EvolutionBlog

Awesome! And I say that as a developer who's worked both in Flash and Director....

Posted by: John Farrell | November 2, 2007 6:51 PM

An indication of what the hell you were linking to would have been nice...

Posted by: Pissy Bastard | November 2, 2007 8:47 PM

there is a kind of message in it that so many of the posters at Pharyngula and Dawkins seem very, very far from understanding.

High schoolers have lots of extra time on their hands?

Posted by: daenku32 | November 3, 2007 12:03 AM

Having just viewed the sequel (thanks tophe), Alan Becker does indeed have religious references in mind. This improved character is named 'The Chosen One' after rejecting names like the original 'victim', followed by 'killer' and 'BEAST'.

The best I can make out is that this one is an analogy for Satan, who loses after a big battle and ends up sequestered away where He must burn any nasty little virus or spyware app that comes along. To me though, this is inconsistent with naming it ' The Chosen One'.

Really, I think digging for deeper meanings that aren't clearly intended, spoils an appreciation for the exuberance and skills on display.

I'd be interested to know where Alan's talents will take him in his life. I hope it won't all be wasted bothering people with his god idea. Mormon would be my guess.

Posted by: JohnnieCanuck, FCD | November 3, 2007 3:20 AM

No Neil, you just took a swipe at PZ and Dawkins because presumably you think they would argue that anyone who believes in god couldn't produce entertaining artwork.

Big mean atheists, Christians can make art too!

Posted by: Leni | November 3, 2007 3:37 AM

Admiring them doesn't, really preclude you from swiping.

You said

"I'm not saying this to try to shake anyone's convictions regarding the truth value of religious claims, but only that there is a kind of message in it that so many of the posters at Pharyngula and Dawkins seem very, very far from understanding.

Fine you didn't take a swipe.

What was the message that was missed?

Posted by: Leni | November 3, 2007 5:35 AM

Mr. Rosenhouse, you'l be wanting to comment on this:
The Turning of an Atheist

Mark Oppenheimer in the NYTimes:

...With the publication of his new book, Flew is once again talking, and this summer I traveled to England to speak with him. But as I discovered, a conversation with him confuses more than it clarifies. With his powers in decline, Antony Flew, a man who devoted his life to rational argument, has become a mere symbol, a trophy in a battle fought by people whose agendas he does not fully understand.
...

Posted by: Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD | November 3, 2007 10:45 AM

Tegumai Bopsulai, FCD:

That's a fascinating article.

Posted by: Blake Stacey | November 3, 2007 11:04 AM

Sorry, Jason, I guess I'm responsible for that. I was curious about who was behind the animation, and when I read some of his blog posts, I just couldn't help but notice the irony.

Leni, wanna know what I was alluding to? Look, we all share what JohnnieCanuck aptly (if a bit late in his post!) called an "appreciation for the exuberance and skills on display".

Alan Becker seems like the kind of kid I've met, and I consider guys like him an asset to my civilization.

The subtext of the story is that at some times and places, certain types of religious worldview and religious upbringing are not only compatible with, but in some ways tightly bound to, the formation of gentle creative personalities.

The non-genetic preconditions for the "manufacture" of "terrific kids", a cocoon-like environment that utilizes, and thereby promotes, an appropriate mix of calm assurance and self-discipline, is important for us as a species to know.

(And I'm self-confessedly overreaching here -- for all I know, Alan Becker grew up with flaming atheist parents. But that's merely a matter of fact, and today's lesson is all about sentiment.)

So, to be very clear, I was taking a dig at the folks who tend to fill up the postings of the sites of the New Atheists (not my choice of moniker, but it's become mainstream). You know, the guys with funny names who luxuriate in caustic references to invisible sky faeries and such on a daily basis, guys who never offer a fresh insight but who love the battle, guys for whom internet discussions are a kind of multi-player video game.

And maybe it was a gentle sideways swipe at the great men themselves for being somehow enablers of this subculture of cranky and ineffective screen-gazers.

Actually, the article about Flew (thanks, Tegumai) is connected with this: in view of the kind of machine we are, the whole enterprise of "having the right philosophical stance" is overrated.

And to demonstrate that I'm not just some post-modernist who likes to cook up connections between everything, I loved Railroad Bill and the Kitten (thanks again, Tegumai), and I don't think it supports or contradicts anything I wrote above!

Posted by: Neil Schipper | November 3, 2007 3:08 PM

Neil Wrote:

Leni, wanna know what I was alluding to? Look, we all share what JohnnieCanuck aptly (if a bit late in his post!) called an "appreciation for the exuberance and skills on display".

Alan Becker seems like the kind of kid I've met, and I consider guys like him an asset to my civilization.

Yeah, and? Do people at those sites actually say he isn't an asset to our civilization or are you just being a blow hard?

The subtext of the story is that at some times and places, certain types of religious worldview and religious upbringing are not only compatible with, but in some ways tightly bound to, the formation of gentle creative personalities.

Except that they aren't so tightly bound that they 1) exclude people with other world views or 2) include everyone or even most people of a given religious world view or upbringing.

And maybe it was a gentle sideways swipe at the great men themselves for being somehow enablers of this subculture of cranky and ineffective screen-gazers.

You think?

I know this might seem radical, but try to imagine how you must appear to me. Do you think "cranky and ineffective screengazer" might apply?

... the whole enterprise of "having the right philosophical stance" is overrated.

Yeah, but having a crappy and retarded philosophical stance is pretty much just as awesome as you'd expect it to be.

Posted by: Leni | November 4, 2007 3:39 AM

I thought "The Chosen One" (in the sequel) was a reference to Neo from the Matrix, especially with the bullet-time movement when the guns are used against him.

Posted by: Tophe | November 4, 2007 3:38 PM

JohnnieCanuck, we're really talking past each other. My point was not at all about religion inspiring art, neither in the specific case of Alan Becker and his animation, nor in history generally.

My point was about present day personality types and environments. I don't see how I could be more clear than my post of November 3, 2007 3:08 PM.

And I don't know what MMORG means.

Leni, I have no problem with criticism in general, but I won't be engaging yours.

Posted by: Neil Schipper | November 4, 2007 4:31 PM