Our son comes home with a medal and trophy (after driving across the state for a chess tournament) and we all are excited! He played a field of around 20 first grade kids and trounced four of of the five matches (although in two of them he stalemated the other kids when all they had left was a king). The fifth kid is a chess machine with a dad to match (but very nice people). It is great to see tangible rewards for all his dedication.
Added a couple new links for some interesting blogs:
One Handed Economist is a young libertarian economist who tracks Hayek
Allen's Blog is a venture capitalist who posted an interesting book review
Our local paper ran an interesting story about Star Wars as a religious force. It is rare that we get such interesting stories from the local fourth estate.
In 2002 more than 70,000 Australians listed "Jedi" as their religion on national census forms.
"What's fascinating is you get people responding to it in this very kind of religious way," said Brenda Brasher, an expert on religion and pop culture from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
"Science fiction is providing a certain kind of grammar for a particular generation to articulate ideas and value ... some of whom have had trouble speaking meaningfully using the grammar inherited from previous generations."
Translation: Yoda makes sense. Deuteronomy? Not so much.
Lucas himself has said the creative impetus for Star Wars came from taking a variety of religious notions and "trying to distill them down into a more modern and easily accessible construct."
He borrows from Eastern religions and New Age philosophies to posit a Force through which creatures can control their own destiny.
Formal religion is digestible to some, others find their thirst slaked in literature, music or Star Wars. Our need for spiritual feeding takes on many forms and no one type is appropriate or welcome at all times. Like all of those nutrients on cereal boxes - you only need so much vitamin B-6 before it becomes toxic - we may crave something essential that is missing and find it in an astounding array of sources.
On the other hand Jackie Passey hated Revenge of the Sith but her commenters offer thoughtful analysis. For some Star Wars is a reality, for many entertainment and others none of the above.
Someone will figure out how to make money off this religion too :)
Posted by: Saar Drimer | May 22, 2005 at 12:15 AM
Actually the 'entire faith' was designed that way. Lucas has one been one of the kings of merchandising. But I doubt he thought his story would become a religion. Others like L Ron Hubbard literally created their religions as religions in order to profit.
See http://tafkac.org/religion/hubbard_heinlein_bet.html
Humans are nothing if not entrepeneurs.
Posted by: Stuart Berman | May 22, 2005 at 12:42 PM
Stuart, I was sarcastic.
Posted by: Saar Drimer | May 22, 2005 at 02:42 PM
Ooops - I was thinking about the article and the many other folks that were profiting from it and could target 'believers' in a very cynical way - ala Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. I guess it is hard to spot sarcasm...
Posted by: Stuart Berman | May 22, 2005 at 05:07 PM
The thing is, when I write something I read it back as I would _say_ it. It is obvious to me that it "sounds" sarcastic while in reality it might not to others that only read it. People who know me would most likely read it the way I would say it making the _tone_ more likely to be interpreted correctly. Something to ponder (and maybe it is worth posting about...)
There should be a emoticon, don't you think?
Posted by: Saar Drimer | May 22, 2005 at 07:42 PM
Should read:
There should be a sarcasm emoticon, don't you think?
(I forgot the tags are being trimmed)
Posted by: Saar Drimer | May 22, 2005 at 07:44 PM