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Michael Parker's Journal
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Sunday, October 30, 2005 |
Armageddon takes center stage in J.J. Ace’s first novel Judgment Day. But this isn’t your traditional Christian-based tale of the end of the world, where the physical forces of good and evil amass in the lands of Israel and battle til Heaven intervenes and wipes out evil. No, Ace morphs the events of Revelations into something entirely fresh, digestible for this highly comic-book-savvy society while still palpable to the religious-minded.
Every thousand years, a foreordained soul decides the fate of humanity for the next thousand years. And what is this decision the Forerunner must make? Should Heaven, Hell, or humankind rule?
Ace’s Forerunner of our time, Elias, isn’t Forerunner material at all. He’s flippant, angry, apathetic, reactionary, distrustful, lacks control of his mouth and passions, and overall is simply much too human for someone with such a weighty responsibility. I know what your thinking. This is the description of the modern teenager. And you would be right. Elias is a mere teen, who comes with every characteristic mentioned above including a healthy dose of low self-image, casting himself as a loser who has no life. And it is this mindset that moves him to find acceptance beyond the people who truly care for him.
Early in J.J. Ace’s clever story, Elias is invited to attend a rave party with the notorious Mort Barnes. Elias accepts, thinking that this is his opportunity to be someone. But it is a gross misjudgment of Mort’s character, a miscalculation that ultimately leads to Elias’ untimely death.
At the rave, Elias is offered drugs, part of a trap that was hatched to pin the blame on him for the rave and the drugs, instead of Mort. When Elias refuses and attempts to leave, Mort and his entourage of no-good hooligans beat him senseless, force him to swallow drugs, and throw him into a deep window well. Elias never makes it out alive.
What transpires after Elias goes into the afterlife, learns that he is the chosen Forerunner of his age, and is sent back to Earth to make his decision, is a thrilling read. Ace creates a multi-layered story with sub-stories that delight and intrigue. Primarily, he turns Elias into a superhero, a being who has the same powers of angels and demons, including having the gift of not ever tasting death again by the hands of a human.
Most noteworthy, though, is how Ace breathes life into an entire other-world that exists around us. Heaven’s angels (lead by the archangel Michael) and hell’s demons (lead by the witty Mephisto) walk in and out of reality, trying to influence Elias to choose their side; and an outcast faction of demons and fallen angels (lead by Warrish) try to kill him so they can start Armageddon and destroy the forces of Heaven, Hell, and Humankind and have the world for themselves. To top this all off, former Forerunners come to Elias aid.
But it is Elias’ difficult journey as Forerunner, in which he is tested and transforms into a hero-like character that lingers in my mind. The most important decisions are never the easiest to make, and Elias’ path to his decision leaves us on the edge of every page, caring about our youthful hero and his band of good-hearts as they fight for their lives and the lives of all humankind.
Judgment Day is verifiably a fun read. Moreover, and I will stand as a proponent right now, Hollywood could turn this into celluloid and find another hit the likes of Constantine and Dogma on their money-loving hands.
*******
Judgment Day, by J.J. Ace, Five Star Publishing, is available online at Borders and Amazon.
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Thursday, October 27, 2005 |
Some verse the night before possible indictments.
From "Man and the Echo" by Willaim Butler Yeats. What do I have on my mind when I read this? Bush. The White House. The players in the Valerie Plame outing. The corrupted GOP party. But feel free to add your own interpretation.
All that I have said and done,
Now that I am old and ill,
Turns into a question till
I lie awake night after night
And never get the answers right.
Did that play of mind set out
Certain men the English shot?
Did words of mine put too great strain
On the woman's reeling brain?
Could my spoken words have checked
That whereby a house lay wrecked?
9:52:24 PM | |
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Wednesday, October 26, 2005 |
Tomorrow just might be as historical of a day America will ever witness. With half of the Gulf Coast states reeling from a season of disastrous hurricanes, the White House is wondering if they're going to be struck with a political storm of their own.
Tomorrow is the day the investigation lead by Patrick Fitzgerald regarding the leak of Valerie Plame wraps up. Indictments and/or an extension of the grand jury term are the talk of, well, practically the entire world, especially since the investigation has reached across the Atlantic to Italy within the past few days.
Over the past two years, I have been following PlameGate, as it was called early on, when Wilson was on the media circuit. From his interview with Men's News Daily from California, he revealed the timeline of the events and what he knew about the leak:
TN: But the question again: Is Karl Rove the leaker?
Wilson: I don't know the name of the leaker. I will say this: the CIA is an executive branch agency that reports to the President of the United States. The act of leaking the name of a national security asset to the press was a political act. There is a political office that is attached to the office of the President of the United States. That office is headed by Karl Rove.
It is a useful place to start asking questions. Now, nobody has told me the name of the leaker or who authorized the leak. I did not know until I saw the Washington Post article that there were apparently two waves. There was the wave of the leak, two by six, two leakers to six journalists. And then there was a subsequent wave when Karl Rove and perhaps the communications office were pushing the story.
TN: Novak says it wasn't the White House.
Wilson: Well I don't care. Novak has changed his story so much that it's hard for me to understand what he is talking about. He also says that he isn't one of the six, but that issue is somewhere between Novak and the Washington Post and the person who leaked. I can tell you only that Novak called me before he wrote his story asking for a confirmation, and he confirmed to me after he wrote the story that there were two senior administration officials who provided the information to him. And I can tell in the week after his story appeared, I was getting calls from reputable members of the press saying that the White House was pushing the story.
And then there was that turn of events in early June of 2004 when Bush sought legal advice from Jim Sharp in regards to the leaking of the CIA agent, Valerie Plame. Bush's comment on this was as follows: "This is a criminal matter. It's a serious matter. I met with an attorney to determine whether or not I need his advice, and if I deem I need his advice I'll probably hire him."
Of course this should not be perceived as evidence that he was involved. But the image it paints does indeed place him in the middle of the fray. And right now, it's the appearance of complicity that is the unraveling of the Republican Party.
In light of this, the latest article Shipwrecked, by Sidney Blumenthal sounds as close to a death knell for Bush and the current Republican Party than anything I have read. "There is no one left to rescue the Republican Party from George W. Bush," Blumenthal begins. "He is home alone. The Republican-establishment wise men whose words were once quiet commands are shouting unheeded warnings. The Republican leaders of Congress are distracted and obsessed with their own crisis of corruption."
Come tomorrow, Fitzgerald might just make that crisis a political disaster.
*****
Other exceptional articles regarding the investigation:
Scooter Libby: Shark Bate, by James Wolcott
10:28:44 PM | |
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Tuesday, October 25, 2005 |
Let the awards ceremonies begin!
The 9th Annual Hollywood Film Festival's "Hollywood Awards®" ceremony, which honors both independent filmmakers and established Hollywood professionals, was held last night in Beverly Hills.
The big winner of the evening was Sam Mendes film Jarhead, about the odd experiences of a unit of soldiers during the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chris Cooper, the film picked up awards for Best Breakthrough Actor of the Year (Jake Gyllenhaal), Best Director (Sam Mendes), and Best Producer (Lucy Fisher and Doug Wick).
The Hollywood Movie of the Year Award, which is decided by the public voting online for their favorite movies at the Yahoo Movies (movies.yahoo.com) and "Entertainment Tonight" (ETonline.com) websites, went to George Lucas' final installment of Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith.
Other nominees for Hollywood Movie of the Year were: "Batman Begins," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Cinderella Man," "The Constant Gardener," "Crash," "Hustle and Flow," "Sin City," "War of the Worlds" and "Wedding Crashers."
Here is a run-through of all the major awards.
Hollywood Breakthrough Actor of the Year Award = JAKE GYLLENHAAL (Jarhead).
Hollywood Breakthrough Actress of the Year Award = RACHEL McADAMS (Red Eye, The Family Stone)
Hollywood Supporting Actress Award = SUSAN SARANDON (Elizabethtown)
Hollywood Supporting Actor of the Year Award = MATHEW BRODERICK (The Producers)
Hollywood Actress of the Year Award = CHARLIZE THERON (North Country)
Hollywood Actor of the Year Award = JOAQUIN PHOENIX (Walk the Line)
Hollywood Ensemble Acting Award = The cast of Crash.
Hollywood Breakthrough Director Award = PAUL HAGGIS (Crash).
Hollywood Director of the Year Award = Sam Mendes (Jarhead)
Producers of the Year = DOUG WICK and LUCY FISHER (Jarhead, Memoirs of a Geisha).
Hollywood Movie of the Year = GEORGE LUCAS (Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith).
Hollywood Career Achievement Award = DIANE KEATON
For more information on the Hollywood Film Festival and the Hollywood Awards, or to view the awards given to film festival films, click here.
To view a trailer for the Sam Mendes film Jarhead, click here. (By the way, the tagline for this film rocks-- "Welcome to the suck!")
8:48:00 PM | |
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Monday, October 24, 2005 |
"Are you going to stand up?" the bus driver asked.
"No," Parks answered.
"Well, by God, I'm going to have you arrested," the driver said.
"You may do that," Parks responded.
This was the conversation that transpired on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks would not give up her seat to a white man. She recalled that her defiance was partly due to her feet being sore, and partly because she felt "that [she] had a right to be treated as any other passenger. We had endured that kind of treatment for too long."
In the early 1990's, I had the opportunity to hear Rosa Parks, "the mother of the Civil Rights Movement," speak at Brigham Young University. I fondly recall that the auditorium of 350-plus seats were filled and students lined the walls and sat in the aisles and on the steps to the podium. When she entered with her entourage and the university dignitaries, the audience stood and cheered for minutes.
I was greatly impressed by her lecture and comments afterward. Growing up in Utah, I had never heard of Rosa Parks or that fateful bus ride. I was impressed that this woman of such a small stature and quiet voice had the courage to refuse to move off of her seat. More so, however, I was impressed with her current mission to speak out on bettering human rights.
Ever since 1955, she said, she has raised her voice against sexism and racism in our societies. Her message for us was powerful and came across in a most sincere manner. Her hope in humankind, likewise, was not only endearing but larger than life. "I hope we are on the road to progress," she said.
And when she used the phrase "we," it didn’t come across as preachy; nor did she seem to be exalting herself, her accomplishments, or mission. Rather, I sensed she included herself in the great human equation for the balance of equality. It was not a "you" or "I" but a "we" as a university, a community, a society, a people, a state, a nation, a continent, and a world.
Change can only happen if "we" work together to create that better place, a place not only free from racism, but of sexism, where we enjoy honest relationships, respect for one another, and enjoy each other without fear. That’s how I interpreted her message that day.
Indeed, when I think back on that frail, 80-year-old Rosa Parks, I see her cuddled under her warm shawl she had slung about her thin shoulders; I hear her warm, soft voice speaking in the tongue of Martin Luther King, Jr., urging us on to peaceful action; and I remember being blinded by that gleam in her eyes that broadcast her ever-living hope in humanity.
Life creates legends, symbols that represent what we can be. Today, we see the passing of such a legend. I hope her vision and quiet courage lingers here.
*****
Here are more highlights on the life of Rosa Parks, excerpts from the Associated Press:
Her arrest triggered a 381-day boycott of the bus system organized by a then little-known Baptist minister, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who later earned the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.
"At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this," Mrs. Parks said 30 years later. "It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in."
The Montgomery bus boycott, which came one year after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark declaration that separate schools for blacks and whites were "inherently unequal," marked the start of the modern civil rights movement.
The movement culminated in the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act, which banned racial discrimination in public accommodations. ....
"Rosa Parks: My Story" was published in February 1992. In 1994 she brought out "Quiet Strength: The Faith, the Hope and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation," and in 1996 a collection of letters called "Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue With Today's Youth."
She was among the civil rights leaders who addressed the Million Man March in October 1995.
In 1996, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to civilians making outstanding contributions to American life. In 1999, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor.
10:36:57 PM | |
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Friday, October 21, 2005 |
Added a Bio page. Hope you like it.
11:37:36 PM | |
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Every other day, my friends and I wonder what the top boxoffice winners have been this year and I seem to always forget to look it up. Today, for some unknown reason, I finally remembered.
Here are the top twenty grossing films so far this year.
1 Revenge of the Sith $380.21 m (05/19/05)
2 War of the Worlds * $233.33 m (06/29/05)
3 Wedding Crashers $206.54 m (07/15/05)
4 Batman Begins $205.09 m (06/15/05)
5 Charlie & the Chocolate Factory $204.48 m (07/15/05)
6 Madagascar * $192.93 m (05/27/05)
7 Mr. & Mrs. Smith $185.77 m (06/10/05)
8 Hitch $177.58 m (02/11/05)
9 The Longest Yard * $158.12 m (05/27/05)
10 Fantastic Four $154.04 m (07/08/05)
11 Robots $128.20 m (03/11/05)
12 The Pacifier $113.01 m (03/04/05)
13 The 40 Year-Old Virgin $101.41 m (08/19/05)
14 Monster-in-Law $82.93 m (05/13/05)
15 Are We There Yet? $82.30 m (01/21/05)
16 The Dukes of Hazzard $79.90 m (08/05/05)
17 The Ring Two $75.89 m (03/18/05)
18 Constantine * $75.50 m (02/18/05)
19 March of the Penguins $74.52 m (07/22/05)
20 Sin City $74.10 m (04/01/05)
You will notice that only 13 films have grossed over $100 million. With two months left in the year, this does seem a low figure. On average, 21 to 25 films gross more than $100 million in a single year.
In perspective, the number of films to gross more than $100 million last year (2004) was 23 films; in 2003 = 29 films; in 2002 = 24 films; in 2001 = 20 films; 2000 = 22 films; 1999 = 21 films.
Are there seven upcoming films that could break $100 million? Possibly. Consider the blockbusters yet to be released: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, The Legend of Zorro, Chicken Little, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Peter Jackson's King Kong.
As for dramas, well, I'm sad to admit....they just don't bring in the green too well, do they? But potential break-throughs could be George Clooney's Good Night, And Good Luck, James Mangold's film about Johnny Cash called Walk the Line, Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice, Steven Zallian's All the King's Men, and Ang Lee's critically acclaimed, though highly controversial cowboy film Brokeback Mountain.
Can you think of any other films that might be high grossing hits?
8:45:18 PM | |
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Doing some research this evening in my archives pages, I noticed that my trackbacks have been embedded with numerous ads, each filled with hundreds of hits for games and salacious sites that I don't approve of. Because of this, I've removed the functionality from my site.
8:09:51 PM | |
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Thursday, October 20, 2005 |
In 1953, a Wisconsin Senator by the name of Joseph McCarthy became one of the most powerful in the land, holding secret trials against people he deemed to be communist. George Clooney's film Good Night, And Good Luck is a film about the CBS news crew, led by Edward Murrow, who tackled McCarthy head on, defying corporate and sponsorship pressures to examine the lies and scaremongering tactics perpetrated by McCarthy during his communist 'witch-hunts'. Immediately, McCarthy accuses Murrow of being a communist. In this climate of fear and reprisal, Murrow and crew carry on with their show to expose McCarthy. Their tenacity to speak the truth against McCarthy is recognized as historic.
Good Night stars David Strathairn as Murrow. The film also stars George Clooney, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey, Jr., Frank Langella, and Jeff Daniels.
Good Night, And Good Luck has been honored by numerous awards at the Venice Film Festival, including Best Screenplay, Human Rights Award, Best Film, and Best Actor (David Strathairn).
It also was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion.
See the WarnerBros. trailer for the film here.
10:10:17 PM | |
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Monday, October 17, 2005 |
Updated the Right Panel. Took out the Calendar section. This freed up some valuable real estate. Besides, I have a "Previous Posts" section and an extensive "Archives." I doubt a calendar is going to be missed.
Added link to MiPoesias Magazine, in which you will find my column "When the Muses Come to Visit." For the month of October, you will find my article "This Side of the Sea." If you enjoy poetry, essays, and articles, you should not miss out on this incredible issue. It is full of recognized and award-winning poets and poetry.
9:57:01 PM | |
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Sunday, October 16, 2005 |
For the past three weeks, I have been extremely busy with deadlines for work, a contract job, a column, and a photo shoot (on Saturday, which was successful, thanks to my talented brother-in-law and friend M. Stewart and my skilled --and wonderful-- wife J).
Guilt. I've been absent here too frequently. I know what that means, image wise. Oblivion is the next town on the road I've been traveling. So I wanted to write something, anything. Here is the first thing that came to mind. A quote. Simple enough.
This passage from the wise and gifted Edward O. Wilson (from his work Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, pages 210-1) is always at the forefront of my mind when I interpret or analyze art, film, or the written word. If it helps you in any way, excellent. If it bores you, please keep it to yourself:
The arts are sometimes taken to mean all the humanities, which include not only the creative arts but also...the Humanities, the core subjects of history, philosophy, languages, and comparitive literature, jurisprudence, the comparitive study of religions, and "those aspects of the social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods."
....Interpretation is itself an art, since it expresses not just factual expertise of the critic but also his character and aesthetic judgement. When of high quality, criticism can be inspired and idiosyncratic as the work it addresses.... Interpretation will be more powerful when braided together from history, biography, personal confession--and science.
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Saturday, October 15, 2005 |
The finalists for the 2005 National Book Award were named this week. The National Book Foundation gives awards to books in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young people’s literature.
In fiction, the finalists are:
E.L. Doctorow, The March (Random House)
Mary Gaitskill, Veronica (Pantheon)
Christopher Sorrentino, Trance (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Renè Steinke, Holy Skirts (William Morrow)
William T. Vollmann, Europe Central (Viking)
In non-fiction, the finalists are:
Alan Burdick, Out of Eden: An Odyssey of Ecological Invasion (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
Leo Damrosch, Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius (Houghton Mifflin)
Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking (Alfred A. Knopf)
Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn, 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers (Times Books)
Adam Hochschild, Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves (Houghton Mifflin)
In poetry, the finalists are:
John Ashbery, Where Shall I Wander (Ecco)
Frank Bidart, Star Dust: Poems (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
Brendan Galvin, Habitat: New and Selected Poems, 1965-2005 (Louisiana State University Press)
W.S. Merwin, Migration: New and Selected Poems (Copper Canyon Press)
Vern Rutsala, The Moment’s Equation (Ashland Poetry Press)
In young people’s literature, the finalists are:
Jeanne Birdsall, The Penderwicks (Alfred A. Knopf)
Adele Griffin, Where I Want to Be (Putnam)
Chris Lynch, Inexcusable (Atheneum)
Walter Dean Myers, Autobiography of My Dead Brother (HarperTempest)
Deborah Wiles, Each Little Bird That Sings (Harcourt)
W.S. Merwin is one of my favorite poets so I’m thrilled to see him recognized.
Other than Merwin, I do not know anyone. That means I have much reading to do.
One of the books that intrigues me in this group of finalists is Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, a book about how Didion got over her husband’s sudden death. (Digression: Isn't that a funny phrase, "got over"? As I wrote that, it hit me square between the eyes as odd, incorrect.) I found excerpts of her nominated work on The New York Times and The Guardian. Let me share with you a few paragraphs:
John was talking, then he wasn't.
At one point in the seconds or minute before he stopped talking he had asked me if I had used single-malt Scotch for his second drink. I had said no, I used the same Scotch I had used for his first drink. "Good," he had said. "I don't know why but I don't think you should mix them." At another point in those seconds or that minute he had been talking about why the first world war was the critical event from which the entire rest of the 20th century flowed.
I have no idea which subject we were on, the Scotch or the first world war, at the instant he stopped talking.
I only remember looking up. His left hand was raised and he was slumped motionless. At first I thought he was making a failed joke, an attempt to make the difficulty of the day seem manageable.
I remember saying, "Don't do that."
When he did not respond my first thought was that he had started to eat and choked. I remember trying to lift him far enough from the back of the chair to give him the Heimlich. I remember the sense of his weight as he fell forward, first against the table, then to the floor.
When the paramedics came, they transformed the part of the living room where John lay into an emergency department. One of them (there were three, maybe four, even an hour later I could not have said) was talking to the hospital about the electrocardiogram they seemed already to be transmitting. Another was opening the first or second of what would be many syringes for injection. I remember saying that he might have choked. This was dismissed with a finger swipe: the airway was clear. They seemed now to be using defibrillating paddles, an attempt to restore a rhythm. They got something that could have been a normal heartbeat (or I thought they did, we had all been silent, there was a sharp jump), then lost it, and started again.
10:24:50 PM | |
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Wednesday, October 12, 2005 |
The new issue of MiPoesias Magazine http://www.mipoesias.com, edited by Tom Beckett, is now up for your listening and reading pleasure. This is the first issue ever produced for the magazine that has a built in audio podcast version. State of the art, indeed!
And your's truly has an article titled "This Side of the Sea." Just click on [Columns] or [Contents] and find my name. I hope you like it, as well as everything else inside.
This issue includes an article from fellow columnist David Need (analysis of Rainer Maria Rilke); audio interviews of Richard Peabody, Ron Androla, Rita Maria Martinez, Reb Livingston, Geoff Bouvier, Barbara Nightengale, Amy King, and Linh Dinh; and poetry from James Maughn, Harry K. Stammer, Stephen Baraban, Nick Piombino, Kari Edwards, Anny Ballardini, Geof Huff, W.B. Keckler, Amy King, Mark Young, Barbara Jane Reyes, Barry Schwabsky, Shanna Compton, Christophe Casamassima, Jonathan Mayhew, Jill Jones, Jon Leon, John Perlman, Eileen Tabios, Jordan Stempleman, Vernon Frazer, John Bryan, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen, Michelle Buchanan, Jay Thomas, Nico Vassilakis, Nicholas Manning, Thomas Fink, Richard Lopez, Br. Tom Murphy, Sheila Murphy, Jilly Dybka, Alex Gildzen, Sabyasachi Roy, John Byrum, Stephen Vincent, and Jean Vengua.
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Saturday, October 08, 2005 |
Ruth Gledhill of the TimesOnline.UK reported this week that the Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland published the pamphlet The Gift in Scripture, in which they warn their five million worshippers "that they should not expect 'total accuracy' from the Bible."
“We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision,” they say.
I find their reasoning understandable and acceptable. Consider these paragraphs:
The document is timely, coming as it does amid the rise of the religious Right, in particular in the US.
Some Christians want a literal interpretation of the story of creation, as told in Genesis, taught alongside Darwin’s theory of evolution in schools, believing “intelligent design” to be an equally plausible theory of how the world began.
But the first 11 chapters of Genesis, in which two different and at times conflicting stories of creation are told, are among those that this country’s Catholic bishops insist cannot be “historical”. At most, they say, they may contain “historical traces”....
In the document, the bishops acknowledge their debt to biblical scholars. They say the Bible must be approached in the knowledge that it is “God’s word expressed in human language” and that proper acknowledgement should be given both to the word of God and its human dimensions....
The Bible is true in passages relating to human salvation, they say, but continue: “We should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other, secular matters.”
The bishops seem to be speaking truth to the power control occurring in the US; they are calling it for what it is, fundamentalism. Consider these paragraphs:
[The bishops] go on to condemn fundamentalism for its “intransigent intolerance” and to warn of “significant dangers” involved in a fundamentalist approach.
“Such an approach is dangerous, for example, when people of one nation or group see in the Bible a mandate for their own superiority, and even consider themselves permitted by the Bible to use violence against others.”
Of the notorious anti-Jewish curse in Matthew 27:25, “His blood be on us and on our children”, a passage used to justify centuries of anti-Semitism, the bishops say these and other words must never be used again as a pretext to treat Jewish people with contempt. Describing this passage as an example of dramatic exaggeration, the bishops say they have had “tragic consequences” in encouraging hatred and persecution. “The attitudes and language of first-century quarrels between Jews and Jewish Christians should never again be emulated in relations between Jews and Christians.”
As examples of passages not to be taken literally, the bishops cite the early chapters of Genesis, comparing them with early creation legends from other cultures, especially from the ancient East. The bishops say it is clear that the primary purpose of these chapters was to provide religious teaching and that they could not be described as historical writing....
The bishops say: “Such symbolic language must be respected for what it is, and is not to be interpreted literally. We should not expect to discover in this book details about the end of the world, about how many will be saved and about when the end will come.”
What is my opinion on this? Thank goodness that these bishops have broached the topic of the rise of fundamentalism and the literal interpretation of Genesis. Two points: 1) The teaching of creationism and Intelligent Design should be taught in institute, seminary, or bible classes held before or after school. 2) If parents and Republicans feel public school is too secular, why don't they create private Christian schools that they can send their children to?
8:24:57 PM | |
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Sunday, October 02, 2005 |
I spent the weekend down in beautiful St. George, Utah. I completed my eighth St. George Marathon Saturday morning. I came in at 4 hours 34 minutes. And I gladly accept this time, especially considering that I had my gall bladder taken out the last day of May and didn't start running again till July.
Highlights:
1. I arrived at the bus park at 5:15 in order to catch the bus to the starting line. Within minutes, all of the buses had departed and there were still 1,000 runners standing there. I figured that they had more runners actually show up because of the second lottery in August, yet didn't sequester the additional buses for them. Because of this, 10 buses had to return to the park, pick us up, and make a second trip to the starting line just outside of Enterprise. I ended up on the last bus.
2. Because of the bus fiasco, the marathon started 15 minutes later. My first thought: "Oh great! 15 more minutes of running in the desert heat!"
3. At mile six, a woman wearing a make-shift bib passed me. I had enough time to see the picture of a cute one or two-year-old baby and read "Miles for Michael: In commemoration of...." before she was lost in the crowd in front of me. I never saw her again to talk to her about the story behind the picture.
4. At mile 11, J and kids and my brother-in-law were waiting to cheer me on. When I saw J, I knew she was worried about my time. I explained that they started the race 15 minutes late.
5. In marathon, especially with the St. George marathon, you have to hold back from exerting too much energy the first 20 miles because of the steep and/or lengthy hills at miles 7 (to 9), 11 (to 12), and 16 (to 18). The first 20 miles must be a race of patience, keeping a pace you know won't waste your resources-- strong legs, mental and physical energy, and hydration level. The last 6 miles of this marathon is like another race. If you have the reserves, you can pour it on going down some great hills and sloping streets all the way into town. This year, for whatever reason, the man who lead the entire race had to stop at mile 23 and stretch. The second-place runner, Joe Wilson, passed him at this point and went on to win the race. Ironically, it was mile 23 that got me as well. The heat had me feeling weak and loopy in the head.
6. The people of St. George and the townships along the route come up and line the streets and cheer you on. It's a highly supportive community and I have not experienced anything like it in all of the other races I have participated in. I read that over 1,800 volunteers assisted at the aid stations, traffic control, food services, clean-up, etc. Not only is this the most organized of the races I attend, even though the bus fiasco occurred this year. But these people are friendly to the bone, thrilled to be out there helping.
7. After 8 times, I still can't get enough of the unique landscapes along the route-- running among extinct volcanos, black lava rock hills speckled with sage brush, red and white cliffs of Snow Canyon National Park towering over the route, and the red hills that welcome you into the city of St. George. It's an amazing location for a marathon.
Next year, I'm back on achieving my goal of breaking the 4 hour mark and qualifying for Boston.
10:07:13 PM | |
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