Freedom Within The Form

A maladroit melange of melancholic malarkey and moilic malaise

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Location: Christchurch, New Zealand

I am by qualification a Mathematician and Biologist; by trade a Web Programmer; by interest a Philosopher; by nature a Fool; and by grace a Christian.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Obituarist

Ironic impasse
 ended by inference
Impelling ink
 expels indifference

Dirge draws up
 to dustbowl parchment
Deadbeat driver
 ushers disembarkment

Faltering feet
 and graven earth meet
Furrow-faced field
 increasingly bleak

Gritted gravity
 sheds tearing ballast
Ground-bound griever
 lamenting at last

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Monday, June 09, 2008

Winter Festival Kicks Off


"Alas, poor Yorick!
...A fellow of icicled juice, of most excellent frost...
...Where be your gelids now?"


 Winter was ushered in yesterday at The Backyard Outdoor Events Centre by a promising performance of Hamlet by The Royal Society Of Life-Size Theatrical Snowmen.

 Chaos ensued, however, when the performance was interrupted by a Cats musical performed by The Disproportionately Large Feline Actors Guild, due to a timetabling error.


 The resulting bloodbath ended what was a fragile truce between the two sworn enemies, who have been embroiled in a bitter feud for generations. It comes as a disappointing setback for the international peace process, which has been trying hard to foster a sense of goodwill between them both.

 Organisers admit that it has put a dampener on the planned festivities, but hope that the collaborative winter fun-run between Worsley's Home For Troubled Weiner Dogs and The National Postman's Collective will help bring the festival back on track.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Keeping the Faith

 Tonight at my church (Hornby Presbyterian) we had our "Friday Forum", something which we hold every month or so, usually involving a guest speaker and/or discussion on a particular topic.

 Tonight's topic was "How to get a degree without losing your faith", in which we had several questions regarding the topic, each one to be briefly addressed by selected graduates from the church, followed by a brief general discussion per question. (It went particularly well by the way, with a good turnout and engaging dialogue - thanks particularly to Ross McKerras for organising it).

 I was tasked with addressing the question, "Have you encountered ideas that made you realise that you genuinely did need to modify your faith? / Are there legitimate ways that you have modified your faith?", and below is the response I gave.

 I thought it would be fair to post it here, seeing as it involves some of you who may read my blog, and would perhaps give an opportunity for response and discussion on how fair my observations are. At the very least it may help to give an indication on where I stand.

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