I introduce this topic as levity and as a social curiosity...

[countchocula]

http://www.foxnews.com/images/280010/0_21_042807_noahs_ark.jpg

SCHAGEN, Netherlands — The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was thrown open Saturday — you could say it was the first time in 4,000 years — drawing a crowd of curious pilgrims and townsfolk to behold the wonder.

Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark, built by Dutch creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.

Reckoning by the old biblical measurements, Johan's fully functional ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house.

Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.

"The design is by my wife, Bianca," Huibers said. "She didn't really want me to do this at all, but she said if you're going to anyway, it should look like this."

A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine — biblical scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.

Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005.

On the uncovered top deck — not quite ready in time for the opening — will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats. And one camel.

Visitors on the first day were stunned.

"It's past comprehension," said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape.

"I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big."

In fact, Noah's Ark as described in the Bible was five times larger than Johan's Ark.

But that still leaves enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater, where kids can watch the segment of the Disney film "Fantasia" that tells the story of Noah.

Another exhibit shows water cascading down on a model of the Ark. Exhibits on the third level show ancient tools and old-fashioned barrels, exotic stuffed animals, and a wax model of an exhausted Noah reclining on a bed in the forecastle.

Genesis says Noah kept seven pairs of most domesticated animals and one breeding pair of all other creatures, plus his wife, three sons and three daughters-in-law together on the boat for almost a year while the world was deluged.

Perhaps it was only logical that the replica project would be the brainchild of a Dutchman: fear of floods are ingrained in the country's collective consciousness by its water-drenched history.

Lois Poppema, visiting from California, said she thought the Netherlands was exactly the right place for an ark.

"Just a few weeks ago we saw Al Gore on television .. saying that all Holland will be flooded" due to rising sea levels, she said.

"I don't think the man who made this ever expected that global warning will become (such an important) issue — and suddenly having the ark would be meaningful in the middle of Holland."

Under sunny clear skies Saturday, Huibers said he wasn't worried about another biblical flood, since according to Genesis, the rainbow is the sign of God's promise never to flood the world again. But he does worry that recent events such as the flooding of New Orleans could be seen as a portent of the end of time.

Huibers said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands, where churchgoing has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. He also plans to visit major cities in Belgium and Germany.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269090,00.html

I say we raid the joint and try to pack whale carcasses into the ark.

[countchocula]

By the way, I know this is an old story, but I read about it in an e-mail today. Thought it was amusing.

[Homyrrh]

If anything, props to the guy for being so proactive. Whether it holds any legitimacy as a restorer of faith in Christianity, especially in such a heathen region of the world, is another debate.

[Badbird]

Meh. Anyone with (apparently) unlimited time and money can do anything stupid.

I saw a guy build a scale replica of a Formula 1 car out of toothpicks.

[Preston_79]

Meh. Anyone with (apparently) unlimited time and money can do anything stupid.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU

Yea, but that boat is tight.

Take a good hard look at the mutha fuckin boat!

[Vong]

Meh. Anyone with (apparently) unlimited time and money can do anything stupid.

Agreed.
Kudos to the builders for wasting their time in proving nothing.

[outsyder]

So much hatred for a guy that simply built a boat.

[The Postmaster General]

He built a boat, based on a belief, and regardless of what you think of that belief, the boat is pretty fucking cool. That Formula 1 race car out of toothpicks sounds cool too, but not as cool as that fucking boat, if it was a Ark made out of toothpicks it would be about as cool as the racecar, but not as cool as this fully functioning museum/boat thing.

What I think is kind of funny is that if anything he's proven how much blind hatred is in the world. How the hell can you bash on a guy for building that? Some people here have seen like 600 movies last year, and no one bashes on them except assholes who think movies are a waste of time.

Just because I agree with your ideals doesn't mean I agree with how you apply them in your worldview. Building this ark is a lot fucking cooler than buying ad space on a city bus.

[Homyrrh]

He built a boat, based on a belief, and regardless of what you think of that belief, the boat is pretty fucking cool. That Formula 1 race car out of toothpicks sounds cool too, but not as cool as that fucking boat, if it was a Ark made out of toothpicks it would be about as cool as the racecar, but not as cool as this fully functioning museum/boat thing.

What I think is kind of funny is that if anything he's proven how much blind hatred is in the world. How the hell can you bash on a guy for building that? Some people here have seen like 600 movies last year, and no one bashes on them except assholes who think movies are a waste of time.

Just because I agree with your ideals doesn't mean I agree with how you apply them in your worldview. Building this ark is a lot fucking cooler than buying ad space on a city bus.
I hate to not let you have the final word, but I tip my hat to you.

[countchocula]

"Hatred" is a strong word. It's also a word that I didn't use. I just think it's kind of stupid. If you've got the time/money/resources to do something spectacular, why not build an orphanage or donate to charity? It would certainly be very Christian of him. I guess that showboating your personal beliefs is more important (pun fucking intended).

[Homyrrh]

"Hatred" is a strong word. It's also a word that I didn't use. I just think it's kind of stupid. If you've got the time/money/resources to do something spectacular, why not build an orphanage or donate to charity? It would certainly be very Christian of him. I guess that showboating your personal beliefs is more important (pun fucking intended).
I think Bubba was perhaps noting the inherent irony in "hating on" the "hateful" followers of Christianity. While I must agree that other endeavors might be more beneficial to society, this man has created a triumph of architecture.

[Preston_79]

"Hatred" is a strong word. It's also a word that I didn't use. I just think it's kind of stupid. If you've got the time/money/resources to do something spectacular, why not build an orphanage or donate to charity? It would certainly be very Christian of him. I guess that showboating your personal beliefs is more important (pun fucking intended).


Why even bother speculating what the man doesn't do with his time and money?

[countchocula]

Speculation is an involuntary reaction. There is no why.

[The Postmaster General]

"Hatred" is a strong word. It's also a word that I didn't use. I just think it's kind of stupid. If you've got the time/money/resources to do something spectacular, why not build an orphanage or donate to charity? It would certainly be very Christian of him. I guess that showboating your personal beliefs is more important (pun fucking intended).


I don't feel you were being hateful; the comment about whales was genuinely funny.

You do make a remark I want to touch on though -

The movie industry spends trillions of dollars every year making films. Many of those films, the most beloved of them, triumph personal beliefs and are showboats for people. Very little from the film industry goes toward building orphanages or charities.

I just see both of these things as the creation of art. Whether one form of art is more relevant than another is of no concern to me, because I know it wouldn't even be brought up if not for the personal beliefs of those bringing it up, which in all fairness, considering the ark is already built, personal beliefs made through comments, jabs, jokes... well, they are little more than showboating an opinion. Couldn't we all be better serving the world by using our wit to throw the first ever Joblo Comedy Festival with proceeds going to charity?

[RicochetShaw]

He built a boat, based on a belief, and regardless of what you think of that belief, the boat is pretty fucking cool. That Formula 1 race car out of toothpicks sounds cool too, but not as cool as that fucking boat, if it was a Ark made out of toothpicks it would be about as cool as the racecar, but not as cool as this fully functioning museum/boat thing.

What I think is kind of funny is that if anything he's proven how much blind hatred is in the world. How the hell can you bash on a guy for building that? Some people here have seen like 600 movies last year, and no one bashes on them except assholes who think movies are a waste of time.

Just because I agree with your ideals doesn't mean I agree with how you apply them in your worldview. Building this ark is a lot fucking cooler than buying ad space on a city bus.



Bravo.

[Badbird]

He built a boat, based on a belief, and regardless of what you think of that belief, the boat is pretty fucking cool. That Formula 1 race car out of toothpicks sounds cool too, but not as cool as that fucking boat, if it was a Ark made out of toothpicks it would be about as cool as the racecar, but not as cool as this fully functioning museum/boat thing.

I don't know... this is pretty sweet:

http://images.loqu.com/contents/255/398/image/0808/matchstick%2520car.jpg

And it was actually matchsticks, not toothpicks.

And I'm not hating on the guy. I just think it's super-dorky. I mean, I love Halo. I collect lots of Halo shit. I have replica Halo guns in my bedroom. But I'm not gonna build a scale replica Pelican in my backyard, even if I could.

I also find it amusing that this is how he shows his faith, instead of donating the cost of building that ark to a charity.

There's nothing wrong with being an attention whore, but in the end you're still an attention whore.

[The Postmaster General]

So when you first brought up the Formula One racer you did so in the context that it was "stupid", but you also think it's "pretty sweet". Okeey.

My comments were that I thought the F1 racer sounded cool too, and looking at it, sure it's cooler than I thought, but not nearly as sweet as that giant ass boat. I had to reread the article when I saw the picture just to confirm in my head that it actually floated. I'm pretty sure that F1 racer out of matchsticks (toothpicks would have been cooler) isn't drivable.

He took out bank loans to build the ark. You can't go take out a bank loan to donate money to charity.

Someone took out an ad campaign on the side of the bus promoting an anti-secular point of view, and your position was:

I'm atheist, but I don't know about this one. It's okay, but feels like it's trying to be confrontational.

Even though the people who took out the ad are doing so to be "confrontational", and you don't really support it, it's okay to you. Then when a guy who has different beliefs then you, builds what is essentially a floating museum with a petting zoo and restaurant, it's because he's "stupid" and an "attention whore."

You don't even know if he plans to give to charity once he's paid back his bank loans, but are saying so anyway just to make the guy sound like a bigger douche. If anything, the guy is drawing income from the project, which sound a tad more okay and less stupid than blowing money to blow minds of people waiting for a bus or sitting in traffic.

Basically, I don't see how your initial comments were meant to sound any way other than to indicate you have an immediate dislike for the guy based on his beliefs. If I misread, then I'm sorry, but I don't see the harm in being honest here.

[Vong]

So when you first brought up the Formula One racer you did so in the context that it was "stupid", but you also think it's "pretty sweet". Okeey.

Things can be both stupid and "pretty sweet" at the same time. It just means that the overall meaning behind the thing is stupid but the actual product could be cool just to look at. For example, Transformers.

[Homyrrh]

Things can be both stupid and "pretty sweet" at the same time. It just means that the overall meaning behind the thing is stupid but the actual product could be cool just to look at. For example, Transformers.
The "overall meaning"?

[Preston_79]

We get it, it's stupid becuase it's supposed to be Noah's Ark and it's tied to Christianity. Dumb Christian just wasting his money and time. Of course we don't know what else the man does with his time and money, but that's beside the point. Big stupid boat. What an attention whore. It's all about him, whoever he is, fucking Johan Huibers. Guy probably thinks he's better than us.

Go build an orphanage or something important. Here I sit making the most of myself punching numbers into a computer, while this clown builds a floating petting zoo.

OMG it's like tho thtupid.

[outsyder]

We get it, it's stupid becuase it's supposed to be Noah's Ark and it's tied to Christianity. Dumb Christian just wasting his money and time. Of course we don't know what else the man does with his time and money, but that's beside the point. Big stupid boat. What an attention whore. It's all about him, whoever he is, fucking Johan Huibers. Guy probably thinks he's better than us.

Go build an orphanage or something important. Here I sit making the most of myself punching numbers into a computer, while this clown builds a floating petting zoo.

OMG it's like tho thtupid.

Yeah, I really don't understand that argument either. Of all the things people can do with excess time and resources, I would probably consider this to be among the better things to choose to do. Or at least it's an intriguing contribution to the community.

[Homyrrh]

Isn't this just equivalent to erecting a statue? Except, instead wasting taxpayers' rmoney, he used his own, obviously adequate, resources.

[electriclite]

Where's that link of the guy who built a working copy of the Tumbler?


Well in a land of legalized prostitution and narcotics, this man managed to build a freaking ark. That's a case for legalization right there if you ask me ;)


Update: Found it (http://jalopnik.com/399892/man-builds-batman-tumbler-replica-single+handedly)

[Homyrrh]

Where's that link of the guy who built a working copy of the Tumbler?


Well in a land of legalized prostitution and narcotics, this man managed to build a freaking ark. That's a case for legalization right there if you ask me ;)


Update: Found it (http://jalopnik.com/399892/man-builds-batman-tumbler-replica-single+handedly)
Is there a Batpod in there? No, there is not. Enitrely unimpressive.

[electriclite]

Is there a Batpod in there? No, there is not. Enitrely unimpressive.
Well he is building that now too ;)

[Badbird]

Basically, I don't see how your initial comments were meant to sound any way other than to indicate you have an immediate dislike for the guy based on his beliefs. If I misread, then I'm sorry, but I don't see the harm in being honest here.

It's called sarcasm.

[The Postmaster General]

It's called sarcasm.

Sarcasm? What is this word you speak of? Surely I have never heard of, much less used sarcasm! Please enlighten me more of this wit you call sarcasm as it may be the basis for all of the confusion I experience in the world!!

Sarcasm is like a joke, and if you have to explain it, you probably used it wrong to begin with.

Of course, your revelation that it was just all sarcasm really begs the question of why did you bother elaborating on your remarks in the second post? I mean, you seemed to be taking your, uh-hm, "sarcasm" somewhat seriously there.

And for the record, I agree with Vong. Transformers was pretty fucking sweet!

[Vong]

And for the record, I agree with Vong. Transformers was pretty fucking sweet!

You agreed with me?

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/gruesome_scanners_431x300.jpg

[countchocula]

The movie industry spends trillions of dollars every year making films. Many of those films, the most beloved of them, triumph personal beliefs and are showboats for people. Very little from the film industry goes toward building orphanages or charities.

I just see both of these things as the creation of art. Whether one form of art is more relevant than another is of no concern to me, because I know it wouldn't even be brought up if not for the personal beliefs of those bringing it up, which in all fairness, considering the ark is already built, personal beliefs made through comments, jabs, jokes...well, they are little more than showboating an opinion. Couldn't we all be better serving the world by using our wit to throw the first ever Joblo Comedy Festival with proceeds going to charity?

Good point, although I don't think that every comment on a message board needs to be analyzed and intellectualized. As the subject heading indicates, I introduced this story as levity. I made a mordant joke, and that's all it was. Lightweight tomfoolery.

From an artistic standpoint, the ark is impressive. Ironic, seeing as how Jesus was such an inept carpenter. He built my coffee table. The damn legs broke as soon as I got it home.

[Homyrrh]

Good point, although I don't think that every comment on a message board needs to be analyzed and intellectualized. As the subject heading indicates, I introduced this story as levity. I made a mordant joke, and that's all it was. Lightweight tomfoolery.

From an artistic standpoint, the ark is impressive. Ironic, seeing as how Jesus was such an inept carpenter. He built my coffee table. The damn legs broke as soon as I got it home.
Heh, the ark was built millenia before Christ's birth, and part of the fundamental point of Christ's ministry was his "averageness"...eh.

Anyway, I've opened this thread a few times now and still only care that the boat/ark/vessel/cutter/sculpture/zoo/etc. is a triumph of history and architecture. He built that with his hands???? Forget issues of faith and reason...he built a full-sized ark from hand...on which a petting zoo will be erected.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

It's pretty impressive regardless of whatever he may believe. At least he's not one of those morons who go on explorations searching for the real ark.

[Homyrrh]

It's pretty impressive regardless of whatever he may believe. At least he's not one of those morons who go on explorations searching for the real ark.
Well...there are technically two biblical arks, one of which has already been found by Dr. Henry Walton Jones.