Author: Nathan Campbell

Nathan runs St Eutychus. He loves Jesus. His wife. His daughter. His son. His other daughter. His dog. Coffee. And the Internet. He is the pastor of City South Presbyterian Church, a church in Brisbane, a graduate of Queensland Theological College (M. Div) and the Queensland University of Technology (B. Journ). He spent a significant portion of his pre-ministry-as-a-full-time-job life working in Public Relations, and now loves promoting Jesus in Brisbane and online. He can't believe how great it is that people pay him to talk and think about Jesus. If you'd like to support his writing financially you can do that by giving to his church.

Posts you might have missed

Too many posts to handle? Here’s a quick list of the posts you might have missed this week:
  • A bunch of links – March 12, 2009
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 in web
    How To Make Any Firefox Add-on Compatible With All VersionsFree Fonts Of The Month: Myndraine, Museo SansPortions Calculator Cuts Down on Waste, Makes Just What You Need [Cooking]The difference between PR and publicityThousands of foreigners splurge stimulus overseas | smh.com.auWhoops.Crabb on K-Rudd, the toxic boreDear GodLetters to God from young children.Why committing suicide doesn’t change a Christian’s standing before God.
  • A bunch of links – March 9, 2009
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in web
    Excellent public speaking adviceCreate Flash Content with WidgetMeScrewed … in anyone#39;s language | smh.com.aunm.campbell – Crabb on Economic obfuscation. A nice comparison between Rudd’s ability to explain the economic situation and Obama’s ability to do the same.Which animal did we domesticate first?
  • Ad value
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Church
    Tim Challies is one of the world’s preeminent Christian bloggers. Today he wrote about advertising and the church – mostly advertising but this was a great quote about his approach to ads:”I guard against this because I’ve seen what happens to churches when they adopt a marketing mindset. Every church markets; the moment a church places a sign outside or puts an advertisement in the phone book or the local newspaper, it is marketing.
  • Apologetics accepted
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in Church
    One of the things I do in order to increase my levels of frustration is read annoying things written by atheists who feel intellectually superior to us “unenlightened Christians”.I spend a lot of time arguing with three of my friends – two of whom are declared atheists – one is a notorious fence sitter. I often ask myself why I bother.
  • Driscollisms
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Church
    I’m about to break an unofficial rule – and post something about Mark Driscoll. If you’ve never heard of him – look him up on wikipedia – or check out his blog at his church’s website.I’ve mentioned him a couple of times – but I know that he doesn’t really like bloggers. Unless they’re flattering. I also don’t want to appear to be a fan boy.
  • Election Scorecard: Candidates in Townsville
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Politics
    The campaign proper has been underway for two weeks now. Here’s part one of my take on the candidates for Townsville’s three seats:Townsville:Mandy Johnstone – Labor’s factional darling somehow got the nod to replace Mike Reynolds, the seat’s former member. It says a lot about Mandy Johnstone’s campaign that her campaign website features a prominent photo of Anna Bligh and a tiny photo of Mandy Johnstone.
  • Election Scorecard: Change, can we believe it?
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Politics
    The latest roundof election ads are out – the ALP has gone negative. They’re telling us that despite poll results the other guy – Lawrence Springborg – is not ready to lead us. Labor seems concerned. Government media releases (still being sent via Government distribution lists despite “caretaker mode” being in full swing) are consistently refering to the LNP as the Nationals.
  • Election Scorecard: Poll
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Politics
    Your thoughts in the comments – is the scarcity of political talent around an indication of market failure and a justification for closing down State Governments?I think so. The Labor Party is so desparate to fill out all the seats around Queensland they’ve picked a Brisbane uni student to run in Hinchinbrook who won’t do recorded interviews with the ABC – the Premier had to chastise him via the media.
  • Foetal position
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Church
    Ben just sent me a link to this ABC story where Tony Abbott attacked Kevin Rudd for allowing changes to Australia’s aid policy and aid money being used to fund abortions.The comments thread is telling. These discussions always bring out the rabid atheists who want to accuse Christianity of “holding back society”… I do like it when they put together a coherent argument.
  • Get write on it
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Links
    The things I create using these online web tools that I keep posting are never that funny. Maybe I should spend more time thinking before I post – but WriteOnIt has so many cool features that you should check out that I just couldn’t wait.
  • I dare you
    Posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 in Links
  • I’m a generator
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Links
    A while back I posted another online comic strip generator – perfect for re-envisaging airline safety cards. Here’s a different, better, platform that does the same thing. You can even “stripblog” which would be cool. If I had anything funny to say.
  • Manlyness
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Media
    It’s obviously a pretty difficult time to be a Manly supporter – what with guys who punch fathers of attractive girls who dare to interfere in their advances and alleged sexual assaulters named to turn out for the team on Friday.The NRL has just suspended Stewart for five rounds.It makes me feel sick.I don’t even want to trot out the “innocent until proven guilty” line in their defense.
  • Ninjaroo
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in Media
    Turns out I was wrong. The platypus may not be the ninja of the animal world after all. I feel like I’m a little behind the times only posting this now – I saw it on the Today Show this morning. A kangaroo broke into a house in Canberra and the owner had to take it down wrasslin’ style in just his undies.
  • Periodic table for nerdy nerds
    Posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 in Computers
    Robyn and I had a fairly long discussion last night over whether or not I’m a nerd. I think I’m a geek, but not a nerd. She thinks I’m a nerd. This post may well decide it. I give you the periodic table of video game characters. Which I think is clever. Nerd? Maybe.
  • Question Mark: persuasion, influence and manipulation
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in Media
    In the comments of a previous post Mark asked: “when it comes to presenting a message, how clear are the boundaries between persuasion, influence and manipulation?” As I’m a renowned “PR Spin Twit” (according to the local paper’s nasty “Magpie” column) I feel I’m qualified to tackle that question.The organisation I work for is a “marketing” and “economic development” body – by our very nature we engage in all three of the above.
  • Sans serif
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 in Life
    I just swapped the font on our website from Verdana to Helvetica. It looks nicer already. I don’t know why it was in Verdana to begin with.Speaking of our website – if you’re from North Queensland and haven’t spammed your local candidates and the party leaders to tell them to fix the Flinders Street Mall – you totally should. Here.
  • Shout Out Townsville
    Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2009 in Life
    This one’s for Townsville locals – but those of you who don’t live here should check it out too. We’ve launched a new campaign with the Townsville Airport – and you can win prizes by chucking your photos and videos of North Queensland on the website. Then using them to lure your friends and family up here. It’s called “Shout Out Townsville” – and you’ll find a few of my pics up there as placeholders.
  • Watching Watchmen
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2009 in Church
    On Saturday afternoon I caught the Watchmen with a bunch of guys from church. Having not read the Graphic Novel I wasn’t sure what to expect. Having caught the movie I now want to catch the graphic novel.The movie was violent. Graphically violent. And had a fair bit of sex – so it’s hard to “recommend” to Christians if that’s likely to cause you to stumble.
  • Written by man…
    Posted on Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 in web
    According to GenderAnalyzer my blog is written by a man. You probably knew that already.I guess my predilection for toilet humour probably gives it away. The uncertainty in the result probably comes from my deep, emotionally charged insights. Thanks to Simone and Ben (Vanishing Point) for the link.”We think http://nathanintownsville.com is written by a man (62%).
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March 16, 2009

A bunch of links – March 15, 2009

March 15, 2009

A bunch of links – March 14, 2009

March 14, 2009

I dare you

To read this headline and not click on the link:

Horse bites off man’s testicle

March 13, 2009

A bunch of links – March 13, 2009

March 13, 2009

Rock’n’Pol

Whether or not you think Peter Garrett is a sell out or not is irrelevant – there’s no doubt he’s the rockingest Australian politician ever.

I suspect more of these performances would enhance his political stocks.

March 13, 2009

It’s Time

Time Magazine has just published a list of the 10 ideas changing the world right now. Number 3. New Calvinism.

There’ll be a bunch of links to some reactions in my link post today. But here’s the actual article.

And here’s a quote:

“Calvinism, cousin to the Reformation’s other pillar, Lutheranism, is a bit less dour than its critics claim: it offers a rock-steady deity who orchestrates absolutely everything, including illness (or home foreclosure!), by a logic we may not understand but don’t have to second-guess. Our satisfaction — and our purpose — is fulfilled simply by “glorifying” him.”

The article names John Piper, Mark Driscoll and Albert Mohler as leaders of this pack.

March 13, 2009

Unsuggester: find the books you don’t want to read

LibraryThing (my profile) is a web cataloging platform for books. It can pull data from Amazon purchases – and you can manually enter in all the books you own. If you can be bothered.

It will make suggestions for you based on those books. It will now also “unsuggest” books for you based on what people who have a particular book are least likely to have on their shelves. The following is telling:

unsuggester

March 12, 2009

Digital workout

If thumb wrestling has worn out your thumb – and you need a work for a different digit but in the same vein perhaps this finger controlled arm wrestling game will fill that very specific gap in your exercise regime. But why not just play XBox? It’s yours for just $US24.95.

March 12, 2009

GraphJam

March 12, 2009

Sans serif

I just swapped the font on our website from Verdana to Helvetica. It looks nicer already. I don’t know why it was in Verdana to begin with.

Speaking of our website – if you’re from North Queensland and haven’t spammed your local candidates and the party leaders to tell them to fix the Flinders Street Mall – you totally should. Here. Now.

March 12, 2009

Pillow talk: Gooba

Back in the 90s there was a spreadable product called “Gooba” which was simply premixed peanut butter and jam. By extension these sandwhich pillows are gooba pillows – but only if bought together. They’re sold separately. I don’t think they contain nuts so you don’t need a pillow epi pen.

Little sister number two is a big gooba fan. She even owns this shirt.

March 12, 2009

Shirt of the day: Nintendo wheeze

This one comes from a site called NerdyShirts – so I’m not sure what it does for my campaign not to be considered a nerd. Anyone who ever played the original Nintendo Entertainment System will appreciate this. Otherwise you need to know that to get the pesky things to work sometimes you had to blow in the cartridge.

Here are some others that I almost liked as much from the same site.

March 12, 2009

One trillion dollars

Being a supervillain and making demands for ransom ala Dr Evil is much easier now thanks to Google. You’ll be able to make realistic cash demands in proportion to your schemes knowing how much space you’ll need to store the payment just by using Google Sketchup. Google’s 3D modelling software doesn’t look quite as cool as Lego’s – but only because it’s not defaulted to using lego. I’m sure you could. You can provide a visualisation of one trillion dollars with ease (the little speck on the bottom left is a person). I haven’t used it yet, but it looks cool.

March 12, 2009

How to win at Jenga every time

Tired of your precariously positioned Jenga tower collapsing as you carefully slide a block out of place. Well – blast those fears away with this Jenga cannon found here and with a making of guide here. And possibly take out your competitor’s eye in the process – helping you win every time.

The Campbells, fairly or unfairly, have a reputation for cheating to win so this will be a popular stocking filler next Christmas.

March 12, 2009