tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55812322011-04-22T08:46:28.743+10:00horizontal columnsMattnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1170222646808118142007-01-31T16:50:00.000+11:002007-01-31T16:51:59.896+11:00Jack GreyFound this spy, conspiracy, espionage site today: www.jackgrey.comInterestingMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1128321621414907912005-10-03T16:30:00.000+10:002005-10-03T16:40:21.430+10:00Define Metacognition: thinking about thinking.Use in a sentence: Metacognition sucks.I wanted to write something. I don't feel so good today. It's just one of those days that comes around every so often and you know the things that could change it are not going to happen and so you sit in this dull oblivion and decide to wait it out. Someone asks you how you're doing and because you don't know Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1126481220125397042005-09-12T09:25:00.000+10:002005-09-12T09:27:00.130+10:00I want to live like there's no tomorrowI want to dance like no one's aroundI want to sing like nobody's listeningAs I lay my body downI want to give like I have plentyI want to love like I'm not afraidI want to be the man I was meant to beI want to be how I was made- Chris TomlinMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1124282247105496852005-08-17T20:49:00.000+10:002005-08-17T22:52:26.826+10:00I've just tonight finished reading a book that I believe God's quite unexpectedly dropped into my life at a fairly significant time of change for me. So, the purpose of this is two-fold: firstly (and primarily), as a debrief for me and a way of processing everything I've just read; and two, for the benefit of anyone who wants to read it. So, feel free to read/comment/go buy the book, whatever youMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1104979910321112572005-01-06T13:49:00.000+11:002005-01-06T13:51:50.320+11:00Today I'm a proud Australian.
And with all the John Howard bashing that goes on in our wonderful country, today I don't care. After his generosity on behalf of us, I'm simply proud to be Australian...
...so I emailed him and told him so.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1100051906354457992004-11-10T13:57:00.000+11:002004-11-10T12:58:26.353+11:00I didn't think that last post should be the one that sat on BlogFeed.
Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1099965029279705812004-11-09T13:31:00.000+11:002004-11-09T12:50:29.280+11:00You know what Jimmy? I was prepared to have a rational debate with you. I think debate and discussion is a great thing - we get to hear each others' views and we get to learn from each other. You share your political opinion on your blog all the time and I love it. That's why I'm surprised that you've reacted so strongly to people disagreeing with you. I've told you before your blog is one of my Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1099888569140441782004-11-08T13:56:00.000+11:002004-11-08T16:14:34.140+11:00Just to clear something up first, this is not me making a return to blogging, but I've been drawn into Jimmy and B's debate over Iraq, politics etc. and seeing as it's a little passion of mine I thought I should document my thoughts as opposed to trying to vent them on either of those two guys' comments. Perhaps it's not my place to put my views there, but I'm always up for a bit of hearty debateMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1083731525010841792004-05-05T14:32:00.000+10:002004-05-05T14:35:16.576+10:00And I think that's all I have to say.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1083456285644249742004-05-02T10:04:00.000+10:002004-05-02T10:07:54.293+10:00Amazing.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1082688868671083822004-04-23T12:54:00.000+10:002004-04-23T12:57:27.733+10:00My eating habits are kinda strange at the moment. About a week ago I wasn't eating much at all. For example I think I went the whole day eating nothing but a muffin. Today I had a full breakfast (muesli & an egg on toast) and then for lunch I've just eaten 4 sandwhiches, a full serve of hot chips, half a serve of potato salad and a meat pie. Well actually, it turned out to be chicken, but I Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1082591511407071202004-04-22T09:51:00.000+10:002004-04-22T09:54:49.390+10:00Had a good chat with Dad last night about where things are going. I like Dad's wisdom. What he has to say always makes sense.
We were talking about the struggle to break out of the loop. How it's so easy to get caught in the rutt with everyone else - the mundane job, the HECS debt, the mortgage - until retirement when you live off your super and play lawn bowls - the norm. No wonder depression Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1082428963110642652004-04-20T12:42:00.000+10:002004-04-20T12:45:39.483+10:00Just thought I'd diarise the fact that I don't feel like a nob anymore. Just kept seeing it on my blog and thought it might look like that was why I'd disappeared...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1081756215794580852004-04-12T17:48:00.000+10:002004-04-12T17:53:04.030+10:00Haven't posted in a while. Feel like a nob. Stuff I don't wanna talk about.
Off to Soul this week. Should be good fun. God is good - it's a shame we let him down so much by behaving like dickheads.
Anyway - happy face. The sun is rising. Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1081135486935159152004-04-05T13:04:00.000+10:002004-04-05T13:27:28.373+10:00I can't believe it. Yesterday was the 04/04/04 and I missed it! That's it - gone for the year, all over.
Mind you, I am very happy with the way I spent the 4/4/4 - probably wouldn't have changed my celebrations too much had I actually realised what day it was. Went out to Windsor for the first time and ended up at Windsor Baptist. We played there and then had an incredible game of indoor soccer Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1080865066341367742004-04-02T10:17:00.000+10:002004-04-02T10:20:24.750+10:00One of the girls at work is away today so I've adopted her stress ball.
I think my body is starting to shut down. It's starting in my extremities. My arms and legs are kinda numb. You know how when you sit in a funny position and you get pins and needles and then after the pins and needles have gone you just feel limp? That's me right about now. My body wants to hybernate.
I have to work.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1080701837053394442004-03-31T12:57:00.000+10:002004-03-31T12:59:52.966+10:00Last night was Pete Murray. Well, for me it was. For lots of other people it would have been lots of different things - like a night in front of the tv, working late, smallgroup etc - but for me and about another 2000 people, and Pete himself, last night was Pete Murray. Mind you, for Pete it'd be Pete Murray every night. Imagine that, Pete Murray every night. I reckon sometimes he'd want a breakMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1080530336030681252004-03-29T13:18:00.000+10:002004-03-29T13:21:30.466+10:00Last night Helen spoke. She spoke about how we as Christians relate to those outside church culture. She talked about being cuturally relevant but counter cultural at the same time. Not compromising for the sake of fitting in, but not ostrasizing ourselves and our faith because of tradition. I sat there and listened and found a whole new respect for Helen.
Whereas I look at things within the "Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1080525800826177272004-03-29T12:03:00.000+10:002004-03-29T12:09:43.450+10:00Stephens has just as much chance as Thorpie would have had in the event. Ian's had a chance, and he's blown it.
I was in a similar situation 10 years ago in Olympics trials. I ended up diving in the wrong direction and ultimately was disqualified. It's not a nice feeling missing a goal, but Thorpie will get over it.
Ian Beg (SMH)
Forget humiliation or not realising your goals, I'd imagine Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1080210707470360472004-03-25T21:27:00.000+11:002004-03-25T21:34:18.043+11:00Well, I've kinda been letting the comments speak for themselves for a while but I think enoughs enough - it's time to reclaim my blog. Feel free to keep commenting by all means - I'm keen to push it well over forty, but I might keep posting now...
Went down to Canberra on Saturday night and led at Vision down there. God taught me a lot of stuff. They're an incredible group of people down there, Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1079667312551930752004-03-19T14:35:00.000+11:002004-03-19T14:37:36.810+11:00Today I managed to convince one of the Editors that I sold TupperWare for Amway...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1079587617181328852004-03-18T16:26:00.000+11:002004-03-18T16:29:20.640+11:00Today I had a good example of letting myself cool down first rather than responding to something in anger...
Best not to bite people's heads off I say.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1079401333703861472004-03-16T12:42:00.000+11:002004-03-16T12:44:34.793+11:00Yesterday's Inspirational Quote from my desk calendar:
"For many people the advantage of living in Canberra is that their relatives are interstate" - Alan Fitzgerald
Huh...?
Caught the little Forest Coach Lines bus to Chatswood yesterday and as usual it was packed with school kids. I have to say though - incredibly polite school kids. As the bus filled during the journey they would always get Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1079057650045970292004-03-12T13:14:00.000+11:002004-03-12T15:30:38.653+11:00It is a gross humanitarian injustice for people to fart in a lift. Bernard is standing in the lift by himself, flying between floors and decides he wants to let one rip. He figures he's by himself, no one will know, he'd better get it out now before he's back in the corridors of his office and the opportunity is gone.
So he does, and he feels better. There's a sense of accomplishment, of Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078971058817064912004-03-11T13:10:00.000+11:002004-03-11T13:14:09.686+11:00I'm sorry, but I found this brilliant... I mean, I know that the trading of body parts is a particularly delicate topic, but you've got have a laugh. Or at least a smirk. Chuckle perhaps?
The bit I liked the best was the choice of wording in this sentence:
"The market in bodies and body parts is under scrutiny after two men, including the head of the Willed Body Program...were arrested for Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078885721463378592004-03-10T13:28:00.000+11:002004-03-10T13:30:56.890+11:00Got an email from Jesus today, but it went to my Junk Mail folder so I didn't open it. I hope he's not offended...
Hannah asked me this morning whether I have to try hard to disagree with things, or does it just come naturally. That was after I was telling her about The Purpose Driven Life which we were looking at in SmallGroup last night. It brought up an interesting discussion about whether Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078711345468221772004-03-08T13:02:00.000+11:002004-03-08T13:04:39.140+11:00Work is a madhouse today - everybody stressed and tired. Gotta try and keep smiling...
Woke up at 3am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep for ages. That's unusual for me. Thinking too much I think.
I heard a great analogy about helping people on the weekend. If someone's in a hole, you don't jump into the hole as well to help them get out, you lower them a rope and then it's up to them Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078364311025101992004-03-04T12:38:00.000+11:002004-03-04T12:40:40.186+11:00I would never have even thought of a cottage cheese, celery and ham sandwich...and Mum says she's not creative! But she's cunning too, because what's that 4 different food groups in one?
Ingenious...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078200169308129762004-03-02T15:02:00.000+11:002004-03-02T15:04:57.043+11:0018/24 - my Oscars score. I'm pretty happy with that - beat last years tally. Three of those I got wrong were the 2 doco awards and live action short of which I've seen none of the movies in the categories so I'm forgiving myself for those...
Ah well, there we go for another year. Billy did well. Good to have him back.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078193505739463482004-03-02T13:11:00.000+11:002004-03-02T13:13:53.326+11:00Hi-ho, hi-ho,
Back to Uni they go...
And about time too! Man, it feels so much better now to know that all Uni friends are now back sitting in lecture theatres rather than sitting on the beach. Now I can work without taking on that greenish tinge... Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1078107355396971602004-03-01T13:15:00.000+11:002004-03-01T13:18:01.873+11:00If we can say "I sat on a tac", then we can say "I put satay on my taco". That's all I have to say.
Well actually no, I have lots more to say.
I'm worried about Rach because she's 18 years old and has a caffeine addiction. It seems she's now moving beyond the denial stage though, which is a good thing. Now perhaps she can join a recovery group. She also needs to eat more salad - I ate virtuallyMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1077848367803085992004-02-27T13:19:00.000+11:002004-02-27T13:21:31.310+11:00Daiva from Contiki emailed me this morning which was a great surprise. She's been reading my blog, there you go. From Boston... She must be really bored...
They measured a 12 metre wave at Manly yesterday morning. Ahh... I hate working. A few of the guys went down to Freshy just to have a look and they could see them breaking at Manly from the rocks. I sat at a computer and wished I was down Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1077760972665813752004-02-26T13:02:00.000+11:002004-02-26T13:04:55.326+11:00Okay, I feel a bit of blurgh... coming on.
The last week's been full of stuff. Scary things happening. Good things happening. I don't know whether to post about it. And now, having started to think about where I would start I'm thinking that I won't. So perhaps not the blurgh I first thought. Suffice to say God is good and he's doing things. I wish he'd use me more. I wish I'd feel that Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1077588791949612092004-02-24T13:13:00.000+11:002004-02-24T13:15:12.466+11:00My Oscars Tips:
N.B. These are my tips on who I think will win, not who I think should.
Best Actor: Sean Penn (Mystic River)
Best Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins (Mystic River)
Best Actress: Charlize Theron (Monster) (althought I'd love to be wrong and see NW get it)
Best Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain)
Animated Feature: Finding Nemo
Art Direction: LOTR - Return of the King
Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1077156414702717852004-02-19T13:06:00.000+11:002004-02-19T13:08:50.310+11:00I don't quite understand the "it tastes like chicken" phenomena. Does anyone really think that chicken tastes like everything else?
I did write - wrote 9 pages which gets me to 81. My little motivation technique seemed to do the job. I sat down to do and it and had nothing so I did what I always do, walked around the block and was back in fifteen minutes and ready to go. Good feeling. Like I didMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1077072706020831942004-02-18T13:51:00.000+11:002004-02-18T13:53:40.606+11:00Morris The Duck has made Google!
Search for "Morris the Duck" and look who comes up. So exciting...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1077072298127119302004-02-18T13:44:00.000+11:002004-02-18T13:47:38.483+11:00Tonight I'm going to go home and write. I'm posting this so that I can hold myself to it. I'd like to get 8 pages done which will carry me over the 80pp mark and I know I'm going to have to come in and read this tomorrow morning so I'd better do it.
There's a hard patch in every book and I'm in it at the moment. The bit you just have to wade through when the beginning is a long way behind but Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1076994463341347812004-02-17T16:07:00.000+11:002004-02-17T16:09:37.076+11:00House of Sand and Fog
Saw this last night after having attempted to read the book a number of times - and it wasn't that the book was bad, it was just that other things would come up or I'd get really busy and then I'd have to return it to the library. I'm definately going to read it now though. This film had the best character work I'd ever seen. Each character was so deep, there were no "good"Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1076898266043507472004-02-16T13:24:00.000+11:002004-02-16T13:26:18.450+11:00There's always stuff to write on a Monday...
How good can Valentine's Day be for five single guys? Fantastic. We surfed Freshy and Long Reef in the morning which ended with a DeeWhy Subway lunch. Then Saturday night we ended up back at Dave's place and had a BBQ-fest. We piled our plates with nothing but meat - fat steaks, sausages, rissoles, kebabs - and we played pool, did some stupid stuff Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1076552311602926522004-02-12T13:18:00.000+11:002004-02-12T13:20:20.013+11:00Went for a surf before work the morning... soooo good. Jamie came by my place at 6:30, we picked up Lucinda and Chris on the way and then surfed Freshwater for an hour before heading off to work. What a way to start the day. The water was beautiful, there weren't too many people out and the surf was even pretty good...
Funny, surfing was never my thing at school. I tried it, but I tried it Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1076459476039149362004-02-11T11:31:00.000+11:002004-02-11T11:33:03.170+11:00I'm convinced filing is a gift...
...that I don't have.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1076293292218682892004-02-09T13:21:00.000+11:002004-02-09T13:23:17.543+11:00Yesterday I went for a surf for the first time in about three years. Dug the old body board & flippers out (had to cut open the bag to get it because salt and welded the zipper shut) and went down to Freshy with a few of the guys. I had pretty much decided not to join the new surfing crew, not to "follow the crowd", but yesterday was so hot I thought what the hell and had a great time. It was so Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1076044279128832362004-02-06T16:11:00.000+11:002004-02-06T16:13:01.700+11:00My boss's boss, the publishing guru who I go and ask questions to all the time, just got retrenched this morning...
The office is kinda stunned. He's been here fifteen years...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075954761186227502004-02-05T15:19:00.000+11:002004-02-05T15:21:02.606+11:00I thought I'd write a little bit about where I am with acting at the moment - as much to make sense of it in my own head as anything else. I mean, I know what I feel about it, I've just never articulated it...
I really enjoy being part of a well-produced creative project. I love creating and I love seeing a finished product that I am proud of. That's the feeling I like - having that pride in my Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075862498268802182004-02-04T13:41:00.000+11:002004-02-04T13:43:18.483+11:00A bit of a rundown because I can't think of anything to be opinionated about...
The weekend was mostly spent pulling down trees. Not much writing got done, which was a bummer because it was the first weekend under the new system. Oh well, what can you do. I did 8 pages last night which brings be up to 63 so I'm pretty happy with that.
Yes, the trees. We filled the hire-trailer twice (and I meanMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075698469519371012004-02-02T16:07:00.000+11:002004-02-02T16:09:28.140+11:00You really know you're having a busy day when you begin to cherish those 20 seconds in the lift between Level 1 and the Groud Floor...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075698144438782252004-02-02T16:02:00.000+11:002004-02-02T16:04:03.123+11:00Helen said I was opinionated on the weekend....
I tell you what, I have a few things to say about that...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075431794896715132004-01-30T14:03:00.000+11:002004-01-30T14:04:50.500+11:00Whoever has the account for bob@yahoo.com must get a lot of crap in his Inbox because whenever I subscribe to anything or have to fill out a form on the net where they want your email address to send you relevant updates - I always write bob@yahoo.com.
Poor Bob.
Now I have comments...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075344592341566152004-01-29T13:49:00.000+11:002004-01-29T13:52:30.373+11:00It's a cool feeling finishing a book. Finished Dirt Music last night - had to read the end bit twice. I'm pretty sure I liked it. There's heaps in it and he's great from a literary point of view. Twas perhaps a bit melodramatic towards the end, but then it was subtle at the same time. I think it's one of those books that will stay with you for a while...that you just feel.
I don't think it beat Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075255761785737582004-01-28T13:09:00.000+11:002004-01-28T13:10:55.640+11:00Lots of things happening at the moment:
Saturday went wake-boarding....soooo much fun. I've decided that if I'm ever a rich bugger I'm going to buy a boat. It was so good being out in the middle of the river on a hot day....fantastic. I didn't actually get up on the wake board, it's much harder than it looks, but I did have a few goes on the rubber ring - getting pulled along behind the jet ski Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1075169680504072872004-01-27T13:14:00.000+11:002004-01-27T13:16:12.920+11:00Golden Globes yesterday - main awards as follows:
Best Drama: Return of the King
Best Actor (Drama): Sean Penn (Mystic River)
Best Actress (Drama): Charlize Theron (Monster)
Best Director: Peter Jackson (ROTK)
Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain)
Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins (Mystic River)
Best Screenplay: Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation)
I'm happy with all of them, even Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074945799596982412004-01-24T22:57:00.000+11:002004-01-24T23:04:49.590+11:00The Last Samurai
Okay - cross another movie off the list. Enjoyed this one although felt it was a bit melodramatic, particularly in the last half hour. I'm still not sure how I feel about Cruise - he did it well but I somehow you can still tell he's acting. He seems like a bit of a smooth operator, which suited him down to the ground in Jerry Maguire, in which he was brilliant, but this was a bitMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074823023392688992004-01-23T12:57:00.000+11:002004-01-23T12:58:31.200+11:00I'm not sure whether to post this, baring in mind who reads it. I think I'll write it, and then, when I get to the end I'll read it back and decide whether or not to hit the Publish button.
This could be provocative, but I'm just going to be honest and then read it back and see what honesty looks like...
I don't have a lot of faith in "church". In fact a lot of church culture is starting to Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074647501361436472004-01-21T12:11:00.000+11:002004-01-21T12:13:07.793+11:00Some quick reviews of the Oscar films so far:
Return of the King
Incredibly impressive and from what I've seen and heard I think it should take Best Film (for the body of work). I think it will, and should be treated, as an award to all three and I think that's fair because it was such a good summation of all three. Great story, brilliant character development, gripping suspense - appeals to allMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074750387024162882004-01-20T16:45:00.000+11:002004-01-22T16:47:54.170+11:00I started this blog 6 months ago today.
Time flies...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074479709734995032004-01-19T13:35:00.000+11:002004-01-19T13:36:34.060+11:00I shaved my beard off. I'm not sure whether I like it or not...feel naked. I imagine this is what a bald person feels like. I figure though, may as well leave it for a little while, see if grows on me (ha! get it...?) if not, I can grow it back again in a week and no love lost.
Back home again now which is good. I like being home. I want to get back into the routine of things. Worked out on the Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074218994327195312004-01-16T13:09:00.000+11:002004-01-16T13:11:15.903+11:00Writings been really funny lately. I hadn't written since the 8th. With housesitting and starting back at work and so many other things going on I'd been able to avoid it. Which is why it's funny, because I love it. The thing is, when I know I need to get back to it. When I know that there is work to be done and it's not going to happen if I don't put in the hours (success comes before work only Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1074041226452054032004-01-14T11:47:00.000+11:002004-01-14T11:48:25.483+11:00THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST: Mel Gibson's new film, which he directs but does not appear in. Wow...
I've been reading about it this morning and it sounds incredible. Definately my must-see movie of the year. He's done everything he can to be accurate, so much so that it is all in Aramaic and Hebrew with subtitles. What's amazing is all the objection to it. Someone on Sunrise this morning was Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1073959008834656722004-01-13T12:56:00.000+11:002004-01-13T12:58:07.623+11:00Isn't amazing how different people are, yet get beneath the surface a little and we're so similar...
I read once, in a writing book on dialogue, that no one is ever completely honest. Everything we say is not-saying something else. The things we speak are framed by what we can and cannot reveal so that even when we seem to be spilling our guts and telling everything, there's always something Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1073876028998512312004-01-12T13:53:00.000+11:002004-01-12T13:55:06.046+11:00Well, Morris the Duck now has a webpage. Please visit if you feel so inclined:
www.morristheduck.blogspot.com
...let the phenomena continue...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1073527793160763892004-01-08T13:09:00.000+11:002004-01-08T13:11:06.856+11:00Once again no agenda...just words.
I'm housesitting at the moment. Or perhaps I should say zoo-keeping. For the next week and a half I am the sole parent/guardian of an injured dog, two turtles and about a dozen fish. There's a series of sealed packets in the freezer with things like Wednesday: Blood Worms written on them. Gotta love it.
Independence is good. I like being away from my family, Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1073440602399605772004-01-07T12:56:00.000+11:002004-01-07T12:57:54.420+11:00So, Charles killed Diana eh? Always thought he looked a bit mischevious. I wonder if he did Kennedy as well?
It's funny how much we love consipiracy theories. UFO's, government coverups, secret military bases. You know we never actually landed on the moon... The thing is, human beings love stories. We live off them. Think about how many stories we hear every day - newspapers, radio, songs, Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-107328077094703252004-01-05T16:32:00.000+11:002004-01-05T16:34:01.560+11:00There's a woman I work with who's daughter has leukemia. She's two. I don't know much more than that but I hate it. I can't imagine anything worse than having a sick kid.
I can't wait to have a family, can't wait to have kids but I have to admit being a tad scared about it all. What if something happened to them, something you couldn't protect them from? I wonder what sort of parent I will be...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1073131707576426452004-01-03T23:08:00.000+11:002004-01-03T23:09:36.700+11:002003 Debrief.
I thought I should do this although, closer to New Year would have been better, now is as good a time as any.
2003 was the best and worst year of my life at the same time. How's that? Well, the best things happened and the worst. The better things outweigh the sadder ones though I think (I see the scales tipping) and the things that went bad, I'm sure will turn out for the better.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1073129220348655882004-01-03T22:04:00.000+11:002004-01-03T22:28:09.186+11:00Mmmm....so much to blog, so few letters in the alphabet...
I haven't posted since Christmas Day which puts me in fairly considerable blogger debt as far as I'm concerned. Okay - now for a recap:
Christmas Day: Had my grandfather with us for the "immediate family" time this year (that being the get up in the morning around the Christmas tree thing). That was good - didn't feel as intrusive as Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1072354102508612532003-12-25T23:07:00.000+11:002003-12-25T23:09:22.750+11:00I'd like to be able to say I'd blogged on Christmas Day...
...now I can.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1072134520980331622003-12-23T10:08:00.000+11:002003-12-23T10:09:38.733+11:00So many pies...not enough fingers...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1072062306989752092003-12-22T13:26:00.000+11:002003-12-22T14:06:03.983+11:00I'm loving the whole Christmas thing at the moment. It's just a cool time of year. No one really cares to much - as a guy at work put it, "we're getting to that I-don't-give-a-shit time of year Matt". I thought that was very eloquently put. And work is cool, good place to hang when half the office is on holidays and there aren't any real deadlines because everyone's leaving in two days anyway. Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1071702116903432522003-12-18T09:59:00.000+11:002003-12-18T10:02:49.796+11:00This morning I read a letter from my Mum's Uncle (not quite sure what that makes him in relation to me, but anyway). Long story, but he'd sent her a Christmas type letter, only it said Happy Mythras, not Christmas. Mum wrote back and said that she wasn't quite sure what he was talking and this morning I read his response. It seems he's an aetheist with attitude (mmm...i see a bumper sticker...)
Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1071024017118932102003-12-10T13:21:00.000+11:002003-12-10T13:41:01.716+11:00I just had a rather startling thought: if you were standing on the north pole - like right on the very spot, no matter where you step there's only one direction you could go: south.
Mmm....makes you think about the futility of life doesn't it...
I think I should post something a little more substantial today because if you cast your eye down the page a little bit you may notice I've been doing Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070974678762584532003-12-09T23:20:00.000+11:002003-12-09T23:58:43.340+11:00mmm...feel like posting but brain is empty....Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070799743308676782003-12-07T23:21:00.000+11:002003-12-07T23:23:05.560+11:00I should post something about my weekend in the bush, but I can't be bothered right now. Later...
Twas good though...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070487446187692932003-12-04T08:37:00.000+11:002003-12-04T08:38:04.843+11:00a new day...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070418627259896532003-12-03T13:10:00.000+11:002003-12-03T13:31:05.200+11:00I've learnt something and I want to write it down so I never forget it. I've posted once before about how do we "hand things over to God" and we were talking about it again at smallgroup last night. Then, suddenly, no sooner had I left I found myself in the deep stuff again and I knew that, with this particular thing, I had to hand it over...I just didn't know how.
So, sitting on my bed after Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070329810265777642003-12-02T12:44:00.000+11:002003-12-02T12:50:46.810+11:00I am the king of archiving. No one archives like I archive. If they had award ceremonies, like the 52nd Annual Archiving Awards, I'd be the back to back, hands down, no competition winner....and I'm not boasting. All three jobs I've worked at since I left school I have been given the task of archiving and man do I do it well. I'm sure it's a special God-given gift, just have to figure out how Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070108413000823222003-11-29T23:08:00.000+11:002003-11-29T23:20:47.500+11:00The world is good again.
Today I had a great day. It felt like summer again - it was hot, the sky was perfect and there was that great half-film-of-sweat-all-over-your-body feeling. It felt great driving with the window down and music up and Harbord has a such a beach-holiday feel about it. Today it felt great to be Australian.
I had a good think about stuff this morning: about what I blogged Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1070023781327397542003-11-28T23:38:00.000+11:002003-11-28T23:50:14.390+11:00Things can go from being great to being black in the matter of a finger-click. Why? Or more to the point, how? It's like all of a sudden the filter changes, because nothing around me has. People are the same great people, the world is the same great place, but it's like something gets draped over me and it just looks so different. I wish I could control it. I want so much to be able to look at itMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1069811685409404612003-11-26T12:54:00.000+11:002003-11-26T12:55:15.936+11:00Some incoherent thoughts:
Old friends are cool... you forget about old things and then one day they just pop up... is good.
I have direction. It feels cool to say that. It's taken me a while but I can definately say it now - direction have I. Plans will change of course, they always do, but what I always need is a path with some idea of where it's going and I've found the path again. (sounds a Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1069727932885469432003-11-25T13:38:00.000+11:002003-11-25T13:39:22.640+11:00My first lunchtime post...
I had a great time on Saturday night - I've never enjoyed Rugby quite like that. It was brilliant we sang songs, we Aussie-Aussie-Aussied in all the appropriate places and we even sang the National Anthem with our hands on our hearts. I love it when Australians get patriotic. It doesn't seem to happen all that often except for sporting events. It's something the Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1069329514741602792003-11-20T22:58:00.000+11:002003-11-20T22:58:59.653+11:00I got very annoyed with the Animal Liberationists tonight. I need to vent...
These highly intelligent people decided that it would be a smart thing to do to sneak onto peoples farms and feed pig meat to their sheep. They thought this was an ingenious thing to do because then the Muslims couldn't eat the sheep and therefore the poor sheep would no longer have to suffer the long boat ride to the Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1069069081188780912003-11-17T21:55:00.000+11:002003-11-17T22:38:23.420+11:00Tonight I'm just going to blog without any topic or agenda. Usually I come to post with some sort of idea, some series of thoughts that I want to put down, but tonight I'm just going to write what comes out.
How good it feels to be liberated. I've been freed from something recently - something that has kept me down for quite a while, something that I didn't entirely realise was there and over Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068895062242895542003-11-15T22:17:00.000+11:002003-11-15T22:18:02.826+11:00Ah...patriotism. It just feels good doesn't it?Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068814577332781612003-11-14T23:36:00.000+11:002003-11-15T00:01:16.746+11:00This threatens to be perhaps my most perculiar and provocative blog to date. We'll see how we go...
I was sitting on the bus yesterday when an insanely attractive girl and her boyfriend got on. I was in the middle of thinking something along the lines of "man, he's doing all right for himself" when I realised they were in the middle of a domestic - an argument which continued throughout the bus Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068636443439714042003-11-12T22:26:00.000+11:002003-11-12T22:29:38.063+11:00A friend asked me about my thoughts on refugees yesterday. mmm.... I guess I think it's dangerous to mix politics and church. Politics is about opinion. Christianity is about morality. Morality doesn't mean naivety.
That is my shortest "issue" post ever...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068552133216174472003-11-11T22:57:00.000+11:002003-11-11T23:02:10.956+11:00Friends are good...
I enjoy learning about people. I like spending time with them and getting a better idea of how they tick. People are fascinating - the diversity of them, the way no one thinks exactly the same, the way one thing is funny to one person and not to another. The irony of people.
It's also fascinating how we relate to different people on different levels. Some people we click Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068376947472281842003-11-09T22:15:00.000+11:002003-11-09T22:22:25.323+11:00I've had a rather surprising response to my unexplained post on Thursday. I said I wasn't going to explain it, but I've come up with a better idea.
For anyone who cares (which, I think, basically means you're bored) I'm launching a challenge. I made the note mainly for myself (but also because I felt like confusing people who wanted to be confused) however, thinking about it, I'd be quite Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068376390278997052003-11-09T22:11:00.001+11:002003-11-09T22:13:08.220+11:00Saturday's Post:
If I were to give this post a title it would be: The Phenomena of Worship, but I don't give my posts titles so it remains nameless. (but just keep that in the back of your mind as it might come in handy later on)
I was thinking a lot the other day, as I do. (I had taken a break but alas, I'm thinking again...) How would you explain worship to a non-christian, to someone who's Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1068117789376867522003-11-06T22:22:00.000+11:002003-11-06T22:23:07.530+11:00Emily Dickenson meets Marshall Mathers - that's all I'm going to say.
Allow that to simmer in that little brain of yours....Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1067946965492081932003-11-04T22:53:00.000+11:002003-11-04T22:56:03.450+11:00I haven't blogged in a few days, and the reason I haven't blogged is that I haven't felt like I have anything to blog about and I don't want to blog about things I don't care about.
The funny thing is, reading that sounds like I'm really unmotivated. Ironically, I've been feeling highly motivated to do lots of things the last couple of days. Motivation is great. It's cool to get things moving Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1067600850054413562003-10-31T22:39:00.000+11:002003-10-31T22:47:28.630+11:00Tom is a wise man...
I didn't want to post about the same topic twice. I didn't want to be one of those people who has their argument and they can never talk about anything else. I just wanted to put my point of view out there so that I could read it back to myself and discover what I think. The problem is I have to clear something up because in hindsight I feel I was a little to black and whiteMattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1067411315059686912003-10-29T17:02:00.000+11:002003-10-29T18:08:34.463+11:00I've been thinking a lot recently about this argument by many Christians that parts of the Bible are metaphorical. Obviously some parts are, such as the parables, but I've had to come to a decision for myself regarding this whole idea. My decision is this - unless the Bible tells me that what it is saying is metaphorical, then I am going to base my beliefs on the fact that it is literal. Let me Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1067138496847646632003-10-26T14:18:00.000+11:002003-10-26T14:21:36.440+11:00Sometimes I find the diversity of people so inspiring. Isn't it brilliant that we're all so different? I love hearing about peoples idiosynchrisies. About the tiny things that makes one person unique from another.
I'm really glad God is so creative...Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066825909354961602003-10-22T22:12:00.000+10:002003-10-22T22:31:49.076+10:00I think that Guiness World Records is an attempt by people to gain a form of immortality. I'm determined to find more examples of people attempting to gain "eternal life". Fame of course would be another one - ie. the huge lines for Australian Idol auditions.
I recently read "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham and he touched on this idea. It's an interesting concept that's got me thinking. Is it Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066740688060934152003-10-21T22:43:00.000+10:002003-10-21T22:51:27.553+10:00What does it mean to hand something over to God? How do you do that - especially in relation to temptations and burdens? I was talking to some friends about the "not testing you beyond what you can bear" verses. What exactly does "beyond what you can bear" mean?
A good mate suggested that maybe we do get tested beyond what we can manage and that is the time when we must hand things over to God.Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066653141882940292003-10-20T22:23:00.000+10:002003-10-20T22:32:21.616+10:00I wonder if people see me as a straight-down-the-line kind of guy
Or am I an enigma?
I wonder if I look like I'm completely screwed
Or like I have it all together?
I wonder if life was once defined as simple
And we tangled it up?
Or was it always supposed to be complicated
We just never looked it up?Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066487683281357442003-10-19T00:23:00.000+10:002003-10-19T00:34:42.960+10:00When you sit down and count the good things in your life, there are usually more than you think. I don't do it enough, count the good things. I don't think the world does it enough.
"If it bleeds it leads" - that was a saying I heard tonight, referring to the way the nightly news is put together. I wonder why it is so much easier, so much more interesting, so much more popular to focus on the Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066403201262488892003-10-18T01:01:00.000+10:002003-10-18T01:06:41.326+10:00I'm learning something at the moment and I'm posting this so that I can look back on it and remind myself of this lesson that I'm learning. It might help me.
Some things are hard. And it's okay that they're hard. Sometimes we have to do things or see people and for a period it's difficult. We don't have to apologise for it. We don't have to pretend it's not difficult. Really we just acknowledge Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066357403708884492003-10-17T11:59:00.000+10:002003-10-17T12:23:23.470+10:00I was told of a preacher the other day, who I won't name (because he may or may not be a relative) who said from the pulpit that it is wrong to go after your career. He said that it was not right in God's eyes to be career minded, instead God calls us to trust and wait on Him rather than striving after anything.
I don't think I've ever disagreed with something more whole-heartedly and Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066312920254455982003-10-16T23:55:00.000+10:002003-10-17T00:02:00.390+10:00It's so inspiring to see someone do something well. It's even more inspiring to see someone following their dreams. I think we all have dreams, don't we? People say they don't, they say they're content and they're not sure what they want, but surely everyone wants something. Surely if you thought about it long enough you could come up with one thing or eleven things that you'd love to see your Mattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5581232.post-1066216545024506422003-10-15T21:15:00.000+10:002003-10-15T21:15:44.946+10:00Today I decided that one day I would like to get stuck in an elevator. Mattnoreply@blogger.com