Review: Noah

Noah, which came out on Thursday, is written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. It stars Russel Crowe as Noah, Jennifer Connelly as his wife, Emma Watson as the eventual wife of Shem, as well as such actors as Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, and Logan Lerman.

Russel Crowe plays a deeply faithful servant of The Creator, who is an extreme vegetarian. We watch him as he struggles with the mission given him and how it hurts him to watch mankind be destroyed, but he feels that there is no other way. Crowe was very possibly the best actor to play this part.

Both Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson give the main speeches which cause Noah any real thought during the movie. Only them seem able to make him think beyond what he has decided is the will of The Creator. They are the ones who keep mercy and love in the world.

An unexpected bit in the movie was The Watchers. They are fallen angels who, after the fall of Adam and Eve, came to aid man kind, but were punished by The Creator. Their punishment was being encased in stone bodies and having to watch their aid be turned for evil in the hands of wicked men. When Noah comes on the scene, they find their way to redemption. The Watchers seem to be an awkward mix of Ents from Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings and Michael Bay's Transformers. They are also very reminiscent of the Jewish myth of the golems, which if purposeful would be a really nice touch by Aronofsky.

You've likely heard the bashing of it based on it's lack of saying "God" any time in the movie. However, this is something I actually find positive and interesting. Throughout the movie they say "The Creator" which is what God was to Noah and those of his time. It's worth noting that in the Bible God didn't even call himself God until talking with Abram, in Genesis 17, before the name to change to Abraham. Now the Bible does use the word God before then, however it was written by Moses, who came just a bit after Noah.

The makers of this movie definitely went out of their way to keep from pissing off Christians/creationists while appeasing atheists/evolutionists. This movie is very clear that some being created everything. Man is noted to have been created in the image of The Creator, this right after we watched a series of CGI that seems to show a fish evolving into a primate. Per the movie, The Creator's spoken word is also what triggered the big bang and all of the universe.

Like many things in the world, this movie is neither fully good nor fully bad. It is a mixed bag that you can't simply just react to, but must contemplate and examine before deciding for yourself. Perhaps this movie is so easy a target as it's a story everyone knows. No matter what kind of faith background you come from, you know the story of Noah and the ark. Because the story is so well known, the movie has suspense, as you keep waiting for certain events, such as the finding of wives for all three sons, to take place.

I enjoyed how deep Noah's character was, filled with conflict over what he feels must be done. It definitely made me think of things I hadn't before. If you plan to see this movie, do so with an open mind. Don't expect the pure Bible. Look past the vegetarian preaching. Take truth where it can be found and enjoy the mix of myth into the story. Basically, just remember that this is a modern day Hollywood version of Noah's story.

4.8 Quake Rattles Yellowstone

A 4.8 earthquake rattled Yellowstone National Park, early Sunday morning.

It was the strongest earth quake centered inside the park, in thirty-four years.

There were no reports of damage or injuries, as a result of the quake.

Scientists state that there is no concern that the quake will set off the park's volcano.

Colorado Plane Crash Leaves 1 Dead in Highlands Ranch

A small plane crashed Saturday afternoon, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

The crash occurred near Lucent Boulevard and E470.

One person, the pilot of the aircraft was killed in the crash.

According to witnesses, the plane burst into flames upon hitting the ground.

They also said that it was clear the plane was having difficulties and that it appeared the pilot steered away from buildings towards the open field.

Officials said that it was an experimental aircraft, likely built by the pilot.

Southern California Hammered by Aftershocks After La Habra Quake

Southern California has been hammered with aftershocks after a 5.1 earthquake struck Friday night.

The 5.1 was centered in La Habra and was felt up and down the state.

It knocked items off shelves, broke glass items across the area, broke gas and water lines, caused a rock slide, and even knocked some traffic lights down.

One apartment complex and eight homes have been condemned, due to the damage.

Authorities spent much of Saturday inspecting for further damage to structures, bridges, and roads.

No injuries were reported by the main quake or any of the aftershocks.

Over one hundred aftershocks have followed it, with the strongest being a 4.4 which struck Saturday afternoon.

Colorado Senators Working to Bring State It's Own Firefighting Air Power

Colorado lawmakers are working on a bipartisan effort to increase the state's ability to fight fires.

Senate Bill 14-164 would give the state it's own fleet of fire fighting helicopters and planes.

It is cosponsored by Republican state senators Steve King and Bill Cadman and Democrat Morgan Carroll.

Currently, Colorado is dependent on federal agencies, the military, National Guard, and other states to supply air power to fight fires.

Having it's own fire fighting fleet could mean faster response times.

Search Continues in Washington For Victims of Oso Mudslide

Search efforts renewed in Oso, Washington, on Wednesday, after rains brought a stop to them, on Tuesday.

Members of the National Guard aided local agencies as hope dwindles that they'll find survivors of Sunday's mudslide.

Officials raised the confirmed death toll up to twenty-four, with one hundred and seventy-six missing.

Eight people did survive the slide, with four still in the hospital from the injuries.


The slide, which crossed the Stillaguamish River as well as a road, buried forty-nine houses in twenty feet of mud.

Many buildings were simply crushed, not buried, by the force of the slide.

If no more survivors are found, the slide could become the deadliest in US history.

2 Firefighters Killed in 9 Alarm Boston Fire

Two firefighters were killed fighting a nine alarm fire in Boston, Massachusetts, on Wednesday afternoon.

Strong winds, with gusts over forty miles per hour, helped push and spread the flames through a four story rowhouse.

According to officials, a group of firefighters became trapped in the building's basement, leading to the deaths and other injuries.

A total of eighteen people, including firefighters and residents were hospitalized, because of the fire.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the blaze.

The firefighters were later identified as Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy.

North Korea Fires 2 Ballistic Missiles

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles, on Wednesday.

They were aimed off to the east, into the Sea of Japan, and flew about four hundred miles, making it two thirds of the way to Japan.

The launches came as the US joined Japan and South Korea in talks to discuss how to defend against any North Korean hostility.

By launching the missiles, North Korea once again violated UN Security Council resolutions.

It also follows a series of rocket, artillery, and smaller missile launches over the last few weeks while the US and South Korea were conducting joint naval exercises.

No warnings were announced before any of the launches, however only this latest launch came near shipping lanes.

Nodong missiles, which were used Wednesday, are capable of carrying nuclear payloads.

Review: Shakira.

Shakira's latest album, which is self titled, was released on Friday, and is already headed to greatness.

Of course not too difficult a job when the three singles already released from it have already made it into her top ten most listened songs, on Spotify.

Can't Remember to Forget You, which features Rihanna, is already solidly in second with over the thirty-one million listen mark, on Spotify, which is nearly double the amount her previous hit Hips Don't Lie has.

Empire and Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte are both around the million mark, putting them eighth and ninth on her list.

Blake Shelton and Magic are also featured on a song each, and Loca por Ti brings in a second song in Spanish.

As usual her album has songs with great rhythms, beats, and heartfelt lyrics.

You won't regret giving this album a listen or a purchase, it's filled with songs you'll enjoy if you've ever liked Shakira's music.

Death Toll in Washington up to 14 With 176 Missing

Fourteen people are now confirmed dead in Oso, Washington, after Sunday's mudslide.

The slide, which crossed the Stillaguamish River as well as a road, buried forty-nine houses in twenty feet of mud.

One hundred and seventy-six more people are missing, though officials say some of those may be duplicates.

Members of the National Guard, arrived Tuesday morning, to help in search efforts.

The efforts have been majorly hampered by the quick sand like mud, which has made it dangerous for crews to enter the area.