One thing to consider if you're more than a little hefty, you won't be able to breathe on Universal's rides. It's not good enough to get one click of the restraint, they have to have 3. And their rides aren't built for the average modern American. Otherwise, it was fun, but I have no idea how I didn't catch COVID.
I’m amazed that anyone bothered to show up at a boat-shaped building in the middle of nowhere, where you can be done with all of the exhibits within a few hours.
Washington State Senator Douglas Eriksen, the MAGAt Covidiot, died yesterday. Yet another FAFO who's own stupidity did him in. Hopefully, he didn't infect too many people before succumbing to COVID-19.
It was tried on another thread here. I was running into computer problems at the time and I never clicked on it to see what it was or if it took (the commenter who did it was doing it as an experiment).
It’s all significantly less than Ham’s projections to secure funding for the shït, oops I mean ship.
Let’s also not forget how he has tried manipulating things to avoid paying any sort of fees needed to cover the additional safety precautions (fire rescue and police) that are needed for this attraction. He tried selling the Ark Encounter to his church for a dollar (or other ridiculously low price) and when he was caught in that fraud he sold it back, also he lied about the Ark Encounter being a secular business to get tax money but it’s now a religious church to be able to discriminate in hiring.
He will probably run out of workers sooner than later, using his discriminatory practices and abusing them as he does. Not many folks can afford to work as volunteers for very long, especially folks who would do that work.
Burroughs? This is what he said (have to use 3 word substitues because I'm not sure what Substack will deem 'offensive')
"If you're doing business with a religious SOB, get it in writing. His word isn't worth crap, not with the good lord telling him how to screw you on the deal"
From his "Words of Advice for Young People," January 1st 1993.
Ham is even more delusional that we thought if he truly believes he can ever compete with Disney or Universal. Especially when it comes to repeat business. Heck, even Dollywood beats Das Boot 7 ways to Sunday, even with all of Ham's giveaways/freebies and other other fundraising schemes.
Ben Franklin called it. A religion that can't support itself and cries out for help is a bad religion.
He took govt. $$$ to build his private religious fantasy, then discriminated in his hiring practices.
I suppose it's too much to ask John Law to go after this guy for all the cons he's pulled. I can dream, though. Maybe some little detail he overlooked that would bring on his ruination, just as not paying his taxes is what finally got Al Capone imprisoned.
EDIT for typo (Had another senior moment. Meant 'fantasy,' not 'family')
They *do* have the power to tax and enforce... within their own religion. The taxes are called tithes, and they're free to expel or discipline anyone who doesn't follow their sect's interpretation of their religion- within the limitations of the same secular laws everyone else is bound by. They should not be able to reach into everyone else's pockets for help selling their bullshit mythology.
And it should not be the job of religion to help the poor. That should be the government's job, and the burden of funding that effort should fall on all of society. Propping up religion with tax breaks and public funds- instead of funding a real, functional social safety net- should never have been considered.
Maybe Ham will be able to stop docking employee pay to pay for the TIF loan.
"Also — pay attention to this one, potential Ark Park staffers — all employees working within the TIF district (that is, Ark Encounter) will pay a 2% job assessment fee on gross wages. In other words, $2 out of every pre-tax $100 dollars you make will go directly to paying off the for-profit Noah’s Ark attraction."
My source for that quote might be a little sketchy. It's from a defunct blog on a christian owned website. : )
God help us, that's cold. I doubt if he pays very much to begin with. If that was tried anywhere in NZ he'd be pilloried – and it would be highly illegal, so prosecuted as well probably.
Christianity can only be a profitable business if people are gullible or stupid and taxes are not paid. Kids who never realize they are being lied to are ill-equipped to deal with life on Earth.
One thing that I really hate about the park and attendant 'museum' is that they teach lies to children. In their own way, Ham and Company are child molesters. Their 'boat' and museum are monuments to human ignorance.
Nah, someone's tried that too- IIRC, it got declared a navigation hazard because it wasn't built or maintained properly and got loose from its moorings a few times. Might've even collided with other boats that were moored nearby, but don't quote me on that because my brain may just be engaging in a little wishful schadenfreude. Can't remember offhand where.
I'd forgotten all about that! It was in the Netherlands. Apparently, in the long run, it got impounded because it didn't have the paperwork proving it was seaworthy. The owner seemed to think it didn't need it because it was - and I quote - a "non-certified floating object."
Given that Bruce Willis has spent his entire career as an action hero, it's no surprise he'd be well represented on such a list. And Cage will star in anything someone will pay him for.
I was just watching Highlander a couple of days ago, the first time in years, and I got the distinct feeling that Clancy Brown had a lot of fun playing the Kurgan. He’s so hammy and over the top.
Clancy Brown chewing through the scenery is my favourite part. :) Apparently he's signed on for John Wick 4, and I cannot wait. I think he'll slot into that world very nicely, indeed.
I just looked at the list. They sure stretched the definition of action movie to make this list. And about 8 of them are fun movies to watch. I've seen them several times.
Saw it yesterday. Hugely entertaining. I know it says it in the article, but tack on an additional $334.2 million from the overseas market and you're looking at $587 million in 3 days...during a pandemic.
Where I see movies, they demand proof of vaccination. And they also want you to keep your mask on if you're not eating/drinking.
Nice thing about a big-event movie like this is that they show it in multiple theaters with lots of showtimes, making distancing much easier (each theater is sparsely-attended with everybody doing their best to distance).
The recently-released superhero epic "The Eternals" contains the first sex scene in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And one of the characters in that film (Phastos) is openly gay. He's not the first gay superhero in Marvel (that would probably be Northstar, who married his partner as did Phastos).
Six Flags, Worlds of Fun, Cedar Point, etc. - all *secular* - seem to do rather well. And everybody knows Disney's magic is far more real than Yahweh's magic 😁
Odd. I just searched “atheist attraction near Ark encounter “ and absolutely nothing came up indicating that any such thing exists. What is the name of the atheist park?
I googled amusement parks in Williamstown KY and there was Ark encounter and a whole bunch of run of the mill water parks and splash pads. Nothing that said atheist about them. On maps the only amusement park that came up was a permanently closed Williamstown family fun land, no atheist indicators for that either. It was the only thing that came up, maps doesn’t even recognize Ark Encounter as an amusement park.
Simplicio won’t name the atheist amusement park but is now mad we’re confused. I’m sure ze knows it’s just not religiously affiliated and not specifically atheist.
There is no atheist attraction. He (guessing*) is trying to make a snarky point that the Ark is doing better than we think and atheists aren't doing anything.
From the random caps, I think this is Mike Panic. One of the reasons I had him blocked at the old site. Too bad there isn't a block feature here.
Edit: I'm changing my guess. Cross out MP and insert "No Vowels".
I don’t think it is Mike Panic, mike isn’t this full of himself. I was thinking it was stryclpsybstrd* who thought he was the foremost expert on all things. Sometimes I agreed with his points but he rubbed me the wrong way.
Anyway, after a lot of $10 words and some self aggrandizement and talking around his point, he admitted there is no atheist park and his point is that atheists don’t do anything for that community.
*yeah I don’t remember the handle I only thought of him as salty boastful bastard.
And I also suspect that if it ever existed, at least one of us would have been there and known what ze was talking about. AFAIK, no “atheist” amusement park exists anywhere in this country.
"Spring Break trips"
yup, everybodies first choice for spring break /smh
Hmm. Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando or Ark Encounter.
Decisions, decisions... :S
One thing to consider if you're more than a little hefty, you won't be able to breathe on Universal's rides. It's not good enough to get one click of the restraint, they have to have 3. And their rides aren't built for the average modern American. Otherwise, it was fun, but I have no idea how I didn't catch COVID.
I’m amazed that anyone bothered to show up at a boat-shaped building in the middle of nowhere, where you can be done with all of the exhibits within a few hours.
They can get on real boats in the Disney resorts. Places that have tons of attractions and are always evolving.
(Ooh, there's that word 'evolving.' Makes Ham cringe)
What, you mean learning about how Noah&co. disposed of all the elephant dung *isn't* your idea of a great vacation?
Poop deck.
I was finally able set up my account here, who-hoo!
Hi, welcome back!
OT
Washington State Senator Douglas Eriksen, the MAGAt Covidiot, died yesterday. Yet another FAFO who's own stupidity did him in. Hopefully, he didn't infect too many people before succumbing to COVID-19.
Womp, womp.
Oh, how I wish we could post GIFs/memes/videos. :)
https://images.all-free-download.com/images/graphiclarge/amelias_sad_face_562578.jpg
Me too. I wonder if posting the link is allowed?
It was tried on another thread here. I was running into computer problems at the time and I never clicked on it to see what it was or if it took (the commenter who did it was doing it as an experiment).
Zorg posted one. Switch to newest comments.
Just now saw it.
Was really expecting Sonny & Cher. :)
What is the name of the atheist amusement park?
The one you claimed exists. Or are you admitting you were lying. Whose talk is actually cheap? I would say the liars.
I didn’t see a rhetorical question. I saw you insist twice that this park existed. I saw you lie. If it’s rhetorical, say so.
Dollywood. Cedar Point. Six Flags. Etc.
It's a one and done kind of place, even for the rubes. Conferences and busing in kids to make new converts are its only long term hope.
Don't forget senior citizens or anyone else churches can rope in.
Edit: For a bus trip.
It’s all significantly less than Ham’s projections to secure funding for the shït, oops I mean ship.
Let’s also not forget how he has tried manipulating things to avoid paying any sort of fees needed to cover the additional safety precautions (fire rescue and police) that are needed for this attraction. He tried selling the Ark Encounter to his church for a dollar (or other ridiculously low price) and when he was caught in that fraud he sold it back, also he lied about the Ark Encounter being a secular business to get tax money but it’s now a religious church to be able to discriminate in hiring.
It’s all a sham. Lies from the very beginning.
His boat is rotting away due to water damage because he was too cheap to treat the wood.
Looks like his skinflint ways are coming back to haunt him. Excellent.
He will probably run out of workers sooner than later, using his discriminatory practices and abusing them as he does. Not many folks can afford to work as volunteers for very long, especially folks who would do that work.
And good luck to Hambone hiring anyone outside his faith. Particularly anyone who has knowledge of his dirty dealings.
Remember what William Burroughs said about doing business with religious people.
Oops! Accidentally "Liked" my own comment.
Removed the like. So embarrassing.
A little self-love, huh?
I engaged in a bit of self-love last night when...uh, never mind.
Can you enlighten me?
Burroughs? This is what he said (have to use 3 word substitues because I'm not sure what Substack will deem 'offensive')
"If you're doing business with a religious SOB, get it in writing. His word isn't worth crap, not with the good lord telling him how to screw you on the deal"
From his "Words of Advice for Young People," January 1st 1993.
He has a hard time just finding anyone who would want to work for him AND conform to his strict statement of faith.
He built it in actual wood ? I though it was cement or beton.
The office building part of his half-boat is certainly made of cement/concrete.
Kinda like his head.
Tried editing that "hi s" to read "his" but my edit didn't take for some reason.
It took. I see "his" on my end.
Huh. I refreshed the page and it still says "hi s" (yet other edits I've made worked). Substack moves in mysterious ways.
It's a boat! It's supposed to get wet!
Ham has about as much boat-building experience as Noah did (none).
And Noah was a fiction. :)
What is the name of the atheist amusement park?
Ham is even more delusional that we thought if he truly believes he can ever compete with Disney or Universal. Especially when it comes to repeat business. Heck, even Dollywood beats Das Boot 7 ways to Sunday, even with all of Ham's giveaways/freebies and other other fundraising schemes.
Ben Franklin called it. A religion that can't support itself and cries out for help is a bad religion.
This. Why should our tax dollars keep this farce from capsizing?
He took govt. $$$ to build his private religious fantasy, then discriminated in his hiring practices.
I suppose it's too much to ask John Law to go after this guy for all the cons he's pulled. I can dream, though. Maybe some little detail he overlooked that would bring on his ruination, just as not paying his taxes is what finally got Al Capone imprisoned.
EDIT for typo (Had another senior moment. Meant 'fantasy,' not 'family')
Al Capone wasn't a true christian :D
They *do* have the power to tax and enforce... within their own religion. The taxes are called tithes, and they're free to expel or discipline anyone who doesn't follow their sect's interpretation of their religion- within the limitations of the same secular laws everyone else is bound by. They should not be able to reach into everyone else's pockets for help selling their bullshit mythology.
And it should not be the job of religion to help the poor. That should be the government's job, and the burden of funding that effort should fall on all of society. Propping up religion with tax breaks and public funds- instead of funding a real, functional social safety net- should never have been considered.
I don’t know, how do other not-for-profits do it? Maybe churches should take notes and follow them. Rather than steal from the taxpayers.
Have they tried looking in the walls?
Ham curses himself (heh heh. see what i did there?) over the fact that Osteen thought of it and not him.
By not hoarding cash while ignoring the poor and they already get tax dollars. If it can't fund itself it should shut down.
What is the name of the atheist amusement park?
The only good news for Ham is that the Dunning-Kruger demographic seems to be growing.
We have Trump to thank for that, now there is a lot more people who dare to be stupid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMhwddNQSWQ
Maybe Ham will be able to stop docking employee pay to pay for the TIF loan.
"Also — pay attention to this one, potential Ark Park staffers — all employees working within the TIF district (that is, Ark Encounter) will pay a 2% job assessment fee on gross wages. In other words, $2 out of every pre-tax $100 dollars you make will go directly to paying off the for-profit Noah’s Ark attraction."
My source for that quote might be a little sketchy. It's from a defunct blog on a christian owned website. : )
https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2015/11/11/what-ken-ham-isnt-telling-you-about-ark-encounter-funding/
God help us, that's cold. I doubt if he pays very much to begin with. If that was tried anywhere in NZ he'd be pilloried – and it would be highly illegal, so prosecuted as well probably.
You should stick to reliable news sites like breitfart.
I’m pretty sure FA included that in some of the early coverage of the Ark Encounter, back when it was still being designed and built.
I'm pretty sure, too. (check the link)
The grift goes on, the grift goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
https://youtu.be/sxkjvKBPQjo
Christianity can only be a profitable business if people are gullible or stupid and taxes are not paid. Kids who never realize they are being lied to are ill-equipped to deal with life on Earth.
One thing that I really hate about the park and attendant 'museum' is that they teach lies to children. In their own way, Ham and Company are child molesters. Their 'boat' and museum are monuments to human ignorance.
They are grooming children, and their parents are paying for the privilege. It sucks.
Yet they accuse others of "indoctrinating children."
Bleeding projecting hypocrites.
For such a mighty, divinely-inspired boat, it sure does seem to need an awful lot of mortal help to stay afloat.
Funny thing, it isn't a real boat but an odd, boat-shaped building. Had they built an actual floating attraction, even if docked, that'd be better.
Nah, someone's tried that too- IIRC, it got declared a navigation hazard because it wasn't built or maintained properly and got loose from its moorings a few times. Might've even collided with other boats that were moored nearby, but don't quote me on that because my brain may just be engaging in a little wishful schadenfreude. Can't remember offhand where.
I'd forgotten all about that! It was in the Netherlands. Apparently, in the long run, it got impounded because it didn't have the paperwork proving it was seaworthy. The owner seemed to think it didn't need it because it was - and I quote - a "non-certified floating object."
OT - Kinda, since the topic is failures.
An article on Stacker lists the "100 worst action movies of all time."
Coming in at #73 is (no surprise) Left Behind: The Movie - 2000.
And coming in at #6 (drum roll please) is Left Behind - 2014.
To save y'all the time of reading through the whole list, the big winners were: Bruce Willis, Nicholas Cage, and Uwe Boll.
https://stacker.com/stories/824/100-worst-action-movies-all-time
Given that Bruce Willis has spent his entire career as an action hero, it's no surprise he'd be well represented on such a list. And Cage will star in anything someone will pay him for.
"Highlander: Endgame?" What are they talking about? There was only one "Highlander" movie, and it was fucking brilliant.
That was the point...there could be only one!
I was just watching Highlander a couple of days ago, the first time in years, and I got the distinct feeling that Clancy Brown had a lot of fun playing the Kurgan. He’s so hammy and over the top.
Clancy Brown chewing through the scenery is my favourite part. :) Apparently he's signed on for John Wick 4, and I cannot wait. I think he'll slot into that world very nicely, indeed.
Loved the original film (indeed, the only film), but truly enjoyed the series as a separate thing.
Mmmh... Long hair...
*Drool*
I once met the cast and producers of the series at a Highlander convention.
Great people.
I just looked at the list. They sure stretched the definition of action movie to make this list. And about 8 of them are fun movies to watch. I've seen them several times.
OT : just finished my second round of antibiotics in less than 2 months, I will accept your tots and pears to not have to take them a third time.
OT
For my fellow Marvel fanatics:
'Spider-Man" No Way Home' swings to third-best opening of all time with $253 million
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/spider-man-no-way-home-191049451.html
Saw it yesterday. Hugely entertaining. I know it says it in the article, but tack on an additional $334.2 million from the overseas market and you're looking at $587 million in 3 days...during a pandemic.
Make Mine Marvel. :)
What pandemic???
Any restrictions out your way about going to movies?
Where I see movies, they demand proof of vaccination. And they also want you to keep your mask on if you're not eating/drinking.
Nice thing about a big-event movie like this is that they show it in multiple theaters with lots of showtimes, making distancing much easier (each theater is sparsely-attended with everybody doing their best to distance).
Seattleites are a pretty aware bunch.
We saw it last night. Highly enjoyable. Would recommend.
Bursting to tell people details, but as River Song would say: "Spoilers, sweetie."
The Sexual Subtext of Spider-Man
How soft-core pornography shaped everyone’s favorite webslinger
https://jeetheer.substack.com/p/the-sexual-subtext-of-spider-man
The recently-released superhero epic "The Eternals" contains the first sex scene in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And one of the characters in that film (Phastos) is openly gay. He's not the first gay superhero in Marvel (that would probably be Northstar, who married his partner as did Phastos).
Six Flags, Worlds of Fun, Cedar Point, etc. - all *secular* - seem to do rather well. And everybody knows Disney's magic is far more real than Yahweh's magic 😁
If a business is not explicitly faith-based, it's atheist.
Also, "off" isn't a TV channel.
And "a lot of people are grousing about" a religious institution receiving secular tax dollar support.
Ramen.
So specifically name the atheist attraction, then. We can’t make a comparison if we don’t know what we are supposed to look at.
Odd. I just searched “atheist attraction near Ark encounter “ and absolutely nothing came up indicating that any such thing exists. What is the name of the atheist park?
I googled amusement parks in Williamstown KY and there was Ark encounter and a whole bunch of run of the mill water parks and splash pads. Nothing that said atheist about them. On maps the only amusement park that came up was a permanently closed Williamstown family fun land, no atheist indicators for that either. It was the only thing that came up, maps doesn’t even recognize Ark Encounter as an amusement park.
Simplicio won’t name the atheist amusement park but is now mad we’re confused. I’m sure ze knows it’s just not religiously affiliated and not specifically atheist.
There is no atheist attraction. He (guessing*) is trying to make a snarky point that the Ark is doing better than we think and atheists aren't doing anything.
From the random caps, I think this is Mike Panic. One of the reasons I had him blocked at the old site. Too bad there isn't a block feature here.
Edit: I'm changing my guess. Cross out MP and insert "No Vowels".
I don’t think it is Mike Panic, mike isn’t this full of himself. I was thinking it was stryclpsybstrd* who thought he was the foremost expert on all things. Sometimes I agreed with his points but he rubbed me the wrong way.
Anyway, after a lot of $10 words and some self aggrandizement and talking around his point, he admitted there is no atheist park and his point is that atheists don’t do anything for that community.
*yeah I don’t remember the handle I only thought of him as salty boastful bastard.
And I also suspect that if it ever existed, at least one of us would have been there and known what ze was talking about. AFAIK, no “atheist” amusement park exists anywhere in this country.
Is Cedar Point theist? Six Flags? Disney? Dollywood?
Did you check the TV Guide to see what's on "off" at 7:00 pm, too?
(Also, What's on second. You're welcome.)