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Erin put some of our new found vegetables to good use last night by cooking up some Eggplant Parmesan. I am sure I had it before, but did not remember it being so delicious. And now I am eating the leftovers for lunch and it is unbelievably good. Yum. Lets hope whatever we come up with for our Leeks and the mysterious green herbs is even half this good.

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Splice

This movie just couldn’t decide what topic it was going to explore so it went for all of them: moral implications of genetic science, parenting, abortion, inter-species incest, Electra complex, corporatization of science, rape, and I am sure I forgot some others. Then on top of that it couldn’t decide what kind of movie it was going to be hip, artsy, horror, suspense or family drama. At times it tried too hard to impress you, but to its credit I was glued to my seat wondering where it was going to go next. The main alien character is fascinating, with believable vulnerability with just hint of evil.

Grown Ups

The wife and I got out for dinner and a movie. We had earmarked Grown Ups as a date movie choice when we first started seeing previews for it. It did not disappoint. It was over the top and cheesy at times, which is to be expected in any Adam Sandler that allows Rob Schnieder on screen. But for the most part it was enjoyable, light-hearted, and family friendly.

Salt

Every time I heard something about Salt it was being compared to the Bourne movies. While it did have a similar feel when it came to the fast, quick hit action, however Salt lacked all the tactical logic and realism that made Bourne feel so different from regular action flicks. When it came to strategy, the characters in Salt employed some ridiculous choices. So if you expect Bourne quality you are not getting it – simply because it lacks the writing backbone of a Robert Ludlum. Salt is more Bond-like with outlandish Russian bad guys and extreme plots to take over the world. Angelina Jolie certainly kicks some ass though and the choice of a women lead made this movie fresh, take away Jolie and it would be a stinker. The other quality actors Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Andre Braugher are completely wasted in this film. I think Braugher has one line.

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Futurama, which is The Simpson’s creator Matt Groening’s other animated show has returned to television after being canceled in 2003. Since then loyal fans basically enjoyed a fifth season of the show through four direct-to-DVD feature-length films the last few years.

I am very glad to see the show back on the air, it is very entertaining and the satire is witty, unlike The Simpsons, which has steadily gone downhill ever since Conan O’Brien quit writing for them back in the 1990s.

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Read More www.wired.com

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The Vatican today made the attempted ordination of women one of the gravest crimes under church law, putting it in the same category as clerical sex abuse of minors. Seriously? How is allowing women to answer the divine call to become priests as sinful as molesting a child?

I have no idea what Biblical reasoning they give for this decision, but have little faith that it is a decision based on God’s will.

The ordination to the priesthood is a fuller participation in baptism’s sacrificial and prophetic gifts. Christ replaced the Old Testament priesthood based on the sacred by a priesthood based on grace; a universal priesthood shared by all the baptized. This priesthood is given through the sacrament of baptism, and baptism is the same whether for a man or a woman.

Rome alleges that the church has always prohibited women from the priesthood. The tradition of not ordaining women was built, however, on theological and cultural beliefs that have been discredited. Whether through ignorance, lies, misogyny or lack of scientific knowledge, the church thought of women as inferior, unclean and sinful creatures lesser in every way than men.

The priest is not signifying Christ’s maleness, but rather his role as mediator. Women can, just as truly, signify Christ because they are equal in Christ.

As long as I am on the subject of the church, how about discussing the abundance of biblical ignorance around the topic of homosexuality. Because even though I am not gay, it has become perhaps the most obvious example of the church’s failures to be tolerant and understanding.

Often people who love and trust God’s Word have never given careful and prayerful attention to what the Bible does or doesn’t say about homosexuality.

For example, many Christians don’t know that:
• Jesus says nothing about same-sex behavior.
• The Jewish prophets are silent about homosexuality.
• Only six or seven of the Bible’s one million verses refer to same-sex behavior in any way — and none of these verses refer to homosexual orientation as it’s understood today.

Most people who are certain they know what the Bible says about homosexuality don’t know where the verses that reference same-sex behavior can be found. They haven’t read them, let alone studied them carefully. They don’t know the original meaning of the words in Hebrew or Greek. And they haven’t tried to understand the historical context in which those words were written. Yet the assumption that the Bible condemns homosexuality is passed down from generation to generation with very little personal study or research. The consequences of this misinformation are disastrous, not only for God’s gay and lesbian children, but for the entire church. The apostle Paul says, “Test all things and hold fast to that which is good.”

The Bible is the story of God’s love for the world and the people of the world. It tells the history of God’s love at work rescuing, renewing, and empowering humankind. It was never intended to be a book about human sexuality. Certainly, you will agree. In fact, the Bible accepts sexual practices that we condemn and condemns sexual practices that we accept. Lots of them!

Here are a few examples.
DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.
DEUTERONOMY 22:22
If a married person has sex with someone else’s husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.
MARK 10:1-12
Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.
LEVITICUS 18:19
The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman’s period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.
MARK 12:18-27
If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.
DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue her husband by grabbing the enemy’s genitals, her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown her.

I’m certain you don’t agree with these teachings from the Bible about sex. And you shouldn’t. The list goes on: The Bible says clearly that sex with a prostitute is acceptable for the husband but not for the wife. Polygamy (more than one wife) is acceptable, as is a king’s having many concubines. (Solomon, the wisest king of all, had 1,000 concubines.) Slavery and sex with slaves, marriage of girls aged 11–13, and treatment of women as property are all accepted practices in the Scriptures. On the other hand, there are strict prohibitions against interracial marriage, birth control, discussing or even naming a sexual organ, and seeing one’s parents nude.

Over the centuries the Holy Spirit has taught us that certain Bible verses should not be understood as God’s law for all time periods. Some verses are specific to the culture and time they were written, and are no longer viewed as appropriate, wise, or just.

Often, the Holy Spirit uses science to teach us why those ancient words no longer apply to our modern times. During the last three decades, for example, organizations representing 1.5 million U.S. health professionals (doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and educators) have stated definitively that homosexual orientation is as natural as heterosexual orientation, that sexual orientation is determined by a combination of yet unknown pre- and post-natal influences, and that it is dangerous and inappropriate to tell a homosexual that he or she could or should attempt to change his or her sexual orientation.

The evidence from science and from the personal experience of gay and lesbian Christians demands that we at least consider whether the passages cited to condemn homosexual behavior should be reconsidered, just as other Bible verses that speak of certain sexual practices are no longer understood as God’s law for us in this day.

Learn what the Bible says and doesn’t say about homosexuality from this book, where I copied the passages you have just read:
www.soulforce.org/pdf/whatthebiblesays.pdf

Learn the scriptural arguments for allowing women to become priests: www.womensordination.org/ or here:www.womenpriests.org

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A couple years ago I built a raised garden in the corner of our yard, only to have Erin grow 3-foot weeds. So this year I set out to prove my green thumb, and I have been pleasantly surprised with how many veggies it has produced. An extra bonus is how much Ella really enjoys checking on the garden. She “helped” me do the planting and watering so she loves watching it all grow.

Here is a photo of today’s haul:

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During a conference call today, I decided rather than listen to the call like a good worker bee, I would instead play with Photoshop and tweak some photos of Ella. Ta-dah!

click to enlarge

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Wow. I can not remember another movie that took the audience on such a mental roller coaster that at the end of the film there were simultaneous gasps and laughter followed by applause. Now that is impressive. I also don’t recall a movie that so thoroughly confused the less intelligent in the crowd that you could hear them asking their dates ‘what is happening’? Hilarious.

Writer and Director Christopher Nolan may be best known by the masses for directing Dark Knight, but his true masterpiece (until now) was Memento, a film that delivers its plotline in reverse. With Inception, he takes mind-bending to another level as he explorers: shared dreaming states, dreams within dreams within dreams, and a sublimely tragic love story. Oh, and did I mention zero-gravity fight scenes, violent car chases, and enough machine guns and explosions to make this existential examination of the subconscious into a shoot-em-up action film as well. I understand now why Nolan spent the last 10 years writing this truly original and elegantly crafted script.

I really like how Matt Goldberg from Collider.com explains it:
“True inspiration is impossible to fake,” explains a character in Christopher Nolan’s existentialist heist film Inception. If that’s the case, then Inception is one of the most honest films ever made. Nolan has crafted a movie that’s beyond brilliant and layered both narratively and thematically. It requires the audience to take in a collection of rules, exceptions, locations, jobs, and abilities in order to understand the text, let alone the fascinating subtext. Nolan’s magnum opus is the first major blockbuster in over a decade that’s demanded intense viewer concentration, raised thoughtful and complex ideas, and wrapped everything all in a breathlessly exciting action film.
— Read the full Inception Review (It’s a great review, but has spoilers)

The obvious comparison is The Matrix, since both films explore the nature of reality, have eye-popping sets and truly unique action sequences. But Inception is not a re-hash of The Matrix. It is a much more layered and complex story and Nolan does an amazing job delivering the exposition that guides the viewers through the cinematic labyrinth he has created. I could go on and on about this film, but for now I will just say: “I can’t wait to see it again.”

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