QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT HELLO KITTY'S ORIGINS; THE RETURN OF OTTO VON BISMARCK'S VOICE; AND, THE BACKWARDS TALKING GIRL...
Questions are apparently being asked about the citizenship of iconic cat cutie Hello Kitty following the publication of a new book, Hello Kitty’s Guide to Japan in English and Japanese. According to the official biography published by Sanrio, the company that owns the rights to her, Hello Kitty (real name Kitty White) was born in London.
DAVID
ADAMS writes about the odder side of life... |
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BYZANTINE-ERA BREAD STAMP DISCOVERY IN AKKO SHEDS LIGHT ON JEWISH LIFE...
A small ceramic stamp used to mark bakery produce may not seem like a significant archeological find, but Israeli archeologists are rather excited by such a discovery made near the northern coastal town of Akko.
In previous eras, Akko was known as Acre, and was a major Christian stronghold in the Holy Land. That is why interest has been piqued by the small ceramic stamp bearing an image of the seven-branched Temple Menorah, which was found in a controlled archeological dig at Horbat Uza just outside Akko.
The stamp dates back to the 6th century AD, a time when Akko was a Christian-dominated city under the Byzantine Empire.
RYAN JONES, of Travelujah, reports... |
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 HOLY LAND CHRISTIANS STRIVE FOR UNITY...
One of the central themes of Jesus’ ministry on earth was unity. Prior to His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus prayed that those who followed Him “may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20). But unity has often proved elusive, especially for the many Christian denominations represented in the small, but holy city of Jerusalem.
RYAN JONES, of Travelujah, reports in Sight's blog on the history and culture of Israel... |
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OUT OF AFRICA: AN ANNIVERSARY...
Recently it was a year since we left Australia; so today it’s a year since we arrived in Malawi. I have caught myself thinking a couple of times; ‘Would I have come if I had known what I would experience here’? If I had really understood what it would mean to leave everyone and everything familiar and to adjust my life to another culture? To be constantly observed, whether in my home or out, to live my life in such a public manner? Would I have come if I had known the things I would see, dying babies, people ravaged with disease, people suffering with malnutrition?
LENA JOHNSTONE's blog about life in Malawi, Africa, where she works with the Mphatso Children's Foundation... |
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NEW! THE STOREROOM: CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EDITOR...
Usually we meet for lunch but on this occasion we had an early start travelling to Westminster to hear Alistair McGrath on the King James Bible. It was excellent. Then a Wycliffe Bible translator talked about his story of translating the Bible into a language spoken by 14,000.
I asked the editor what he thought about that and whether there were some languages spoken by too few people (who speak other languages) to justify the translation effort. He said that it would always be preferable for people to read it in their won tongue. I can’t imagine even having to manage with one English translation so I suppose he may be right on this occasion.
RICHARD THOMAS' sometimes weird and sometimes wonderful 'storeroom' of ideas... |
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TIREDNESS, FRUSTRATION AND TRUST...
 In the U2 song, Peace on Earth, Bono sings of his frustration about our constant talk of peace without it ever really happening. Peace, peace when there is no peace is the cry of the prophet he is echoing. All around we see power corrupting and people in power getting their way at the expense of those with no power. Over and over again it happens.
I have no trust in political and economic systems. Ultimately I trust more in Jesus, whose power did not corrupt and through whom our desires for power are redeemed. John Smith asked a question many years ago which is a challenge for everyone who claims to be a serious follower of Jesus. The question is this: who are your friends and who are your enemies? The point he was making is that, when you look at the life of Jesus, His friends were overwhelmingly the powerless, the marginalised and the oppressed. And His enemies were overwhelmingly the rich, the powerful and the oppressors.
NILS VON KALM'S blog on faith, life and how it all might fit together... |
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In this movie set in the beautiful islands of Hawaii, George Clooney brilliantly plays the role of Matt King, a father who could probably relate a bit to the suffering of Job. His wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) has just had a boating accident, is in a coma and about to die. He then finds out that she had been having an affair. And to top it off, the guy she was having an affair with is about to make a bucketload of cash on a property sale that King is working out with his family.
Hugo is an adventure-drama for the family (in 3D), based on a 2007 novel written by Brian Selznick. The movie captivates the audience by its multifaceted themes and messages. The rich content and plot will not disappoint people who want to go beneath the surface of a story and explore the deeper meaning of life.
Though Western companies, from American automakers to European luxury firms, have recently gained a foothold in China, Western religion has played a role there for much longer than General Motors or Hermes. 
It's all about "Ideas Worth Spreading". Founded in 1984, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is centred on two annual conferences - one in Long Beach and Palm Springs and another in Edinburgh - which, along with a growing number of other initiatives coming under the TED banner, are aimed at bringing together the "world's most fascinating thinkers and doers". Each speaker at the conferences is given 18 minutes or less and challenged to give what organisers call the "talk of their lives". The result is a huge database of more than 900 talks all of which have been videoed and are available for you to watch via their website. It's an amazingly rich place to venture - the talks have long since roamed outside the realm of technology, entertainment and design and now cover an increasingly wide range of subjects
Writer/artist Billy Tucci is known throughout the comics industry for his success with his own creation Shi, as well as more recent work including 2008’s Sgt. Rock: The Lost Batallion. That mini-series was inspired by an actual World War II event and cemented Tucci’s reputation as a creator who does his research, and a lot of it. That same focus continues with this new 32 page comic.
On a wet and rainy weekend, what else would you rather be doing than camping out, listening to bands, hearing great teaching, eating 'Baptist' doughnuts and hanging out with three thousand of your closest friends?
It’s a far catch cry from television singing competitions but one of Sydney’s latest Christian music offerings is anything but out of tune, clichéd and cringe worthy. 