Other Interests: pursuing your passion

Al Gore's 2008 update on climate change

Al Gore's talk at TED in March 2008 brings a new sense of urgency to the climate crisis with updated slides and data.

Watch it here. (time: about 20 minutes plus questions)

I've been Andy Warhol'd

The size and depth of the Andy Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane is awesome.

There was so much going on around Warhol and he seems to have been at the cutting edge in creating icons of the time.

Here's a photo booth picture of me done in the Warhol style.

Moving Opera

My son was lucky to be chosen to attend a 4 day workshop run by Opera Queensland's Moving Opera program for schools.

At the end they did a presentation of the different activities the 25 boys and girls had done during the week: theatre sports, tableaux, diction, singing, drama. They did short ensemble pieces from Don Giovanni, Little Shop of Horrors and Pirates of Penzance.

Considering most of the boys had no musical background the results were a credit to all involved. And it looked like they had a lot of fun.

Here's Tarantara (When the foreman bears his steel) from Pirates of Penzance captured on a mobile phone.

Right brain, left brain

This video of a presentation by Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor is a knockout: a powerful personal story told clearly by a scientist!  Watch this.

Song of hope: Falling Slowly

Falling Slowly won the 2007 Oscar for best song in a movie (Once). Beautiful song, poignant movie.

Brevity can say a lot

Six word memoirs...excellent use of photos with words

On funerals

I've been to too many funerals lately. Perhaps it reflects my age.

I go as a sign of respect for the deceased.

Jewish funerals are simple and dignified: no flowers, a basic pine coffin, some brief prayers .

The funeral and burial takes place as soon as possible on the day after death, ideally within 24 hours.

The eulogies share the good things about the deceased and praise what they did and express our loss.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a 96 year old lady who made friends easily through her energy, enthusiasm and teaching ability. Her husband, a minister, died 15 years ago. Her final years were in a nursing home but people regularly visited her and she was well cared for. The rabbi put it well when he said that although she had no physical children, she had many spiritual children.

Achieving your childhood dreams

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture (September 2007) was renamed Achieving your childhood dreams (You Tube video).

He had terminal cancer and listed the things he had dreamt of as a child and how he achieved them.

Modest but inspirational, his favourite saying is "brick walls are there to show how much you want to get around them".

This WSJ video summarises the response to the lecture.

World University Debating Championships Thailand 2008: Final results

Queensland E was knocked out in the semi-finals.

The Semi Final motion was that extreme economic need should be grounds for asylum.

The finalists were Oxford A, Monash A, Sydney A, Cambridge B.

The final topic was "that people who give HIV to others must pay drug support."

Oxford A won.(World Debating Website)

World University Debating Championships Thailand 2008: Queensland in semi-finals

The World Debating website reports that Queensland E (Evan Goldman and Lauren Humphrey) are through to the semi-finals together with 2 other Australian teams.

The Qtr Final motion was: This House would force religious adoption agencies to place children with homosexual couples.