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, and (true!) has absolutely nothing to do with them.

Saturday, 17 November 2007: I stir up some political controversy. :-P

Wednesday, 21 November 2007: My love of music finally works its way into a post.

Monday, 4 February 2008: To date, my sister and I collectively have bought all of the albums I listed except for the Leeland one. Yes, we got the Hawk Nelson album too.

Sunday, 17 February 2008: This puzzle was (meh, still is) so clever!

Wednesday, 19 March 2008: I posted the week I went to the Jars of Clay concert (and yes, they are still my favourite band), so that's really the only reason it's memorable. To me.

Hopefully, this blog will survive for many more posts to come. I want it to!

Re-connecting with the readers

2008-05-27T15:38:00.002+12:00

First off, a sincere apology to those who view my blog using dial-up. I know that you're unable to view those YouTube videos I post; neither can I, actually (stupid monopolistic telecommunications corporation).

Anyway, the real point of this post is to explain my marked lack of any decent text posts as of late. The main culprit behind that is my suddenly busy time schedule, hence why I've been posting those videos, because it's quicker. I have to say, you guys (and girls) are an awesome readership; you've been constantly checking my blog every week for new posts, and commenting on them (I think it's awesome when you do, as it gives me feedback on what I post, which really helps). When time allows, I will endeavour to post meaningful insights into life and the world, as well as more interesting things than music videos and game trailers.

For being patient and understanding, I hereby give you some links to interesting web pages.

For geeks and technophiles: Link

For those who just like to randomly stare at the clouds: Link 1 and Link 2

For those who need confirmation that the majority of people around them really have no idea what a computer is or how to use it: Link

And finally, here's one for those who just like seals.

Two teenagers + a webcam = laughing

2008-05-22T17:33:00.001+12:00

I've had this video on my computer for a while, but haven't actually watched it until recently. Why, I don't know, because it's so funny!

Switchfoot, Narnia, and something "puzzling"

2008-05-14T22:26:00.002+12:00

Switchfoot have recorded a song, 'This is Home', for the latest Narnia movie, 'Prince Caspian'. Not only that, but they've also filmed a music video to go along with it (see below!).

Also, I've finally managed to buy Portal! For $30.00, I'm pleased with it, although installation was the worst I've ever experienced, ever.

For those that don't know, Portal is a very different type of computer game, with puzzles being the dominant aspect; though there's more to it than that...

Is there a setting on Life for "simple"?

2008-05-07T19:08:00.003+12:00

On October the 16th, 1989, someone was born into the world: me. I grew, laughed, played, disobeyed, was punished, cried, sulked, laughed again, continued playing. This continued on for 18 years, until I became who I am today; and all I can say is, "What am I meant to do from here?!"

Realistically, most people pour over university prospectuses and painstakingly decide what they want to do for the rest of their earthly lives. This can take anywhere from one to five years to learn; more, if you have a leaning for a career in academia as a bespectacled, white-haired professor. My problem? This is no game - the players are dead serious and the cards unforgiving. I have chosen a course (but not signed up), however, I still pray that I'm heading the direction God wants me to. I suppose you could call 2008 a "gap year" of sorts, giving me time to pray and make a definite decision for my life. Not only that, but if I plan on having a tertiary education in 2009, I must sort out the financial side of things...in other words, I pay for my Bachelor of Computing Systems myself (or with my family's assistance) - I don't want to get a student loan.

So, as you can see, the life beyond our childhoods is far more complicated than we could ever have dreamed, at that age when all we could think of being were astronauts, firefighters, vets, doctors, film stars, prima ballerinas, authors and millionaires. Funny isn't it, how we used to wish we were grown up, but now we suddenly realise the freedom we had as children. I will always treasure my childhood.

Nevertheless, we all fight our way through life's struggles (with more than a little help from God), and going back isn't an option - if it was, I'd press forward anyway! Therefore, life is an adventure of sorts; with more monsters and dark, creepy woods than we read in those old story books, yes, but still an adventure. The story could be epic, comic, tragic, sad, amazing, uplifting, heartbreaking, mundane, or a great testament to the God who created and loves you. Remember this!

How The West Was One: Day 2

2008-04-24T12:05:00.004+12:00

Waking up at 6:30 was definitely not a highlight of the event, but as they say, "The early bird gets the worm." Or in this case, the parking duty. Still, at least we got unlimited doughnuts; personally, I would have preferred the round ones with cinnamon, but the long cream-filled jobs were good too. Truthfully, I only ate two and a half - Richard (who must posses a black-hole within his stomach) ate seven!

Once everyone was parked, we made our way to the auditorium (again). The worship band took up temporary residence on the stage, and we commenced the day with passionate and heartfelt vocals coming forth from our throats. After worship, MC Brendan Green of Dash Ambrose (he filled in for Dave Wiggins, who had to go to a wedding) mentioned that some freebies would be given away later on in the day. Not bad for $20 entrance! Up on the stage again was Jason Hotere, who continued with the theme he began last night; he also asked the audience to volunteer some sins in their lives (some of whom were probably just saying what they thought were common problems) and wrote them on a stack of concrete slabs taller that last night's tower. Later that day he talked with us how Jesus smashes through our wall of sin, if we give our lives over to Him. Saying that, he yelled and completely obliterated the concrete slabs with his elbow! It was over so quickly, if you'd blinked you might have missed it. I can't remember who else was speaking that day, but I'm relatively sure that Tim Sisarich was up again, as well as Mic Duncan, a strangely expressive and attention-grabbing speaker, with a penchant to raise his voice to unusual levels when emphasising something. He excelled at keeping the audience interested, and I'd be happy to listen to him again if he came next year.

Now, the food. Ahh, the food! Morning tea was almost lunch in itself, with hot chips, spring rolls and an array of various sweet foods on the table. The lunch itself was stellar! There were quite a few things on offer, but I just went directly for the beef curry. Twice. Afternoon tea was pretty good too, with filled rolls, but I'd probably just had a little too much lunch earlier, so eating anything else was out of the question.

Regarding the spot prizes, people's registration numbers were drawn out of a hat (as is normal). At least, I think it was a hat - this is the trouble with blogging about something a fortnight old. Anyway, I actually did win something...for my mum: Chocolate biscuits. One of my friends laughed and said that I got owned. Ha. At least they got shared around the family members later. :-)

All in all, that is pretty much my flawed and incomplete summary of events at 'How The West Was One'. I WILL be going next year!

How The West Was One: Day 1

2008-04-21T22:31:00.002+12:00

OK, I'll admit that I should have posted this ages ago. Nevertheless, I will make an attempt to sum up the weekend.

Matthew, Mitchel, Richard, Jacob (my younger brother) and I patrolled the church carpark, ensuring that cars parked around the back, as well as filling up certain parking spots before others. Once the event started, we headed to the auditorium to be met with American (living in NZ) Christian comedian Dave Wiggins; and WAS he good! Laughing from his clever and witty humour, we were then treated to the spectacle of him teaming up with fellow comedian Brendan Green for their musical comedy act, Dash Ambrose. Admittedly, they are not musical geniuses, but with song names such as 'Awkward Silences' (interjected with several awkward silences itself) and 'Why Do Rock-and-Roll Stars Smash Their Guitars?', one can see that musical talent was not what the audience were being entertained by.

Next up to the stage was strong-man Jason Hotere, with a pertinent message to men to stand up and take charge of their live, smash through the barriers of sin that are holding them back, and give it all to Jesus. Real concrete blocks were smashed that night (sweet!). He said that his team (TX, or Team Extreme) is a worldwide Christian organization that uses its spectacular shows filled with amazing feats of strength and cool stunts to preach the message of Jesus Christ. This (as you can imagine) would really draw the tough guys in, giving them an excellent opportunity to share the Word.

The evening ended with Focus on the Family's New Zealand director, Tim Sisarich, giving a brief talk on "Healing the Masculine Soul". This was fully explored earlier, on the Monday of the same week, with a DVD of an American speaker, who had an annoying habit of suddenly flicking from one subject to another, then eventually returning to the original subject...sometimes. Occasionally, the speaker on the DVD just left you wondering how he planned on finishing a sentence. Regardless, it was still a very pertinent and good message.

Ah! And the supper! I must say that the kitchen team gave it their all. We have two chefs at our church, who work at a Christian camp, so they have plenty of experience feeding hordes of hungry church-goers. Naturally, I would say that this ranked as one of the highlights of the night. *laughs*

To be continued...

While U Wait

2008-04-16T23:05:00.002+12:00

Sorry I haven't posted on schedule this week; things are a little busy right now. Hopefully, by the end of this week I'll have posted something more interesting.

In the meantime, here are some amazing photographs, taken at just the right moment.

Confuse your mind

2008-04-08T19:14:00.003+12:00

Who doesn't like optical illusions? Those neat, clever images that befuddle and bemuse our optic sensors, tricking our brain and ultimately making us think, "Wow! Way cool!"

Have we got some general consensus around here? Good. Click here for some "way cool" optical illusions, including some you've probably never seen before. Tell me what you thought of them. :-)

Remember

2008-03-31T22:42:00.003+13:00

Thanks to Jonathan, who emailed this to me.

Redemption: what would it take?

2008-03-26T23:08:00.003+13:00

So, here's a question: If you were a person who didn't believe that Jesus was God - in fact, didn't really believe that God even existed - what would it take for you to actually accept Him into your life? What would someone need to say, do, explain, and demonstrate with their lives for you to come to the realisation that Jesus really is Lord?

Post your answers on the comments page.

Therefore

2008-03-19T22:37:00.005+13:00

Sorry chaps, for not posting in over a week. I thought I might just slip this in while I had the time (at 10:40 PM :-P ).

This weekend I'm going to be away, helping out at a Christian Easter camp for intermediate-aged children, as a leader. Approximately over 1,000 children will be going this year. Fortunately, I only have to supervise about 5. It'll be from Friday the 21st to Monday the 24th - the entire long weekend.

On Saturday I'll be taking a bus from Cambridge to Auckland, for the Jars of Clay concert, which is definitely going be good! And yes, the people who asked me to be a leader are fine with me going, because I'll head back the following morning. Hopefully I'll have pictures of both the camp and concert to post on here when I get back.

I now leave you with this optical illusion.

Ciao,
Mada

Time Wasters: Puzzle games

2008-03-05T21:48:00.003+13:00

For those who enjoy the challenge of solving seemingly impossible mindbending enigmas, I have found two online puzzle games: one easy, the other not so easy.

5 Differences is a surreal spot-the-difference game, with artistically designed scenescapes, and anomalies that are irritatingly tiny to locate.

Portal: The Flash Version is, well, a version of Valve's 3D puzzle-adventure game re-created in Flash. It may start out mindlessly easy, but don't be fooled - the levels start to become intensely difficult as the game progresses. I haven't even managed to reach the end (yet)!
Note: This game contains a small amount of animated blood when your character dies because of your lack of competence, sometimes from a crusher or turret. If you really aren't too keen on this, then you can either a) make some glasses out of red cellophane, or b) not play it. Regardless, it's a well-made game.