Category Archives: Haphazard
does my guitar say anything about me?
Warning: This post is almost completely untheological. Non-guitarists may wish to click off now – you may get bored!
Guitarists, you may be deeply offended by my opinions (I know how personally we take out tastes in guitars…)
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Some of my readers may be aware that I enjoy playing, writing and recording music. These days it’s nothing serious – I just enjoy it.
My journey through guitars is interesting, to me at least, and I wonder whether it reflects anything about me as a person.
I first started playing music at 14 when I picked up the bass. From there I added the guitar and then other instruments subsequently.
Gibson Les Paul
My first guitar was a cheapy, but the guitar I aspired to was the Gibson Les Paul. As a teenager there was something about this guitar that just stood out to me. Guitarists often know Les Pauls for their attitude, their fat, punchy, thick sound, and their heavy weight.
For non-guitarists who have bothered to get this far, think songs featuring Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin or Pete Townshend from The Who for famous and typical examples of the Les Paul sound.
The rougher edged growl of the Les Paul sound resonated with me, and so when I eventually bought one I thought I had found my perfect guitar.
But tastes change. People change. Read the rest of this entry
God doesn’t care about tim tebow more than 7 million dead children
About two days ago I learned who Tim Tebow is.
Since I’m Australian I am not exposed much to American Football, so I apologise to my American friends for my ignorance.
Additionally I apologise to my Australian and other non-American friends who simply don’t care.
My exposure to Tebow did not result so much from football per se as much as from Christians getting mega-excited about the new Christian-sportstar on the block who reportedly once touted the Bible passage John 3:16 on his eye-black.
One of the things I have seen in the news (and on my Facebook feed) over the past couple of days is Tebow’s “miraculous” 316 passing yards on Sunday during the NFL playoffs. Here is how CBS, the American television station who aired the game, reported the event: Read the rest of this entry
santa the libertarian capitalist is polluting the children!
Santa is teaching our children to become Right-wing libertarian capitalists! Worse, he advocates the harm of people and animals to ensure the success of his enterprise!
Here’s some food for thought about our beloved Saint Nick:
- Children must take personal responsibility if they are to be rewarded.
- The poor, who generally receive less, are therefore lazy.* Santa is actually a big fan of the rich, since he gives them more presents even when they are naughty! (Note: when Santa talks about being naughty and nice, he is talking about how hard we work).
- Santa has a virtual monopoly of the toy market at Christmas, and uses uncompetitive strategies, such as giving away his products, in order to put his competition out of business.
- Santa uses slave labour to make his toys, confining them to an isolated sweatshop in freezing and often unstable conditions (assumedly so it is too difficult to investigate working conditions in the factories). There is no minimum wage or overtime, and the food they get is whatever is left over after Santa is finished (which is always none).
- By doing so he also takes jobs away from people here at home.
- “Saint” Nick subjects eight reindeer, and endangered species mind you, to pulling his obese frame across the entire world in one night – talk about hard labour!
- Santa has shares in coal mining, which is why he no longer gives coal to the naughty – he keeps it for himself. Imagine the price he can sell it for in the future when there is an energy crisis!
- Santa doesn’t demand redistribution of your wealth, unlike those damn trick-or-treaters.
The Right-wing shouldn’t be so quick to applaud Santa’s championing of laissez-faire economics, since he is also an advocate for completely open borders. Indeed Santa is himself an illegal immigrant, travelling without a passport and sneaking undeclared goods into the country. And you thought boat people were bad…
In addition Santa is leading people to Hell! Westboro Baptist Church told me so.
Is this the kind of person you want your children to be looking up to?
MCA
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* Santa started his out enterprise in the old days by donating toys to the poor. In suppose even charities can lose their way, turning into money-making schemes.
mental disability and praying for logie awards
Last night I went along to a church service with friends while staying in Brisbane. The group I joined was made up of 60% people with mental disabilities.
I was told that a number of the people present had previously attended particular Pentecostal churches, but having been prayed for for healing over varied periods of time without success some had been ostracised by these communities.
If order and predictability were what someone was after in a church service this was not the place for them – some congregants danced alternatively in the middle of songs, other shouted out comments during the proceedings and one blessed soul prayed that God would make them famous and give them a Logie* award. Two members even declared their marital engagement during the announcement time, though I was told that this was a regular occurrence, often between different people.
In the midst of such “chaos” I must tell you that I sensed the presence of God more potently than I have in a long time. Read the rest of this entry
the perils of hipster-dom: subcultural exclusivity
Today I watched a story on the news about a fellow who set a challenge for himself – he would become a hipster and study his experience.
One definition of a contemporary hipster might be: Read the rest of this entry
apologies for blog removal
Due to unforeseen circumstances I have had to remove my most recent blog series on the canon. I hope this is not an inconvenience to anyone. I am happy to further engage this conversation in private, so please feel free to contact me.
MCA
back in a few weeks, got a date with a pretty lady
Hi everyone,
Just a quick note to let you know I’m taking 3 weeks off blogging as I prepare to get married this Saturday to my beautiful fiance Ashlee.
Thanks for reading life.remixed. At this point I might slip into “shameless plug” mode and point out that readers can subscribe to this blog by using the Subscribe bar on the right →
In other news I have a new post on Tony Campolo’s Red Letter Christians blog today, which is really a recent post from this blog – “Confessions of a Failing Radical: Challenges of Walking the Way“
Thank you to all those who support me in keeping life.remixed, I intend to keep writing (better) articles after I return home in mid-September.
Peace,
MCA
calling all heretic dogs: disagreement and respect
Have you ever experienced the ugliness of Christians savaging each other over theological disagreements?
Why do we do it to each other?
Yes that’s right, we. I use the word “we” for two reasons; the first is that I am as guilty as anyone, the second is to emphasise the inclusiveness of Christ and that we all Christians are brothers and sisters in him.
Today I was asked if I would write more posts on the topic of violence in the Old Testament (see my last post). My response was that though I am sure my views about the Old Testament and biblical interpretation will be given a respectful hearing by most people, there are those who will respond with an ugly disrespect that I am not, at this particular point in time, willing to incite.
Maybe you have felt the same. Read the rest of this entry
confessions of a failing radical: challenges of walking the way
This post was inspired by an amicable challenge set forth by my friend Simon Moyle, a peace activist and worthy Twitter followee, in the comments section of a recent post of mine.
But even prior to this challenge I have struggled with listening to Christian activists speak about their journeys and their perspectives. This is not because they are wrong, or uninspiring, or bad people. On the contrary the vast majority are beautiful, compelling, godly people.
But at a few points this year I have found myself secretly wanting them to share a specific kind of message. They will often speak about their theology, their most impressive stories of activism, living radically and following Jesus, or their well-articulated views on particular issues of the day…
…These things are important and valuable!…
… but I am often left feeling that these people are superhuman, and as a result I feel like I could never do what they do.
The truth is that what I really want to hear from these people is a message about failure, and losing hope. I want to hear a message entitled “The things that have gone wrong”, or “The things I have messed up”, or even “When I don’t feel like giving a shit anymore.” Read the rest of this entry
rest in peace john stott
John Stott, one of the most read evangelical authors of the 20th century, has died at age 90.
Stott wrote over 50 books, and is widely believed to have played an instrumental role in the resurgence of evangelicalism in England. His book Basic Christianity was published over 50 years ago, and has been translated into more than 60 languages.
Stott was a key contributor to the 1974 Lausanne Covenant, and is also believed to have been a major part of the renewed interest in social justice among evangelicals.
His book The Cross of Christ, now over 20 years old, continues to be a classic on the subject of the atonement and the centrality of the cross fo Christian faith.
One does not have to agree with everything Stott ever said or wrote to acknowledge his impact of evangelicalism, and his godly character. He has deeply affected many for the better, and he will be missed by many.
MCA
