james says

Mo-gress 2

2006-11-29T11:07:00.000+11:00

Hey all,

Well Movember is drawing to a close... and i guess the mo will have to come off soon too. I'm growing quite attached to it actually! Maybe it will stay...

The Mo has come a long way since my last post. I noticed in the pic I put on here and in the one sent out to 645 by Robin - there wasn't really much of a mo to show. Well, all that has changed... It's pretty serious now! I can actually grab the bottom of it and twist it and play with it. Also, the bit above my lip is getting to the stage now where it is actually curling down and scratching my lip. Thats serious mo!

(If you're not sure what on earth this is all about... CLICK HERE)

Check out my pic...

We at the CCCM's are really hoping to raise some serious cash to support men's health. We're getting very close to our magical target, but we're not quite there yet. Please support men's health by sponsoring us. Your contribution can make a difference.

I would also like to give a massive thanks to those who have already contributed!

If you would like to support me and the CCCM's (see pervious post), then please click HERE, enter my Rego number which is 41343 and your credit card details. All donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. Any and all support is greatly appreciated.

They know you like them...

2006-11-27T23:27:00.000+11:00

... and I think i can speak for everyone when i say that we all wish our girlfriends were hot like Robbo and Pete.

CLICK ME for more funny videos

Mo-gress 1

2006-11-14T11:40:00.000+11:00

Hey all,

The Mo is coming along fairly well i think... So well in fact that it can actually be seen and is somewhat distinguishable as a Mo - well i think so anyway... check the photo to make up your own mind.

One interesting thing about my Mo is that it is multi-coloured. As can be seen from the pic, the bit above my lip is a combination of light and dark blonde, and even some light brown. However, when you look down to the bottom of the handel bars, the blonde has dissapeared and in its place is some (or a lot) of ginger hair.

Thats right... I'm a Captain Red-Beard.

But thats cool... I'm comfortable with it!

Movember is a good cause towards men's health. I know of about 6 or 7 guys who are growing mo's which is great. I invite you to jump on board and either support me or someone else you know who is doing it.

If you would like to support me and the CCCM's (see pervious post), then please go to http://www.movember.com/au/sponsor, enter my Rego number which is 41343 and your credit card details. All donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. If you dont have a credit card, you can just let me know you wanna sponsor us and give me some cash. Any and all support is greatly appreciated.

Stay tuned... more Mo-gress to come!

Movember

2006-11-06T18:58:00.000+11:00

Hey all,

I know, I know... I haven't posted in a long, long time. And now i've got the nerve to just jump back on my blog and post and expect everyone to still be reading it.

Yes it serves me right if no one reads this post, because i have been slack and lazy about my blog.

I know... and I'm sorry. Really, i am.

But i thought that all you out in blogland should know that during Movember (no, that's not a typo) i'll be growing what little Mo I can.

Movember is all about raising money and awareness about men's health. Men have a life expectancy 6 years less than women, more men die of prostate cancer than women do of breast cancer each year, and depression among men claims more than double the lives of men through suicide than the national road toll. It's pretty serious so I wanna try to help.

I know, I'm a bit facially-hair challenged, and the chances of me growing anything close to significant is pretty slim... but i'm gonna give it a go anyways.

My last shave was on Friday the 3rd of Movember. And yes, i know i'm starting a little late - but they made me keep my face cleanly shaven whilst working at the motor show (which was a blast - by the way) ... but better late than never.

Now, seen as there are only 24 days in Movember left, i'll be updating my blog every few days with a photo of my Mo-gress (that is... the progress of my 'mo').

Now, if you would like to sponsor me, I am a part of the Christ Church Curly Mo (CCCM) team. A bunch of us at Christ Church are growing Mo's as a team to raise money... So we're pooling all our sponsorship dollars together.

So, if you'd like to support me and the CCCM's, then please go to http://www.movember.com/au/sponsor, enter my Rego number which is 41343 and your credit card details. All donations of $2 and over are tax deductible. If you dont have a credit card, you can just let me know you wanna sponsor us and give me some cash. Any and all support is greatly appreciated.

Stay tuned for my Mo-gress!

Separated at birth

2006-08-14T14:18:00.000+10:00

Hey all,

I realised the other day that i hadn't posted in a while, and that's not very fair to all those who love to see what James is gonna say next.

So here's a quick one to tie you over for now... until i post about how RUBBISH Miami Vice was.

There's no elaborate story to go with this one like there was with the Napoleon Lawrenson post, but i found this quite humorous none the less.

I discovered some time ago that these two guys looked quite similar, and now i wish to share this discovery with the world.

Unfortunately, many of you have probably not had the pleasure of meeting young Richard Mitchell, which is to your detriment really. If you want to know more about this fine young lad, then go to his profile, courtesy of IBM and read up about him. I know, the photo looks like it belongs in his personal ad, but we wont hold that against him... any more.

Anyway - Richard, this man is slightly older than you, so maybe you weren't separated at birth... maybe he's you're long lost uncle, or maybe they just borrowed some of his DNA when they put you together in that test tube...

Either way...

(And Steph - this was my attempt at a 5 minute post. Didn't happen.)

"Fare thee well, Sir Anon."

2006-07-14T20:04:00.000+10:00

I had hoped it would not have to come to this.

However, due to continual abuses of freedom, i have had to deny anonymous comments.

So - baring this in mind - i pose the question... what drives a person to leave anonymous comments?

Is it insecurity?
Is it cowardice?
Is it arrogance?
Is it the "too cool for skool" attitude?

I don't know - and i don't understand it.

But thankfully now it is something I - and the faithful readers of my blog - will be forced to tolerate no more.

Blog on.

James.

No more mucking around...

2006-06-28T20:05:00.000+10:00

EVERY SPORT NEEDS VIDEO REFEREES.

I have officially had it with the governing bodies of sports. Mainly, FINA (swimming's governing body) and FIFA (soccer's governing body).

Enough is enough guys - you must bring in video refs. It has gone past the ridiculous point now.

The 2006 Soccer World Cup is just another example of the Little-Aussie-Battler getting unfairly slammed by bad referees not doing their job properly, and stupid governing bodies who wont use those lumps that sit a metre above their butts.

First, we have Otylia Jedrzejczak and Jess Schipper in the 200 butterfly at the 2005 World Championships. Schipper and Jedrzejczak are head to head, in front of world record pace, coming into the final few strokes. On the final stroke swum, Jess goes in, head down, arms out, hands touch the wall at the same time. Legit. Jedrzejczak comes in, head down, arms out... but what's this?? Right hand pulls down for a half stroke, she touches the wall with only her left hand, while her right hand is a whole arms-length behind it. (Which conveniently means she touches 0.04 seconds infront of Jess). Illegal. You have to touch with both hands. Ref "doesn't see it", Jedrzejczak gets the gold and the world record, Jess gets silver.

Then - a video from directly above is shown on the screen, showing how blatantly obvious it was that Jedrzejczak only touched with one hand. Only way you could misinterpret it is by not watching. Referee's call... "Sorry, we don't allow video evidence. Referee's call stands. Jedrzejczak gets the world record". Absolutely robbed. Check out this article for a run down.

Now... 2006 Soccer World Cup. Noted, Australia wasn't actually winning when the stupid call was made, but we were dominating the game. Grosso brings the ball into the box, Neil goes in for a tackle, slides, stops, and Grosso trips over him. Ref's decision... PENALTY!

Result? Italy gets a penalty kick from inside the box. Wins the game in the final minute.

I mean, it's not rocket science. Think about it:
1) Humans are fallible - they don't always get it right.
2) If a wrong decision is made by a referee, it could mean the difference between winning and loosing.
3) We actually have the technology to avoid, even completely eradicate, incorrect calls made by refs.

If you ask me - it's a no-brainer. That's right, governing bodies don't even need to use those lumps that sit a metre above their butts to understand this.

Sports like Rugby, Cricket, even some (if not all) Tennis tournaments have brought in video refs. And the result? Just calls.

I'm sick to death of it.

No more mucking around. It's time to pull your heads out of the sand.

Video refs are the only way forward.

Go on, you know you want rant about with me...

It should never have ended like this...

2006-06-27T11:13:00.000+10:00

Enough said...

Tough vs. Tender

2006-06-07T12:09:00.000+10:00

Hey all.

I've been thinking recently about the method of delivery used by people when they are challenging others. As i see it, there are basically two methods available...

1) Tough Love

2) Tender Love

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about - try to answer this question: When you were at school, did you respond better and achieve more when a teacher was firm, strong, direct, and sometimes even mean - or did you get more out of a teacher who was kind, sweet, forgiving, and a gentle encourager?

Put very simply - the stick or the carrot.

Personally I'm a tough love man. I started realising this when in year 9 I had a D&T teacher named Mr. Supple. Monster of a man (in sheer size that is - he was buff). When i messed up, didn't do my homework, or goofed off (which anyone who went to school with me would know happened all too often) he would slam me on it. But was consistent and fair in his discipline. I was a little fearful of him - but respected him, and did some of my best work with him as my teacher because he demanded it of me.

Another example would be being rebuked (whether indirectly via a sermon or directly via one on one). I respond much better to something like:

"Stop being such a dumb ass and get your act together. You know what you're doing is wrong. Stop pretending, making excuses for yourself and lying. Jesus died for you - how can treat him with such disrespect? Live for him and stop living for yourself."

... rather than:

"Oh look its ok. Don't get down about this. No ones perfect, and you're not alone. You just have to try harder next time. You're not that bad, you just made a mistake. And remember, God loves you."

What do you generally respond better to?

And which do you think is a better method for rebuking or teaching others?

Thoughts...?

After a long absence...

2006-05-04T09:06:00.000+10:00

Hey all,

Due to various reasons, i have been very lazy with my blog updates. I'm very sorry to all those spend their days longing to know what James is going to say next. Don't worry, James is making a commitment to focus on what’s important in life.

Now, recently Ed Yorsten had a little Anzac Day Eve party. I got an group email about it, informing me of the date, time and place - as well as the theme. The theme was, according to the email "Super Heroes". I didn't speak to anyone about the bbq before hand and just went along to the place, on that date, and just a little bit after the time - all which were expressed in the email. Now, if you know anything about me, you know i am always ready for a dress up. So, having a vast array of racing suits for swimming, i decided to make use of an old pair. I borrowed an old pair of stockings from my mum, grabbed a red t-shirt and a pair of blue shorts, and I turned to the bbq looking like this:

After I turned round the corner of Ed's place, four thoughts came to mind in the space of about a minute... 1: Superiority, "You guys are so lazy and crap - you're supposed to dress up!".... 2: Confusion, "Wait a sec... no one is dressed up, what's going on?".... 3: Disappointment and fear "Oh no - it was a joke - i fell for it - everyone is laughing and pointing!".... 4: Self-assurance, "Whatever, nothing i can do about it now. And i look cool."

I could have done the bolt to my car and grabbed a pair a trackies and a jumper that were in there, and after seeing me, Ed offered me some clothes to get changed into. But, by that stage, as i mentioned before, i had assured myself that i looked cool, and therefore stayed as i was.

I actually had a great night, and after a while and an initial chuckle, everyone just got used to the fact that when it was time to go home, i would probably just swing on outta there by my web.

So - I pose the question... what would you do in that same situation? Or, if you have been in a similar situation, what did you do? Can't wait to hear your responses!

Oh yeah - and thanks again Ed. Who'd have thought that MTS staff would lie? Not me!

James

Back By Popular Demand

2006-03-28T10:11:00.000+11:00

Yes - it's back.

Well, there has been an overwhelming response by bewildered people, agonised and disheartened by the news that i took down this post.

I have had people emailing, calling, posting, and some even threatening to go on hunger strikes unless I re-posted what has been coined by many as "The post of the year."

All I want is Mark's happiness.

If you have just tuned in and are wondering what on earth this fantastic new phenomenon is, then check this out.

Today's blessed person is our old friend, Mark Lawrenson (aka Camel). I have noticed recently that Mark has been somewhat lost. He drags his feet day to day, saddened due to the feeling that he is not yet whole. I spoke to Mark on Saturday about what i had noticed. I asked him what was wrong and he confirmed the above impressions i had been getting. He told me it's a struggle for him just to get out of bed of a morning, because he just doesn't want to have deal with the pain of it all. His exact words were:

"James, i feel pain. I feel alone. It's not that I don't have a girlfriend either, as painful as that is. I guess I just don't have the right skills. I mean gosh, I can't even use nunchucks. Like, I had a girlfriend once, but she's in Oaklahoma doing modeling. I mean, let's face it, girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.

But no, it's so much more than just not having computer hacking skills. I feel like half a man. I feel like the other half is living a totally different life, potentially in a totally different country.

GOSH!

Hey, can you pass me that chapstick - my lips are burnt real bad. I mean, I'm having a killer time and all - are you? But I still feel like something is missing.

I mean, it's not money - I could make that much money in five seconds! Gosh!

I mean, chickens have large talons. Large talons, and that keeps them happy. And Pedro's cool, he's like one of my best friends.

I dunno, maybe if i had a sweet bike with like shocks and pegs then i could go off some sweet jumps, and that might make me happy.

Gosh - I just don't know."

Well Mark, i found what's been missing...

Meet your brother...

Napoleon!

You don't have to be lonely any more my friend!

On Hold

2006-03-16T18:21:00.000+11:00

"Separated at birth" day has been postponed for personal reasons.

Check back later

Must Be More

2006-03-12T11:59:00.000+11:00

Hey bloggers

On Saturday night i was joined by Scott Josph, Stacey Todd and Ryan Todd (along with a thousand or so other people) at North Shore Christian Centre in Chatswood to hear Nathan Tasker play. If you don't know who Nathan is, follow the above link and check him out. Nathan is a very talented Christian musician, who is married to Cassie, and although they live in Sydney and are members of Christ Church St Ives, they rarely get the chance to join us because they spend so much time showing people Jesus through music.

I have personally been encouraged by Nathan in two big ways. Most recently, through his music. I bought his CD A Look Inside at last years concert, thinking "why not, he works hard, i'll support him" only to be flabbergasted after listening to it. It is brilliant. His music is so faithful and so Godly - you really get a glimpse of Jesus when listening to it (for more info on the comment - click). So many times when i've stuffed up in a big way, i've turned to Nathan's music to help me realise (importantly) the weight of my sin and (more importantly) the ridiculous grace given me in Jesus. With lyrics like;

"And at times i forsake my first love,
But he woos my heart again,
cause he's the God of second chance"
(Narrow - Nathan Tasker)

and;

"You, alone, could have thrown
the first stone;
and You, alone, were condemned
for all the things i've done"
(The things i've done - Nathan Tasker)

"Nathan describes (A Look Inside) as containing 'some of the most personal music I have written – take a look inside my heart and watch as I struggle and grow as Christian man. I do, however, hope that you will also be able to see past me, to catch a glimpse of the Father Heart of God'."

I personally can't stand songs where the lyrics don't mean anything, or talk about something stupid - so songs from The Pussycat Dolls, Rouge Traders, and Black Eyed Peas are pollution to my ears - and are not music. IMHO good music comes when an artist writes from deep, profound, personal struggles or triumphs. It's only through this real kind of emotion that great music is born - because it's only through this music that audiences are touched in their hearts. That's why A Look Inside is so beautiful.

I have not listened to Must Be More yet - will update when i do.

The other way i have been encouraged by Nathan is that he (aka "Nob") and James Cooper (aka "Jimmy") were my bible study leaders in years 8 and 9 at TC. That was many years ago and although i remember few actual studies we did, i remember that he was (and still is) a Godly man who i could look at and say "i wanna be like him", and thats 'cause he looks at Jesus and says "i wanna be like him".

So check out Nathan Tasker if you appreciate music thats real.

Pictures of people using their iPods for good

2006-03-10T22:07:00.000+11:00

Please check out Lunch Lady Doris's post.

Separated at birth

2006-03-09T20:00:00.000+11:00

I have found recently that far too many young men and women are wandering aimlessly through their lives with a sneaking suspicion that something is missing, but just can't figure out what it is. For most people, the problem is solved with Jesus. However, some, after finding the big J-man, are still incomplete. I have discovered that the missing something, then, is usually a twin who was separated from them at birth. So, as a community service, I've taken it upon myself to do everything within my power to bring them back together.
(And everything within my power is to post their photos on my blog.)

So... the first i wish to reunite are Nobbs brothers, Chris and his big brother Jamie:

NB: Jamie is currently touring and will be playing in Australia in April.
Looks like these brothers may be reunited sooner than we thought...

Be sure to check back soon in case i find your twin.

"it's on like donkey kong"

2006-03-08T12:16:00.000+11:00

Welcome to my blog.

Here you will find a lot of things that 'james says'... and (more than likely) a lot of people disagreeing with what 'james says'.

If you don't know 'james' then check out his profile.

yeah...