The Hunger Games, A Movie Review

I asked my wife, “How did you like the movie?” Her response, “Not so much.” We had just seen The Hunger Games at the Thoroughbred 20 and were now going to dinner. “Why?” I asked. “It was a little too dark for me. There was a lot of dying in it.” Perhaps what gave her the most unsettling of feelings was the fact that in the movie people enjoyed the spectacle of “the games.” How could people enjoy games that resulted in so many young men and women dying? How could they find this entertaining? The fictional Nation of Panem must be deprived. The were sick. How could President Snow (Donald Sutherland), its “wise” leader, engineer these games? But on the other hand, the movie going audience identified with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), the main figure in the story. And the inhabitants, or more accurately, her family who lived in District 12 feared for her. Neither she nor they relished in dying in what were described as “The Hunger Games.”

My wife is right. There was considerable violence and death in the tale and yet on the other hand it was a story of hope and gratitude. Katniss survived against all odds. She was an underdog, representing her district, an uncultured region of the Panem. Yes, others came along side her and were instrumental in her success, but in the long run, she was the one (her and Peeta) that overcame the most. She was from an impoverished area, lacking training, education, skills and wealth. Because of the privileges she lacked, she became the ultimate champion. I could see the “dark” in it and celebrate Katniss and her victory at the same time. I could see it both ways. The Hunger Games was provocative. Is it futuristic?

Reflecting more on the movie, I am reminded of several historical times.

It just so happened that a month or so ago I was in Belize and had gone to the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich. At Xunantunich the site-guide told us about the Mayan Ball games that used to be played on long, narrow courts between walls that sloped inward. The game was played in teams with a rubber ball a little larger than a baseball. Players, without using their hands would try to get the ball through vertical rings (or hoops) hung on the sides of the court above their heads.  Our guide told us the young players were skilled, fit, and perfect in nearly every way. The winners of the games were selected for the honor of being sacrificed to their god. [Note: Some sources believe winners were treated like heros and the losers were sacrificed.] What was significant was that the Mayans believed that such sacrifices were necessary to appease the gods so that they would provide good crops and health to the people.

My thought was, “Why would anyone want to “win” a Mayan ball game?” As with The Hunger Games, the players (or “tributes”) may not have wanted to be their district’s representative. Yes, Katniss volunteered, but only to spare her sister from certain death. (That should get you thinking.)


The fact that the Mayan ball game is thought to have developed before 1400 BCE is notable. This was long before any western influence in the Americas.

Another thought familiar to me is found Jewish and Christian scripture. It celebrates David, the son of Jesse who slayed Goliath, the Philistine giant. It is essentially the story of a young boy, representing the nation of Israel, who volunteers to take on the giant of the Philistines. David, using unconventional means, takes the giant to win the battle for Israel. Of course, it is David’s faith in God that God will take care of him in this battle that sustains him. He becomes a national war hero.


Perhaps the notion where individuals would confront wild animals, criminals and the socially marginalized for the entertainment of audiences came at the height of the Roman Empire. In these games Gladiators would show audiences how to fight and die well. The so-called gladiator games reached their peak between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE. It is this aspect depicted in The Hunger Audiences I suspect is the most deplorable. To enjoy such cruelty and call it “sport” epitomizes depravity.


The notion that some group, tribe or national representative becomes that group’s “champion” is not recent. In fact, it has been around a long, long time, and was/is common in many cultures.


The tradition of a champion, or a national representative occurs throughout history. War in this day and time has an element of that notion. Young men and women go to war, representing their district or homeland. They serve and honor us. They defend us in that way. They are our best and finest. Because they are our people we do not take delight in their deaths.


In reviewing history you may have concluded that the tradition of sacrifices has taken many forms. In some cultures, to use the term employed in The Hunger Games, the “tribute,” or representative dies because they have to satisfy or appease the demands of the tribe, the district, the nation or god. In others, the tribute is the victor, over-coming everything against all odds.


This is the most interesting of weeks. For believing Christians it is called “Passion Week.” Emotions are mixed. Should we celebrate the victory that is ours because our Champion overcomes death? Or should we mourn the one who suffered and died for us? He didn’t want to die and didn’t deserve it. Like The Hunger Games, we may be confused in our response.


The people of District 12 were proud. Katniss, their tribute had triumphed over huge odds. She was the victor. The 74th Hunger Games gave remembrance to the cruelty of war while at the same time celebrated it’s final triumph.


Is it a great movie? It appears to me the movie hopes we think our society’s future with respect to how we deal with human conflict and the solutions we pursue as we move forward. Strategic solutions work a bit like Congress, both parties parlaying empty positions to achieve a different result, and then surprised by what’s obtained. In other words, the future with respect to conflict resolution is uncertain. That said, we must be careful to respect and honor life.


Perhaps the larger question for us, “Has God already won the battle and the choice of our future is ours to be made?”

Scripture:

I Samuel 17.4-10 – David, Son of Jesse became the Champion of Israel and defeated Goliath, the Philistine giant.

Isaiah 53.5 – The Old Testament Isaiah wrote even before Christ was born that the wounds suffered by God’s servant would lead to the healing that we today serve Him and have life.

Luke 2.11 – Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord.

Matthew 26. 2 – The Son of Man will be crucified (for the sins of us all).

Luke 21.19 – This is my body given for you.

Luke 23.13-24 – The people demanded that Jesus be killed.

Mark 15.34 – In agony Jesus cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” He was to die a horrible, lonely death.

Romans 4.25 – Jesus was delivered to die for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Ephesians 5. 23 – Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

Colossians 1.27-29 – Christ (his transforming power) is in us and is our hope of glory.

Remember Pearl Harbor! December 7, 1941

In the minds of older Americans December 7, 1941 is as powerful as September 11, 2001 to most Americans today. Although I wasn’t alive in 1941, it grew to be significant because of what it meant to my parents and how it determined the direction of their lives. It remained so until the Vietnam War.

A generation has passed, and now, most Americans today were not even alive when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It is an event we need to remember, because our parents and grandparents where a part of it and there is a lesson in it. It is important because we have seen events that were similar to it. It was, in effect, a call to arms for Americans to enter World War II. Like the terrorists attacks on American ships, airplanes, military bases and embassies that preceded the attack on the World Trade Center, people could see what was coming. They tried to dismiss it. They didn't want war, but it came anyway. Sometimes it takes a moment for everything to become clear, to come to grips with what needs to be done. And so you do. And we remember it today.

Seventy years ago, my mother had just celebrated her 15th birthday two weeks earlier. The attack began just before 8 in the morning in Hawaii. Had she heard about the attack at the instant it occurred it would have been early afternoon. For her a few minutes before 1 pm. The attack took place over 2 and a-half hours. By eleven the Japanese had finished their attack and were heading home. By the time my mother heard about the bombing of our fleet and air stations in Hawaii it was a late Sunday afternoon. She was at a Christmas program rehearsal. The rehearsal went on though their hearts weren’t in it.

When my parents spoke of Hawaii, their mind-set of Hawaii was not of a state, but as the Territory of Hawaii. Hawaii would not become a state until August 21, 1959. Alaska had just become a state on January 3, 1959. The flag we had long saluted in school was being changed to accommodate yet another state and would begin to refer to the familiar 48 states as the “Continental” US. It seems strange now to think in those terms.

At the time of the attack, my father was 18 working different jobs and eventually in a steel mill. He enlisted in the United States Navy 9 months after the attack. He went to boot camp and aviator radioman school and then to Hawaii. He spent a considerable amount of time in TH (the Territory of Hawaii). He was stationed on both the islands of Oahu and Maui. He saw the Arizona and the other ships in the harbor before they became part of a memorial.

Included as part of this entry are photos of World War II era Japanese dive bombers (Dayton Air Show), a relief map of Pearl Harbor, the Arizona Memorial and an American B-17 Flying Fortress. The B-17 is in the United State Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

I encourage you to google “Pearl Harbor” and review the details of the attack. You will find additional maps, photos, timelines and other accounts. Let me know why the B-17 Flying Fortresses were of significance to the story of Pearl Harbor on that particular day.

Scripture:

2 Corinthians 10.3 - Though we live in the world we do not wage war as the world does.

Ephesians 6.12 - Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Put on the armor of God: truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith and prayer.

Romans 13.14 - Clothe and arm yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I Am Going to Miss the Bus

Woe. I awoke at 5:18 am this morning and thought, “I’m going to miss the bus.” And as the morning unfolded, I missed my Regional Transit Authority (RTA) bus from Franklin to Nashville. It turned out, it was intentional.

I hadn’t set my alarm for a reason. I retired last Thursday. I faced the facts and figured the calendar doesn’t lie. I worked for a good many years and I’m not getting any younger. I figured I was done for a lot of reasons.

Change isn’t necessarily easy. And I did miss the bus. And it’s alright.

The 4th of July holiday was one thing. I’ve done many of them. But knowing everyone is going back to work today, and I’m not seems like “Hooky.” People who have no job because of the economy know that work and a job can be a good thing. To have a job is a blessing. It is important to take care of yourself and your family. It’s important to make a contribution that is worthy of an income. It brings value.

So, here I am, retired. It’s a new status that I own. Co-workers calculate the moment with envy. It has a downside. It means you are older, that the sum of numbers has finally reached a point in life in which there is a pay-off. You are unable to buy youth with any of it. I concluded, it is simply best to take where you are and make the very most of it.

I ask myself, “What have I done?” “Will this work out?” My wonderful wife says, “We will figure it out.”

Yes, I am going to be alright. In a few days I will adjust to the new regime, find my landmarks and enjoy the journey ahead. Sure, at the moment I am a bit disoriented. I was simply in a routine where I got up early, prepared myself for the day, went to the bus stop and rode the RTA into town, went to the 6th floor of the tower and my office cubical, worked on a computer, had meetings and at the end of the day returned home by bus, ate supper, did a few chores, went to bed and did it over the next day. This pattern was entrenched by 36 years of its doing. It provided direction but I got tired.

The attached images should give you the picture of my day.


I am now going to forge a new pattern. Here’s the plan for doing it:

I have a “To-Do” list that is pages long. I am not kidding. I have put off a few things that need doing. OK, make that a lot. I have a list of things I need and want to do. My list has been prayed over. It will provide me with direction. So, with that list I am going to categorize things.

“What is urgent?”

What is important?

What can be done quickly and easily?

What are my life goals? 1 year? 3 years? 5 years? 7 years? Or whatever years remain (just in case I’m called home early).

What needs to occur daily in order to reach any of my goals? How much time is needed to tend to these things?

Then I need to organize my list and prioritize things on a daily basis, weekly basis, seasonal basis and yearly basis. All of this will put structure into my life. I need it. And so, I will give structure to my day so that I can get what I really need to get done.

Where does God fit in with each of these questions? He needs to be at every step.

Proverbs 29.18 - Without vision or guidance, people lose their way.
Proverbs 9.10 – Reverence for the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Psalm 127.1 – Unless God builds the house, you labor in vain to build it.
John 15.5 – Apart from God, we can do nothing.
Ecclesiastes 9.1 – Our works are in God’s hands.

A Remembrance: Trail Feet Sometimes Get Blisters

A friend inspires, challenges, comforts, gives guidance, assures you and at the same time holds you accountable. They believe in you and care about you and because they do, you do everything you can to be there for them. In all of this, there is something you share. You have it in common, to achieve more than you thought, experience it more completely, and know there are others to whom it matters.

My friend David Draughon, although he passed away in May 2010, is still a friend to me and of my friends (Greg and Luke). He compels us in ways to be better men. Because of his example we do what friends do. On June 12 and 13, 2011 we backpacked to the summit of Rocky Top in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Cades Cove to scatter his ashes at a summit referred to as “Rocky Top.” We began our pilgrimage of sorts on a sunny afternoon. We took the summit by way of the Anthony Creek Trail, the Bote Mountain Trail and the Appalachian Trail. We spent the night in Spence Field shelter on the anniversary of his memorial service and on Monday, June 13, hiked from the shelter to Rocky Top. We finished our task when we returned to the cove late Monday afternoon.

It was David’s wish that we do this. (It may not have been this specific place where he wanted his ashes scattered; all he wanted was that they be scattered somewhere on the Appalachian Trail). Maybe it was his way to ensure that his hiking buddies would be held together to do at least one last thing. He probably knew we needed the exercise. I am sure he knew we needed to see the flame azalea, Mountain Laurel, and blackberry buds. He knew we needed to hear water tumble over the rocks in a creek, see a toad, and sleep on some hard shelter floor and see another awesome, staggering vista. He knew we needed blistered feet and sore, aching calves. These serve as adrenaline to this group of intrepid walkers. They also serve as both the excuse and reason for a long-enduring friendship. We cherish the memories of both.

To David we say, “We were honored to know you. You blessed our lives. You made us better men. We thank God for giving you to us. We pray you will rest comfortably atop Rocky Top. As you might have wanted, the view is great in all directions.”

Readers, see for yourselves. Enjoy the hike. For the “3 amigos,” it kicked our butts. Our blisters were our badges. For this we say, “Thank you, David.”

Proverbs 27:17 – People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron. (GNT)

Ecclesiastes 12.7 – Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us. (GNT)

Ecclesiastes 7.14 – God sends both happiness and trouble; you never know what is going to happen next. (GNT)

Psalm 104 – God’s creation, the darkness and light, moon, mountains, springs, rivers, trees, grass, birds, and wild animals are all from God. Praise God for His creation.

Part 4 – Now the Cravats

Ten or more years of data are needed to calculate a frequency analysis determining recurrence intervals. The more historical data the better; a hydrologist will have more faith in an analysis of a river with 30 years of record than one based on 10 years of record.

Also, recurrence intervals at a given location can change, particularly if there are significant upstream operational changes to an impoundment or flow diversion (if one exists) or surrounding land development (rural to urban land uses) resulting in increased paved or impervious surfaces where water runs off and becomes streamflow rather than being absorbed into the soil.

It is also possible that a precipitation event and streamflow event may not correlate. This can be due to the extent of a rainfall event in a watershed. Rainfall may be measured at one point within a watershed and because rainfall is intensely localized and not uniform throughout a basin, the anticipated streamflow may not occur. Similarly, rainfall amounts throughout a basin can differ greatly from the rainfall amount measured at one or two locations because they simply did not receive the same amount of precipitation.


Several factors can independently influence the cause-and-effect relation between rainfall and streamflow.

Finally, another factor affecting the cause-and-effect relationship between rainfall and streamflow is soil saturation before the storm event (antecedent precipitation). Existing conditions prior to a storm event can influence the amount of stormwater runoff into a stream. Dry soils allow greater infiltration of rainfall and reduce the amount of runoff entering the stream. Conversely, soil that is already wet from previous rains has a lower capacity for infiltration, allowing more runoff to enter the stream.

So, in case you thought hydrologists have it all down tightly, many factors need to be carefully weighed when it comes to predicting a flood event. The issue is not whether a flood will occur; that appears certain. The issue for us is “when” will the next flood occur?

You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. - Deuteronomy 16.12

“Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5.45

The Ever-So-Dry FEMA Lexicon of Flood Zones Unless You Are Flooded

Part 3

In my last post I mentioned the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA Flood Maps. This post will try and summarize what they are all about so that if you check on a piece of property and find it in a SFHA (Special Flood Hazard Area) you can figure out what it means. Here’s the “dump.”

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM)
Flood zones are geographic areas that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified and established according to levels of flood risk. The areas are depicted on a community's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Hazard Boundary Map (FHBM). The various zones within the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) reflect the severity or type of flooding in the area.

One of these areas is the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA), which is defined as the area that will be inundated by the flood event having a 1-percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 1-percent-annual-chance flood is also referred to as the "base flood."

SFHA areas are further subdivided and labeled as Zone A, Zone AO, Zone AH, etc.

Areas between the 100-year (or “base flood”) and 500-year (or 0.2-percent-annaul-chance) flood boundaries are defined as "moderate flood hazard areas." “Moderate flood hazard areas,” labeled Zone B or Zone X (shown as lightly shaded) are also shown on the FIRM. The FIRM also refers to these areas as “Other Flood Areas.” Also, it is possible that structures in these zones can be flooded by severe, concentrated rainfall coupled with inadequate local drainage systems. Local stormwater drainage systems are not normally considered in a community's FIS. The failure of a local drainage system can create areas of higher flood risk within these rate zones.

The areas of “minimal flood hazard,” which are the areas outside the SFHA and higher than the elevation of the 0.2-percent-annual-chance flood, are labeled Zone C or Zone X. Areas above the 500-year flood level are referred to as "minimal flood hazard areas."

Historically, about one-third of all claims paid by the NFIP are for flood damage in areas identified as having "moderate" and "minimal" risk of flood. Flooding in these is often the result of inadequate local drainage that are very small drainage areas generally not identified on FIRMS.

Below are more detailed descriptions for the various generally outlined flood hazard areas noted above. There are many more zones. I’ve only included the ones that help to define flooding on South Carothers Road.

FEMA’s Legend (in part)
Zones Deemed “Moderate to Low Risk Areas”Zones B and X (Lightly Shaded Areas) – Areas of moderate flood hazard, usually the area between the 100-year and 500-year floods.

Zone B are also used to designate base floodplains of lesser hazards, such as areas protected by levees from 100-year flood, or shallow flooding areas with average depths of less than one foot or drainage areas less than 1 square mile.

Zone X are areas within the 500-year floodplain and have a 0.2% annual chance flood; areas of 1% annual chance flood with average depths of less than 1 foot or with drainage areas less than 1 square mile; and areas protected by levees from 1% annual chance flood.

Zones C and X (Unshaded Areas) – An area of minimal flood hazard, usually depicted on FIRMs as above the 500-year flood level. Zone C may have ponding and local drainage problems that has not warranted a detailed study. Zone X is the area determined to be outside the 500-year flood and protected by levee from 100-year flood.

Zones Deemed “High Risk Areas”
In communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), flood insurance is available to all property owners and renters in designated flood zones. Parcels in “High Risk Areas” are required to purchase flood insurance. Flood insurance is also available to those in other zones not deemed “High Risk,” but it is not required by regulation.

Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs) Subject to Inundation by the 1% Annual Chance Flood (Darkly Shaded Areas)
Areas of land in the floodplain subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any given year have been designated as Zone A on Flood Hazard Boundary Maps (FHBM) and further divided into Zones A, AO, AH, A1-30, AE or A99 on the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).

The 1% annual chance flood (100-year flood), also known as the “base flood,” is the flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The Special Flood Hazard Area is the area subject to flooding by the 1% annual chance flood. Areas of Special Flood Hazard include Zone A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V and VE. The Base Flood Elevation is the water-surface elevation of the 1% annual chance flood.

Zone A (Darkly Shaded Areas) - No Base Flood Elevation has been determined. These are areas with a 1% annual chance of flooding and a 26% chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage. Because detailed analyses are not performed for such areas; no depths or base flood elevations are shown.

Zone AE (Dark Shaded Areas) - Base Flood Elevations have been determined. AE Zones are used on new format FIRMs instead of A1-A30 Zones.

Zone AM (Dark Shaded Areas) – Flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (usually areas of ponding). Base Flood Elevations determined.

Zone AO (dark shaded areas) – Flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (usually sheet flow on sloping terrain) average depths determined. For areas of alluvial fan flooding, velocities also determined.

Hatching in Zones A and AE (Hatching within the Darkly Shaded Areas) - These are “Floodway Areas” within the 100-year floodplain. The Floodway is the channel of a stream plus any adjacent floodplain areas that must be kept free of encroachment so that 1% annual chance flood can be carried without substantial increases in flood height.

Additional Map Notes:
The 0.2% annual chance flood hazard is contained in the culvert under S. Carothers Road. The letters (H-M) within the hexagons indicate cross section lines.

Flood Recurrence Intervals
For those of you interested in statistics and the subject of flood recurrence intervals and the probabilities of occurrences or “chance,” I will probably, ineptly describe the subject of flood recurrence here. It’s the stuff behind lotteries, drawing an ace of spades in poker, lightening strikes to individuals, meteorites hitting a patch of land and miracles. Alas, here goes an explanation.

To begin with, the notion that a storm or a river cresting at a certain stage is a 100-year event is a misinterpretation of the term. Instead, the term "100-year flood" should be viewed as a hydrologic flood event having a “100-year recurrence interval.” What this means is that, using historical rainfall and stream stage data the probability of a certain river reaching a given stage is once in 100 years. Another way of saying it is that it is a flood that has 1 percent chance of happening in any given year. It is a statistical calculation relative to the probability of an occurrence. For rainfall, recurrence intervals are based on both the magnitude and the duration of a rainfall event; for a streamflow event, recurrence intervals are based on quantity or the size of magnitude of an annual peak flow.

In my next post, I will give you a few cravats to this flood event saga.

In case you thought I would forget to include a Biblical reference, here it is:

“Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5.45

Part 2 – The Statistics of the May 2010 Flood

Earlier, I recounted some of the events that accompanied me, my daughter and two of my grandchildren during the flood of May 2010 in Franklin. We didn’t lose our house, any of our vehicles, or suffer any losses.

Many homes and businesses in the area were not so fortunate. Included in this entry are a few photos (taken by the Tennessean) that show the extensiveness of the flood. Many, many people were affected. A co-worker and friend lives on a knob near the Harpeth River in Kingston Springs. His house was surrounded by flood waters and he could not leave his home for six days. He had no electricity or water service during that time. Currents were so strong around his house, access even by boat was impossible. Food and water had to be dropped to him and his wife by helicopter. He dealt with log-jambs and flood debris washed down the Harpeth River to his site. One year later, log debris is still there. Everyone knows someone who suffered some kind of loss, either a car or other vehicle, a flooded basement, or worst of all, their home. Many folks did not have flood insurance and the problem of flooding went well beyond the 100-year flood. It is this fact that the flood went beyond the 100-year flood that plagues many people. What can we learn from these statistics and what might guide us in the future?

I’ve included a graphic depiction of precipitation over the two-day event (See precipitation charts and maps.). It is an official weather station record. Actual accumulative rain south of Nashville was reportedly greater. Many unofficial gages reported a rainfall of 17-18 inches over the two days. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reported precipitation to be a 1000-year event. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood mapping shows the Watson Branch-Carothers Road area where flooding covered the road to be in the 500-plus floodplain. The distance from the pavement down to Watson Branch is normally 10 feet. (See photos of the box culvert and Watson Branch in late June.)

You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. Deuteronomy 16.12

“Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5.45