Which is correct?

"People should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people"

- V for Vendetta

or

"For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."
-Rom. 13:3-4

or are they the same?

Two reasons we don't know where the Garden of Eden is

We don't know where the ark drifted in relation to its point of departure.

During and at the end of the flood, the geography was changed.

Book Report-- State of Fear

State of Fear M, G
by Michael Crichton

Fiction


Recommend for any Crichton fan- One of his last. As high caliber as Jurassic Park, albeit with a little bit more adult content.

Definitely recommend for anyone interested in the Global Warming debate (from either side)- Masterfully presented in a fictional story, Crichton explains his (and science's) problems with the Global Warming movement.

Movie Review-- The International

The International

Genre: Suspense/Thriller/Action

Summary: An investigation into questionable banking practice explodes into an international crisis

My Grade: %89


Pros:

• A realistic plot- could be happening, makes you wonder how much of that's going on
• A lot of great international (ha) settings
• It treats each plot dynamic with a little bit more reality that the typical movie/tv show
  

Cons:

• On the poster (see right)- she wasn't there at the museum
• Kind of a weak (or abrupt?) ending, compared to the rest of the plot
• Language
  

Movie Review-- State of Play

State of Play

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Summary: Reporters try to uncover the truth in a scandal involving a politician (and friend) and murder

My Grade: %92


Pros:

• Pretty intriguing plot- good keep-you-guessing story
  
• I liked it from the journalistic angle instead of the overused law enforcement angle
• Nifty closing credits

Cons:

• Though sparing in visual content, it did heavily involve an affair
• Language

Swine Flu Conspiracy Theory

I'm not saying this strain is bio-engineered by terrorists, but I'm not not saying it either (note the date- 2003).

Movie Review-- Traitor

Traitor

Genre: Suspense/Action/Thriller/Drama

Summary: A man with both American military/intelligence and terrorist connection is int he middle of a plot with both sides wondering what side he's on.

My Grade: %93


Pros:

• Simple but gripping plot
  
• Actually a pretty vivid picture of Islamic radicals
• Cheadle is an amazing actor for such serious roles
  

Cons:

• Not-so-subtle undertones of poitical-corectness: radical Muslims are "traitors to Islam," each religion has is radicals- McVeigh represents all Christians
• language
  

Atlantis Found?

Maybe by Google Earth.

Very interesting, but it's kinda big (150x100 miles).

Did you know...

That the European Economic Union, precursor to the EU, was founded upon the Treaties of Rome? I'm not a conspiracy theorist (Revived Roman Empire), but I am a thinker.

Book Report-- Dead Heat

Dead Heat B
by Joel Rosenberg

Fiction


The conclusion to my mounting anticipation. Rosenberg's previous 4 novels had me wondering what he was going to do to resolve the series without delving into the tribulation. More specifically I wondered how he would explain the absence of the US from end-times prophecy (I had an idea...).
Again, the pages are replete with potential reality. I shudder to think what "wars and rumors of wars" may come yet before I die or am raptured.
Rosenberg takes every opportunity to offer salvation. An unsaved reader could not read this without being confronted by a serious amount of God's truth. I pray this may be a tool for many to learn the truth through fiction.

BULLETIN! BULLETIN! BULLETIN!

The Bible is not sexist. Praise the Lord that, in common grace, logical but unsaved individuals can realize that.

The Secret Service and Shoes

I know that shoes aren't the most dangerous of projectiles, but something looked wrong with the President of the United States dodging attacks by himself.

I'm not saying that the Secret Service intentionally let their guard down for an unpopular lame-duck President in a war zone- because I'm not sure the SS should be exactly the way they're portrayed in the movies- but I'm not not saying it, either.

IRAN...sigh

UNCONFIRMED: WAS IRANIAN WEEKEND EARTHQUAKE A NUCLEAR TEST?

That could be a scary Halloween present. Kinda puts the trick into "trick or treat".

The Chinese Olypmic Conspiracy

To summarize, several questionable events have surrounded China's medal perfomances in the Womens's Gymnastics this Olympics.

In defense of China:

• The Chinese gymnasts are world-class athletes and perform well.


• Hosting the ceremonies does not allow the Chinese any more native judges on the panel.


• You can't tell just by looking that the girls are younger than 16.


• The appearance of questionable situations may be a distortion of American-focused media coverage (there could have been just as many questionable situations involving Brazil, Latvia, or Mars that weren't broadcast on NBC).

In favor of Conspiracy:

• The Chinese are not the best, as is evidenced by them not winning every medal.


• Based on the example of the Salt Lake City scandal, nationality of judges is not necessarily a factor in swinging the vote.


• According to a now banned web article, one of the gymnasts was appraently only 13 last year (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/sports/olympics/27gymnasts.html)


• The American coverage was already bent in China's favor and could have done little more to portray the Chinese as deserving of every medal.


• Though the individual questionable situations may be able to be explained away, that everyone of them ended up benefitting China leaves one with unsettled questions.

Book Report-- The Secret Societies Handbook

The Secret Societies Handbook M
by Michael Bradley

Non-Fiction

Quite an interesting little book, this. It contains brief (2-3pg) summaries of the most influential or most infamous secret societies. Many I had never heard of before, but seveal I had. Interestingly, of the ones I had heard of before, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, I didn't know half of them were secret societies.
Though I am not prone to beleive everything I read, there was much to learn and consider. Having read all about the Mason, Templars, Mafia, KKK, CFR, Skull and ones, Bohemian Grove, etc, I did come away with one central thought. It is amusing and amazing to see the efforts of men worldwide and througout time to control the world, unite man, or create a perfect reliegion, all still most evidently thwarted in their attempts.


.

Movie Review-- National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

Genre: Action/Adventure

Summary: The Ben Gates and his treasure hunting gang (and now mother) set out to redeem the family name from desecration and find a treasure in the process.

My Grade: 91%

Pros:

• Good follow-up to the original, unlike some other sequels.
• Anything that makes history cool and exciting.
• Pretty sweet historical/political intrigue.
• Good opening left for a third with the mysterious "President's Book"

Cons:

• The trailers gave a way way too much, not of the plot, but of the humor.
• The bad relationship of Ben and Abigail and is portrayed as normal
• Unreal conflict resolution/ peacefaking between Ben/Abigail, Patrick/Emily
• The plot shift from defending family history to finding treasure was indistinct and poorly explained.

Movie Review-- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Cyrstal Skulls

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls


Genre: Action/Adventure

Summary: Indiana Jones (and family) explore the circumstances and myths surrounding crystal skulls from South America.


My Grade: %75


Pros:
- The movie was well done- good graphics (especially the nuclear blast) but they did not exceed the format of the previous installments.
- The age of Harrison Ford was compensated for and covered up.
- Awesome scenery- Iguazu Falls.
- Good addition of Shia LeBeouf.


Cons: (spoiler warning)
- I just would not have gone there with the aliens.
- According to my research, the myths about actual crystal skulls do include extraterrestrial legends, but these are maintained only by New Age worshippers, not archaeologists. The crystal skulls themselves are most likely hoaxes.
- The Soviets weren't bad enough.
- The magnetism of the skulls was annoyingly inconsistent in its effects.
- Another tale of "ultimate riches" and "ultimate power" without much explanation or justification.
- I shoulda known when a French film festival gave it a standing ovation.

Conspiracy Theory: Location of Eden

Where is the Garden of Eden? Is it still in the Middle East?
Was it ever there?

Let us research what we do know. Eden was the abode of unfallen Adam and Eve in an unfallen world. It was sourced in four rivers, the Pishon, Gihon, Euphrates, and the Tigris.
After sin, the humans were expelled and the garden was guarded by Cherubim.
It is mentioned again only in prophecy.

To track it since then will require consideration of other factors, especially the flood. The flood covered the earth in water and caused major geographical upheaval. God's means of dispelling the water was further geographic reconstruction. One conclusion may be the destruction of Eden here.

Another conclusion, assuming the Garden would survive, would assume that the pre-flood civilization lived near the flood and this is the same area in which Noah eventually landed. The proximity of the pre-flood civilization to Eden is hard to determine. This conclusion would also require maintaining that Noah landed in the same geographical location, having floated for more than a year. Further, it would necessitate the belief that the pre-flood geography remained unchanged during the flood. The reference to the Euphrates and the Tigris seems to imply this, but equally likely is that rivers in the post-flood world were named after rivers of (then) history. This may explain the naming of only two rivers. This may also explain the lack of a discovery of Eden in Mesopotamia, despite it being the center of human existence for more than 4000 years.

Finally, if the garden did survive but resides in a different geographical location than its last mention, it could truly be anywhere on the earth. Because of God's desire to keep the Garden and specifically the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil from men, the garden may be hidden away in an unreachable location- Antarctica, the bottom of the Mariana Trench, etc. Even if remote and unreachable, the presence of guradian Cherubim may also result in mysterious happenings in it vicinity. This leads me to my actual conspiracy theory: the Garden of Eden is located on the ocean floor in the center of the Bermuda Triangle.