RealClearReligion has scoured the globe to come up with this set of 35 pages depicting the ugliest churches in the world. Be they Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, non-denominational or whatever, these edifices may not be an affront to God... but they are an affront to human eyeballs! Some of them can't really help it: they were obviously a convenience store or movie theater before being converted into places of worship. But most of them - like the Church of Santa-Monica in Madrid, Spain - will have you scratching your head and wondering: "what the heck am I looking at?" Others, such as Kappal Matha Church in Uvari, India, simply defy all attempts at rationality. One can't doubt the faith being expressed in these sanctuaries... but there is no loss of bewilderment about what their architects were intending when they designed them!Wednesday, July 03, 2013
The world's ugliest church buildings
RealClearReligion has scoured the globe to come up with this set of 35 pages depicting the ugliest churches in the world. Be they Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, non-denominational or whatever, these edifices may not be an affront to God... but they are an affront to human eyeballs! Some of them can't really help it: they were obviously a convenience store or movie theater before being converted into places of worship. But most of them - like the Church of Santa-Monica in Madrid, Spain - will have you scratching your head and wondering: "what the heck am I looking at?" Others, such as Kappal Matha Church in Uvari, India, simply defy all attempts at rationality. One can't doubt the faith being expressed in these sanctuaries... but there is no loss of bewilderment about what their architects were intending when they designed them!The titular dilemma of new Star Wars movies (and what can be done about it)
Right now, somewhere as you read this, pre-production is well underway for Star Wars Episode VII. The script is being written and re-written, conceptual artists are creating new visions of a galaxy far far away, and there is already a casting call for major roles in the next movie. Barely eight months ago we could have never imagined a new Star Wars trilogy would be happening (in fact, I still find myself hardly believing it). And now under Disney's management, we are being promised not just a new trilogy (perhaps even two) but a Star Wars movie every year from 2015 until the end of time.
And therein rests a problem which hopefully is being discussed somewhere at the Mouse House and at Lucasfilm:
With all of these new Star Wars movies... how are they going to be titled? And what does it mean for the Star Wars films we have already?
Until now it's been easy enough: "Episode I: The Phantom Menace", "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" and so forth. Those were individual chapters of one story in an epic fantasy setting. And it suffices for that one multi-generational epic on film.
Except now, there is the intent to produce several stories in that same setting. And they aren't necessarily going to pertain to the tale of the Skywalker family from Anakin to Luke to whoever it will be in the next trilogy.
There are already plans for Star Wars "one-shot" films, focusing on individual characters like Yoda and Boba Fett. Once that big beautiful Star Wars logo blares loud on the screen and the scroll unspools, it's easy to envision it saying "Yoda: Making of a Master" or somesuch.
But those will be self-contained stories. What of the story that started it all, when it is now to be but one piece of an entire tapestry of tales? How is the epic at the heart-meat of the entire franchise going to be set apart from what is yet to come?
And there exists the possibility of future Star Wars trilogies: multi-film stories which aren't focused on the Skywalkers or any of the classic characters at all. Perhaps not even the familiar era of the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire. The nomenclature of those potential future trilogies must be taken into account. The sooner the better.
There is a very simple solution: amend the style of the opening crawls of the Star Wars films we already know and love.
There is precedent for it. When the very first movie came out it was simply "Star Wars". Only when The Empire Strikes Back was released three years later did the original get retroactively subtitled "Episode IV: A New Hope". That's been the titling protocol since.
There hasn't been a need to revise that protocol. There will be soon. And if accommodation was made before, it can be again.
Here is the proposal: retroactively amend the titles of the existing Star Wars movies so that they will stand apart from the films which will be produced in the years to come. Let there be no confusing that Episodes I through IX are a singular epic, standing apart as George Lucas' vision of one movie. Have the core story of the Skywalker family be branded as something unto itself, yet a major component of the larger Star Wars universe which Disney is now creating.
Call it "The Skywalker Saga", or "The Skywalker Cycle" (a Wagner-ish notion in keeping with the operatic motifs at work through the trilogies). So for example, the scroll for Episode IV could look like this:
That's all that needs to happen. Just expand the titling format. It's an elegant and non-invasive alteration that will set the classic films and their sequels apart, and can accommodate any movies still to come. Including full-bore trilogies set in new times and with characters all their own.
From a literary perspective, it makes a lot of sense. From a corporate viewpoint, it also might prove to be quite lucrative. It certainly lends itself well to marketing and merchandising possibilities.
And wouldn't it be grand to someday have a set of Blu-rays on the shelf: "Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga", alongside such classics as A Tale of Two Cities, Moby-Dick and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A truly timeless work of literature, standing on its own merit.
That is what the story of Anakin Skywalker, his son Luke and the next generation of their family deserves. It's what every story in the Star Wars galaxy deserves in its own right. And hopefully the good folks at Disney and Lucasfilm will take that into consideration.
(Speaking of Star Wars, hearty congratulations are in order to George Lucas on his recent marriage to the very lovely Mellody Hobson. May they have a long and happy life together!)
And therein rests a problem which hopefully is being discussed somewhere at the Mouse House and at Lucasfilm:
With all of these new Star Wars movies... how are they going to be titled? And what does it mean for the Star Wars films we have already?
Until now it's been easy enough: "Episode I: The Phantom Menace", "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" and so forth. Those were individual chapters of one story in an epic fantasy setting. And it suffices for that one multi-generational epic on film.
Except now, there is the intent to produce several stories in that same setting. And they aren't necessarily going to pertain to the tale of the Skywalker family from Anakin to Luke to whoever it will be in the next trilogy.
There are already plans for Star Wars "one-shot" films, focusing on individual characters like Yoda and Boba Fett. Once that big beautiful Star Wars logo blares loud on the screen and the scroll unspools, it's easy to envision it saying "Yoda: Making of a Master" or somesuch.
But those will be self-contained stories. What of the story that started it all, when it is now to be but one piece of an entire tapestry of tales? How is the epic at the heart-meat of the entire franchise going to be set apart from what is yet to come?
And there exists the possibility of future Star Wars trilogies: multi-film stories which aren't focused on the Skywalkers or any of the classic characters at all. Perhaps not even the familiar era of the rise and fall of the Galactic Empire. The nomenclature of those potential future trilogies must be taken into account. The sooner the better.
There is a very simple solution: amend the style of the opening crawls of the Star Wars films we already know and love.
There is precedent for it. When the very first movie came out it was simply "Star Wars". Only when The Empire Strikes Back was released three years later did the original get retroactively subtitled "Episode IV: A New Hope". That's been the titling protocol since.
There hasn't been a need to revise that protocol. There will be soon. And if accommodation was made before, it can be again.
Here is the proposal: retroactively amend the titles of the existing Star Wars movies so that they will stand apart from the films which will be produced in the years to come. Let there be no confusing that Episodes I through IX are a singular epic, standing apart as George Lucas' vision of one movie. Have the core story of the Skywalker family be branded as something unto itself, yet a major component of the larger Star Wars universe which Disney is now creating.
Call it "The Skywalker Saga", or "The Skywalker Cycle" (a Wagner-ish notion in keeping with the operatic motifs at work through the trilogies). So for example, the scroll for Episode IV could look like this:
That's all that needs to happen. Just expand the titling format. It's an elegant and non-invasive alteration that will set the classic films and their sequels apart, and can accommodate any movies still to come. Including full-bore trilogies set in new times and with characters all their own.
From a literary perspective, it makes a lot of sense. From a corporate viewpoint, it also might prove to be quite lucrative. It certainly lends itself well to marketing and merchandising possibilities.
And wouldn't it be grand to someday have a set of Blu-rays on the shelf: "Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga", alongside such classics as A Tale of Two Cities, Moby-Dick and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A truly timeless work of literature, standing on its own merit.
That is what the story of Anakin Skywalker, his son Luke and the next generation of their family deserves. It's what every story in the Star Wars galaxy deserves in its own right. And hopefully the good folks at Disney and Lucasfilm will take that into consideration.
(Speaking of Star Wars, hearty congratulations are in order to George Lucas on his recent marriage to the very lovely Mellody Hobson. May they have a long and happy life together!)
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
ObamaCare employer mandate delayed until AFTER next election
The employer mandate component of Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act health-care scheme has been delayed from implementation until 2015. That's after the 2014 elections, mind you. Not well before.
Can Obama do that? I mean, I thought the Affordable Care Act was codified law. Seems kinda illegal to invalidate the most sweeping legislation in living memory like that, even if it's only part of it.
I have an idea: let ObamaCare go into full-blown effect now. Let Obama and those who pushed for the Affordable Care Act see what happens. They wanted us to have this, we should give them what they want.
(Don't think for a moment that this isn't about politics. Gotta wonder if the ACA will keep getting punted down the field for the next several elections to come.)
'Course, Obama himself, members of Congress and other government officials have exempted themselves from the Affordable Care Act.
I'll say this: if that's the way it is, then we the people should exempt ourselves as well. If it's not good enough for them, it's obviously not good enough for us either.
Can Obama do that? I mean, I thought the Affordable Care Act was codified law. Seems kinda illegal to invalidate the most sweeping legislation in living memory like that, even if it's only part of it.
I have an idea: let ObamaCare go into full-blown effect now. Let Obama and those who pushed for the Affordable Care Act see what happens. They wanted us to have this, we should give them what they want.
(Don't think for a moment that this isn't about politics. Gotta wonder if the ACA will keep getting punted down the field for the next several elections to come.)
'Course, Obama himself, members of Congress and other government officials have exempted themselves from the Affordable Care Act.
I'll say this: if that's the way it is, then we the people should exempt ourselves as well. If it's not good enough for them, it's obviously not good enough for us either.
The latest from the wonderful world of 3D printing
This is easily the technology that I'm keenly following more than any other right now. And for plenty of good reasons...
3D printing is now capable of producing replacement bones using living cells.
Desktop-produced firearms continues to be developed and refined, beyond the control of any government.
Laser-guided 3D printing can now produce metal objects with high precision. You will soon be taking your car into a garage and have a new custom part created in-house.
High-capacity lithium-ion batteries smaller than the size of a grain of sand have been created in the laboratory and it's thought that they could eventually be used to power ridiculously tiny gadgets, including next-generation medical devices like pacemakers.
And then there's this: 4D printing! Objects which are manufactured in 3D "folded-up", then are allowed to self-assemble themselves. One possible use mentioned is being able to buy furniture packed-flat from a store, bring it home and then take it out of the box and watch it put itself together. More serious applications could be for building construction in hazardous situations.
No doubt parents across the country will be happy to know about 4D printing. It will potentially bring an end to those most dreaded of words found on just about every toy or game box: "some assembly required"!
3D printing is now capable of producing replacement bones using living cells.
Desktop-produced firearms continues to be developed and refined, beyond the control of any government.
Laser-guided 3D printing can now produce metal objects with high precision. You will soon be taking your car into a garage and have a new custom part created in-house.
High-capacity lithium-ion batteries smaller than the size of a grain of sand have been created in the laboratory and it's thought that they could eventually be used to power ridiculously tiny gadgets, including next-generation medical devices like pacemakers.
And then there's this: 4D printing! Objects which are manufactured in 3D "folded-up", then are allowed to self-assemble themselves. One possible use mentioned is being able to buy furniture packed-flat from a store, bring it home and then take it out of the box and watch it put itself together. More serious applications could be for building construction in hazardous situations.No doubt parents across the country will be happy to know about 4D printing. It will potentially bring an end to those most dreaded of words found on just about every toy or game box: "some assembly required"!
Tammy Tuesday this week is too snug and cozy to care
I snapped this picture of Tammy at about 4:30 in the morning. On most nights she jumps onto the recliner and pulls this blanket over herself and goes to sleep. On this particular morning she woke up, looked around, didn't see anything to get interested in for the moment, and then pulled her head back under the covers and went back to dozing...
Monday, July 01, 2013
"Weird Al" Yankovic played with my Yoda puppet (and signed it too!)
This past Friday evening saw musical parody genius, pop culture icon and now bestselling author "Weird Al" Yankovic come to Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh, North Carolina as part of his seven-city book-signing tour promoting his just-released children's tome My New Teacher and Me!...
My New Teacher and Me! is the follow-up to Weird Al's acclaimed 2011 children's book When I Grow Up (available as a standard book and as a newfangled iOS app for your iPad!).
I arrived at the store about three hours before the signing (incidentally, Quail Ridge Books is a really nice independent bookstore: I'm gonna make it a habit of swinging by there any time I'm in the Raleigh area) and bought a few copies to get signed. I wound up reading My New Teacher and Me! in the interim and found it to be a delightful and well-crafted (and funny) sequel to the first book. I hope Al continues with young Billy's story and gives him at least a trilogy!
Well anyhoo, 7 p.m. arrived and Al Yankovic (that's how he's billed in literary circles, not as "Weird Al", so I'm gonna try to respect that for the rest of this post) came out and began signing and posing for photos. I don't know how many came to Quail Ridge Books on Friday night but there had been over 800 at his previous stop in Cincinnati the day before. If I had to guess, I would estimate at least 400 people and maybe even 500.
It was a little after 8 when my turn came to approach the table where Al was situated. And along with the two copies of My New Teacher and Me! I had something else that I was hoping he could sign: my vintage Yoda vinyl hand puppet, bought all the way back in 1981. I figured that since his big finishing song at the end of every concert is "Yoda" - and since he had the same kind of puppet as a prop in his very first MTV special - that it might have been worth a shot.
Well, as soon as I walked to the table Al saw my puppet standing atop my books and he said "Hey, I used to have one of those!" I gave it to him and he put it on his hand and started playing with it... yes, "Weird Al" Yankovic himself (I know, I slipped from established protocol there but I couldn't help it) started playing with my Yoda puppet!! He put it on his right hand and began talking like Yoda and then he said "Or you could play with him like *this*" and started punching Yoda like a boxer.
This has to be among the top five most kewlest moments of my life...
And yes, he signed it...
Don't even think of asking to buy this from me! You will never, ever, EVER find this listed on eBay. Not as long as I'm alive... and I'm planning on being alive for a heap long time. That lil' Yoda puppet had sentimental value before, and it's got even more now.
Thanks to Al for coming to Raleigh, and thanks to Quail Ridge Books for hosting him! And I heartily recommend My New Teacher and Me!: a fun lil' book for children ages 6 to 600.
My New Teacher and Me! is the follow-up to Weird Al's acclaimed 2011 children's book When I Grow Up (available as a standard book and as a newfangled iOS app for your iPad!).
I arrived at the store about three hours before the signing (incidentally, Quail Ridge Books is a really nice independent bookstore: I'm gonna make it a habit of swinging by there any time I'm in the Raleigh area) and bought a few copies to get signed. I wound up reading My New Teacher and Me! in the interim and found it to be a delightful and well-crafted (and funny) sequel to the first book. I hope Al continues with young Billy's story and gives him at least a trilogy!
Well anyhoo, 7 p.m. arrived and Al Yankovic (that's how he's billed in literary circles, not as "Weird Al", so I'm gonna try to respect that for the rest of this post) came out and began signing and posing for photos. I don't know how many came to Quail Ridge Books on Friday night but there had been over 800 at his previous stop in Cincinnati the day before. If I had to guess, I would estimate at least 400 people and maybe even 500.
It was a little after 8 when my turn came to approach the table where Al was situated. And along with the two copies of My New Teacher and Me! I had something else that I was hoping he could sign: my vintage Yoda vinyl hand puppet, bought all the way back in 1981. I figured that since his big finishing song at the end of every concert is "Yoda" - and since he had the same kind of puppet as a prop in his very first MTV special - that it might have been worth a shot.
Well, as soon as I walked to the table Al saw my puppet standing atop my books and he said "Hey, I used to have one of those!" I gave it to him and he put it on his hand and started playing with it... yes, "Weird Al" Yankovic himself (I know, I slipped from established protocol there but I couldn't help it) started playing with my Yoda puppet!! He put it on his right hand and began talking like Yoda and then he said "Or you could play with him like *this*" and started punching Yoda like a boxer.
This has to be among the top five most kewlest moments of my life...
And yes, he signed it...
Don't even think of asking to buy this from me! You will never, ever, EVER find this listed on eBay. Not as long as I'm alive... and I'm planning on being alive for a heap long time. That lil' Yoda puppet had sentimental value before, and it's got even more now.
Thanks to Al for coming to Raleigh, and thanks to Quail Ridge Books for hosting him! And I heartily recommend My New Teacher and Me!: a fun lil' book for children ages 6 to 600.
The Battle of Gettysburg began 150 years ago today
On July 1st, 1863, what is considered the greatest and most decisive battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere began on the outskirts of the sleepy little college town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania...
Entire volumes of books have been written about this engagement (some devoted solely to Day 2). Even now, historians discuss and debate the tactical decisions made at Gettysburg, along with its impact.
I have respect for the soldiers and officers of each side. Without regard to their earthy perspectives, those men were only fighting for what they believed was right according to their conscience before God. It is our limited understanding which leads to things like war... but I have to think that in the eyes of the Almighty, any sincere seeking after His will is going to be a credit to those striving to follow Him.
In honor of those men, be they Confederate or Union, this blogger salutes them.
Entire volumes of books have been written about this engagement (some devoted solely to Day 2). Even now, historians discuss and debate the tactical decisions made at Gettysburg, along with its impact.
I have respect for the soldiers and officers of each side. Without regard to their earthy perspectives, those men were only fighting for what they believed was right according to their conscience before God. It is our limited understanding which leads to things like war... but I have to think that in the eyes of the Almighty, any sincere seeking after His will is going to be a credit to those striving to follow Him.
In honor of those men, be they Confederate or Union, this blogger salutes them.
