Saint Peter's Can Rock, But Can It Roll?
Funny the things one can find disturbing in this, our modern world. I saw the trailer for the new doom and gloom movie, 2012, last night, and it wasn't the thought of the end of the world that disturbed me - it was the collapse of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The computer animation shows the building falling down, and the dome falls over and rolls toward the camera - with quite a bit of drama. Now, really, folks, what are the odds of this happening? The dome of St. Peter's is made of a double course of bricks, supported by 16 stone arches. We can give thanks to old Michelangelo Buonaroti for this, he designed it.
My take is that in the real world the dome would lean as is shown in the animation, and immediately crumble to the ground, instead of hitting the ground and roll forward.
I think I have proof that 2012 is fake. I am comforted. (whew)
The computer animation shows the building falling down, and the dome falls over and rolls toward the camera - with quite a bit of drama. Now, really, folks, what are the odds of this happening? The dome of St. Peter's is made of a double course of bricks, supported by 16 stone arches. We can give thanks to old Michelangelo Buonaroti for this, he designed it.
My take is that in the real world the dome would lean as is shown in the animation, and immediately crumble to the ground, instead of hitting the ground and roll forward.
I think I have proof that 2012 is fake. I am comforted. (whew)
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I only got one word for you, you heathen bastard - Miracle.
...
Or maybe Plastics.
Ok, I got two words for you, heathen bastard - Miracle Plastics.
...
Nano-engineered Miracle Plastics.
November 13, 2009 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mea culpa - I are heathen and proud of it.
It's true that plastics will roll...but can they rock?
November 13, 2009 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
So an apostle's peter was afforded sainthood, and a cathedral was built to commemorate this? Is that why the building is referred to as a basilisk-licka? It seems self-evident that the reason you're still a heathen is that you've never taken the time to savor an Agent of The Lord's fiery lizard. It would make a true believer out of you.
Physical therapy was excellent today, btw. I achieved two interim goals. The first was to stand up from sitting on the bed without any external assistance. The second was to walk a predetermined distance (completely around this ward's floor) unaided (using a walker though). Standing without assistance was a simple progression from recent therapy sessions. The distance walking however was a significant increase from even yesterday's distance, plus both strength and dexterity in my legs/lowerBack were noticeably improved. It was a decent leap.
I still hurt, need pain meds throughout the day, and the road to recovery is still very long, but I am progressing down it. And the weird-assed neuro tinges have eased up, or I've become familiarised with them. One hit me today while walking, inside of upper right leg to right hip, and it felt ticklish; making me laugh. This is a good day friend.
November 13, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Congratulations, Ant! How fucking far out for you! (The crowd goes wild with applause....!)
November 13, 2009 6:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well you make my day PCA. That is for sure.
November 13, 2009 7:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cyants Rawks. In case anyone wasn't sure. He really does.
=D
November 13, 2009 8:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
congrats, carry on.
the weird-assed neuro tinges have eased up, or I've become familiarised with them.
The human nervous system is a great mystery; to go back to topic, blows these ones away, mho. :-)
November 13, 2009 10:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
thanks for noting my musing here AA. i was going to give you a progress update back in my last blog post, but won't bother now. walking again is really cool, even though i need a walker to do it. in just several days of it, leg/back coordination has improved immensely. it is also intensely fatiguing exercise, so with it, and the ensuing wheelchair work after, post-therapy is nap time for this ant, and i crash for about an hour almost the moment i get back into bed. i'm almost certain i'll get another PT session in the morning too, because the lady who has been giving them to me the last four days is working. Sun/Mon will be an entirely different issue though...i can probably use an off day Sunday, but missing Monday too like this week would bum me out again.
November 13, 2009 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
It might help to remember that nap time is probably work time, too. It was theorized and then studied that babies use their prodigious amounts of sleep to build neural nets and such after short periods of stimulation and learning, then they learned that stroke victims can do the same thing...again, to sort of take it back to topic, it often turns out that what they used to call miracles becomes that they didn't understand what was really going on and how things work.
November 14, 2009 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
that makes a lot of sense, AA, and i had not looked at it that way. it takes a great mental effort for me to keep my legs in order while walking; in effect, i've had to relearn it. i need a nap to lock this into rote memory patterns.
November 14, 2009 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm really happy to read that, PSA. A giant step for mankind, but a Laetoli footprints event for PseudoSciAnts.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/07/1/l_071_03.html
BTW, I saw the movie this afternoon. Great cgi, typical story line. Enjoyable. It does sort of suggest that the Sistine Chapel is in St. Peter's. No spoilers - just don't miss the chapel roof splitting. A real groaner.
November 13, 2009 10:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
i can't visualise myself sitting in a movie theater for 2-3 hours anytime in the near future, so you don't have to worry about spoilers with me. i haven't been a regular movie goer in many years though, so it's not like i'm losing something here...
i have grown rather fond of watching movies on my desktop's 22" LCD display. the sound card and speakers are pretty good too, so the theater sound gets decently reproduced. the screen could be larger for effect, i guess, but since it's just me, or one other usually watching the movies this way, we get front row seats, and it's nice being able to stop and replay a scene quick, if it needs to be done.
my physical progress has been amazing. just several weeks ago, i had back surgery on a spine that had 3 broken vertebra, and many tumors (benign said the pathologist, yay), and just a few weeks ago, it took 3 physical therapists to lift me out of bed and into the wheelchair. i am really tired of being in the hospital though, and hope my condition improves enough shortly that i can get discharged.
November 13, 2009 11:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, live for the good days and live through the tough days. So glad that you are progressing.
November 14, 2009 12:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
hahhaha
And I thought my mind wandered into never never land. ha!!!!!!!
November 13, 2009 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I dunno, but I'm gonna have to get to St. Peter's before 2012!!!! Thanks for the tip, Boho!
November 13, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
St. Peters is an extraordinary place for heathens and believers alike I imagine. The most striking thing about it IMHO is that the moment you walk into the vast temple it becomes immediately apparent why people like Luther and Calvin would rise up against the self serving Princes of the church. It is a shrine to the power and glory of the Popes themselves. Amazing in every respect.
November 14, 2009 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
The director's Independence Day had cheap pandering to patriotism and "good guys vs. bad guys" and the like and was also great fun. He put in good natured humor with the Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum characters, and he knows how to play with icons for emotional boosts. This one movie blogger who has seen it implies that it's Independence Day allover again, which probably means it's going to be a blockbuster. And because of that, I predict some of the more humorless progressive bloggers are going to be freaking out that people are thinking about and promoting Armageddon, (like some did about the popularity of the "Left Behind" series of books,) when all most of them will be doing is greatly enjoying a fun escapist movie.
P.S. Interest in and criticism of the accuracy of special effects, that's one of those mysterious guy things to this gal. To me, it's all "make-believe," it can be anything you want it to be, fall anyway you want it to fall, explode any way you want it to explode. :-)
November 14, 2009 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink