Film Review: Horton hears a Who!

I know its a kids film, but it had to be seen and what a wonderous joy it was! A fun film with so many laughs you'd have to be dead not to enjoy it, there's no need to explain this anymore.
Happiness inducing nonesense, with a really good message "a person is a person however small!" My favourite moments were the japanese cartoon section, the vulture or any time the monkeys were on the screen, genius! (4/5)

Sworny's visit!

Sworny came for 10 days and we had a top time together, above you can see how burly Si is as he keeps the Ravenel Bridge from falling over and how nimble he is (below) as he got inside the Chik-filet kids play area!!
We spent Friday - Tuesday in Charleston enjoying the sites of the surrounding Islands and Downtown Charleston. We got to go out for a few drinkies, watch England beat Ireland in the Six Nations at an Irish pub :), go to the beach (we even ran into the sea . . .then ran straight back out as it was freezing still! We saw an MLS game before a severe thunder storm ended things, Si tried about 6 milkshakes and 4 ice cream places. We went to my Church and Si came to some of our Youth program. He got to meet most of my good friends and we even visited Jb out at Camp St Christopher which was ace.
On Wednesday we drove up to Asheville, NC and stayed with Bruce a friend from church who married Chris who i live under on Isle of Palms :) We had a funny hot tub experience and then after a day there we went on an adventure up the Blue Ridge Parkway in the mountains and slept out in the car which was freezing too! Then we returned to Asheville for one more night before heading to Charlotte to catch an NBA game for Si's birthday which was ace.

Music Review: The Hard Sell - DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist

The Hard Sell is the third megamix of old 45's (vinyl) by Dj Shadow and Cut Chemist and I would say that this is the finest outing so far. The other two: 1999's 'Brain Freeze' and 2001's 'Product Placement' were not as fluid, clean or masterfully mixed as 'the Hard Sell'. Thats not to say that the former ones weren't incredible but this just sounds marvelous and I personally enjoy this more than the first two parts of this killer trilogy.
It just feels bigger, more grand and the fact that Shadow and Cut have also released a DVD as well as 2 versions of the CD makes me think they are very proud of this little party starter.
At just under 1 hour and 20 mins you are getting a ton of music for your money and you will want to listen to it over and over to work out all the tracks. I have played this over 10 times already and I am still learning it, how it flows, what some of the tracks are etc.
This is a feast for your ears and one that definitely can't be played in the background, so sit back and turn the knob up to 11 and enjoy this special treat. (4.5/5)

Film Review: Doomsday

This was probably the craziest film I have ever seen, was it good i think so!? Ha ha I really don't know what to think of a film that starts in the future and ends up in medieval times no I am not joking. This film was definitely fun but it also stole from more films that i can list here but here goes nothing. 28 Days/weeks later, Aliens, Mad Max, Evil Dead: Army of Darkness, Resident Evil, Underworld, Robin Hood, Monty Python and Elmo goes to Grouchland. Okay that last one wasn't true but I wouldn't have been surprised if it was!!

A fun, over the top zombie/mad max extravanganza that will make more left turns than any film in history! (2.5/5)

Sworny in Chucktown!

Simon my best friend from home, here seen on the right, next to my other very good friends Stocky and Myles outside The Cricketers pub - great cider JB you would love it!
Si has come to visit me for 10 days and I am so excited. We will spend a long weekend in Charleston (Chucktown) where he will meet a whole bunch of my friends, go to my church, go to the beach, go downtown and see the local footie team the Battery play an MLS team called NY Redbulls who have some ex-premier league players.

Then we are going on a roadtrip to Washington DC (about 9 hours north) for a couple of days, then we are heading to the mountains of North Carolina in Ashville for two days before visiting Charlotte briefly to see an NBA game Bobcats vs Miami Heat!

I am hoping it will be a restful, fun, adventurous and encouraging spiritually for us both, be praying for us that it is. Well i suppose i better go pick Si up as his plane arrives shortly . . . updates and photos coming soon!

Jesus Weekend 08

Jesus Weekend is an annual Diocesan retreat that we take our confirmation students to and this year I got to for the first time and i was excited. we had 17 students come in the end and one of our wonderful High School volunteers, Jess Funk came as the female leader. The weekend runs through the whole life of christ and there talks, discussion groups, Youth Group times and quiet reflection as well as the legendary Camp St Christopher food that didn't dissappoint.

As this was a big event there were tons of other churches present and over 120 students in total. Above our my 8th Grade boys who I shared a cabin with, thankfully for all of us we didn't have any gassy moments and no-one snored! :)

Friday we looked at Jesus the healer and his miracles. Saturday we looked at Jesus' death, we watched the PG-13 version of Jesus crucifixion from The Passion of the Christ which was very powerful after all the teaching and we also washed the students feet (See Jess washing Anna's below) as an act of servant leadership which Christ modelled. We left the chapel in the evening in silence out of respect for what Jesus did, dying for all our sins so that we didn't get what we deserve, amazing.

Sunday morning we worshipped and praised our Lord and Savior as we looked at the resurrection and then we headed home alot more sleepy then when we arrived!

Will and Helen are engaged!!!!

I am so happy that two of my closest friends out here (Helen and Will here seen in matching outfits, nicely co-ordinated guys haha) are getting married!! Will who i work with proposed to Helen in the moutains beside a waterfall and after alot of tears she said YES!! Will has asked me to be a Groomsman at the wedding which will be a week after Ben and Sarahs back home, so that will be a crazy but awesome week!

Book Review: Boy Meets Girl

I was recommended this book by Jonathan who read it before meeting Melissa, who incidently had just read it too! This is for anyone who is single and wanting to know how to find someone but with a twist - although practical this is first about your relationship with God and trusting in him. There are some wonderful stories and real life testimonies of people who had gone the wrong way, been hurt or had given up and how they put God first in their lives and how he blessed them.
I have found this book to be really inspiring and encouraging to me, I was of course challenged by the chapters that look to our own selfishness and sin. However this book left me feeling happy where i am and in who i am, a child of God. And i can honestly say that i am trusting in Him for my future wife who will be my perfect fit, cos He picked her, I am already excited about that.

If you are someone who has ever wondered will I ever find the person that I will marry, why hasn't it happened yet or is there something I can do about it, then you need to read this book. (5/5)