Went and saw Inside Man starring the very yummy Denzel (gettin’ a bit of distinguished grey), luhvly Clive Owens, scary Jodie Foster and a few other big names.  I’m not a huge Spike Lee fan - Abu Yasmin is - but I really enjoyed this one.  It started off with some funky Indian music, and the social commentary about racism was there but toned down (for Spike Lee anyway).  Mostly it was a really good ‘what the heck is going on’ thriller.  I didn’t see the end twists coming, although half-way through I started to get the ‘who is behind it all’.

I had a really good time also because it was part of a girly night out with two of my favourite sisters, Umm Aishah and Umm Zakariyyah who is down visiting from Sydney.  The three of us had a mad time, eating dinner, watching a movie and then back to Umm Aishah’s for a cuppa.  Real sisterhood gives you that warm glow in your heart feeling

Anyway I can certainly recommend the movie, for those who want an enjoyable night out, although there is some violence (strangely enough for a bank heist film, there was an anti-violence theme running through it), a small kissing scene (thankfully short) and some naughty language (but not toooooo excessive).   A solid “B+” rating from me.

60 Minutes had a rather poor piece on the problem of what Aussie Muslims are being taught by the fundaloonies amongst us. I say poor because it could have been a hell of a lot better, given the issue. Peter Overton (I know I probably haven’t spelled that correctly, but I’m too lazy to go look it up) had a few cuts to him walking around Muslim “ghettos” in Europe with the ominous inference that it won’t be too long before Australia faces a cultural take-over due to, I guess over-breeding or too many of the Green Hordes reaching our shores.

Then it was back to Sydney and some clips from various fundaloony types saying their usual inflammatory stuff. Even though the Police chappy pointed out that these fundies are anaethema to the mainstream Muslim community, I think that small sentence probably got lost in the midst of lots of pictures of heavily veiled women.

It could have been so much better, if Peter had lost the future-nightmare reference (one in five Europeans will be Muslim by 200andsomething), and concentrated on trying to draw out the diverse threads that make up the melting-pot which is the Australian Muslim community.

We come from a swathe of different ethnic backgrounds, political ideologies, sectarian groups and classes. Highlighting the *various* responses that Muslims have made to living in Australia, and perhaps questioning why *one* of those various responses is the isolation/ghettoisation response, would have made for much better viewing IMHO.

Dear anyone and everyone who lives in Melbourne. As you are probably well aware, the Liberal (sic) government is very cruel to a small number of human beings who have gone through hell and back to try and have a better life in our blessed country. A country whose shores none of us - Mr John Howard, MP included - did anything to merit being born upon. We have a responsibility to share our largesse with others.

Okay enough of the mini-lecture. The (non-governmental) Asylum Seeker Resource Centre does a fard kifayah* for us, but they need our help. The following is their current needs as there has been an increase in refugees seeking help:

Our foodbank program which provides more than 1200 food parcels through our 2 centres each month to asylum seeker families (half of which are children and the majority families with no income or right to work) is experiencing a food shortage. This is due to a 15% increase in the number of asylum seekers accessing our foodbank and a sharp drop in food donations. We really need your support, if you can donate any amount of food it would make a real difference.

If you are interested in setting up a regular food collection group you can join our food network by sending an e - mail to: foodforasylumseekers AT yahoo DOT com DOT au

When and how to drop off food donations:

You can drop off food donations Monday to Fridays from 10am to 5pm and Wednesday nights from 6 to 9pm @ 67 Jeffcott Street, West Melbourne.
Any of the following would help:

fresh fruit and vegetables…long life milk..lentils (red and green)

rice ..pasta….margarine…tinned food (chickpeas, carrots, peas, corn, beans, tomatoes, tuna, salmon,sardines, kidney beans, vine leaves,okra, fava beans.. fruit..etc) ..sugar…tea..breakfast cereals (weet bix, muesli, cornflakes etc) ..jams…honey….biscuits…peanut butter…..yoghurt….noodles…….pasta sauces….corn and rice flour…falafel…baked beans….cheese…..sauces (soya, tomato, fish)….semolina…spices and herbs (eg. curry, chilli, cumin, cardamon)….cous cous….coconut milk…tomato paste….raisins…
bulgur wheat….pita bread…tamarind paste…dried fruit…nuts….

pastes (chilli, curry, harissa, sesame, paprika)….

Personal items we most need for July are:

soap…toilet paper…sanitary pads…shampoo…razors…toothpaste and toothbrushes…nappies….laundry powder

thanks for your support
regards
Kon Karapanagiotidis
Co - ordinator
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Ph: 9326 6066
www.asrc.org.au

*A fard kifayah is a communal obligation. It is incumbent upon (i.e. God will ask us about it on the Day of Judgement) everyone to fulfil this, but as soon as it is fulfilled by someone, everyone else is relieved of it as a duty.

I was trackbacked spammed (three times) by AMERICAN EXPRESS!!!!! Yes, the credit card company. Sheesh what do they need with spamming, they don’t have enough publicity already?

I’ve been putting off ringing up about the glucose tolerance test I did to ascertain whether I have the “d” word (diabetes). Apparently half the people in Oz who have it, don’t realise it. There’s a big push for awareness of diabetes at the moment, so everywhere I go I seem to see signs saying how serious diabetes is, and how you’ll have to have feet amputated and stuff.

It took me a month and a half just to get the actual test done, and I asked for them to send me a copy of the results. I’d rather find out by a friendly letter in my mailbox than a voice at the other end of the telephone. I know I still have to talk to the doctor afterwards, but a letter I can digest in the privacy of a darkened room with squinted eyes.

But the results are late so I resorted to ringing the endocrinologist’s office today. Luckily she didn’t have my file to hand. That means, please Mr. Postman, bring me a letter.