May 19, 2005
More War of the Worlds
More from the War of the World's Webmaster Program...
(which I joined, because I had a website that I could promote W.O.W. on, I just wanted to see what it was about. Hey, I got a free, cool hat that I wear all the time to walk my dog, especially when it is raining, like today)
There's a new trailer for the film. Click the link below and it will open. It is a rather large file, so if you do not have a high speed connection, walk away, have a snack, watch a TV show (might need to watch an hour long one) and then come back to your computer and it should be ready to watch by then.
Watch the new trailer for War of the Worlds! (QuickTime)
Here's more info on moviephone, promo stuff, but some of it is interesting if you are a Spielberg fan.
More info on W.O.W. and Spielberg.
Posted by Denise at 06:39 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2005
Earth Day Pics on MSN Pictures
This shot was taken in Southern India, but it could have been many places. De-forestization is forcing the animals to forage for food in dumps. Often they die after eating plastic or other materials.
See more Earth Day pics on MSN Pictures >>
Posted by Denise at 04:41 PM | Comments (1)
February 17, 2005
W.O.W.
There must be no impending doom for the town of South Haven lately. Seeing as nobody's using this blog, I'm gonna have some fun.
From this --- to --- this ---
Now that looks like impending doom.
Posted by Denise at 12:13 AM | Comments (5)
November 06, 2004
You get what you deserve...
My daughter Molly sent me this from Denmark:
THE MIRROR NEWSPAPER FROM LONDON ENGLAND
GOD HELP AMERICA Nov 4 2004
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN...THEY say that in life you get what you deserve. Well, today America has deservedly got a lawless cowboy to lead them further into carnage and isolation and the unreserved contempt of most of the rest of the world.
This once-great country has pulled up its drawbridge for another four
years and stuck a finger up to the billions of us forced to share the
same air. And in doing so, it has shown itself to be a fearful,
backward-looking and very small nation.
(continued...)
Continue reading "You get what you deserve..."
Posted by Vikke at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2004
BAAACK Exerpt from the Detroit News:
"The program focuses on authority. The minister behind Character First! is Bill Gothard, 65, whose Institute for Basic Life Principles is based in Chicago. Gothard says more than 2.5 million people nationwide have attended his seminars. Gothard has centered his teachings on the aspect of authority. He instructs his followers to obey all authority figures -- parents, bosses and political leaders -- because those figure are ordained by Christ. Critics believe that the Character First! curriculum is based on Gothard's values, which he says are rooted in a literal interpretation of the Bible. The minister believes that the Bible says women should be submissive to their husbands, the drum beat in rock music is Satanic and adopted children carry the sins of their biological parents. The Character First! program does not contain any references to these beliefs or to God, Christ or Satan. But Character First! volunteers, or character coaches, typically are teen-age members of Gothard's church and are home-schooled with an educational program developed by Gothard."
Posted by Vikke at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2004
It's BAAACK
The "City of Character" issue is rearing its ugly head in South Haven once again. A group of area residents met recently to discuss how they might proceed to imlement the program. Holland (MI), which has proclaimed itself to be a "City of Character" sent a speaker to the meeting to talk about the great benefits which derive from such designation. According to my source, she kept saying that, of course, no one could possibly object to the 49 so-called character traits, presented in sound bites, which are the basis of the program.
Now, all of this reminds me an awful lot of those folks who loudly proclaim themselves to be "religious" or "spiritual." Saying it don't make it so. Putting up signs declaring that your town is a "City of Character" and proclaiming thereby your righteousness and goodness, is instantly suspect in my book. However, the Mayor of our fair town, Dale Lewis, was heard to say that if the question arose in City Council again the Council would pass the issue, effectively imposing a biblical and right-wing "christian" ethic on everyone in town.
If this group wants to implement these character traits and values in their churches, I say fine--go for it. But to implement such a program in the schools, businesses and city government is scarey, 'way too close to designing, if not requiring, conformity in thought, word and deed. It may be called voluntary, but so is paying your "voluntary" income tax. Imagine, if you will, a child in school or even a business owner trying to opt out because they believe the concept is wrong-headed or stupid. How do they do that? "Oh. You don't believe in good character and family values? What's wrong with you!? You must be crazy, weird, a crook, a bad apple, not a team player." Or worse. This is treading thin ice.
I don't know about you, but traits such as meekness, servility ("I will ask my leaders before I do (whatever) because they represent a higher authority) and kow-towing to, instead of questioning, authority, strike me as mindless, and I, for one, will take a pass.
Anyone who is seriously interested in knowing the background of the "City of Character" program should do some research on the origins and the goals. The original program was created by a fundamentalist preacher, Bill Gotherd and his Institute of Basic Life Principles in Illinois, and picked up by an oil industry non-public corporation in Oklahoma, wiped of its overt references to old testament themes, and used to program the company's employees. The company's profits rose. Their expenses fell. There is no mention of the benefits accrued to the employees, all of whom are now, presumably, happy little worker bees. It's all for the good of the corporation.
And bear in mind that this is no a free program. O no. The company which started the marketing of the "City of Character" sells the program and materials through the CharacterFirst Institute, and teaches, for a hefty fee, how to present it.
Continue reading "It's BAAACK"
Posted by Vikke at 11:08 PM | Comments (2)
August 23, 2004
South Haven's New Focal Point!
Headline in the South Haven Tribune, 08/22/04:
"Construction resumes for downtown's new Focal Point"
Congratulations to South Haven!!!
Move over London, with your Thames River and Buckingham Palace, Paris with your Eiffel Tower, the Seine and the Louvre! Out of the way New York and Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. Forget you, Chicago, with your Hancock Building, Navy Pier and Grant Park. So Seattle has a needle, St. Louis has an arch. Big deal. All these pale before our new Focal Point -- The Huron Street Parking Lot!
Posted by Vikke on August 23, 2004 04:08 PM
*This is actually Vikke's entry and words, not mine. She left this comment on The Ax Fell at Dyckman Park post on the home page. I'm sorry to have my way with your words Vikke, I just couldn't resist. Great stuff.
Posted by Denise at 07:17 PM | Comments (2)
July 15, 2004
Dyckman Park
The City has approved a plan to remove 5 evergreens, the berms, bushes, plus the 15 feet of park space they occupy in order to add just a few parking spaces and make the parking lot more visible from Phoenix Street.
Unless we act now, we will lose the present beauty of the park.
Posted by Denise at 02:11 PM | Comments (2)