by cameron | Jan 3, 2007 | Podcast
Tonight Duncan and I talk about:
Australia’s Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott and his Catholic invasion
Casino Royale, what a great Bond film!
Music Industry Changes Its Tune on Podcasting? No, not so much.
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The G’Day World Theme Song is “Save Me†by The Napoleon Blown Aparts.
by cameron | Dec 21, 2006 | Uncategorized
As yesterday (Dec 20) was the anniversary of Carl Sagan‘s death, I think it’s fitting that tonight we discuss his life and contributions to humanity. If you want to join me on the show, then let me know in the comments section below. We’ll kick-off about 9.30pm AEDT. Check out the shownotes here. I remember visiting Ithaca, NY, a few years ago and doing the tour of the “Pace The Space” monument.
I was ten when Sagan’s TV show “Cosmos” came out in 1980 and I remember watching it in awe. His ability to communicate how mind-boggling yet logical the processes of evolution and the creation of the universe were/are, helped destroy the last vestiges of my Catholic upbringing, far more than anything I was taught at school. Ah, the power of television used for good and not evil!
Watch Carl explain 4 Billion years of evolution.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMHNnhAEDN4]
And remember Fat Boy Slim’s version?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLKH-t7HBkY]
by cameron | Aug 28, 2006 | Iraq, Uncategorized
I’ve never really been a huge U2 fan. I can take or leave most of their catalogue although I respect Bono’s ability to write a lyric. And I’ve always been suspicious about his whole "save the world" shtick, not because of him per se, just because I am suspicious of any celebrity attaching themselves to a cause.
But I saw him interviewed about his work on TV (was it 60 Minutes?) a few months ago and some of the things he said struck a chord with me.
So in the airport yesterday morning, on my way to QLD, I picked up a copy of Bono On Bono Michka Assayas’s 2005 book containing a series of revealing interviews with the guy over the course of the early 2000’s. I’m already about two-thirds of the way through it and it’s one of the most inspirational reads I’ve had in a long time. Almost every page is chock full of quotes that smack you upside the head. Whether he’s talking about U2’s approach to their music or his political activism, it’s just a series of brilliant ideas. Even though he is a very passionate Catholic, and almost every page relates his work in both fields to his spiritual beliefs, which I definitely don’t identify with, the guy has so much first-hand wisdom about success in art and politics that this book is a complete gem.
I feel like it’s almost a personal call to me to grow up in a bunch of ways. He tells this story that he said is responsible in many ways for his political direction at the moment which I’ll relate here, albeit in a paraphrased fashion. The story was related to Bono by Harry Belafonte. HB told of a time when Bobby Kennedy has become Attorney General of they United States and the entire civil rights movement, under the leadership of Martin Luther King, was depressed because Kennedy was a racist and was going to block all of the civil rights efforts. King was presiding over a meeting with a group of his followers and he said something like "do you mean to tell me that there isn’t one nice thing you can say about Bobby Kennedy?". "That’s what we’re trying to tell you, there is nothing good to say about him", his people told him. And so King broke up the meeting and said they were not going to discuss the matter again until someone could find something good to say about Kennedy. Eventually they learned that Kennedy was close to his bishop. So the entire civil rights movement ganged up on Kennedy’s bishop and got him to convince Kennedy that morally he had to support them. And he became their biggest supporter.
So I had always wondered how a guy like Bono manages to get close to guys like Bush and Blair, if he truly represents what he says he does, and they are the worst manifestations of modern Western imperialism. And this is his angle. He finds the one thing they can agree on and ignores EVERYTHING else. He says in the book, when he’s working with them on debt relief, he ignores the Iraq invasion. He ignores all of the other evils they preside over. Because he knows he can only fight one fight at a time. He finds the common ground and ignores everything else. I find that REALLY hard to do in my dealings with people.
I think I can learn a lot from this guy. I’m almost finished the book and I think I’ll re-read it again as soon as I’m done. This time I’ll take notes.
by cameron | Sep 16, 2005 | Melbourne, Podcast
If you’ve never encountered Father Bob Maguire, you’re in for a genuine treat with this show.
His official bio really doesn’t do him justice:
Fr Maguire began parish work in the 1960’s. He Joined the Army Reserve In 1965 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During the Vietnam War, he led the Character Training Unit for young officers. He came to Sts Peter and Paul’s as Parish Priest in 1973.
Fr Maguire co-founded Open Family in 1978 in what was a natural progression of his career in helping others. In what started off as a solo effort outside his role of South Melbourne parish priest, Fr Bob found himself working with the street-people of St Kilda. As Open Family’s Chairman, he has been an outspoken advocate of the poor and disadvantaged.
Throughout his Life, Fr Maguire’s goal has been to provide a semblance of basic human relationships to young people who have been rejected by their family, the education system and the welfare system.
For his work with street children, Fr Bob Maguire was awarded with the Order of Australia in 1989.
This recent article does it better:
Even at 71 years of age, South Melbourne priest Father Bob Maguire can still be counted on to stir up some controversy. But it’s all for a good cause, writes Andrew Fenton.
The first time we meet, Bob Maguire is jovial and charming, making jokes and hamming it up for the camera. “Oh, so you must have heard about the woman running away from the church?†he says, chuckling. “Or about the time I spent in prison?â€
Maguire also says “Jesus Christ!†a number of times, yet never in a religious context. First impression: top bloke. But Maguire is as volatile as he is excitable, and the second time we meet he has transformed into a grumpy old fellow who yells a lot.
Despite agreeing to give a tour of his church and presbytery in South Melbourne, he’s changed his mind, and excitedly yammers at a couple of volunteers to do itfor him. They agree rather wearily, but it’s clear they’d rather be elsewhere.
Maguire is at best cantankerous; at worst, the world’s biggest pain in the rectory. He barks replies, refuses to answer questions, and generally behaves badly because he’s old and can get away with it. Despite this, he manages to be extremely likeable. His bluster is like a summer storm – quickly forgotten.
Maguire is a 71-year-old Catholic priest who believes Australia would be better off if drugs were decriminalised, and who is receptive to the argument that private schools should be abolished.
He contradicts the Pope by saying the church should butt out of the contraception debate. He created controversy after taking confessions live on radio; he once blessed Crown Casino and angered Reverend Tim Costello; and he’s the oldest personality ever to appear weekly on Triple J.
I first became aware of him about six months ago, when I was urged by my mate Ben Barren to listen to the podcast of SUNDAY NIGHT SAFRAN, a show on Australia’s JJJ youth network about “religion, politics and hoochies”.
Since then I’ve been fortunate to chat with Bob in person a number of times and he’s my kind of bloke. No bullshit about him and he is on a mission to change things. The neighbourhood, the country, the church. And I want to help him get it done.
I’m proud to announce that this interview is actually Episode #1 of The Father Bob Show on TPN which will launch sometime in the next week.
If you want some more background on Father Bob, you can read his blog.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present, for your listening pleasure – the one, the only – Father Bob Maguire.
