Gattaca Review

For some this may be a controversial inclusion in this column, the premise for which is to highlight movies that have been forgotten or overlooked. On one hand a film that received an Oscar Nomination and entered the box office at number 5 may not seem to fit that bill. However while Gattaca had some success it only made $12.5 million against a reported budget of $36million, [1] was written and directed by then little know Andrew Niccol, and has since moved into some relative obscurity, despite being the film that basically launched Niccol’s career.

One of the films great strengths may also be its undoing in this case. For a science fiction film it is rather low key, and does not feature any real special effects to speak of. For those of us who read a lot of science fiction literature, it is more akin to a good novel, brought to the screen in its purest form. But unfortunately that does not make much money in the Hollywood machine. Viewers want CGI graphics that melt your brain, and a plot that makes you think about issues such as artificial insemination and human genetics does not exactly make for an easy advertising campaign.

Cataclysm Preview: A Changing World

Hidden away in a secluded sanctuary, the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing has waited, recovering from the wounds of his last battle against Azeroth and biding his time until he can reforge the world in molten fire.

Soon, Deathwing the Destroyer will return to Azeroth, and his eruption from Deepholm will sunder the world, leaving a festering wound across the continents. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation. [1]

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is the third expansion pack to the award winning MMORPG, announced by Blizzard in August 2009. Over the next few weeks I will be looking at some of the different features of the new expansion, starting this week with the changing landscape of the World of Warcraft.

The main plot of the expansion is the return of Deathwing the Destroyer from an elemental plan called Deepholm. This return creates a tear in dimensions which is going to cause a lot of changes in the world of Azeroth.

Another big change is that Blizzard are going to introduce flying mounts to all regions. At the moment flying mounts are available at level 60, but only in Outland and Northrend. Some of the upcoming changes will be to allow the use of flying mounts in the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalmidor, though the details are limited at the moment. So here’s a look at some of the big changes and what this may mean to current players of World of Warcraft.

New column – Diamond in the Rough

I have just started a new column over on nonsensefilm.com, looking at overlooked and forgotten films. The first article looks at an old favourite of mine, Gattaca, directed by Andrew Niccol and starring Ethan Hawke and Jude Law. Head on over there now to read the article.

Sitting on the fence

Fences by Stardock is a new tool for your windows desktop, that allows users to place icons in containers called, you’ve guessed it, fences. The premise is pretty simple and straight forward to use. When first installed you can use pre-set fences or create them yourself. To do this you simple right-click and drag a box on your desktop, you will then be asked if you want to create a fence. If you click on the dialogue box you can then name your fence.

Fences can be positioned anywhere you like on the desktop, and resized the same as  windows. Once you are happy with your new fence you simply drag icons onto it. What this all means is that you can have a fence for office apps, a fence for games etc on your desktop without you needing to go to the start menu. If you are someone who has hundred of icons on your desktop or you don’t like to go through several menus to get to the program you want, then this is just for you. Some may claim this adds to the mess on your desktop, which is where fences is really clever. Simply double-click your desktop and all the fences hide. Double-click again to make them reappear.

Fences does of course run in the background, which takes up a bit of system resources.  It also seems a bit sluggish at times to move around the desktop, but you won’t be doing that very much, and will depend on what other programs you are running at the same time. The free beta is running now until  November so give it a go and see for yourself.

Sims 3 Review

June 2009 saw the release of one of the most anticipated sequels ever. Sims 3 is the third in the best selling Sims franchise, and for the first time ever gamers were offered the opportunity to take their Sims out of their houses, and into a persistent world.  The system specs are fairly high so check before you buy. On a dual core system with a decent PCI-Express graphics card you shouldn’t have any problems.

So what is meant by a persistent world? This term has been used for a while, mostly in online games where the game continues even when you have logged out. For Sims 3 this basically means  that instead of having to save your lot when you went to the shops or another lot, the game will continue to run and continue to change where ever you take your Sim family.  This potentially means that other families will get married, have children, lose their jobs, all whilst you are playing with your chosen household (the family you are currently playing with) though there is an option to turn this off.

Another new improvement is the new create-a-style. In the two previous games, gamers could create a Sim and then clothe them in some pre-made clothes and buy them some pre-made furniture. This is still the case with Sims 3, but with the create-a-style the user can now completely customise the design of all clothes and objects in the game. There a loads of pre-made styles which you can add to any object (Bathroom tile trousers anyone?) but there are also endless styles you can make yourself, which in itself is almost worth the £35 to buy the game.

There are a few disappointments. Firstly there are a few community lots you cannot go in, your Sims disappear and you give them orders. This is fine for work and school but a shame you can’t go in to the shops or the cinema. You also have to change active household in the edit town menu to change to a new family, it would have been nice to just do this in game, since save games now save the whole town and not just one family. Edit town is limited and at the moment you cannot create a new town. No weather or pets but these were not promised anyway, would have just been nice.

The many good things include the fact that the cheat to turn the ageing on and off is now a proper option, for all those who still want to play the game retro style.  You also have a slider for free will and lifespan so this can be as high or low as you want. Sims can now knock on their neighbour’s doors without having to know them first, and can go to any lot when they like, by foot or car or bike. Happiness is now gauged by mood and the new “wishes” replace “aspirations”.  Wishes change more often and seem more achievable than a lot of the aspirations from Sims 2.

All in all this is the same old Sims. If you didn’t like the Sims before that this may not change your mind, but if you’ve always wanted your Sims to feel even more lifelike then you’ll love this game, just make sure you have the system to play it.

Epistle of James Bible Study (4)

Read James 4:1-7

1. Where do fights and quarrels come from in our church life?

2. When we ask God for stuff, what are usually our motives?

3. Which is worse, to not ask at all, or to ask with the wrong motives?

4. Why can’t you be a friend with both God and the world?

5. How does it make you feel to know that God is jealous for you?

6.Verse 7 is a wonderful promise, but how can we resist the enemy?

Read James 4 v 13-17

1a .What are your plans for tomorrow?  1b. What could change your plans?

2a. In what ways does God make his will known?

2b. By which of these (if any) do you usually discern God’s will for your life?

2c. How difficult is it to determine God’s will?

3a. Why does God not always give us what we want when we want it?

3b How can we know what to ask for?

Epistle of James Bible Study (3)

Read James 3:1-6; 7-12

1. What is so dangerous about being a teacher?

2. Why do you think teachers are judged more strictly?

3. Who in our church would be considered a teacher?

4. If everyone stumbles in many ways,(verse 2) then surely stumbling is no big deal? Is this true?

5. What is the most difficult area in which to keep from stumbling?

6. Why is the tongue so difficult to tame? Indeed impossible according to James.

7. If anything, What has worked well for you when it comes to taming the tongue?

8. What do the words in verse 9 and 10 tell us about how we should relate to other people?

Read James 3:13-18

1a What is the world’s definition of “wisdom”?  How does God define “wisdom”?

1b. What is the result of the world’s wisdom, which is really false wisdom?

1c. What is the result of true wisdom, God’s kind of wisdom? Why?

2. James’  list of the characteristics of wisdom, reads like a list of good people skills. Why is wisdom aimed so much at how we treat others?

3. How does one go about getting this wisdom? How do you know when you have it?

Epistle of James Bible Study (2)

Read James 2 v 1 -13

1. What forms does discrimination take in today’s church?

2. Do we always think of everyone as equal?

3. How are we supposed to treat the poor? Why?

4. Why does mercy triumph over judgment?

5. How can we try to “Love our neighbor as ourselves”?

Read James 2 v 14-26

1. Which came first: faith or works?

2. How could we translate “Faith without works” into more modern English?

3. If “faith alone can save us”? Then what is the role of the ‘works’?

4. Verse 20 says that “faith without works is dead” Do you agree with this? Is this a bit extreme?

5. Which is more important: the amount of faith, or the focus of faith?

6. How is James saying a Christian is to act?

Epistle of James Part 1

Epistle of James ( Part 1)

Read James 1 v 1-12

How easily does joy come from trials?

How can we focus on God when things are going badly?

Does this passage teach that trials and testing are good?

This passage speaks strongly against doubt. Do we often consider doubting God to be a Sin?

How can our doubts about God be eliminated?

Read James 1 v 19 – 25

If human anger enters in to a situation what is usually the end result?

How does this differ from the righteous life that God desires of us?

How often are we “Quick to listen, slow to speak”?

What might be the result if we were to follow these instructions more closely?

“Accept the word planted in you, which can save you” v21

“Saved” is a good old church word. What does it mean?
What are we saved from and what are we saved to?

What are some other words which we could use in the place of “saved” so that people not from the church would understand?

Worship Bible Study

Read Psalm 150

1) What do you think of by the term Worship?

2) Why do you worship?

TRUE WORSHIP PUTS GOD FIRST

When Isaiah is given a glimpse of heaven, it is almost overpowering – the whole sense of the scale of it, the majesty, the glory, the immensity of God. To glimpse the glory of God, to realise that this awesome Creator not only deigns to be interested in us – but actually loves us, cares about us, is concerned for us – allowed his Son to die for us, when we did nothing to deserve it – just because he loves us. That is why we should worship.

3) Do we always put God first?

4) If not then why not? How can we try to change our attitudes?

TRUE WORSHIP IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

Read 1 John 4v20

5) How can we try to worship together as a family of God?

6) As Jesus called us all to “serve and not be served “ how can we serve each other in Worship?

TRUE WORSHIP HUMBLES THE HEART

Read Isaiah 6v5 and Deuteronomy 7v7-8

To come before God in worship really should be a humbling experience. It’s a coming before God and realising exactly where we stand. We come without any claim to our own merits, but through the love of God. When we come into the presence of God we would be wise to remember that the only reason we’re here is because God loved us enough to allow Jesus to die for us.

7) How often in church/in worship do you really think about this?

8) What can often distract us from being Humbled by God ?