Another Year Over...

In two days time I will be getting on to a plane to head to Rome. This has come about very quickly, and I still haven't even thought about starting to pack. But no matter: still have the morning of leaving to get everything done in time.

But what have we all achieved this year? What kind of goals have you set and achieved, or failed? Or are still trying to attain? I hope that everyone has at least achieved one goal that they set at the beginning of the year. I've certainly achieved one, but I don't know about more than that.

So. New Year Resolutions. Suggestions? Mine certainly always involve less procrastination on the internet. Somehow I always feel certain, before I even make the goal, that I'm going to fail at that one. But apart from that, what other goals should I set for me to achieve? There are a couple:

• Make more time for sport/leisure exercise
• Spend more time at the piano and/or flute
• Use the diary I was given for Christmas to good effect (as well as the receipt book)
• Try and enjoy having a 30th Birthday

Yes, the big 3-0 is looming near, and I haven't even thought of what to do about it. Not that turning 30 is really that big a thing. It's certainly a change in mindset to what it was ten, fifteen years ago. But it certainly means that you're certainly supposed to be even more responsible than what you are already... Hmmm...

Anyway. Good luck with your New Year's Eve party (if you're going to one), and best wishes for the New Year. 

Ahhh...Rome...Looking forward to what you do for New Year's!

The Nativity Story Told Using Social Media

This is a beautifully composed 're-telling' of the Nativity story using social media networks that everyone, including children, would be able to relate to in this modern age. I'm guessing that it's been put together out of fun and games, and a sense  'let's see what they would need and use to actually do this nowadays'.

Enjoy the humorous video.

Btw, if I don't say so beforehand: I hope each and every one of you have a lovely Christmas (if it is appropriate!). Stay safe!

Muse and U2 Concerts

If you hadn't already found out, I went to the Muse Concert on Friday night and the U2 concert on Monday night in Sydney. They were great! Actually...MUSE WERE AWESOME....U2 WERE GREAT!

The concert at Acer Arena for Muse was absolutely wonderful. They couldn't have done a better job. Actually, including the song 'Invincible' would have just topped the night off like nothing else. But they played my favourite ('Starlight'), so I suppose there really can't be any complaints whatsoever to be made.
The light show to go with it was just great! A couple of times the green lights went straight into the eyes, but you get that. It's nothing. And having the screens as they were so that you could see them really easily - brilliant idea!!
And I found it just absolutely wonderful overall because I was able to sing along with all the songs. Yes - I'm that much of a fan! And (if you didn't know), I'm that much of a fan in only 7 months...
I'm hoping that they plan another trip out to Australia in the next couple of years. Maybe after the release of another album. Is there another album in the works, guys? Please? Pretty please???

The U2 concert was great. Definitely. It was just wonderful to be able to see the band live, after watching video clips and listening to the CDs that I own of their stuff since my oldest friend gave one to me back in the 90s (All That You Can't Leave Behind). And the setup was great to see after seeing some photos of it friends had taken at other concerts.
The light show for them, too, was great. There were many and varied light displays on the stage, some very pretty. The big '360*' screen was wonderful, as well! What a great way to enjoy the show so that everyone in the stadium can see the band.
The only problem was that I didn't know all the songs. I haven't got their last couple of albums, and so I haven't been able to keep up with their stuff. When they played something new it sounded, at times, just like a bit of noise.
It wouldn't be a U2 concert, though, without a political message. It was good to see them advocating for the release of political prisoners, and having Amnesty International lanterns on the stage. It's good to see high profile people putting their name behind a cause. I just hope that what they do actually gets somewhere, rather than be ignored. Doubt you could ignore them all the time, though.

I've put a couple of pages up on my blog for these concerts. Probably will actually amalgamate them in the end. Will probably only put a couple of pictures up of the Muse concert (cause we were seated quite a distance from the stage, and they're mostly blurry), but will put a few U2 photos up.

Overall, they were great concerts, and you missed out big time if you weren't there. (Then again, if you aren't a fan, I suppose you didn't....but you should be a fan...)

An important message for all video gamers???

This is a great video to help people understand things about video gaming. It's a good little video demonstrating how much time gaming can take up in one's life, but what can also be brought out of it if used in the right way/manner. Of course, you're going to have those that say any type of gaming is detrimental to the health/well-being of any person, but, is it so?

Which way/manner are you using video gaming in your life?

And it goes for all social networking sites, too, I suppose. Make sure you find a balance, people!

Flood Waters of Dubbo

Sophie and Charlie Lockyer: Dubbo Flood - LH Ford Bridge and North Dubbo -5.12... <-- Click on the link!

This is a really great slideshow demonstrating how high the water has got in one of the large towns near where I used to live. Have a look. The picture with Uncle Pete's Toys....well....there is a hill down from the shop, and the traffic lights...well....I think you can get the gist from the picture just how high the water is if you look closely....It's high!

So...apparently we don't take the time to appreciate...

I have just received an e-mail, and had to investigate more...

A social experiment using one of the finest young violinists in America took place in April 2007. The experiment was to see if people would stop and appreciate the music he played in a busy Washington D.C. metro (underground) station. He had roughly 22 people stop to listen to him, and appreciate his playing, and raised around $US32.

Considering Joshua Bell can play to packed concert halls, each ticket equating to somewhere between $US50 and $US100, it can possibly be determined that we don't take the time to appreciate fine music. Not only that, we don't take time to, not relax, but to savour those moments worth remembering and appreciating. (There's that word again.) Perhaps it's time to take a moment, enjoy a show (all 2:36 of it), and watch how people don't even realise what a wonderful musician can accomplish on a Stradivarius Violin (worth $3.5mil).



Take time, people, to stop and smell the roses, as well as appreciate and savour the moment. It's worth it, sometimes, and you might not even realise who you're watching, or why what you're viewing is so wonderful... It's great because it just is... (Yeah, great grammar, I know...but I don't care!)