Hazar for us

April 14 is an important day in world history.

According to Wikipedia, April 14 is the day Lincoln was assassinated in 1865; it was the day the Titanic stuck an iceberg in 1912; it was the day the first Volvo was demonstrated in 1927; but most importantly, it was the day Edwin proposed to Elissa, and she accepted. Hazar for us!

.e

By the way, if you don't believe that this is a true event in world history, just click here. I can't promise the Wikipedia pedants out there will share my opinion for too long. (Update: the news lasted on Wikipedia for 51 minutes. A bit longer than I thought, actually. I hope they don't think I'm a vandal - I'm just an excited nerd.)

Hazoo for my logo

My logo sucks. I need a new one.

I was bored at work one day, so I decided to chuck together a logo for my blog. Unfortunately, my creativity was stifled by the following facts:

1. I only had Paint to work with;
2. "Hazar for everything" does not instantly lend itself to graphical representations in the same way that say "fish out of water" or "not for the cricket" do and;
3. I have no creativity.

So I opened up Paint, typed "Hazar for Everything" in two different colours, turned it into a gif and added it as a logo, but now I'm really unhappy with it.

So hazoo for my pitiful attempt at a logo, and a pre-emptive hazar for anyone who wishes to come up with a better one for me. Go on - you know you want to...

.e
[Category: random_stuff]

Hazar for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

Yes, it sounds like I made that name up, but I didn't - Béla Fleck is a real person and the Flecktones are a real band. And a darn good one. Check Wikipedia if you think I'm lying!

I had the opportunity to go to a Flecktones concert at the Basement the other night, and it was excellent. Technically they play progressive bluegrass music, but who really cares about that - it was just plain good music.

Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (named after Bartok, Dvorak and Janacek for those music freaks out there) is a middle aged white guy from New York who plays bluegrass/jazzy banjo incredibly well. And he has a fantastic band to play with - Vic Wooten on bass, Jeff Coffin playing that fantastic "I'm playing an amazing number of notes - who cares if they're in the scale" saxophone (and flute), and a bloke named Future Man on percussion.

I'm a percussionist, so I usually spend my time at concerts watching the drummer and trying to copy the rhythms on my legs, but Future Man defeated me. He doesn't use a conventional drum kit, instead he uses the self-made "synth-axe drumitar" - a guitar shaped midi controller with which he made some very clever drum sounds. I could not work out how he controlled everything - it kept me entralled for the whole gig.

Anyhoo, the short of this long post is to issue an emphatic hazar for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, and to assert that if they ever come to a basement near you, go and check them out.
.e
[Category: random_stuff]

Hazar for unexpected respect

Today is Good Friday, often known as one of the most solemn and holy days in the Christian calendar. And also one of the most misunderstood. Lots of silly ideas abound about what Good Friday is all about - some see it as the best day to go to the Royal Easter Show; some who see it as a day to eat fish; and some see it as just another public holiday.

Christians use Good Friday to remember Jesus' death on the cross - a death which he died to take God's just punishment for all humanity's sinfulness. It is, understandably, very difficult to celebrate this event without talking about human sinfulness (rejection of God's rule in our lives) and Jesus' substitutionary death (see 1 Peter 2:22-25). These ideas are both rightfully confronting and possibly offensive to secular society. People don't like to be told that they are sinners, nor that someone had to take God's punishment in their place.

Which is why I am pleased to issue a Good Friday hazar to both Richard Glover of ABC 702 Radio in Sydney, and television's Channel 7 for showing Good Friday a level of respect I have not seen nor expected from the secular media for a while. On Thursday, Glover invited both Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Geroge Pell onto his drivetime show to explain the Christian message of Easter. He was attentive, interested and respectful, as he should be with all his guests, and he copped a bit of flack from less respectful listeners who were "offended" by two religious guests explaining their particular worldview. Then, tonight, Channel 7 showed Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, a blatantly religious film, complete without ads, so as not to ruin the atmosphere which builds throughout the movie. This, too, was unexpected and appreciated.

So, hazar for the respect shown to Christians on this Good Friday, and I wish everyone a happy and holy Easter. It's not about chocolate, you know...

...e

[Category: random_stuff]

Hazar for expensive grace

I heard a talk yesterday from Peter Jensen about "reformed" theology. Quite interesting and well-spoken, however a few things went over my head, so I trotted on down with few mates after the talk to ask some questions. Also very interesting, and led to me hearing an explanation of God's grace I have not heard elsewhere.

Glenn Davies was talking about the joy of being saved by God, and he used this illustration: imagine a prison full of murderers (bad ones). They all deserve to be jailed for life, and therefore the punishment they are receiving is quite correct, right? Imagine now that the judge now comes in and pardons one of the murderers and releases him. That's 100% grace - the murderer did nothing to deserve the pardon - in fact, he deserves the opposite. And what of the others - can they complain? No - they are still in the same position as before, getting what they rightly deserve. This is a good way of viewing God's grace to us in Jesus.

I don't know why, but this spoke to me. For many years I have acknowledged the goodness of God and praised the wonder of his grace, but my personal, hidden, and private actions have often revealed that I view this grace all too cheaply. If I disobey God it causes me little grief, for I know that I will be forgiven. When I remember God's grace it causes me little joy, for I know it shall always be available for me. How shallow this understanding is.

I know that expensive grace is not the exact opposite of cheap grace, but it's a phrase which popped into my head and made sense. So hazoo for me and my cheap attitude, and hazar for God and His expensive grace.

.e

P.S. if you want to hear the next talk by Peter Jensen on "evangelicalism", come along to Abbotsleigh at 8pm on Wed 21/2. I recommend it.
[Category: random_stuff]

Hazar for the Tallis Scholars

I got the opportunity tonight to see the Tallis Scholars, an a capella singing group who specialise in 16th century polyphonic music, such as that composed by Tallis and Palestrina. It was a good concert - a bit sameish perhaps (let's be honest - any collection of 16th Century polyphony is going to sound a bit homogenous), but generally very good. They have defnintely learned the secret of nailing the last note of a piece - do that well and the audience will forgive you for anything. They also performed an interesting version of Allegri's Miserere, well-regarded as one of the most beautiful pieces around, which was quite different to versions of the piece I've heard before. The soprano pulled off some quite clever "vocal acrobatics" during the really high bits, and the cantor sang a different chant to that which I've heard and sung before. I liked it.

The concert was recorded for ABC Classic FM, who will be playing the concert on Saturday 17 February at 12.05pm. Cop a listen if you can. Hazar for the Tallis Scholars and their fine singing.

.e.

[Category: random_stuff]

Hazar for the Metters Super Twin

Our old fridge died the other day. It blew some kind of circuit and shorted out the house. Several times. Hazar for safety switches. Anyway, we took ages working out which appliance was causing the troubles and it was a real hassle having to go out to the garage and work out how to unplug something which has been running in the same place for a good 10 years or so. But it was the culprit, and we eventually decided that it was time to turn it off forever.

I felt a bit sad about the whole thing - I like having a few extra fridges around to keep some drinks cool or to be really useful for parties. And I also felt like this was a piece of my childhood gone. When I asked Mum about it, she said the fridge had been purchased shortly before I was born - about 26 (argh) years ago.

Now I know that the old thing has probably been sucking up more than its fair share of coal and other natural resources for a good long while, and it's probably been spewing out ozone killing CFCs for a quarter of a century, just to keep a few of my drinks cool, but I can't help feeling that it was a quality appliance. What item purchased today do you expect to be around in 26 years? Your car? Your microwave? Your TV? Piffle - no one expects anything to last these days, and the manufacturers know it. Only Tupperware comes with a lifetime guarantee - everything else is expected to last only two Christmases and then get replaced with a newer model.

So, although I know little about Metters, their Super Twin fridge, or why there's the number 12 before it, I'd like to issue a hearty hazar for Metters and their quality appliance, and an equally hearty hazoo for all those manufacturers out there who don't like their applicances to reach their third birthday.