Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Moon
As I'm sure most of you know, the news media released some info about the bombing of the moon. From what I have read, it is hard to say whether or not chunks of the moon will fall at all. It is scheduled to happen tomorrow at 7:30 A.M. I assume that that is EST, but I'm not for sure. I did get to see an animated video of what is supposed to happen. According to what I saw in the video clip, there will more than likely not be very many ''chunks'', but only God knows. I hope this is helpful!
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2009-10-07-moon-water_N.htm
By Dan Vergano, USA TODAY
Earth attacks the moon tomorrow, bent on plundering that most precious of resources: water.
"Things are looking great. We're headed right for the target," says Daniel Andrews of NASA's Ames Research Center, head of the $79 million Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. "The very latest data suggest we are headed for one of the very wettest spots on the moon."
SATURN: Giant ring discovered
MERCURY:Spacecraft does a fly-by
MARS: More ice found
If all goes well, on Friday about 7:30 a.m. ET, the two parts of the LCROSS spacecraft will smack into the lunar surface at nearly 6,000 mph, sending up plumes of moon dust — perhaps full of ice — 6.2 miles high above the moon's Cabeus crater.
"There is a very good chance we will see results," says planetary scientist Bernard Foing of the European Space Agency, who is not part of the mission. "Cabeus crater is perfect. Some areas are always in shadow, so we are quite certain these are some of the coldest places for ice in the solar system," as low as minus 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tonight, the LCROSS "shepherd" spacecraft should drop its booster rocket and turn to observe its descent. After the booster hits the crater, blasting out a hole 90 feet deep, the shepherd will pass through the plume. After analyzing the plume, the shepherd then blasts into the crater itself four minutes later, creating a second hole 60 feet deep.
"We are trimming the trajectory as we go," Andrews says.
Dating back at least to 1999, when a lunar mission detected water signatures from the supposedly bone-dry moon, NASA scientists have pondered whether ice left from comet impacts may have pooled and cooled in the permanently shaded potholes — probably strangers to sunlight for billions of years — dotting the lunar poles. In 2004, when the Bush administration pushed for moon bases, glaciers hidden in those craters looked attractive as water and fuel sources for future moon colonists.
Last month, Science magazine reported evidence of water migrating out of the lunar soil in the solar wind, or streams of gas particles from the sun, and perhaps some of the water ended up in those shaded craters. "What's still not clear is whether there is enough water there to be meaningful," Andrews says; "meaningful" could be anything from 1% to 10% of the plume containing water.
"Water on the moon has haunted us for years," says William Hartmann of the Planetary Science Institute. "It's all part of humanity's quest to understand our nearby cosmic environment."
LCROSS should detect whether at least 0.5% of the plume contains water. If the results point to water deposits, Foing says, a next step would be a lander drilling about 6 feet deep into the crater, enough to reveal whether veins of ice lie in exploitable layers on the moon. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty forbids spacefaring nations from claiming lunar territory but allows research bases while calling for avoiding "harmful contamination."
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which launched with LCROSS June 18, will observe the plumes, as will the Hubble Space Telescope and observatories on Earth. Amateur astronomers with a view of the moon should be able to see the impacts with telescopes 10 inches wide or larger.
Earth attacks the moon tomorrow, bent on plundering that most precious of resources: water.
"Things are looking great. We're headed right for the target," says Daniel Andrews of NASA's Ames Research Center, head of the $79 million Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. "The very latest data suggest we are headed for one of the very wettest spots on the moon."
SATURN: Giant ring discovered
MERCURY:Spacecraft does a fly-by
MARS: More ice found
If all goes well, on Friday about 7:30 a.m. ET, the two parts of the LCROSS spacecraft will smack into the lunar surface at nearly 6,000 mph, sending up plumes of moon dust — perhaps full of ice — 6.2 miles high above the moon's Cabeus crater.
"There is a very good chance we will see results," says planetary scientist Bernard Foing of the European Space Agency, who is not part of the mission. "Cabeus crater is perfect. Some areas are always in shadow, so we are quite certain these are some of the coldest places for ice in the solar system," as low as minus 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tonight, the LCROSS "shepherd" spacecraft should drop its booster rocket and turn to observe its descent. After the booster hits the crater, blasting out a hole 90 feet deep, the shepherd will pass through the plume. After analyzing the plume, the shepherd then blasts into the crater itself four minutes later, creating a second hole 60 feet deep.
"We are trimming the trajectory as we go," Andrews says.
Dating back at least to 1999, when a lunar mission detected water signatures from the supposedly bone-dry moon, NASA scientists have pondered whether ice left from comet impacts may have pooled and cooled in the permanently shaded potholes — probably strangers to sunlight for billions of years — dotting the lunar poles. In 2004, when the Bush administration pushed for moon bases, glaciers hidden in those craters looked attractive as water and fuel sources for future moon colonists.
Last month, Science magazine reported evidence of water migrating out of the lunar soil in the solar wind, or streams of gas particles from the sun, and perhaps some of the water ended up in those shaded craters. "What's still not clear is whether there is enough water there to be meaningful," Andrews says; "meaningful" could be anything from 1% to 10% of the plume containing water.
"Water on the moon has haunted us for years," says William Hartmann of the Planetary Science Institute. "It's all part of humanity's quest to understand our nearby cosmic environment."
LCROSS should detect whether at least 0.5% of the plume contains water. If the results point to water deposits, Foing says, a next step would be a lander drilling about 6 feet deep into the crater, enough to reveal whether veins of ice lie in exploitable layers on the moon. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty forbids spacefaring nations from claiming lunar territory but allows research bases while calling for avoiding "harmful contamination."
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which launched with LCROSS June 18, will observe the plumes, as will the Hubble Space Telescope and observatories on Earth. Amateur astronomers with a view of the moon should be able to see the impacts with telescopes 10 inches wide or larger.
N.A.S.A.
Two U.S. spacecraft are set to crash on the moon Friday. On purpose. And we're all invited to watch.
An artist's rendering shows the LCROSS spacecraft, left, separating from its Centaur rocket.
An artist's rendering shows the LCROSS spacecraft, left, separating from its Centaur rocket.
NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite is scheduled to drop its Centaur upper-stage rocket on the lunar surface at 7:31 a.m. ET.
NASA hopes the impact will kick up enough dust to help the LCROSS probe find the presence of water in the moon's soil. Four minutes later, the LCROSS will follow through the debris plume, collecting and relaying data back to Earth before crashing into the Cabeus crater near the moon's south pole.
The LCROSS is carrying spectrometers, near-infrared cameras, a visible camera and a visible radiometer. These instruments will help NASA scientists analyze the plume of dust -- more than 250 metric tons' worth -- for water vapor.
The orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will watch, and photograph, the collisions. And hundreds of telescopes on Earth also will be focused on the two plumes.
NASA is encouraging amateur astronomers to join the watch party.
"We expect the debris plumes to be visible through midsized backyard telescopes -- 10 inches and larger," said Brian Day at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. Day is an amateur astronomer who is leading education and public outreach for the LCROSS mission.
"The initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes will rise high enough above the crater's rim to be seen from Earth," he said. The Cabeus crater lies in permanent shadow, making observations inside the crater difficult.
The impacts will not be visible to the naked eye or through binoculars. If you don't have a telescope, or you live in areas where daylight will obscure the viewing, NASA TV will broadcast the crashes live. Coverage begins at 6:15 a.m. ET Friday.
The two main components of the LCROSS mission are the shepherding spacecraft and the Centaur upper stage rocket. The spacecraft will guide the rocket to its crash site.
Data from previous space missions have revealed trace amounts of water in lunar soil. The LCROSS mission seeks a definitive answer to the question of how much water is present. NASA has said it believes water on the moon could be a valuable resource in the agency's quest to explore the solar system.
An artist's rendering shows the LCROSS spacecraft, left, separating from its Centaur rocket.
An artist's rendering shows the LCROSS spacecraft, left, separating from its Centaur rocket.
NASA's Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite is scheduled to drop its Centaur upper-stage rocket on the lunar surface at 7:31 a.m. ET.
NASA hopes the impact will kick up enough dust to help the LCROSS probe find the presence of water in the moon's soil. Four minutes later, the LCROSS will follow through the debris plume, collecting and relaying data back to Earth before crashing into the Cabeus crater near the moon's south pole.
The LCROSS is carrying spectrometers, near-infrared cameras, a visible camera and a visible radiometer. These instruments will help NASA scientists analyze the plume of dust -- more than 250 metric tons' worth -- for water vapor.
The orbiting Hubble Space Telescope and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will watch, and photograph, the collisions. And hundreds of telescopes on Earth also will be focused on the two plumes.
NASA is encouraging amateur astronomers to join the watch party.
"We expect the debris plumes to be visible through midsized backyard telescopes -- 10 inches and larger," said Brian Day at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California. Day is an amateur astronomer who is leading education and public outreach for the LCROSS mission.
"The initial explosions will probably be hidden behind crater walls, but the plumes will rise high enough above the crater's rim to be seen from Earth," he said. The Cabeus crater lies in permanent shadow, making observations inside the crater difficult.
The impacts will not be visible to the naked eye or through binoculars. If you don't have a telescope, or you live in areas where daylight will obscure the viewing, NASA TV will broadcast the crashes live. Coverage begins at 6:15 a.m. ET Friday.
The two main components of the LCROSS mission are the shepherding spacecraft and the Centaur upper stage rocket. The spacecraft will guide the rocket to its crash site.
Data from previous space missions have revealed trace amounts of water in lunar soil. The LCROSS mission seeks a definitive answer to the question of how much water is present. NASA has said it believes water on the moon could be a valuable resource in the agency's quest to explore the solar system.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Movies on Peace and War Issues
http://www.spont.com/movieslist.htm
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque would be an excellent choice. It is also about WWI. It is a very powerful story. Hitler banned it in the 1930's because he feared that it would not allow him to build up his armies. It is based on German soldiers, who were at that time the "enemy" of us Americans.
May be the classic WWI anti-war movie. You might want to watch it first to determine if it is age appropriate, because it has war related violence in it, if I recall correctly, it's an old film, so not too graphic, but a very powerful film. It's a hard core lesson, but definitely anti-war.
The movie may be old but it has lost none of its power. Hopefully your sons won't be turned off by the black- and-white picture. The book is not too difficult, either, and perhaps your 12-year-old could understand it if you read it with him.
It's been many years since I have seen it, but it is based on a German novel, and is a classic antiwar movie.
Is the classic German novel and film about the futility of WWI. There is an extensive English literature on the subject: many came back from the war totally disillusioned.
Angel & the Badman features John Wayne learning from a Quaker sweetheart to give up his gun!
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change.
Born on the 4th of July & wasn't there another about Vietnam? The boys might identify more with a Vietnam era story.
The Burmese Harp is a wonderful film about one person's turn from war to a life of reparation and service. Whether children would appreciate it, I can't say: it's old, black and white, and subtitled, and the context is Asian/Buddhist. I found it to be very powerful.
Cadillac Man in which Robin Williams is a used-car salesman who gradually calms down and eventually disarms a violent hostage-taking Tim Robbins. (may be some swearing in this)
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change
The Diary of Anne Frank
Europa Europa Another good movie about war (in this case WWII) I forget who it is by, but the same director did Olivier Olivier (something about those double titles). It has been a while since I saw the film and I cannot remember whether it would be suitable for children or not. It is about a child however, a boy whose Polish, Jewish family sends him east into Russia as the Germans are approaching. For a while he joins a unit of Russian soldiers, but then, when the Germans arrive in Russia (and are obviously going to defeat the unit) he crosses over to the German side with a story about he has been held captive by these Russian soldiers (if memory serves, he claims to be German; he certainly speaks to them in German. I do not remember whether the film is all in foreign languages or not but some of it certainly is (with subtitles)). Of course he does *not* tell them that he is Jewish. He is taken back to Germany and adopted by a German military officer's family, I think, and sent to an elite private Nazi school where he lives in fear that someone will "find him out." This is further complicated when he falls in love with a German girl and wants to consummate the relationship -- but cannot, because he cannot risk having her learn that he is circumcised. Her mother guesses his situation but does not reveal him.
It is good movie about identity, anger and forgiveness (between the brothers, among others), and what people do in violent times in order to stay alive. I would recommend it. Oh, also, (and not unimportantly) it is a true story.
For the Boys with Bette Midler may be a little too adult for pre-teens (it's been a while since I saw the movie, and I really have no experience in evaluating suitability for children).
For Whom the Bell Tolls from Hemmingway's novel
Friendly Persuasion
That film teaches more about our Quaker PeaceTestimony in a 'real life setting' than any film or book I know. Though set in the Civil War era, it spoke to conditions today for the many who live in war zones as well as those of us whose war zones are our own lives.
Since this movie has been mentioned twice I would like to note that I, for one, agree with the criticism that was made of this movie as demonstrating Quaker ideals of peace. (It still might be a good movie from some people's points of view, or a good movie for children, depending on one's ideas about these things.) I disliked the way Quaker ideals were portrayed in the movie from the first time I saw it; I thought it was a travesty. Later I was very pleased to see an excellent (IMO) discussion of this in, I think, Friends Journal. Later Chuck Fager, whose ideas and writings I respect a lot, wrote (probably in his newsletter) that he sort of agreed but found the arguments less than compelling. But to me they ARE compelling. It is a long time since I thought about this, but as I remember, EVERY character is shown reneging on his ideals of pacifism; now I am willing to accept the idea that it is certainly realistic that in any particular chosen time period or in a particular family or small section of society that this might indeed happen and probably has; but this is NOT shown in a way to say how difficult the keeping of pacifist view is; it is shown, in the case of the mother, as somewhat comic--(a sexist view also; the mother is taken less seriously than the men); every time a POTENTIALLY serious conflict arises, it is deflected in one way or another. The really crucial scene, in which the father has the chance to shoot the young man who is on the other side of the war and has been caught nearby, and doesn't--which is treated as the crucial scene, with slow pauses, long shots of agonized faces and decision-making, etc.--is completely vitiated by the fact that the young man IS UNARMED and the QUAKER HAS THE GUN. True, it is nice he chooses not to use it, but there have been many examples (at least I believe there has) in which an person NOT religiously devoted to pacifism has refused to shoot his enemy, some even in situations in which that person is in real danger, as the Quaker in the movie is not. If this is all that pacifism means, well, that is still better than non-pacifism, but it trivializes the more serious philosophical questions, and makes Quakers look especially marginal, though charming.
Gallipoli that shows the disastrous British attempt to take the Turkish port of Gallipoli during WW I, from the viewpoint of two Australian soldiers.
Gandhi
Glory An excellent recent movie with Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick about the first black unit in the Civil War. My son, then 11, was moved to tears and then he asked me to rewind it and play it again.
The Gods Must Be Crazy about a delightful, tiny African bushman who among other things faces down a lion and later sedates and disarms a group of terrorists. Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change:
A family favorite, but I think my school-age boys like it more for the slapstick comedy than the message. We talk about the message so I hope they may get it some day.
The Great War. PBS is having an excellent series on WWI. Here in the east it starts at pm and runs till 11. It is a 7 or 8 part series, and it has been running since Sunday, so a lot of it is over, especially the horror of Verdun and the Somme battles. I do believe it is out in video also.
Henry V by Kenneth Branaugh is also an anti-war interpretation of Shakespeare's play.
The Hiding Place A WWII movie about Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian woman who with her sister and aged father hid many Jewish people in their home. Both women were single and in their fifties when a neighbor betrayed them to the occupying Nazis and they were taken to the death camps. Corrie's sister Betsy died in Ravensbrook, one of the Dachau camps. Addresses the ethical dilemmas of lying to protect vulnerable people, and hatred vs. survival vs. forgiveness as ways to deal with great evil. Stars Anne Bancroft as Corrie.
In Country is a powerful movie about the Vietnam war, seen through the eyes of an eighteen year-old girl, adapted from the book of the same name by Bobby Ann Mason. To find her own identity, she discovers she must come to know, and to come to grips with the loss of the father she never saw, killed in Vietnam shortly after she was born. Recreated in her own mind by reading his war letters and war diary is the essence of the combat experience--all the terror, discomfort, exhaustion, and slow deadening of the soul which takes place in the killing zone--presently almost surrealistically. (One especially powerful scene comes when she spends the night in a swamp to try to recreate what her father felt the night he fell.) As she works through her loss, so does her veteran uncle battle his own war demons. Catharsis will finally come in their pilgrimage to the Vietnam memorial.
This movie lacks the violence in Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, and Platoon, but the horror that is war comes through to her in such a way that neither romanticizes nor condemns the men and women who fought. In Country was intended to be a kind of reconciliation between those who fought and those who protested. I am always left with a feeling of "never let this happen again" each time I see it. In Country and Friendly Persuasion are two of the only war movies my 12 and 8 year old daughters have seen and liked.
Johnny Got His Gun which was I believe the first movie Dalton Trumbo did the screenplay for without a "front" after his blacklisting. The movie was from his excellent book by the same name.
This is the story of a soldier who was wounded so badly that he has no way to communicate with others. Yet modern medicine is able to save his life and to keep him alive in a hospital. The power of the movie is in its ability to show how far from what we conceive of as human life is the results of war--through the details of a soldier who, to the world, is almost dead and yet who maintains his mind's powers undiminished.
I was amazed when a very conservative person with a disability recommended this movie to me as one to promote disability rights--because its message about war is so unconditional, and my friend's husband works for the war machine at a Raytheon missile factory. When I pointed this out to her, its truth had a strong effect on her attitude toward things military.
The most powerful anti-war book and movie I've read/seen.
Johnny Shiloh A Disney made movie about a drummer boy in the civil war. Dated, but still good. After he is captured and escapes, one of the soldiers asks him what the enemy is like. "Well, they're pretty much like us," says Johnny. "That's what I figgered," says the soldier.
The Killing Fields The story of a Cambodian during Pol Pot's 'Year One'. However, it is very intense and very violent, but it shows the utter devastation of the people caught in the Cambodian war and it's aftermath. For older teens and adults.
Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed -- About the way the entire town of Le Chambon in France cooperated to hide Jews during WWII.
Little Big Man A movie about the American Indians, with Dustin Hoffman. Custer never looked so bad...and much of the movie is historically accurate.
Mash movie, play, and TV series. One of the best anti-war productions ever made. Get them to watch ANY reruns.
A Midnight Clear. If you can find it, it's some film, set during WWI, about a platoon of American soldiers who encounter a platoon of German soldiers while stationed in a remote castle somewhere in the Ardennes forest in France, if I recall correctly. All of the ones that I can think of have war-related violence in them because, well, that's the theme.
I'm not as familiar with this one, and not sure about availability, but it includes material about German and American soldiers in a remote outpost behaving peacefully with one another.
The Milagro Beanfield War about how one man resists corporate takeover, and his neighbors come to support him.
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change
Paths of Glory starring Kirk Douglas, where he is a French general during WW I who realizes how stupid a war can be. Or as I found in the Internet: "A great anti-war movie! Kirk Douglas plays the compassionate French officer in World War I who must lead his men against insurmountable enemy positions, and then must defend three of his men against charges of cowardice when the battle is lost."
I believe both movies show war as it really is: decisions that affect thousands of people's lives taken inside generals' offices, who don't really care about finding the best solutions or solving differences.
Red Badge of Courage - old (B&W) and possibly too old, but still good
The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming -- a very funny, older movie about the furor in an island off New England when a Russian sub accidentally goes aground there. An absolutely fabulous finale that brings everybody together in a creative way. Makes the cold war look utterly ridiculous.
Sargent York that deals with the reactions of a pacifist drafted into WW1. The reason I would recommend it isn't because he consistently sticks to his pacifism, but how he deals with it when he doesn't. I believe it starred Gary Cooper.
The Search with Montgomery Clift, or Little Boy Lost with Bing Crosby. Movies about World War II - not only about fighting, but about people living at the time and how the war affected them. Both suitable for kids... although, again, they are dated. But they are about children.
The Summer of My German Soldier - if you can't find the movie, try reading the book together. This book is used at the Friends School in Baltimore and the movie was suggested for your consideration by my daughter.
To Kill A Mockingbird - in which the young daughter of attorney Gregory Peck diffuses the aggressiveness of a lynch mob at the steps of a jail in the rural South.
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change
The War Prayer A TV short movie made from Mark Twain's story If anyone has NOT read that, I highly recommend it. Very intense stuff.
The War. Although it had a big name in it (Kevin Costner) it went by almost unnoticed. It was recommended to me for showing to a group of pre-teen Quaker boys. I would check it out first to see that it suits your own needs as well as your boys' interests and level of maturity; but it is worth a look. It is about a man from the southern US who was horribly damaged psychologically by the Viet Nam war and who is trying to teach his children the way of peace. There are some interesting contradictions in this film which make it good fuel for discussion. On a different level, parts of it are really a lot of fun. Overall, it is a sad but hopeful movie.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque would be an excellent choice. It is also about WWI. It is a very powerful story. Hitler banned it in the 1930's because he feared that it would not allow him to build up his armies. It is based on German soldiers, who were at that time the "enemy" of us Americans.
May be the classic WWI anti-war movie. You might want to watch it first to determine if it is age appropriate, because it has war related violence in it, if I recall correctly, it's an old film, so not too graphic, but a very powerful film. It's a hard core lesson, but definitely anti-war.
The movie may be old but it has lost none of its power. Hopefully your sons won't be turned off by the black- and-white picture. The book is not too difficult, either, and perhaps your 12-year-old could understand it if you read it with him.
It's been many years since I have seen it, but it is based on a German novel, and is a classic antiwar movie.
Is the classic German novel and film about the futility of WWI. There is an extensive English literature on the subject: many came back from the war totally disillusioned.
Angel & the Badman features John Wayne learning from a Quaker sweetheart to give up his gun!
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change.
Born on the 4th of July & wasn't there another about Vietnam? The boys might identify more with a Vietnam era story.
The Burmese Harp is a wonderful film about one person's turn from war to a life of reparation and service. Whether children would appreciate it, I can't say: it's old, black and white, and subtitled, and the context is Asian/Buddhist. I found it to be very powerful.
Cadillac Man in which Robin Williams is a used-car salesman who gradually calms down and eventually disarms a violent hostage-taking Tim Robbins. (may be some swearing in this)
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change
The Diary of Anne Frank
Europa Europa Another good movie about war (in this case WWII) I forget who it is by, but the same director did Olivier Olivier (something about those double titles). It has been a while since I saw the film and I cannot remember whether it would be suitable for children or not. It is about a child however, a boy whose Polish, Jewish family sends him east into Russia as the Germans are approaching. For a while he joins a unit of Russian soldiers, but then, when the Germans arrive in Russia (and are obviously going to defeat the unit) he crosses over to the German side with a story about he has been held captive by these Russian soldiers (if memory serves, he claims to be German; he certainly speaks to them in German. I do not remember whether the film is all in foreign languages or not but some of it certainly is (with subtitles)). Of course he does *not* tell them that he is Jewish. He is taken back to Germany and adopted by a German military officer's family, I think, and sent to an elite private Nazi school where he lives in fear that someone will "find him out." This is further complicated when he falls in love with a German girl and wants to consummate the relationship -- but cannot, because he cannot risk having her learn that he is circumcised. Her mother guesses his situation but does not reveal him.
It is good movie about identity, anger and forgiveness (between the brothers, among others), and what people do in violent times in order to stay alive. I would recommend it. Oh, also, (and not unimportantly) it is a true story.
For the Boys with Bette Midler may be a little too adult for pre-teens (it's been a while since I saw the movie, and I really have no experience in evaluating suitability for children).
For Whom the Bell Tolls from Hemmingway's novel
Friendly Persuasion
That film teaches more about our Quaker PeaceTestimony in a 'real life setting' than any film or book I know. Though set in the Civil War era, it spoke to conditions today for the many who live in war zones as well as those of us whose war zones are our own lives.
Since this movie has been mentioned twice I would like to note that I, for one, agree with the criticism that was made of this movie as demonstrating Quaker ideals of peace. (It still might be a good movie from some people's points of view, or a good movie for children, depending on one's ideas about these things.) I disliked the way Quaker ideals were portrayed in the movie from the first time I saw it; I thought it was a travesty. Later I was very pleased to see an excellent (IMO) discussion of this in, I think, Friends Journal. Later Chuck Fager, whose ideas and writings I respect a lot, wrote (probably in his newsletter) that he sort of agreed but found the arguments less than compelling. But to me they ARE compelling. It is a long time since I thought about this, but as I remember, EVERY character is shown reneging on his ideals of pacifism; now I am willing to accept the idea that it is certainly realistic that in any particular chosen time period or in a particular family or small section of society that this might indeed happen and probably has; but this is NOT shown in a way to say how difficult the keeping of pacifist view is; it is shown, in the case of the mother, as somewhat comic--(a sexist view also; the mother is taken less seriously than the men); every time a POTENTIALLY serious conflict arises, it is deflected in one way or another. The really crucial scene, in which the father has the chance to shoot the young man who is on the other side of the war and has been caught nearby, and doesn't--which is treated as the crucial scene, with slow pauses, long shots of agonized faces and decision-making, etc.--is completely vitiated by the fact that the young man IS UNARMED and the QUAKER HAS THE GUN. True, it is nice he chooses not to use it, but there have been many examples (at least I believe there has) in which an person NOT religiously devoted to pacifism has refused to shoot his enemy, some even in situations in which that person is in real danger, as the Quaker in the movie is not. If this is all that pacifism means, well, that is still better than non-pacifism, but it trivializes the more serious philosophical questions, and makes Quakers look especially marginal, though charming.
Gallipoli that shows the disastrous British attempt to take the Turkish port of Gallipoli during WW I, from the viewpoint of two Australian soldiers.
Gandhi
Glory An excellent recent movie with Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick about the first black unit in the Civil War. My son, then 11, was moved to tears and then he asked me to rewind it and play it again.
The Gods Must Be Crazy about a delightful, tiny African bushman who among other things faces down a lion and later sedates and disarms a group of terrorists. Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change:
A family favorite, but I think my school-age boys like it more for the slapstick comedy than the message. We talk about the message so I hope they may get it some day.
The Great War. PBS is having an excellent series on WWI. Here in the east it starts at pm and runs till 11. It is a 7 or 8 part series, and it has been running since Sunday, so a lot of it is over, especially the horror of Verdun and the Somme battles. I do believe it is out in video also.
Henry V by Kenneth Branaugh is also an anti-war interpretation of Shakespeare's play.
The Hiding Place A WWII movie about Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian woman who with her sister and aged father hid many Jewish people in their home. Both women were single and in their fifties when a neighbor betrayed them to the occupying Nazis and they were taken to the death camps. Corrie's sister Betsy died in Ravensbrook, one of the Dachau camps. Addresses the ethical dilemmas of lying to protect vulnerable people, and hatred vs. survival vs. forgiveness as ways to deal with great evil. Stars Anne Bancroft as Corrie.
In Country is a powerful movie about the Vietnam war, seen through the eyes of an eighteen year-old girl, adapted from the book of the same name by Bobby Ann Mason. To find her own identity, she discovers she must come to know, and to come to grips with the loss of the father she never saw, killed in Vietnam shortly after she was born. Recreated in her own mind by reading his war letters and war diary is the essence of the combat experience--all the terror, discomfort, exhaustion, and slow deadening of the soul which takes place in the killing zone--presently almost surrealistically. (One especially powerful scene comes when she spends the night in a swamp to try to recreate what her father felt the night he fell.) As she works through her loss, so does her veteran uncle battle his own war demons. Catharsis will finally come in their pilgrimage to the Vietnam memorial.
This movie lacks the violence in Full Metal Jacket, Hamburger Hill, and Platoon, but the horror that is war comes through to her in such a way that neither romanticizes nor condemns the men and women who fought. In Country was intended to be a kind of reconciliation between those who fought and those who protested. I am always left with a feeling of "never let this happen again" each time I see it. In Country and Friendly Persuasion are two of the only war movies my 12 and 8 year old daughters have seen and liked.
Johnny Got His Gun which was I believe the first movie Dalton Trumbo did the screenplay for without a "front" after his blacklisting. The movie was from his excellent book by the same name.
This is the story of a soldier who was wounded so badly that he has no way to communicate with others. Yet modern medicine is able to save his life and to keep him alive in a hospital. The power of the movie is in its ability to show how far from what we conceive of as human life is the results of war--through the details of a soldier who, to the world, is almost dead and yet who maintains his mind's powers undiminished.
I was amazed when a very conservative person with a disability recommended this movie to me as one to promote disability rights--because its message about war is so unconditional, and my friend's husband works for the war machine at a Raytheon missile factory. When I pointed this out to her, its truth had a strong effect on her attitude toward things military.
The most powerful anti-war book and movie I've read/seen.
Johnny Shiloh A Disney made movie about a drummer boy in the civil war. Dated, but still good. After he is captured and escapes, one of the soldiers asks him what the enemy is like. "Well, they're pretty much like us," says Johnny. "That's what I figgered," says the soldier.
The Killing Fields The story of a Cambodian during Pol Pot's 'Year One'. However, it is very intense and very violent, but it shows the utter devastation of the people caught in the Cambodian war and it's aftermath. For older teens and adults.
Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed -- About the way the entire town of Le Chambon in France cooperated to hide Jews during WWII.
Little Big Man A movie about the American Indians, with Dustin Hoffman. Custer never looked so bad...and much of the movie is historically accurate.
Mash movie, play, and TV series. One of the best anti-war productions ever made. Get them to watch ANY reruns.
A Midnight Clear. If you can find it, it's some film, set during WWI, about a platoon of American soldiers who encounter a platoon of German soldiers while stationed in a remote castle somewhere in the Ardennes forest in France, if I recall correctly. All of the ones that I can think of have war-related violence in them because, well, that's the theme.
I'm not as familiar with this one, and not sure about availability, but it includes material about German and American soldiers in a remote outpost behaving peacefully with one another.
The Milagro Beanfield War about how one man resists corporate takeover, and his neighbors come to support him.
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change
Paths of Glory starring Kirk Douglas, where he is a French general during WW I who realizes how stupid a war can be. Or as I found in the Internet: "A great anti-war movie! Kirk Douglas plays the compassionate French officer in World War I who must lead his men against insurmountable enemy positions, and then must defend three of his men against charges of cowardice when the battle is lost."
I believe both movies show war as it really is: decisions that affect thousands of people's lives taken inside generals' offices, who don't really care about finding the best solutions or solving differences.
Red Badge of Courage - old (B&W) and possibly too old, but still good
The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming -- a very funny, older movie about the furor in an island off New England when a Russian sub accidentally goes aground there. An absolutely fabulous finale that brings everybody together in a creative way. Makes the cold war look utterly ridiculous.
Sargent York that deals with the reactions of a pacifist drafted into WW1. The reason I would recommend it isn't because he consistently sticks to his pacifism, but how he deals with it when he doesn't. I believe it starred Gary Cooper.
The Search with Montgomery Clift, or Little Boy Lost with Bing Crosby. Movies about World War II - not only about fighting, but about people living at the time and how the war affected them. Both suitable for kids... although, again, they are dated. But they are about children.
The Summer of My German Soldier - if you can't find the movie, try reading the book together. This book is used at the Friends School in Baltimore and the movie was suggested for your consideration by my daughter.
To Kill A Mockingbird - in which the young daughter of attorney Gregory Peck diffuses the aggressiveness of a lynch mob at the steps of a jail in the rural South.
Not about war per se: but good re non-violent action and change
The War Prayer A TV short movie made from Mark Twain's story If anyone has NOT read that, I highly recommend it. Very intense stuff.
The War. Although it had a big name in it (Kevin Costner) it went by almost unnoticed. It was recommended to me for showing to a group of pre-teen Quaker boys. I would check it out first to see that it suits your own needs as well as your boys' interests and level of maturity; but it is worth a look. It is about a man from the southern US who was horribly damaged psychologically by the Viet Nam war and who is trying to teach his children the way of peace. There are some interesting contradictions in this film which make it good fuel for discussion. On a different level, parts of it are really a lot of fun. Overall, it is a sad but hopeful movie.
Does He Still Feel the Nails
An amazing song! Follows as well our discussion last night in Book of Mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHYJScbxCY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpHYJScbxCY
Song - Champion of Love
This was a song we discussed in Bible Study last night and it was requested to be put on the blog for everyone.
Ladys and genltemen,
may I have your attention.
I want to introduce to you,
in this corner,
of the good and the right.
Stands a champion robed in white,
his hieght exceeds the heavens.
His wieght, out ways the world,
his reach reaches every where.
His rein is ever more.
*Chorus*
He is higher then the highest,
Braver then the brave.
No one will ever take his crown away,
he's more mighty then the mightest.
He's the all time undesputed,
undefeated champion of love.
He left his home town,
to enter this arena.
To raise his hands in victory for me,
but an angry crowed crucified,
this king who wore their crown.
And they gladly watched a champion goin' down.
But I will never count him out,
for I'm a witness of the day he'll rise to retain his title,
the Champion of love.
He is higher then the highest,
braver then the brave,
no one will ever take his crown away.
He's more mighty then the mightest,
he reigns from above,
he's the all time undesputed, undefeated champion,
the all time undesputed champion of love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXQLGzaVMVY
Ladys and genltemen,
may I have your attention.
I want to introduce to you,
in this corner,
of the good and the right.
Stands a champion robed in white,
his hieght exceeds the heavens.
His wieght, out ways the world,
his reach reaches every where.
His rein is ever more.
*Chorus*
He is higher then the highest,
Braver then the brave.
No one will ever take his crown away,
he's more mighty then the mightest.
He's the all time undesputed,
undefeated champion of love.
He left his home town,
to enter this arena.
To raise his hands in victory for me,
but an angry crowed crucified,
this king who wore their crown.
And they gladly watched a champion goin' down.
But I will never count him out,
for I'm a witness of the day he'll rise to retain his title,
the Champion of love.
He is higher then the highest,
braver then the brave,
no one will ever take his crown away.
He's more mighty then the mightest,
he reigns from above,
he's the all time undesputed, undefeated champion,
the all time undesputed champion of love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXQLGzaVMVY
Thanks!
Thank you to everyone who came to our house last evening. We had a wonderful time of fellowship, good food, and a really good Bible Study. Our house was full! We counted 23 people here! I just feel so close to everyone when we come together like this. Sorry we have such a small place, but I guess it's cozy! I hope this never ends!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Are we in a slump?
I have been thinking a lot today about our Church and the Church Family. It seems that slowly but surely people are beginning to stay away for whatever reason. The attendance is slumping and I naturally wonder if something is wrong. I am praying that the Lord will put a new fire under us all so we can be committed to coming to His House. I always feel sad when the pews are empty and it just doesn't feel right when my flock is scattered. For those who missed the services yesterday, I will have copies of the CD in case you want to hear it. I brought before the congregation an open door for us to minister in a mighty way outside the Church. I am excited about this partnering with the other Churches around Hamilton County to show the hands, feet, and voice of Christ. In process is a new sign to be hung over the door (on the inside) that will say "You are now entering the mission field". Hopefully that will inspire us to know what our purpose is in the Kingdom. For myself, I'm getting into a "kingdom thinking mode". That is ministering "outside the box" and it is an opportunity for all of us to minister and show love to others. If you missed yesterday and want to know more, just ask me and I'll share with you this new thing I believe God is doing in our congregation. I pray we will all want to be a part of this.
Did you get in touch with someone that was missing yesterday and let them know you missed them? Who was missing in "your" pew????
Don't think I'm bawling you out - that's not in my heart! I know people have things that come up and it just happens. I just wanted you all to know how much I miss you when you aren't there. It's because I love you all so much!!!! More than you can imagine!!! I'm so proud of all of you as I watch you grow in Christ. Makes me feel like I'm doing my job.
See you next Sunday?????
Bob
Did you get in touch with someone that was missing yesterday and let them know you missed them? Who was missing in "your" pew????
Don't think I'm bawling you out - that's not in my heart! I know people have things that come up and it just happens. I just wanted you all to know how much I miss you when you aren't there. It's because I love you all so much!!!! More than you can imagine!!! I'm so proud of all of you as I watch you grow in Christ. Makes me feel like I'm doing my job.
See you next Sunday?????
Bob
BIBLE STUDY
CHANGE IN LOCATION! Due to an unforseen schedule conflict, Mike and Kelly will not be able to host the Bible Study this week, so we will have it at our house. Paulette is having sloppy joes, potatoes, and green beans. So, anything you want to have with that will work. Please pass the word!
Are you hungry?
Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Have you ever noticed that most of our phone conversations go something like this? You call, say a word or two, they’ll say a short thing or two in reply and then something like “Ok, in the middle of something, gotta run, talk to you later”! Well let me tell you for a person that is paid to talk on the phone and be in meetings all week I am very guilty of this. I have four phones that can track me down during the week and at times I am tired and get overwhelmed at more phone conversations.
But as I think and read this scripture. Many may not be guilty of this and I envy you. I see it all the time in circles of friends, bible study, out and about. People will answer their phone and say "Can I call you back later" try to get off the phone quickly and try to excuse themselves quickly from the call.
It got me thinking.. Do I do this to God in my talking with him? Do I tell him "I will talk to you later God". "Lets catch up next week"? Do I make excuses why I can't pray longer?
William Wilberforce, Christian statesman of Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, once said, “I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of private devotions starves the soul. It grows lean and faint.”
We don’t starve our bodies, do we? Then why do we starve our souls? We would never dream of not eating for a month or two, but how long has it been since we’ve gotten to a quiet room to nourish our souls with the Lord? Seems ironic, doesn’t it? Our bodies our only temporary — they will be buried six feet under some day, along with our belongings eventually. Our soul, though, is what we should be nourishing daily, what we should be guarding as our most prized possession, because it will always be around!
Dear Lord help me to excuse myself from the hustle and bustle and spend some time nourishing my soul and hearing you Lord loud and clear! And.. to stop when I get a call from a loved one and take the moment and share with them.
- Heather Lynne'
Have you ever noticed that most of our phone conversations go something like this? You call, say a word or two, they’ll say a short thing or two in reply and then something like “Ok, in the middle of something, gotta run, talk to you later”! Well let me tell you for a person that is paid to talk on the phone and be in meetings all week I am very guilty of this. I have four phones that can track me down during the week and at times I am tired and get overwhelmed at more phone conversations.
But as I think and read this scripture. Many may not be guilty of this and I envy you. I see it all the time in circles of friends, bible study, out and about. People will answer their phone and say "Can I call you back later" try to get off the phone quickly and try to excuse themselves quickly from the call.
It got me thinking.. Do I do this to God in my talking with him? Do I tell him "I will talk to you later God". "Lets catch up next week"? Do I make excuses why I can't pray longer?
William Wilberforce, Christian statesman of Great Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, once said, “I must secure more time for private devotions. I have been living far too public for me. The shortening of private devotions starves the soul. It grows lean and faint.”
We don’t starve our bodies, do we? Then why do we starve our souls? We would never dream of not eating for a month or two, but how long has it been since we’ve gotten to a quiet room to nourish our souls with the Lord? Seems ironic, doesn’t it? Our bodies our only temporary — they will be buried six feet under some day, along with our belongings eventually. Our soul, though, is what we should be nourishing daily, what we should be guarding as our most prized possession, because it will always be around!
Dear Lord help me to excuse myself from the hustle and bustle and spend some time nourishing my soul and hearing you Lord loud and clear! And.. to stop when I get a call from a loved one and take the moment and share with them.
- Heather Lynne'
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Faith Hope and Love
I attended a very interesting meeting yesterday with several Pastors from Hamilton County concerning a new ministry outreach under the umbrella of "Faith Hope & Love". It is an International Ministry that is taking hold here in Hamilton County. I was so impressed with this outreach and think Hinkle would benefit from involvment in this. I hope to share some of what I gleaned on Sunday. My heart really got "tugged" after hearing the many needs that face us in our community. Here is the Internation website if you would like to read about it. www.fhlinternational.org
God Wants You
I have to do list. We struggle each day to get things done and to find time for the last minute request we are demanded from each day. Do we wonder why we have no energy, are emotional state is opposite of what we wish it could be?
TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT." - PROV. 3:5,6
I can duplicate the words and deeds of a spiritually mature Christian, but you cannot inherit his or her walk with God. Christian maturity takes effort; it comes over time. If I ignore the place of prayer and if I neglect my relationship with Christ, I will not grow in my faith. Imitating the faith of others will not give me victory. Only as I nurture my own relationship with Jesus will my life be filled with spiritual maturity and power.
God sees us as a precious treasure, and He longs to have close fellowship with us. More than anything He wants you to have an intimate love relationship and friendship with Him. God longs for you to spend time with Him daily and intimately communicate with Him, to hear His voice, to enjoy fellowship with Him, to trust and follow Him and join Him in His kingdom work, and thus giving your life great value and meaning and purpose.
When he created me, He was thinking about me, as He created His meticulous blueprint for my life. Perhaps He was thinking: this child of mine, who will be named Heather, will be a child who is loving, compassionate, obedient, and generous. She will also be very emotional, sometimes impetuous, and impatient. She will have passionate desires and hopes; and good goals, but she will need many lessons in waiting, and accepting disappointments with grace. Yet this child will please me, by diligently lifting her face to Mine, through her life. She will give me joy by turning back toward Me when she gets lost, drawing near to Me, and seeking to learn more."
So often in my life, I have bitterly disappointed myself. I have always wanted more out of myself than I can give. I have expected perfection out of myself, and of course, that never happened. What amazes me is why God has put so much time, love and energy into teaching me - His often wayward and stubborn daughter. No matter how many times I stumble and fall, He reaches for my outstretched hand, and helps me up. Then He keeps right on teaching me, as He guides me on the path to Heaven.
How much more do I owe him. I put down my to do list today. Picked up my bible and read, and then got on my knees and prayed. Help me to set my sprirutal goals above my earthly goals!
I love my father! And I talked to him today, have you?
TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT." - PROV. 3:5,6
I can duplicate the words and deeds of a spiritually mature Christian, but you cannot inherit his or her walk with God. Christian maturity takes effort; it comes over time. If I ignore the place of prayer and if I neglect my relationship with Christ, I will not grow in my faith. Imitating the faith of others will not give me victory. Only as I nurture my own relationship with Jesus will my life be filled with spiritual maturity and power.
God sees us as a precious treasure, and He longs to have close fellowship with us. More than anything He wants you to have an intimate love relationship and friendship with Him. God longs for you to spend time with Him daily and intimately communicate with Him, to hear His voice, to enjoy fellowship with Him, to trust and follow Him and join Him in His kingdom work, and thus giving your life great value and meaning and purpose.
When he created me, He was thinking about me, as He created His meticulous blueprint for my life. Perhaps He was thinking: this child of mine, who will be named Heather, will be a child who is loving, compassionate, obedient, and generous. She will also be very emotional, sometimes impetuous, and impatient. She will have passionate desires and hopes; and good goals, but she will need many lessons in waiting, and accepting disappointments with grace. Yet this child will please me, by diligently lifting her face to Mine, through her life. She will give me joy by turning back toward Me when she gets lost, drawing near to Me, and seeking to learn more."
So often in my life, I have bitterly disappointed myself. I have always wanted more out of myself than I can give. I have expected perfection out of myself, and of course, that never happened. What amazes me is why God has put so much time, love and energy into teaching me - His often wayward and stubborn daughter. No matter how many times I stumble and fall, He reaches for my outstretched hand, and helps me up. Then He keeps right on teaching me, as He guides me on the path to Heaven.
How much more do I owe him. I put down my to do list today. Picked up my bible and read, and then got on my knees and prayed. Help me to set my sprirutal goals above my earthly goals!
I love my father! And I talked to him today, have you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)