Aug 2005
Katrina: (Day 3) Aftermath
08/31/2005 08:22 Filed in: Miscellaneous
KATRINA: DAY 3 (AFTERMATH)
Above: New Orleans on Tuesday
As the remnants of Katrina hit the Ohio Valley yesterday, it rained all day. I thought to myself more than once that it felt like Louisiana rain. In Louisiana, it can rain all day or continuously for days at a time. It rarely rains for very long here in Kentucky--at least not by comparison. But with all the rain yesterday and the high winds that soaked my pants even while I was carrying an umbrella, I didn't complain. I had a dry library in which to go study and a home that protected my "stuff" from all the elements. Even with a flood watch in the area, I had no real reason for concern.
Not so in towns and cities along the gulf where Katrina waged her destruction. From this point on people who live(d) in places like New Orleans and Biloxi and Gulfport will mark their mental calendars with BK and AK: before Katrina and after Katrina. August 29, 2005 is the day they will never forget. New Orleans and these other cities, even after being rebuilt, will never be the same.
I woke up this morning and began scanning news reports on the internet for anything new, but there's not much new from last night. Once the sun set, most of the rescue efforts were called off. There's no electricity, no light. You can't see to save people. Yesterday, reports tell us that over 3,000 people were saved from rooftops, many of whom had to hack their way out of attics.
Originally it was thought that the Big Easy was spared, but then the levee system in New Orleans failed and the city as of yesterday was 80% under water. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not worse by this morning, maybe almost 100%. The governor has ordered the evacuation of the city, and that includes the approximate 15,000 who sought refuge in the Superbowl. But where will they go? All the people who were able to flee the city and booked rooms in hotels further north--what do they do now? My mother says that every hotel room in Ruston, Louisiana where she lives is taken. But how long can you stay in a hotel? And what happens when the money runs out, but there's no more paychecks coming because the city where you worked and lived is no longer there and therefore you are unemployed by default? Plus, there's no longer an electric system. Currently there is no easy access to clean water, let alone a food supply. This is going to be a process, a long process.
And that also includes towns like Helen, Georgia which was known as a quaint little vacation getaway. Tornados spawned by Katrina destroyed it. It's gone.
In New Orleans they say that it will take a month to pump the water out, and they are projecting two months before schools are open. I think that's overly optimistic. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't know if I would count on any classes for the public schools, the universities such as Tulane and UNO or even the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for the rest of the semester. People's lives are going to be forever changed because of this.
I also heard yesterday that there will be more water to come. As Katrina dumped all her rain on us in the Ohio Valley yesterday, that water will run into the Ohio River. The Ohio River will take it to the Mississippi River which will in turn carry it back to the deluged gulf cities.
On a personal note, I have two first cousins directly affected by the hurricane. One lives in Gulfport and the other lives lives just west of New Orleans. They are both safe and sound, but as of this writing have no idea what they will go back to or yet, when they can go back. I also have four friends from college who live in the area, three in New Orleans and one in southeast Louisiana. You can't even call cell phones because the numbers are routed through the devastated area and calls just can't get through. I sent emails to all four of them, but that assumes they could be somewhere that emails could reach them.
In the meantime we continue to pray, trusting in the God who is aware of even the sparrow that falls to the ground (Matt 2:29) and counts his children of even much more value. And although many churches will take offerings for aid this coming Sunday, you can also send funds directly to a number of relief agencies that are already being mobilized such as the Disaster Relief Branch of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board .
Above: New Orleans on Tuesday
As the remnants of Katrina hit the Ohio Valley yesterday, it rained all day. I thought to myself more than once that it felt like Louisiana rain. In Louisiana, it can rain all day or continuously for days at a time. It rarely rains for very long here in Kentucky--at least not by comparison. But with all the rain yesterday and the high winds that soaked my pants even while I was carrying an umbrella, I didn't complain. I had a dry library in which to go study and a home that protected my "stuff" from all the elements. Even with a flood watch in the area, I had no real reason for concern.
Not so in towns and cities along the gulf where Katrina waged her destruction. From this point on people who live(d) in places like New Orleans and Biloxi and Gulfport will mark their mental calendars with BK and AK: before Katrina and after Katrina. August 29, 2005 is the day they will never forget. New Orleans and these other cities, even after being rebuilt, will never be the same.
I woke up this morning and began scanning news reports on the internet for anything new, but there's not much new from last night. Once the sun set, most of the rescue efforts were called off. There's no electricity, no light. You can't see to save people. Yesterday, reports tell us that over 3,000 people were saved from rooftops, many of whom had to hack their way out of attics.
Originally it was thought that the Big Easy was spared, but then the levee system in New Orleans failed and the city as of yesterday was 80% under water. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not worse by this morning, maybe almost 100%. The governor has ordered the evacuation of the city, and that includes the approximate 15,000 who sought refuge in the Superbowl. But where will they go? All the people who were able to flee the city and booked rooms in hotels further north--what do they do now? My mother says that every hotel room in Ruston, Louisiana where she lives is taken. But how long can you stay in a hotel? And what happens when the money runs out, but there's no more paychecks coming because the city where you worked and lived is no longer there and therefore you are unemployed by default? Plus, there's no longer an electric system. Currently there is no easy access to clean water, let alone a food supply. This is going to be a process, a long process.
And that also includes towns like Helen, Georgia which was known as a quaint little vacation getaway. Tornados spawned by Katrina destroyed it. It's gone.
In New Orleans they say that it will take a month to pump the water out, and they are projecting two months before schools are open. I think that's overly optimistic. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I don't know if I would count on any classes for the public schools, the universities such as Tulane and UNO or even the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for the rest of the semester. People's lives are going to be forever changed because of this.
I also heard yesterday that there will be more water to come. As Katrina dumped all her rain on us in the Ohio Valley yesterday, that water will run into the Ohio River. The Ohio River will take it to the Mississippi River which will in turn carry it back to the deluged gulf cities.
On a personal note, I have two first cousins directly affected by the hurricane. One lives in Gulfport and the other lives lives just west of New Orleans. They are both safe and sound, but as of this writing have no idea what they will go back to or yet, when they can go back. I also have four friends from college who live in the area, three in New Orleans and one in southeast Louisiana. You can't even call cell phones because the numbers are routed through the devastated area and calls just can't get through. I sent emails to all four of them, but that assumes they could be somewhere that emails could reach them.
In the meantime we continue to pray, trusting in the God who is aware of even the sparrow that falls to the ground (Matt 2:29) and counts his children of even much more value. And although many churches will take offerings for aid this coming Sunday, you can also send funds directly to a number of relief agencies that are already being mobilized such as the Disaster Relief Branch of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board .
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Riding Out the Storm
08/29/2005 10:39 Filed in: Faith & Reason
...in faith.
I think that most people who were able to get out of New Orleans and surrounding areas did so over the weekend. However, there were some, especially the poor (estimated to be at around 100,000) who could not leave. The Superdome was opened as a high place of refuge for those who could not flee the city. As reports came in this morning that 145 mph winds and "blinding rain" were pounding the Big Easy, part of the Superdome's roof was ripped off making one wonder if there is any place in the area that is truly safe.
However, the best response I read this morning was from a 73-year-old woman, Josephine Elow. Here's the description of her circumstances along with her response from an AP story:
At the hotel Le Richelieu, the winds blew open sets of balcony french doors shortly after dawn. Seventy-three-year-old Josephine Elow of New Orleans pressed her weight against the broken doors as a hotel employee tried to secure them.
"It's not life-threatening," Mrs. Elow said as rain water dripped from her face. "God's got our back."
Way to go, Josephine! That knowledge makes a hurricane seem a little bit less fierce.
I think that most people who were able to get out of New Orleans and surrounding areas did so over the weekend. However, there were some, especially the poor (estimated to be at around 100,000) who could not leave. The Superdome was opened as a high place of refuge for those who could not flee the city. As reports came in this morning that 145 mph winds and "blinding rain" were pounding the Big Easy, part of the Superdome's roof was ripped off making one wonder if there is any place in the area that is truly safe.
However, the best response I read this morning was from a 73-year-old woman, Josephine Elow. Here's the description of her circumstances along with her response from an AP story:
At the hotel Le Richelieu, the winds blew open sets of balcony french doors shortly after dawn. Seventy-three-year-old Josephine Elow of New Orleans pressed her weight against the broken doors as a hotel employee tried to secure them.
"It's not life-threatening," Mrs. Elow said as rain water dripped from her face. "God's got our back."
Way to go, Josephine! That knowledge makes a hurricane seem a little bit less fierce.
Questions Regarding Marzeah Papyrus
08/23/2005 23:14 Filed in: Faith & Reason
In my review of Ink & Blood (below), I mentioned that until my tour of the exhibit, I'd never heard of the Marzeah Papyrus. Since then, I've had time to do a brief survey of opinions, and I've found that there's quite a bit of question regarding its authenticity. That doesn't surprise me. I'm no expert on such things, but it just seems too clean to be a 7th century BC (pre-Babylonian Exile) document. And evidently, there's been some resistance on the part of the exhibit's curator, Dr. William Noah, to allow the papyrus to be examined. Well, he shouldn't be resistant. If it's a fake, it's a fake and there's no reason not to try to determine it's authenticity.
Heck, the "meteorite" in my 4th grade science fair project turned out to be a regular old lava rock. Oh well--my mistake--but I'm glad I know (and I stopped calling it a meteorite).
According to the exhibit catalog, the papyrus can be translated, "Thus says God (Elohim) to [Gera]: The marzeah and the millstones and the house are yours. As for [Yisa], he should keep away from them. And Malka is the depositary (guarantor)."
Regardless, you could take the Marzeah Papyrus out of the exhibit and it does not detract from what's still there. In fact, other than presenting an older form of Hebrew script, the papyrus really doesn't even add all that much to the history being presented. As you can see in the translation above, it's not an actual biblical text. It's only purported connections to the Bible are the Hebrew script and the reference to elohim. However, elohim can also be translated "gods" according to the context in which it's used. Considering that the Marzeah festival was pagan, this might be the case with this artifact (IF it's genuine--and that's a very big IF). As I mentioned in the review, I was much more impressed with the many first editions of the English Bible. These and the other papyri, scrolls, and tablets stand on their own as part of an exhibit that gathers together many unique and priceless items all in one place.
Ink & Blood: Dead Sea Scrolls to the English Bible
08/22/2005 10:13 Filed in: Faith & Reason
Above: A medieval Hebrew Bible scroll containing the Masoretic Text.
Saturday, we were finally able to take an afternoon to drive to Lexington and see the traveling exhibit, "Ink & Blood: Dead Sea Scrolls to the English Bible ." Initially, I did not know what to expect. Although the event has been advertised widely in the area I wasn't completely clear on the nature and breadth of the exhibit. Further, I noted that after purchasing my tickets online that I now held two seats for a 1:30 PM showing. In reality, Ink & Blood is a touring museum exhibit on the history of the Bible that contains three different points in which visitors watch video presentations. But most of the time is spent walking through the displays and reading the histories behind the various artifacts and books.
Some of you may or may not know that as a little side hobby of mine I collect different translations of the Bible in English. I currently have over 100 different English translations in my collection. These aren't kept or catalogued with our other books , but perhaps sometime in the future, I will take the time to list them on this blog. Nevertheless, as you might imagine, I was thoroughly engaged in the exhibit Saturday afternoon. What amazed me is the breadth of artifacts to see. I can only imagine the effort to purchase or borrow all the items. There are over 500 items in all, and of these, only four are replicas! Where else can you see authentic Sumerian stone tablets, biblical papyri, codexes of the early Christian church, and first editions of nearly every version of the Bible in English through the 17th century in one place? I was astonished to see the first, second, and third editions of Erasmus' Greek New Testament side by side and to behold up close Bibles I had only read about such as the 1631 edition of the Authorized Version known as "The Wicked Bible" (the word not was "inadvertently" left out of Exodus 20:14).
Ink & Blood also allows you to see up close and personal the Marzeah papyrus which is purported to be the "oldest known Hebrew writing (other than an inscription) in the world today." It dates from the 7th century BC and contains the oldest record of the word "Elohim" (usually translated God in the Bible) in existence. I'll admit up front I wasn't familiar with the Marzeah Papyrus, but I will be interested to look into it further. But again, it's artifacts like this that you just don't get to see everyday that makes this exhibit so valuable.
Above: the Marzeah Papyrus
If you've ever wondered how the Bible came to be, this tour is a great introduction. In reality, there's more than just history of the Bible involved in this exhibit. Visitors are introduced to the historical process of how pictograms gradually became symbols for sounds instead of things and developed into our modern alphabets. This history of the Bible is traced from the earliest writings attested to in the Dead Sea Scrolls through eras where Greek, then Latin languages dominated into the time of John Wycliffe when the idea became popular that every believer should have access to the Scriptures in his or her native language. After this era, emphasis is given to the development of the Bible in English, but there are also displays of Luther's Bible in German and the first Bible in Spanish. William Tyndale is credited for the shift in language from Middle English (around the time of Wycliffe and Chaucer) to the modern era due to the fact that at least 80% of the 1611 King James Version was essentially Tyndale's translation.
In addition to the Bibles, scrolls, parchments, tablets, and other artifacts, there is also a working reproduction of the Gutenberg Press which was used to print the first typeset book--in this case, the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible. The exact nature of Gutenberg's press is not known because it was destroyed and Gutenberg himself was so secretive that he left no blueprints behind or even the recipe he used for ink. However, the press we saw was designed from the best speculation of how Gutenberg's press would have been adapted from the wine presses of the region. This press is demonstrated for visitors, and the pages that are pressed can be purchased in the gift shop for $10. Each page contains a reproduction on the left of the title page from the Book of Psalms in the 1611 KJV Bible and on the right a reproduction (including color accents) of a page from 1 Kings (for Protestants, think 1 Samuel) from the Latin Vulgate as it was printed on Gutenberg's press. These are quite suitable for framing. In fact, we picked one up.
The title for the exhibit comes from the fact that the Bible, written in ink, also came at the cost of the lives of many people over the years, especially those who wanted to see it available for common access in one's own native tongue. The Catholic Church does not fare too well in the history of this process as it only authorized the Latin translation for official use for over 1,000 years, and even most of the Catholic clergy did not have access to that. As individuals like Wycliffe, Luther, and Tyndale began translating the Scriptures into their own languages, they were persecuted endlessly by the Catholic church. Tyndale was strangled and then burned at the stake. Wycliffe and Luther avoided capture, but the church dug up his bones forty years after his death, burned them and scattered them in a river (under the mistaken assumption that this would keep him from experiencing the resurrection from the dead). At the very least, Ink & Blood ought to make you thankful for that Bible you carry in your hand to church on Sunday. In the history of the world, your experience is in the minority.
Above: The 1536 Tyndale New Testament
Dr. William H. Noah is founder and chief curator of Ink and Blood. Noah is actually a medical doctor, but as I read the descriptions and background for the artifacts, I also found him to be a very precise historian. He has done his homework well, and the exhibit does not sensationalize as one might fear an event of this nature, aimed at the general public, might be prone to do. The exhibit is not so academic that it would be inaccessible to the average church-goer, but instead has a goal of teaching visitors the history behind the process of transmission of the ancient scriptures to the modern version that you use today. According to the website, Dr. Noah has completed a four hour documentary on the history of the Bible. The first installment focuses on William Tyndale and is available now.
At the end of the tour, there is a gift shop with a number of interesting items that I haven't seen elsewhere before. However, with our current limited budget, we only picked up one of the Gutenberg press prints and the main book and DVD that went with the exhibit. With so many people in front of me and behind me as I walked through the exhibit, I felt slightly rushed (in spite of taking 2 and a half hours to go through it!), so the book and DVD will allow me to revisit the artifacts at my own pace. In fact the DVD, in addition to the three short films we watched at the exhibit, also contains pictures of every item and all the text descriptions and histories. Too bad that the disk doesn't contain a separate section with images and text that could be easily inserted into a PowerPoint presentation. However, I can always do screen captures, and I've found while writing this blog entry that a number of the images are available at the Ink & Blood website.
Ink & Blood originated in Knoxville, Tennessee and will only be in Lexington, Kentucky through this Saturday (August 28). However, it will be in Charleston, South Carolina this Fall. See the website for exact dates and times. Admission begins at $8 for children (although see my note below) and goes up to $16 for adults. However, there are group rates available and you may be able to stumble upon certain discounts from sponsors.
What You Need to Know First Department: I fully recommend this exhibit to anyone interested in the Bible and its development and influence in history. However, you should be warned ahead of time that except for the three brief video presentations, you will be on your feet for at least two hours, and probably more. For us, the first video began at 1:30 PM (it lasts eight minutes), and we did not complete the exhibit until 4:00 PM and then spent another half hour in the gift shop. Note that there are no bathroom stops (that I saw) along the way. Visitors have to pass through metal detectors going into the exhibit, and all cameras are held until afterwards (so it's probably best just not to bring one). Based on what I observed, this is not really the best place to bring small children. A number of children who were brought along by their parents for the tour, especially ones who could not read, were thoroughly bored despite the best efforts of their guardians to engage them and explain the significance of certain artifacts. And the occasional site of the child walking in procession playing a Gameboy seemed quite disconcerting and out of place. You may also want to try to go during the week since the crowd on Saturday was quite large.
A Politically Correct NCAA
08/17/2005 17:20 Filed in: Culture Watch
Is the above logo offensive?
Earlier today I was referred to an Open Letter to the NCAA by University of North Dakota president, Charles Kupchella. The letter is in response to the NCAA's charge that UND is among a number of schools whose use of Native American references in their athletic program (in this case, "the Fighting Sioux") has been "abusive and hostile." Follow the link to read the letter for yourself. It is very well written and needs no real comment here from me other than to ask if Notre Dame will be asked to discontinue use of "the Fighting Irish" next?
By the way, the official UND logo above was designed by Native American artist, Ben Brien.
Wisdom from My Fortune Cookie #3
08/12/2005 22:38 Filed in: Dining
Kathy's School Website
08/11/2005 13:05 Filed in: Personal
Kathy has updated her Simpsonville Elementary Library website , if you want to explore what she has planned for the year. In addition to the link in this blog entry, I have added a link on our main website as well.
Life is NOT a Video Game
08/10/2005 17:20 Filed in: Culture Watch
Okay, I think this was the sequence:
1. Play Grand Theft Auto.
2. Kill three policemen in real life.
3. Blame it all on the video game.
4. GO TO JAIL ANYWAY.
Wired News is running a story about a 20-year-old in Alabama who blamed his murder of three policemen on child abuse and playing too much Grand Theft Auto. The jury didn't buy it, thankfully. As tragic as child abuse is, there are lots of people who rise above their situations. And there are lots of kids who play violent video games (for better or worse) and don't confuse fantasy and reality.
Lots of attention was given recently to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas because a secret sex scene is hidden in the code of the game . Well, I've got news for the parents who pay no attention to the games their children are playing: the violence in the GTA games is much worse than a brief sex scene. When I had an XBox, I admit that I tried playing GTA. I'll be honest that initially it's a lot of fun. You basically get run of a virtual city and you can do pretty much whatever you want. But this game is different from say a Halo or Medal of Honor game where you are fighting an enemy--bad guys. GTA is a game that glorifies violence and vice without consequences. Need a new car? Pull grandma out of the driver's seat and take it. Decide you don't like someone for no reason at all? Beat him up or kill him. I played the game a little while, but never finished it. Even in a virtual world, I can't let myself become that. A number of my students at Whitefield Academy played GTA and laughed about the violence and sexuality. I tried to discourage them from gaining enjoyment from virtual vice, but they generally said, "It's not that bad." How do you break through to that kind of attitude? Here's a clue--it's the parents' responsibility to set the moral climate for any home.
Occasionally in Grand Theft Auto, the police will, in fact, catch up with you. But there's no real lesson to the player. It's an inconvenience. You start over on the steps of the police station. Well, not in real life. The boy in Alabama may claim that he was influenced by the game--that he didn't know the difference between fantasy and reality when he killed three policemen. But as he sits in a jail cell--without video games and possibly facing a death sentence--I bet he knows the difference now....
Recommend: Life Matters
08/10/2005 15:31 Filed in: Culture Watch
Your Assignment for the week...
1. This week, you need to go see The Island (see review below of the only major motion picture this summer dealing with ethical issues).
2. Then, read Nigel de Cameron's new ethics weblog at ChristianityToday.com: Life Matters which will give you much more detail on the moral issues I described in my review of the Island.
3. Then get with the significant people in your life and have a significant discussion in which you (plural) wrestle with these issues.
1. This week, you need to go see The Island (see review below of the only major motion picture this summer dealing with ethical issues).
2. Then, read Nigel de Cameron's new ethics weblog at ChristianityToday.com: Life Matters which will give you much more detail on the moral issues I described in my review of the Island.
3. Then get with the significant people in your life and have a significant discussion in which you (plural) wrestle with these issues.
The Island
08/08/2005 17:38 Filed in: Movies and Television
The life-clocks are a lie!! Carousel's a lie!! Oh wait, wrong movie.
Semi-spoiler warning: if you are planning to see this movie, I would recommend waiting to see it before you read my review. The less you know about the movie, the better (and I do recommend it). However, if you have no desire to see this movie, based on what you've seen in the trailer, please read on so that I might hopefully change your mind!
Okay, let's get the negative out of the way, first. The Island seems to be a blatant rip-off of Logan's Run , but with a twist. There are more parallels than I could even begin to list here (even the outfits look similar), and the ending of both movies could probably be swapped out and it wouldn't make a difference for either movie.
Having said that, The Island is actually a pretty good movie. The trailer did a pretty good job of not revealing too much about the story that would give away the secret (that I'm about to give away). It's best enjoyed if you gradually learn the secrets as the characters do. However, that little-revealing trailer may also have worked against the movie because it hasn't done well at the box office. Further, it's received some rather undeserved (in my opinion) bad reviews. Perhaps this is because it's the only large-budget movie this summer that really deals with any current ethical issues.
Okay, here's the story. The year is 2019 (the same year in which Blade Runner takes place) Ewan McGregor plays a character named Lincoln 6 Echo (kinda like Logan 5 in Logan's Run) who lives in a utopian pleasure-world where everyone want to win a lottery to go the "The Island." Right about the same time his friend, Jordan 2 Delta (kinda like Jessica 6 in Logan's Run, and played by Scarlett Johansson ) wins the lottery to go to the island, Lincoln finds out that there is no island. It's all a big lie. To his horror he find out that he and his friends are all clones, grown as "insurance policies" for wealthy individuals in case any of their organs fail. The clones have been grown to the same size and age of their real live counterparts and implanted with false memories. They've been told that the outside world was contaminated in some kind of apocalyptic holocaust. The clones have been educated to about the level of a 15 year old, males and females are not allowed to touch, and they know nothing about sex. In reality, they have the maturity of adolescents, even though they look like full grown adults.
That's the setup. Inevitably, a number of clones begin to question their existence, and predictably Lincoln and Jordan escape to the "real world." From this point, the movie becomes your typical "fugitive" type movie as Merrick (played quite wickedly by Sean Bean) who is the mastermind who is behind the clone insurance policy, sends mercenaries out to retrieve the two escapees who have gone to find Lincoln's "original." It's at this point that The Island departs somewhat from the original Logan's World. And I won't tell any more (although it's somewhat predictable).
Anyway, even if this much sci-fi is more than you usually care for, let me tell you why the movie is significant. It's important because it wrestles with the question of what it means to be human and the question of cloning for medicinal purposes. I found it interesting that the movie was based in 2019, only 14 years away. That's not far off, but cloning a human being isn't that far off either. Scientists have cloned a sheep, a cat, and last week a dog. Supposedly, there's already a race on to clone a human being. Now, move to the debate over stem cells. Scientists want to harvest stem cells from aborted fetuses, and there are even some who want to fertilize eggs without letting the fetuses grow to full term for the purpose of harvesting stem cells. The next step once a human has been cloned will be to clone humans for harvest. Would you be willing to clone human beings to supply stem cells or supply organs for transplant? If not, then why is it right to use aborted fetuses? Get ready--it's coming.
And there's a horror to cloning that the average person never sees. To create the cloned dog announced in Korea a few days ago, scientists had over 1,000 failed attempts. That's 1,000 dogs (at some level of development) that had to be destroyed. Are you ready to start doing that with human beings? The Island is a movie that people need to see and then afterwards use as a springboard to discuss the ethical issues. The fact that a lot of people want to ignore these issues is part of why this movie hasn't done that well--at least that's my hunch.
McGregor and Johansson both prove strong leads. McGregor has the task of playing two roles in this movie: the original Tom Lincoln and his clone, Lincoln 6 Echo. He does a very nice job of distinguishing between the two, even down to different accents for the characters. For Johansson, this is her first opportunity to play a lead adult female role. She's no longer the little girl or someone's daughter. But, the movie is not perfect. As I already mentioned, it's a clone (pun intended) of Logan's Run. And it's a bit long to be honest. After some point, you just want the story to get resolved. And finally, if I can put myself into the shoes of the bad guys again, as I did in my Batman Begins review , I would like to make a suggestion for evil megalomaniacs everywhere. Rather than kill the clones who were questioning their existence, why couldn't Merrick simply put them in jail cells in solitary confinement? Why do they have to be content and happy and have purpose to be good organ donors?
I'm telling you, I would be a really successful bad guy because I would just be so much more practical in my schemes for power...
Semi-spoiler warning: if you are planning to see this movie, I would recommend waiting to see it before you read my review. The less you know about the movie, the better (and I do recommend it). However, if you have no desire to see this movie, based on what you've seen in the trailer, please read on so that I might hopefully change your mind!
Okay, let's get the negative out of the way, first. The Island seems to be a blatant rip-off of Logan's Run , but with a twist. There are more parallels than I could even begin to list here (even the outfits look similar), and the ending of both movies could probably be swapped out and it wouldn't make a difference for either movie.
Having said that, The Island is actually a pretty good movie. The trailer did a pretty good job of not revealing too much about the story that would give away the secret (that I'm about to give away). It's best enjoyed if you gradually learn the secrets as the characters do. However, that little-revealing trailer may also have worked against the movie because it hasn't done well at the box office. Further, it's received some rather undeserved (in my opinion) bad reviews. Perhaps this is because it's the only large-budget movie this summer that really deals with any current ethical issues.
Okay, here's the story. The year is 2019 (the same year in which Blade Runner takes place) Ewan McGregor plays a character named Lincoln 6 Echo (kinda like Logan 5 in Logan's Run) who lives in a utopian pleasure-world where everyone want to win a lottery to go the "The Island." Right about the same time his friend, Jordan 2 Delta (kinda like Jessica 6 in Logan's Run, and played by Scarlett Johansson ) wins the lottery to go to the island, Lincoln finds out that there is no island. It's all a big lie. To his horror he find out that he and his friends are all clones, grown as "insurance policies" for wealthy individuals in case any of their organs fail. The clones have been grown to the same size and age of their real live counterparts and implanted with false memories. They've been told that the outside world was contaminated in some kind of apocalyptic holocaust. The clones have been educated to about the level of a 15 year old, males and females are not allowed to touch, and they know nothing about sex. In reality, they have the maturity of adolescents, even though they look like full grown adults.
That's the setup. Inevitably, a number of clones begin to question their existence, and predictably Lincoln and Jordan escape to the "real world." From this point, the movie becomes your typical "fugitive" type movie as Merrick (played quite wickedly by Sean Bean) who is the mastermind who is behind the clone insurance policy, sends mercenaries out to retrieve the two escapees who have gone to find Lincoln's "original." It's at this point that The Island departs somewhat from the original Logan's World. And I won't tell any more (although it's somewhat predictable).
Anyway, even if this much sci-fi is more than you usually care for, let me tell you why the movie is significant. It's important because it wrestles with the question of what it means to be human and the question of cloning for medicinal purposes. I found it interesting that the movie was based in 2019, only 14 years away. That's not far off, but cloning a human being isn't that far off either. Scientists have cloned a sheep, a cat, and last week a dog. Supposedly, there's already a race on to clone a human being. Now, move to the debate over stem cells. Scientists want to harvest stem cells from aborted fetuses, and there are even some who want to fertilize eggs without letting the fetuses grow to full term for the purpose of harvesting stem cells. The next step once a human has been cloned will be to clone humans for harvest. Would you be willing to clone human beings to supply stem cells or supply organs for transplant? If not, then why is it right to use aborted fetuses? Get ready--it's coming.
And there's a horror to cloning that the average person never sees. To create the cloned dog announced in Korea a few days ago, scientists had over 1,000 failed attempts. That's 1,000 dogs (at some level of development) that had to be destroyed. Are you ready to start doing that with human beings? The Island is a movie that people need to see and then afterwards use as a springboard to discuss the ethical issues. The fact that a lot of people want to ignore these issues is part of why this movie hasn't done that well--at least that's my hunch.
McGregor and Johansson both prove strong leads. McGregor has the task of playing two roles in this movie: the original Tom Lincoln and his clone, Lincoln 6 Echo. He does a very nice job of distinguishing between the two, even down to different accents for the characters. For Johansson, this is her first opportunity to play a lead adult female role. She's no longer the little girl or someone's daughter. But, the movie is not perfect. As I already mentioned, it's a clone (pun intended) of Logan's Run. And it's a bit long to be honest. After some point, you just want the story to get resolved. And finally, if I can put myself into the shoes of the bad guys again, as I did in my Batman Begins review , I would like to make a suggestion for evil megalomaniacs everywhere. Rather than kill the clones who were questioning their existence, why couldn't Merrick simply put them in jail cells in solitary confinement? Why do they have to be content and happy and have purpose to be good organ donors?
I'm telling you, I would be a really successful bad guy because I would just be so much more practical in my schemes for power...
Peter Jennings Dies at Age 67
08/08/2005 06:52 Filed in: Culture Watch
All my adult life, if I've been able to catch the evening news at 6:30 PM, my choice has always been Peter Jennings. I don't really know why, other than I just liked him better than Rather and Brokaw. I felt like I could trust him (not to say anything negative toward the other two anchors). When someone like Jennings dies after he's been invited into your home thousands of times, it's like losing a close friend, or maybe even a family member.
With the retirement of Rather and Brokaw, Jennings seemed set to rule the network news alone. But it wasn't meant to be. I was surprised to learn he had lung cancer in April like everyone else. I never would have guessed he was a smoker. I don't think I would have even guessed he was 67. He looked to me to be somewhere in his fifties. And as I grow older, 67 seems that much younger.
Peter Jennings is someone I admired. In spite of the lack of a high school education, let alone a college degree, he excelled in one of the toughest, most competitive fields possible. He made it to the top, and in spite of his lack of formal education, he still managed to learn from the events of the world and instruct us every night. I read in one of the stories about his death that during the 9/11 bombings, he logged some sixty hours of television time. That's more than just dedication to a job. His voice that week, like that of one's own father, brought comfort to a nation in the midst of crisis.
I remember watching with interest Peter Jennings' special, The Search for Jesus. Although I didn't agree with some of the voices on the program, I felt Jennings' effort to be genuinely motivated--more sincere than sensationalistic.
In the end, I hope he found Him...
Windows Vista (Still in Beta) Already Susceptible to Viruses
08/05/2005 10:54 Filed in: Technology
Where do your viruses want to go today?
Report are in that exploits have already been discovered and viruses have already been created for Microsoft Windows Vista. In case you don't know, Windows Vista is the next version of the Windows operating system currently projected to be available for purchase in the fourth quarter of 2006. You may have heard it referred to earlier under its codename, Longhorn. A couple of weeks ago, beta versions (preliminary releases for testing purposes) were released to software developers. Hackers got their hands on these early releases, too, and new viruses have already been written that specifically target this new version of Windows a year and a half before it is even set to be released!
Windows Vista, when launched at the end of 2006, will be the first version of Windows to be released since 2001 when Windows XP debuted. There are currently over 130,000 computer viruses aimed at Windows users.
Now contrast that with using a Mac. The beta version of Mac OS X was released to the public in the Fall of 2000 and the first commercial version appeared in 2001. There have been four successive major upgrades to the Mac operating system since. And how many viruses to date? NONE.
While the average Windows user wages a constant battle against viruses and spyware, and while the average Windows computer IS infected by one or the other (ever wonder why your "new" computer is running so slow?), Macs are virtually virus and spyware free. I say virtually because technically, you as a Windows user could email me a message with a virus attached. Once I received it, yes, there would technically be a virus on my computer. However, a Windows virus will NOT execute on a Mac, so it's dead weight.
Yes, I do run antivirus software on my Macs just in case there ever is a real Mac virus, but to date (five years since the release of the OS X beta), there hasn't been one. All my antivirus software ever detects is occasionally when one of you Windows users sends me a virus in an email. My software deletes it so that I don't accidentally forward it back to one of you Windows users who would then really be infected.
Many defenders of Windows will say that Macs are virus free because there aren't as many of us. That's partly true, but it's party a red herring. If all things were equal, there should be significantly less viruses on Macs than on Windows computers. However, remember that there are NO viruses for Mac OS X. That's because the two operating systems work differently. Viruses and spyware are in reality little programs running on your computer. On a Mac, a program cannot be installed without the direct intervention of the user by typing in a password. Therefore, there is no way that a virus can install itself onto a Mac without a user's knowledge. Yes, there have been occasional security holes in the Mac OS, but these have been plugged fairly quickly resulting in no viruses to date.
If you are a Windows user it's imperative that you run antivirus software and that you update it daily. However, there is a better solution than that. Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal said it best in his column, "How to Protect Yourself from Vandals, Viruses If You Use Windows," when he wrote the following:
Opting out: The single most effective way to avoid viruses and spyware is to simply chuck Windows altogether and buy an Apple Macintosh. Apple's operating system, Mac OS X, is harder for the criminals to infect, and the Mac's market share is so small that hackers, virus writers and spies get little thrill, financial gain or publicity from attacking the platform.
I switched over from Windows to the Mac in 1998. To the rest of you who are still hesitant to jump in, all I can say is "Come on in--the water's fine..."
The Tyranny of the Stuff I Never Got Around To
08/04/2005 00:01 Filed in: Personal
Over the weekend, I replied to an email that an old friend from college sent me. I haven't seen or heard from him in years. It was nice to see what he's up to and update him on the things that Kathy and I are doing. That's nice, you think to yourself, but why are you writing about this? Well, what makes the email exchange worthy of mention is that I was replying to an email that I first received in March of 2000! In fact, my friend's email address had changed since then, and I had to find him on the internet and resend my message.
Do you ever take important information that you need to reply or give attention to and put it in a drawer, or a filing cabinet or some stack somewhere thinking you will take care of it eventually? I do that more often than I would like to admit. I even do it with email now and then. I have this "Needs Attention" folder in my email. That's where Mitch's email sat for the last five years. I've recently determined that if I put something in that folder, I am consigning it to an indefinite "correspondence limbo."
I was reflecting on this today because I read with interest Gordon MacDonald's column "Downsize Me" at the Leadership Journal website. He writes about spending the summer going through his house, garage, bookshelves, filing cabinets, etc., discarding the things that he no longer needs. In doing so, he makes these observations:
First, how much time and energy I gave to things that really weren't very important and had no long term value. Second, how many people who were once champions for some effort flamed out after just a few years and disappeared. Conversely, how many times I misjudged someone, wrote them off, and then saw them gather strength and become saints. And, finally, how important it is to be faithful in the routine, day-after-day exercises of leadership. You don't get much people-shaping done if you move every two years.
Perhaps the most embarrassing aspect of all these files is their evidence of my feverish sense of self-importance. Too much about me, too little about Jesus.
Result: Operation Downsizing is worming its way into my soul and its issues. Getting rid of books and old sports equipment was easier. My spiritual basement is a tougher place to work in.
I had a similar experience earlier this summer myself. I resigned from my position at Whitefield Academy and spent my last few days going through five years worth of stuff in my desk and filing cabinets in my former office. Then, a few days later, I consolidated four filing cabinet drawers of stuff at home down to two drawers. In doing all that, I came to the conclusion that if you put something off because you want to deal with it later, by the time you get around to actually doing that, it will no longer be relevant.
This worked on two levels for me. First, there were things that I filed or set aside because I thought they were important or because I thought I would want to pursue them later. In the end, I piled trash cans HIGH with that kind of stuff because it was really too late or it was something that no longer interested me. Then, on the other hand, I had notes written to myself to check on this student, or to call that parent back, or to rethink a particular grade I had given. Although I did those kinds of things regularly, I never took the time to do them all. There just seemed to never be enough time...
Years ago, I read a little booklet called "Tyranny of the Urgent." You can find it in its entirety on the internet, and I started to attach a pdf file to this blog entry, but technically it's copyrighted material, so I decided against posting it. However, you can buy a copy from Intervarsity Press for $1.50.
In this little booklet, Charles Hummel reminds us that there is a distinction between what it is urgent and what is important. If you're like me, you triage your tasks. Putting everything in my life in chronological order, what's my next deadline? Well, then, I'll do that next. Those are the things that are urgent, but they aren't necessarily important. That email reply to an old friend, or that little voice that tells you to check on a particular student, or the realization that you haven't spent quality time with your family in a while... Well, those things don't have deadlines, do they? But they are important, vitally important. And, if you're like me, you let those urgent things--those deadlines--keep you from doing the things that you need to do, the things that have lasting--eternal--value.
Well, read Hummel's booklet for practical advice on making the important things a reality in your life over the urgent things. This blog entry is just a reminder, primarily to myself.
"Give us this day, our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) is the prayer that I often forget to pray. Rather than taking care of the important things that are given to me daily, I often pursue the urgent things that on down the path of my life are not all that relevant. Perhaps if I focused more on the daily bread, I would have to focus less on "forgive us our (i.e. MY) debts..."
Hades Freezes Over: Apple Releases a Mouse with Right-Click Ability
08/02/2005 23:21 Filed in: Technology
In 1983 with the introduction of the Apple Lisa and then in 1984 with the release of the Macintosh, a mouse on a computer was something of a novelty. That's hard to imagine today. But I started using computers in 1982, and I never touched a mouse until around 1990 (I wasn't a Mac user back then). And, of course, Apple didn't invent the mouse, but they can be credited with the first computer company to sell a computer (to the average consumer) that required its use. In effect, Apple made the mouse mainstream. However, earlier prototype mice had multiple buttons. But the decision was made at Apple that since the mouse was a new technology (remember--this was the early eighties) for the consumer, that simplicity was the best solution. One button was simple enough--just click.
That seems logical enough, until you realize that it was 21 years ago when the first moused-based Macs came out. And in the two decades since, there's never been more than one button on any mouse manufactured by Apple. Now, if you're a Windows user (as I assume most of you reading this are), this probably sounds crazy to you. And believe it or not, I agree. When I first switched platforms to the Mac in 1998, one of the first things I added to my new computer was a third-party two-button mouse. Over the years, I've used mice made by Microsoft, Logitech, and others. I've tried to like the Apple mice that have come with my Macs. They look really cool (except for the original iMac puck mouse), but I need my ability to right-click. This is even weirder when you realize that Apple introduced contextual menus for right-clicks around 1998 to the Mac OS, even though they were only selling one-button mice. I guess it was a way to appease users who wanted to use mice with two buttons (which was just about everyone).
So enough with the history lesson. Rumors of a two button mouse "soon to be released" from Apple have been flying around since I first started using a Mac, but nothing ever materialized until today. This morning, Apple introduced it's most radical mouse redesign since 1984, The Mighty Mouse.
I still think it's crazy that the PTB at Apple took so long to create a multiple-button mouse. However, in the Mighty Mouse, they have compromised between their own stubbornness and the needs and wants of more sophisticated (i.e. most) users. The new pointing device still has all the simplicity of a one-button mouse. In fact, it still looks like a one-button mouse. But the ability to right-click comes from the touch-sensitive top shell. If you apply pressure on the right side of the mouse, it acts as a right-click.
But the aspect of the new Mighty Mouse that really sets this mouse apart is the 360° scroll ball (as opposed to a scroll wheel). I've got one of the newer PowerBooks that comes with 360° scrolling on the trackpad. This is especially handy in a program like Photoshop when you have an image enlarged and you want to move it around diagonally. 360° scrolling is something most folks will find very useful once they give it a try.
Apple's release of the Mighty Mouse couldn't come at a better time. The last two mice I've used on my desktop Mac (currently an eMac) have worn out. Both were from DVForge , and I had chosen them because they had the look and form factor of the recent mice from Apple, but came with two buttons and a scroll wheel. However, neither have held up that well. The current one randomly double-clicks when I single-click causing me to occasionally delete two email messages instead of one, among other things.
Therefore, with the announcement and release of the Mighty Mouse this morning by Apple, I put my order in. By this evening, I received confirmation that it's already shipped. Not too shabby.
Return of the Askalada Power Team
08/01/2005 00:01 Filed in: Personal
In the Fall of 1984, two best friends secured positions on their high school newspaper, The Airline Askalada . Kathy Putman was editor of the paper and Darcie Cash was the business manager. They referred to themselves as "The Askalada Power Team." A few years later, I married the editor and dragged her off to Kentucky.
Fast-forward twenty years to July 31, 2005 when the world (or at least the Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana part of it) saw the return of these two friends on the printed page. Darcie (now Darcie Johnson) is a member of the Shreveport Times Community Board and a frequent opinion contributor to the paper. Like many communities in America today, a hot topic is whether or not schools should abandon the traditional calendar in favor of a year-round schedule. Knowing that Kathy has worked in year-round schools in the past, Darcie suggested to the editor that Kathy would be a good resource to write a guest column. Darcie wrote an article, too, from the viewpoint of a parent. Yesterday, both articles appeared side-by-side. The Return of the Askalada Power Team...
If you would like to read the articles, follow the links below.
"Calendar Should Be Dependent on Student Population," by Kathy Mansfield
"Short Breaks Are Best," by Darcie Johnson
Fast-forward twenty years to July 31, 2005 when the world (or at least the Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana part of it) saw the return of these two friends on the printed page. Darcie (now Darcie Johnson) is a member of the Shreveport Times Community Board and a frequent opinion contributor to the paper. Like many communities in America today, a hot topic is whether or not schools should abandon the traditional calendar in favor of a year-round schedule. Knowing that Kathy has worked in year-round schools in the past, Darcie suggested to the editor that Kathy would be a good resource to write a guest column. Darcie wrote an article, too, from the viewpoint of a parent. Yesterday, both articles appeared side-by-side. The Return of the Askalada Power Team...
If you would like to read the articles, follow the links below.
"Calendar Should Be Dependent on Student Population," by Kathy Mansfield
"Short Breaks Are Best," by Darcie Johnson