Category: Daily Life

This new Aussie drama series on channel 7 features an experienced cast of Australian actors including Noni Hazlehurst, Shane Bourne, Nadine Garner and Aaron Pederson. And it looks like there will be a further array of familiar faces trotted out for guest appearances in upcoming episodes.

The first story was a little bit out there – a rogue cop, a crazed but devious psychiatrist and innocent children burnt alive in deliberately lit house fires. In one scene the detectives are investigating the vacated flat of a suspect, the landlady comments on the smell caused by ‘damp’ – next thing a very damp and rotting corpse falls out of the ceiling. It was like something out of a B grade horror movie.

At headquarters the storyline is a little more sophisticated, with the power play of office politics. Nadine Garner has an interesting role as a smart female detective having to work harder to prove herself so she is not forever relegated to the coffee pot.

Lets hope the storylines get better, and perhaps City Homicide will join the list of classic Australian police drama – Homicide, Division Four, Matlock Police, Cop Shop, and Blue Heelers.

• City Homicide on Yahoo7
• A short history of Aussie Cop Shows

Ok well it all started a few weeks ago when I found the job ad on Seek.com.au. I put in an application not expecting much really. I got an email the next day inviting me to sit an online skills assessment test. I was told that I’d passed, and to expect a phone call.

Couple of days later, this nice guy Rod called and asked me some questions – my background, why I wanted to do this kind of work, that sort of thing. He said I’d be getting another call.

The following week Rebecca called, she told me more about the job, who I’d be working for and asked pretty much the same questions Rod had asked. She said I’d be getting an email with further instructions.

Didn’t hear anything for about a week, then got a text message on my mobile – to get my work contract faxed down to their office by close of business that day. Slight hitch – I hadn’t received any contract! Had no luck getting hold of anyone, left messages but didn’t hear anything so gave up and put it down to bad luck.

Then a few days ago I got another call from Rebecca, asking if I was still interested in the job. Told her yes, only I’d never received any contract. So she emailed it again, this time I got it. Signed it, faxed it down to her the next day.

Since then I’ve been getting all these emails with logins and forms and instructions. I have to whip through an online accreditation course this weekend, Rebecca says I’ll be contacted again either Monday or Tuesday to see if I’m ready to start taking on work. So that’s the story so far..

Our newest solution/delivery model is SalesForce@Home – a revolutionary idea which not only offers traditional SalesForce excellence, but eliminates the costs and environmental impacts of building infrastructure and commuting. By decentralising the call centre team into agent homes and providing sophisticated connection capabilities, decentralised agents are provided with identical functionality to those located in a centralised facility.

The call centre industry is probably the first example of how large-scale decentralisation is now possible through advances in technological development – self-starting individuals will now be able to work for mainstream Australian public companies from home.

(from Salesforce@Home online introductory material, 2007)

Luke 12:49-53

The gospel of Jesus Christ soothes, heals, cleanses. The gospel also challenges, confronts and creates a crisis of decision. The latter experience is the focus of today’s readings. In order to embrace the peace and joy of salvation we must undergo a passage of rejection and suffering, letting go of old ways. The way of Christ through death to resurrection is the path of the Christian disciple.

In today’s second reading, St Paul encourages us not to grow weary or lose heart, but to persevere in following Jesus. Our willingness to give of ourselves, even in the face of conflict and division, is one way to measure our discipleship.

– Fr John Conway

Then we will no longer be content to scrape a living just for ourselves, but we will see where and how we are needed. Living and acting thus, we will soon realize that it is much better to be useful and at the disposal of others than to be concerned only with the comforts that are offered to us.

I know that you as young people have great aspirations, that you want to pledge yourselves to build a better world. Let others see this, let the world see it, since this is exactly the witness that the world expects from the disciples of Jesus Christ; in this way, and through your love above all, the world will be able to discover the star that we follow as believers.

– Pope Benedict XVI “Let us Go Forward with Christ!” Homily at closing Mass of World Youth Day, Cologne Aug. 21, 2005

I must say I enjoy The Simpsons cartoon series, so when I heard I could re-create myself as a Simpson’s character I jumped right in!

Here are Hubby and I as Simpsons (I’m on the right).

Captured our likenesses quite OK I thought, although Hubby hasn’t really got a flat top. I asked him who he thought they looked like, he answered “er.. Dr Hibbard and Edna Crabapple?”

Make your own Simpsons avatar likeness at http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/.

Earlier this year Dad was diagnosed with leukaemia. It was a shock for all of us, and sad also because Dad had kept it to himself for a while, he hadn’t wanted to burden Mum with the news. She found out quite by accident and thank goodness that she did, because I think Dad might otherwise have buried his head in the sand about it – something we can all sympathise with.

Mum and Dad don’t like driving in the city, so in early May I volunteered to take Dad into the city hospital where his blood test results were reviewed by an oncology specialist. The specialist explained he had to go for more tests in three months so the results could be compared, to determine the severity of the condition and its best treatment.

In the meantime, the double whammy struck and Dad was also diagnosed with prostate cancer. In most cases treatment would immediately be considered to remove the growth and prevent its spread, however the leukaemia complicated this – it was not known how advanced the leukaemia was, or how it might affect recovery.

Well we’ve just had a small bit of good news. On Tuesday we went back to the hospital for Dad’s second meeting with the specialist. She told him to return again in another three months for follow up, but at this stage the leukaemia is stable, which means a green light for the prostate surgery. Dad is hoping to have this out of the way in about a month, he’s been told the recovery time is 12 months so he will be forced to take things easy for a while.