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Index for this page...(Be aware some links below may have expired.)
Posted June 26, 2003 County Seeks Klingon Interpreter for Mental Health Patients PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Star Trek fans fluent in Klingon take note -- there's a job opening in Oregon for you. The fictional language of the popular TV and movie science fiction series is one of about 55 languages needed by the office that treats mental health patients in metropolitan Multnomah County. "We have to provide information in all the languages our clients speak," said Jerry Jelusich, a procurement specialist for the county Department of Human Services, which serves about 60,000 mental health clients. County research has shown that Klingon has gone from being a fictional tongue to what many people -- and not just fans -- consider a complete language, with its own grammar, syntax and vocabulary. If a patient speaks only Klingon, the county is obligated to respond with a Klingon interpreter. So officials have decided to include it with about 55 languages, some of which, such as Russian and Vietnamese, are widely spoken, and some, such as Dari and Tongan, are seldom spoken. The county's purchasing administrator, Franna Hathaway, greeted the request to include Klingon with skepticism. But, she said, "There are some cases where we've had mental health patients where this was all they would speak." -- Reported by The Associated Press - 5/10/03
Posted June 26, 2003 Plans to bring Atlas Shrugged to the screen are once again underway. For years, fans of Ayn Rand's immensely influential novel of radical individualism have had their hopes for a film version raised, only to be dashed. Indeed, since the 1970s, three major efforts have been announced, then halted, and at least six complete screenplays have been commissioned and written, then shelved. Thus Atlas Shrugged remains one of the few major novels of the 20th century that have never been filmed, notes the Objectivist Center, an educational organization devoted to promoting Rand's philosophy. Now, however, Atlas Shrugged's screen prospects look better than ever. Crusader Entertainment, LLC, a Beverly Hills-based production company, has acquired the film rights. They have signed veteran Hollywood screenwriter James V. Hart to do the screenplay. Hart's writing/producing credits include such blockbusters as Hook; Bram Stocker's Dracula; Contact; Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; and Tuck Everlasting. And Hart seems in synch with the novel: "Ayn Rand created extraordinary events and powerful characters over fifty years ago in her visionary novel, that are suddenly coming frighteningly true all around us every single day. This is a big, important challenge as a screenwriter and a great privilege." First published in 1957, Atlas Shrugged has sold many millions of copies, and continues to sell in huge numbers today. Incredibly, the hardcover edition has never gone out of print. A 1999 Modern Library reader survey ranked it as the number one book published in the 20th century. In 1991, the Library of Congress commissioned a nationwide survey seeking books that changed the lives of their readers. First was the Bible; second was Atlas Shrugged. (Ironic, given Rand's outspoken atheism.) The complex, epic and controversial work is, among other things, a thriller, a romance, and an uncompromising philosophical defense of the rights of the individual. Numerous leaders in many fields have cited it as a major influence on their lives. During the 40th anniversary of Atlas Shrugged, The Washington Times reported that "...Rand established the moral foundation of capitalism for the first time." Writing in the Washington Post several years ago, George Gilder declared that "Atlas Shrugged is the most important novel of ideas since War and Peace," and said Rand had "flung her gigantic books into the teeth of an intelligentsia still intoxicated with state power." The political ideas in the book were unquestionably a huge influence on the birth of the modern libertarian movement. Crusader Entertainment acquired the film rights to Atlas Shrugged from John Aglialoro, a trustee of the Objectivist Center. Aglialoro will serve as the film's executive producer and, one presumes, will use his influence to see that Rand's political and philosophical ideas remain in the finished product. Who is John Galt? Millions of movie-goers around the world may at last find out. Sources: Objectivist Center Media Release and Cascade Policy Institute. The above information is courtesy of James W. Harris and The Advocates for Self-Government. Mr. Harris is an editor of its publication the Liberator Online. If you wish to subscribe to the Liberator Online, visit: http://www.theadvocates.org/publications/liberator-online.html.
Posted June 26, 2003 Loaded Matrix: Great Filmmaking and Lofty Ideas? The Matrix Reloaded, second film of a trilogy, was recently released to 24-hour showings in the U.S. and is destined by all accounts to make box office history. Anticipated more than summer itself by generations entranced by The Matrix, the films spring from their own matrix of philosophies. What are they? The following resources explore the philosophical, religious, and social ramifications of this popular piece of filmmaking. (Note: The Radical Academy takes no stand regarding the opinions expressed in the resources below.) "Who Put These Fingerprints On My Imagination?" Engaging the Matrix, by David Dark: Dark, as part of his book, Everyday Apocalypse, ties the human experience of looking beyond the world system to freedom with the popular film, The Matrix. A very experiential journey that explains The Matrix like Jesus explicating a parable, borrowing from Dark's close-up interaction with high-schoolers seeking answers to the big questions of life. So, What is The Matrix? Rethinking Reality, by Roberto Rivera: Cultural commentator Roberto Rivera sums up the religiously syncretist components of the the blockbuster film, The Matrix. He makes a strong case for the essential role biblical Christianity plays in a story like this, namely one that "works" in terms of inspiration and a worthy storyline. That's reality. The Gnostic Matrix, by Don Closson: Launching from the first film of The Matrix trilogy and its use of gnostic themes, Closson goes on to explicate the essentials of Gnosticism as a historical religion and more recent seedbed for New Age and liberal "Christian" thinking. What is the Matrix? (Warner Bros. Studios site): A fascinating and broad collection of essays by scholars that is part of the Warner Brothers Studios official Web site for the Matrix trilogy of films. Prepare for strenuous philosophy from a range of perspectives, some of which is written to be more accessible for laypeople. The Matrix's Not-So-Little Buddha: "The Matrix Reloaded" borrows imagery from many different faiths, but especially from Eastern traditions and Christianity. If Buddhism had a Messiah, would he be something like Neo? M&M - The Messiah and The Matrix, by Debra McCaw: McCaw's contribution to a Matrix fan site'a discussion forum on the common observation that the film, The Matrix (first of three), comprises a host of biblical themes. In fact, she goes further than some, stating, "It is my theory that The Matrix is metaphorically a science fiction version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in relationship to the original sin of Adam and Eve." HollywoodJesus.com - "The Matrix Reloaded" Page: This site is David Bruce and company's labor of love for movies and spiritual (as in, Christian) truths found therein. Some descriptions: "A spiritual spin on this week's box office hits" -- ABC World News Tonight; "A web site devoted to spirituality in movies" -- The Wall Street Journal; "Examines movies' spiritual content" -- The Christian Science Monitor; "The popularity of Hollywood Jesus has been a pleasant surprise" -- Christianity Today.
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