What even Roland Emmerich won’t destroy: an Islamic landmark

On destroying the Sistine Chapel:

“It has to kind of stand for something. One of my favorite pieces of art is Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: … God … reaches out to Adam, and the crack goes through it. It’s just an interesting kind of notion.”

On destroying St. Peter’s Basillica:

“The whole Vatican kind of tips and kind of rolls over the people. It said something, because in the story, some people … believe in praying and prayer, and they pray in front of the church, and it’s probably the wrong thing, what they would do in that situation.”

On destroying Christ the Redeemer statue:

“Because I’m against organized religion.”

On NOT destroying the Kaaba in Mecca:

“But my co-writer Harald said I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie. And he was right.”

He said he didn’t think it was an “important element, anyway,” so he “left it out.”

It would be interesting to see the complete, actual, unedited quotes, because the way they’re presented in the story makes Emmerich look pretty bad.

The Captain Pike bit is so wrong and so funny. Via Instapundit.

Got a heads up from a reader on this:

Posted an earlier one here.

I’ve not heard much about this lately. I wasn’t sure if it was still a going concern.

Looks good. If it’s only half as good as ‘Band of Brothers’, it will be awesome.

Hat tip to a reader for the heads up.

Won this on eBay:

A SHIP TO REMEMBER - THE SAGA OF THE HORNET by Alexander Griffin

This is a 1943 book covering the short life of the original aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV 8). I read this in about 5th grade or so, and it was probably the second in the string of books that really got young Murdoc interested in military history.

I’ve been watching for this on eBay for quite some time, and have just missed a couple of good ones over the years. This copy isn’t in the greatest condition, but it’s pretty solid and very readable. It’s a former library book, but it appears to have been a school library, not a public library. A penciled note appears to indicate that it was purchased 4/13/44. The last person listed on the handwritten library card is Howard Steffik(?) with a due date of 3-21-73. Howard had also checked it out in an earlier March (no year listed), as well.

Via Caleb.

Liked it.

That’s all. Continue mission.

Murdoc ended up with an extra hardcover copy of Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of Guantanamo Bay by Lt. Col. Gordon Cucullu

So let’s give it away!

Leave a comment here if you’d like to be entered in the drawing. The rules will be the same as for the Air & Space Magazine drawing a couple of months ago:

Contest Rules:

• Book will only be mailed to US mailing address. Sorry. No exceptions.
• Murdoc’s immediate family cannot enter.
• Please enter only once.
• Sending Murdoc cash is permissible but will not improve your chances of winning.
• If (and only if) you win you will have to give me your real name and mailing address.
• Winner will be chosen randomly and all results are final.
• Entries must be posted to the site by 2359 hours ET on Wednesday, 1 April 2009
• I can’t think of any more right now but I’ll add them if I do.

To Enter:

• Leave a comment on this post.

That’s all there is to it. Leave a comment and I will have a winner chosen from all entrants using the Random Integer Generator at Random.org. If the random number 13 and you have the 13th comment on the post, you win a copy of Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of Guantanamo Bay. Simple as that.

From the Sea to the Stars

A two-in-one:

Sea Siege—The nuclear war had come at last and the research team on an island in the West Indies thought they had been lucky to survive. But survival was going to require more than luck, when they found themselves under attack by sea creatures out of darkest legend, directed by a previously unknown intelligence from the depths of the sea which was determined to eliminate mankind as a competitor and seize what was left of the world for itself.

Star Gate—Long ago, the Star Lords had come from a dying Earth and settled on the Earthlike planet Gorth where they found a primitive society and helped the inhabitants to rise to civilization. But now the native folk of Gorth have grown resentful and jealous of the Star Lords, who have refused to share their secrets of immortality and their powerful weapons—technology which led to the loss of Earth. Though some of the Star Lords are preparing to resume wandering among the stars, others cannot bear to leave their adopted world and instead travel through an interdimensional gate to another Gorth in a parallel universe. And when they find that in this universe the Star Lords from Earth came as conquerors and enslaved the people of Gorth, their course is clear. They must battle their counterparts to free Gorth—even if it means their own destruction.

And don’t forget the adventures of Murdoc Jern: Search for the Star Stones.