Another chat medium... Google talk

Today the SMH got on the bandwagon with an article about Google talk. You can download the program at http://www.google.com/talk/

I'm thinking... great another chat program. At the moment i have Miranda which combines ICQ, IRC, MSN, Yahoo and AOL. Just cos otherwise i'd have 3 different programs open. It's just easier to have one contact list.

However, while online chat is real-time, it's prob a lil less personal (even though there are emoticons etc) and easier to misunderstand somebody. Incorporating voice chat is a good idea but it's just so done... i mean MSN does have it... but also you have ur specialist programs like Skype that are pretty good too.

I think this is just another excuse for another program and for Google to jump on the instant messaging bandwagon. The hype i think is the thing that will make it popular or a flop.

Back Pain

Today's Sydney Morning Herald has a liftout section on backpain and exercises. IT is actually really interesting. For the more technically inclined... it's on the net too.
I thought a really interesting article was this one titled "twist and shout" just about the epidemiology and important factors in back pain.

The state of Australian cricket!

The state of Australian cricket must be pretty bad if we're celebrating a draw (and not a loss) to the Poms.

RICE

Yesterday night was the RICE RALLY!! @ Town Hall.
Was encouraging to see so many youth of sydney there to hear a great gospel talk. Each year RICE seems to get bigger and bigger... and also bigger without sacrificing the message of Jesus Christ.

It was much the same as last year... When they interviewed the speaker, Al Stewart, he said he is really asian... So he had to do some tasks to prove he's truly asian...
Firstly, he had to show he could squat!
Secondly, he had to show he could do kung-fu. So they got somebody up on stage and he had to copy their moves. It was really funny... almost as funny as last year when they dressed the speaker in street clothes and made him hip hop/breakdance!

The message was really great too. Al challenged the youth to think about what things hold them back from responding to the gospel and giving their lives to God. His analogy was great... he brought out a jar of lollies... and got Steve to try to get the lollies out... Steve got his hand in the jar but when he grasped the lollies, the fist he made was too big to get back out of the jar and he pulled and pulled. Naomi did the same thing... but she let go of the lollies and was able to get her hand out and get free... so she was given the jar of lollies too.

I guess there are things that we do hang onto that hinder us from responding to God and living for him. Things like study, relationships, work.... In the end tho... it all is in vain... we cant take anything with us when we die. What is important is being in a right relationship with God.

I was sitting next to a year 7 girl who decided to commit her life to Jesus that night... really really encouraging.

Vox pop

How nerve racking!!
I went vox-popping yesterday.... out on the street to ask people about.... RELATIONSHIPS!
This is for a video for the women's evangelistic event at church on the 13th Aug.

What was interesting was... we got a lot of young ppl who were willing to speak on camera... but when we tried to ask some asian ppl... they all said no...

Revelation

We've just started studying Revelation in bible study. I'm actually very excited about it. But it's also a very hard book to write bible studies for.

I guess the reason I think Revelation is so encouraging is that it gives us a picture of what's going on behind the here and now that we tend to get caught up in.

It's just so encouraging to be reminded of the reality of heaven. Jesus' death and resurrection means that God has triumphed over evil. I guess it's a great reminder of what is now and what is to come... especially when things are tough and we suffer the downs of this life.