Life

Globally, World Youth Day's have already made a bit of a name for themselves for various reasons and breaking various records. So far there has never been a 'small' WYD. It's unfortunate for the city in the process of hosting them, but they come with expectations.

The Australian media leading up to WYD08 were on the rampage expecting disaster. If the appalling WYD 08 site was anything to go by then it did look like something unpleasant looming.

Instead, the car load of friends from Brisbane, my Mother re-defining the boundaries of 'youth' and myself discovered that World Youth Day 2008 was a miracle - a piece of Heaven on Earth. Something astonishingly good and profoundly stimulating hope. It was also a lot of work, but satisfying.

Much could and should be said about WYD08 but if you prefer pictures then this gallery might be to your liking.

The World Cup is the most watched sporting event on planet Earth. It has been for a while.

I recall as a little nipper, my Father waking myself and some siblings in the very early cool winter mornings to see World great teams play each other live on TV. It was always a source of sadness that Australia wasn't also playing among the best of the World, in the World's favourite game.

So when by stamina, skill and a sheer force of will Australia defeated Uruguay and earned the right to play the World's best in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, I was united with many an ecstatic Australian. At long last the curse was broken!

Picture this humble traveller, mindful of the Australia vs Japan game for some time as that it was one we must in an absolute way win to have any hope of making it through to the second round. I happened to be on a train (hoping it was the correct one) from Brussels-Nord to the Brussels 'National' airport (which is actually their interNational airport) when the game started.

Not long after a friend SMS'ed me to let me know that Japan had scored against us. One nil against the Socceroos. Hmmmm not good.

With this dark news hanging in mind I navigated my way through the unfamiliar Brussels airport to get ready to fly to Rome. Giggling erupted as I saw a huge Boeing propaganda billboard in the foyer. They really are terrified of the A380!

After Checking in, passing through security, and taking a photo of a huge Hergé moon-rocket advertisement, I headed for my gate and sighted an airport pub, which like all pubs in Europe at this time had a large TV with live World Cup games playing.

Immediately I recognised that it was the all important Australia vs Japan game in progress and that the score was still one nil against us. Bother!

I proceed past the pub to find exactly where my gate was. An old habit I developed to avoid missing a flight. After locating the necessary gate, and with a bit of time to spare I immediately returned to the pub to see what the Socceroos where up to.

Still one nil against us as I returned and the game was getting deep into it's closing stages. It dawned on me at that time that people must pray more when the world cup is on - so I joined them. "Dear God, please help us!". I watched a few more anxious minutes then added a second prayer " but Your will be done Lord."

On a Sunday, the last Mass in the Archdiocese of Brisbane is at 7:30 in St. Stephen's Cathedral. Colloquially it's know as "Lovers and Drunks" as both these types of people seem to frequent this Mass.

Lovers, because they've just spent the whole day together and lost track of time (as often happens when love is young). Drunks because they seem to be wandering by after being kicked out of a pub, and want to see what the crowd is about, and have their say if the whim takes them.

Tonight I caught the "Lovers and Drunks" due to poor time planning. "Thank God for this Mass" I thought to myself as I pondered on life, humanity and God before the Mass started.

In a certain sense, the Catholic Church itself is a lot like this Mass. It's open to all of humanity, including those aglow with love to whom all the world is wonderful, and those who are tasting bitterness and disappointments in life, in part due to unjust circumstances, and in part due to their own disordered choices, weaknesses and addictions.

The Church welcomes the cynical, those with soaring spirits, all of us in between, and invites us to unload the burden of our sinfulness, to listen to Christ and be better people, to be there for each other and to remember that hope springs eternal.

Catholics hold that Christ is truly present at each Mass, and as He did when he walked in Palestine 2000 years ago, He ministers to all; the lovers, the drunks and me.

Life

Without even knowing, my Mum understands how Open Source works perfectly.

My Mother loves plants and flowers, and loves to make them grow and flourish. As well as her love for plants she loves to share the love and freely gives away cuttings or whole plants she's grown.

Walking back home today she noticed a dying flower in a neglected flower bed of a government building. She broke off the head of a flower that had dried up, and seemed dead, yet was about to seed. With this cutting in hand. Mum will be able to grow fresh new plants, keep some and give many away to appreciative new homes.

Coding for Open Source software works almost exactly like this. Grow some code, keep it and give it away at the same time.

Due to a kind of fast forming tradition, as I finished my previous position last year, the IT fellows I worked with got together and purchased an Estes model rocket as a farewell present.

Naturally, I was overjoyed, and the next day at 8:00am prior to work, we did 2 launches, both of which were great fun, and with safe landings and recovery.

So what do you get with a hobbyist model rocket? You get instructions an airframe, launch pad, remote launch panel, a blast plate, and parachute and a solid rocket booster not unlike the variety found on NASA's Space Shuttle, just smaller.

Smaller indeed, but it still burns with a no-nonsense intensity that gets it off the ground with a significantly swift acceleration and velocity. It's at this point that I discovered what rocket scientists the world around also know; at ballistic speeds, small variations become big differences quickly. At that point all you can do is watch - Whoosh!

Later over Christmas with nieces, nephews and family around I did another 2 launches, which were less successful than the first 2, but not catastrophic.

The first launch (pictured here) lost it's parachute, and the second went for a wander on the wind. The lessons learned; Check the condition of all of the equipment prior to launch & don't launch when it's windy!

Taking a weekend off for a retreat is great gift, and a rather good thing to do annually. A time when everything else can be put on hold, so that you can focus the attention of both your the mind and soul on God and your relationship with Him, and by natural progression, everyone else.

I was fortunate enough this weekend to make such a retreat with about 20 other people, and although my physical health is not currently optimal, spiritually I'm very glad that that I did.

You see, anyone with half a teaspoonful of wisdom is aware that there's a lot more to life than what you see. Add to that the significant tradition over multiple millennia across multiple cultures of inner reflection and prayer and an inquiring mind would be inclined to ask; why?

The much abbreviated answer is that God not only exists, but is much closer to each one of us than we may acknowledge, consider or prefer. We live and move and have our being as a direct conscious act of God's will. He wants us to live, move and have our being.

Now there has been many a wise old sage in times past going by the name of Danté, but this is a result I didn't expect.

According to the "Which sci-fi character are you?" online survey, it appears I'm most like the little green champion of the light.

Hrrmmm, flood me not with your comments all ... Yes?

A few months ago an attempt was made to upgrade this humble blog and remove the 2000+ spam comments. No, really, I'm NOT interested in poker...

And now, all is done!

Life to the Full is back, ready to be filled with all the highly opinionated and slightly insightful prose that we've delivered in the past.

Keep an eye out for a few retrospective posts that may appear soon.

Feel free to leave a comment - as long as it's not about poker. (!!!)

Sure Steve Jobs is the kind of fellow to either inspire or increase ire in people, but I cant help but like him. We have both been active in IT for some time now.

So it was something of a shock to me and others when we read of his pancreatic cancer in recent days.

It seems all is going to be ok, as Jobsie wrote emails on his 17” powerbook from his hospital bed, announcing that his form of pancreatic cancer — an islet cell neuroendocrine tumour — is extremely rare and easily cured if diagnosed early.

What at strange situation we find ourselves in. After years of robot movies like Robocop, Terminator, The Matrix and AI, now comes the father of them all; I, Robot.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov is a collection of short stories published in 1950, and is best remembered for the three simple yet immutable Laws of Robotics. Looks like hollywood have finally decided to milk some cash from it in the form of a movie.

Although I'm yet to see this film, there are already signs of restlessness on forums and in blogs, and the choice of Will Smith as one of the lead characters does not instil confidence.

Life is like a kitchen. You can walk in hungry, and look for something tasty that's ready to eat in the fridge, and complain if you don't find any - or you can carefully asses the ingredients you do have, apply some skill, and prepare a tasty morsel based on what's at hand.

I suspect that an active loving relationship with the omnipotent author of everything is somewhat like that analogy also. At least it is for me.

You may search for a previously prepared proof of God's active participation in your life (and they do exist, but just may not be in your fridge), or you can take the care to notice the litany of signs that flood one's day like notes in a symphony. When you mix these ingredients together, with a little care, flair and passion, you'll end up with a very pleasant meal, that is pleasant in appearance and good to eat.