What book are you reading, and what do you think of it?

[Scott5114]

Considering that the largest Protestant denomination in the USA does so as well, in this country, it seems to me that a consistent outlook would oblige you to likewise feel great satisfaction if you were to learn that millions of Americans (myself included) lost all their money.  After all, every time they put a dollar in the offering plate on Sunday morning, they financially fund a group that seeks to eliminate civil rights for transgender individuals in the US.

Surely you see that there is quite a large difference between contributing $1 toward an organization which is—legally speaking—not allowed to be involved in politics at all, versus contributing millions to organizations with an explicit goal of changing law.

[kphoger]

Surely you see that there is quite a large difference between contributing $1 toward an organization which is—legally speaking—not allowed to be involved in politics at all, versus contributing millions to organizations with an explicit goal of changing law.

Difference between $1 and millions — Only inasmuch as we have different incomes.  Rowling earns more than $50 million per year.  My family earns one-tenth of one percent of that.  10% of our family's income goes in the church offering plate (well, it's an electronic funds transfer, but same difference).  10% of Rowling's income would likewise be millions of dollars.

Difference between a church organization and one whose explicit goal is changing law — You appear to be naive about religious organizations' involvement in politics.  Specifically, the Southern Baptist Convention has The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, whose stated purpose includes "to build consensus with officials across our federal government on issues" and actively communicates with government officials to enact or rescind laws.  Other religious institutions have similar commissions.

[Scott5114]

Difference between a church organization and one whose explicit goal is changing law — You appear to be naive about religious organizations' involvement in politics.  Specifically, the Southern Baptist Convention has The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, whose stated purpose includes "to build consensus with officials across our federal government on issues" and actively communicates with government officials to enact or rescind laws.  Other religious institutions have similar commissions.

It is not that I am of the impression that it doesn't happen—it is that under the Internal Revenue Code it is illegal for the church to conduct in such advocacy and retain its status as a 501(c)(3) organization. So I don't fault someone who contributes to the church in the hopes that their dollar will go to, say, building upkeep, or feeding the homeless, or mission trips, or any number of things the church is supposed to be doing, rather than activities the law says they are not supposed to be doing.

[kphoger]

it is illegal for the church to conduct in such advocacy and retain its status as a 501(c)(3) organization.

Political lobbying by a 501(c)(3) is not illegal, so long as it does not cross the threshold of "a substantial part of its activities [being] attempting to influence legislation".

[SEWIGuy]

But if I were to hear that she lost it all through, say, bad investments, I would read that article with great satisfaction.

I object to her funding groups which seek to eliminate civil rights for transgender individuals in the UK.

Please bear in mind the implications of such statements.

Considering that the largest Protestant denomination in the USA does so as well, in this country, it seems to me that a consistent outlook would oblige you to likewise feel great satisfaction if you were to learn that millions of Americans (myself included) lost all their money.  After all, every time they put a dollar in the offering plate on Sunday morning, they financially fund a group that seeks to eliminate civil rights for transgender individuals in the US.

It's amazing how a self-described Christian denomination does not follow the teachings of Christ.

So I would be fine if THEY lost all their money - and you found better ways to spend it.

[Scott5114]

I think now might be a good time to change to a different subject and/or take it to PMs...

[kphoger]

I think now might be a good time to change to a different subject and/or take it to PMs...

Thank you for keeping it civil.  But yes, I'm certainly not about to engage with the post just before yours.

[kphoger]

Back on topic...

I raided the bookshelves this afternoon after work, decided to start reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.  I've never read anything like it before, although I've seen the movie a few times.  I only made it partway through the editor's introduction so far, though.

I have made zero progress since posting this.  Haven't picked it up since.  I do still intend to read the book, but I have nothing to report.

*sigh*

[Scott5114]

Back on topic...

I raided the bookshelves this afternoon after work, decided to start reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.  I've never read anything like it before, although I've seen the movie a few times.  I only made it partway through the editor's introduction so far, though.

I have made zero progress since posting this.  Haven't picked it up since.  I do still intend to read the book, but I have nothing to report.

*sigh*

It's always disappointing when a book that you had a fairly good idea you'd like ends up being a chore to get through. We had an ice storm that knocked out the power in Oklahoma once, so I decided to spend the time trying to read The Fellowship of the Ring, which you'd think I'd like since D&D basically originated as an abstraction of it. But nope, couldn't do it—Tolkien's writing style was taxing enough that when the power came back on, I put it down and never went back to it.

In your case, I might try skipping the editor's introduction and starting with the first words in the book that Austen actually wrote. That might not be enough, though—on Wikipedia, Austen's novels are said to "implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century", which sounds like it would be hard enough to relate to as a 21st century American with no particular knowledge on that subject that I personally would probably find it even worse than Tolkien.

[kphoger]

In your case, I might try skipping the editor's introduction and starting with the first words in the book that Austen actually wrote. That might not be enough, though—on Wikipedia, Austen's novels are said to "implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century", which sounds like it would be hard enough to relate to as a 21st century American with no particular knowledge on that subject that I personally would probably find it even worse than Tolkien.

And, with that in mind, I'm all the more keen to read the editor's intro before diving into the text.

The main thing is that my main reading time is sitting on the front porch, and it's just too darned hot in the summer.  And, if I get off work early and the weather's halfway decent, then I really need to get back into driving lessons with my son.

[ZLoth]

I finished How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive this afternoon. I like the fact that the book takes a cynical look at the film making in the late 1980s, and how one director who is loves horror but is stuck in a franchise. The MacGuffin in this book is a cursed camera that causes bad things to happen. I enjoyed the characters in the book, and the book did leave a slight opening for a sequel.

Next stop: The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers

[ZLoth]

I completed listening to The Victorian Internet: The Remarkable Story of the Telegraph and the Nineteenth Century's On-line Pioneers. The book covers the history of the telegraph with a side step into the pneumatic tubes used to send messages short distances between offices. I picked this book because of my interest in the Internet and how we see parallels between the telegraphs and other technological development, including some customer misconceptions.

Meanwhile, my mother and I completed Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton which covers the real-life adventures of a former Los Angeles paramedic who decided to try a season of paramedic duty in Yellowstone and loved it, and did seasons in Yosemite and Grand Teton. The stories shared are quite good, and cover the challenges of medical care and evacuation in the middle of the wilderness. One late part of the book discusses encountering someone who committed suicide in the national park, and how that caused a bout of depression with the author and how he dealt with it.

My mother and I are now tackling the true crime book The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps while I'm listening to Metropolis by Thea von Harbou. Yes, this Metropolis...

The book is available through Gutenberg Press because of copyright expiration.

[ZLoth]

While I'm over halfway listening to the Metropolis by Thea von Harbou, I have a few thoughts about it.

First off, whenever anyone mentions science fiction, inevitably the robot from the movie Metropolis is shown as a picture clip. This movie was released in 1927 during the German expressionist period and use very inventive in-camera techniques to pull off some of the effects. However, at almost 2½ hours in runtime, it was considered too long for theaters and subsequently chopped up. Nowadays, such cuts would be released as "Director's Version", but a century ago, a film's life was only in the theaters. By the time I was able to view the controversial 1984 Giorgio Moroder version of Metropolis in the mid-1990s, over one-third of the film was considered permanently lost with a runtime of just 8. Here is the trailer to that version:

Over time, bits and pieces of lost footage was found around the world. Then, on July 1st, 2008, there was a surprise announcement by film experts in Berlin announced that a 16 mm reduction negative of the original cut had been discovered in the archives of the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aires, Argentina. That distributor had obtained the complete Metropolis film in advance of the Berlin premiere and brought the complete print back to Argentia, and then, in the 1960s or 1970s, that complete print was transferred to safety stock. Although in poor condition, it provided a complete version of Fritz Lang's film, and was released in late 2010 as The Complete Metropolis as released by Kino . Note that while other versions exists on DVD, they are poor quality versions of earlier film releases that had falled into public domain. The Kino Lorber version has an excellent soundtrack and the restored picture.

Hopefully, this explains my interest in wanting to listen to the book Metropolis. This story was written by Thea von Harbou who first serialized the story in a German magazine in 1925 while her husband, Director Fritz Lang, was making the film in 1925-1926. The story was then novelized in 1926, with a English translation following in 1927. As expected, there are some differences between the film and the book. Here is a video...

Not surprising, the book goes into greater depth on details that are simply glossed over or simplified in the movie because of the limitations of filmmaking technology (no sound!) at the time, including plenty of the religious symbology at the time. If anything, I felt that the book reinforced the difference between the "haves" and the "have-nots" that we see today. In addition, I felt that the machine "Moloch" was the power-generating plant that powered the unseen industry of Metropolis. One significant omission from the book is the making of the robot Futura to resemble Maria, one of the key scenes in the film, is omitted entirely in the book, and only hinted at until near the end of the book.

Is it a perfect book? No, there are some challenges. But, it helped clarify parts of the film Metropolis. The narrator was clear and easy to listen to.