karic31 is on holiday...

Following the lead of CK I too shall announce my departure for far away lands. The past few months have been incredibly stressful for little old me and I am hoping three weeks on the North American continent shall provide me with some perspective. The chance to meet some greatly missed and dearly loved friends in a place where it is no exaggeration to claim I have previously had the best time of my life - fills me with hope. It is strange how things eventually settle and this trip has been bounced around and distorted beyond recognition in the past six months thanks to over zealous Malaysian officials and the sad developments in my own personal life. Yet the trip is back on and I get to spend some time with some old friends, and a week in Vancouver with an even older one. And at the risk of admitting the existence of some spiritual realm, I fully believe it is healthy that we all accept that things truly do happen for a reason.

So until August 18th (or my ability to find an internet cafe) - Keep up the bloging and goodbye!

apple of gods eye

For a while now I have been using www.netvibes.com as my homepage. It is a page designed to use RSS to keep a track of all my favourite sites and inform me of any updates. On here I have assembled what I believe to be a great and open window onto the world. I have news organisations from various continents and of different allegiances; I also have my favourite space science websites to satisfy my hunger for geek related developments. The site also instantly updates me on all the blogs I keep a track of and I also subscribe to the RSS feed of the Daily Kos (the world’s most popular blog and an emerging force in American politics).

To keep myself pure of heart I have also linked myself up to ‘worthy ministries’ (www.worthydevotions.com) who send me daily devotional messages. Normally they are simply a variation on the same theme. “You have sinned, you are a bad person and only through embracing Christian products may you save your soul”. I might have missed the point slightly but with Christianity in America more of a multi-billion dollar market than a faith its hard not to be cynical, especially when they are so unashamed at ruthlessly pursuing your money. Yet having said that, I have also been impressed with many of them. Offering as they do, that special sort of inspirational buzz, that religion has a habit of providing from time to time. So I continue to subscribe (but if any real Christians out there know of any more 'liberal' RSS feeds - let us know).

Yet yesterdays was different. Yesterdays was more interesting. Yesterdays provided every extremist Muslim all the proof he or she needed that America really is part of a large conspiracy to purge their peoples from their holy lands. This message disturbed me, not because it was so aggressively worded, but because it was not. It is seemingly innocent passages like this that can creep into the subconscious and distort the reality of what is really happening in the Middle East. This is the sort of evil one must watch out for. My devotional asked me to endorse a conflict condemn by everyone except America. Now do not get me wrong. I think Israel has every right to defend itself and the size of the opposition (fully funded, as it is – by every other nation in the region) should not be underestimated. Yet people are dying out there. Surely not something one should be praying for, right?

Are you watching?
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Today marks 14 days of war in Israel. Amidst the craziness, we've been very encouraged by the many of you around the world who've written to tell us you're interceding for us and standing with Israel. Thank you so much.

Christians have prayed and anticipated the physical and spiritual restoration of the Jewish people for hundreds of years. Among others, John Owens preached before the House of Commons in 1649, foretelling a time when "the bringing home of His ancient people to be one fold with the fullness of the Gentiles...in answer to millions of prayers put up at the throne of grace for this very glory, in all generations." We are part of those millions of prayers.

I've mentioned this before but I find it incredibly profound that the modern Hebrew word for Christian, is "Notzree," which actually means watchman. We as Christians are called to be watchmen, especially watching over Israel in prayer.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to pray for the Apple of God's Eye at this trying time. Let's make a point to pray for Israel daily, that God's will may be accomplished through these trials, and that the Jewish people would recognize their loving and merciful Messiah. There's so much work to be done!
Added: Jul 27th, 2006 8:56 AM

self induced social strife

I hate confrontation. This has, and continues, to get me in trouble. Firstly it means I am very reluctant to invite friends out when I know their non-flavour of the month will also be present. This has the effect of prolonging my friend’s disputes while also alienating their attitudes towards me when they feel unjustly excluded.

Secondly it means I am very inclined to simply “go along” with whoever is present and their prevailing ideas. This frequently implicates me in some of the most idiotic and complicated situations that occur within my group of friends since while I never instigate them, I often do not object to strongly either.

This has to, and this will – stop. It has made my life far more difficult than it otherwise might have been and has hurt countless people whom I dearly love. It stands as a significant barrier in my efforts to grow into the human being I wish to become.

Therefore for my own sake, that of my friends and humanity itself (being as I am, the chosen saviour of mankind), this particular personal vice has to end, and it has to end quickly.

the word

Behold all mortal sinners, for I speak from the one true book, the word of God as relayed through various freelance writers and edited by generations of scholars on behalf of the ruling classes. I bring to you the first bible passage that has ever actually touched me. I have no idea why, on further reads it seems all too much like a fatalistic view of the world and one which preserves the status quo. So this is a passage I should in fact resent, yet the first time I read it struck something deep within me. I am now doing my best to cover up whatever that was for fear it should ever come to the surface and begin to cloud my judgement once more. So, without further ado, here is some chap called Roman and his twelfth passage.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

I think what is most appealing is its sense of unity and belonging. My favourite line in fact is the second sentence, although I see it almost as a call to explore all religious doctrines whilst still preserving an open mind. I doubt that is what was intended. That is the beauty of the Bible I suppose, everyone sees something different. One man will build water wells in Africa while another will persecute homosexuals, each equally correct in their interpretation.

massacre of innocents

George W Bush, has, to his credit never once used his Presidential veto. Ronald Reagan used it 78 times and Mr Bill Clinton dabbled in the dark art on 37 occasions. Bush has of course threatened to use the veto no less than 141 times and as such has helped quash legislation before it could even get that far, but that’s beside the point. Bush has some very loyal Republicans behind him.

Until now, that is. For now, good old W is going to have to use that veto to prevent the state from funding research into human stem cells. This, he argues is simply a matter of morals. Science must not progress by taking something that is alive and making it not so. Just as his conscience would rather all redneck hicks kept their unwanted and unplanned children, so Bush disagrees with this new research. Research which could of course cure hundreds of currently fatal diseases. Stem cells potentially allow for the growing of entirely new and healthy organs from scratch, including the otherwise irreplaceable spinal cord tissue, which would make long-term paralysis a thing of the past. Superman himself could have been saved with such wizardry. It is this potential that has in fact secured the support of a majority of the US public and indeed many Republicans (except those firmly in the pay of religious bigots). At the forefront of the pro research group is a man who is shaping up to be my favourite heir to bush. Senator John McCain. Yes, he is a Republican, but he seems to be making all the right moves and in the absence of any organisational skills whatsoever on behalf of the Democrats the world could do a lot worse than McCain.

Now my position on this is all too clear. I do not care how much unborn biological mush needs to be mutated. Lets do it. If we can end human suffering by ending what is in reality only the ‘potential’ for human life, not human consciousness. Do it.

Yet I am not all that bothered about the veto. In fact, I’m rather pleased about it. Firstly it does not prevent stem cell research in the US, only the allocation of federal funding for that purpose. Some states, like California, have already said they will independently provide funding and private charities and companies are free to follow suit. Secondly, while god’s chosen children in America may now be free from guilt, it does provide a massive opportunity to other countries. No matter who bans this sort of research, it is going to happen somewhere and at sometime. America may as well have put itself at the forefront of this developing industry. But it has chosen not to. Europe, free from the shackles of religious lobby groups, should take up its cause.

united we stand

My homogenous middle class white community has recently been riled by the arrival of some not so welcome newcomers. Approximately twenty or so caravans lie encamped on the outskirts of our commuter paradise. Occupying these caravans are the people everybody loves to hate. Gypsies, Pikies or Travellers, whatever you wish to call them they travel up and down the country spreading a special kind of social magic. Unity. Suddenly the neighbours are talking, strangers share a sly smile as they pass near the camp and ederly women stop scuttling from corner to corner and instead join the local hoodies, their former foes, to exchange common remarks of condemnation.

Now I consider myself something of a liberal (both socially and economically) and as a rule of thumb tend to believe the opposite to what the Daily Mail tells me I should. So it was with no surprise that I arrived at work to excited rumours of the new comers crimes and healthy doses of racist suspicion. These are not locals we were dealing with here. I was told they had come into the restaurant only the day before, spat at customers, thrown food around and then promptly stole a colleagues bicycle before disappearing into the undergrowth from which this pack of savages had seemingly appeared. Of course I scoffed at such remarks, “oh how these silly working class infidels love an excuse for socially sanctioned racism” I inwardly chuckled.

This confident air of superiority was however short lived. Soon the sun disappeared and the air became chill. Like a screaming banshee the first ‘pack’ of Irish children descended on our tranquil haven. Sure enough it didn’t take long before the spitting began, their eight year old shock troops came running in and out of the kitchens, spoiling food as they went. After rallying the staff and locking to the ground what we possibly could we were better able to hold the line for a while. The children fell back to the outer car park. There they waited. We waited.

A few more caravans came. Bigger versions arrived. Finally, adults. They would control their troublesome offspring… right?

Not quite. Seemingly intent on ‘impressing’ their parents the children came again, this time with their audience they were doubly energetic. While this was going on the parents (with exceedingly poor restaurant etiquette) began ordering a colossal feast with absurd changes and requests. Then they began questioning us, why were we just letting the children get away with it? Why had we not called the police? Wary of saying the wrong thing we simply smiled and said that they weren’t so bad. Kids will be kids after all. One man in his twenties kept questioning me about the news in his paper, I forgot myself for a moment and simply told him to read it. As he glared upwards, finger still pointing at the picture, my mistake became apparent just a moment too late.

Is this a clash of cultures? Do we simply misunderstand them? Do we need to be more accommodating? Perhaps. Yet I am now of the belief that theirs is certainly a bizarre culture. What parent would wish their child to spend their entire lives travelling, meeting only fellow family members and facing hatred and discrimination at every turn? What parent would not wish their child to have an education beyond only that which they could provide? Theirs is an incredibly segregated society and, sadly, inbreeding must surely be inevitable. Admittedly they have not had it easy, they are the first to be blamed and the first to be persecuted.

Yet this has all confirmed something I am slowly beginning to realise. Stereotypes tend to have solid foundations.

planet wide ecocide

They arrived in canoes, following the migration patterns of birds to discover the Island. Isolated in the pacific as earth is isolated in space they founded their society. With nothing more than stone tools they flourished. The island was rich in timber, fruits and meats. Simple agriculture produced massive surpluses and their population grew. United by a single religion the islands competing tribes tried to outdo each other in paying homage to their ancestral prophets. Stone, quarried from the interior, was sculptured and painstakingly hauled to the coast. Mile long wooden tracks eased this labour of love.

Blinded by the ecstasy of their success they picked up pace and momentum. Soon, in an orgy of destructive creativity, stone statues lined the shores, each new one bigger and bolder than the last. As the humans busily went about their business, consumed in their own sense of self they stripped their utopia of its beauty. Trees, birds and fruits became extinct. Their tropical island looked sparse and soon their previously fertile lands began to blow away. Desert took hold and the humans began to starve. In response they did what they did best. They asked their Gods for assistance, and in their desperation the beautiful tragedy of statue building multiplied. Yet no matter how grand their temples became, their prayers were never answered.

Angry with their failed idols revolution spread throughout the land. Tribal chiefs were ousted and the statues, generations of work, were smashed to the ground in an explosion of betrayal and frustration. Military leaders took command and the people’s culture was forever lost. Man turned against man as resources ran low. Instinct took over, violence escalated and misery mounted.

Their numbers dwindled and a once mighty and proud people, who could never envisage the day their fortune might end, stood broken and shattered. With their civilisation gone, all that remains are those grinning idols who instigated the whole sorry affair.

blog on blog

Next Blog >> Sasquatch, Maryland USA. Next Blog >> Lekilisurfing, British Columbia Canada. Next Blog >> Jantesting, Sydney Australia. Next Blog >> Canneth, Singapore. Next Blog >> nowforsomethingdifferent, PA USA. Next Blog >> kingdomofleo, Flordia USA. Next Blog >> betwixtpix, Yorkshire UK. Next Blog >>

Sasquatch wonders why the NSA needs so much office space and why no major corporations are based in Washington, only branch offices that “suckle off the fat tit off Uncle Sam”.
Lesley has applied to become an air attendant and hopes to be based in the United Arab Emirates. She also left her sunglasses at the beach.
Jan has been keeping the world updated on her knitting exploits since May 04. This month she has been fighting with some particularly stubborn wool that simply does not want to play by the rules. Her socks for her new balance joggers shall have to wait a while.
Kenneth from Singapore has been watching World Cup games at 3 in the morning. Kenneth’s brother is joining the Army and this has made Kenneth reflect on his own experiences in the forces.
Jennifer is grateful to her friend Gloria and to God for getting her through the recent loss of her cousin. She is also irate with liberals who just do not understand common sense. She is pleased that the President appears to have read the letter she once sent asking for a ‘dynamic’ border control. She refers to German commanders in World War Two for their tactical thoughts on how to best maintain a defensive line.
Leo is a gay American born Mexican. On day 760 of his blog he went to Walmart and some idiot put trash on his backpack as he left the bathroom. In his spare time he is knitting a blanket called a ‘Crochet’. At least I think it is a blanket.
‘Modroom’ from Yorkshire began his blog in April this year. He fancies himself as a photographer. I think he is right too. He initially posted his photos with a brief poem or rhyme. Recently he has stopped doing that, which is a shame. Certainly worth a look, as are all of them.

From now on I might follow the lead of ‘Modroom’ and attempt to use only my own photographs for my blog entries - but don’t get me wrong. I have no delusions of grandeur.

Not for photography.

http://sasquatch99.blogspot.com/, http://lekilisurfing.blogspot.com/, http://jantesting.blogspot.com/, http://canneth.blogspot.com/, http://nowforsomethingdifferent.blogspot.com/, http://www.kingdomofleo.com/index.html, http://betwixtpix.blogspot.com/.

Next Blog >>

Empire 2.0

A sense of pride and awe has recently been creeping throughout my consciousness. Britain has just upped its military commitment to Afghanistan. It has pledged around 3,000 troops, under a NATO mandate, to help defeat the Taliban and assist development efforts in the south of Afghanistan. This new mission has already claimed six British lives and more deaths are doubtlessly on the way. While fearing that I may sound too much like an American Christian – I am rather proud of the job ‘our boys’ are doing out there.

I like the Afghan war. Compared to the murky waters of Iraq, Afghanistan has a far more clear-cut and civilised agenda. Our troops are fighting Muslim extremism, pure and simple. In expelling such religious bigotry from Afghanistan it is doing its people, and the world in general, a massive favour. Democracy, I believe, is the lesser of evils when it comes to government types and there is no reason why it cannot work along side central Asian and Muslim traditions (democracies change in nature from country to country and culture to culture). It can work in Afghanistan. Yet it is not going to be easy. It will require a massive commitment in time and money from the EU, the US and other concerned powers. It involves nation building from scratch, beginning with the fundamentals – and that includes security of person and property. This is going to be a decade long commitment. Imagine the symbolic significance of turning around one of the poorest nations on earth and carving a stable and growing nation in the middle of turmoil. This is worthy of sacrifice.

Afghanistan, unlike Iraq, is a far more international effort with genuine concern over a real fear (Islamic fundamentalism) and an authentic sense of altruism towards its peoples. Cutting our losses and bringing the troops home is quite possibly the worst thing that could happen for everyone involved (including for our troops who will undoubtedly face a more serious threat in the future should we fail to act now). We need to send more resources to Afghanistan, both military and economic, and the public needs to get right behind them to ensure we stick it out. The Taliban are no fools, they know public opinion is shaky and that British deaths count double in the global PR war. Yet we helped make this mess, and now we need to sort it. Those six men should not have had to die in vain.

p.s I might submit this in my application as a Daily Express Columnist...

Ludology

For some time now I have, in secret, admired video games as not just a past time for teenage boys with poor social skills, but also as an exciting and revolutionary new format. I cannot stress this enough and hope you do not underestimate just how big a deal I think ‘interactive media’ is going to be. It is already bigger than cinema from a financial standpoint. Yet I think this is merely the first step. Games are going to rival movies and literature from a creative and artistic standpoint also.

Interactive media combines everything films have (sound, visuals, scripting etc) with an entirely new and as yet, little understood, phenomena of interactivity. This presents two significant developments. Firstly it is possible to integrate and submerge the user into the author’s world far more convincingly than in any other type of format. It also allows for the user to fundamentally reshape the in game world. This is more than the differing interpretations of a fixed piece of work like we see in other formats – in interactive media the user gets the chance to change the piece of work as they go.

In the August edition of Edge magazine (a ‘videogame culture’ magazine of considerable prestige and journalism) the editorial makes a very important point. Graphics have reached a dead end. Ever since the revolutionary jump from 16-bit machines to 32-bit machines (which was in essence a jump from 2D to 3D) graphics have developed at a steady and impressive rate. Yet it doesn’t offer anything new. The format can only go so far by looking pretty. Now the focus, so the magazine believes, is on content. Content will expand the market in such a way as to truly make games mainstream. Just as the Da Vinci Code was the ‘must read’ book, soon there will be ‘must play’ games that are just as controversial and provocative as Dan Browns accurate and ground breaking masterpiece.

I dream of a day in the not so distant future when it is a video game that grabs headlines for exposing the lies of old man made institutions, or, and here is one of my more explicit fantasies – presents a fully interactive piece of historical research. Histories, biographies and current affairs for example could all, with a stroke of genius be adopted by interactive media with what I believe could be a staggering success. Already in a state of high growth, albeit from a small base, is the study of ludology which is becoming more and more complex by the month as serious academics begin to consider the awesome consequences of this underachieving medium.

Of course there are some difficulties, as yet no system exists that can see individual authors create interactive media as easily as someone can write a book or shoot a home movie. Yet the potential is still there and as the larger games publishers begin to realise they must innovate to save their industry from stagnation and with the continued growth of the ‘mod’ community, chances for talented interactive authors will emerge and they will soon begin to realise the formats massive potential. And all this without ever touching on the already massive social implications of MMORPG’s. If mankind can postpone global ecocide for a few more decades then things are going to get very exciting indeed.

Insert coin to continue.