Miss Universe 2006

This year's Miss Universe contest was recently held. Many "young ladies" participated.

The second runner-up in the competition was Zug, a sessile ovoid creature from a planet circling a burned-out star in the Spiral Galaxy Messier 31. With an age of 397 million years, Zug only qualified as "Miss" because she has not yet reached the breeding age for her species. Zug has spent the last 200 million years constructing a radical new unified physics which would allow faster-than-light travel, virtually free energy, and several other benefits to pan-galactic life. Sadly, she has not been able to find an engineering-oriented species that can understand it, and is hoping that the "Miss Universe" publicity will help to put her in touch with someone who can. She is prepared to be patient, though. "I've waited quite a while already," she said.

First runner-up was Spreel-thurn, a tentacled entity from a liquid-methane moon in the Greater Magellanic Cloud. Although sad at losing, Spreel-thurn's goal in participating had been to work towards stopping the long-running war with planets in the so-called Lesser Magellanic Cloud (a name which she hopes we will all stop using). She achieved her goal by using her time on stage to give a moving plea for intergalactic peace, which drew emotional exudates from all members of the audience.

However, all other contestants were outshone by Sklllth-parn, a sentient gas cloud whose home lies not far from the "Milky Way." Sklllth-parn's hobbies are mathematics, astronomy and contemplative theology, and she impressed the judges with the beauty of her ideas as well as the beauty of her physical appearance. While unable to go on tour (Spreel-thurn will take up that part of her duties), Sklllth-parn will share her thoughts on Life in the Cosmos in a soon-to-be-released book.

Sklllth-parn, Miss Universe 2006

Secret agents I'd like to see

It's been a while since I've seen a 007 film. Maybe it's time for a change. Secret agents I'd like to see are:

Nutt, Hazel Nutt -- A humble pecan farmer by day, Hazel spends her evenings tracking down corrupt businessmen. Whether using her mountain-climbing skills to enter corporate offices high above the city, or tangoing undercover at fashionable dances, Nutt displays an amazing flair for tracing the flow of illegal money to the criminal masterminds who control it.

Joos, Kiwi Joos -- Born in an obscure South Pacific island settled by Scotsmen, Joos has become a jetsetting chameleon. Mingling with the "suits" in New York or London one day, and with the "geeks" of Silicon Valley or Eastern Europe the day after, Joos uncovers practitioners of high-tech terrorism which we never knew existed.

Nayll, "Finger" Nayll -- Badly dressed and with an abrasive personality, Nayll's uncanny ability to find kidnappers, drug traffickers, and serial killers ensured his recruitment to a secretive but essential unit in the FBI. Is it telepathy, or a highly developed intuition? Whatever it is, the clock is ticking. Will he find the villain before it is too late? Or will his colleagues crack under the pressure of working with him?

Adelaide 2

This afternoon, I visisted the Art Gallery of South Australia. While not quite the NGV (and certainly not the Louvre), it's a great little gallery, and well worth a visit.

In keeping with John's latest theme, they have one of the wonderful Burne-Jones "Adoration of the Magi" tapestries. Notice how the Cross visibly emerges from the composition:

Adelaide

I've just spent a week in Adelaide, and have worshipped at Trinity, my spiritual home there (just as Scots is in Melbourne, St John's is in Hobart, and St Andrew's Rose Bay is in Sydney).

You can tell a lot from the inside of a church building -- in traditional Latin churches the altar is the focal point, in traditional Reformed churches it is the pulpit, and in some Pentecostal churches it is the drumkit. Visiting Dunedin some time ago, the different interiors of the two inner-city Presbyterian churches (Knox and First) told a story about their different origins. An overhead projection screen as the focal point seems to be the sign of association with Moore College.

Anyway, it was good to meet brothers and sisters in Christ I hadn't seen for a while, and to hear the Gospel preached well.

Hymns 1

Let me follow John in posting a regular favourite hymn, courtesy of CyberHymnal:

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy church, unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away:
Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.