Monday, October 26, 2015

Pop Culture (part 2) - Halloween Martian Invasion

wikipedia/War of the Worlds

Eve of Halloween: October 30, 1938 

Now that was a night my mother remembered.  As a young teenager listening to the radio, she heard the breaking news:

Martians invaded Earth ... and they landed in New Jersey!

She was scared, captivated by the Orson Welles broadcast based on the H.G. Wells science fiction novel - The War of the Worlds.   Though disclaimers were given that this was only fiction, many in the audience missed it, and panic ensued. [reference: 1938 Welles scares the nation ]

An abridged audio of that broadcast is here below -


The generation that first heard this broadcast knew something about troubling times. In 1938, they had lived through most of the Great Depression, many remembering the Great War and hearing the rumblings of more wars to come.

From Wars of the Worlds to World Wars

Ironically, H. G. Welles wrote The War of the Worlds  in 1898, sixteen years before World War I (1914 - 1918). And Orson Welles broadcast the radio version within a year of World War II (1939 - 1945). Both these World Wars surpassed the horror of science fiction.

Often society, science, and tech imitate art...

From book to radio to the big screen

The SciFi novel jumped from radio to the movies: The War of the Worlds (1953). And its remake in 2005 is shown in its trailer below:


And there have been countless stories about life on Mars and their invasions of Earth.  Now, it's our turn, for real, as science and tech continue to follow SciFi.

Earthlings invade Mars

Humans via their robots have invaded Mars from 1976 with Viking 1 to the 21 century's  Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Curiosity Rover.  Their findings are still in the news: MarsNews.com

As we plan to colonize Mars, more SciFi hit the big screen as The Martian (2015), still in theaters:


So our fascination with Mars continues in Pop Culture as science and tech follows SciFi.

The Classic Halloween Scary Story?

This October 31st, treat yourself to the original  radio broadcast. For the full broadcast (its an hour long), see below:



 And that one Halloween almost 80 years ago, 
 Orson Welles said 
Boo! 
to the entire nation.

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Previous Post in the series:

Pop Culture (part 1) - Only Time and 9/11 (2015)

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Photo: wikipedia/War of the Worlds


Friday, October 16, 2015

Biblia Files (part 6) - Crowns and Frowns

everystockphoto.com/crown and frown
Hee Haw was my Dad's favorite show, second only to Gunsmoke. I clearly remember the lament from their Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me segment, such as seen below:



Even 40 years ago, they all were "first world problems." Though this Hee Haw segment is humorous, it expresses a tinge of sadness, dissatisfaction in this life.

Dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and such are maladies throughout the ages.  As King Solomon said -

... there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)

Crowns and Frowns

As the wisest man and greatest fools in some estimations, Solomon knew something about this gloom, despair and agony on me.  This king had "everything" in this life from riches; his unfettered search for knowledge, wisdom, and meaning in this life; wanting more and getting more. Yet this king lamented his "first world problems" as so stated below:


14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
 
15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
 
16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
 
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
 
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Ecclesiastes 1 (KJV)

What a Gloomy Gus!

This dissatisfaction is not new for "the man under the sun."

In the clip below unhappiness is seen as a malady of the modern age:


What is the cure for this dissatisfaction?

At the end of the day, Solomon comes to terms with his unhappiness:

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes 12 (KJV)


But Father knows best  

Solomon's father, David,wrote in the psalm below during his trials in the desert of Judah. For more information on the background, check out: Psalm 63: Longing to Worship the LORD While in the Wilderness

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
 

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
 

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
 

4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
 

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
Psalm 63 (KJV)

The balm for dissatisfaction and unhappiness is joy and praise. And this song praises David's greater son, Jesus, who blesses us in the heavenlies.



We are no longer the man under the sun, but ...

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2 (KJV)

And to beat the blues:

... the joy of the Lord is your strength
Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV)


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Recent posts in this series:

Biblia Files (part 1) - Thru the Bible (2013)

Biblia Files (part 2) - What is the Bible Basically About? (2013)

Biblia Files (part 3) - Gideon - weakness, warts and all (2013) 
   
Biblia Files (part 4) - Holy Hyperlinks (2014)

Biblia Files (part 5) - Waiting .... (2014)

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Photo from: everystockphoto.com/crown and frown