No, I'm not freezing up due to bird flu.
Yes, I knew the photo was being taken!

Yup! Santa knows who I am!

Australia is re-discovering the Christmas crib aka Nativity scene.
Cardinal Pell and Prime Minister John Howard are excited.
Meanwhile back in the good ol' US of A it's a "have yourself
a gory santa christmas." Knowing that several readers of this
blog are cat crazy, I leave you with the unique wonderful
Warhol Christmas picture displayed above. hattip: The Tablet.

Crowns all round! May this be a time of peace and joy and good will to all. Graham.

All work no play makes you a dull comrade.
You are visiting aynclouters blog.
There is a fork in the road, you can choose the Commissar or the Princess.
Yes, I chose the princess (sorry analyst :D) :

The Traditional Princess
You are generous, graceful, and practical with both
feet planted firmly on the ground. You tend to
be a little on the old-fashioned side. You
value home, hearth, and family life and love to
be of service to others.
Role Models: Snow White, Maid Marian
You are most likely to: Discover a hidden talent
for spinning straw into gold.

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)

Year one of Bachelor of Theology is complete w00t!
5HD and 3 DI yeah!
Now I have to start reading Plato's Republic to prepare for next semester's unit on philosophy.

One noticeable thing about our perception about American culture is the annual rite of the Christmas tree. Movies, sitcoms, the simpsons (tm), southpark(tm) and the great American novel all ensure that the ROW know all about the ritual of the great fir, the decorating and the lighting of the same.

In our house, we have a tiny fir in a pot that continually grows larger and larger in its pot. Over the years it has gone from less than a foot high to now three foot high. The pots get bigger also. Sadly the size precludes huge numbers of decorations and christmas lights get hung on the wall behind the tree. Prior to bonsai christmas we had a plastic tree rescued from a white elephant stall. Sadly over the years more and more pieces went missing or broke.

However, some people go and get a real tree which creates problems: Oh Christmas Tree.
Make sure you read the comments to find out the solution to the problem. Women rule!

The Christmas craziness has started. Exhausting days at work and sore feet at the end of the day. Customers are very grateful for the quality products they are buying, and that makes it worthwhile. I decided to go with a small Christmas Card producer from Brisbane, a 'young family man' and did not produce my own card designs this year. It worked 'whew': customers are appreciating the unique designs, rather than the catalog designs, card embossing and verses I have mixed and matched over the past 14 years or so... Another milestone: in-laws celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary currently... Ten months to go for me and mine.... commitment means always starting afresh and choosing to stay, rather than walk away. The world can pull in so many different ways in obsessions, addictions, distractions and escapes. Constancy is an interesting concept, there is always another day, another year where I find myself saying 'I do' to all my life with my partner brings.

Away from all the Christmas hype; as I try to contemplate on what the birth of the Chfrist child really means, I found this reflection worthy of note: Tis a gift to be simple aka God under the bed.

Click to visit:


Basic Information:
click here

Latest news:
click here

The UN has handed promotion over to The World Aids Campaign This change in the way that World AIDS Day is organised has caused some confusion among HIV & AIDS organisations. Some have chosen to adopt “Stop AIDS; Keep the Promise” as their theme for World AIDS Day 2005.

Others have, for the first time, picked their own topic for the events they’re holding this year on 1st December. In New Zealand the old slogan “condoms save lives” has resurfaced, the NZ Foundation’s poster for World AIDS Day this year features three “rings” - a popular round sweet with a hole in the middle, a traditional round flotation buoy and a condom - with the word “lifesavers” beneath. The idea of the “lifesavers” theme is to increase visibility and awareness of condoms over the summer months when sexual activity is high. Abstinence and faithfulness to one partner also make great sense to moi.

Don't be confused, the most important thing is that you follow its basic principals by raising awareness and understanding where you live and by remembering the millions living with HIV or suffering because of AIDS.

There's a new section over at the Agonist.

Faith and Spirituality, SP and I are gonna try and dialogue about matters that neither of us really understand.

We both agree that there is an emptiness in the world and we attempt to discuss what can fill it.

more Europe from the young travellers.

Europe, October 2005, as snapped by Son&GF

Pakistan and Kashmir
harsh lands even harsher now
the Tsunami tragedy and disaster almost pales in significance compared to:
death toll rapidly approaching 80,000
over 1600 schools destroyed (approx 140 destroyed in Tsunami)
widespread disease outbreaks accentuated by increasing cold weather
failure of western / first world countries to increase financial and in kind donations of aid.
(no sexed up videos of tidal waves approaching hotels on sandy beaches does not stir the public imagination)

Australia is increasing its aid little by little, whilst Clinton and Bush (snr) get the International Rescue Committee's Freedom Award for Tsunami and Katrina.

Meanwhile The Agonist has been blogrolled at Informed Comment by Juan Cole w00t.

Ramblings on a spring evening:

Driving home from work today I had a real privilege to listen to the dramatised diary and an interview with a young doctor who spent some time on the Ugandan border with Mediciens San Frontiers (French for Doctors Without Borders).

Her tales of her sense of helplessness when she encountered malaria, parasitic infections and nutritional disorders as well as coping with a corrupt political system at the local level was invigorating.

Inspirational and enlightening it is important to realise that even sending people to assist those in disaster areas does not necessarily improve their lot. However to have tried and failed is better than not having tried at all.

I had the humbling experience of sitting with a Moslem couple the day after Ramadan ended, they had been fasting from 3.30am to 7.30pm until daylight saving began 4 days before the end of Ramadan. Makes lenten practice almost laughable. I was also moved to learn of the disrespect and abuse they receive from some of their neighbours. Their stoic acceptance of evil and inhumanity in our neighbourhood was challenging.

France is rocked by sectarian and class warfare at present, it is possible that it can occur locally in my area going by the treatment of Moslems by some white aussies.

Whilst hunger and tragedy occur and re-occur in Africa and Pakistan, to name just two, Avian Flu provides an easy cop out for people to lose concentration. mea culpa.

DID
YOU
EVER
WONDER

and using Pink Floyd too :)

hattip dr.

He agreed with me!

My blog is worth $1,693.62.
How much is your blog worth?

I have known many people who have been encouraged and influenced by the biographies of the military, of politicians and sports-people.

My personal favourites who inspire me tend to be people who have influenced people at a grass-roots level. Dorothy Day, Catherine de Hueck Doherty, Jean Vanier, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, CS Lewis all spring to mind.

Today I shed a tear(actually several) in honour of the memory of Rosa Parks.

Sulla Jones at the Agonist posted the wapo story, at wapo I found this list of blogs via technorati linking to the wapo story about Rosa.

Gentle readers,
the deed is done
all first year assignments
have been handed into respective lecturers
and so the wait begins
to discover what
my results
will
be...

Spring has sprung, showers have brought out many flowers and not too many snails seem to be around this year!

Current Addiction remains H5N1, aka avian flu, bird flu...

Have grabbed 3 SF novels from the local library, DVD's of Steeleye Span and Concert for George and intend to walk a little if the hayfever and asthma settle down.

and so to bed... g'nite.

Agonist Bulletin Board is having corruption woes,
meanwhile Avian Flu is still flapping around Vietnam and more recently Indonesia,
keep in touch with the latest developments: http://www.curevents.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=40

New Orleans crisis shames Americans
By Matt Wells BBC News, Los Angeles

Matt tries to get a handle on what slowed the response.
fav line: The truth was simple and apparent to all. If journalists were there with cameras beaming the suffering live across America, where were the officers and troops?

remember:
Give me your tired , your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free, well it aint so bros, it aint so. If you aint got no mo or no mo-car you aint nobody, you just get forgotten.

It's a national humiliation over in the land of the free, the poor have been overlooked, this is a challengin read from pbs: POLITICS AFTER KATRINA. So will the US national consciousness finally realise that people are people and poor blacks are not "three-fifths of a human being?" as Jesse Jackson said on Saturday. We can but hope.

Nature is a great leveler and hopefully out of this suffering and maelstrom a new day for the Ameican Black People will arise. A new 'preferential option' is possible.

What is particularly eerie after watching for years thin, ravaged human bodies on the television is the large physical size of the distressed down in Southern Louisiana.

In early 2001 the USA warned its citizens that the three most likely major disasters were hurricane, earthquake and act of terrorism. I sure hope we are not going to have a hat-trick.

Well, Friday afternoon August 26th arrived, a lovely late winter sunny afternoon. I'm given a lift by a friend to the ACT Legislative Assembly for the Australian Citizenship Ceremony where I hand in my letter of invitation. I am asked to prove my identity by showing my UK passport and given a form to change my electoral status from UK citizen to Australian. I am escorted down to Row C. Row's A, B and C have Bibles on the seats, a pledge of allegiance, order of ceremony and the words to Advance Australia Fair. The seats in the row behind me do not have Bibles.

Two seats to my right is a lady from Malaysia. Behind me a gentleman from Thailand, next to him a woman from California. A petite woman sits down next to me and we exchange pleasantries. She is from the Karen, her parents fled Burma in the 1960's and she was born and grew up in a camp in Thailand. She met her Aussie husband there. A guy from the USA sits down on my left. Most of the people around me have lived in Australia from 4 to 6 years, much laughter erupts when I admit to having lived here for 40 years, and that I am becoming an Australian out of financial expediency to assist with university study costs.

The ceremony begins, the politicians make all the usual spiel about how great we all are adding to the tapestry of Australian life. Citizens from the UK are particularly noted as contributing especially to building Australia over the past 60 years. My chest swells with pride.
Suddenly I find myself on my feet with the other occupants of rows A, B, and C pledging our oath to God of allegiance to Australia. Changes to the oath make interesting reading.

Then we sit down and row D make their pledge without reference to God. So it looks like 25% of new Aussies do not wish to involve a deity in their citizenship ceremony.
Then we have to sign our electoral papers, they are collected and we sing the first two verses of Advance Australia Fair.

Then I tumble outside and walk back to work, an errant Englishman no more.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, OY OY OY!

72 hours to go, until I take the oath of allegiance to the Queen of Australia and become a citizen fully of Australia.

This will then mean that I have to watch sport for at least 30 hours a week, drink a slab of beer twice a week, lose any sense of respect for fellow human beings and use bloody in every sentence.

just joking

everything old is new again.

Westward ho, bird flu moves inexorably towards Europe.
meanwhile i have created a group, a yahoo group:

Click to join diseaseoutbreaks

Avian Flu, anthrax, swine flue, ebola, the picture from China is foreign.

The links and posts here are recommended.

Niger.

Niger is not an isolated island of desperation - it lies within a sea of problems across Africa, says Nobel Prize laureate Desmond Tutu.

meanwhile in the motherland:
In the wake of Niger's food crisis, we must question the right of charities to have a monopoly on "calling famines", says Simon Harrigan, a freelance anthropologist with experience of famine relief in Sudan.

staying with the Guardian:
It's up to African writers to provide positive alternatives to the global media's preoccupation with hunger, war and catastrophe, says Doreen Baingana, Ugandan poet and novelist.

Starvation in Niger is not only an inevitable consequence of poverty, drought and locusts but also the result of applying free market policies to try to lift the country out of poverty.

over to the NYT:
It is shocking that the crisis in Niger developed in a year heralded as a year for Africa, says this editorial.

no pictures, the emotional effect is enough in words alone.

As part of semester II, alongside the history of Christianity, synoptic gospels, Australian Theologies, we are studying Practical Theology. It all becomes rather academic in the light of pondering Niger.

To pinch a line from JCSuperstar "what's it all about", indeed. weep and know no answers...

Dance of deception by James M. Wall " Among the messages of sympathy that poured into London following the July 7 bombings were condolences from the governments of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iran, Turkey—all nations with majority Muslim populations—and at least two Muslim nongovernmental groups: Hamas and Hezbollah.

But as Middle East scholar Juan Cole pointed out on his Web site "Informed Comment," only ArabicNews.com and a few Chinese sites mentioned this list. The Western media gave little attention to this strong Muslim expression of solidarity.Why this omission? Support from Muslim nations did not fit the dominant narrative in the U.S., which insists that "the reason we are attacked is that they hate us and our way of life, and we are not going to let that deter us from fighting terror." This narrative is not based on reality."
hattip Don over at agonist.org.

Semester two has begun and the workload is massive. Assignments and book reviews on church history, the gospels, australian theologies, practical theology and other stuff I have already forgotten. There will be little time for agonising or blogging over the next three months.

BUT somethings are just too powerful and righteous to ignore. L O Y A L T Y by Larry Johnson, proud to be an American. I am well pleased. May more like Larry stand up and tell it as it is.

Other trees remain a naked forlorn testimony of the raging fireballs of January 18, 2003

Eucalypts trunks enveloped with new growth.

Sunday afternoon the family piled into the wagon and up into the Brindabellas we drove. Major rainstorm Friday evening had washed a lot of snow away but there were occasional mini drifts. Lots of trees are still bare from the bushfires but some are regenerating.

Just so it seems that the whole world cares about skippy, click here. Sometime I may vent forth on the use of animals as pseudo-heroes but life is busy this week, juggling home, work and a conference as well as preparing for Semester II, next week. Just click it. Thank You.

sometimes it's just fun to read and tinker. Remember that disclaimers are to ensure your safety.
As a kid I got thrown head over heels several times by playing around inside television sets and once by a vacuum cleaner that I had forgotten to unplug before I started examining the brush contacts on the motor.

Garage / yard sales are a great place to pick up hi fi gear that often just needs dust blown out or rubber bands replaced.

"I pity them"
Angelo, a barrister was interviewed by the BBC after escaping one of the train explosions in the London underground. Covered in soot, shaky, confused as to why more emergency workers were not assisting in the evac (he did not know or had not taken in the fact of multiple attacks), he was asked what he thought of the perps.

"I pity them". Asked to elaborate he responded that "such wicked behaviour can only be pitied".

Resilience and compassion mean that we will all arise again on July 8 and live. Terrorism means death, but humanity will overcome terrorism. We live to honour the dead and I too pity the wicked.

A little selfishly I am relieved that my eldest boy will not be in London for several months....

Hopefully, we will not be reading the likes of this in six months time.

Rain wonderful rain, plenty of rain around Canberra, too much on the north coast of NSW and the Gold Coast. Goulburn still needs more. Our Prayers of Intercession on Sunday include one each week thanking God for the rain we have received and praying for more rain for those areas that need it. It's a prayer being prayed across the Archdiocese.

The winter days are beginning to lengthen again so spring is coming. Cold weather will be the order of the day for several more months yet. Global warming is not a micro weather feature yet.

First semester is over, all assignments have returned to me with satisfactory results in essay writing and research. Beginners enthusiasm seems to have caused me to try to cover too much in my assignments so I am seeing a lecturer mid month to try and get a grip on what is required.
Footnotes gave my lecturers some grief. I have a lot of misunderstanding as to what each lecturer particularly seeks with respect to the correct citing of authors, texts, quotes and page numbers. Hopefully by October 2007 I will have mastered the art of citation.

Master numero uno living son turns 21 on July 6, so we had a surprise party for him on Saturday night. An assortment of relatives and friends recent and past managed to arrive and allow him an enjoyable evening that almost moved him to tears. Sweet boy. His ticket to Austria and the UK have been purchased - 'rock on' September is his song.

Diary entries for me at the agonist have been a bit post and run lately. Time does not allow too much self promotion. So casual readers don't miss out: read them >>>>>here<<<<<<.

This is one of three paintings by congo the chimp, that took the media by storm this week, pushing once again to the background the horrible ongoing violence and death toll in the Congo.

See, I'm safe with a good Christian family. On the weekend I went to Wisconsin.

Hmmm. the table is the same as the one in canberra, but this fellow is certainly not an australian. I'm told it's about 45�F in Canberra, sleet and snow on the way, I'm so glad I'm in sunny Minnesota.

Almost there, I can see home from here.

Uh oh, better wait here, I can hear someone coming. I cannot believe the grass, it is so green and lush compared to the dry, dusty brown stalks in canberra.

Down the shute and into the wonderful outdoors.

Never fear Uncle Minnesota Winnie to the rescue.

USA Customs Department, strip Kanga of beanie and scarf and prepare to cut open in search of contraband.

I dinna mean to scare you, I dinna wanna make you freak:
BUT
H5N1 is getting more and more serious, keep uptodate >>>here<<<.

The most important thing is to remember is wash your hands, a lot.

If you are out and about in malls, or other places where there are lots of people do not, repeat, do not touch your face. Before eating food - wash your hands, before touching your face - wash your hands. When you get home, yup - wash your hands.

Avian flu may not be the next pandemic, but the odds are increasing all the time.

And remember wash your hands a lot.

Two Deacons, an Archbishop, a Bishop, one puppet and sundry lay people sing a ditty to celebrate the 200th edition of the Catholic Voice newspaper(link down on the left).

Breaking News - Kanga has arrived in Minnesota and has commandeered a vehicle to take a weekend trip to Wisconsin. stay tuned...

THE ILLITERATE SURGEON
:Kristof @ NYT writes Just about the worst thing that can happen to a teenage girl in this world is to develop an obstetric fistula that leaves her trickling bodily wastes, stinking and shunned by everyone around her. That happened four decades ago to Mamitu Gashe.

But the most amazing thing about Ms. Mamitu is not what she endured but what she has become.
cont @ NYT.

I have been a supporter of Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital for many years, I urge you to support it as well. G_72

My eldest son, almost 21 is saving madly to travel to Europe, his gf is currently travelling through Austria and Germany. This is a neat photo she took in Melk.

Which Beatles song personality are you? Lady Madonna You have a lot of kids and no time. Wonder how you manage to make ends meet?

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Dear Mr Graham

On behalf of the Government and people of Australia, I wish to congratulate you on your decision to become an Australian citizen. I am delighted to advise that your application has been approved.

Dear Mr Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, w00t!
I don't have to pay uni fees for semester two, yeah!

PS I have been allowed to vote since 1977, but that was not good enough to get a university "edwucation."

President Bush, right, answers a reporter's question as British Prime Minister Tony Blair listens during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, June 7, 2005, in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
With warm words but few solid promises from President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has tough negotiating ahead to work out deals on boosting Africa's poor and tackling climate change in time for next month's summit of rich countries in Scotland.
Bush inched toward Blair's position on writing off impoverished nations' debt and praised his close ally Tuesday for pressing Africa's cause.

A powerful consensus is building for a doubling of aid to Africa among the world's heavyweight donors, except the United States -- a divide that is likely to come into sharp relief this week when British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives in Washington to meet with President Bush. sfgate

Read discussion at the Agonist

Fond farewells after twenty minutes together, Kanga must go on an overseas trip....

morning tea time, when the cups were put away the present came out to play.

my owners nanna helped my pick it out:

enjoying the sun, before shopping for Nakita's present.

checking out the last roses before winter.

Driver take me away, fast now!

It was the day he was finally going to get out and see something of Australia.

Winnie the Pooh bear stares out of the detention camp for immigrant bears.

Google just got better, personality plus...

Some of the thirty eight or so reference books I am using for my second last assignment for Semester One, I have 4 days to go to get two essays finished, then finis until July.

drivers, windows XP was 'sposed to subdue, subjugate and stop driver issues.
all I have got is a box that reboots randomly, and micr$oft informs me that it cannot identify the driver causing the problem.

I don't need the wipe the HDD and re-install hassle at present, the last two assignments are due next week, and I just wanna keep writing. And having fun with . and , and ,. and .. in the footnotes yech. if someone had warned me about referencing I would never have enrolled at university.

Meanwhile in the real world: rook notes that Sean Paul is pissed off. :)

Mebbe I'll take time off and go to the movies. (PS tanx to Helen for letting me blog on her computer)

Mr scam man starts again with new email address:

My name is Mrs. Jennifer Wilson i am a dying woman who have decided to donate what i have to you/ church.I am 59 years old and i was diagnosed for cancer for about 2 years ago,immediately after the death of my husband, who has left me everything he worked for.
I have been touched by God to donate from what i have inherited from my late husband to the you for the good work of God,rather than allow my relatives to use my husband hard earned funds ungodly.Please pray,that the good Lord forgive me my sins.I have asked God to forgive me and i believe he has because He is a merciful God. I will be going in for an operation in less than one hour.

I decided to WILL/donate the sum of $1,500,000 (One million five hundred thousand dollars) to you for the good work of the lord, and also to help the motherless and less privilege and also for the assistance of the widows according to (JAMES 1:27).

At the moment i cannot take any telephone calls right now due to the fact that my relatives are around me and my health status.I have adjusted my WILL and my lawyer is aware i have changed my will you and he will arrange the transfer of the funds from my account to you.

I wish you all the best and may the good Lord bless you abundantly, and please use the funds well and always extend the good work to others. Contact my lawyer with this specified email jbsolicitorx@netscape.net and tell him that i have WILLED ($1,500,000.00) to you and i have also notified him that i am WILLING that amount to you for a specific and good work.I know i don't know you but i have been directed to do this.Thanks and God bless.

NB: I will appreciate your utmost confidentiality in this matter until the task is accomplished as I don't want anything that will Jeopardize my last wish. And Also I will be contacting with you by email as I don't want my relation or anybody to know because they are always around me.

Regards,
Mrs.Jennifer Wilson

Coat of Arms Benedict XVI
see stories here and here.

Briggs is back: An email I just received:
Hello, Graham-san

I am a Japanese woman. I received Mrs. Jenifer Wilson's mail and then
I also received Johnson Briggs's mail. He called himself as Barrister in
Law,
but my friend who is very good at English said that it should be called an
Attorney-at-Law in UK. His English is very poor than me.

I searched for his name on the Internet and found your weblog.

I appreciate you. I about to pay JPY370,000.

In Mr. Briggs's fraud, a bank in Netherlands named Zenith Group NL
is also involved. I called Netherland Embassy in Japan and they said
there is no bank having such name in their directory

Please see attached mail.

Thank you.

XXX XXXXX


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Zenith Group NL"
To: XXXXXXXX
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 17:07:32 +0900
Subject: Bank Wire Transfer-With a copy to Barrister Briggs

ATTN Client,
Dear XXXX CXXXXXX.

Sequel to the telephone conversation with the Director Dr Frank Jones,i have been instructed to officially inform you that the sum of $1,500,000 (One million five hundred thousand Dollars) deposited by Mrs. Jennifer Wilson and credited to the Beneficiary Mrs. XXXXXX XXXXXXXi of:
Address:
XCX, XXXXX, KxXXXXX
XXXXX XXX
XXXX, Japan
Tel number: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Based on the information provided to our Bank by Mrs. Jennifer Wilson's Attorney ( Mr Johnson Briggs) and considering the large sum of money due for transfer to your nominated Bank account, you will be required to pay a non deductible sum of Eur 2,734.86, (Two thousand, seven hundred and thirty four euros eighty six cents) which is equivalent to an estimated sum of JPY370,756.62 Japanese Yen as (Collectieve Garantierregeling-CGR) Compulsory deposit guarantee scheme.

De Nederlansche Bank (Central Bank in my Country) which is synonymous to the Central Bank of your country imposes a Banking rule of compulsory deposit guarantee scheme, known as (Collectieve Garantierregeling-CGR) which must be embarked upon by all account holders whose sum accrue over 12,500.00 and deposited in any any Netherlands Commercial Bank account.

This scheme is at the exclusive supervsion of De Netherlansche Bank, it will cost the sum of US$2,734.86 (Two thousand seven hundred and thirty four euros,eighty six cents) and we are not able to deduct the charges from your money because it is not covered by the Collectieve Garantierregeling-CGR scheme, we urge you to pay the above stated sum of money to enable the De Netherlansche Bank have a coverage scheme on your funds and we shall immediately commence transfer of your funds to your nominated Bank.

As soon as you have the scheme coverage, we shall send you and your Bank an access code which enables you or your Bank access your money online and we shall open communication with your Bank as soon the scheme is covered.

Please fill attached form and return as soon as possible.




Sincerely,



Mrs Ingrid Van Mulder ( Customer Service)



ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
Mr Duncan Greenham (Chief Executive)
Dr. Frank I. Jones (Administrative Director)
Ms. Gifty Lee Wang (Vice President/Marketing)
Mrs E.Ooswoud (Accounts)

OOSTZIDE 12
1502 ZAANDAM
THE NETHERLANDS
TEL: +31.624.824.076, +31.624.824.077,
+31.624.824.078, +31.624.425.673
FAX:+31.624.424.740

BRANCH OFFICE
ATOOMWEG 35
HOORN NH
1627 LE
THE NETHERLANDS

It appears that the boys in blue aint caught the man yet!

hattip Dr Mike.

The land remains dry, only a few drops of rain again today.
Sustainable options for water management are increasingly important.
I am well pleased that my brother in law in Sydney is providing ecological design services, providing basix assessments. Well Done John. Hopefully water tanks (water barrels to you USA types) are going to grow in popularity within urban centres.

blog find of the week, hattip Dr Mike.

Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger (right, top) with his family in 1951, after he and his brother were ordained into the priesthood. wiki bio
Photo: Reuters

history endlessly repeating
suffering ad nauseum
even in blogland nothing ever changes.

BUT
say a prayer today
care for someone
smile at the stranger
rejoice and be glad for we are alive!

I had the privilege of being the assistant master of ceremonies at the Canberra Funeral Mass for the late Pontiff. This was the photo that appeared in the Canberra Times.

Theres not often that one is close to the creation of a new word.
A friend at the agonist has coined neoconfection, the placing of a cream pie in the face of a neoconservative.

Schiavo -- The Real "Real Issue" -- Personhood, the Pope, and PVS
a useful blog.

Schiavo -- The Real "Real Issue" -- Personhood, the Pope, and PVS
a useful blog.

Schiavo -- The Real "Real Issue" -- Personhood, the Pope, and PVS
a useful blog.

woopy doo da day,
An Easter gift kinda came early six days ago:
I got this thru my agonist email account:
***********************************
Attention:

This is to inform you that I have been informed by Mrs.Jennifer Wilson
of her intensions in WILLING $1.5 million US dollars to you. I will
immediately proceed in notifying Mrs.Jennifer Wilson's bank in order for
the funds to be released and transferred to you.

She has WILLED the funds to you based on her own decision. I will
require the following information below to process the release of the
funds and notification to the bank.

1. Full name
2. Country of Residence
3. Telephone number.

Sincerely,

Johnson Briggs (Barr.in Law)
**SOLICITOR AND LEGAL PRACTITIONER**
**************************************
I supplied my details as requested above
**************************************
On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 06:46:46 -0500, jjsolicitors@netscape.net
> wrote:
>> ATTENTION: Graham Upshell
>>
>> This is to notify you that I have applied to Jennifer's bank for the release of the funds making you the beneficiary to the amount of $1.5 million dollars.
>>
>> I shall notify you as soon as the application is approved. Endeavour to confirm the receipt of this mail.You can call me with my number below.
>>
>> Attach is the letter to the Bank.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Johnson Briggs (Barr.in Law).
>> **SOLICITOR AND LEGAL PRACTITIONER**
>> TEL: +44.7704708723
>> FAX: +44.8701301545
**********************************************
Dear Messr Briggs
Thanks for the notification, how often do you get to such a lovely job
like this one?
Graham
**********************************************
ATTENTION: Graham Upshell

This is to officially congratulate you that Mrs.Jennifer Wilson's bank have approved to release the funds which has been WILLED to you. This is based upon my notification to them that my client has WILLED $1.5 million US dollars to you.

The bank also requires me to tender a sworn affidavit from the British court, stating that you are now the actual beneficiary to the funds before transfer can be made to your designated account. I would also like to let you know that this sworn affidavit from the court would cost a total of £1,000(One thousand Pounds) to obtain. I hereby advise that you try and send this payment of £1,000(One thousand pounds) in order for me to obtain the affidavit from the british court of law making you the official beneficiary to this fund, in order to allow the bank transfer the 1.5 million dollars to you.

I would advise that you make the payment through western union money transfer with my name (JOHNSON BRIGGS) in order to facilitate the obtainance of the affidavit and the transfer of the funds to your account.

I would like to also notify you that Mrs.Jennifer Wilson passed away this morning during an operation .May her soul rest in peace.

I expect to hear from you soon, so that I can facilitate and conclude the transaction on your behalf.And as soon as the release is approved the bank shall contact you through your email address and you can tell them how you want to receive the funds.I have also attached my letter to the bank.

DETAILS FOR WESTERN UNION PAYMENT:
NAME FOR PAYMENT: JOHNSON BRIGGS
ADDRESS: 11 AMBLESIDE POINT
SE15 1EA, LONDON
UNITED KINGDOM.

Sincerely,
Johnson Briggs (Barr.in Law).
**SOLICITOR AND LEGAL PRACTITIONER**
TEL: +44.7787173525.
FAX: +44.8701341382.
***************************************
Dear Johnson,

This is the way I would like this to work:
You pay the £1000.00 out of your Solicititors work fund for the court matter.
I have instructed my British Solicitors, in Dorset, to provide any
assistance you may require. Please advise which bank will be
transferring the funds.

For your assistance in this matter I have asked my solicitors to make
a payment of £30,000.00 to you as a thank you.

Please advise full address of your company, and your bank details so
my solicitor can arrange transfer of the gratuity to you.

yours sincerely
Graham
************************************
Now I wait but I am not waiting at all!!!

In the middle of Triduum time a quick Easter greeting to the readers.

meanwhile sean-paul over at the agonist has got the diary disease linking to great news such as billmon who is back. - Yep, the barman writeth and linketh, on addictions and Wolfowitz.

An oziac by any other name, exept I am still not naturalized or naturalised.

graphite on recycled paper 2005

Blogger team advise it's easier to post comments now. Hint, hint :)

For your eye cleansing therapy click here

University work has increased, and not much time to say much else!

Karma has seen by ability to play with friends in a wiki taken away.
My post about ugly politics probably swung the needle to punishment side.

meanwhile a neat letter of recycled paper written on by pencil, a clipping from the Washington Chronicle and other assorted miscellany have arrived safely - thanks Mike.

To the books I go, a-studying is the new game for me.

blogs come , blogs go, some are still born: http://uglypolitics.blogspot.com/

it's a shame that a comment like this from a friend could not be attached:

So many idiots, so few comets. I'm quitting this politics crap. I have worked so hard to try to get them to see that Repugnicans are idiots, and that they need to get riled about the outrage that is George Bush, I did it over and over and over, and they just don't listen. They don't shut up and listen. A brilliant woman like me can try to pound it into the heads of idiots only so long. This is a waste of time. Except for the few that listen to me, those people at Agonist are a bunch of dense idiots that don't get that all fundies and Repugnicans should be locked up, and the country is full of them. Too few comets, so many idiiots. I'm moving to France. No more politics for me

meanwhile away from that nastiness I have commenced full time university study, as well as working full time. Theology is almost the original academic discipline, and the lecturers certainly expect a lot of hard work from us... assignment one has been handed in. (note to self: do not write 3,500 words for a 1,500 word question it is hard to edit that many words down to the right amount the night before it is due, DOH!)

Merton, freedom, truth and beauty, religion + spirituality, and authority in Marks gospel as it relates to Christology are some of the remaining assignments....

hattip as always ;) artappraiser
The pope a sign of elderly decrepitude still in the news and still enthuses me.
Precious Suffering.
The pope's condition is deteriorating, for all to see, and he's becoming a potent symbol for his message: that life is sacred, no matter how painful

It's good to revisit things that illumine the soul and mind. Life can be awfully hectic rushing between work and home, study and church. Meetings, appointments, services, shopping and stress and relationships can seem tenuouos. Hang in there and ponder what is rich, satisfying and luxurious in touching deep within, the special places that make you, you. I stopped tonight to smell some roses, breathe deeply of the night air and relaxed for a few minutes. I should do it more often!
May I suggest the poetry of Dylan Thomas
and Tuesdays with Morrie - DVD or book

What warms your heart and soul and mind?

Photo: thanks Greg, this is where the last week in January was spent, Currarong, under the Aussie sun, body surfing and enjoying prawns!

Reading theology after a morning at the beach can create a rather somnolent state. This massive tome by Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses has interesting commentary for all those whose tastes in linguistics, history, scripture, anthropology and cultural mores require ongoing sating. hattip artappraiser for pointing me towards book; thanks again to Greg for the photo!

Happy New Year to all, this another great sticker, pleasing to the eye, folk art sent from a friend in Centralia. Washington.