Leave your comfort zone with the About Me interactive website. An initiative of Christian child development agency, Compassion Australia, it tells the stories
of three remarkable young people and shows how you can help change the world...
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a Google ad that you think is inappropriate on this site, email
us the web address and we'll review it...
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ON THE SCREEN: HOLLYWOOD ACTION BLOCKBUSTER OR "SPARSE" AUSTRALIAN STORY? TERMINATOR SALVATION AND SAMSON & DELILAH DELIVER IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS
If you have half a day and a few spare dollars, go and watch Terminater Salvation (aka T4) and Samson & Delilah back-to-back. One could not find a more contrasting set of movies.
Why? T4 fills every second of the flick with movement and sound. Oh, so much sound! It is like a maddening symphony orchestra of spaceships and machines that pounds you into a migraine. Boom, boom, chow! Switch off the brain, sit back and take the ride. Clichéd dialogue, action smorgasboard, special effects heaven. Everyones favourite Governator also makes an appearance...or does he?
Samson & Delilah, on the other hand, is sparse and full of space. The viewer is left to fill the gaps with their own thoughts, perceptions and emotions. First-time director Warwick Thornton is brilliant in his use of sounds intrinsic to the environment to create the feeling of the moment for the characters.
ADAM KELSALL takes a comparative look at recent releases Terminator Salvation and Samson & Delilah... |
more...|
It has become noticeable that the tone of recent reports, articles and books on climate change is becoming increasingly urgent. This book by 2006 Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, continues the theme of urgency, with its desperate sounding title, and it's picture of a clock showing just a couple of minutes to midnight on the cover.
This volume, which first appeared in Quarterly Essay in September 2008, outlines the desperate situation the earth now finds itself in, and Flannery's solutions to the crisis. It is then followed up by a series of replies by others in the field of climate science or research (the one exception being Richard Branson who, through his Virgin group of companies, is making his own attempt at limiting his carbon footprint). One of the responses is from Ian Lowe, current President of the Australian Conservation Foundation. As Lowe points out, “the fundamental message of Flannery's essay is that we need to recognise the limits of ecological systems and build that recognition into our planning”.
NILS VON KALM reads Tim Flannery's latest book...|
more... |
MUSIC: BETHANY DILLON AND MATT HAMMITT'S IN CHRIST ALONE AN 'UNEXPECTED' DELIGHT
One of my favourite female vocalists in Christian music and the lead vocalist of Sanctus Real have taken some of the best crafted modern hymns and 'treated them'. From sparse orchestrations to curious genre bending mixes and a Brit-pops orchestra that, at times, wear kilts and at others wear top hats.
There's the innocence of Dillon's vocal and the Rod Stewart rock of Hammitt. It's like Gershwin meets Wesley and the two have a chat about Bono.
It's just unexpected, and I think I like that.
From the Christmas pop-rock of Joy Has Dawned to the back beat soul treatment of In Christ Alone that somehow combines a brass band with a soulful claps and a marching snare, it's surprising. There are new takes on How Deep The Father's Love For Us , Clinging To The Cross and a personal favourite, O Church Arise.
JUSTIN MICHAEL gets a pleasant surprise when listening to In Christ Alone... |
more... |
COMICS: ALL THAT IS OLD IS NEW AGAIN - THE RETURN OF BATMAN AND ROBIN
There's a lot riding on this series, but I don't think anyone would expect it to not be a success. Famed Scottish scribe Grant Morrison killed Bruce Wayne/Batman in Final Crisis #6 a few months ago, but as we all know the term “comic book death” exists for a reason. Bruce Wayne isn't really dead just unseen, trapped in the past. He'll come back at some point, but it seems DC aren't in a hurry to do so.
June brings a slew of new titles focused on the new Batman and Robin and how that affects Gotham and its unusual citizens. If you don't know who that new crime fighting duo are, here it is; former Robin Dick Grayson has now replaced his mentor as the new Batman, while Bruce Wayne's son Damian is the new Robin. Apart from the slightly improved costumes for both this is also a fresh start for the costumed pair.
Really, Batman and Robin haven't appeared together that frequently over the decades, especially in the last few years. This is due to the fact that both characters have had their own separate series, so it's great to see them together in a regular monthly series. Not that Dick as Batman and Damian as Robin have ever teamed up as such, however. As Dick says, "This is it. Batman and Robin. Together again for the first time".
KRIS BATHER reviews Batman and Robin #1 ... |
more... |
Have you ever wanted to study the Bible at university level? If you're like me you have - but the years of night classes, homework and the cost have made it impossible. Academic Earth is a new website that shows lectures from universities all over the world on video, including at least one religion course from Yale titled "Introduction to the Old Testament".
JAMES CROOK on a website that helps make learning easy... |
more... |
- US-based website TMZ breaking the news at 4pm on June 25th that Michael Jackson had passed away. For previous 'They said it'...| more... |
THIS WEEK ON THE WEB
1st July, 2009
Following the disputed presidential election in Iran on 12th June, authorities have detained hundreds of people. There have also been some deaths. The Guardian newspaper in the UK is compiling a list of people detained or killed and is asking for help in identifying them. You can see the list here...
For previous 'This week on the web'... | more... |
DID YOU KNOW? NEWS BRIEFS
THE
STATISTIC
Percentage of over 65s in Australia who have incomes below the OECD poverty threshold:
WORLD MEETING PLEDGES URGENT SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS
The European Union and dozens of countries have pledged to speed up social support for Holocaust survivors and the search for art and other items that were stolen during World War II by the Nazis.
At a meeting in Prague, they agreed to establish a special European institute to deal with these issues and education. As the number of survivors of the Nazi Holocaust rapidly declines, there is a sense of urgency among delegates that the world must provide them with adequate social assistance and compensation for stolen goods.
The five-day meeting - attended by Holocaust survivors, members of Jewish organisations and delegates from nearly 50 nations - was a follow-up to a conference more than a decade ago in Washington that led to agreements on recovering art looted by the Nazis.
Click here to go
to the forums to have your say...
FORUMS THIS WEEK
SHARK ATTACKS IN AUSTRALIA
Following the third shark attack in the waters off Sydney in three weeks, the NSW Government has released a number of new proposals to prevent such attacks from happening - including a new shark tagging program and the use of GPS to monitor shark nets. What do you think? Are sharks a problem in Australia and, if so, what can be done to prevent future attacks?
THE WORD
Our new space to discuss our definitions from The Word Explained. This week's definition is 'Pentateuch'...
GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS
The world's economic markets have been shaken in recent weeks as the US experiences what some are saying is the worst economic crisis to face the nation since the Great Depression. How has it affected you? Are governments doing enough?
SIGHTPOLL: SHOULD THE DATE OF AUSTRALIA DAY BE CHANGED?
Click
here to go
to the forums to have your say...
THOUGHTS ON LIFE: MEANING AND WELL-BEING IN THE RAT RACE
As I waited at the bus stop one morning last week, watching both school kids and adults waiting to go to their places of education or work to spend the day, I was once again struck by the thought of meaning in life.
The kids were waiting there to go to school to work out what they want to do with their lives, what career path they want to follow. Then there were the adults who had gone through it all years before. It was the expressionless or just plain unhappy looks on the faces of the adults - who used to be just like the school kids next to them - that hit me.
NILS VON KALM'S blog on faith, life and how it all might fit together...|
more... |
STRANGESIGHTS: 'BRING YOUR GUN TO CHURCH DAY', THE VUVUZELA DISPUTE, AND A HOUSE THAT TWEETS... ‘Bring your gun to church day’ probably isn’t the sort of idea that will catch hold in Australia but in the US, a pastor did ask his flock to do just that. Pastor Ken Pagano, of New Bethel Church in Louisville, as people to bring their guns - in holsters, mind - to church to celebrate the Second Amendment (that’s the bit in the US Constitution that guarantees the right to bear arms)
DAVID
ADAMS writes about the odder side of life...|
more... |
JUST
BEEN THINKING: NOTE TO SELF ...
Note to self: Inheritance has already been received, not in it’s final entirety of course, but definitely in terms of freedom, authority and identity.
Note to self: Spend it wisely, confidently and with thankfulness. It’s a big one.
ANN
WOJCZUK's blog about life, the universe and possibly everything...|
more... |
FOR
SIGHT'S BLOG LINKS, HEAD TO OUR BLOGSPOT PAGE...
SIGHT PODCASTING
WEEKLY UPDATE:
24th September, 2008: Hear DAVID ADAMS speaking to GURYEL ALI, of 96.3 Rhema FM in Geelong, talking about some of the stories featured on Sight...|
more... |
We're looking for journalists,
writers, illustrators and photographers to join the Sight team (please note that all Sight contributors are presently volunteers) - use the
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It has become noticeable that the tone of recent reports, articles and books on climate change is becoming increasingly urgent. This book by 2006 Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, continues the theme of urgency, with its desperate sounding title, and it's picture of a clock showing just a couple of minutes to midnight on the cover.
One of my favourite female vocalists in Christian music and the lead vocalist of Sanctus Real have taken some of the best crafted modern hymns and 'treated them'. From sparse orchestrations to curious genre bending mixes and a Brit-pops orchestra that, at times, wear kilts and at others wear top hats.
There's a lot riding on this series, but I don't think anyone would expect it to not be a success. Famed Scottish scribe Grant Morrison killed Bruce Wayne/Batman in Final Crisis #6 a few months ago, but as we all know the term “comic book death” exists for a reason. Bruce Wayne isn't really dead just unseen, trapped in the past. He'll come back at some point, but it seems DC aren't in a hurry to do so. 
Have you ever wanted to study the Bible at university level? If you're like me you have - but the years of night classes, homework and the cost have made it impossible. Academic Earth is a new website that shows lectures from universities all over the world on video, including at least one religion course from Yale titled "Introduction to the Old Testament".
