You see this sort of thing in the overseas press from time to time (after all it seems to be obligatory to run a robot story every week or so), but it’s not often you see a robot healthcare story in the NZ context. See Robot to work at rest home.

In my family each year we do the whole Advent calendar thing in the lead up to Christmas. Sometimes we also have an Advent candle (See Advent, how to make a candle – Maggi Dawn) and occasionally use a resource like this one.

But New Zealand really doesn’t do Advent calendars. I have a couple that I’ve come across over the years and bought, but after a few years of use each they begin to wear out (doors get ripped, won’t stay shut etc.). The standard Advent calendar here seems to feature a Disney Channel ‘star’ and chocolate behind the doors. Not where I want to go.

So, does anyone know of a good place to buy one in the Auckland region?

What’s up with our potatoes? Cooking them is like a lottery at the moment – even those tagged ‘gormet’. Uneven cooking, hard ‘bits’, strange discolourations, the list goes on. Had some really nice looking new potatoes yesterday, boiled in their skins just right. The nice ones were divine with a little butter, salt and pepper. The others were terrible and disappointing to all at the table.

Could this be the problem? Radio New Zealand News : Stories : 2009 : 11 : 17 : NZ potato damage hits chip processors.

See also: Potatoes New Zealand: Psyllid

Derek points to this : Derek’s Blog » The complete guide to Google Wave. Looks like it might be useful reading once I have some time to play with my Google Wave account.

A couple of recent postings from around the web on theology and theological eduction in Australia and New Zealand:

As he heads on down to Christchurch, Peter ponders Anglican Down Under: A shake up for theological education in NZ?.

And Jason points to Neil Ormerod’s Why universities welcome theological colleges – Eureka Street across the ditch, and some of the changes there.

Back now from AAR for a couple of days and about to head back to work tomorrow to knock of the chaos of the week before the Examiners’ Meeting on Friday. If I can escape from that unscathed then I’ll probably drop by the STAANZ (Systematic Theology Association of Aotearoa-New Zealand) conference that is on at the end of this week.

I enjoyed AAR more this time than my first time last year (in Chicago). I knew a few more people, and Montréal was a nicer place to get around on foot. The weather was good (just like Auckland in mid-Winter) and dry, and there were some good bookshops etc. near my hotel which were good to browse in the gaps between doing conference things. Plus the conference was based on the edge of Old Montréal so I got to have a wander around there a bit.

The conference felt a little smaller than last year (and I think numbers were down a little), though having the conference in the spacious Palais des congrès de Montréal may have helped that. The facilities were good, it was nice to have almost all the sessions on one place, there was food etc. available in the complex, and it was connected to the ‘underground city’ tunnels etc. There seemed to be a good number of international attendees (over 700, I think) which was good, and I enjoyed the International Breakfast on the first day.

My session and presentation went okay, I think. I had a couple of good questions and some discussion afterwards, and I also attended a session on religion and popular culture that looked a transhuman themes too. I enjoyed some of the religion, media and culture sessions, and dropped into several on online learning and practical theology that also had some good points.

Also, had some serendipitous encounters with people that I’d only made contact with through email and blogs before. Plus some meals with other people that I’d jacked up in the time before the meeting. If I return next year to the meeting in Atlanta, I’ll have more scope for doing that again.

The book exhibits etc. were a little disappointing this year. Perhaps the combination of the meeting being held in Canada, plus the lower numbers and the economic situation that seems to have affected purchases etc. meant that some publishers weren’t there this year, and also a lot of stalls didn’t carry stock for sale, just for order (at least until the last morning of the conference when display copies were being flogged off). Still picked up some interesting volumes – just need the time to read them.

I was a little disappointed at the last day of the conference, when sessions were still on but most people seemed to have headed home. The pre-meeting meetings seemed much better attended, so I ghosted through a few last sessions.

Travel to the conference was relatively trouble-free, though I won’t be doing the 9 hour layover in LAX between flights again if I can help it (and I can get the uni travel agent to sort things out better). I was too tired to want to venture off into LA (esp. without someone else to come along for the ride), but there isn’t much (anything!) to do around the airport. Was glad to get home after 27 hours of travel to Auckland.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow (and to write a report about my trip). Looking forward to semester being finally over and then heading into a longish vacation over the Christmas break.

Photos attached below (Click to see larger pictures)

Old Montréal

Old Montréal 2

Old Montréal 3

Montréal cityscape – looking back from Old Montréal

Palais des congrès de Montréal

Off tomorrow to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion being held this year in Montreal. I’m presenting a paper at the Transhumanism and Religion Consultation titled “Image-bearing Cyborgs? Hybridity and Hope in the Landscapes of Transhumanism”.

I’m still trying to reduce my finished paper in size. Still too long, but if I talk to my paper rather than read it verbatim it should be fine. However, I’ll spend some time on the place highlighting what might be summarized and then print out a shorter version at the hotel.

I’ll know a few more people there this year – as opposed to last year when I knew no-one – so I’m hoping to catch up with some of them over the conference.

Well, the title of the journal is enough to inspire article writing Will have to check it out when I’m back.

GOLEM: Journal of Religion and Monsters

Heidi Campbell & Mia Løvheim have put out a call for papers for a special issue of Information, Communication & Society on Religion and the Internet: The Online-Offline Connection, which is also linked in with the 2010 Conference on Media, Religion, and Culture in Toronto (on my wish list to get to next year).

In particular this special issues aims to explore the relationship between online and offline forms of religious practice and community. Key questions include:

• What is truly unique about the performance of religion online?
• How is the practice and conception of religion online connected to offline practices, communities and institutions?
• In what ways does religion online reflect trends seen offline in religious culture and practice?
• How do these transformations connect with issues of globalization and glocalization?

You can read the full CFP over at When Religion Meets New Media: CFP: Special Issue on Religion and the Internet: The Online-Offline Connection.

Related link – article seen today – Religion moves online | Stuff.co.nz

The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand produces various resources for the Church, including a series of booklets on various social issues. You can download the latest one “Giving and Getting” from Resources for speaking out | Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Other booklets include: Caring For Creation; House to home; Caring for our children; Connecting with young people; Bring on the baby boomers: coming of age