The rationale behind the banishment of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

In Genesis we are told of: Adam and Eve the progenitors of all humanity,the first caretakers of God’s Creation. What a wonderful account in Genesis of how God created the first man from dust,and the first woman from his rib. This introduction for me is one of excitement and anticipation of great and wonderful things.

The communion with God in the cool of the Garden of Eden; the fellowship they enjoyed the instructions of His garden to dress it and keep, and they were free to eat of the gardens’ vegetation, but of the Tree of Knowledge, of good and evil, they were warned, and pre-sentenced to death.

We are not told though, that in heaven there had been a revolt of the Angelic Ministry, and one angel in particular, Lucifer(Morning Star) had lead(one thide)of the angelic host against God, and they were throng down to earth level. They were banished from heaven never to return, and now this Lucifer was transformed to be called Satan(adversary), or the Devil(Deceiver) and his mission was one of revenge.

So now the stage is set for this fallen minister to find God’s out-post.His connection in this place that he and his co-conspirators must now live in. He must of thought were does God go when he walks in this realm of existence?.

We’re told of Satan’s’ earthly activities in Job 1:6,7, and it says: ‘Now there was a day when the sons of god came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them, Verse 7(seven) goes on: And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD,and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it’.

This biblical mystery of how he got to the Garden of Eden, and ultimately how he was able to effect the lives of Adam and Eve, and help cause their BANISHMENT comes to focus.

The affect that Lucifer caused in heaven was to question the authority of God and the absolute will of God, this angelic transgression would challenge and change the cosmos of His creation and will, so Lucifer had to go, but where? He could no longer remain in the Divine Eternal the infection of this disobedience would destroy Heaven eventually.

He had to place him somewhere outside of the Immediate Eternal Throne, and that is why he chose Earth. At this moment in History there was no TIME because there was no SIN!, in(other words) time is the vehicle of death, and because there was no death there was no need to assign a limit to life with time. We are told also in Roman

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Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 75

This movie rose way above my expectations. Being a fan of the original cartoon from the 80’s, I was a bit skeptical on the quality of the movie, and how well it would be portrayed. Too many times have I gone to see movies portraying comic book/cartoons only to come out rather irritated at the 9 bucks and 2 hours wasted on it. It seems like these kinds of movies are overdone and oversold with the sole purpose on making money based on the hype.

Despite all this, Transformers captured my (as well as the entire audience’s) attention. First of all, the acting, namely from Shia Labouf, was superb. His role as Sam could not have been cast better. The underlying comedic aspect of the movie involving his relationship with a girl, as well as the Transformers, did not deter for even a second from the genius action and edge-of-your-seat thrills throughout the entire show. There is no surprise at the love of these characters, and the fact that Optimus Prime got a round of excited applause at his entrance. The special effects were tailored very well and did not overpower the dialogue or plotline at all. There weren’t so many explosions and camera angle changes that your brain was slow to keep up. It’s a well balance mix of comedy, drama, friendship, action, and old fashioned good guy vs. bad guy action.

Judging from the standing ovation the movie got at its closure, I don’t think many people (if any) were disappointed in this rendition of a beloved classic.

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Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 6

Three years ago, when news broke out that Steven Spielberg was going to produce the live-action film of “Transformers,” it was welcomed with joyous jubilation by fans of the franchise. But when it was announced that director Michael Bay was attached, fans hissed with disdain.

Who can blame them? Michael Bay, who got his start as a music video director and gasp, crafting “Playboy Video Centerfold” direct-to-cable soft-core porn, was known to be an action director who favors explosions over storytelling. Besides “The Rock,” Bay couldn’t tell a good story even if his life depended on it.

“Pearl Harbor” could have been a better film but Bay’s heavy-handed direction ruined it. The best part of “Armageddon” was the Aerosmith love song. And don’t even get me started on the laborious “The Island.”

But ladies and gentlemen, calm down. We may have found the best popcorn flick of the summer! “Transformers” has more than meets the eye.

Shia LaBeouf stars as Sam Witwicky, a teenage boy who’s more interested in girls and cars than school. He’s saving for his car fund that his father promises to match. But Sam’s excitement quickly turns to disappointment with the purchase of a beater 1976 Chevy Camaro that appears to have a mind of its own.

When Sam offers Mikaela (Megan Fox), the hottest girl in school, a ride home, the Camaro steers the two of them together. Like Herbie the Love Bug, the car knows just what to do to keep the romantic mood going.

But things are about to change for Sam and Mikaela.

They soon learn that the Camaro is a giant robot named Bumblebee who’s a member of the Autobots from planet Cybertron. One by one, other vehicles join them, transforming into enormous mechanical beings who explain that they are on a mission to recover the “Allspark,” their life source, before their enemies, the evil Decepticons, can find it.

Suddenly, Sam and Mikaela find themselves in the middle of a gargantuan tug of war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. With the world hanging in the balance, it’s now up to Sam to save the world by finding the true meaning behind his family’s motto “No sacrifice, no victory!”

Based on Hasbro’s Transformers Action Figures, the film is blessed to have LaBeouf as the main actor, and the guiding hands of Spielberg.

LaBeouf, who’s this generation’s Tom Hanks, has such an openness about him, and an aw-shucks charm that you can’t help but root for his character. He also has a great sense of comedic

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How to avoid buying gender stereotypical gifts

My daughter is girly. Really girly. Her favorite color has always been pink. She pretended to talk on the phone before her vocabulary had exceeded six words. And my son? Ninety percent of the pictures he’s drawn since he picked up a crayon are of cars and robots. He owns his own miniature screwdriver and uses it often. Why are they like this? I have no idea. Their father and I don’t have any stereotypical feminine or masculine tendencies. In fact, it was only through my daughter that I finally made peace with “frilly”. We could blame it on TV, but television was practically unknown to our kids. We are stumped. And amused. Frankly, we didn’t want to push our kids into gender roles, but we weren’t going to push them out of their own personalities. There’s really nothing wrong with being “girly” or “boyish” in general, I guess… That being said, parents can broaden their child’s experience in a fun way without disregarding the child’s own preferences altogether. My daughter watches transformers. My son practically lived in his favorite vest all summer. It’s black with plaid pink trim.

__Let’s Go Outside And Play__

Maybe boys get most of the credit for it, but if you’ve ever been outside an elementary school during recess, than you know all kids love to be active. Some kids are more athletic than others, but the endorphins and improved circulation that come from running around in the yard are universal (an idea that adults might want to remember too). Jump-ropes, basketballs, sprinkler toys, pools, etc. can make playing outside even more fun. For the more laid back child there are explorer kits with magnifying glasses and bug nets, beach toys, and pint size garden tools. Beach toys are also great for snow play.

__Look What I Made!__

Art and craft supplies are always a good go-to for gender neutral gifting. Try to choose supplies which are age and parent appropriate. There is usually a label stating the age range for supplies such as paints and modeling clay. Buy from the school supply section. If the gift is not for your child, you should be aware that some parents don’t like messy paints, clays, markers, etc because they end up on the wall or the carpet or grama’s sleeping forehead. Beads (for older children), construction paper, pipe-cleaners, and foam cutouts are good alternatives.

__The Eye Of the Beholder__

In the end you might just have to ask yourself, “is it really a gender specific toy?” Sometimes we might classify a toy based on our own assumptions. When I was a kid, my sister and I would visit our cousin about once a week, barbies in tow. Our cousin always wanted to play barbies. We always wanted to play with his cars. You can bet my parents, liberal as they were, didn’t think twice about overshooting the Hotwheels aisle during Christmas time. Unless, of course, they were buying a present for my cousin. Young children however, don’t categorize fun as easily.

There are plenty of toys which can cross between boys and girls. A toy kitchen is a good idea. Keep the colors more or less gender neutral if you want, but don’t buy a white kitchen with brown details or the like. Boring! Observe your own life for more ideas. Although most duties are now shared between women and men, parents still tend to classify “life” toys according to tradition when it comes to picking out presents. Play tools, food and plate sets, toy store or office equipment, etc. can all be enjoyed by boys and girls.

Perhaps the first place to start is by letting go of our own preconceptions. Maybe one day you can even buy your four year old nephew that tropical princess barbie he mentioned without wincing.

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Barbie dolls: Barbie as a role model for young girls

From the beginning, Barbie has been used as a role model for young girls. Originally introduced as a fashion doll, Barbie’s costumes educated future consumers about how to dress. With a wide variety of styles then available, Barbie did not limit its users to a single concept. Therefore, creativity in dressing the doll was encouraged. For this group, Barbie represented fashion change.

That would all change as marketing conepts morphed the fashion doll into a representative of lifestyle choices. Encouraging mostly middle-class young girls to desire more and more luxury items for the doll created a market for similar items in the real world, as the girls matured into adults. Barbie had raised expectations about goods sold in the marketplace.

This prompted debate about other aspects of the doll’s influence. With the body of a runway model, Barbie had never represented her target market of young girls, a roundly pre-pubescent group of individuals. Households, throughout the United States, were divided concerning how much influence Barbie’s appearance should have on developing young women. In some households, the aspect of appearance was never taken seriously. In others, anorexia began to emerge as a problem in young teens.

Some young women equated other contemporary pretty statuesque females as representations of Barbie. “Looking like a Barbie doll” reduced these individuals to the realm of vacant doll puppets. As an image, it was forcibly eschewed by those upon whom it was thrust.

Reinventing Barbie once again, while retaining images of upscale lifestyle choices, marketers transformed the doll into a kind of avatar, which reintroduced creativity in costumes. Unlike the original focus on real fashion concepts, though, this Barbie represented an inhabitant of a fictional realm. Barbie, as cartoon, had finally emerged. Perhaps Barbie had finally become the doll-puppet that she was always meant to be.

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Summer Safety At Home, Lake Or Cottage For Your Kids

Summer is a great time for children to be outside exploring and playing. Help them safe on their adventures by teaching them about electrical and natural gas safety.

If you are enjoying a breezy day flying a kite together, make sure that you are in a large open area, far away from overhead hydro power lines. Never use metallic wires as a kite string. Metallic balloons and model airplanes should be kept away from overhead lines.

There is no denying that children are climbers but teach them to stay away from the fences that surround electrical substations. The fences are there to keep people away from the dangerous high voltage equipment inside a local community power substation. .

Speaking of climbing, children should never ever climb on trees that are close to utility power lines. Nor should they climb utility poles. The only people allowed to climb should be the trained power utility employees. And if your child ever finds a poor animal stuck up on top of a power or utility power, be sure that they know not to rescue it themselves but to call the help line at the local power or Phone Company.

Padmount power transformers look like nice short metal filing cabinets on a cement slab to kids. Another fun toy to be a climbing play structure to many children. These padmounted power transformer boxes are locked to prevent people from coming into contact with the very dangerous and deadly high voltage equipment on the inside of the locked box. If you do spot a broken or compromised lock or a padmounted transformer with its door open stay away from it and report it immediately to the power utility and your local police.

And what is summer without water and swimming in the hot and humid weather. Whether it is at your own backyard, condo or apartment swimming pool, the lake or cottage camp or even the home bathtub, the dangers of water and electricity are all and always the same. Keep electric appliances, cords and toys away from any sort of water.

Similarly if cleaning be very careful of flammable cleaning solvents. Not only can these solvents cause intoxication from the fumes with kids but as well a spark or an open flame from a match can ignite the flammable fluids and even their vapor. Even the spark from an innocent light switch can ignite the vapor of a flammable cleaning fluid vapor. And never for convenience or just laziness on a long weekend, at the cottage, have lake or home used flammable gasoline as a cleaning fluid.

If a summer trip or outing takes you in the area of a power station , power dam or waterway always teach children about the dangers of swimming and boating in the vicinity of dam and to obey all warning signs , rules and regulations. Always stay away and clear of hydroelectric dams and power stations unless of course there are clearly indicated walkways and observation points.

Teaching children safety tips can help keep your children as well as their friends safe for their entire lives.

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December 2008 – the Top Five Computer Games Involving Lorries

The Top Five Computer Games Involving Lorries

Lorries are an every day sight on our roads and motorways, ubiquitous in modern life and a common sight (and sometimes annoyance) for drivers. A lorry in the next lane is as much a part of road life as cat’s eyes or yellow speed cameras. But these haulage giants have become more than just a part of our road life – they are a cultural symbol and are frequently seen on our cinema and PC screens. We take a look at the latter, and count down the top five uses of lorries, lorry drivers and general purpose road haulage vehicles in computer games.

5. Silent Hill

In the fifth instalment of this popular first person horror game, our hero drives his lorry into a very unfriendly neighbourhood. Players take the role of Travis Grady, an ordinary lorry driver in the wrong place at the wrong time, confronted with – as so often happens – hordes of undead zombies and mutilated monsters. Not after his lorry, they see him as a tasty snack, and he has to defend himself while saving the town and the few innocents left there.

4. Blast Corps

The first of two games in our list where haulage is a problem, Blast Corps had a novel way of explaining the chaos you were supposed to unleash. A lorry carrying two nuclear missiles started leaking, and the computerised lorry driver in the cab switched to autopilot in an attempt to get the radioactive material to the disposal silo as soon as possible. The problem was, this means taking the lorry by a direct, straight line, as-the-crow-flies route. Through buildings and ditches and, on one occasion, over a river with no bridge. Averting a crash and the ensuing meltdown was, of course, your patriotic duty and you were tasked with blowing up, filling in or ramming aside anything that would get in the lorry’s way. Damn. And we were so hoping to leave that town standing.

3. Frogger 3D

A sad parable about the dangers of involvement with road haulage, Frogger was fun if you won or lost. Several types of road haulage (moving at improbably high speeds) were some of the nastier hazards encountered while guiding your little green frog across what could only have been the M4, M25 and Route 66 laid side by side. Of course, the lorry driver probably felt a little sorry for you after he cleaned the green smear from his wheels at the next lorry stop, but by then it was too late. Frogs take note: using pedestrian bridges is the way to a longer, less car-filled life.

2. The Grand Theft Auto Series

In stark contrast to the possible regret of any lorry drivers in Frogger 3D, it’s much more likely that the population of the Grand Theft Auto (AKA GTA) series would have swerved towards anything small and defenceless on the roads. Taking the role of a hard as nails Mafioso/ hit man/ east European ex-army man/ gang leader doesn’t really leave room for subtlety on the roads. Tankers, lorries, freight trucks and baggage handler trucks all made an appearance in the games, though few were used to solve your commercial haulage needs. Employed as mobile bombs or needed to ram someone else off the road, using lorries in GTA was about as far removed from the life of normal haulage contractors as it’s possible to get.

1. Transformers

What’s better than being the lorry driver? Being the lorry itself. Or, in fact, being a transforming car that has a lorry as it’s a boss. Nothing is quite as fun as receiving orders from a large, red, robot lorry named Optimus Prime. Think conversations with a road haulage vehicle would be boring? Possibly, if it couldn’t help you create huge weapons and fight other transforming robots. Today’s lorries are clearly letting the side down on the explosions front.

Honourable mention – Big Rigs

It is worth looking at a game that – supposedly – centres around racing lorries; Big Rigs. While the game purports to let you “race lorries across the country, with police chasing you”, it does nothing of the sort. Almost universally acknowledged as the worst computer game of all time, the lorries involved travel on a flat plain, with nothing interacting with them and no police in sight. Boring, awful and possibly felonious in its blurb, Big Rigs is an unfortunate stain on the otherwise entertaining use of lorries and road haulage in computer games.

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The Transformers Movie

What’s cool about the advancement of technology is that there are certain pieces that were simply made for advanced pieces of technology, but were created too soon. A prime example would be “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd. The sonic landscapes and incredible details of the album were simply born to be enjoyed on the crisp, clean sound that a CD player could only provide. Even though “Dark Side” was released in 1974, its full appreciation couldn’t be discovered until the advent of the CD some 15 years later. Now, “Dark Side of the Moon” is the first CD you purchase when you grow out of your little crappy radio to a full-fledged adult, amazing kick-ass stereo system.

Which brings us to film; special effects have always been an integral part of creating worlds that moviegoers could believe in. From the colorization of Oz to Moses parting to Red Sea to being chased by the Death Star, special effects are just as important as the lead actor in some films. And while we’ve always been amazed at what was created for its time, it would be interesting to see what could be done then with the technology of today.

If there is one movie that’s destined for today’s technological and special effects advances, it comes out in July of 2007: the Transformers. For years, fans and enthusiasts would imagine what a real life Transformer would look like. How would the classic cartoon incarnation of Optimus Prime, Megatron and the other Autobots and Decepticons translate to a live action, big screen adventure? Well, this year, that question will be answered.

Forget about story or character or plot development for a second, and simply focus on big giant robots beating each other up. And then, in an instant, those big giant robots will transform into a truck or a plane and rip through the city at an incredible pace. In the early days of film, the concept would probably be impossible to place on the screen and do it justice. In the golden age of film, it would look interesting, but laughable. In the special effects era of movies, it would look passable, but not believable. But now, in 2007, with all the possibilities and abilities which special effects wizards have at their disposal, the Transformers, should, at the very least, look realistic.

A common source of debate for the upcoming Transformers movie is how the characters should look. The classic cartoon appearance, while iconic and nostalgic, supposedly does not translate that well onto a live action, big screen experience. Therefore, a whole new redesign of all the characters was necessary in order to make this movie appear realistic. And that is one of the main objectives behind this movie: it has to look absolutely real. In today’s age of special effects magic, there shouldn’t be too many movies that have cheap looking production values. But, in terms of scope and size, the visual challenges of the Transformers represent some of the biggest in moviemaking history.

Of course, because this is a big-budget adaptation of a classic 80’s cartoon and comic, the whole idea is to make this a trilogy. But, nobody is going to be interested in Transformers 2 & 3 if the first one looks amateurish. This is one of those movies that could never have been made at any other time before this one, and it’s just as imperative that all the effects are done to perfection. There are some cracks at movies that you only get one shot at, with no remake really possible. This is one of those movies!

Can’t wait to see it!

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Movie reviews: The Transformers (2007) – Part 5

I have just watched the new Transformers movie and Sweet Jesus Sweet Christ, it rocks. It rocks hard. This is my review and while I will try not to give away too much, I must warn you that somethings will probably come through.

I’ve considered myself a Transformers traditionalist and so thought I would be annoyed with the changes that were made but to be honest as I was watching it, I found that I really wasn’t bothered by them that much. One major change did bother constantly though. Optimus Prime now has a mouth and a nose. It looked ridiculous and annoyed me greatly but other than that, there wasn’t much that really got on my nerves. Megatron, for example, has been redesigned heavily but until I watched the film I hadn’t really seen a close up of his face. When I did, he was instantly recognizable. One problem with the redesigns, however, is that Starscream and Megatron look very similar. In the battle in the city, it’s sometimes hard to figure out which is which.

Now a few problems with the plot. Overall it was great but a few things stuck out.

1. Optimus, when recounting the history of Cybertron, seems surprised that Megatron betrayed the Transformers. To be fair would you be suprised if you were betrayed by someone who was the leader of the Decepticons? The clue’s in the name.

2. Why did they take the object which the Decepticons wanted so badly to a heavily populated city, knowing that they would follow them there?

3. Upon arrival on Earth, the Autobots seem mildly retarded.

4. “My bad” really doesn’t belong in Optimus’ newly developed mouth.

There were other minor things but I’ll let them slide. Now some great things.

1. Seeing the first transformation and hearing that classic transformer sounds sent shivers down my spine.

2. When I knew that Optimus was coming, I was incredibly excited. I felt like a kid again.

3. When I first saw Optimus transform out of his truck form, I literally yelled “Yeah!” in a hotel were many people were sleeping. It’s sad but I was proper in touch with my inner child at that moment.

4. Before the Autobots showed up, the main character says to the girl he wants to get it on with “I think there’s alot more than meets the eye with you.” I enjoyed that.

5. Jazz’s first line “What’s cracking little bitches?”

6. Scorponok and Frenzy. Frenzy was one of Soundwave’s cassettes in the original series but in the film he basically takes on Soundwave’s role. He speaks and acts a little like Stripe from gremlins.

In summary, the movie was like seeing old friends that you haven’t seen in years. Sure they’ve changed a bit in appearance but who doesn’t? Obviously Soundwave would have been great. Hopefully he’s in the sequel but I swear to god if he appears in a sequel as a robot who can transform into an ipod like some have suggested, I’m gonna be right annoyed.

The world is now ready for a massive amount of old cartoon movies. A CGI Thundercats movie has now been confirmed. A live action one would have been awesome, with Samuel L. Jackson as Panthro, but I’ll take what I can get.

Also a new live action He-Man and the Masters of the Universe film will be made, produced by Joel Silver who produced such great films as V for Vendetta and Predator and such terrible films as the House of Wax remake and Richie Rich.

Who knows what the future holds. Til All Are One, Roll Out.

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Games that encourage kids to use their imagination

ok Games that encourage kids to use their imagination.

As a family of football lovers and my son being a typical lazy 8 year old i’m not convinced that their is any games that can encourage his imagination. Its sunday afternoon 2pm and my son has been sitting in front of the tv for 4 hours now. I haven’t a problem with this apart from the fact that sky sports is the only programme that has been on. We had a terrible arguement earlier in the day over my son doing his homework, or in this case not doing it.

The problem being that he had to do some writing. Writing a story infact the topic he had to write about could not be transformed into anything to do with football so that was it. He threw his pencil and paper down on the floor and that is where it has stayed. The only imagination my son has is creating his own football team and league tables. When he is asked any questions at school his answer is “if i cant answer the question using football talk then i am not going to answer at all” What can you do? My daughter on the other hand is a totally different kettle of fish, she is not into dolls, barbies, bratz or anything that normal 7 year old girls should be playing with. Her imagination is fantastic, She can write a story about absolutely anything. We are taking the kids on holiday this year which will be the first time on a plane for both of them . My daughter has played everything from being a air hostess to being a receptionist in a hotel, now bearing in mind she has never seen any of this happen she hasent done a bad job, although i do think that she might be a bit disapointed about the flight. As a child i remember having all the cups and saucers, play food, pretend iron etc and i would play for hours with these making up games and having tea partys with my dolls. Mention that to my 7 year old girl and she just laughs at me and says”yes but we are not in the olden days now and goes off to play with her nintendo ds. So at the end of the day who is to blame. Schools, goverment who knows but at the end of the day it is us parents that go and buy all the nintendo’s playstations psp etc.

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