Sunday Drive

That was a tired Sunday.  I was supposed to substitute teach the Gospel Principles class during second hour of church and wondered if I felt well enough to go.  One short prayer over that and I tried to wake myself up. It was a borderline situation.

Then a phone call around around 8 AM from a friend at church made it clear I’d better go in.  Somehow, I’d just agreed to teach Elders Quorum third hour too, since the friend was too sick to make it in. While I didn’t have as much prep time for the lesson as I’d normally like, last minute substitutions are nothing new to me. So prayer answered; message received.

There were no nonmembers investigating the faith, so second hour duties evaporated and I had a chance to do some real preparation of the lesson. The topic was the General Conference talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook titled LDS Women Are Incredible! which is about, you guessed it, the women of the Church.  With the Relief Society Presidency being changed today, I had a chance to catch some sisters in the hallway and ask them what they would like the brethren to understand about them. That was educational, being terminally single.

Feeling prepared, I went into the lesson a bit more confident than I’d felt before. But I could feel my energy levels dropping by the minute and I’m just grateful I didn’t put too many to sleep. Interesting how the Holy Ghost prompted me to go with a completely different approach to the lesson than I’d planned.

The important thing is the class and I survived to see another day.

The drive home was somewhat blurry around the edges, so I took a minor scenic detour to keep me awake. No, not a ditch. An alternate route.

That turned out to be more stimulating than expected thanks to a blond woman in a full size van who wanted to do 70 MPH on a windy and hilly rural road. Tailgating me during what is supposed to be a relaxed Sunday drive is not what the doctor ordered. Though I’ll admit it kept me awake.

I was able to outrun her in the curves but she always came up on me in the straight sections. At first I thought I was imagining her being lead footed, but it happened mile after mile. Just when I thought I’d shook her off, there would be the Ford logo in my rearview mirror.

And they say men are the aggressive drivers.

Eventually I made it home and didn’t even have to dodge any deer while coming down the driveway. Food, then bed followed. Sometime around 6 PM I awakened and did something, but I don’t remember what. Hey, that was almost four hours ago and the memory goes once you get older.

Somewhere along the line I started this post.  Currently feeling very blurry around the edges again and it will be an early night for me.

Health 7-23-2011

Yesterday was a tough day. It was day two of sneezing, but far worse. For awhile there, I didn’t think I’d make it out to a movie with a friend. Somehow, I got through it and I think getting out of the house was helpful. Only went through half the tissues I took with me.

Learning to play a game endorsed by Mensa while having chills is not recommended. The game is called Ket and involves a board, mirrored pieces, and lasers. Interesting game.

Breathing it a little tight again; chest congestion seems to always follow the sinuses cutting loose this year.

Back pain is better and I’ve hiked up the driveway to get the mail the last two days. Not close to the 2.5 mile walks I prefer, but better than nothing. Oh to be able to do 5 mile walks again.

Another Tim McVeigh but in Norway

With the body count soaring in Oslo to 92 at the latest count, it appears that nationalism has finally reared its ugly head in Europe. Not that it has been hiding, but the neo Nazi types haven’t been blowing things up or shooting people in this manner. Unfortunately, nationalism is always just under the surface in xenophobic Europe – especially in the North.

The media is wanting to make it out to be a Christian fundamentalist motivation for Anders Behring Breivik, but I think they’ll find it more to be a reaction to Muslim immigrants. I’ve known Norwegian Americans who are extremely racist and view the Northern European stock to be superior to all other races. So I might be a bit biased there.

Ever since I became aware of the lack of assimilation by foreign immigrants of Muslim descent in Europe, I’ve been concerned. Europeans, despite their vaunted championing of human rights, have not been socially welcoming to the hired help. Instead of using the “melting pot” concept of integration, the newcomers where essentially confined to ghettos. That’s never worked out well anywhere for increasing tolerance, understanding, or more importantly -- upward mobility in a society.

Culture clashes are always fraught with friction, but in Europe it has always involved violence on a large scale at some point. Pogroms against Jews, the Nazi extermination of minority groups, and the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia are recent examples of an old story there. My fear is that one day we will see ethnic clashes in the old countries that end up bringing back fascist governments.

Right now I’m hoping this butcher was a sole actor and that it wasn’t an organized conspiracy. Governments in the West have their hands full enough with Islamist extremists.

Once again, I find myself only being able to pray for people that have gone through something horrible.

UPDATED

It looks like Breivek hated a lot of people, not just Muslims. He also hated Nazis and Marxists, lumping them all together while having neo-Nazi connections. It is starting to look more like Jarod Loughner rather than McVeigh, but not as obviously crazy. Definitely some serious cognitive dissonance though.

There is also a question of whether his Facebook account was changed after his name was released to include Christian and Conservative on his profile. Lulzsec or Anonymous involved? Hard to tell the way “ends justify the means” has gotten to be a standard in our world.

Interpol will be setting up a task force on non-Islamic terror and some are getting paranoid over it. If they haven’t been tracking the white supremacists and nationalists already, what in the world is wrong with them? While it may be used as a political weapon (what isn’t these days?), there has been a clear need for this for years if not decades. At least we keep an eye on ours over here, despite them being a fading threat since the Oklahoma City bombing.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Finally a live action Captain America movie that is a good movie has arrived. Filled with action, a sweet romance, and a great deal of heart, it has everything a summer blockbuster should have. But will it be a hit with the public?

I just got back from seeing Marvel’s latest movie blockbuster attempt and can say it ranks up there with Iron Man 2 and Thor in quality, but below Iron Man. But I like it better than the two films I grouped it with and that is what sets it apart. Like Thor, it is part of the 3D fad of the moment.

Captain America begins with a discovery of a strange object in the Artic ice and for a second I thought I’d stumbled into a preview screening of The Thing prequel/remake. The object is very large and mysterious, with the government types using a fancy laser to cut their way into it. Inside they find conventional beams and struts, along with a frosted over cockpit. A glint draws the attention of one explorer and he scrapes away the frost to reveal that famous shield.

The film goes back to 1942 and a skinny young man desperately trying to get passed on a physical to join the armed forces. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) has a laundry list of ailments that render him 4F (unsuitable for service) and can’t talk his way in. Later on, his since of right earns him a beating outside a theater only to be rescued by his best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) who is about to be shipped out. As is typical of the movie, there are a lot of nice character moments between the two and you can buy the friendship.

A series of events bring Steve to the attention of a scientist, Erskine (Stanely Tucci) in charge of a project to create a “super soldier” for the US government. Dr. Erskine is a warm and humane presence in each scene Tucci steals. Yep, even Tommy Lee Jones is unable to stop Tucci from stealing his scenes, though it is a close run race.

Rogers also meets quite a dame… err, woman…. err, lady in Peggy Carter (Haley Atwell). Not just easy on the eyes, she is a nicely three dimensional character. You can interpret that anyway you want, it still applies. I’m going to have to see some other movies Atwell is in if this one is any indication of her acting skills. Carter can hold her own with the boys and is a crack shot. She also sees the real man in the frail frame of Rogers.

Of course Steve Rogers makes it through the experiment and becomes a perfect specimen of humanity with enhanced speed, reflexes, strength, and agility. But things go awry very quickly and he ends up being one of a kind.

Over in Norway and Germany, a vicious and brilliant scientist Johann Schmidt aka The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) has been experimenting with powers mortals shouldn’t tamper with. Shockingly, he’s succeeding and his branch of the SS, Hydra, is becoming a force to be reckoned with. There is a connection between him and Rogers that destines them to be foes.

A journey towards becoming a hero and leader follows for Steve Rogers, with lots of action that doesn’t overwhelm the development of the characters. It is an unapologetic tribute to the bravery of the Allied soldiers who fought in WWII as well as old movie serials.

Chris Evans really surprised me and it is hard to believe he is the same actor who played the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies. His Rogers is a very believable and likeable hero, evincing bravery without arrogance and with an ever present sense of decency. The final scene set in the 1940’s was unexpectedly touching due to his and Atwell’s performances.

Hugo Weaving did a note perfect performance as the prideful and somewhat insane Red Skull. This is a character driven by a belief in his own mental perfection and a vicious temper.  The makeup effects were excellent and this incarnation of the character owes much to the unreleased 1990’s movie. But it is a much better portrayal.

Having Tony Stark’s dad, Howard (Dominic Cooper), be the genius behind Captain America’s shield and other gadgets was a stroke of genius. He also gets some excellent lines and you can see Tony didn’t fall far from the family tree.

Little things I noticed:

The way they worked an authentic version of the original comic book costume into the movie is very inventive and deliberately cringe worthy. The whole USO thing was an interesting addition to the mythos.

Fans of Luftwaffe ‘46 projects and fan fiction will love this movie to death. The aircraft are all derived or inspired by radical designs from WWII that never saw the light of day.

Keep an eye out for a dummy clad in an all red jumpsuit at the World’s Fair. It is a nod to the original Human Torch from the 1940’s.

There is a Band of Brothers connection in the film. Neal McDonough plays Dum Dum Dugan complete with walrus mustache. You may remember him as Buck in the fantastic WWII miniseries.

Stay after the credits. What happens after is much bigger than in any of the previous Marvel films. Much bigger.

Captain America: The First Avenger is a very enjoyable and old fashioned film. But most of all, it has a lot of heart and characters you’ll like. I recommend it to anyone over the age of 10 and especially to anyone who liked Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Rocketeer.

Massive Explosion in Oslo, Norway

One dead and several injured according to early reports. My suspicions is that it will be found to be Islamist terrorists behind the blast which appears at first glance to have been a car bomb.

Such is the fate of those who appease. Norway and Sweden have ceded control of large urban areas to Muslim militants for years now with no entry orders to their police forces. For all the politically correct teachings out there, the simple reality is that only strength is respected. That is a sad truth about human beings that can’t be ignored for long. So showing weakness will always be taken advantage of.

I expect more of these attacks to ramp up by the end of the year across the world. Why? The debacle in Libya has exposed just how weak the West really is. Meanwhile, President Obama has a lower approval rating in the Middle East than President Bush did. Only the “strong horse” is given respect and the current administration is viewed as being very weak.

Interesting times, interesting times…

UPDATED

The body count is rising as an apparently related shooting at a socialist youth group camp associated with Norway's Labor Party happened several hours after the bombing. Initial reports are confused (the usual with this kind of event) and the shooter may be blond and blue eyed. If true, that could indicate a home grown jihadi, or worse yet, the beginnings of reactionary violence by white supremacist types.

Science Fiction Matters

Over at Salon, Robert J. Sawyer has a nice little piece up on science fiction and how it helps us prepare for the future. I agree with what he has written and it makes me flash back to some arguments I’ve had with friends. Those arguments were over which had greater value, science fiction or fantasy works.

Fantasy works simply don’t address potential problems that humanity will face and tend to regurgitate old stories in minor variations. While greatly entertaining, that’s all they really are. Occasionally moral lessons will be taught but most are pure entertainment. Essentially, fantasy is backwards looking.

Science fiction is all about possibilities, good and bad. The past is neither ignored or neglected, but referenced often as the authors seek reoccurring patterns in how humanity deals with change. Change is at the heart of all real science fiction.

Given how many people fear change, maybe they should be reading science fiction classics at schools. All I know is that I don’t fear change the way most I know do. It never occurred to me that it was due to my love of that literary genre!

Thank you to Instapundit for putting up the link to the article.

 

P.S. Space opera such as Star Wars is not true science fiction, by the way. It is fantasy with unexplainable technology replacing magic. Sorry, Star Wars fans. Please go read Foundation or Dune!

State Shutdown Ends

Governor Dayton signed the new budget so the shutdown is officially over.

So ends one bad political miscalculation, much to the relief of state employees and bar flies. It would be darkly amusing if the beer cutoff was the straw that broke the camel’s back.