Five "news" items on the new look SMH

I see the smh online has a completely new look today. I got quite a surprise when seeing it for the first time this morning. I think I quite like the new layout.

But one thing sure hasn't changed. Here's five items deemed to be "newsworthy" by the smh online editors at the time I looked at the front page this evening:

1. Scud makes his pick: Philippoussis goes public with his dating show winning candidate. This was the top headline story I must point out with the most prominent accompanying picture.

2. Star treatment for Michelle: She may play the villain but Pfeiffer was all smiles on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

3. What the gossip mags say: Poor Kirstie Alley can't indulge in a Mars Bar or 10 without them finding out. OK, so I know this column is a bit of a toungue-in-cheek-holier-than-thou send up of the gossip mags, but don't go telling me the Herald isn't using its weekly "What the gossip mags say" spot simply to disguise it's own indulgence in celebrity gossip behind a thinly veiled veneer of broadsheet "quality" city newspaper snobbery.

4. Trash Talk: Jude and Cam? Reese and Ryan? Trouble with Brangelina? It's Trash Talk time again. See point 3 above.

5. Box office poison: Crowe not worth the money - Australian actor gives the worst box office return on his salary, according to Forbes. OK, that's vaguely news. But it's still really just indulging in discussing celebrity salaries isn't it?



Is there really much difference between the SMH online and New Idea? Hhhmmm ... not sure ...

Five interesting things about Dubai

Dubai: 1990

Dubai: 2005

1. There are more cranes in Dubai than any other city in the world. Estimates range from 15% to 24% of the world's construction cranes are currently located in Dubai. It is the world's fastest growing city.

2. The expatriate population of Dubai is about 85%.

3. The median age in Dubai is 27 years.

4. The ratio of males to females in Dubai is 3:1.

5. Although the average temperature in Dubai in the coming week will range from a minimum of 31 to a maximum of 42, you can still go snow skiing in any day of the year in downtown Dubai.

A mysterious God? Salvation is tangible ...

Dan is posting some excellent stuff on music lately.  This post is gold.  All about how humans love mystery, but ultimately knowing God is not mysterious at all.

 

Dan starts out stating that we humans are into a bit of mystery:

 

Humans love mystery. Particularly in worship we are generally drawn to the mysterious. There is a sense in our post modern society that if it is mysterious it has meaning or value.

 

He then goes on to talk about examples of Christians craving mystery and an "ethereal experience" of God.  Then he gets to this bit which is the highlight of the piece, and beautifully expressed:

 

However there can be a problem when we prefer a good mystery to a revealed truth. Jesus is God in flesh. He is a tangible reality. He ate. He died. He walked around. He was not a spirit being who was beyond us but rather was God with us. No doubt this is a earth-shattering concept but salvation itself is tangible.

Good stuff.  A fleshly Jesus.  A tangible salvation.