The happy clappers at Hillsong

As if normal religions aren't bad enough, we have newer religious organisations such as Hillsong. I've no idea what Hillsong is about but it seems to attract nice but disaffected people who are believers. That's just my opinion. I don't think anywhere has done better with happy clapper religions and scandals than the US as the people behind the happy clapper nonsense raked in millions of dollars to spend on themselves, were unfaithful to partners, involved in sexual scandals and more.

Followers of Islam go to great lengths to justify their religion but they have no tolerance of a diverse society and while the rest of Australian electorates voted for gay marriage, one heavily Islamic suburb in Sydney did not. Then you get prats like this Muslim bloke who preaches such hatred against gay people. It's a quick read. He should be prosecuted for hate speech.  https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/sydney-muslim-preacher-goes-on-vile-rant-against-lgbt-persons-worldpride/222423

Back to Hillsong with some links that should work for you.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/05/hillsong-founder-pastor-brian-houston-sydney-court-trial

I love the Kardashion reference in this one. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/09/hillsong-accused-of-money-laundering-and-tax-evasion-by-mp-under-parliamentary-privilege

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/world/australia/brian-houston-hillsong-resign.html

Crooks, liars, thieves and charlatans. 

I've just checked the definition of religious bigot and it seems I am not one. It just seems like it and I make no apologies.

What floor are you on?

In Australia multi level buildings have a ground floor then a first floor and then a second floor and so forth.

As I understand in North America it works that what we call the ground floor is the first floor and so our first floor will be their second floor.

I have readers all over the world. Is your ground level floor called ground level or first floor?

Over to you for an answer from England, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, France, Japan, India and anywhere I have missed out. I will already guess that ground floor then first floor is used in Britain.

I actually think the North American system makes more sense, though it is not what I am used to.

Farmer Brown goes troppo

Sadly blogger Cro hates me now. After 19 years of blogging, I am used to being dropped. No matter. I still read his blog, something I don't normally do after being dumped. Cro led me to this entertaining story.

This is the story from ITV. The farmer was not convicted of a crime and nor should he have been. The 'victims' claims they had two flat tyres and that is why they parked across his driveway and refused to move their car.

The ITV story is here and there is also a longer and more entertaining clip on YouTube clip here.

I think this is the right clip.

I am reminded of a resident of The Highrise who threw a urine filled condom down towards skater boys who were noisily damaging private property with their skateboard jumping. I don't know if it hit them, and the resident wasn't game to look over to check, but there was sudden silence below and they have not returned.

When authorities don't care to enforce laws and rules, citizens may well take the law into into their own hands. 

Over or under?

Throughout Greater Melbourne a level crossing removal programme has been underway, where trains meet motor traffic and trams. The separation between road and train is very expensive but will only become more expensive if left. It would have been cheaper to do this a couple of decades ago. Both material and labour costs are so high at the moment, but the programme presses on.

A cynic might suggest that trains are dropped into a trench in very politically sensitive Labor marginal seats and overhead trains are for everywhere else. 

I see the overhead trains known as Skyrail somewhat of a visual blight but a lot of thought has put into what sits under Skyrails and the result with public facilities and cycle paths has been quite good. And Skyrail has nothing on the blight of elevated motor car freeways. 

Some level crossings delay so few cars and are deemed quite safe so won't be changed and I agree with this.

I visited the Skyrail on the Upfield line before it was completed it was shaping up well enough. A few weeks ago I visited Coburg Station and honestly what I saw I thought was terrific and I think quite typical of what has been done elsewhere. Here are a few photos. I did not really have a blog post focus when I visited and I wish I had taken more photos. There was a nice grassed area with some bench seating but the seating was unshaded. There were also seats in the shade of the overhead railway, along with a very busy bike path. It is a nice space.

The original station building was kept and restored. I don't know if it is used for anything now.

A bench seat outside, a ticket machine and ticket validator machines as you enter. There are stairs, I think a staffed ticket office and lifts to the two platforms above. Functional and pleasant to use. 

The only problem with the station is the train service. I had just missed a train and it was a twenty minute wait until the next one. When the under construction Metro tunnel opens in 2025, there will be a massive timetable change for all Melbourne trains and hopefully we will see an improved service for the Upfield train line. 

Natecha

Before I get into it, I had to laugh when I heard the radio news this morning. Prince Spare and Ms Sparkle have been invited to the King's Coronation...by email from The Palace. 

It is a good year for crickets, it seems. Above the traffic white noise I can hear them chirping away. Even after 22 years here nature continues to surprise me, living 60 metres above ground level. We have a cricket on our balcony. It is somewhere in behind the air con unit and chirps away to nothing. It does not have any friend up here and I can't imagine what it eats. It has been here for three days. Crickets must be able to fly, otherwise how would it get up here?

Maybe it was the killer hot year here of 2009 when we had terrible fires. Whatever year it was, down below there was a huge hatching of Monarch butterflies,with one flying up past every five or so minutes for a whole day.

The last couple of days here have been warm and there has been a reasonable hatching of Monarch butterflies, say one every 30 minutes. 

I've looked around down below and I can't see a milkweed plant that they need to breed, but there must be some. They are programmed to fly north to warmer climes, so they fly up the side of our building past us to go over the top of the building. They don't have common sense to fly around the front of the building at ground level to then travel north. 

Nature is all very interesting and to repeat, who would have thought we would be more connected to nature than when we lived in houses, with only snails, worms, slaters, thrip and an occasional Indian Myna and Blackbird visiting. Ah, and possums. Not seen here...yet.

Monday Mural

I'm joining in with Sami and others for Monday Mural.

I've previously shown you some rather cute dog murals painted on a wall at public housing building in South Melbourne. These too are on a similar wall. I meant to take these photos at the same time but I forgot. I walked past a week or so ago and noticed them, and so took some photos. Very cheerful and quite well done. They are by a private company, Melbourne Murals. I've looked at its website and I don't recognise any mural I have seen. 

An eastern rosella, one of the many rosellas in Australia, all of the parrot family.

Superb fairywren, also known as blue wrens. They rarely stay still, jumping and flitting around and so are a bit hard to photograph. The are lovely little birds.

Finally another parrot variety, the sulphur crested cockatoo. No show without Punch.

Smith Street

While it is actually in the inner north and referred to as being in Collingwood, a map tells me Smith Street is in Fitzroy. We took a wander, had some Subway and then coffee.

Poorly educated locals in the early 20th century probably called it Smiff Street. It has a riches to rags past and now is firmly on its way up. It has many places to eat, from cheap to average, bars and a number of other businesses.

Below says:

You wouldn't dream of holding anything on Friday night because it was Smith Street night. That was the social gathering night of(sic) everyone. You couldn't move outside...the rest is unreadable.

This old post office was right up there with other grand post offices at the time.

You can now buy a taco at Hotel Jesus. Jesus bloody Christ.

An original Coles variety store and while empty, it still has its lovely original curved front windows. Coles supermarket is right next door. Developers seem to have gotten their hands on what they can but I should think most of what is left has a decent level of protection.

The very old Grace Darling Hotel. We dined there with friends in the 1980s.

The side street is Peel Street leads to a long gone gay sex on premises venue, Club 80, its adjoined accommodation The Gatehouse, The gay Peel Hotel, still operating is further down Peel Street and around the corner the is gay sauna Wet on Wellington. Also in Peel Street was another gay bar and we were friends with the owners. The bar was originally called Jocks but changed its name to Gay Trade Bar. I think before that it was quite an expensive restaurant and I've forgotten the name. I recall reportage that the late silver spoon bred Prime Ministerial aspirant Andrew Peacock had an affair with US actor Shirley MacLaine and they dined there often.  Wiki just informs me she also had an affair with Lord Mountbatten obviously before he was blown to pieces by the IRA.

They are quite bolshie greenies in Fitzroy. The Federal Government member for the seat is leader of the Greens Party.  Adam Bandt is a very reasonable and personable man.

A gay bar called Sircuit. When it opened we had already stopped going to bars. I believe it is quite popular.

Another all purpose bar it seems.

Foresters Hall 1868. 

Court Perseverance 2727. 

1868 would have the year it was built. I've no idea what 2727 is, let alone Court Perseverance.

I am not saying and it is impolite to ask me about my wah wah.

The cafe/bar Kent Street was terrifically grungy, if even if a little challenging to sensitive souls. The staff were pleasant and friendly and the coffee ok. You know Dorothy is not in Kansas anymore when all the outdoor street tables have ashtrays.

The flag on the left is the Australian Aboriginal flag and the one on the right is Torres Strait Island flag, with them identifying differently.

The finer print says, Theft happens here unfortunately...we are on Smith Street after all.

Grungy cool.

Brilliant.

Pattersons was a furniture and homewares department store.

Before Afterpay.