The Great Separation

I am Bone Weary of America's Licentiousness.

Embracing Evil - Licentious:

1. Lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint, especially in sexual conduct.
2. Having no regard for accepted rules or standards.

I am beginning to wonder whether America is full of liars or full of people with multiple personalities.

Maybe both.

One thing that I am certain of is that the spirit within me aches with the knowledge and the realization of what it means for the future of the nation.

This is what I'm asking myself: If the polls are to be believed than a majority of American's consider themselves "Christian." But if that is the case, why does the American public continue to eat out of the gutter of unrighteousness and sin by engaging in licentious behaviors?

What started this rumination today? The fact that I can't seem to escape the sexual images and sounds that this culture seems bent to inflict upon everyone. Whether it's in our television programming, the commercials that say you're not happy unless you've got our product that will make others want to have sex with you, or the pervasive adds on the internet touting the same.

This morning I got on FaceBook and jumped over to a popular application that a friend invited me to try out called, "Owned!" In this online game you get "x" amount of money and can bid on the photos of your friends and other people playing the game. As you get into bidding wars the "value" of the person's photo increases and thus the overall value of the person increase. I know, it's absurd. But I found it fun bidding on the photos of friends and seeing some of the creative stuff people put up for bid.

However, today the charm is gone and I am trying to decide if I should figure out how I can get all my photos and stuff out of the game.

Why?

A&E DVD Review: The Planets.

For your viewing pleasure or displeasure. - My last DVD review for A&E Shops was the fabulous DVD Set, The Complete Nero Wolfe Collection which you can read here.

This review is for the DVD set, The BBC Presents: The Planets. I am not being paid for this review, though I was sent the DVD set free of charge for the purpose of reviewing it. Like the Nero Wolfe collection, I told the A&E folk what items I would be interested in reviewing and this is one of the items they sent me to review.

That said, on to the review of The Planets.

This DVD set contains four DVDs. Each DVD contains two episodes in The Planets series; eight episodes in total. They break down this way.

Volume 1 contains:
• Different Worlds
• Terra Firma

Volume 2 contains:

• Giants
• Moon

Volume 3 contains:

• Star
• Atmosphere

Volume 4 contains:

• Life Beyond the Sun
• Destiny

The production quality, meaning sound and images is high. They make use of a lot of computer generated video which is pretty good considering that these DVD's were copyrighted in 1999 and 2000.

Of course given those dates, you will find that some science spoken of is in question in my mind. For example Pluto is spoken of as the last planet in our solar system and as I recall there was a reclassification of that planet as a moon or some such solar object by some scientists here recently. But for my money, Pluto remains a planet.

The back of the box describes this DVD set as:

Review of A&E's Nero Wolfe Complete DVD Set.

Flummery? Certainly not!! - I was contacted by A&E (via my contact with ACM) and they asked if I would like to review any of their products from their A&E online store. They let me select from their vast selection of items.

Let me pause right here and state that I had no idea that their online store was so prodigious in its selection of items. Up to this point I thought they only offered up select items that were televised on their stations.

Anyway, I happily affirmed that I would review some items for them and so I sent a list of four DVD's (some sets) that I would like to review. They are not paying me for reviewing these items though I do get the pleasure of keeping them.

And pleasure is an inadequate word for the first item I received. The fact is, when the man in the brown truck knocked on the door and I tore open the package, I became down right giddy!

That's right, I said, "GIDDY!" And I'm man enough to admit it! Phooey on you who don't think so.

In the box was A&E's Nero Wolfe: Complete Classic Whodunit Series.

When this show originally aired on A&E, I was glued to the tube during every moment. In the years that have intervened since it's cancellation - a fact with which I still harbor a measure of animosity toward the A&E honchos - my reasons for such devotion dimmed with time. Seeing again this incredible show has reminded me of my reasons. It's also reminded me that out of it came a great love for three things.

• Orchids.
• Rex Stout (the creator of Nero Wolfe).
• And tight quick dialogue.

Disney Gets Tipsy with Tinker Bell.

When will Walt stop spinning? - If you've been a reader of The Great Separation for some time you know that I have been greatly disappointed with the direction that Disney has taken. Sex sells, and Disney knows it.

So it's no surprise to me that Tinker Bell has been undergoing enough of a transformation to make her reminiscent of certain Bunnies.

This became obvious to me when I picked up the paper today and spied Tinker Bell sitting seductively on the edge of a full martini glass.

The image is called "Tinkertini" and is an "art" poster by California artist Mike Kungl commissioned by Disney.

ContraCostaTimes.com reports:

The Walt Disney Co. has rediscovered the old favorite, designed after actress Margaret Kerry and introduced in 1953 to Disney audiences in the animated film "Peter Pan." With multiple new lines of T-shirts, toys and other products already out or on their way, Disney is capitalizing on the notion that Tinker Bell's spunky persona, mysterious back story and pinup-girl looks give her an appeal to Disney's usual safe-for-families market -- and a little beyond.

Tinker Bell is hot.

That "little beyond," I guess is the $595.00 poster and a host of adult sized Tinker T's and apparel that sport Tinker in different poses with mischievous sayings. Like one where she's taking a bubble bath bubble bath.

How to Treat Woman.

Live it. Breath it. Exemplify it.

[hat tip: Solo Femininity]

Christians React to Kathy Griffin's Anti-Jesus Rant.

Urged to action - A few days ago I posted about a couple of the rants (or so called rants) that went on at the Emmies the other day. As I noted then, the worst, was Kathy Griffin and her rant where she lifted up her award and proclaimed it her "god".

I've been reading Isaiah of late and that rant reminds me of a lot of what went on in that time period.

“But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.” (Isa 42:17 NIV)

A verse, indeed and entire book, worth thinking about.

But what has brought this back to mind is a news item I read this morning:

Christian theater group responds to Emmy Award winner's blasphemous comments.

"We may never be in Hollywood or on a Broadway stage. We may never win a national award," he shares. "But we are very honored to stand up and glorify God and use our talents for Christ every single day -- and we do so unashamedly. [W]e also do not take it lightly when other people use their platform to slander or mock God," he says.

To that end the theater company, MiracleTheater.com, took out a full page in Monday's USA Today that was their response to Kathy Griffin's comments.

Here's two paragraphs from that ad:

Dear America,

We are the actors, singers, dancers, crew and managers of The Miracle Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We are proud to stand on stage every night and use our God-given talents to portray the life and the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We, along with thousands of other Christians in the entertainment industry, know our talents do come from God, and we take offense when His name is battered and bruised by people through the media.

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus was mocked and few stood up for Him. We at The Miracle Theater consider it an honor to stand for Jesus today. We may never win a national award. We may never be household names. We may never be seen in Hollywood. Although others may choose to use their national platform to slander our God, we are honored as professional entertainers to stand for Christ.

The company is looking for people to sign their petition to be delivered to Hollywood executives that says we've had enough of the anti-Christian bigotry. You can sign here, Christians Say, "Enough Is Enough!"

According to their website, their ad made it onto Larry King Live when he interviewed Kathy Griffin. Pretty cool. You can read about it towards the bottom of their site where they are posting news. They also have a pdf of the ad they ran.

As of right now they have 20945 signatures. See if you can't pump that up some.

Also, say a prayer for Kathy Griffin. Pray that she would hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Jesus and seek Him in her life.

Sally Field's Censord Emmy Speech.

A storm is coming! ZAP! - Okay. I'm one the first to say that the majority of Hollywood is unhinged-left-jetting-liberals with little remaining of their real selves in reality (one might claim the same for much of Washington DC).

But I watched earlier today the uncensored version of Sally Field's acceptance speech where she does swear and I don't think it rises to the level of outrage some in the media are giving it. It wasn't pointed towards anyone person or even one political party, though I'm sure such an argument could be made. And as rants go, I didn't find it all that "rant-ful". I did find it to be her opinion. One can't argue with her that mothers desire to have their children in war zones, home and out of harm's way.

It seemed to me that her premise was simply that if mothers ran the world that there would be no war. I believe the premise is false (I've witnessed a few cat fights), but she's entitled to her opinion.

It certainly doesn't rise to the level that Kathy Griffin's rant did.

Procrastination. Who Me?

Busted - Hey! Who's been following me?

Will You Be Leaving When the Time Comes?

As the Lightning Strikes... - Here's a cool, short video someone produced in reference to the Second Coming of Christ.

[hat tip: the evangelical outpost.]

Quickie: Michael Moore's Sicko.

Something wicked this way comes: Here's a link to a perspective I read on Communist Moore's latest celluloid lies. Probably worth checking out me thinks.

Here's a snippet:

Probe Ministries - Michael Moore's Sicko Healthcare Perspective.

Before we can apply biblical truth to today’s cultural issues, let’s make sure we know what is biblically clear about healthcare. Several places in the Bible, God admonishes his people to care for the “orphans” and “widows.”{2} Orphans and widows are the vulnerable in society. In today’s society, that status falls mainly to the elderly, the chronically ill, the poor, etc. The bible is quite clear about the need to care for these people as well as an individual’s responsibility in the matter....