Aaaaarrrrggggghh.

3 days of pretty much wall to wall (ha!) painting.

Spent.

Lots of people have been kindly lending a hand, which has been really great. A couple of guys from my new Bible Study even came over yesterday arvo, which I thought was awesome, considering we've known each other for about 20 minutes!

I'm really grateful for everyones' help.

The Quiz

1. If it were up to you, would you increase the legal drinking to 21?
2. Why or why not?
3. Which would you rather go without for a year- coffee or chocolate?
4. Sing a song in your head. What was the first song that sprang to mind?
5. Pineapple. Does it belong on a pizza?

She's Back And She's (Partially) Hungry

Ms. Better By Half has struck again. This time it was a Delta Cream.

Luckily she left me the side with the cream on it. It was actually quite special- with the cream to biscuit ratio heightened, it was really a whole new experience for me.

And people say I haven't lived.

Day Off

See y'all Monday. I'm taking tomorrow off work to have a painting day- of the gyprock variety, not the canvas variety.

Hopefully getting a days work under the belt will make things feel a little less out of control..

Have a good Friday, and a good weekend, peeps.

Thursday Peanuts

Friend or Foe?

Unfortunately I probably couldn't be friends with you if you say 'conTROVersy' rather than 'CONTroversy'.

I'm usually pretty indiscriminate with my friendships, but you gotta draw the line somewhere. So this is my line.

Tell me- are you friend or foe?

Something Beautiful

Have you seen Jonathan the 3 yr old conductor?

Watch it, it'll make you feel very happy!

Perspective

I reckon a bad mood is essentially a loss of perspective.

I was just at the cafe talking to the girl who makes the coffee. She's from New Zealand, and on the tele in the cafe is the news, showing the latest terrible statistic of 75 dead in the earthquake. Her face looks distraught, and it's obvious she just doesn't want to be working today.

Leaving the cafe, my grumps were cured. Perspective regained.

Grumps

I've come down with a fairly severe case of the Grumps this morning.

I wouldn't cross me.

Hard to say why, just feeling chizzy, is all.

You got a problem with that?

Book Review Wednesday by Al

Wanting
By Richard Flanagan (2009)

Review by Al

Wanting is a story of the desire to "be"; of death, of love and of the emptiness within the human heart which is so easily filled with a different kind of emptiness. The story follows the lives of Charles Dickens, Lady Jane Franklin and the Aboriginal girl Mathinna who was plucked from a Bass Strait Island by Lady Franklin and "adopted" as one of her own. Mathinna's story is a tragic one. And Lady Jane Franklin's experimental attempt to tame the young Aboriginal "savage" is as reprehensible as it is damnable.

Richard Flanagan's sentences are long and spindly and have a complexity which at times I wondered about. But on the whole I could follow the story easily enough. Baz Luhrmann's Australia was written in part by Flanagan and there is certainly a similarity between the far fetchedness of both stories. Not in a bad way. But you certainly know that you are not reading something which resembles history.


But in the end, as I closed and then put down the beautifully covered red book, I wondered if I'd got it. It didn't feel as profound as I felt it should have done. I enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong. I just thought it was lacking, wanting.

Thanks a lot, Al! Check out Al's great blog, Paradoxically Speaking.

A Bible Study By Any Other Name

Bible Study.

Home Group.

Connect Group.

Small Group.

Pastoral Care Group.

Community Group.

Groupy Group Group Group.

Can we please stop stressing already, and just leave it as 'Bible Study'? Yes, I know it involves other aspects, not just studying the Bible, but come on, you're killing me. It's just a name.

Racism or Religionism?

I saw this news story about Salim Zakhrouf, an Algerian-born, UK Muslim airport worker accusing Cathay Pacific of racism after being refused a job interview, but then being offered one after applying with the same credentials, but under a more Anglo sounding name.

Now, I'm not going to get in to the ins and outs of the justice/injustice of all that, but what I am curious about, is the label of 'racism'.

The guy faced prejudice and it's no surprise he'd be upset. But I wonder if at the heart of it all he was knocked back on the basis of his race, or actually the basis of his religion.

The fact that he's Muslim doesn't seem to be inconsequential to the news story. The first thing we are told is that he's Muslim. Before we find out his race. The thing seems to hinge on the fact that he's Muslim.

So how does the race thing come in to it? Is it just that 'racism' is an easier, more effective label to put on the issue? It seems to me the issue isn't 'racism', but 'religionism', if there's such a word.

What do you think?

Oh, You Have A Blog?

I nicked this little cartoon from Nathan's blog, who nicked it from someone else.

I had to re-post it, because it's great, and painfully accurate.

The Quiz

1. How much sleep are you going on today?
2. Life would be a lot simpler, if only I..
3. A happy memory
4. Should men dye their hair when they go grey?
5. Should women?

Strange Office Creatures #32

The person who took one finger of a chocolate-backed Scotch Finger, returning the remaining finger to the cookie jar.

Excuse the gender stereotyping, but I'd bet my life savings ($4.35) that the culprit was female.

I'm not saying that I didn't appreciate the thoughtful gesture, and I did also enjoy that remaining finger. But still, my heart was saddened at this example of such strict self-denial: "No. You must only have one digit. Don't even think about it, put it back in the jar. Good. Now replace the lid, turn aside, and return to your work station immediately, Self".

A Scotch Finger half eaten is a life half lived.

I finished reading The Hobbit this morning.

It was awesome, I loved it.

Submit! Submit!

Have you read a book?

Ever?

You have? Why, that's fantastic, you're just the person I was after! Book Review Wednesday is longingly seeking reviewers.

Just write a short 2 or 3 paragraph of any book about anything, and email me-

bmclaughlin AT sstar DOT com DOT au

And the cheque will be in the post shortly after*.

*Though it's difficult in this day and age to guarentee aforementioned cheque will not be lost in said post.

Thursday Peanuts

Be Anxious About Everything

You know that verse that goes 'do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God'?

I think in the last 24 hours I must have misread that as 'be as anxious as you possibly can, about pretty much anything you can think of, but instead of praying to God, just completely stress out and not sleep at all, because it all revolves around you, and you are responsible and in control of everything, and whatever happens, it's likely to be The End Of The World.'

Deeeeeeeep breeeeaaaath.

It Begins..

Renovations started yesterday at our new place.

Exciting, scary, overwhelming, stressful.

E has been awesome, taking on the foreman role during the days when I'm at work, organising all the different tradies, while juggling the kids. She's a trooper.

Basically, we are sprucing up the existing house and making a few changes. That's kinda phase 1, what will happen before we move in, over the next few weeks. This includes-

-plaster boarding the walls and ceilings
-new architraves, skirting and cornices
-building a toilet where a bedroom currently is, the rest of the room becoming a hall that will lead to the extension
-building a wall in the lounge room, that a looong way down the track has the option of becoming a bedroom
-carpet ripped up and floorboards sanded and polished
-me then having to paint the whole flopping place

Then a bit down the track, phase 2 is knocking out the back section and building a big extension, pretty much doubling the houses' current size. Includes-

-converting kitchen and laundry into master bedroom, ensuite etc
-building big back extension for living areas, new kitchen, dining etc, back verandah.

A. Big. Job.

Anyway, I popped over last night to see what had happened on the first day. A lot! Ceilings and walls already three quarters gyprocked, various carpets ripped up, walls knocked out.. I got a big shock.

Here is a pic I took Saturday arvo-

And this is the same view last night-

Where the doorway is will be where the new toilet is, and where the ladder is is where the hallway will go, eventually going out through the wall where the window is. And this is looking back to the front door from that same window.

Anyways, I don't want to bore you with endless renovation talk, but I feel like I should document it's progress for posterity, y'know.

To make me feel less daunted, here's a picture of the back yard, which makes me feel happy and reassured.

The Quiz

1. Valentines Day. Ugh, meh or yay?
2. I wish I could get more excited and enthusiastic about..
3. How many people from school do you keep in regular contact with, either face to face or over the phone?
4. How many people from school do you keep in regular contact with on facebook?
5. Your weekend highlight

A Letter From A Father To His Daughter

Dawn posted this letter on her blog- a letter from King George VI (The King's Speech guy) to his daughter Elizabeth (the current Queen) at the time of her marriage. It's pretty sweet--

I was so proud of you & thrilled at having you so close to me on our long walk in Westminster Abbey, but when I handed your hand to the Archbishop I felt that I had lost something very precious.

You were so calm & composed during the Service and said your words with such conviction, that I knew everything was all right ...

I have watched you grow up all these years with pride under the skilful direction of Mummy, who, as you know is the most marvellous person in the World in my eyes, & I can, I know, always count on you, & now Philip, to help us in our work. Your leaving us has left a great blank in our lives but do remember that your old home is still yours & do come back to it as much & as often as possible. I can see that you are sublimely happy with Philip which is right but don't forget us is the wish of

Your ever loving & devoted

Papa

Should The Bible Have A Sealed Section?

The raunchy Song of Songs is discussed in the Herald today.

The Bible might actually have some relevance today?

Shock!

Horror!

Stats What I'm Talking About

Some time in the last couple of days the statcounter on this blog (see at the very bottom of the page) ticked over the 100,000 mark.

I'd been keeping an eye on it, and had plans to send the 100,000th clicker a special prize. to be honest, it was going to be a new car. I know. But I missed it, and so am unable to go back (said new car not being a Delorean) and see who it was.

So alas, Oprah style, I am obliged to send you all a new car! Generous, I know.

Look under your chair, folks.

I've been introduced.

Thanks, Sarah!

Thursday Peanuts

Bible Study

Had my first night at my new Bible Study last night. It's the first time I've been in a group that was just men (11 men in a little room on a warm night= time to open a window), so it felt kind of unusual to me.

But it was good, and with all the others being a bit older than me, with older kids, I felt very appreciative of this chance to have some more mentor-type figures in my life, some older guys who have been through my life stage already. I think it's what I've wanted for a while, actually.

And though it made for a massive day, it was great timing having the first meeting after my day of speech maintenance. Those 'introduce yourself to the group' type scenarios are the bane of my existence, and in the past I would have been absolutely sweating, and pushing my way through, taking minutes and minutes to squeeze out a handful of words, while staring at the floor. Instead, I felt pretty confident and open, and said what I wanted to say. Even volunteered to read.. Unheard of!

Speech Diary- Review Day

The review day yesterday went really well. It was a hard slog, about six or seven hours of talking, talking, talking, talking. I was absolutely exhausted by the end.

But it was very helpful. They took me right back to basics, talking at 60 syllables per minute (for comparison, you probably talk at at least 200), which is very difficult to maintain. Then they slowly sped me up, until I was very fluently speaking at about 160, which is about as fast as I can go without derailing.

Also worked on getting rid of some bad habits I'd picked up, like nodding my head slightly with each word, and not linking my words together properly, which were both adding up to me talking. in a. jerky. kind of. rhythmic. way. that. doesn't. sound. natural.

My stutters come at the start of words, phrases and sentences, so for me it's best to glidemywordstogether(breathe), inaslowandgentleway (breathe), treatingseveralwordsasone (breathe), whichlimitstheopportunity (breathe), forastutter.

I was also asked to speak in front of the speech therapy students, and the new group of people going through therapy, to talk about my experience since doing the 2009 intensive, and the pitfalls and triumphs I faced in the wake of that. It felt good.

Ick!

I saw two separate women on the train this morning doing that disturbing double-cross business. It put me right off my breakfast.

Join a circus already.

An Old Flame Rekindled

I can sense my bonsai love/obsession resurfacing..

I have More Important Things (hypocrite!) to attend to tomorrow, so I'll see y'all Thursday.

I have a speech therapy review day over at Lidcombe where I did my course a couple years back. It'll be great to get my speech back on track, I'm psyched.

Happy Birthday..

To Maso, Laetitia and Kim!

Any others?

More Important Things

Gotta say, it's a pretty quiet time in ol' Blogland. Posting is at a low. I check around the blogs of a morning and I see neglect. What was once a rich and thriving archipelago of lush interconnected islands is now a slough of despond. My heart weeps.

Everyone's very busy doing More Important Things, I spose. Like desperately trying to uphold their new years resolutions (must not waste time on the computer, must see friends more, must go to the gym, must use Abtronic 4000 for 30 minutes each afternoon, must only eat two portions of carbs every second leap year, must write a novel a week).

I don't like when people are busy with More Important Things. It makes me feel kiddish. Like when you were a wee bairn and just wanted to spend like, seven hours playing a board game with your siblings, but they had better things to do, and would quit Monopoly before you'd even made it once around the board, leaving you soundly devvo'd. Like there were ever more important things than seven hour game stints with your little brother.

Let it be known, that a blog is like a puppy. Once it's yours, it's YOURS. You are responsible for this little life. You can't wake up one day and say, take care of yourself, Spot, I have Serious Business to attend to. Spot must be fed. Spot must be walked. Spot leaves little bonuses around the yard which must be scooped up.

I know you have Important Things. But stop and think about your Blog Puppy. Can you hear the whimpers? He is slowly dying, because you haven't fed him since December. He is traipsing around in his own filth. Go to him. Go to him!

Do you realise I just gave you a proper talking to, without you even knowing it?

Moral of the story, forget your carbs and whatnot, and throw your Blog a bone.

The Quiz

1. Your first proper paid work
2. People don't seem to get why I love...
3. A song you've been listening to a lot lately
4. What are you excited about this week?
5. What are you nervous about this week?

A Heartfelt Request To Humanity In General

Dear Everybody,

Can we please stop using the term 'Ground Zero' now?

If something is sensational and dramatic, it is sensational and dramatic on it's own. It does not need you to hype it up with out of context terminology.

To be clear, the hotel room that Melissa Doyle stayed in the other night was not Ground Zero, it was in fact, a hotel room.

Thank you for your time and cooperation.

B. McLaughlin

Cyclone Yasi

Looks to be not as severe as was expected?

Any readers in nearby areas?

Lake Mungo

Watched this last week. Very, very good. Not 'scary' in the traditional sense, but very unsettling. One of those ones that sticks with you.

When there are so many dud Aussie films being made, it baffles me that something as good as this went under the radar. I hadn't even heard of it.

4.5/5

Today's Mercies For Today's Troubles

This old John Piper talk is well worth a listen if you get the chance.

Matthew 6 says 'do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

And Lamentations 3 says, 'because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.'

Piper sets these two truths side by side to show that each day has an allotted amount of both trouble and mercy from God, both given out of love. Through it all, what God wants from us is faith. To believe that the amount of trouble today is in accordance with His plan, and to rest in assurance that the morning will bring renewed mercy and resources for us to face tomorrow.

Very good listening.

Thursday Peanuts

Speech Diary

Last night I did my second 'manual speech' at Toastmasters, a 7 minute speech in which I told this story. I was really, really pleased with how it went- I stayed fluent throughout, and got a lot of positive feedback.

Now to try and rein in some of that fluency and confidence for my everyday conversations...

Book Review Wednesday by Kim

Stardust
By Neil Gaiman (1998)

Review By Kim

I usually think it’s a bit pretentious to start your book with a poem, but “Song” is almost certainly not one of John Donne’s deeper musings. Certainly the first line – “Go, and catch a falling star” – fits the story of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust admirably, though I definitely missed the second – “Get with child a mandrake root” – in the text. Possibly I should have been reading between the lines more.

The story is one of those olden times fairy tales I feel obliged to use words like “enchanting” to describe. It’s all very mythically magical with Good and Evil generally quite disparate and suitably adorned.

There’s kings and witches and boys attempting to sell donkeys with dubious results. There’s stars and the moon and slavery. There’s corruption and power and true love. Something for everyone, really. Except those who dislike fantasy. They’re a bit hard pressed, really.

Having seen the movie ages ago, I had a fairly accurate idea of how The End might come about, but thoroughly enjoyed the journey. It was rapid – the language is by no means challenging – but worthwhile.

And besides, I have a soft spot for stories with chapters entitled “In Which …” It’s reassuring knowing someone besides a poet is in charge of the prose.

Thanks, Kim-- a good review to kick off BRW for 2011!

They Grow Up Fast

Little e starts pre-school today. I feel nervous for her, but I'm sure she'll have a ball.

It feels strangely momentous, sending out our little girl into the world to fend for herself for the first time.

Annoying (pronounced /^6*#hy)x@jj~/)

You know what annoys me? When in a dictionary, or on Wikipedia or wherever, after a word, there will be a 'pronounced such and such', in italics, in brackets. And it's apparently supposed to be really helpful in teaching you the words' correct pronunciation.

But it's in another language.

It doesn't even use proper letters. It's all these back to front, upside down ones, with strokes and dashes all over the place. Yeah thanks, I was having a little trouble getting the pronunciation right, but now that you've written out how it sounds using Ancient Hebrew characters with a twist of Elvish script, I'm all over it.