While I didn’t get to any of the events held around the country, this was a significant day in our history, when we apologised to the stolen generation of aboriginal people for the wrongs we did to them. Great to see it finally happen and very moving to watch.

However, the report on Channel 7 news tonight was disturbing. The so called ‘pulse of Perth’ newspoll asked West Ozzies whether they supported the Rudd decision to apologise. 13 000 West Ozzies phoned in to respond and the result was 90% who said NO witchcraft 13 blood of the chosen free download and a mere 10% who said YES.

What the hell is that all about?!

An overwhelming percentage of West ozzies said ‘don’t apologise – bad idea’.

I reckon thats gotta qualify for a ‘worst of Perth‘ award. Unbelievable…

And then Brendan Nelson gets the dickhead of the week award for completely subverting his own apology by telling aboriginal people there is no money in it. That might well be the case Brendan but you don’t say it!

Grendel has his own apology here alsowar of the roses the dvdrip

Its pretty easy to take pot shots at pollies and people in positions of influence and I have done my fair share of it over the years. Sometimes you forget they are real people too with kids and families who hurt and cry like the rest of us.

This week Neale Fong resigned from his role with the Health Dept after the CCC revealed he had been connected in some way with Brian Burke and was guilty of ‘serious misconduct’. (if you’re not a West Aussie this will mean nothing to you)

I don’t know Neale well, but he was a person I committed to pray for when he took on the job as director for change in the health system. He is a Christian, a good bloke, an incredibly gifted man and also an ordinary flawed human being like the rest of us.

I imagine he will cop a fair bit of criticism over this incident and while some may be fair, some may well be the offhand smartarse comments we all make from time to time.

Perhaps its all part of being in the public eye, but I certainly feel for him at the moment.

Seventeen years ago I was a youth pastor at Scarborough Baptist Church and many of the young people I was involved with attended Churchlands Senior High School – one of Perth’s ‘good’ public schools.

However it wasn’t all good and on one tragic day a young girl by the name of Vicki Groves was murdered. A young man took a large hunting knife to school strapped to his back and murdered her in broad daylight in the classroom.

Some of the kids we knew were actually in the classroom at the time so it impacted them significantly and I remember the event well.

Now that killer has done 17 years in prison and is due for parole… The question being asked on the news this evening was whether he should be granted that parole or whether Jim McGinty should over-rule and disallow it.

The murdered girl’s parent’s aren’t opposing parole, but the question has many facets.

What does justice look like in a situation like this?

Has he done his time and should be let out?

or should he be permanently locked up and kept away from people in case he does it again?

A part of me says that everyone needs a second chance… another part of me says that if he were to live next door to me I’d feel differently.

What would be a Jesus-like response?…

Here is an article related to the situation. I realise this is not a joyful subject, but its an important one for us to consider. How do we live as a society when there is so much brokenness all around us?

This came thru from Andrew, who is involved with Kenyans working among their own people. I was talking this morning to a Kenyan friend whose family are just 20kms from the trouble. Please read.

Dear Supporters,

As you are probably aware, Kenya is currently in a state of violent unrest following less than successful election earlier in the week. Day 4 is involved with an organisation which works with AIDS sufferers in the slums directly affected by the current violence. The organisation, City Harvest, is involved in transforming the lives of some of the poorest people in Africa through business, health and social initiatives – giving people a new lease on life and introducing them to the gospel of Jesus Christ in the process.

During our recent visit to the Nairobi slums we were greatly moved by the work being undertaken there and are greatly saddened to hear of the new threats this latest violence poses to the lives of these people.

The purpose of this email is to ask you to share among your contact and congregations news of the current uprising in Kenya (I will forward more information as I get it – below is an email I received from Edward Simiyu, leader of City Harvest church in Nairobi) and ask for prayer but also to ask you to promote a special appeal for funds to go to City Harvest to help them help rebuild the homes and lives of those most affected by the violence.

Edward’s latest email:

Kenya is at a civil and political crossroad this 31st December 2007 morning as we wake up to a day of uncertainty after a night of violence in Kibera; the home of KTDP among other slums and the major towns of Kisumu and Mombasa. This followed the announcement of Kibaki as winner of the just concluded peaceful elections. The nation was largely prepared for a Raila win as early returns indicated so until the last central Kenya votes started coming in to tilt the scale. Claims of rigging were voiced by Raila’s team and a committee put in place by the Electoral Commission to scrutinize the returns.

The tension and unrest resulted to no church services in the city yesterday as public transport was paralyzed.

We do not know what the findings of the above committee were as they worked all night but what we know is that Raila’s and Kibaki’s teams claimed victory by making all sorts of press and counter press announcements right in the ECK’s premises and podium. This made the work of the ECK difficult resulting to the announcement of the winner being made behind closed doors.

Riots followed immediately after the announcement as a swearing in ceremony was hurriedly arranged to avoid a constitutional crisis following the expiry of the president’s term at mid night 30th Dec 2007. We now have a president who many don’t consider legitimate and have to make a choice between peace or chaos and riot to demand justice. Sadly the injustice of seeking justice in this part of the world is that it is the poor in the slums who suffer and die as they already have by battling each other while their leaders go around with high security around them. Secondly, the reality of the battles in the slums is not political but rather a hive of lawlessness to cover up for looting and theft of private property.

What Kenya asks of you is that you pray for restoration of calm and unrest to dissipate. That torching of houses in the slums will stop and that Kenya will wake up to a sense of responsibility and stop destroying a nation built over 44 years as leaders haggle over a 5-year term.

To donate go here www.day4.org.au

Here’s zathura a space adventure online

verdict the download

a useful site.

It asks you 20 questions then gives you a ‘how to vote’ card for your own electorate based on your answers.

Great if you’re lazy or finding it hard to decide.

On the weekend former West Coast Eagles footballer and TV presenter Chris Mainwaring died.

Its a tragedy.

But its not a tragedy because he was a ‘star’. Its a tragedy because it is a life wasted and now a family and friends must live without someone they loved. The news reports seem fairly conclusive that it was drug related and that ‘Mainy’ was going thru a tough time personally.

I actually get infuriated every time we focus on the death of a celebrity as if they were someone more special than everyone else – especially those millions of faceless black people who die every day, but who really don’t matter a fig in the scheme of things.

We really do show our true colours when a ‘star’ dies. I’m sure Chris Mainwaring was a nice bloke and I feel for those who have lost a family member or friend, but he was just a bloke. Another human being… special & unique… just like everyone else.

Lately I have been pondering why we devalue those in other countries who are poor, or who we only see in news reports as they lie starving.

Aren’t their lives of equal value to ours?

Don’t those parents love their kids as much as we love ours?

If only they could play football.

Guest blogger in the backyard: Jarrod McKenna

“What does APEC stand for?” asked one agitated protestor to the scantily-clad young women.

Neither could give her an answer.

“I think that was actually the most ridiculous thing I have seen in my life,” said a 14-year-old protestor, who was attending the rally with her mother.

“Trying to sell sex when we’re trying to get a point across,” the disappointed young girl said.

The Zoo girls arrived first, with five models in bikini tops and tiny shorts drawing the majority of the cameras away from the protest itself — much to the organisers’ dismay.

here’s the full article