Yes, I read the book. 14 years later it is still doing damage on the Christian community. I'm not attacking the author, but it was written out of frustration when he was dating like crazy and not guarding one's heart, which was admitted in the book, and dating ends up being the scapegoat. He jettisons hundreds of years of dating tradition that has worked well for men & women alike in western society for an unrealistic courtship method that creates undue pressure for both sexes. Dating is denounced, and courtship is praised as the "biblical" way. If one wanted to be "biblical", ask your parents for an arranged marriage.
This whole courtship idea also panders to the passive man, and their not asking the girl just justifies their passivity, expecting God to drop "the right girl" in their lap. Passiveness is man's biggest problem, so suck it up cupcake. World Mag has an excellent article with great interviews on how ideas in "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" has permiated Christian thinking and is creating more single Christians than it is helping (big thanks to my amazing girlfriend for finding this article). http://www.worldmag.com/articles/18064
Guys, suck it up and ask the girl out. You might be surprised how often a girl will say yes instead of no. Your not asking for her hand in marriage, your asking for a date, and dating is intentionally getting to know someone that may eventually lead into marriage. I understand guarding your heart, and wanting to make sure "she is the one", but how will you ever know if you don't ask a few girls out? At the same time, be discerning, don't be a "dating whore" and be known for dating every cute girl who walks by.
Luckily there are other Christian authors who know dating is a perfectly acceptable way to find a mate.
Is God all love, or all wrath? Why is God's judgement avoided or even dismissed in the case of Rob Bell's new book? Would a loving God judge? Jon Nitta of EV Free Fullerton knocks it out of the park with a necessary lesson that most churches today avoid. MP3 link
To: Kathleen.Sebelius@HHS.gov, healthinsurance@hhs.gov
Dear President Obama and Secretary Sebelius,
Just as 1,040 businesses, five entire states, and powerful labor unions have received waivers from harmful provisions of ObamaCare, I also want to receive a waiver from those that harm ME! I respectfully request that you grant me a waiver from the law's:
-Effective elimination of consumer-driven plans like HSA\'s
-Taxpayer funding of abortion
-$1 trillion in Medicare cuts
-$500 billion in tax increases
-Employer mandate to provide health insurance
-Individual mandate to purchase health insurance
If you are a male, you have likely seen these waterless urinals, either by Sloan or Falcon. No water! That must save the company that installs them tons of money as well as be good for the environment, right? I knew there was a catch.
For those that have not used them, or for the female readers, my first problem with waterless urinals is the fact that they smell funny. With no water to flush away the waste, bathrooms with these urinals always have this slight odor of stale urine, and some even have a sewer odor (more on this later). There is also often "debris" left on them that never is flushed away as well. But here is the real catch that most don't know, these waterless urinals have special cartridges that need to be changed, according to the manufacturer, every 7,000 uses. These cartridges cost $40 each. Lets do some simple math. I don't have actual bathroom stats, but lets say an establishment has 4 of these, is open 15 hours a day, and each urinal is used 15 times an hour. That is 225 times per day, per urinal, which means the 7,000 use limit is used in one month. $40 per cartridge per urinal (not factoring in tax & shipping) is $160 per month or $1,920 per year. If these were flush toilets, water costs $0.0031 per gallon, and the industry standard 1 gallon per flush of a water urinal means $86 a month or $1037 a year in water costs. That water cost could be even less for urinals that use less than a gallon per flush or because people often don't flush urinals. (Update: even simpler math, 1 flush = $0.003 per use VS. $40 cartridge / 7000 uses = $0.006 per use). This means "going green" will cost you 100% more!
What about that sewer odor that is sometimes smelled in bathrooms using waterless urinals I mentioned above? Water urinals have a special water based valve that does not need replacing which prohibits sewer gas from coming back into the bathroom. Waterless urinals instead rely on a special vegetable-oil based sealant cartridge which must be changed often or else the seal is compromised resulting in sewer gas entering the restroom which creates a health hazard. So anytime it smells funny in bathrooms with waterless urinals, it is a health hazard because the establishment is not changing their urinal cartridges often enough. Plus for all the greenie hipsters out there, these cartridges just add to the landfills.
I'm all in favor for being a good steward of the Earth, and I'm all for alternative energy, but only if it makes sense, saves money, actually saves resources and optimizes things creating a noticeable improvement. "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" whatever you want to call it, is a farce. "Going Green" is all about emotional pandering, and is almost always more wasteful, causes more harm, and costs more; but it gives people a warm & fuzzy green feeling, which is apparently more important instead.
So the next time you take a pee in an old-skool water based urinal, know that your saving money, being a good steward of the environment, and are being more sanitary than the "green" alternatives.
I think I have figured it out. Great directors get senile at age 55. This is when they create either extremely poor or preachy movies.
George Lucas, The Phantom Menace, age 55.
Steven Spielberg, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, age 55.
James Cameron, Avatar, age 55.
The lesson here is enjoy your great directors while you can. By my estimates, Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception) has 15 years left before he makes self-indulgent crap.
5/4/15 update: Christopher Nolan is 44 and is already showing signs of senility, and I'm not the only one to notice: https://youtu.be/nyHgAPTsBJY?t=20m41s
I had the privilege of attending the World of Color "red" carpet premiere at Disney California Adventure, their newest nighttime spectacular. While there may be many "spoilers" in this review, I don't mention everything there is in the show, and even if I did, the show is absolutely worth seeing, as there are many things to see with multiple viewings.
PRE-SHOW ENTERTAINMENT
They had large puppet figures of the genie, Mike Wazowski , Lumiere, and Sebastian designed in a semi-creative sort of way with light up accents. The best looking characters were the genie and Lumiere, as where Mike Wazowski looked flabby with a funny lower mouth not to mention missing feet, and Sebastian just looked creepy with a funny neck, especially when viewed from the side, and a shell that was not filled in making him look like he was dead and decaying. I mentioned this to others in line and they agreed as they couldn't put their finger on why it looked creepy as well. While it may be different in public from what I saw at the premiere, all the characters did was walk around, not talking or performing. It was just something to look at to pass the time. Other funny thing is Lumiere and Mike Wazowski are not in the show (nor is the movie Monsters Inc).
FOOD
I only tried the colored globe shaped popcorn, and while I originally thought I would not like it as I'm more of a purist when it comes to popcorn, it was surprisingly pleasant. The flavor was milder than expected with hints of added flavor with the colored ones, and never was overpowering. Its an offshoot of kettle corn, a bit salty, a bit sweet, and helped pass the time away while waiting for the show. Served in a plastic logo pail with handle and lid, I would recommend this tasty snack.
CELEBRITIES
As is typical for media events such as this, Disney brought out celebrities associated with Disney. While many I recognized, many I did not. Some of those appearing were Richard Sherman (of the Sherman Brothers, who created nearly every memorable Disney song, and I would argue more talented. memorable, and influential than The Beatles), Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives), Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) who clearly did not want to mingle with the crowd, Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies), John Stamos (Full House, and huge Disney fan), Jody Benson (voice of Little Mermaid, Barbie of Toy Story, and a Christian as well), as well as others. While I don't expect most to recognize him, the creator of the show Steven Davidson was not even given a nod, as he was just walking around surrounded by a few friends. The usual corporates were there such as Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disneyland Resort President George Kalogridis, and Chairman Disney Parks and Resorts Tom Staggs (who really needs public speaking classes). Mickey Mouse of course was there with his new technology prototype that allows him to talk and interact with guests, complete with moving mouth and blinking eyes.
WHAT WORKS
The scale is absolutely massive. Even if you are sitting far back, you will need to turn your head left, right, and crane your head up to see everything, and that's not a bad thing. The stage is longer than a football field. The show must be completely overwhelming and mesmerizing if you are sitting up front. There is also a lot to see, as you are bound to find more details at each additional viewing. One of the biggest strengths of the show is letting the fountains speak for themselves. While there are a lot of Disney characters in the show, the fountains when allowed to choreograph and perform on their own, are the show's strongest element. Some of the most memorial times are when they paint with color and lasers with the tips of the fountain spurts and pull every last bit of color and design out of the trailing mist yet still in the air. You can see a very conscious effort to do this, and it leads to spectacular results that leave you in awe of the beauty and creativity.
There is also some creative interaction beyond the initial lagoon. Some elements interact with the Mickey Fun Wheel, and it fits perfectly. Other times the globes of Paradise Park change color, and sometimes fountains hidden within the foliage of Paradise Park shoot up. It adds extra dimensionality to an already dynamic show. The fire bursts are huge, and in one sequence basically an entire acre is set ablaze in full force instantly.
There are some very superb sequences such as the Buzz & Zurg fight, Wall-E, "Theme From Firebird" spring sprite, and Pocahontas sequences. They were very well designed, creatively using all available elements to maximum potential, and were just the right length. You could also clearly hear the audience "ohh and ahh" during these sequences. They also had the best transitions with Wall-E's fire extinguisher bursts turning into the clouds in Andy's room, and the "Theme From Firebird" transitioning seamlessly into Pocahontas with nature.
I'm also a stickler for good audio, and World of Color delivers perfectly. The sound is crisp and clear in multi-channel surround with a full sound that is never unnecessarily overpowering. Dialogue is clear and sound is strong to match such strong visuals. For audio geeks like me, they used Meyer speakers. I tip my hat to the audio engineers.
There are many parts throughout the show that are so visually sensational, your minds gives up and you give in to the beauty at hand. Seeing the fountains on video is not the same as actually being there, having your entire peripheral vision surrounded, water ascending 200 feet into the air above you, all in vibrant almost glowing liquid candy like color.
WHAT DOES NOT WORK
Yes, this section is longer than the what works section, but don't let that make you think the show is more worse than it is good.
I have followed this show since its inception, and even heard Steven Davidson the creator speak in person about the show. Many things have changed, and I expect them to, as that is the nature of designing a show like this. Its even more true with Disney as often things change at the last minute, and nothing is set in stone. When CEO Bob Iger first saw the show, there were many things he wanted to change about the show. One of the main things Iger stated was that the show relied too much on nostalgia, and not enough on current characters. From that standpoint, I agree with Iger, we should honor our past, but not always need to refer to it, because then you are never moving forward. Other elements were changed such eliminating the character "little squirt". This would have been a small orange character in the form of an orange fountain that would cause mischief. Little Squirt was clearly shown at the preview center when the show was being built, but was completely absent from the show. Steven Davidson and friend even had Little Squirt lapel pins they were wearing at the premiere. Were they making a statement, or honoring a fallen friend? That is unknown. Can I say that the show would be better with the character? No, and only Steven Davidson will likely know. Some scenes were moved around, as the original opening sequence was meant to be the "Theme From Firebird" where the spring spirit was to enchant some of the fountains, turn them into organic elements, then eventually lead to the huge reveal of the 380ft wide, 50ft tall screen. Now that the scene is in the middle of the show, it looses the dramatic large screen reveal since the show jumped the gun by revealing it in early in the show without the same dramatic effect.
There were also scenes that felt tacked on, and you would not miss them if they were gone. Namely the Up, and Bug's Life sequence. Those sequences were primarily done with just a mist screen with little to no other accompanying elements, and if they were cut out, you would likely not miss them. Some scenes felt a bit long like the Dori & Marlin sequence, and then there were two Little Mermaid, and two Aladdin numbers back to back each. While all strong songs, two back to back diminished from having one strong sequences. It also felt there was too much Mermaid in the show, as even the reprise World of Color theme song has "part of your world" elements in it. The show does not feel long at all, but it may have been more cohesive and transitioned better with the reduction or elimination of these scenes.
A few parts I felt were not needed. They left in the line "ok Mr. Light Beer" from Woody, and while it evoked some laughs in the movie, is referencing "light beer" in a Disney show night after night necessary? I understand they serve alcohol at Disney California Adventure, but even that is stretching it for a connection. I also felt Heimlich exclaiming, "I think I'm going to wet myself" when he gets scared is bathroom humor that is not needed in a high caliber Disney show. There is also a Pirates of the Caribbean sequence which feels odd since it’s the only introduction of a live character (Johnny Depp), and even more out of place since the ride is in the park next door. The main scene that felt particularly awkward is when Simba's dad dies. They show Simba crying next to his murdered dad for nearly 20 seconds, then it segueways into loving or romantic scenes such as Lady and the Tramp then Beauty and the Beast. Even people around me were chuckling at the very dark and disturbing awkward transition attempt to drum up emotion. There are many parts of the show where it clearly makes a sudden and artificial jab at pulling hard at your heart strings, but you know better, so it does not really work. If they would have had more sequences to let the fountains talk for themselves with the new theme music, that would evoke more emotional pulls then the many artificial forced tugs.
Clearly this show will be compared to Fantasmic! as its right next door. Fantasmic! works on so many levels and is nearly the perfect Disney show. It also has a generally cohesive storyline which ties in multiple elements as a whole. World of Color does not have a storyline, and is a combination of beautiful fountains set to music with your favorite Disney clips from various movies. The "Theme from Bald Mountain" is completely unnecessary as they already have that scene and the Chernabog from Fantasmic! next door, and all through this scene I kept thinking of the Disneyland show instead.
A MUCH NEEDED BOOKEND
You need to end the night on a high note, and Disney is known for creating spectacular shows. Disneyland has Fantasmic!, Epcot has Illuminations. Disney California Adventure was sorely lacking such a show, and World of Color is exactly what it needed. It adds that necessary bookend to the park which elevate it to the level of other parks with such shows. The late night show also requires the park to be open later, so hopefully we will see longer operating hours, as this park has been known to close as early as 6pm.
CONCLUSION
World of Color is going to be a huge hit. The show is a must see that is huge in scale and will mesmerize people of all ages. While its not perfect, and there are parts that trip itself up, hopefully they will rework these elements as this show is very customizable. Thank you Disney, Steven Davidson, and all involved for breathing new life into Disney California Adventure with this wonderful creative show!
Premiere swag: World of Color cookie, Disney Parks advertising their new blog, and the World of Color playbill.
World of Color popcorn. Tasty actually.
The Genie was one of the best done characters.
Mike Wazowski looks a little flabby and his lower mouth looks odd all broken up.
Richard Sherman! Nearly every famous Disney song you can think of, him and his brother created, including the original World of Color song.
Sebastian was just creepy.
Lumiere was also done well, it just looks like the guy performing him is wearing a skirt.
Teri Hatcher took many opportunities to take pictures with the fans, even holding their cameras and taking self-portrits.
Vanessa Hudgens clearly did not want to mingle with the crowd, not only in her domineer but how quickly she walked down the carpet avoiding people.
Jamie Lee Curtis
John Stamos, who is a huge Disney fan. It was said he purchased the original Disneyland sign that was on Harbor Blvd.
Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Jody Benson, voice of the Little Mermaid.
Less than an hour before the show!
World of Color creator Steven Davidson (center with black suit, green colar) with "little squirt" lapel pin.
Balloons were projecting the video.
They even used California Screaming as a projection screen.
