the problem - the pinball machine

Just got back from Christchurch today. Woke up at 3.30am, checked in at 4.30am and then was told that the plane would be delayed for four more hours. That complimentary $6 voucher doesn't really compensate, VIRGIN BLUE! I'm one of those people that can't go to sleep once they are woken up, so I had to keep myself sane while every other person catching flight DJ71 caught some Zzzzz's. So I found some New Zealand 20 cent coins and started playing some old skool video game at the Timezone arcade section. That was interesting for about 2 mins until my luck and hence my credit ran out.

Strapped for cash, and bored out of my brain, I needed a solution. This little Timezone arcade was my oasis but I had no cash. Then a brainwave swept me. NZ coins are the same size as Australian coins!!!!! So I hurried back to my family and begged them to give me all of their 20 cent coins.

With only 7 coins totallying $1.40 I had to choose carefully. After eliminating the different options, I chose Starwars trilogy pinball. I put in my coins and noticed that the coins didn't give that "clink sound" but the other machine didn't clink either. As a 24 year old veteran of arcade games, I should have known better. deprived of sleep, I didnt' care.

I pressed the "START" button, but nothing happened. Pressing it furiously, the stupid pinball game didn't light up. Immediately I checked the coin slot and noticed that all the coins had jammed inside. Swearing my head off and kicked the machine only to realise the tilt sign. For you non video game players, arcade game machines have some kind of internal warning system, that lets them know when the machine is being tilted i.e. being lifted off the ground. The prize machines and pinball machines all have that and will immeidately end the game once it has been tilted. Knowing that I really wanted to snap this machine in half but also acknowledging that the machine was designed by someone smarter than me, I had to do come up with a better solution.

Problem solving - the first solution
Drawing back to my D&T (design and technology classes) and my Boston Consulting group competition days, I was racking my brain furiously for a solution. I had to push the coins through. So i grabbed my hard plastic library card and tried to jam it in. unfortunately the card was too short. Foiled. So soon. Back to the drawing board.

I then folded this cardboard business card in half (longways) and shoved it through. I managed to rattle one of the 20 cent coin almost out but decided that it game or no game. so I shoved it back in to no avail. reaching into my pocket, I then shoved a 5 cent coin to push it through - I could afford the 5 cents. but that only made the situation worse, now there was even more coins stuck in there.

Soution 2: Out come the knives and forks

I knew that there was a solution, I just had to find it. Analysing the problem, I knew that I needed something with more reach. Time was not an issue since there was still 3 hours left and half the airport was asleep. Needing some tools, i ran back to my family for my backpack. Scouring my backpack and the nearby cafe, I spotted something useful: plastic knives and forks. I grabbed two knives and a fork and went back to the machine to prize my money out.

For me, I think I continued on at 5am in the morning cause I had nothing else to do and I needed a challenge, and I wasn't going to lose my only remaining $1 in coins to some stupid machine. Grabbing the fork like it was Excalibur's sword, I pushed it in, only to be rejected by the coin slot cause it was too big to fit through. turning to my back up, I shoved the knife in as if I was kind of pick lock thief.

Looking through the keyhole, I spied that I could push it in. Jiggling and jangling it around, i heard a click as the first 20 cent coin tumbled out. jackpot! score!

Given my good turn of luck, I then tried a few more times but no other silver nuggets came out. I had to take my mind of this problem so I went and celebrated by playing another round of that same old skool alien spaceship game for 20cents. After dying again within 2 minutes, i went back to the problem at hand.

This time, I tried to be a bit more inconspicuous since a security guard came past staring at me. With two plastic knives in my hand, bent over a pinball machine at 5am, you could say that i looked a bit suss.

Setback

Now whenever someone walked past me, I acted as if I was playing the machine. Springing to my feet and randomly pressing the clickers on the side, i looked every bit the pinball pro. Not deterred by the rolling security checks, I soldiered on. I could get one knife in around that little coin but it still couldn't slide out. So i slid the other knife around the other side of the coin with the goal of pressing both slides to pull the coin out. It was a great idea, in theory at least. But the handles of the knife were too thick so that ended that fantastic idea.


For the next 5mins, the knife went in and out but nothing happened. not giving up, I placed both knives at the base of the machine and did some duty free window shopping for half an our. Tired of looking at things that i could not afford or knew that wasn't really a bargain, I went back the problem at hand.

I was determined to bust out those coins like Timothy Robbins in Shawshank Redemption or to get my three pinballs which I was entitled to. It was a matter of justice. We was robbed! Giving it one last shot, i jammed the knife in as hard as I could. unfortunately, it got stuck and wouldn't budge. I managed to pull it out and noticed that the inside of the coin slot had scrape marks caused by hte knife being shoved in and out.

Again, I jammed it in until it wouldn't move anymore. It actually looked quite funny. An 24 year old Asian male stabbing this pinball machine. there was this lady looking at me everytime I paced back and forth along the terminal, but i didn't care. However this time, something bad happened. The knife was jammed, I tried to wiggle it out like last time and then pulled it with great force. I learnt a valuable lesson. In a test of steel material against plastic knife, steel always wins. the knife snapped. A broken knife handle was now caught inside the coin slot with 80cents worth of silver coins in it.

give up or keep going?

At this point, i was quite shocked and let down by this cheap plastic knife. Feeling quite embarrased too by this scene, I got the hell out of there. By now, it was 7.30am, and I had spent almost two hours inbetween shopping, eating and annoying people trying to rescue my 80 cents.

Given the results, I quietly retreated back to the couches having lost my battle. if you come across a pinball machine at Christchurch airport with a half broken knife handle, let it be known that that machine is a ripoff! And is now probably permanently damaged because of my handy work.

Pinball Machine: 1
DJ HO: 20 cents and a broken plastic knife.

I'm out like pinball machines that steal your money,

DJ Ho.

Blogging from Helmsdeep

What's up y'all!

I'm in Middle Earth at the moment, aka New Zealand. Here on a family holiday and must say thyat i'm loving it, McDonald's style. We've been to these places (Lord of the Rings places listed for those hobbit fans - I know your out there):

Christchurch aka Edoras
Mount Cook aka Mt Doom
Queenstown
Lake Tekapo

I like this place. Open plains, massive mountains, and ah yes, the sheep. We've been driving a lot lately. We hired a Terago in Christchurch and drove to Queenstown via Mount Cook. Left at 10am and arrived at 9pm. I punched it up to 130km p/h coz
1)Terago's can't fly that fast
2) plenty of luggage
3) MASSIVE cliffs, gorges, and windy turns tends to slow the best of Daytona drivers.

I wish i had like a suburu WRX on these roads, you would just go nuts.

Oh, and if you don't know, there's a slight exchange rate differential between AUstralia and NZ. about 93 AUD cents to $1NZD so everything seems so slightly more expensive.

THe natural beauty of NZ is just superb. Rivers, Lakes, Canyons. Crazy scenery. And NZ ppl talk slightly different as well. This Asian check out chic said to me the other day "Wuld you like a beg?" as in would i like a bag. SOunded weird. ANd they love to say "sweet as" after every sentence you say.

Gotta go, internet cafe time running out.

I'm out like "sweet as"

DJ Ho.

One life to live

The rapper Nas once said “Life..... I wonder....Will it take me under.... I don't know?”

Last night, I saw an awesome hip hop concert. It felt like I was in a nightclub in Brooklyn, New York. Bahamadia was getting the crowd bouncing with her funky rhymes, Jean Grae was spitting venomous verses, Z-Trip was mixing everythang from Oasis to J5 to Country Tunes. And Talib Kweli was rocking the Metro with his lyrical wit.

For some of us, like myself we get the chance to live life to the fullest. To experience the many joys that life can offer us, from going to hear my favourite hip hop artist, travelling around the world, to that first kiss with that boy/girl you’ve been chasing, to watching your kids grow up. And there are some of us that have thrown it all away. That did something stupid and will pay for it with the rest of our lives. That gambled and rolled the dice and lost big.

Yesterday, the rest of the world woke up to some shocking news. Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran lost big on their decision to smuggle drugs into Indonesia and will be sentenced to death by a firing squad. That’s some cold sh#t. But that’s the reality of Indonesian Law. It wasn’t really that shocking cause we all knew it was coming.

Even though I feel disconnected to the situation being far away from it all, I gotta feel for Andrew and Myuran. You know, that’s IT. No second chance. Andrew is only 22 and the rest of his life is gone. There’s a part of me that says he broke their laws, he’s got to suffer the consequences. But then there’s a part of me that says, he’s my age – so young. And so so dumb. He doesn’t have another chance in life. And to die like that, with no family around you, executed by a firing squad. I can’t imagine what it’s like to go out like that.

I read that the Australian government will raise the issue of clemency with the Indonesian government but really they’ve got their hands tied and have to respect the decision of the Indonesian Courts. I mean that’s fair right. If an Indo citizen had committed a crime on our shores, he’d have to undergo trial under our laws. We have to respect the right of a nation to govern itself. But hold up my lawyer mindset says. The Germans had laws to extinguish Jews didn’t they? Some laws like that are unjust. Some penalties are not proportionate to the crime committed. Drug dealing is one of those crimes which society just adhors. Drug smuggling could potentially kill thousands, if not millions, cause crime rates to soar, cause teenagers to become addicts.

Don’t know what else to say. It’s a tough situation for all. We gotta respect the Indonesian courts decision, but we don’t have to agree with it.

Peace.

DJ Ho.

New South Wales: The Murder Capital (Murder was the State)

I saw this in Sunday's newspaper and was just shocked. I've cut and pasted the main paragraphs from the article:

21 murders in 37 days: homicide police overwhelmed

By John Kidman, Eamonn Duff and Erin O'Dwyer
February 12, 2006

NSW Police has launched 21 murder investigations in 37 days, marking the state's bloodiest new year since monthly homicide records began in 1995.

The spate of killings claimed the lives of 14 men, six women and an 18-month-old boy between January 1 and February 6 and left a dozen people facing the prospect of lengthy jail terms.

At the time, Police Commissioner Ken Moroney made a personal commitment to grieving families that his officers would always keep working on unsolved crimes. While the NSW Police Association believes about 3000 extra officers are needed statewide on any given day, as many as one in four top detectives are unavailable to investigate major sexual assaults, major robberies, drug deals and fraud cases.

Some investigators believe political pressure is undermining policing priorities. "We've been taken off major criminal matters to basically do assaults and malicious-damage inquiries," said one officer. He said the resources being diverted to the Enoggera strike force (inquiring into the Cronulla race riots) were "overkill".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Murder was the case

Let me start out with a big "WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOCIETY THESE DAYS?". We have 14 year old girls running our streets, killing a disabled taxi driver. Then they go on a rampage and start robbing people at Strathfield station with a knife. A Sudanese refugee is beaten to death by a bunch of teenagers after retailiating when an egg is thrown at him. Two weeks ago, the body of a missing pregnant woman is found murdered in a river out west. This is simply crazy. This is mayhem.

I admit that despite all this happening, it still feels very distant. I don't feel that any of this has affected me in anyway. I still go out late at night, still feel relatively safe in strange places. Of course, I watch my back but I don't feel like the streets are watching my every move.

What has caused all these murders?

I was amazed when I found this out in my Criminal Law class almost 5 years ago. Most murders are committed by people known to the victim and are usually in some kind of relationship with them eg. a family member, a lover, a co-worker, a neighbour. I think its because it takes a lot to randomly kill a stranger. A lot of anger and pshyconess to kill someone you don't know over an arguement. But when someone you love angers you, or someone you know very well just pisses you off bigtime or you get emotional over something, sometimes you can lose your senses more so than with a stranger. Maybe it might push you over the edge and to the extreme.

But that doesn't explain why there are so many murders lately. Some of it comes down to just people coming from broken homes and not having the social support around them to deal with their anger and violence, and some of it boils down to the lack of policing resources we have in this state. There are many reasons and I've only listed a few of the main ones. People kill for many reasons.

It's a 187

We have laws in place to deal with murder. But often the appropriate sentence is not applied to deter people or to punish people accordingly. Most normal people in society know that killing someone is just plain wrong. Its a socially accepted norm. Kill is bad. Then what else stops them? We so often hear about killers not recieving just deserts. Not recieving what the "victim's family", the tabloids and society deems to be appropriate.

The article calls for additional policing and that addresses part of the problem. With greater supervision, and investigative powers to follow up crimes and quicker response times, many more potential murders could be stopped and solved and offenders brought to justice.

But I think it's much deeper than that. It's a societal issue. It's been happening since Cain mudered Abel in the bible. We need to educate and supervise our young people so that they grow up with their heads screwed right. Ensure they have the means and outlets to manage their anger in relationships. that they have adequate social structures around them.

Increase The Peace.

DJ Ho

I AIN'T SAYING HO'S A GOLDDIGGER

Watching the world go by. Or was the world watching me?

Cocoa beans on the grind
The best coffee from that cornerstore
That you think is one of a kind
It's too early in the morning
As caffeine succumbs the mind

It's the rat race. Rushing from 9 to 5. Ipods in their ears, coffees and boost juices pumping through their systems. Businessmen & women, officeboys, secretaries, lawyers, rush to work in the heart of Sydney's CBD. It's a friday and all they are longing for is the weekend. To finish that day, meet up with friends, have a few quiet drinks. They rush past me, staring at the small line of people outside the photo shop at Wynard. Wondering, what could be so important.

At 8.20am at the Wynard Station photoshop, the line has started. Hot coffees in their hand and the briefcase in their other, co-workers stop and ask "what are you doing"? Friends ask "what's happening"?

Kanyeezy.

Kanye West is in the house! I found that he was performing at the Opera House earlier in the week and knew that I had to get tickets. It was a matter of life and death. The tickets went on presale on Thursday to tickettek members but you could only buy one at a time plus they gave you random seat allocations. I don't want to be sitting next to strangers by myself. So I agreed to meet a friend at 8.20am at the photoshop which doubles as my local tickettek outlet.

The line grows bigger and by 9am when the tickets go on sale, the fans move into the store. Word quickly moves throughout the line (like Chinese whispers) "It's sold out! Opera house is sold out", desperation and disappointment hits eevryone. Another rumour starts up "There's a second show at the Hordern Pavillion" and the fans spirits pick up.

I did miss out on the opera house concert (that would have been sick!) even though they went on sale at 9am to the public and I was there at 9am at the ticket outlet. That sucks. How could they sell them all to tickettek members before the public? It feels like the Olympics, where locals can't even watch this once in a life time opportunity in their own backyard because the sponsors and "friends of friends" get first dibs.

Unfortunately, the Hordern Pavillion tickets went on sale at 9.30am and I want to keep my job, so I rush back to work, load up the ticketek website & buy these little babies at 81 bucks a piece.

Kanye you better be worth crying over.

Your biggest fan,

Stan........oops I mean DJ Ho.

p.s. Best blonde joke ever. Click here. Trust me.

Free speech v offense to Muslims: Not just a cartoon

Before anyone wants to sue me or takes offense or whatever, I am putting up a thumbnail sketch of the Muhammed cartoons for the purpose of discussion and under the legal principles of fair use. My blog is not for profit and these pictures are posted to help educate the public and are widely available on the internet. Pictured below is a a summary of the 12 pictures that have caused much controversy and angst among the Muslim world.

(CARTOONS REMOVED OUT OF RESPECT - PEACE!)

I had to look up the cartoons myself to see what the fuss is about. And I have to admit, that these cartoons are quite offensive. Four people have died protesting over these cartoons. The Chinese say that a picture is a thousand words. And a picture can also cause thousands to riot. Clashes all over the Middle East, the storming of Danish embassies, demonstrations in India, Thailand and Indonesia. Muslims rioting everywhere.

The French Newspaper France Soir had this to say

"No, we will never excuse ourselves [the right] to free speech, to think, believe... Since these self-proclaimed doctors of the faith make a question of principle of it, it is necessary to be firm. Let us protest as much as it will be necessary to demonstrate that one has the right to caricature Mahomet, Jesus, Buddha, Jehovah and all the variations of theism. That is called the freedom of expression in a laic country ", affirms the leader-writer of the newspaper".

Its a hard line, the divide between free speech and respect for religion. As a blogger I feel that we should have free speech and the right to publish whatever we want. But on the other hand, as a creative writer/blogger, I also feel that we have to exercise some kind of self regulation.

On balance, the pictures above should not have been published because they offend people. They make fun of the Muslim religion. They were wrong and the newspaper should have known better. Of course they were going to offend people but they probably didn't see the magnitude of it. I feel that I can't post up the actual pictures since they are so offensive, so if you want to see them click here.

Even bloggers around the world are concerned about posting up these pictures. A list has developed of bloggers that have posted them up in the interest of free speech. Is this the beginning of a fatwa list?

Leave a comment and tell the people what you think.

Peace Out,

DJ Ho.

Armed and fashionable

They say that accessories accentuate the outfit. They bolden, liven, dress up the individual. It gives a person an avenue to express themselves. For centuries, sellers and consumers have latched onto that theory. As a result, people have been rocking various hand and arm accessories to match their clothes since God told Adam to cover himself. From bracelets to rings, watches to kabala strings. Whether they be blinging or keeping it simple, hand/arm accessories are here to stay.

In the last couple of years, a new arm accessory adorns the wrist of millions and has grabbed the attention of consumer’s worldwide. It tells the world that this individual is a “player”, that they will “make poverty history”, they support “salvation army”, and will “livestrong”. This “in” item is worn by basketballers & shotcallers, the young & the old, male & female, the cool & the uncool.

What is this item I’m talking about?

The humble wristband.

That coloured rubber band with a single word written on it. You’ve seen it. Those corporate people rocking the yellow wristband on the left hand underneath that suit. That chick with the pink wristband. The baller with the basketball singlet and the new necessary accessory: the white wristband.

According to Wikipedia:

"More recently, wristbands, often made of silicone, are worn to demonstrate the wearer's support of a cause or charitable organization, similar to awareness ribbons. Such wristbands are sometimes called symbands or awareness bracelets to distinguish them from other types of wristbands".

How did this phenomena start? How did a piece of rubber/elastic emboldened with a single word sell for $5? And how did charities catch on to this craze?


Livestrong: Lance And The Yellow Wrist Road

Although hand accessories have been around for ages, we can trace this particular wristband craze to one single person: Lance Armstrong, the Olympic cycler. Lance was diagnosed with cancer but he still continued to compete at an elite level inspiring millions with the ability to combat adversity. He set up the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) with the mission “to inspire and empower people with cancer to live strong” and rocked the now infamous yellow “Livestrong” wristband in all his races.

The wristband became the mantra for his organisation, with the yellow colour representing the yellow jersey worn by the Tour De France leader’s jersey. But it is more than that. The yellow also reps “a symbol for hope, courage, and perseverance”.

More than 47.5 million Livestrong Nike wristbands have been sold with the goal to help enhance the quality of life of young cancer patients and their families. And no doubt with more wristband sales to come.


Catching on

I was amazed to see that the yellow wristband phenomena did not stop there. At the Newtown festival, I saw red Salvation Army wristbands. I’ve also seen white ‘Make Poverty History” Wristbands. Add pink “women’s cancer” wristbands to that category too. The charities have been quick to catch on to this new fashionable item. There's also black/white ones to tackle racism, blue/green ones to break down catholic/protestant religious barriers between soccer fans, and purple ones to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis. Apparently its cooler to rock a wristband then a big ass badge/ribbon/red nose. If you can make $2 a pop by selling these things, why not? You buy it for a good cause and you can look cool at the same time! It’s the new way to raise desperately needed funds and promote awareness for different causes. However, I would argue that lot of people buy them without really knowing what the cause is, or simply have a vague idea of what they are really supporting.

But don’t for a second think that it was for only charities. Every basketball court I go, every shopping centre, every train I catch in the morning, there is always someone wearing a Nike or AND1 wristband. For those not in the know, these have nothing to do with charity. It’s become a commercialised commoditised item. I think Nike must have realised the selling potential and with words like “Baller”, “Respect”, “Player”, and “Defense”, they have been embraced with open arms (and wrists). And these ones don’t come cheap as they sell for $14.95 for a pack of 3! And serial bandits aren’t satisfied with wearing one. Its even more fashionable to rock multiple bracelets (three or even four).

Armed and cuffed

I must admit that I don’t actually own a wristband (Shock! Horror!). But like the intro says, hand/arm accessories are used to dress up an outfit, to give us that individual look. So in my self expressionist fashion, I have many armbands.

Armbands used to serve some kind of purpose and they still do. Tennis players wore them to capture the sweat running down their arms so their hands wouldn’t get sweaty and to wipe the sweat off their foreheads. Similarly, basketball players use them on their main shooting/dribbing hand. But the whole armband thing has just exploded. Skaters, rockers, punks, ballers, girls all now sport the furry band on their upper forearm. There’s no reason other than to look cool.

Now, we see another fashion item developing. The leather armband for the wrist. With the strap, the clip on button or the watch strap fastener. These have been popular since the days of the Roman centurions going as far back as the ancient Aztec Warriors. Well they say that fashion goes in cycles, and this item is clearly back on the agenda. I guilty though as I have a brown leather one!


Armed and here to stay

Whether you dress casual, urban, corporate, there’s always some hand/arm/wrist accessory that the market has for you. From the simplistic wristband to the sporty armband, you’ll can always be armed and fashionable.

I got it! I got it!

Rapist. Hog. Selfish. Shaq. Laker. Dunk Champion. Jordan. 81 Points.

These words will forever be associated with Kobe Bryant. Finally, I've downloaded the game where Kobe Bryant scores 81 points! I can't even fathom how someone can do that, especially when I average 4 points a game at KGV.

If you want a copy of the game, holla at your boy. Oh, and don't forget my commission :P. When I've finished watching, I'll blog about this historic moment. For those that want to download the game, check this website. The game is ID 1706. And we lost our basketball game against Mallesons yesterday so no match report I'm afraid. Just enjoy these pics of Kobe in full flight (kinda reminds of myself).

Left: Kobe between the legs in the slam dunk comp.

Kobe in High School: If only he played for Tech.

Above: Kobe or Lebron - The two best players in the NBA today.

Below: Two of the best of all time. I'd pick Jordan any day.

I'm out like Kobe's 81 points,

DJ Ho.

Da (Vinci) Jesus Code

"To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers(Jesus walks with them)/To the victims of welfare feel we living in hell here, hell yea(Jesus walks with them)" - Jesus Walks by Kanye West.

At the base of the Blue Mountains, a group of people have been gathering for over a hundred years. In an area associated with the three sisters and the little brother, thousands of "brothers" and "sisters" have met annually since 1903.

Why?

What is the reason for their convergence to Katoomba?

What calls them, what drives them, what do they seek?

One word.

God.

Last weekend, I headed to KYC - Katoomba Youth Convention. I hadn't been before so I didn't know quite what to expect. I left work early on Friday & took a two hour train ride to Katoomba. Overall, I had a very good weekend - I was pleasantly surprised by the talks and how it was run.

I suspect many of my readers haven't been to KYC, let alone been inside a Church, so I'll drop some some background. Throughout the year, there are many Christian conventions in Katoomba. There's the Youth one which I went to, Men's convention, Women's convention, Leader's convention, Sermon on the Mount and so on. And its all held at this Christian centre which is like a few hectares big. There's a massive hall which everyone meets in, a book shop, a big tent serving as a cafe, and live in accomodation.


The Message

All KYC events have a theme and this particular one was "Encountering God". It hit at the crux of all religion - "What must I DO to encounter God, What must I KNOW to encounter God? Where must I GO to encounter God".

There were two main speakers - Sam Chan and Ray Galea. Sam focused on the book of Luke, in particular three stories which Jesus told: The Lawyer Who Meets God, The Rich Ruler Who Meets God, The Sinner Who Meets God.
I'll provide a quick and dirty summary of the main principles in each one:

1. Lawyer - This is about the story of the Good Samaritan. If your're not familiar, a man is dying on the side of the road. A priest and then a Pharisee walk past him, refusing to give him help. The pharisee back then made up thousands of rules to apply God's word (thus he's seen as some kind of lawyer). But the good samaritan helps the dying man. The crux of the story is:Not who is the neighbour, but rather 'Who can I be a neighbour to?". God sent Jesus to this world to be the samaritan - to be the neighbour. And the story tells us to be that neighbour as well.



Maybe it cause I studied law, I was thinking about the Donogue v Stevenson (1932) snail in the bottle case, which extended the neighbour principle.

2. The Rich Ruler - This person asked Jesus what must he do to follow him. He told him to give up everything - his riches. But the rich couldn't, wouldn't. It highlights the fact there is a cost in following God and not everyone can afford it. What you give up you will be rewarded many times over. And not everyone gives up the same thing.

3. Sinner - This story is about Zaceheus, the tax collector who meets Jesus. See the rich ruler, and the lawyer (Pharisee) both got it wrong. But Z gets it RIGHT! Z had sold his soul to the Romans, lied and cheated to get wealth. What did he do to get it right - He responds to Jesus and acts with faith. Faith is more than believing - you can no longer be passive. You must be active, out there participating. Also, Z welcomed Jesus - he began a relationship with him. This is an experiential component with Christianity - you must hear God, Know God, and be willing to give up everything to begin that relationship.

The Music

The music was off the hook. They played all my favourite songs and some new ones I hadn't heard. Its a significant part of Christianity - the worship and praise to God. Plus they had a Christian singer perform, Nathan Tasker. I hadn't heard him before, but he was really soulful. In fact, I was so impressed, I went and bought his album the next day and got it signed! My first Christian LP.

I had a full mad conversation with him about music, and his upcoming concert. Telling him that I appreciate when an artist is up on stage by themselves with no band backing them, as it shows their true skills. And he was like "You like that? I'll have to do that at my next concert!". I told him I was into hip hop concerts and how his drummer is in a hip hop band. He was really down to earth. Have I turned into a Christian music groupie??!!

The People

There were people from all corners of NSW - Armidale, Newcastle, and of course Sydney and also from Darwin! I reckon there would have been more than a thousand people at the conference. And its funny the people that you bump into - friends, and friends of friends that you had no idea were Christians.

I reckon 40% of the people there were asian, probably 30% overall were Chinese. I think Christianity has been readily embraced by the Chinese community as its very big in HK, pushed steadily by Westerners. I'm not sure if that's the reason, but there's a lot of Chinese Christans.

This is a long post, so thanks for reading it. I've got to sleep early cause there's a big basketball game against Howard/Aadesh and the Mark-less Mallesons magic. I'll write a match report bout how we crushed them.

Peace Out,

DJ Ho.