Experimental Theology: A Million Boring Little Things

Experimental Theology: A Million Boring Little Things: I was talking to one of my students recently about the temptations of youthful spirituality, how when you are young you get addicted to th...

Tomorrowland- 60 years later

Sixty years ago I set glued to our Black and White RCA TV about 4 feet from the screen to watch the opening of Disneyland in California. The scenes from that special simply blew my mind. To think there was am actual park that had Disneyland (Magic Kingdom), Frontier-land, Adventure-land, Fantasyland and my favorite Tomorrowland.  Tomorrowland was where you could simulate going into space, future cars and other things that would all happen when I got older.  Of course Disneyland was not possible with my family's budget- EVER.

It was a spark that led me to want to change the world. I wanted to design the future.  It probably led to my occupation. I have always been drawn to Tomorrowland. Rocky Jones-Space Ranger, Flash Gordon and later 2001 Space Odyssey and Star Trek and Star Wars.

So It was written that I must see the movie, "Tomorrowland".  I was not disappointed. It captured the spirit of looking to a bright, inventive, positive future unlike "Mad Max", Earthquake and Zombie Movies.   The story is fun and at the same time thought provoking. It ask the viewer the simple questions: Are you part of the solution or have you given u[ and waiting for the great fall of man. Are you hoarding guns to kill those that will attack you during the chaos or Are you thinking about how we can save the planet and each other by doing our part.  In the Movie the creative thinkers are given a coin to show them the future. 

The special effects are fun and the actors are too.  George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, and Britt Robertson are as good as it gets.

Also: My family is heading to Disney World in June. Tomorrowland is high on my list.  I expect that I can purchase one of those coins!  Sure any Movie based after a Theme park has its commercial aim, but it successfully captured me.

I give it ***1/2 stars. 2015 Movie #27

Max Max and Cars in the Dirt

When I was a little boy, I could spend hours out under our large elm tree in the front yard, building roads around and thru the large above-ground roots. I would play with my cars and trucks and my plastic army men, creating battles and scenes of my imagination.

"Mad Max- Fury Road" is such a game. It is two hours of a furious chase across the desert.  All you need to know is one side is bad and one side is sort of good.  Fun with trucks and cars and getting dirty. My kind of thing.

Yes, there is a story and some very ugly people. Charlize Theron even gave up the lower part of her arm to make this movie (At least that's what they showed, special effects are wonderful).

 

It is a great popcorn movie for people who played in the dirt with cars and trucks.

 

I give it ***stars.

2015 Movie 26

The Wright Brothers: How I want to be when I grow up!

I just finished reading "The Wright Brothers" by my favorite historian, David McCullough.  This is a rather short read by his standards, but almost wanted to start reading it again. It is an outstanding story of two brothers who without being College educated and having the trade of building bicycles, turned  there love for watching bird's fly into building and flying the first airplane.  In 1901 when they began building gliders, the common thought was that man would never fly. Men worldwide tried every contraption they could imagine but failed to fly.  The brothers systematically went about studying everything they could about the flight of birds and then set to fly themselves. It took them only three years to go from an idea to flight.

But the real story is the character of the men. The worked outside the lime light, sought no attention, were totally honest, hard working and humble.  Their passion was not about getting rich or famous and when that came later much of it was a nuisance.  They were the sons of a Pastor and performed as to never be an embarrassment to him or themselves.

THIS IS A GREAT STORY.  IF YOU AREN'T INTERESTED IN FLYING, IT DOESN'T MATTER THIS IS A STORY OF HOW THE WORLD CHANGED AND WHO CHANGED IT.

IF IT WAS A MOVIE I WOULD GIVE IT FIVE STARS!

I hear it will be made into a miniseries for TV.

Movies for rainy days

We went to two movies this week that were as different as night and day.  

The first was "Hot Pursuit" starring Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara. It is a chase movie, a buddy movie, an odd couple movie, but most of all it is like an "I Love Lucy" story with Ms. Witherspoon being Lucy and Ms Vergara as Desi.  It is about not understanding each other and being out their comfort zone which is standard Lucy/Desi stuff. Good to watch when there is nothing else going on.

I give it ** stars. 2015 movie 25

The second movie was very different.  We have had movies this year about droids and artificial intelligence. But this movie. "Ex Machina"is sort of the serious look at the subject.  

Ex Machina is from the greek meaning "god from the machine".  There we learned something! I had to look it up!

A young male programmer wins a week with the super-rich owner of the world's largest search engine company.  He flies to a remote location and finds that his project is to test an actual A.I.  This female droid is beyond anything imagined.  Then the story begins.  This is drama and mystery in a sic-fi way.  It is both well acted and suspenseful.  NOTE: As the movie progresses (about the last third) involves scenes of nudity. Naked A.I. but not in a sexual way.

This movie does question how much man-made people could work and be safe.  Much to think about.

Not a popcorn movie. R-Rated  2015 Movie 26 and I give it ****stars.

The Master Storyteller- Garrison Kiellor

 

We went to see Garrison Kiellor last night and it was almost a religious experience. Actually that was exactly what it was. In the course of the evening we sung about 10 hymns, I discussed the church of his youth and his current church, he talked about death and eternity and he told the grandest stories. He is the Greatest Living Story Teller.

I first discovered him and Prairie Home Companion while moving the radio dial one Saturday many years ago.  Since then I have read all his books, bought many tapes of dialogues and stories, and have witnessed him live three times in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Boston. There are three things that represent my teen age years: The Beatles, The Beach Boys and the stories of Garrison Kiellor. His stories so mirror my life that it is spooky.  I love his intelligence and his ability to connect with real life (all mixed together).  

Any Baby Boomer or fan of his show shpu;d see him live!  He is *****

Murky Water - Transgender Restrooms

It is getting harder as an Architect. Because all the rules, customs, and expectations change extremely fast.  Take Public Restrooms:  We have currently four types, Women, Men, Family, and single Uni-sex restrooms.  Now comes "Transgender".

If Bruce Jenner, a man, thinks he is a woman, where does he GO- literally! 

Where would you be comfortable for him to GO?  The new thought is to create Transgender rooms.
These photos are from and article in "American School and University" magazine. It seems that before long their will be Men, Women, Family, Restroom (Single), Restroom (Single).

This brings new thoughts to the signs,  "Please put the toilet seat down."