SPOILERS!!!! Transformers One | CLIP

The best Transformers movie EVER! I loved it. IF you have not seen it, please do!

Transformers: Forged to Fight 5th Anniversary

SMITE x Transformers - Official Reveal Trailer (Optimus Prime, Megatron,...

Today in Great Nerd Shirts, Better Causes - Topless Robot

A great T-Shirt that's being sold for charity!

Today in Great Nerd Shirts, Better Causes - Topless Robot

The Navy's Electromagnetic Railgun - G4tv.com

Does this remind anyone else of the rail gun used in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? I wonder how long this has been in development? And what else is on the drawing board?






Here is link to the scene from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr7RpLQ8pZo

The Navy's Electromagnetic Railgun - G4tv.com

Fistbump of the Day - Faithful Thinkers: Evolution, Morality, and Transformers

Luke has written a great post inspired by Transformer: Dark of the Moon. I liked everything about the post just like I liked the movie. I think anyone interested in morality and it's underpinnings should read it. I would like to point out that although the movie is fictional it includes many important things about "about worldviews, philosophy, or apologetics." Luke Nix wrote the following:

Near the end of the movie a specific line caught my ear. Sentinal Prime and Optimus Prime were in a battle over Sential's betrayal of the Autobots to the Decepticons, that put the survival of the human species in jeopardy. Sential informed Optimus that "All I wanted was the survival of our species- that's why I had to betray you." If the survival of a specific species is the determining factor of objective morality, then we have the survival of two species in direct odds with one another, which means that we have two "objective" moralities in direct conflict with on another. On a naturalistic worldview, there is no factor to break such a tie. Which means ultimately, morality is relative to the species. Any morality that is based on a species' survival, is ultimately relative; it is not objective.

On what grounds is Optimus Prime mad at Sential Prime? There are two possibilities: Survival of a species makes right or betrayal is always wrong.

I agree that the questions brought up are important and as Luke points out a Naturalistic worldview cannot answer them. However I think that there is third possibility. Optimus Prime has an objective moral standard. I can't remember if it was in this movie or one of the previous movies, but Optimus Prime quotes his famous saying to explain why he protect humans even it means his life: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings". I've been a Transformers fan since I was eight years-old - 28 years and one consistent thing about Optimus Prime's character - no matter the media or series - is that Optimus Prime values all life. He doesn't fight and kill Decepticons because he likes it. He fights because he has taken it upon himself to protect everyone - humans, Autobots, and other lifeforms. At times I have to admit that he almost portrayed in messianic terms.

Luke further writes:

Many wish to say that objective morality can exist in a naturalistic universe. But, on which of the three grounds presented here is objective morality established? Is it even possible to establish objective morality in a world without God?

Optimus Prime is a fictional character that embodies all the heroic attributes that we know we instinctively admire but fall short: power, self-sacrifice, wisdom, and kindness. Optimus Prime and Transformers are just as popular in Japan, China, and Europe as it is in the Americas. I see no way we can explain these objective values without God.

Faithful Thinkers: Evolution, Morality, and Transformers

Related articles

• MOVIE FLICK: Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (teamcatalyst20112012.wordpress.com)
• No, I'm going to get you Optimus Prime. (splendidmess.wordpress.com)
• This December Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime (graphicpolicy.com)
• Transformers Hostess Snacks of the Day (geeks.thedailywh.at)

FDR as a Michael Bay 'Transformers' Hero Offers You a 'New Deal You Can't Refuse' - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Image via WikipediaWhat if Frankin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Andrew Jackson were cast in this summer's biggest movies?

Wheelchair user Franklin Delano Roosevelt gets reinvented as a Transformers hero in a poster series by Jason Heuser that explores... alternative views of famous American presidents that appear strongly influenced by the absurdly bombastic style of filmmaker Michael Bay. Check out George Washington vs. Zombies, Teddy Roosevelt vs. Bigfoot, Thomas Jefferson vs. Gorillas, Andrew Jackson Alien Slayer and Grizzly Tamer Abe Lincoln below. Each poster is available via Heuser for $25.

Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/08/15/fdr-transformers/#ixzz1V9yBWoiv

FDR as a Michael Bay 'Transformers' Hero Offers You a 'New Deal You Can't Refuse' - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

Optimus Prime vs Jesus Christ

I'm not the first to point out the agenda to bring Jesus Christ down to the same level as any historical figure. However there is another move straight from hell: try to bring Jesus below the level of fictional heroes. I saw a similar attempt to make it appear that Jesus is not as awesome as Superman to which I responded a couple of years back. This time it really hits close to home - comparing Jesus to Optimus Prime. The purpose behind such comparisons is to argue against Christianity. The thought is that so-and-so is greater than Jesus. So-and-so is fictional and so is Jesus. I think the be way to handle such fallacious logic is to show that Jesus is greater. Jesus is worthy of adoration and full worship and obedience. Let's examine the "logic" being employed. I find a lot of information is left out or is downright wrong. I think Optimus Prime is one of the greatest fictional heroes ever imagined. Instead of regurgitating the points about Prime, I want to instead explain why he can't even begin to compare to Jesus the Christ.

Age:

Given that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He has no age. His human body may be in the mid-thirties, but Jesus is the incarnated Logos.

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 1:1-5


¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.- Colossians 1:15-20

Character Aspects:

Obviously the compiler of this list is attempting to make Optimus Triune, but I'd say character aspects should describe who they are. Neither point given makes this point plain. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit describe God not who Jesus is. Given that all three persons of the Trinity share the same attributes and again the fullness of deity dwelled in Jesus Christ a better characteristics list would be: Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omnipresence. None of which Optimus Prime can touch. Given that the original Optimus Prime did split into 3 parts and was linked to each other it still doesn't match omnipresence.

Sound like:

I like Peter Cullen's voice very much as Optimus Prime but there have been other actors who have given voice to the Autobot leader. Even Cullen can't match Jesus.

¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,^[a] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. - Revelations 1: 12-16

That tops a  John Wayne impersonation.

Number of Resurrections:

Jesus only needed one! And to be fair, there have been many different incarnations of Optimus Prime and you can't argue that they are all really the same character.

Associates:

Not that Jesus needs an army, but when He was being arrested He said:

⁵² “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” - Matthew 26:52-54

Usual M.O.:

Actually Jesus' method of operations can be summed up as thus:

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
   ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
   because he has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
   and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
   ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

 ²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4:16-21

In addition.

4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Matthew 11:4-6

Success Rate:

I think Optimus Prime's success rate is overstated given the number of times Megatron and the Decepticons keep coming back! Jesus however triumphed over sin and death for His elect people.

⁵⁰ I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
 ⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
   Where, O death, is your sting?”
 ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1st Corinthians 15:50-56

Philosophy:

The first time I picked up my toy Optimus Prime when I was 9 years old and read the character profile on the back I was amazed. "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings." It was the first time I ever heard of the word "sentient" and my mother made me look it up in the dictionary instead of just telling me what it meant. I think that Jesus would totally agree with that philosophy. However Jesus goes much farther. The question that must be asked is "what is freedom"? The compiler of this list seems to think that freedom is not what Jesus is talking about when he said:

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
 ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” - John 14:5-7

Conclusion

True freedom is impossible without Jesus. This seems to be the missing point in the comparison. Sure if he was real Optimus Prime could keep you from being stepped on by a Decepticon but what about your sins? Be honest with yourself. You know you are not living up to the standards you should be. We all know it. What can you do about it? If we got what we deserved we know it would mean death. 

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
   So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.- Romans 8:21-25

Source
 

Gospel According To Transformers 2

One of the criticisms of Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is that it has no plot, no deepness. There are those who think that there is nothing of philosophical value in this movie. I could not disagree more. Yes there were plenty of action, spectacular special effects, and Megan Fox. Plenty of eye candy but nothing to make you think about anything important, right? Wrong. I saw duty and sacrifice modeled and exampled as themes in this movie and its predecessor. From the first film the theme "No sacrifice, no victory." was also drawn upon. We see several human and Autobots choose to do what was right to protect others no matter the cost to themselves. Another point is that came up is that we can choose to be good or bad like Jetfire or Wheelie. See the film to see what I am referring to. One of the quotes from the film that got my intention was when Optimus Prime said to Sam Witwicky:

"Fate rarely calls upon us at a time of our choosing."

That is profound especially our culture seems to be scizophrenic when it comes to what we believe about free will and destiny. Which is it? Do you choose your lot in life or does it choose you or does God orchistrate everything?

"Fate" is defined as follows:

1.	something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.

2.	the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.

3.	that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.

4.	a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.

5.	death, destruction, or ruin.

6.	the Fates, Classical Mythology. the three goddesses of destiny, known to the Greeks as the Moerae and to the Romans as the Parcae.

–verb (used with object)

7.	to predetermine, as by the decree of fate; destine (used in the passive): a person who was fated to be the savior of the country.

While "destiny" is defined:

1.	something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.

2.	the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.

3.	the power or agency that determines the course of events.

4.	(initial capital letter) this power personified or represented as a goddess.

5.	the Destinies, the Fates.

It seems to me that fate and destiny are almost the same thing. I'd say that we don't have the complete control over the circumstances that come up in life or what our ultimate purpose is in the plans and purposes of God, but we do have choice about our attitude and how we respond to that destiny.

"We Are Autobots" - More Viral Marketing

I just found a new website called "We Are Autobots". You hook up your webcam and the website puts Optimus Prime's Head over your own in real time. Pretty Fun!


Here is a demo video I got from YouTube


Here is my own demo video - It's fun!

Another Transformers 2 Trailer!

Transformers Go Hollywood

Okay, I know I am showing my age with this one. But it is hilarious! You have to have been a child during the 1980's to appreciate this fully, but it's funny.



I don't like the way Optimus Prime is portrayed because he comes off as an absolute arrogant jerk who has let success in Hollywood go to his head. That being said...it was still funny. On top of that seeing Leader-1 from the Gobots waiting tables and trying to push a script like a has-been actor....was sooo funny!

Cool European Car Commercials

Here are examples of how American and Japaneses cultures influence Europe. These are commercials for cars made by Citroen.





These almost make me want to buy one of these cars.

Generation Gap

It seems kind of weird sometimes to realize that at 33 years old I can
remember much of the last 31 years. In all that time I have seen things
cycle through American culture. Somethings I never thought would come
back have in about 10 years. When I was 9 years old in 1984 I loved to
play with Transformers. Like most of my generation I played with the
toys, read the books, and watched the television show. But back then,
I could not imagine me past 30 or that children today would still be
playing with them. I did not even conceive that there could be a
live-action movie combined with CGI as there was last year. I mean when
I was 11 there was an animated film in theaters but nothing like the
2007 film. Truth is that the Transformers have been seen in many
permutations and versions. I always considered myself a purist, so when
I heard that the film-makers changed the looks of Optimus Prime and all
the Transformers in the film I didn't know what to think. I was
pleasantly surprised. I found an animated gif on the Internet that
shows the difference in the intervening years in how Optimus Prime was
shown in 1984 (on the left) versus how he was shown in 2007 (on the right).