Tron: Legacy or Let-Down?

In 1982 I was 15 and at the peek of my adolescent sci-fi/fantasy hunger, especially with the movies.  The previous years offering "Exacalibur" had whet my appetite not least because it was R13 and really gory!

Then came Tron.  It never really made it as a movie, I suspect cos it was a bit ahead of its time.  And in a slightly ironic take on today's CGI industry, this was a movie that didn't use computers to stimulate real life, it used real life to simulate a computer world!  At the time, we just thought it was awesome!

Which is where the latest movie promises to deliver - in the area of special effects.  I wonder whether it will lose its Tron-ness as a result?

One area in which the followup movie is said to be similar is around the storyline...they've apparently kept to the Disney foolproof approach of not really having one.  This will sit happily with the first movie...

That said, the original idea kept me and my friends talking for days about what it would be like to be in a computer!  I probably won't have those conversations nearly 30 years later, but I will go see it for sure...maybe I'll review it?

To Be Or Not To Be...

So it is at least ironic in this fortnight of extraordinary convergences that Paul Henry's comments regarding the (ethnically Indian) Governor General "looking like a New Zealander" has been trumped by New Zealand Indians asking whether Jacinta Lal, Miss India New Zealand (Central) is Indian-looking enough!

I have to say on the day in question, I was not offended by Paul Henry's questioning.  It seemed to be he was being deliberately ironic - putting a patently absurd question that IS on the lips of the functionally racsist New Zealander, into the spotlight.  The reason I saw it this way was because on the same programme Henry was overtly supportive of another New Zealander who was in the spotlight for similar reasons.  This was the day that Irene van Dyk's appointment as Commonwealth flag bearer was being debated.  Henry was quite clear in his view that someone like Irene who had chosen New Zealand was surely to be even more admired than someone simply born into the privilege.

I simply assumed he was having a dig at those who question New Zealanders by immigration.

Anyways, he hasn't explained himself in that way, perhaps because in causing offence he simply wanted to apologise rather than explain himself.  Or maybe he is just a racsist?

For me, I am more dismayed at the wave of reaction - righteous anti racsism which erodes what I saw as an exercise of free speech albeit a provocative and satirical one.  How does a person lose their job for something like that?  Because of popular pressure and diplomatic pressure from one of the most rascist countries in the world (don't get me started on the caste system). 

Henry's biggest problem is sometimes he is just a bit too clever for his audience.  I am often criticised for using big words so I empathise and say "down with the thick"!  But then the whole media machine would creak to a halt so i guess that definitely probably might not happen...

No More Holidays

I have decided to never go on holiday again!  It is the devil.

How else to explain the chain of events and trips to the doctor?

It started 24 hours before we were due to leave - a regular activity at church helping with set up - the back starts to tighten...and tighten until...it doesn't work anymore.  I hobble home hoping that a cocktail of prayer and drugs will get me through 2 sermons!  It normally works for the listeners...

That night I wake with the chills and an apparent resurgence of the annoyingly persistent viral cough that has plagued me in recent weeks.  Panadol and suggestions from the other side of the bed that we will stay home produce a miracle cure (till I crash round 4pm the next day).

At the end of day 1 on holiday an innocent bruise turns out not to be a bruise at all...by day 2 I am at the Dr's in a foreign city receiving treatment for an outbreak of cellulitis the shape of Australia on my shin. 

I am popping 16 pills a day to enjoy any remaining semblance of holiday!

Needless to say I spent much of the week with my feet up being waited on by family and our splendid hosts...and it wasn't a terrible holiday, but REALLY!

Obama's Declaration

“I’m a Christian by choice,” the president said. “My family didn’t -- frankly, they weren’t folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn’t raise me in the church.”


The president said he “came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead -- being my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me. And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we’re sinful and we’re flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God. But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace.”

The president said “that’s what I strive to do. That’s what I pray to do every day. I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith.”

Read the full article

Sola Scriptura

Ben Witherington has a typically balanced post on Sola Scriptura on his blog.  The ripe (and I guess obvious) insight is that the church existed for hundreds of years without a canon of scripture which it could be solely committed to!  Thus the importance of tradition as Witherington notes.  But also you'd think the same argument could be made for Reason and Experience as these early Christians grappled with the parameters of their faith.

A Perfect Balance

One of my (underdeveloped) passions is cooking.  I like to create, but more importantly I like to eat!  I have however set myself the task of finding the perfect Pad Thai, a Thai noodle dish.  So far in New Zealand the best Pad Thai money can buy is at the little Thai place just back from Eastern Beach.  In Thailand, the best I have ever tasted was from a street vendor near my friend Yang's old place.  Needless to say the Thai version was better than the NZ version.

But now, I have set myself a new task - cooking the perfect Pad Thai.  Like most things in Thai cooking its all about balance - balancing the sweet, salty, sour and spicy...

In Pad Thai the salty is fish sauce which sounds disgusting and actually is if you know how its made...the sour is Tamarind which is not disgusting but is quite a strong flavour and hard to mask if you overdo it!  The sweet accent comes from palm sugar which has an interesting taste similar to brown sugar (which isn't a terrible substitute).  Pad Thai is not always served spicy but IMHO everything tastes better with chillies!  Getting the balance between these ingredients is key to making the sauce which coats the noodles.  Right now I have it about right...so working to refine it to perfection!

I'm sure its a metaphor for something, this balancing of extremes...

We Won 1-1

Now I don't want to rain on anybody's parade...but the nation's euphoria at drawing with Slovakia underlines why I find soccer a frustrating game to watch.  How is not losing a good result?  Or as I like to think of it "not winning".

The number of draws at the World Cup so far is amazing.  If I were a betting man: I'd back the draw. 

And whether its the ball or the climate or the those annoying horns, something is acting as a leveller at this World Cup.  Germany's win over Aussie was astonishing not because they won, but because it is one of the few blow outs in the pool play.  Now of course they have themselves been levelled by Serbia and highlighted another factor in the levelling - the number of red cards being handed out.  It's definitely been a factor.

The reality is that soccer people and even soccer refs are more concerned with "not losing" than winning.  For the refs it is better to be seen as a bit over zealous with cards in order that they make it into the next round as well.  For the teams, a draw is better than nothing, which it is mathematically, but a draw-mindset leads to boring and safe soccer.

So congrats to the All Whites for not losing.  In a normal world cup Italy would do us by 4 or 5 goals.  And likely they will to the relief of Australian fans everywhere.  On the other hand, it took NZ 93mins to score a single goal against Slovakia and I don't think the 3 goals we scored against the Italians in that pre Conferation Cup game will come as easily.  But maybe the levelling we are seeing at this world cup will continue and we can win through with another draw...

2010 First AB Squad

Its time to start to draw some conclusions from Super 14 form, the areas we struggled in through 2009 and the need for depth for the 2011 World Cup.  In some areas, its very tricky with little back up as was revealed when Dan Carter fell over last year and Maa Nonu has demonstrated this year.  There have also been some big form slumps - what do you do with that?  My initial thought is to treat the June tests as a bit of a one-off and play some players into form.  So anyway, here it is...

Props

Ben Franks (can play both sides), Owen Franks, Tony Woodcock, John Afoa.  I am over Tialata.  Crockett is good around the field but is not there for the scrum.  I would start Owen Franks and Woodcock, with Ben Franks on the bench.  If Woodcock doesn't front up then Ben Franks gets a start.

Hookers

Keven Mealamu, Hikawera Elliot (he has the most promise...)  You've got to like the attitude of a guy like Jason Rutledge but at 32 you can't pick him - de Malmanche can't throw so unless you go back to Flynn what can you do?

Locks

Brad Thorne, Anthony Boric, Tom Donnelley, Sam Whitelock (for the future)

Flankers

McCaw, Thompson, Kaino

No 8

Reid, Messam

Half Backs

Cowan, Fotuali'i (this guy is great...)

1st V

Carter, the hardest selection is for the back up - Donald and McAllister have been tried and found wanting - so you have to go to the best of the rest.  So its down to Cruden and Robinson.  Cruden has had the best of the selection opportunities with the Highlanders using Berquist and Hobbs as well as Robinson.  So on that basis, pick Cruden now.

2nd V

Who ever you pick here is warming the bench for Nonu.  But you have to have someone who is part of your long term plans in order to build depth.  Ditto the above comment on Donald and McAllister.  But the remainder is not great either.  Bowden appeals but has been swapping the role with Bateman and Crotty all season position and is heading overseas.  Stanley is solid and wouldn't be a bad option.  If Toeva is fit he'd get the nod for me as he would be in my wider group.  There is no standout for this role so I would go with Toeva to start as one of the likely bench players in a fully fit team, with Stanley as backup in the squad.

Centre

Conrad Smith with Toeva as back up

Wing

Joe R, Zac Guildford with Jayne as cover

Fullback

Mils, Jayne

Alright it ain't perfect but it shows the lack of depth right now in some key positions.  It would help if Super 14 teams with some talent would give some of the guys a decent run.  I am thinking in particular of Highlanders rotating Hobbs, Robinson and Berquist and Crusaders rotating Crotty, Bateman and Bowden.  Same goes for Chiefs - give Hika a decent go so he can push for the AB's.

It would also mean the forward pack I pick would have 4 Crusaders which isn't going to hurt...still prepared to be swayed on selections...

Both Franks?

Wow, could the Crusaders be parading a new look AB propping combo this weekend?  Both Frank's brothers?  It appeals if it can work.  These boys are strong and take no prisoners.  With Woodcock underperforming and Tialatte just not there for me...a double Franks option could be just what we need for the world cup...

More Musing

So in recent weeks we have the Ethical Spending Bill before Parliament, seeking to regulate government sponsored investment in unethical organisations - for examples arms/munitions manfacturers, companies with a dodgy environmental record etc.  The usual suspects clamouring that its not sustainable to force people to do the due diligence on ethical investment.  Excuse me?

On the other hand, you have the Gambling Commission dismissing the appeal of the Dunedin-based Southern Trust against a five-day suspension of gaming-machine business imposed by the Department of Internal Affairs. The problem: when a gaming trust uses about $120,000 of charity money to renovate pokie rooms

it starts to look like a money-go-round.

Traditionally many Christian organisations have looked askance at the use of monies derived from gambling or alcohol to fund its own social programmes.  It is an interesting issue given that the stated purpose of much of this funding is to ameliorate the social damage caused by abuse of these things.  Not many are prepared to do the due diligence on the sources of this funding, preferring instead to rest (poor) in the knowledge of avoiding guilt by association.

It just struck me as kind of congruent and incongruent...

Maybe It's Just Me

I found this week interesting:

• First the leaked Law Commission report on the alcohol age leads to instantly increasing taxes on alcohol and cigaretttes
• Then the biggest drug bust in a while involving the Switched On Gardener (everybody knows "switched on" means stoned right?)
• Finally, The Red Door brothel gains all sorts of attention for being across the road from a school

Maybe its just me, but I'm finding some dissonance with all this:

• Suddenly, its not OK to drink alcohol as an 18 year old, but it is OK to be a prostitute;
• Its not OK to sell cigarettes to minors...but it is OK to sell sex across the road from the school;
• Or you could turn that one around: its socially not OK to sell sex across the road from a school (in a place kids never go inside), but it is OK to sell cigarettes in a dairy across the road (which 99% will visit at some point on the way home...);
• We tax cigarettes and alcohol but we prosecute cannabis growing and supply - both signal some level of disapproval and attempt to influence behaviour...
• Its OK to lose a part of yourself in prostitution but not through cannabis use and only moderate lung damage is permitted from smoking;
• You can sell sex without a license in some cases but you can'tt sell alcohol without one;
• It is now possible to say legally "I'm just popping out for a [insert option] [fag] [shag] [flag(on)]" but not a bag...

Thank You Jesus...

...for the Highlanders...

This Historian in me...

...REALLY liked this:

As a historian I think I can prove that Jesus died and that he thought his death was atoning. I think I can establish that the tomb was empty and that resurrection is the best explanation for the empty tomb. But one thing the historical method cannot prove is that Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. At some point, historical methods run out of steam and energy. Historical Jesus studies cannot get us to the point where the Holy Spirit and the church can take us. I know that once I was blind and that I can now see. I know that historical methods did not give me sight. They can't. Faith cannot be completely based on what the historian can prove. The quest for the real Jesus, through long and painful paths, has proven that much.


Read the whole thing.

Gone to the Dark Side

I am now officially a Crusaders supporter.  It is fair to say I would support ANY of the other NZ teams in the Super 14 before the Crusaders.  But after this weekend's results the inevitable surrender of hope has now become reality.

The Blues remain an enigma in 2010.  On the positive side, there have been more positives in 2009, but like it or not 8th with a 50% winning record is not gonna give Pat Lam any confidence in a repeat season as coach.

The Chiefs flattered to deceive with their best opening run only to blow it with a devastating losing streak. 

The Hurricances and Highlanders have not been in it.

The only positive?  We always lose the World Cup when we have a good season in the year before.  So lets pray for miserable Super 14 form to translate in a terrible AB year followed by a World Cup win.

Memory

Kristen's grandfather died this week and she has flown to be with her family.  Grandpa Mo' was the rock at the foundation of this family: an uncomplicated, faith-filled man with a real gift for making a person feel welcome and cared for.

I remember my first meeting - Christmas 2002 - Kristen and I had been "dating" for a week when we arrived for the Christmas feast.  As we got ready to eat Grandpa said, "I call upon my future, future son in law...[pause] Chris to say grace..."  For a moment there everyone held their breath in expectation that he was not only going to ask me to say grace but that he was prophesying right then that we would be getting married.  From that point on the phrase "future, future" has always reduced us to laughter.

Rhys was fascinated by his great grandfather and they would play with Grandpa's hat - Rhys has always loved snatching hats!  Rhys drew a picture before Kristen left for her to take.  It was a picture of Grandpa.  He came into the bedroom asking, "How many fingers did Great Grandpa have missing - I thought 3?"  He lost 2 fingers in an accident some years ago.  Having gained the information he then returned with his amended picture and a proud reveal, "I added another finger in!"

Grandpa was a great pray-er.  He prayed for his grandchildren all the time.  He along with his wife Jeanne may just be the single-most dedicated pray-ers in the history of cession|community's launch and growth.