Oh! Gravity

I never finish anythi

2009-10-22T21:03:00.003+11:00

It struck me recently how unfinished and unresolved most of life is. Donning my favourite Captain Obvious uniform, I bring to your attention this fact:

Something isn't finished until it is. Erm, finished, that is.

Still unclear, try this one on for size:

Things aren't 100%, 99% of the time

Why all this semantic playfulness?

Recognising this fact makes dealing with all of that uncertainty and incompleteness that much easier.

Some task taking you longer than expected?
It's OK, most things are unresolved most of the time.

I'm talking to my kids about the same thing, again?
That's OK, people - especially children - take time to learn things. Repetition is key.

I'm still battling with this same issue after all these years?
That's pretty normal, just keep battling through.

Acknowledging, embracing and expecting imperfection, inefficiency and frustration somehow makes it all a little less frustrating. Looks like I've changed costumes into Captain Optimist (Optimist Prime?)

One-Eyed Alligator

2007-06-27T17:52:00.000+10:00

Is this Happy Gilmore all over again??

Wishful Thinking

2007-02-21T11:11:00.000+11:00

This is what I'd love to do to the church*:

In other news...

Until next time, stay classy San Diego,
Martyman

* This awesome photo was taken from the Meeting House

The list so far...

2007-01-03T12:09:00.000+11:00

- Star Wars Episode 3 (Again! Anakin is such a whiner!!)
- The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Roy told me never to see this film ever. My Dad hated it, but I thought it was great!)
- Reign of Fire
- Troy
- Casino Royale
- The New World (Colin Farrell's character was a tool!)

Wisdom Literature

2007-01-02T18:33:00.000+11:00

Randi roo. Fossil Fuels Equals Fossil Fuels. Frank waz ere. For a good time call 49....

Ahh, how I love the wisdom of graffiti artists. So poignant. So indicative of larrikinism. =)

Holidays

2006-12-29T16:27:00.000+11:00

It dawned on me recently that holidays actually means "holy days". Awesome!!
Oh, how I love holidays!!!

I love sleeping in and not having to get up for anything. I love sitting out the back reading as the sun goes down. I love hanging out with good old friends, and watching the cricket, and eating too much. I love my family, and my family home. I love not having to think about anything at all if I don't want to. I love having time to ponder the things of God without distraction. I love watching movies, and going to the beach, and my home church. I love learning new songs on the guitar.

But these are truly holy days. Every ounce of delight and satisfaction is a reflection of it's creator. This year I've learnt that work is certainly not worth idolising. But neither is rest. Truly, the Sabbath was made for man - made for him to see a glimpse of the lord of the Sabbath. Thankyou my God for rest!! Thankyou my God for you =)

Until next time, stay classy San Diego...

2 more sleeps until....

2006-12-13T14:28:00.000+11:00

w00t!

2006-11-14T13:44:00.000+11:00

Yes, life has been busy. Yes, I haven't posted for ages. Yes, God has been gracious.
Yes, Third Day are touring. Yes, Switchfoot have released the video for Oh! Gravity.
Yes, this post will end now.

Until next time, stay classy San Diego,
Marty

Oh Gravity!

2006-10-10T11:23:00.000+10:00

Guess what I just found!! Switchfoot have been kind enough to place 'Oh Gravity!' and 'Dirty Second Hands' on both their myspace page and their official website. God be praised!!!

Fraser Appraiser

2006-09-05T18:44:00.001+10:00

You gotta love the web these days. How the heck music and film were leaked in the days before surfing - I do not know!! Our first beauty for today is this little clip from Spicks and Specks featuring James Morrison as he considers playing trumpet with his a$$ and Brooke Fraser as she considers playing the piano with her...just kidding. Apparently she has double-jointed toes. <rove>what the?</rove> I'm yet to see the evidence.

What I have seen evidence of, however, is that new music should be coming from the Fraser camp this December. Just in time for Christmas. Marshall Altman's* myspace page says

'Finished production on Brooke Fraser's record a few weeks ago, and it's being mastered by Bob Ludwig @ Gateway Mastering. Making this record was one of the best experiences I've ever had in the studio. This album brought out the best in everyone involved in making it. Myself included. I'm a better producer and a better person for being a part of it. The single, " Deciphering Me" will be released September 19th, 2006 on SonyBMG in New Zealand and Australia, I think (and the world not too long after, I expect). If you can find this record, get it. There's something in the Brooke's voice and in these songs that is so inspiring, familiar, and fresh, all at the same time. I believe it is the album she wanted to make, and in a world of compromised values (artistic and otherwise) that alone makes it worth hearing.'

Incidentally, September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, arrrrrrrrrr. Ahoy there, ye be expecting a new rotating disc, landlubber!!
Brooke's own, under-construction, myspace page suggests the album 'Albertine' is due out in December. You little beauty!!

Miss Fraser's not the only one with a release coming toward the end of the year. Newsboys have a newy end of October, and Switchfoot will be releasing Oh! Gravity** on Boxing Day.

I'll be very much looking forward to using my as-yet-unused four weeks holiday back home in Newcastle, hitting the beach and spending many days listening to these new expressions of experience, thought and revelation. Bring on the good times =)

Until next time, stay classy,
Marty

* Mr. Altman is the producer of said Brooke Fraser album.
** Sound familiar?

Footos: The Fresh Fighter

2006-09-04T19:21:00.000+10:00

One of my favourite music videos of all time is for 'Big Me' by the Foo Fighters. Time and time again the Foos have demonstrated their status as frustrated-actors-stuck-in-the-music-business by coming out with clips funnier than Dave Hughes on crack.

This is one of their earlier forays into the realm of cinematic musicality*, brought to you by the magic that is Youtube.

If you enjoyed that, lookout below...

Until next time, stay classy San Diego,
Marty

*Yes, those two words do sound rather wanky together, don't they!

Continuum

2006-08-29T14:55:00.000+10:00

One artist that I continue to appreciate is John Mayer. If you can get past the plethora of rather annoying screaming teenage girls you will find a man blessed with humour, wit, and some darn good guitar playing.

On finishing High School, Mr. Mayer headed off to Berkeley Music School in San Francisco but quickly became disillusioned with the sausage factory vibe and decided to move to Atlanta to play in clubs and bars (the experience is documented in his song No Such Thing). In 2001 he arrived with his debut album Room For Squares. He followed up in 2003 with another album of acoustic teenage-girl-attracting pop called Heavier Things. I caught on in 2004.

Now I enjoyed both of those albums. But it's what came next that really grabbed me - he said he was "closing up shop on acoustic sensitivity" to move on to other interests. These other interests included some hip-hop and blues collaborations, eventually resulting in a live album from the John Mayer Trio which kicked some serious a$$ in my opinion.

His latest album Continuum is due out on September 9 here in Aus.

Add to his music that the man is seriously and intelligently funny, as witnessed by many posts on his blog.

Why do you care? Why am I ranting and raving about this guy and his music?

Becuase John was kind enough to preview his latest album on a U.S. radio station.
And because I just found an mp3 of the preview. Score!!!
*insert Bill and Ted doing air-guitar here*

All Things New

2006-08-27T15:17:00.000+10:00

You spoke and made the sunrise, to light up the very first day
You breathed across the water, and started the very first wave
It was You
You intoduced Your glory, to every living creature on earth
And they started singing, the first song to ever be heard
They sang for You

You make all things new
You make all things new

Then the world was broken, fallen and battered and scarred
You took the hopeless, the life, wasted, ruined and marred
And made it new

You make all things new
You make all things new
You redeem and You transform
You renew and You restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

You turn winter into spring
You take every living thing
And You breathe Your breath of life into it over and over again

You made the sunrise, day after day after day
But there's a morning coming, when old things will all pass away
And everyone will see

You make all things new
You make all things new
Come redeem and come transform
Come renew and come restore
You make all things new
You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

Now and forever You are making all things new
You're making all things new

Hallelujah...

Youtube goodness

2006-08-25T20:13:00.001+10:00

Hi there folks,
I thought I'd share with you all some of the joys of the recent months. And what could do it better than some Youtube vids. These were all taken from the NCCF Weekend Away, where I lent my skills as an Iron Kitchen Hand*. Little did I know that such gems of wisdom awaited my time in the kithen. Chris mate, this one's for you!!

What a mouth!!

He's finally lost it...

Until next time,
Stay classy

*I'm not quite adept enough in the realm of food preparation to be an Iron Chef

Waiting for daylight to break...

2006-06-12T23:15:00.000+10:00

Alas, Muse sound like Britney Spears (see Supermassive Black Hole*) and Switchfoot sound like, well, switchfoot... Again.

Not that I mind at all, because they've got a new, unreleased song for free on their site www.switchfoot.com. It's called daylight to break. A slight warning, though, they sneakliy force you to sign-up to their newsletter before giving you the download.

It's worth the listen, though.

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyn

*This applies to everyone except my flatmate A. Word on the street is, Supermassive Black Hole is anathema to him *cheeky grin*

It's been a long time coming

2006-05-05T18:05:00.000+10:00

Hey folks,
for anyone out there still reading this thang, I have not fallen off the face of the earth!! Life and work have been exceptionally busy of late.

Here's some highlights:

1. Katoomba Men's Convention

The speakers told it like it really is. The weekend was a lovely conglomerate of hanging with the 15 odd unichurch dudes, eating stacks of food late at night, listening to some awesome talks and not sleeping much. The weekend was capped off with an awesome drive out to McMahons lookout. We were chasing the sunset to make sure we got there while we could still see. Riding in Mike's car was like rally driving as the 15-20km dirt/rock road winded it's way along a ridge. When we reached the end of the road, we were met by an 800m run through a bush trail to finally arrive at ground zero.

Here are some photos:

And some videos:

A weird, tiny bug in the car

Rally driving ahoy!

McMahon's Lookout

Checkout the moon!

2. A little Bible Study action - yeah!!!

This year's Bible study group is kickin some major butt in the mojo factorrr.
With a great line-up in place, what makes this group awesome is the word diversity. Every week we seem to approach the Bible differently, yet in the process we turn over the suitcase of the passage and ruffle through the contents. I never knew that to exegete could be this fun!
OK, so those last few sentences were a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I actually mean it - I look forward to Wednesday nights =)

3. Rebecca St. James and Steven Curtis Chapman

Stay tuned, and I'll update about these guys later!!

Until next time, stay classy,

Martyman

2006-03-02T09:41:00.000+11:00

We just had our Bible Study kickoff for the year. We have a solid group of trainee ninjas (that's N-I-N-J-A for Ben) ready to react to every stone thrown in our pond from the hands of the maker.

I'm keen to study some Acts or minor prophets or Holy Spirit topical, but we'll see next week.

Anyways, to make this post worthwhile (and indeed, the reason I thought of blogging about this, seemingly non-descript event) I thought I'd mention a revelation we had as a group.
Actually, it was more Team Chris doing the revealing.

Colossians 3: 12 - 17 says this:

12Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Notice verse 16 states that one of the ways that God wants His people to let the word of Christ dwell in them is for them to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness from the inner being. Team Chris suggested that perhaps we should be singing in Bible study...?

I was surprised that I had never thought of doing so from this passage - perhaps it's my cultural bias. I have had several Christians brothers and sisters over the years that went to churches where small groups were called cell groups instead, and these usually involved singing - someone would take a guitar along and that would do nicely. But the typical reaction to such things from my evangelical friends was 'that sounds dodgy' or 'that sounds too charismatic'. Once again, it seems that evos have given up a Biblical activity or expression due to our reactionary tendencies. It brings me great sadness...

Jesus the Terrorist

2006-03-01T16:23:00.000+11:00

I think Jesus is a terrorist.
And I think we've all been fooled into thinking otherwise.

I've often wondered - if Jesus rocked up to an airport, whould they let him on a plane? Given that he was of Middle-Eastern appearance, and taught radically unpopular teaching, would he be marked as someone for ASIO to keep an eye on?

But this isn't what I mean when I say that Jesus is a terrorist.

Over and over again, in the teachings of Jesus and the early disciples,
it is made very clear that Jesus comes to bring terror to those who follow him.

Take Luke 12:49-53 for example:

49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Or, better still, John 15: 18 - 25

18"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin,[c] but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without a cause.'

If I recall, Jesus was that guy unjustly tried, spat upon and then nailed to some planks of wood
and left to die by suffocating in his own bodily fluids. Despite the fact that everyone seems to think that Jesus is a "nice guy", nobody seems to like what he says.
And he says that if you follow him, then people will not be too keen on you either.

This isn't something new that I've only just heard for the first time - I have heard it countless times. But it's only ever been a concept floating in the ether for me. I pray that it would go deeper, into my psyche, into my inner being.

So much for the pansy, hippy, Dr. Phil* Jesus...

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

*Although, I must confess, I think Dr. Phil is cool =)

ED + Harbour Tunnel + Epping Road = Marty is not a happy chappy

2006-02-23T11:23:00.000+11:00

This week I'm working out next to Macquarie Yooni.

The traffic en-route is horrendous. If it's not bumper-to-bumper, it's start and stop, it's duck and weave. Trying to stay at the speed-limit (and not speed) is like taking life into your own hands as the wrath and fury of other drivers is unleashed as they speed by, or as they ride your rear bumper.

Perhaps it's the country bumpkin in me, but I just can't believe that so many people endure this for every working day of the year. I think our city has a mental health problem and it's name is drivingtowork. No wonder Sydneysiders are renowned for being stand-offish, short and impersonal compared to their country-dwelling counterparts: they're all going slowly (or quickly) insane because of the lifestyle in this city. So much for material prosperity being the most important factor in our existence - Sydney is getting richer and more stupid by the day it seems.*

In other news, it looks like the Newsboys are playing Hillsong @ Hills on Easter Sunday (16th April). Rock on - they're also playing shows in Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland. These will be the first in Australia with new Melbournian guitarist Paul Colman.

Also, for all you Christian nerds out there, Koorong is looking for a Java Programmer.

Until next time, stay classy, and economically viable,
Martyman

*Economic Rationalism takes another bullet to the chest from the gun of common sense.

Ten Things I Hate About You

2006-02-22T15:36:00.000+11:00

You know those kids in Africa who are dying of AIDS and starvation. Man, I really hate those kids!! You know those homeless guys in the city, always on the same street corner. I hate those guys!! What about those workmates who are having some personal problems at home. I really hate those guys!!

And, gee, don't get me started on the exploited workers in the third world.
My hate for them flows ever freely!!

But don't worry, I'm not biased, I hate everybody...
And so, I suspect, do you.

What does it mean to hate someone?
I recently heard a wise man say "We keep confusing anger with hate. They are not the same thing."

That comment made me realise that I am a very hateful person. Because hate can manifest itself in anger, but it can also manifest itself in ignorance and apathy. It is anything that is not love.

So, that child in Uganda who's starving while I buy my new mobile phone. I hate that kid, man!! I really hate him!! It's in my power to show him love by donating to World Vision of Orxfam or Compassion or whoever. Instead, I get my upgraded gadget.

Or that homeless guy on the corner of George and Market. I really hate him.
Every time I treat him as a piece of furniture in the street and not a human being,
every time I walk past him and ignore him, I hate him.

And yet, there's not a hint of anger in me as I go around hating everybody.

Who's on your hate list?

Beavis and Martyn do Australia

2006-02-16T13:14:00.000+11:00

Today, God taught me a very good lesson: that I am a butthead*
Ha! Who'd have thought?!

In my pride and arrogance I had prematurely judged someone I know, when I didn't really bother to hear things from their side.

It's no surprise that Jesus biggest problem when he was on earth was with the religious establishment of the day, who were quite keen on their own righteousness, but looked down on others. They found it hardest to break through their hard hearts and admit that they needed mercy. Today, this was me.

Thankfully, that someone was more humble and forgiving than I am.

God: 98237465982736598765987652765873657845
Martyn: 0

Thank God for mercy!

Until next time, stay classy, and merciful,
Martyman

* For those in the know: "I am cornholio!! TP for my bunghole!!"

Fourplay

2006-02-13T10:50:00.000+11:00

Four jobs I've had

Oracle Functional Application Consultant
Web Content Management Specialist
Radio Vocal Actor
Guitariste and Singer Extraordinaire, Esquire

OK, so I counted some things I've only done once or twice. But I did get paid!

Four movies I can watch over and over

Star Wars (IV, V, VI)
The Matrix
Zoolander
Happy Gilmore

Four places I've lived

Newcastle, Australia
Maidenhead, England
Randwick, Australia
Kingsford, Australia

Four TV shows I love

Stargate SG-1
Macgyver
Seventh Heaven (yeah, baby! The only good Aaron Spelling drama)
Hornblower

Four highly regarded and recommended TV shows that I've never watched a single minute of

The Office (UK)
The O.C.
Big Brother
Family Guy

'highly regarded' may be questionable for some of those...

Four places I've vacationed

Vancouver/Whistler, Canadia (spelling is correct =) )
Singapore la, Singapore
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hawaii, U.S.A

Four of my favorite dishes

Strawberries and Wizz-Fizz Sherbet (a tastesplosion in your mouth!)
Pineapple Juice!!
Chicken Salad Sandwich (Chicken, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, Capsicum, Cucumber, Beetroot, Carrot, Cheese on Multi-Grain)
Chocolate Subway Cookies with White-Choc-Chip...hmmmm...

Four sites I visit daily

http://mail.yahoo.com.au
http://www.abc.net.au/news
http://martynsmusings.blogspot.com (Shameless self-promotion is so noughties!)
Work Intranet

Four places I would rather be right now

In bed!
Redhead Beach
In church!
In a recording studio

Four people I have 'tagged' to do this quiz next...

Joe
Alwin
Guan
Faith

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

P.S. Alas, looks like this year there will be no Ice Dream. Oh the humanity! Oh the shame!

Living the Dream...

2006-02-11T20:19:00.000+11:00

It's Winter Olympics time, and I hope that means a resurrection of the Ice Dream
with Roy and H.G. I really do miss the Smiggin Holes 2010 plugs (although I think Vancouver/Whistler, Canadia won that one), and the Hugentoblers, and the stupid foreigners doing the Australian weather with all of the place names moved around on the map.

I wonder if we will be treated to another Steven Bradbury this time around?
But the highlight of every games is the channel seven commentary team.
Bruce McAvaney has an uncanny ability to completely transform into Captain Obvious in
the length of a single phrase. Comments such as "Well, he's going to win unless he comes second", and "At the end of the day, the better team will win"* are really what makes any major sporting event worth watching.

Let the games begin...

And the winner is...

2006-02-06T13:47:00.000+11:00

Syd-e-ney!

Well, not quite. Here are the survey results:

Name	Votes	%
Coe	0	0%
Jolie (or is that taken)	1	2%
Joarly	1	2%
Sugglepie & Cuddlepot	1	2%
mchardire	1	2%
mr and mrs hardy	1	2%
Hey you!	1	2%
Yola! Kind of a funky combination of Yoda and Lala.	1	2%
Carlsberg and Jarlsberg (cheese and beer)	1	2%
marty, i reckon combine the first three: jarlycoeshow, with a british accent it almost sounds like jolly good show!	1	2%
Jarly Larly Car	1	2%
The Jarly and Coe Show (note the cute rhyme)	1	2%
Cjarloe (kyar-lo)	1	2%
Gilly is Mad	1	2%
JoeLa	1	2%
The Joe and Carly Travelling Circus	4	8%
The Carly and Joe Show	6	12%
Jarly	12	24%
Joseph and the Technicolour Carly	14	28%

Congratulations goes out to 'Joseph and the Technicolour Carly'!!!

Kudos also goes out to Gilly (for shameless self-promotion), and the Carlsberg and Jarlsberg entry (for staying classy).

In other news, no one has taken up the KYC challenge from the last post *sniff* Perhaps a shorter post would've increased the chances of uptake =)

Well kids, that's it.
Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

Weekly Hoedown!!!

2006-02-03T17:06:00.000+11:00

Don't forget the Joe and Carly Amalgamation Survey!

Alright there folks!! Grabs your torch and pitchfork, it's an ogre!!
Hangon, that's not what I meant to say....
I meant to say, grab your flanno, straw hat, and your 'I heart Tamworth' shirt, cos it's time for the biggest hoedown this side of the Country Music Festival. Yes, that's right, it's Martyman's weekly hoedown[1]!!!!

Friday

A rockin day at work with the new project team. Man~ they're a nice bunch of people!! Had lunch with sister at funky salad place. Who would've thought that salad could taste so good (yes, all you guys reading, I was as shocked as you are right now!).

After work I headed up to this year's Katoomba Youth Convention with a nice bunch from Unichurch: D, A and S. We arrived just to hear the end of the first talk. I hit the sack with zeal and passion.

Saturday / Sunday

Saturday and Sunday was a blur of joy. I love the part of ushering that involves smiling and yelling at people simultaneously =). This year was by far the best KYC I've ever been to, out of 5 or so. I was really moved by every talk, to tears sometimes. It was such a great topic and such great speakers.

The speakers were Ray Galea and Sam Chan.

I immediately warmed to Ray from the first time I heard him speak, at KYC 2000 (on Romans 1-8, with 8 speakers!). He has such a down to earth manner, and expresses some high and lofty ideas and thoughts in a very real way, that is grounded in human experience. He always comes across as really meaning what he's saying, from the heart. Surely, this makes for great preaching[2].

Sam Chan is a much more recent discovery for me! He spoke at Men's Convention[3] last year, where he excelled above all other speakers I've ever heard in the humour stakes. He wasn't quite as funny this time around - I think, perhaps, due to the presence of females in the audience. At Men's Convention he made countless jokes that appealed to male sensibilities: a formula that cannot possibly fail!! =) But he's more than just a funny speaker - all of his stories and analogies always tie back in to where he is going with the message. He's certainly a very clear and gifted speaker. I look forward to hearing him more in the future.

The topic for the weekend was 'Encountering God'. The phrase 'Encountering God' is, in itself, very charismatic language. And some of the application that came out of the talks was very non-hardline-sydney-evangelical. Both Ray and Sam articulated things that I have been feeling and experiencing and saying for some time now, but suspected that I may be only one of few: that God is personal; that knowing God has an experiential and emotional component of which we should not be afraid; that we need to read the Bible to know Jesus, not make knowledge of the Bible an end in itself. I can tell you right now, it was so refreshing to my soul to hear these things spoken in the pulpit by two Godly Christian leaders.
Thankyou God, thankyou!!!!

I've spent the rest of the week rocking along to the tune of the talk mp3s on the way to and from work, or at lunchtime: on the bus, walking along, whatever!!

Sunday Night

Upon arrival back in Sydney, I hit Unichurch for the evening. The speaker was a blast from the past. He actually stood in line with me while I enrolled before first year: something my sister had teed up. He's now back with a vengeance to look after the campus junket.

Post-church was an all-male jaunt to Dong-Dong with some old friends and new MTSers. A great night of chillin' with muchos foodos. We highly recommend the honey pork with peppery bits (I can't remember the actual name of the dish).

Monday

Day off!! Wise move, Martyman. Took it easy, went to the gym, watched a b-grade movie on TV with Joe. Slept.

Tuesday - Friday

Tuesday night was dinner with an awesome Christian mate at some Indian place on Anzac Pde. My spice tolerance factor increased that night[4]. Wednesday was a grads bbq - spent hours chatting about music to one of the long term pastors. What a gift music is!!

OK, that's it for the play-by-play account. It was quite exhausting. I think next time I shall go for a higher-level overview.

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

P.S. If MYC = Meet Your Companion; Melodious Yellow Chickens; etc.
What does KYC = ? Post a comment and let me know your thoughts...

[1] In related news, did you know that when Third Day were in one of their first incarnations, they were called 'Nuclear Hoedown'? Just goes to show that the Sovereignty of God and the evil of men do coexist!! Thankfully, what their naming skills meant for evil, God meant for good, and they eventually traded that tag in for the much beefier Third Day.

[2] Some literature that I have read on 'how to be a persuasive presenter' asserts that the manner and body language of a speaker can, humanly speaking, be more important in persuading than the content of what the author is speaking. Perhaps the effects of the stirring oratory of people such as Adolf Hitler and Martin Luther King, Jr. affirms this, to some level - both were able to persuade people who may not normally have listened to them. Just a thought.

[3] Men's convention = boo-yah!! Hangin' out for this years =)

[4] When it comes to food, Anglo is my skin, and Anglo are my tastes!! Give me meat and three veg any day, but curry...oh dear!

I.T. - IT's where IT's at!

2006-02-02T10:16:00.000+11:00

Don't forget to take the Joe and Carly Amalgamation Survey!!

In recent days, my colleagues have added to the MHI* rather significantly. Since my colleagues are all computer nerds like me, much humour revolves around the I.T. Consulting world.

Key examples are:

1. The e-bore-ometer

2. huhcorp?

3. Project Understandings

4. Dilbert

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

*Martyn's Humour Index = a metric scale system designed to represent, at any point in time, the level of humour and hilarity present in the mind and action of Martyn.

Phunny Stuph

2006-01-31T23:09:00.000+11:00

Don't forget the Joe and Carly Amalgamation Survey!!!

Man, this blonde joke cracks me up, as does this version of the Foo Fighters video clip. Will the genious of MTV never end?

The Christian Juggler is funny too, but this one takes the cake today. Only in America =P

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

It's Official...

2006-01-31T14:54:00.000+11:00

Those of you familiar with Thumb Wars will remember the scene in which Ooobie Doobie Scadoobie implores to Luke 'Touch your tongue to mine. You know, to make it official.'

Now, I don't wish to revisit the creepiness of that scene, nor do I wish to discuss tongue-touching in any way, shape, or form.

However, I would like to say that:

Joe Hardy and Carly McGuire are engaged!!!

Congratulations guys!!

In honour of their joining* I have created the Joe and Carly Amalagamation Survey. Just as Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez became Bennifer, and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner became Bennifer II, I think Joe and Carly should have their own, unified, moniker.

Take the survey, and let MartynsMusings know what you think! After 10 days or 50 responses (whichever comes first), I'll tally the results and post them on this site!! Please, only complete the survey once. If I find evidence of multiple votes, I'll discard the entire survey and choose my favourite name =)

Once again, congratulations to the happy couple-to-be...

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

*Is it an inner join, a left outer join, a right outer join, a full outer join, or a cross join?
Wait one hot minute, my geekdar is making a loud beeping noise!!

Procrastination Fodder v2.0

2006-01-30T14:27:00.000+11:00

In one of my previous posts, I decided to share with the world my cure for January Work Syndrome*. To my horror, I recently discovered that I had omitted key pieces of the procrastination puzzle. As they say in Braveheart "That is something we shall have to remedy".
So, here is the remedy...

1. Strongbad

Yes, it sounds suspiciously like the beer Strongbow. But it's not a beer, it's an animated creation designed for maximum humour while you're trying to pass the time. May favourite is dragon, but there are many others for your comedic pleasure. A warning, though, the animations have a soundtrack, so you might want to be careful if @ work =)

2. Digital Blasphemy Dot Com

This site is a repository of very nice graphics and themes for your desktop or mobile device. It was previously entirely free but now there is a paid, members section and the free gallery is quite limited. There are still some very nice wallpapers in the free gallery though.

3. Dark Horizons Dot Com

Dark Horizons was started by a cinema enthusiast in Sydney. He spent his days gathering movie news, pictures and previews - the site would have information on movies before they had even begun production, and would follow them through to release. His following grew over several years until, eventually, the site was so popular that the major movie studios decided to help fund the venture. The site has maintained it's independence, yet the funding has seen an expansion into the TV and DVD realms, along with a much larger capacity for video multimedia. Definitely worth a look!!

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

*January Work Syndrome is a sad state of affairs whereby one must travel to said work location (often a long journey) to arrive at 9am, only to be greeted by a full 8+ hour day, with around 3 hours of work available to do. Thus, the internet becomes a keen ally and close friend during such heart-wrenching times. Please note that Martyn's Musings actually has plenty of work to do right now...*sheepish grin*

Paint me green and call me Gumby!

2006-01-30T13:59:00.000+11:00

I recently came across a member of the younger generation* that was unaware of that friendly green being, Gumby. This young man also possessed a deep ignorance of Pokey and the Blockheads. As you may have guessed, this shocked me, because I suddenly realised that I was old.

Today, I stumbled across some more news that shocked me...

Paul Colman has joined the Newsboys.

In the words of Rove, WHAT THE?????

Yes, you read correctly. Paul Colman has joined the Newsboys.
After Jody Davis left as their long-time guitarist due to family reasons, their interim guitarist didn't last long. Paul has now weighed in to fill the spot. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if this will signal a return to the Newsboys of old - the fun-loving, zany, mad-cap Newsboys that were always a laugh to listen to.

To add to the shock, Audio Adrenaline are calling it quits after 15 years of American Christian rock. After 15 years of screaming, lead singer Mark Stuart's voice is, unsurprisingly, finally giving way. They're working on a greatest hits package with some new songs. So long fellas!!

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

*In fact, as I ponder for a moment the state of play in our human universe, the entire population is getting much, much older. The birth rate ain't what it used to be, and so products and services for the older generation will be a growth area in the coming years. Perhaps I should invest in a zimmer-frame manufacturer...=)

Happy Invasion Day!!

2006-01-26T15:25:00.000+11:00

Today, I can't help but feel joy and pride as I think about the things that I love about Australia. I think of my hometown, Newcastle, and all the many great memories I have had there, with some very great people.

I think of how I'm descended from a convict (no joke!), of how we are a nation lacking class, of how we love the beach and hot weather (except Mexicans!!), or how we're generally pretty laid-back.
I think of red-heads called bluey, and large men called 'tiny'. I think of our sense of irony inherited from the British, and of our beer-guzzling and bbqs. I think of the ABC and JJJ and Industrial Relations law (well, the old stuff) and free public health and education for all, no matter where you're from or how much money you've got (am I revealing my bent toward caring for the less fortunate?). A fair go for all.
I think of Christmas in summer and Jacarandas and Redhead beach and our pool at home. I think of all of the Christians and churches and camps that I've been on that I've loved. I wonder if Jesus would've known about this strange country when he prayed for us in John 17??

Today, let's give great thanks for this country. Thanks to God, thanks to each other. Thanks for glories past and glories present.

But there is a very dark side to our nation. Along with the virtues of old-school Australia came the realities that it was a very Anglo, very monocultural and, let's face it, a racist country.

From when the British landed we have been racist. The more of Australia I see, the more evidence of the harsh mistreatment of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. We imprisoned them, stole their land, killed their animals, raped their wives, took their children from them, and infected them with European diseases against which their immune systems could not stand. Today marks the 218th anniversary of the British Fleet claiming Australia as it's own. Terra Nullius, as they say.

But it's not only the indigenous peoples of Australia who have suffered as a result of our racism. It's all of the non-British immigrants who have come to this country since. Back in the 50s and 60s it was all of the Eastern European immigrants who suffered. My Dad was called a wog as a kid because he was Polish, and no-one could
pronounce, let alone spell, his last name. The 70s and 80s saw an expansion of this to other European countries - Greece, Italy, Malta, etc. The 90s was easily the decade of Asian racism. And today we have racism toward those of Middle Eastern origin or appearance.

Australia has a history of being ignorant and hard-hearted toward outsiders.
Sounds a bit depressing for Australia Day, doesn't it? But let's face it. This country has blood on it's hands. We have blood on our hands. I have blood on my hands. Sure, I wasn't directly involved in the sins of my forefathers, yet their burden falls to me and my generation all the same. God forgive us all...

And if we want to see Australia flourish and succeed and become a truly great nation, we need to own up to our wrongs. We need to acknowledge past wrongs and openly condemn present ones. We need to do what a gutless government will not do*, and say sorry. We need to admit defeat in the realm of indigenous health and well-being and learn from other countries, such as Canada, who have an outstanding human rights record in regard to their indigenous peoples.

Let's say sorry this Australia Day. Sorry to God, sorry to each other. Sorry for wrongs past and wrongs present.

This Australia Day, let's give thanks for our nation, and let's mourn for her wrongs.

Phew. That was intense. Sorry for the rant!! As you can tell, I'm quite fired up about some of this stuff...

I'll leave you with some patriotism from one of our predecessors..

My Country
by Dorothea Mackeller. Written in 1904.

The love of field and coppice
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins.
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies
I know, but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon,
Green tangle of the brushes
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops,
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When, sick at heart, around us
We see the cattle die
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine
She pays us back threefold.
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze ...

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand
though Earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

*The Federal Government refuses to publicly and officially apologise to the indigenous peoples of Australia. However, individual members of parliament, including the Prime Minister John Howard, have publicly offered their individual apologies. I suspect that the reason there is no official apology is because the government fears a host of compensation and land-rights claims to be made because of past wrongs committed by the government.

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

One of these days...

2006-01-26T11:03:00.000+11:00

One of my yooni cohorts used to have a poster on her wall that said "One of these days is none of these days". I believe it also featured a rather prominent photo of a lazy dog. Ahhh, to live the life of a canine...

In honour of 'I dream of Jeannie Ding-Dong', who has now left the building, I thought I'd put together some links to procrastination fodder. For all of you who are experiencing the January Work Syndrome*, or who should be working, may your procrastination be blessed!!

1. The Onion Dot Com

A spoof news site from the U.S. - everything from entertainment news to politics. The Christian spoof news is usually the most entertaining. Warning: some articles are slightly offensive. MartynsMusings accepts no responsibility for anything. So there.

2. Lark News Dot Com

A Christian spoof news site. The resemblance to reality is quite scary!! Of particular note is the recent guide 'Field Guide To Evangelicals And Their Habitat'. Take the quiz, and read the excerpt. It had me in tears, sometimes from laughter, sometimes from dismay.

3. Flash Heaven

Oh dear. Oh dear, indeed.

Badger, Mushroom, Snake

Magical Trevor

Chutney!

Lions and Tigers in Kenya

4. Grace Not Works

Some useful and productive procrastination fodder. A site choc-full of articles on anything and everything surrounding Christianity. A completely unborange look'n'feel too...

5. Get back to work!!

That's right, you heard me!! =)

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

*January Work Syndrome is a sad state of affairs whereby one must travel to said work location (often a long journey) to arrive at 9am, only to be greeted by a full 8+ hour day, with around 3 hours of work available to do. Thus, the internet becomes a keen ally and close friend during such heart-wrenching times. Please note that Martyn's Musings actually has plenty of work to do right now...*sheepish grin*

Retroactivity

2006-01-25T15:31:00.000+11:00

It's been several months since a post, which can mean only one thing.....

....

....

....

....

business as usual here in MusingsOfMartynLand!!

In my last post, I began a blow-by-blow account of life as a Martyman in recent months, but left it incomplete. Now is the day of completion, now is the time for closure.
Let the highlights continue...

3. Leaving Bradley Manor, Moving into the Borrowed Ale Hotel

I am now a fully-fledged Borrodalien, complete with messy room and serenity about the state of the place. We really do need to clean up. I think we're going to scrub the whole place down and tidy up in the coming month(s) so we can have a housewarming with all four of us.

Another highlight of the Borrowed Ale hotel is the ale. There seems to be a healthy (but not overdeveloped) stock of beer in the fridge at all times. Since the supplies which I brought home as leftovers from a work Christmas bbq are entirely depleted, we are running with some Extra Dry. Nice.

Adrian and I decided today that, were we to be on Survivor: Flatmate, Adrian would definitely be the last to go. That man is a machine of a flat mate - thoughtful, considerate, clean, tidy. He gets up on time, he's reliable, friendly. He cooks, he washes up, he cleans, he washes, he gets the mail. And no, he's not paying me one cent!! It's all true!!!

Ladies, be on the lookout for this catch of a young man (I think he may be slightly embarassed that I just typed that.... maybe I should delete it...? NAAAHH).

4. T.D. Jakes

The art of the sermon has come to my attention recently, due to several factors. Not only have I had the privilege of hearing many speakers of various personalities and persuasion do their thang, but I have had to give a few talks myself, as well as critiquing others.

The latest craze in the preaching world is the concept of postmodern preaching. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but can define what it is not.

It's certainly not the modernist approach - here's the text, here's three points to read from the text. It's not the chappo method. And as such, some will think it is dodgy from the word go. But I think it, at least, deserves a trial.

T.D. Jakes came to town last year, hosted by Christian City Church. Three nights of boo-yah with Guy Sebastian (on the night I went), Darlene Zschech and Jason Stevens (Christian footballer), at the Sydney Superdome. Quite a different vibe to when the Foos rocked the joint.

He spoke on an old testament passage about Mephiobosheth, a son of Jonathon (2 Samuel 9). It's the story of a crippled and disfigured boy, invited into the king's house. It is a type, a shadow of the core message of Christianity - beggars, scumbags and fools invited into the house of the universal emperor.

And T.D. Jakes delivered a very moving, very powerful, postmodern sermon.

He asked those in the seats if they could relate to Mephibosheth - maybe they had been crippled, physically, emotionally, financially? Maybe they had been cast down.
But, just like Mephibosheth, they were invited to sit at the king's table, where they were equal to the sons of the King.

It made me realise that we have lost the art of preaching. Either we're so focused on exegesis that we miss the deep reality of the message, or we're so focused on our experience and the emotional elements of a sermon that we lose biblical literacy.
I think that, in coming years, the church will be forced to resurrect the art of the sermon.
And I pray that it will produce more biblical, more powerful sermons.

5. Work Christmas Party

Two words: Studio BCS. Seventies fun(k)!! Thanks to Adrian and Martyn (yes, my identity stealing arch-nemesis), I rocked up in a purple dinner suit, complete with purple bow-tie, white shirt with purple polka-dots, and frilly shirt frontage. Add to that an afro and aviator sunnies and you've got yourself some major 70s mojo happening. They played the classics and we boogied on down despite the small amount of room on the dancefloor.

Here's some piccies of my and my work buddies (yes, there was much afro-borrowing).

6. IT gut!

Yes! It's true!! Me, mr. skinny-as-a-rake, mr. wireframe, me, I have a gut!! It's only small at this stage, but slowly growing. Every day that I drive to and from work and only sit at a desk all day, it grows. I think I need to do some exercise.

In keeping with the Warranian Stomach Protocol*, I have named my stomach. He is called Engelbert, and will make a nice companion for Herbert and other stomachs.

*This is similar to the Kyoto Protocol. It is an international treaty enforcing the naming of all stomachs once they reach a certain mass. However, like the Kyoto Protocol, the Australian Government will not ratify the treaty into local law.

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

The Retrospective (sounds like a band name)

2005-12-15T11:39:00.000+11:00

Hey there folks - long time no blog.
As you may have noticed (or not noticed, since you may have forgotten the sheer existence of this nook in cyberspace), my fat-chewing/rock-badger-impersonating rumination has been rather patchy of late.
Sadly, this seems to be the way of things.

So, here's a summary of the major events in my life over the last few months:

1. Foo Fighters @ the Superdome.

Oh What a night! Accompanied by Mickey and Joe and Geoff the Treasurer, we had nosebleed seats on the side. It was a suprisingly good spot, complete with our own dedicated air-conditioning vent, several spare seats and, being the back row, the ability to stand up and mosh on the spot.

What a lightshow. What a series of burps and belches from frontman Grohl. He certainly suits the Aussie (read: descended from convicts!) crowd.
He's the closest thing to rock royalty these days - being in both Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. Even one of the big-wigs at work went to see the Foos with his son. Ahh, I'd forgotten that IT execs can be inspiring =).

2. Homebake

This year saw my very first venture to the all Australian (and NZ) music festival.
I find it rather strange that Australia seems to believe that NZ acts are somehow 'homegrown'. We stole them all. Really.
Most of them are worth stealing - except Shihad *j/k*.

3. Leaving Bradley Manor, Moving into the Borrowed Ale Hotel
4. T.D. Jakes
5. Work Christmas Party
6. IT gut!

Given that, as usual, my time is limited, I shall endeavour to expand on points 3 to 6 in another post.

Until next time, stay classy,
Martyman

Cake has layers!

2005-10-26T13:35:00.000+10:00

hu·mour /'hyü-m&r, 'yü-/
1. The unexpected juxtaposition of incongruities (RG Farraday, 2000)

2. Wÿtness

3. George Bush

4. Dave Matthews

5. Christians in College

My life as an Armadillo

2005-08-29T18:01:00.000+10:00

Humanity is a strange thing. It's always there, instantly inherent and implicit, yet so often unnoticed.

Last weekend, I felt human again.

These days life is filled with much stupidity - evils that are "necessary"* in the malaise that is modernity. I'm talking about the busyness that goes with business, the human race that isn't so much a group of people as an extreme, competitive sport.
Get this, be that, buy this, try that.

Lately I've been faced with those very real, honest, Ecclesiastes moments, where I wonder what my whole existence is for. I could have the best career I wanted, I could have the best relationships with family and friends, live in the best place on earth. Would it matter? Would it make a difference at all?

I'm self-aware and self-centred, I'm wondering and wandering without end, asking myself what I am supposed to do with the remaining 50 odd years on this planet.
What is this state called humanity intended for?

Last weekend, I felt human again.

How? Why? Because in the midst of the fakeness I witnessed something real. Something so real, and potent, and so divinely "normal"* that if I hadn't stopped to reflect, it may have gone undetected. I saw a man and his kin celebrate life and God, and in the process reflect someone bigger.

So this one goes out to the maker of the cold, and the flame, and the stars, and birthdays, and people. I see in us a marred portrait of something so inexplicably and obscenely real. And the reality is you...

* "Laser", "Death Star", "Alan Parsons Project"

Procrastination, thy name is Quiz!

2005-08-01T12:00:00.000+10:00

You scored as Anselm. Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?'

Karl Barth

93%

Anselm

93%

John Calvin

87%

Jonathan Edwards

67%

J�rgen Moltmann

53%

Friedrich Schleiermacher

53%

Martin Luther

40%

Charles Finney

33%

Augustine

27%

Paul Tillich

20%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Unsurprisingly inaccurate

2005-07-28T18:17:00.001+10:00

Marty is an Emo Rocker!

Expressive and deep, lyrics are really your thing.
That doesn't mean you don't rock out...
You just rock out with meaning.
For you, rock is more about connecting than grandstanding.

What Kind of Rocker Are You?

How this quiz wants to box me in by employing 6 questions with limited responses, whilst at the same time maintaining truthful integrity, is beyond me. Perhaps I've missed the point - maybe these things are FUN.

Yes, yes, that must be it...

I can't believe it's not Martyn!

2005-07-26T13:19:00.000+10:00

Remember Fabio?
That tall, broad, blonde-and-tanned hunk of a man with an accent that no-one could pick?

I was first introduced to this entertainment phenom via the astute research of Aussie expatriate Clive James, back when he had more hair and a variety show to match. But then Fabio disappeared from view, vanishing into the ether of very, very poorly written romance novels (of which I have read none, I might add).

Fabio, Fabio, where art thou Fabio?

Several years later, to my great surprise, Fabio lit-up my television screen once again! This time it was in promotion of another butter-subsititute. No, I'm not talking about margarine, folks. Nor am I referring to other green and/or yellow spreadable substances claiming to contain every vitamin and mineral under the sun. That's right, you guessed it - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!

Why am I telling you this? Well, in another totally unrelated story, I once approached my group of high school friends when they weren't expecting me. As an expression of surprise, one my friends (Carl) exclaimed "I can't believe it's not Martyn!".

It's been a while (nearly two months exactly) since I last posted. But thanks to prodding from a (suprisingly few) number of sources (ahem Hoaran ahem), I am back. I have not intentionally stayed away. Let's just say that work has been sucking up my life recently, amongst other things.

Again, I tell you, expect musings on whatever's going through my head and/or my life. Just don't necessarily expect them in a timely manner *cheeky grin*.

Can you believe it?

I can't....

I can

2005-05-17T13:27:00.000+10:00

Oh self-control, where art thou?

2005-05-17T13:13:00.000+10:00

In a moment of inspiration and a display of great wisdom, Martyn gave into his desire for a pda/phone/mp3 player/camera/gizmothingimabob and is now the proud owner of an i-mate JAM (a re-branded O2 mini).

Martyn would also like to mention that he recently applied for membership to the worldwide grass-roots organisation known as HNQA (Hypocrites Not Quite Anonymous), and would like to note that his application has been successful. Apparently 'Greed is good' is not only a motto for the eighties, but also for the noughties.

In a related note, today's Organisational Index readings are in the high eightieth percentile. The market report states that those looking to invest in time with Martyn are optimistic of a good return on their investment.

I suggest a new strategy R2 - let the Wookiee win

2005-05-12T21:24:00.000+10:00

I suggest a new strategy for getting to work on time. I like to call it 'getting up early'.
Sounds very revolutionary, doesn't it?

In the past I have chosen to operate under the 'getting up late' philosophy, however this caused obvious problems. In spite of those obvious problems, I managed to continue in said mode throughout school and university. While at school I was aided in my getting up by the paternal and maternal familiar. After the paradigm shifting relocation to Big W (the college formally known as Warrane), I was assisted three times a week in arising from a horizontal position by a knock on the door and a 'Good morning, cleaning' or 'Good morning, housekeeping' coming from the mouth of Luis, numerary extraordinaire (ahh, good times).

However, without such assistance, I have always had trouble removing myself from slumber.
I've even tried putting the alarm clock across the room so that I have to get out of bed to turn it off. But then I just get up, turn it off, and get back into bed. The Hardies will testify to my ability to continue sleeping in the face of imminent midday!

Recently, I have modified my strategy to the hugely insightful 'getting up on time'. This has worked quite well - until today. When State Transit decide to run buses a few minutes earlier than normal, the timing breaks down. Oh...

So, a new strategy - getting up early. There you have it - good intentions. Now for the execution...

Musings on Music

2005-05-12T18:09:00.000+10:00

A recent article from the Sydney Morning Herald has got me thinking about the real meaning and substance of music. Not so much what it's purpose is, but what makes good music.

The problem is, good music is entirely subjective. Firstly, there are various different frameworks for music around the world (eg. someone who has always listened to traditional Indian music is operating within a different framework to someone who has grown up with 17th Century European classical music. Some elements are the same, but the overall approaches are quite removed from each other).

But more than that, two people operating within the same framework disagree on what is good. I like techno, you like country - and we generally won't like each others styles.

So the question of what makes music good is perhaps too subjective or too abstract to really answer.

The article addresses a slightly different question - not what makes good music, but what is it that makes music 'universally' appealing. This question seems to be more practical - how do I, as a musician, create music that will appeal to many people with different tastes??

Placing aside thoughts about why music reaches the masses (ie. the stranglehold of record companies and radio stations upon public consumption), it is argued that music with substance rather than flashiness wins the day. It is Bon Jovi vs. U2, Led Zeppelin vs. Kiss, Coldplay vs. Three Doors Down. Music with some subtlety, with something boiling under the bonnet, with genuine emotion rather than something fake or shallow wins the day. (At this point I tried to say something along the lines of "Now this doesn't mean that Bon Jovi, Kiss, etc. are lesser musicians..." but I realised that I think they are lesser musicians).

I have been listening to alot of Coldplay this week, and they have something truly amazing going on. But none of the songs are terribly uplifting - sometimes I listen to music when I'm excited and just want to have fun, and coldplay are slightly sombre in their overall tone. So I think I find myself stuck somewhere between the yanks and poms. I really can't stand music where the hair is more important than the genuineness of the musical expression. But I also can't stand overindulgant arty expression that is terribly emotive but too abstract for me to relate to.

I guess you could call me.... Australian*. Here's to a unique Australian perspective!!

*Martyn would like to advise that he does not claim to represent the average Australian, rather that Australian culture is generally a hybrid of British and American influences, combined with unique Australian cultural artefacts. That is all.

Felines and Phones

2005-04-28T14:26:00.000+10:00

On Friday night, I found myself in the Enmorish parts of town, in front of the Cat Protection Society of NSW building. As they say, 'Every cat deserves a responsible home'. Whilst enjoying the inimitable Cat Protection experience, I randomly noticed a rather large crowd of friends and acquaintances lining up accross the road, in front of the Enmore Theatre. Not only did they greet me with expressions of joy, but they also had a ticket they had purchased for me. What a glorious set of coincidences (coinkidink?). Guess who was playing the Enmore? None other than the Cat Empire. Irony++

The show was a case of the Empire strikes back - I had only been mildly interested in some of their recordings, but had heard that they were much better live. 'Much better live' is an understatement, to say the least - it was one of the best live shows that I have ever seen.
Not only is it truly a group effort, with each of the 9+ musicians being great at their craft; they also know how to throw a party vibe together. The way they can turn a 3 minute radio hit into an 11 minute fusion of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, rap and pop makes for a great night out. If you can get along to see them, do!

In other news, my blatant greed has been uncovered this week!!
Recently I've been thinking about how greedy I am and, really, how our whole society is. Our economy works because people want more than they currently have. If suddenly everyone were content with what they have (or only what they need), my guess is that the range of goods and services being pedalled by merchants would reduce to the necessities - food, housing, clothing. And even then, those industries would be shrunk and shrivelled compared to their currently fattened counterparts.

My Dad enjoys reading books about economic markets for fun - woo!! (maybe that's where all that nerdiness comes from?). I remember speaking to him about one book in particular, that followed the economic development of China from communism to communist-regulated capitalism.

The country used to be in a state of straight communism - where everyone who works gives their produce to the state for it to be distributed according to need. The problem was, the produce was not meeting the required quotas to fill everyone's stomach. Economists argued that workers needed to be given incentive to work harder, that they needed to benefit directly from the amount of work they put in. So the government allowed workers to keep any excess food they produced. Almost overnight, the quotas were met. I don't know if you can call that outright greed, but it certainly says something about humans and contentment.

Now, you may be wondering, why on earth am I ranting on about economic development of China blah blah blah... Well, it all has to do with everyone's favourite online bargain hunt - ebay!

Yesterday I was bidding for a second hand PDA/phone that Joe alerted me to. Bidding was going fine (read: I was the highest bidder) until about 10 minutes before the end of the auction - that's when my internet connection died.
I switched to another, much slower, connection by which stage there were only moments to go. Being my first time on ebay, I wasn't savvy enough to be ready to throw in a higher bid at the last minute. Someone bid $20 above me with 30 seconds left. I frantically tried to place a higher bid.... but my connection was too slow. I was pipped at the post.

So what? Everyone gets outbid now and then, right? The only problem was, I got angry at the esteemed gentleman who outbid me - I wanted to write to him and offer a range of expletives for him to digest. I was shocked by how much I cared for such a small thing. Am I too attached to 'things' rather than people? I think so. Am I content with what I have? No, but I'm learning.

What about you....?

Wakey, Wakey..

2005-04-21T14:14:00.000+10:00

Woke up late today. Again.

Why is it that I seem to go through weeks when I just can't seem to get out of bed on time?
I have tried putting the alarm clock on my desk, across the room. The only problem is, the alarm will go off I will get up, turn it off and get back in bed. Perhaps I need clocky...

Damaged Emotions, Damaged Men

2005-04-20T16:56:00.000+10:00

How many men suffer from depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem?

I have recently been reading a book called 'Healing for Damaged Emotions' by a man named David A. Seamands. The author is not a psychologist, but a Christian minister, and he writes on what he has observed over many years of relating to people. His main thesis is that most of us are walking around with an inner conviction that 'I am not OK'.

The most liberating, and disturbing experience I have had whilst reading the book is the way that his description of people's behaviour so closely matches my own, and that of so many people I know. It seems that so many of us are anxious, are worried that we don't measure up, are down on ourselves.

In particular, I was reminded last night of one young man I have known, who is almost a classic case of low-self esteem, anxiety and depression all in one. Being the selfish man that I am, and despite my sincere efforts, I have found it very hard to befriend him. This book made me realise that, no matter how hard I try, I cannot make him feel OK about himself, and it leaves me with a great sadness.

How many other men are the same? How many other men are secretly, silently facing depression or anxiety? As a generality, we are less likely to seek help - and to some extent, can you blame us? From day one we are told that men must be strong, and keep a stiff upper lip.
The successful man is the self-made man, not the honest man who gets help. How can men help each other help each other?

This whole issue has also got me thinking about two other topics.
The first is the relationship between the mind and the body. When we feel things, where do we feel them? We almost certainly experience them in the mind, but there are also congruent physical feelings associated with the experience. When someone is depressed, they are depressed in the way they perceive life, but there are also chemical imbalances involved. Which triggers which? How close is the relationship? We are strange beings...

The second topic I have been ruminating over is the difference being a Christian makes to self-esteem and anxiety, etc. I realised that I had been totally misunderstanding Jesus' words, to my own harm. Famously, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment was to love God with everything you've got, and to love your neighbour as yourself. Just think about those words 'as yourself'. Jesus actually pre-supposes that Christians will have a healthy self-attitude when he tells them to go and love others. Instead, I had been reading Jesus' command as 'hate yourself, and love others'. A similar idea is found in Ephesians 5 where husbands are told to love their wives as their own body - 'because no one ever hated his own body, but nourishes and cherishes it'. This was quite a personal revelation for me!

Anyways, I'll get off my soapbox now...

I've always wanted to be a bachelor...

2005-04-18T18:33:00.000+10:00

Time is a strange thing.

Sometimes you notice it, sometimes it's in the background like white-noise (which reminds of when I used to work near Wynyard, and go and sleep in the park at lunchtime when I was tired...and the really noisy, but constant volume/pitch vent in the park....but that's another story).

I graduate this week. Four years of blood, sweat and coding, and I will finally get a piece of paper. Seems rather ludicrous sometimes. At least now I get the title Bachelor of Computer Nerd. Now all I have to do is remove myself from my female-populated flat dwelling state to a Bachelor pad, and I'm all set. Oh, to not have many female hairs in the bathroom! Still, general guy hygiene is much worse, so I really shouldn't whinge. My flatmates are actually quite insanely clean now that I think about it.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. As I look back over the last four years, I see alot of change in me, and none at all at the same time. At one level, I feel I have grown alot, mostly through the harder moments. Still, I don't like suffering, even though I know that I never grow in the good times - in fact, in the good times, I'm usually a total butthead to the people around me.
But it is clear that I am, in many ways, a different person to the one I was four years. I've grown as a man, as a Christian, as a musician, as a nerd (doh!).

On another level, though, I'm still the same old Newcastle-music-beach-and-laziness-loving Martyn. You can take the boy out of Newy, but you can't the Newy out of the boy.

What freaks me out the most, though, is the way that one decision can affect the rest of your life.
The rather flippant decision I made over fours years to study Computer Science at UNSW has literally changed the course of my life. If I had made a different decision, there are so many experiences I would not have had, so many people I would not know. And in their place, another set of experiences and people would have shaped who I am now.

Either God is totally in control of all of this, or this whole existence thing is just one big spastic randomness, in which I have ended up with a pretty darn good lot, and most of the world have not.

Speaking of which, I am late for Bible study. Time is a strange thing...

Welcome to the Blogosphere

2005-04-13T09:18:00.000+10:00

Hello World!

Being a computer nerd, I felt it was only fitting that my first post on my first blog would begin with that semi-famous-in-nerd-circles phrase.

Now, to the real stuff: this is my blog. What's it for?

Partially, I have merely sucumbed to peer pressure. I was feeling left out, so I thought I'd do something about it. But there is another reason: I occasionally have thoughts about various things, be they witty thoughts, or contemplative, or blah blah blah. You get the point.

So, what can you expect? Sometimes you won't get anything at all for a while - I am a very busy man. I thought I better be up front about that.
But you can also expect musings of Seinfeld-esque randomness; considerations of God, life the universe and existence; brazen and unabashed polticial commentary, the way I see it; expressions of exceeding joy or utter frustration at my latest musical discoveries and exploits, or lack thereof; 'n' stuff.

Though I work as a computer nerd, I don't often go searching for brand-fangled-new techy stuff, so unless I come across something that really floats my boat in the real of nerdom, you won't find it here.

So, without further ado, I hereby wish me a warm welcome to the Blogosphere. See you soon...