The title of this week's blog is a paraphrase of a famous quotation by Dorothy Day. She wrote "the greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us." She is also responsible for other memorable lines such as "food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul." That said, she also told the world that "knitting is very conducive to thought. It is nice to knit a while, put down the needles, write a while, then take up the sock again." [1]

I have been to America precisely three times in my life and, while there, never set foot outside the great state of California. [1] I’ve never really seen any reason to. The highlight of my first two visits (as a child) was undoubtedly going to Disneyland while the most recent visit culminated in covering the World Beer Cup which is like Mega Disneyland For Adults Who Drink Craft Beer.

When the Big Bang created the Universe, I was not there. When Alexander the Great conquered the known world, I was not there. When Guttenberg invented moveable type to bring written words to the masses, I was not there. When America declared independence from an all powerful colonial power, I was not there. When London survived the Blitz, I was not there. When Al Gore invented the Internet, I was not there. When the Hurricanes won the Super 15... oh, too soon? [1]

I recently purchased two cans of Carlsberg Elephant beer from a supermarket in Paraparaumu. I did this on purpose and I am not ashamed of my actions.

The inspirational title of this week's post is taken from a quotation by English writer Charles Caleb Colton. Mr Colton said that "times of great calamity and confusion have been productive for the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace. The brightest thunder-bolt is elicited from the darkest storm."

There are many contenders for the darkest day in New Zealand history. The list includes, but is not limited to, the extinction of our beloved and almost certainly tasty Moa, a kind of lame national anthem, keeping the ludicrous six o’clock closing legislation decades longer than Tasmania, [1] going to war whenever Mother England said we should, the constitutional outrage of Sir Rob Muldoon refusing to devalue the dollar after losing power, [2] Shortland Street even being a thing, [3] not winning the Rugby World Cup for 24 years, the repeated election of John Key and the cancellation of John Campbell Live. [4]