(source : http://autremedia.blogspot.com/2009/11/2012-lodyssee-du-degueulasse.html  25/11/09)

Force est de le reconnaître : Roland Emmerich est un auteur. Dans ses œuvres précédentes – Independance Day, Godzilla, Le Jour d’après –, il nous faisait déjà part de ses grandes obsessions : la fin de l’Amérique (et donc du monde) et les gros immeubles qui s’effondrent. Avec 2012, il creuse ses thèmes de prédilection, et livre une œuvre-somme qui serait amusante à regarder au second degré, si l’idéologie qu’elle véhicule ne se révélait si nauséeuse.

Vous vous souvenez du bug de l’an 2000 ? Eh bien, le 21 décembre 2012, ce sera pareil, mais en pire. Résumons la thèse pseudo-scientifique du film : suite à l’affolement des neutrinos, le cœur de la Terre se transformera en gigantesque « four à micro-ondes » (c’est un géologue qui utilise cette audacieuse métaphore), des volcans se réveilleront et des êtres s’éteindront, les champs magnétiques perdront le nord, les plaques continentales grimperont les unes sur les autres et la Californie coulera à pic. Heureusement, les responsables politiques du monde entier auront eu le temps de construire, dans le plus grand secret, des canots de sauvetage pour quelques élus soigneusement sélectionnés sur des critères économiques et, accessoirement, génétiques. L’espèce humaine devrait pouvoir survivre à l’Apocalypse ; on respire.

Ainsi, à partir d’une fumeuse histoire de calendrier maya dont on risque hélas d’entendre parler au moins jusqu’au 22 décembre 2012, Roland Emmerich imagine et met en images rien moins que la chute des civilisations. Il n’est pas le seul : son grand copain Michael Bay, également spécialiste des chantiers de démolition à échelle planétaire, prépare en ce moment sa propre version de 2012, sous-titrée La Guerre des âmes pour éviter toute confusion. Chez ces deux cinéastes, tout est prétexte à faire exploser la Terre – ou au minimum New York. Les extraterrestres (Independence Day), la reprise des essais nucléaires français (Godzilla), des robots géants sortis tout droit d’un coffre à jouets (Transformers et sa suite), une météorite (Armageddon), le réchauffement climatique (Le Jour d’après) ou le calendrier maya : au fond, quelle différence tant que ça permet de filmer de belles explosions et de mettre en valeur l’héroïsme latent de l’homme de la rue ? Car au fond, c’est là le programme du film-catastrophe, inchangé depuis les années 1970 qui virent éclore ce genre typiquement américain (L’Aventure du Poséidon, La Tour infernale…) : mettre en scène une situation de crise propice à révéler (et à punir) la lâcheté des uns, à célébrer le courage des autres, et à unifier le corps social autour de valeurs communes indémodables, à savoir 1/ Dieu et 2/ la bannière étoilée. Avec l’exacerbation des peurs occidentales et l’hypertrophie des effets spéciaux numériques, la catastrophe est de plus en plus globale et spectaculaire, mais le discours reste peu ou prou le même.

Emmerich met la barre très haut avec 2012, qui représente le tout-en-un du film-catastrophe : éruptions volcaniques, tremblements de terre, tsunamis… rien ou presque ne manque à l’appel, la fin du film nous offrant même un remake de Titanic. Pour faire bonne mesure, Emmerich empile avec application tous les clichés, enfile toutes les scènes obligées. Pendant plus de deux heures et demie, tandis qu’une poignée d’officiels s’agite à la Maison-Blanche, une famille d’Américains moyens va donc cavaler (en voiture) sous des autoroutes qui s’effondrent, slalomer (en camping-car) au milieu de missiles de lave, se faufiler (en avion de tourisme) entre des immeubles qui s’écroulent, s’écraser (en avion de ligne) dans l’Himalaya, et passer à chaque fois à un quart de cheveu de la mort. À chaque étape ou presque, un second couteau périra, mais qu’on se rassure : les enfants et le chien, eux, survivront. Quant aux parents divorcés, ils profiteront de la catastrophe pour panser leurs plaies et se remettre ensemble, car rien de tel qu’une bonne fin du monde pour ressouder la famille américaine. Et, par extension, la nation toute entière, comme le rappelle le digne et admirable Président des États-Unis d’Amérique (un Noir, pour faire moderne) dans son ultime allocution télévisée : « Today we are one family » (« aujourd’hui, nous sommes une seule et même famille »).

Bien sûr, il y a de quoi rire. Pour peu que l’on soit un peu pervers, ou que l’on soit prêt à mettre son cerveau au vestiaire pendant deux heures et demie, 2012 peut s’apparenter à un divertissement correct. Mais, en grattant un peu, le film se révèle très antipathique. D’abord, par la manière dont sont traités (puis sacrifiés) les personnages secondaires. Cas exemplaire : le beau-père. Interprété par un acteur visiblement choisi pour son manque de charisme, il ne fait pas le poids, même en face du fade John Cusack. Au début, il est pourtant présenté comme un rival sérieux (il est prévenant et tendre envers sa femme, complice et attentif avec les enfants), mais dès que les vrais problèmes commencent, il se révèle superficiel, pleutre, râleur, systématiquement à côté de la plaque. En un mot : grotesque. Sa seule utilité, c’est qu’il sait conduire un avion ; une fois à terre, comme résigné au sort que lui prépare le scénario, il passe la main à l’époux/père légitime le temps d’un court dialogue où il se lamente de n’avoir jamais eu d’enfants « à lui », bref : d’avoir raté sa vie. Sa mort sans héroïsme est expédiée en quelques secondes, et s’apparente à l’expulsion d’un corps étranger.

2012 est par ailleurs confit de religiosité, engluant les soi-disant prophéties mayas sous des références bibliques grosses comme l’Arche de Noé, et y ajoutant une bonne couche de bouddhisme avec un moine tibétain tel que le rêvent les Occidentaux : vénérable, philosophe et sibyllin. Il n’y a que les Musulmans qui ne soient pas de la partie : Emmerich a certes filmé la destruction de La Mecque, mais la scène a finalement été retirée du montage final, le réalisateur justifiant sa décision en ces termes : « Je ne voulais pas provoquer une fatwa et vivre avec des gardes du corps jusqu’à la fin de mes jours. Franchement ça ne valait pas le coup. Ce n’est que du cinéma. » On perçoit dans ces belles paroles toute l’islamophilie légendaire de l’industrie hollywoodienne.

Enfin et surtout, quand bien même serait-il enrobé d’un semblant de critique sociale, le discours du film est des plus réactionnaires. La caricature des riches et des puissants paraît véhiculer un message contestataire, mais Emmerich prend bien soin de choisir des milliardaires venus d’ailleurs : un Russe veule et disgracieux, des Saoudiens huileux, mais certainement pas des Américains ! Le film désamorce toutes les questions qui fâchent en laissant la parole à l’antipathique (mais si pratique) homme de main du Président et maître d’œuvre du plan de sauvetage, qui se charge de se salir les mains pour les autres : d’accord, il a fallu tuer ceux qui avaient vent du projet, mais c’était pour éviter une panique généralisée ! D’accord, seuls les riches auront droit à la vie sauve, mais il fallait bien que le « secteur privé » paie pour la construction des Arches ! Vous ne voulez pas risquer l’extinction de l’Humanité toute entière pour des questions d’éthique et deux ou trois ouvriers chinois, tout de même ? Le film tente de racheter ce cynisme assez ahurissant par un ultime acte de générosité : quelques gueux seront sauvés in extremis, ce qui permettra de faire oublier les six milliards d’être humains qui auront été sacrifiés et trompés jusqu’au bout par des puissances politiques et économiques. Ne reculant devant aucune hypocrisie, Emmerich fait même tenir à un de ses héros-boy scouts un discours magnifique sur une nouvelle ère qui s’ouvrirait pour l’Humanité. Une fois débarrassé des pauvres, c’est sûr qu’on se sent tout de suite plus à l’aise…

Quant au happy end inévitable mais paradoxal, il est tellement gratiné qu’il ne manquera pas de faire grincer quelques dents. En effet, présenter l’Afrique en territoire vierge à (re)coloniser, il fallait oser. Mais les mauvais cinéastes, ça ose tout. C’est même à ça qu’on les reconnaît.

Le schéma narratif est identique à celui du Jour d’après, à tel point que les films se confondent presque, à cette différence près qu’au lieu de souffler le froid, la Terre de 2012 ressemble plutôt à une immense cocotte minute prête à exploser dans des gerbes de chaleur. Que cela ait ou non un rapport avec les antiques prédictions calendaires des Mayas, dont les prévisions d’avenir s’arrêtent au 21 décembre 2012, il s’avère que l’écorce terrestre est en train de chauffer dangereusement et que, dans un bref délai, les plaques tectoniques se verront libres de leurs mouvements. Imaginez-vous une cyclopéenne planche de surf sur laquelle se tiendrait en équilibre notre civilisation ! Joyeux programme. C’est pourtant celui que découvre un expert géologue indien, découverte qu’il partage avec son ami Adrian Helmsley, le conseiller scientifique en chef du président des Etats-Unis – rien que ça ! Informés de la prochaine destruction du genre humain, les présidents du monde organisent une opération de sauvetage à grande échelle, mais la rareté des places les rend particulièrement chères. En sus des politiciens et de leurs familles, seules seront sauvées les familles capables d’investir massivement leurs économies dans l’aventure… Aux dépens du reste de la civilisation.
Au cinéma, ce peut être la fin du monde plusieurs fois par an. Est-ce la proximité de l’année maudite – 2012 – qui fait que l’humanité ne cesse désormais de s’éteindre par écran interposé quand, les décennies précédentes, elle se contentait de perdre plusieurs millions de ses membres ? Le sujet est en tout cas porteur. En 2h40 de péripéties improbables et de catastrophes inexorables, conséquences de perturbations géologiques profondes, Roland Emmerich transforme la Terre en poudrière et l’humanité en vestige. Le « Grand Destructeur » qui, une fois n’est pas coutume, envoie au diable la Maison-Blanche (que dirait Freud de cette mauvaise habitude ?) alterne entre deux points de vue : celui d’un romancier peu glorieux (John Cusack) qui tente de mettre sa famille éclatée à l’abri (dont son ex-femme, interprétée par Amanda Peet) et celui des autorités compétentes, incarnées par le président des USA (Danny Glover, prenant le relais de Morgan Freeman comme chef d’Etat cinématographique de couleur), sa fille (Thandie Newton), le secrétaire général de l’administration (Oliver Platt) et le conseiller scientifique spécial (Chiwetel Ejiofor). L’incessant va-et-vient entre les deux entités participe d’un grand yo-yo humanitaire, au centre d’un joyeux fourre-tout de destructions massives.

John Cusack, en plus de confirmer son statut d’outsider talentueux du cinéma hollywoodien, éclaire de son aura les excellents choix de casting faits par Emmerich. Face à tant de situations invraisemblables et de fariboles scientifico-mystiques, il reposait sur les épaules des comédiens de nous donner à croire à la destruction du monde, de nous convaincre de sa possibilité sinon matérielle, du moins humaine. Cusack / Curtis est un médiocre romancier de science-fiction – tiens ! comme dans le récent Un enfant pas comme les autres – dont un livre se retrouve tout à fait par hasard embarqué avec ces chanceux qui pourront survivre à la catastrophe. Il y a beaucoup de La Guerre des mondes dans la relation qu’entretient Curtis avec son ex-femme et ses enfants, mais sans le sourd pessimisme qui clôturait le chef-d’œuvre de Spielberg, dissimulé derrière une feinte image d’Épinal.
Au milieu de tant d’œuvres d’art consciencieusement conservées – tableaux, sculptures, ouvrages phares de l’humanité – la présence du livre profane de Curtis, d’une qualité discutable, mais plein d’une honnêteté naïve, fait dire à Adrian Helmsley que derrière un tel hasard pointe un miracle discret qui fait tout le sel de l’Homme. Et permet à Emmerich de transformer son arme de destruction massive en plaidoyer pour l’humanité, sur un mode toutefois plus candide que celui d’un Voltaire dans son conte Le monde comme il va, dont les dernières lignes, on s’en souvient, comparaient l’Homme a une sculpture faite de pierres précieuses autant que de scories. En ce sens, 2012 est aussi une réponse – peut-être pleinement consciente – au Jour d’après, dont il recopie méticuleusement le schéma narratif : dans ce dernier les protagonistes y jetaient les livres au feu afin d’échapper aux mordantes griffes du froid, choisissant de brûler Nietzsche plutôt que la Bible de Guttenberg. Dans 2012, au contraire, les écrits d’un écrivain sans grande valeur côtoient les rayons des œuvres lumineuses de l’Histoire, prouvant ainsi que la plus infime individualité mérite d’être sauvegardée au même titre que la plus respectable des créations.

Synthétiquement, on pourra reprocher à 2012 une foule de défauts très ou trop hollywoodiens : un film naïf, accusant des longueurs, ne cachant par un américano-centrisme accentué, parsemé de personnages bouffis d’archétypes, et où l’on sauve – sic ! – encore une fois le petit chien, comme aux plus mauvaises heures d’Independence Day. Certes. Mais bon sang, que c’est bon d’assister à la disparition quasi-complète de la Californie dans la gueule béante de la couche terrestre ! Qu’il est suave de constater la tentation universaliste d’Emmerich qui, par acquis de conscience, accumule les protagonistes ethniquement opposés, formant un melting pot culturel ! Alors, de deux choses l’une : soit je me métamorphose petit à petit, et tout à fait inconsciemment, en amateur imbécile de l’obésité culturelle américaine, dont les bons sentiments dégoulinent par tous les pores ; soit le cœur graisseux d’Emmerich dissimule un vrai plaisir de cinéaste qui transpire à l’écran et fait plaisir à voir. Finalement, la meilleure caractérisation de ce film tient en une métaphore simple : 2012 est tout comme le volcan Yellowstone, réveillé par les ronflements de la planète : tandis qu’il explose en volutes étouffantes et en scories mortelles, on observe de loin la grande beauté de sa colère.

Eric Nuevo

> Sortie le 11 novembre 2009
Lire aussi l’article sur les “pandémies et catastrophes” dans VERSUS n° 17, actuellement disponible.

Bande-annonce VF

I’ve already shared this with many of my friends, and many have seen it in various places around the internet, but I thought it was time to share this with the world!  This video is just over two minutes long, but it’s long enough to get the goose bumps going, like any good inspirational speech should.  Almost all of the speeches that comprise the beautifully arranged montage are high quality and uplifting in and of themselves.  But together they are unstoppable.  The video puts together lines from tons of great movies like; Braveheart, The Great Muppet Caper, Animal House, Rudy, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Bring it On, American Me, Newsies, The Matrix, Patton, Any Given Sunday, 300, Swingers, Peter Pan, Mighty Ducks, and Independance Day.  Man this is a good video!  Show your friends!

On Independence Day

Time. Remember not to complain about it.

On August 15th, Terence drew something really interesting during the painting competition that was organised at our office. It was a view of our hands: the left one holding a dice and the right one holding an hourglass. I don’t quite remember the complete explanation he gave about his poster, but part of it went like this: The dice represents randomness in life and the hourglass, time. And taking chances at the right time is what we have in our hands. A simple, yet powerful message. Additional points for being wise enough to be able to distinguish between what you can do and what you can’t.

Let’s not talk about my poster.

I’m not sure how this is other dog loving countries across the world, but certain observations which I’ve made in the past few months are:

1. Most rich dog owners do not own Indian breeds – but mostly non-native breeds.

2. Far too many stray dogs.

Questions:

1. Do the other dog loving countries tend to not own their own native breeds and, say, prefer Indian breeds?

2. Are there just as many stray dogs in such countries?

Other, possibly related questions:

1. What’s with the recent trend of blonde dancers in Bollywood *cough* dance sequences?

2. What’s with the sudden influx of all the fugly Indian counterparts of North American style reality shows on TV?

3. Why am I even writing about such things on my blog?

Other

Bought a bunch of popular science books (Richard Dawkins and Roger Penrose). Yes, I’m not really a reader but I’d love to pick up the habbit. On a related note: due to poor internets at home and office, I’m hereby bankrupt in the Anime department. There are shows I’d love to watch. I guess I’ll have to wait for better times.

Bad news

My kittie was killed by three dogs on 14th night – the night before the Independence day. It had hardly lived for twenty days in our house. My mom, sis and I are dearly missing him. Oh, and, those three dogs were stray dogs. They’re currently employed as watch dogs by immigrant masons who’re illegally staying in the same locality where we are.

View some videos which Ramli have filmed (and also some from YouTube Bank) during some of the Merdeka (Independance Day) of Malaysia ie.on the 31stAugust….every year without failed.2009 Malaysia’s Merdeka Celebrations will be for the 52nd Year!
Merdeka!Merdeka!Merdeka!

in about 3 days, my country, Malaysia will be celebrating it’s independence day… and well, there are some photos i took which sorta reflect what was suppose to happen.. So that the photos won’t go to waste… heh…

The flag that is standing tall at Bukit Komanwel… Rain or shine, it’s still there….

This is where Merdeka celebration THIS YEAR was to BE HELD… it’s been CHANGED to a smaller scale one at another location due to the H1N1 epidemic…

So yea, how will i be spending the day… Dunno… haha… Hmm… oh and another pic that i wanna share…

It’s been so SO long since i’ve played with a kite… kinda miss the beach and the windy days.. hehe…

A few days ago, i stumbled upon a series that was pretty cool… Have you heard of the series, DOLLHOUSE before…

It’s like there are these few ppl who have given up their lives to live a stress free life… what they get is whatever they might want but by the end of the day, their memory gets ‘washed’ back to the ’default’ memory… after the ‘washing’, they dun’t remember a single thing… besides that, they can be input with different ppl’s memory and they take over that persona for the day…

Have a check on it and see if you find it interesting… hehe…

Aite i shud get going… have got other stuff to finish up 1st… more updates and photos soon….

Ciao!

oh and Have an AWESOME weekend and Independence Day Hol on Mon.. hehe..

Aug 15th 2009
Today we are celebrating 63rd year of Indian independence. I went to my college the first thing in the morning to witness the hoisting of my country’s tri-colour flag. As I had expected, some 50-60 students only attended the ceremony and guess out of how many? Out of a youth population of 1000!!! Even the participants of the competitions which were held on the occasion of Independence Day also did not come. This is the state of the Indian youth. They have much important work to do which leaves them without a minimal time of 30mins to salute their national flag and sing its anthem with all the glory.
Many might contradict me saying that you need not show your feelings for the country .I do agree with that but this does not comply to 80% of the present day Indian youth. I am sure this 80% of them just sat in their homes enjoying the national holiday hype. What great deed they did to the country till now? By commenting the politicians and the Indian system of handling things? By demeaning our own society and culture with our own hands? Yet some of them raise their voices against the movie ‘slumdog millionaire’ when they do not even bother to assist such kids by helping out with various organizations in their free time. Hell! They consider showing solidarity with such cases and issues itself a joke. Many people who participated in the elocution on the topic ‘youth and patriotism’ (between, I won the first prize in the competition) gave speeches about politicians and their misdeeds etc. Really, I wonder what hypocrites they are for 40% of them do not bother to vote and those who vote also do to the traditional, power driven parties rather than really dedicated ones just for some allowance they get. While some said they show their patriotism by earning money and boosting the country’s GDP growth. That stage is yet to come when u can contribute your share to the economy. Economy itself does not make a country and patriotism is something u dedicate yourself to the whole aspect of a country and not a part of it. In the meanwhile, address other issues which bother u so much when they are showcased to the world (like slumdog..) rather than playing the blame game pointing the government or the attitude of ‘others’ when u too are like one of them. Those who spoke all of this did not attend today’s flag-hoisting ceremony and I really want to know how many millions they added to the Indian economy in those30 mins they found difficult to spare.
Another incident which bought out the peak of my attitude. I pinned a small tricolour flag to my chest on the occasion as it provides me with an additional ‘Great to be an Indian’ feeling. Later in the day, when I visited an exhibition organised by my old school on various science projects, I bumped into a couple of my old school mates and guess what their first remark was?? Pointing to my chest she laughed ‘old fashion show-off ha?’ Grrr. I want to know since when pinning your country’s flag to your chest has become something of a worn-out fashion.
My woes for my co-country mates do not end now and this blog is too small to vent them out…off I go to read the book which I got as the 1st prize- Healing through habits.
Thanks for reading.

Scott- Today is the last time I am writing on the blog as it is are last day here, this experience has been so amazing. Trekking was so good, we went for 3 days and it was a incredible. The language barrier between us and the rangers was difficult to communicate but they showed us the rite way. The first day was the hardest as we trekked from 8 in the morning till 9 at night. We were meant to go on till 3 but it took so long, It was so hard as I carried a lot of weight but we all managed to get through it, I didn’t think I was going to make it but when I got to the final destination I felt like I had made such a good achievement. The 2nd day our group got dropped of at a village near by where they welcomed us so nicely and gave us a place to stay and chill. We didn’t trek on the 2nd day as we were so tired so we had the day off and chilled at the village. The next morning was independents day and the village we were at invited us to there ceremony for it and said how they felt so privileged to have us there. The 3rd day we left the village at 10 and made our way back to the camp. Its been an amazing trip and experience.

Indian Independance day

Happy Independence Day…..by saying this once can display his patriotism. This is what happening today. I better wanted to call this day as social awareness day or social service day or Activism Day. Because lots of blood donation camps. medical camps, orphanage visits etc., are arranged today almost all the orphanages would be crowded with the good hearted persons…!

The happy thing is atleast in this day most ones get some awareness that they should atleast look back at the society. The good thing is that this kind of activities will change atleast few minds to contribute more to the society.

And coming to the point…this time I can say that this day is IN-DEPENDENT day . Because more basic things are still restricted in one way or other due these worse politicians.

Happy IN-DEPENDENCE day...!

Lack of quality in education in govt schools, restriction of higher studies due to family economy, less investment in Research and development in all the fields, going backwards in agriculture, increase in deaths due to droughts, no safe country for girls after 9.00 pm, no safe (good) roads to drive, no freedom to enjoy 24 hrs electricity, no control in increase in daily usable, increasing orphanages, etc., The list will continue. All the above said getting worse year by year. This is not a good sign of celebrating the 60 plus years of independence.

There are more things to be mentioned as improvement. I always look at the other side….because we need more improvement. People took activism os a one day can speak about best in the country. People took activism as a second profession can speak about the rest in the country,simply the real face of the country.So I come in second category.

And finally this day really good because of the vijay TV programs. Starting from Sivakumar’s tamil related program , neeya naana, yethu sudanthiram etc., this day was full of entertainments. Usually i take off from activism on this day.

I seriously want to know how do you define freedom. India’s 62nd independance day is just around the corner. We take all the pride in the world to celebrate it and boast the fact that we are free. But what do you exactly mean by free?

Is smoking on the road, spitting on the compound walls and cursing the Municipal corporation for not doing its duties called as freedom?

Is voting for the relatively less corrupt self proclaimed leader means freedom?

Is sweating it out day and night just to clear the GRE and flee to US for a better living called freedom?

Is outraging some body’s modesty in public called freedom?

Kicking out the so called outsiders from your city and being a falsified self proclaimed guardian of the culture called freedom?

Guys, if you are reading this… please do not just pass away. Take 2 minutes of your time in writing a comment. Please define freedom for me. I want to feel free.

When I first saw the District 9 trailers, my first thought was, Transformers? The trailer had high amounts of action and what looked to be mechs. A huge spaceship hovered over the land and helicopters circled. At this point I realized, this isn’t transformers.

Soon other trailers came and they took a comedic approach. I was so confused what to think. Is this a comedy? Is it an action movie? What is the deal with the “detained” aliens? However; soon came clarification in another trailer. This one showed a great deal of mundane talking. I decided from then on I was not going to see the movie.

Then again came another trailer, which I’ve posted above. It showed more of the storyline which looks interesting and had lots of action, but now the Transformers feel has retuned. I loved Transformers It was a great movie. But do I want to see a knock off? No. I will watch it because of the similarities, however; If it holds true to what I believe will happen. That being, a high action, very interesting, but, Transformerish movie. I will be disappointed. We will just have to wait and see.

Courtney McLeary

July fourth finally came and I was very excited for this evening.  The boys were very excited about the entire day.  It was time to see “Dad”!  We headed up to New Hampshire to thier father’s house first thing.  We unpacked and set up my big family size tent so the boys could stay over night with their father after the fireworks.  We go to the fireworks together every year. 

After the tent was set up and we played with Kimberly, the boys’ half sister, we went to my In-Laws.  I love them dearly.  Eugene and Lillian are really great with the kids and very loving.  I am very grateful for them.  It is very sad I don’t get to see them more.  The kids tore around the property as if they had never left and I sat and caught up with Lillian.  
We said our goodbyes for the night and headed down to the fireworks around 7pm-ish.  I was driving all of us, since the boys father had no means of driving. It was cramped but my car has third row seating which compensated for it.

We met up with Kara and then drove as close to the park as possible, four blocks away, to then walk to the field.  I waws prepared for the onslaught of light swords and necklaces and bracelets that everyone would want to have and packed $ and lots of dollor store glow in the dark finds.  We had found a few other family members there, most notably my nephew Ricki and my nieces husband, Jimmy.  We sat back and snacked on our treats and played with our glow in the dark or light up toys, then the sky was finally dark enough and the show began.  It was very fun and fufilling. I wish I had been able to get better pictures and more of them, but I had Tyler laying on top of me most of the time we were there, so I couldn’t really move.

We slowly got through all the traffic back to the boys’ father house and T. was not up to staying somewhere I was not.  I expected this though.  We left B. with his father and T. and myself returned to Brian’s.  It was a very long night. 

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As promised here are the projects I have been prattling on about recently.

Here is the first dress I made, completed just in time to wear it on the 4th of July:

And this is a fun sun dress I wore the day I got my cartilage peirced (which I unfortunately do not have a picture of):

Here is the skirt I just finished today (it is by far my favorite piece):

This is the jacket I also finished today:

Here is a look at the tag I made (I make tags for everything I sew):

Here is a close up of the tag:

And yes, this is in fact, the long awaited for look at my Fawkes costume for the Harry Potter midnight premiere. When I get the other pics I’ll show them, as this cuts out my legs.

I am still miffed that I didn’t win the costume contest…

I also finally finished knitting my scarf–next stop leg warmers! I would’ve included a pic but me madre’s camera died (as mine is somewhere in California)…

Wishing you some sewing love,

Sincerely,

Emilie

P.S. Oh I finally gave in to Kimmi’s and Justin’s numerous shout outs to Grapes of Rad and started listening to the podcast.

And now I cannot stop. It is, indeed, amazing.

The 4th of July was this earlier this month and there is no way I am going to let it slip by.  This year I had the privalege to spend it on the lawn of the Department of the Interior building. All I can say is that it provided a spectacular view of the fireworks.

I’m going to keep this post short and sweet by saying Happy Birthday America. Best wishes to everyone who took to opportunity to celebrate the 4th no matter where you were.

Here is the 4th of July card I sent to all anyone that I know who has ever served in the military. (If you ever served in the military and you didn’t get a card then send me your mailing address.)  One of the recipients mentioned to me that they were very surprised to get a 4th of July card.  It was the first 4th of July card they had received.  I marveled at this and thought of all the other days we observe as a country that I do not take the time to celebrate and thank people who made that day possible. For instance, Veterans Day, Nurses Day, etc.  Send those you care about an unexpected card and see what happens.  You might hear from someone you haven’t heard from in a long time!

Hellllooooo friends,

I hope you are having a fun summer and staying happy & busy. A quick update on some recent events, news and upcoming shows.

The ole’ man and I are currently “acclimating” to the heat here in sunny, HOT, Dallas, TX and enjoying the break from long-distance driving. After 2 weeks in Minnesota, fishin, drinkin and seeing family we high-tailed it down to Waco, TX to spend Independance Day with the Darlins. Sitting on noodles in the lake is pretty much the best way to watch fireworks, hands down. We spent a long weekend in Waco and then headed down to San Antonio to stay in a castle on a hill. More on that as soon as I can find the darn cord for our camera! ha.

It’s now been 8 months since we left LA on our gypsy adventure. We’ve had an amazing time traveling the country, hanging with old friends, making new ones and watching the seasons change as we drove through rain, sleet, snow and shine. While our our wanderlusting is by no means satiated, we are looking forward to staying put for a spell and watching eggs fry on the pavement here in Texas for the summer. The cicada’s are singing and family is near. I’m a very happy girl.

Below is a map of our adventures so far and some current events:

Coverin the US from all sides

7.18.09 – “COMPANEROS” – The Fine Grind Art Cafe, Portland, OR
In an awesome group print show this last weekend curated by the fabulous Lesley Reppeteaux, and including Robbie Bolick, Logan Hicks, Daryll Peirce, Tanner Goldbeck, John Palmer & Christine LaPorte at The Fine Grind Art Café.

The opening reception was this Saturday, July 18th from 6-9pm.
2035 SE 39th, Portland, OR 97214

RECENT NEWS
After much anticipation, the fresh off the press book, Re:Mission was released and distributed to all the teens at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles!
On July 2, 2007 the benefit show was held at Thinkspace Gallery. All sales of the donated work went to this wonderful project and the CHLA.
Thank you to the event and book mastermind Dzuy Doan and as always the great folks at Thinkspace.
Event photos can be viewed here.

The piece I donated to the show

RECENT & CURRENT SHOWS
7.3.09-7.25.09 -  “Just Because” – CAVE Gallery, Venice, California
Group show at CAVE Gallery with Lesley Reppeteaux, Jenna Colby, Rebecca Hahn, Yuki Miyazaki and others.
507 Rose Avenue 310-450-6960, cavegallery@gmail.com

7.3.09 – “House of Art” – DDR Projects Gallery, Long Beach, California

A one night art extravaganza at DDR Projects Gallery, curated by GOB MAgazine. For event photos go here.

Over 250 guests graced the opening for a great turnout. Thanks to Joseph, John and all the folks who came out!

(One of the pieces from the show; I’ve been experimenting with cut paper patterns a bit recently):

UPCOMING SHOWS
9.4.09 – “C’est La Vie” – TAG Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland
Group show at TAG Galleries with my oldschool amigocitos Lesley Reppeteaux, Robbie Bolick, Jim Darling and Daryll Peirce.
732 South Broadway, 443-759-7639, info@TAGgalleries.com

Lesley, Robbie, Daryll, Jim and I go waaaaaay back to the starving student artists days when Totino’s was considered fancy and Denny’s was the good place to get coffee. Can’t wait to see all our work hanging together again.

Happy Summer guys n gals.

by David J. Stewart & Andrew Friedman

At Benny Hinn’s crusades—he dazzles the crowds, plays captivating music, and manipulates the emotions of the audience; BUT, he is not of God.  What is happening is not of God.  Benny Hinn is a master con artist, who fully understands the human psyche.  I was watching one of Benny Hinn’s crusades the other day on TV.  At first impression, Benny Hinn appears as a man of God.  He has that curious and distinguishing look that mesmerizes the crowds.  Benny Hinn comes across as an extremely interesting character, with the power to hypnotize the masses with his charm, music, and exploitation of the Bible.

As I watched Benny Hinn perform on stage, it reminded me more of a rock star in concert.  There were many thousands of people in the audience, and no doubt, millions more on TV..  Just as rock-n-roll fans, the audience was in the palm of the performer, Benny Hinn.  Hinn never mentioned the word “sin,” never mentioned the word “Saviour,” but just kept talking about how wonderful Jesus is.  This is one of Satan’s greatest deceptions.  We read in Acts16:16-18, “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.  And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.“  Just as the demon possessed woman in Acts 16:17 who spoke the truth while also serving the Devil, so does Benny Hinn speak of Jesus Christ while serving the Devil.

Hinn’s money comes mostly from people in TV land, who are foolishly conned by what they see on TV.  It couldn’t be more obvious that Benny Hinn has hired a top-notch group of manipulators to work with him.  One of the camera tricks which Hinn employs is to zoom in on certain audience members who look like they’re having a religious experience.  Seeing someone having such an uplifting experience, while hearing the emotion-producing music, and listening to Hinn ramble on with religious lingo, easily mesmerizes the viewer.  As I watched Benny Hinn, he told the audience to get ready to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.  Next, hundreds of people towards the front, dressed differently than the people in the back, all fell backwards to the floor.  It was apparent to me that the event was staged.  Then came the alleged healings.  During the healing period of the crusade, several dynamic, sharp-looking, and trained people bring forth the alleged recipients of Hinn’s healing power.  To no surprise, as is COMMON to self-proclaimed faith-healers like Oral Roberts, ALL of the healings are unable to be substantiated.  A small boy was brought up on stage, allegedly deaf in one ear since birth, but now able to hear.  Another woman in a wheel-chair was wheeled up to the platform, allegedly crippled from diabetes, then she walked on stage.  Another man was claimed to have been deaf in both ears from birth, but now was healed.  Then Hinn prompted the man to speak in an attempt to confirm the healing, and he did speak.  So when did the man learn to speak if he was deaf his whole life?

I’d like to see someone with no legs receive their legs back.  Why doesn’t Benny Hinn ever go into a hospital and empty it out of all it’s sick patients?  Why only on stage, behind the camera, while asking for money?

Benny Hinn ministries took in over $100,000,000 last year alone.  Again, I ask, why doesn’t Hinn ever use his alleged power to heal the sick people in hospitals?  The reason is abundantly clear … Hinn is a fraud.  Hinn, like John Edward, Sylvia Browne, Oprah Winfrey, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, and so many other false prophets, EXPLOITS Christianity and God’s Word to gain wealth, prosperity, control, influence, and popularity.  God’s power is not for sale.  Do you really think God would allow anyone to exploit his power on stage, for money, and to a false prophet who praises the cult of Catholicism?  Satan is working relentlessly through today’s false prophets to UNITE Christianity with false religion, which is APOSTASY!  When Constantine declared Christianity as the official religion of Roman in 380 A.D., it led to total apostasy, and the beginning of the formal Roman Catholic cult.  Don’t be deceived, Benny Hinn and Billy Graham are false prophets who are leading ecumenical churches into the New World Order (the beast system of antichrist).  Satan knows that the easiest way to deceive people is to obscure and blur the truth of God’s Word.  This is why we see so many watered-down Bibles nowadays.  This is why we see Protestants praising Catholics, and Catholics protecting homosexual priests, and homosexuals twisting the Bible around to claim that Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin was only a lack of hospitality.  The Word of God is under attack!

The Bible teaches that the gift of healing ended with the Apostles.  The sign gifts were only to validate the message of the Apostles.  This is evidenced by the Biblical fact that the Apostle Paul, who had once been healed of a deadly snake bite, couldn’t find relief for his thorn in the flesh later in 2nd Corinthians 12:7.  2nd Timothy 4:20 also states that Paul couldn’t heal his friend Trophimus,

“…but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.”

Paul spoke of Timothy’s “often infirmities” in 1st Timothy 5:23, but he couldn’t heal his friend Timothy either.  Clearly, the “gift” of healing had ceased.  If you want to read an excellent in-depth Biblical examination of tongues, healing, and gifts, then please read FACE TO FACE WITH TONGUES by Pastor Max D. Younce.

In Benny Hinn’s crusades, he sings, he praises the name of Jesus, he places his hands on people and they fall to the ground; BUT, it is not of the Holy Spirit.  I’d like to see Benny Hinn cry one time.  I’d like to hear Benny Hinn expose the demonic Catholic religion.  Benny Hinn is a fraud!  According to a Dateline investigation in December of 2002…

Where does world-famous televangelist’s money go?

Benny Hinn has millions of believers and millions in donations

NBC News

Dec. 27, 2002 - Maybe you spotted him while you were channel surfing one night
or maybe you were already tuned in. Either way, he's hard to ignore. Benny
Hinn - televangelist, faith healer, and appointment viewing for millions of
believers. His popularity and his wealth are matched only by the devotion he
's shown by his followers, many of them desperate for help. Their stories
and his ministry play out almost every night in made-for-TV mini-dramas. But
there are other stories, other scenes that reveal much more about Pastor
Benny, caught on Dateline's hidden cameras. Correspondent Bob McKeown
reports.

   HE ALWAYS ARRIVES onstage when they begin to sing the hymn, "How Great
Thou Art."

    And whether you measure success in his TV ratings, attendance at his
live services or crusades around the world, or the money he raises, he is
unquestionably one of the most popular and successful televangelists in the
world today. His television show is available around the globe. He attracts
capacity crowds at arenas and stadiums at home and abroad. And scenes like
this one in his TV studio are a big reason why:

    Benny Hinn: "Yes Lord. A lower back is being healed. Thank you Lord.
Emphysema is being healed. We rebuke it in Jesus' name. Somebody's legs have
just been healed."

      On television or at his crusades, Benny Hinn promises that wherever
he goes, miraculous healing will follow.

    Benny Hinn: "In the name of Jesus, I rebuke the allergies out of you.
Touch! - The glory of God is in the studio. We are having a visitation in
the studio today as we have been taping these TV programs."

    Those miracles, Hinn says, can cure injury and illness - even
terminal disease.

    Benny Hinn: "The healing may happen instantly, and may happen
gradually but
 surely as God is God, your legs will work again, and your body
will be healed again."

    And according to Benny Hinn, it gets even more miraculous than that.

    Benny Hinn: "On the program today, you are going to see a clip of
this man who was raised from the dead."

    Those dramatic claims - and his dynamic preaching style - have
attracted millions of devoted followers, like Carlotta Moore.

    "When I go to a crusade, I'm going because I need to be refreshed. I
need to be renewed. I need to be revived in my spirit," says Carlotta Moore.

    Moore says she also watches Benny Hinn's TV show everyday.

    "The Bible speaks of spiritual fathers," says Moore. "That is my
spiritual father. He's a
 leader. And he is a mentor."

EVANGELIST AND FUNDRAISER

    And he is a master fund raiser as well, so along with that devotion
comes money - a lot of it. Though pastor Benny denies it, estimates of total
ministry revenue exceed $100 million a year.

    Benny Hinn insists his only mission is to preach the gospel, save
souls, and heal the sick. But is there
 more than that to the man they call
pastor Benny?

    "Dateline" looked at the ministry of pastor Benny Hinn, who claims
miraculous power flows from God through him. We'll take a closer look at all
his healings and at all the money that goes into his collection buckets.

     Hinn was born in the Middle East, raised in Canada, and modeled
himself after a faith healer, the legendary Katherine Kuhlman. Hinn started
a church in Orlando, almost two decades ago. By 1999, he'd left Florida,
building his ministry's administrative headquarters in Dallas and his TV
studio in southern California where he now lives.

    Hinn's claims of miracles have made him immensely popular, but those
healings, combined with his ministry's enormous wealth, have also triggered
scrutiny of a different kind.

      "I say he's in the business of raising money and spreading his own
celebrity," says Ole Anthony, who heads the
 Trinity Foundation - a Christian
watch-dog group that examines the workings of television ministries. The
organization operates on donations, grants, and sales of its magazine and
tapes.

    Ole Anthony himself has been highly critical of television preachers
who don't divulge the details of how they raise and spend their money -
especially Benny Hinn.

    "We've gotten most of the complaints lately from Benny's organization
and Benny's followers," says Anthony. "That became our focus, we've been
following him intently since 1993."

    "Dateline" asked the Trinity Foundation to provide access to, among
other things, documents and videotape it's collected about the Hinn
Ministry. We reimbursed the foundation for its costs.

    And we also went looking for some answers ourselves. For almost two
years, "Dateline" sought permission to videotape Benny Hinn's crusades, to
see how this affluent
 television ministry really works.

    Eventually we were allowed to bring our cameras to a crusade in
Atlanta. But the ministry made it clear we were only permitted to tape the
first hour or so. Then after Hinn's entrance, a few hymns and some saving of
souls, we were told to stop.

VIEW FROM A HIDDEN CAMERA

    So, in order to try to find out what really goes on behind the scenes
of the Benny Hinn Ministry, we attended a number of other crusades and
walked in right though the front door with everybody else. Only this time,
the cameras were hidden.

    At least once a month, somewhere in the U.S., 50,000 or 60,000 people
attend one of Benny Hinn's two-day crusades. Over the past two years, we
followed pastor Benny around the country to Hampton, Virginia; Las Vegas;
Buffalo, and a few cities in between.

    At each of the crusades we attended, the faithful began to arrive
hours before
 the service. And so did we with our hidden cameras.

    But even when you get there early, the best sections are already
taken - reserved for major donors, church VIPs and, at the back, for the
disabled and those in wheelchairs.

    In Buffalo, we found our seats high up in the bleachers and we began
recording the service in the middle of that noisy crowd with a hidden
microphone and camera.

    What brings the faithful out to see Benny Hinn is the healing. The
expectation that sometime tonight they're going to see, or perhaps even be -
one of those people who arrive desperately ill and leave miraculously cured.
 What brings the faithful out to see Benny Hinn is the healing. The
expectation that sometime tonight they're going to see, or perhaps even be -
one of those people who arrive desperately ill and leave miraculously cured.

      The script - Benny Hinn's tried-and-true formula - was always
 the
same. And it always started with the music. There's an orchestra, a heavenly
host of local church choirs, and an all-star cast of Christian headliners.
The crowd's emotional temperature seems to rise, as they anxiously wait for
pastor Benny.

    "It's organized more closely than a political convention," says Ole
Anthony, of the Trinity Foundation.. "There's the repetitive music, there's
the mood lighting, there's this whole arrangement of waiting and waiting and
waiting until he comes on stage. The band is playing, "How Great Thou Art"
and then the process starts."

    Once he arrives onstage, pastor Benny preaches, prays and spiritually
tends his flock.

    Benny Hinn: "If you mean business with God, he means business with
you."

    At a Benny Hinn crusade, you can't
 help but notice the faith of his
followers and how much they appear to believe in him and his healing
message.

    The impression one gets being among that crowd is that whatever's
happening down there on the stage, however it may or may not be
choreographed, these people have come because they truly believe.

    "There's no question that the people that are there have strong
belief or a strong want-to-belief," says Anthony, "and so they respond."

THE TENSION BUILDS

    In fact, all evening, throughout the arena, the tension keeps
building because everyone here knows what's going to happen next.

    Benny Hinn:
 "There's power here, people. Lift your hands and receive
it."

    According to pastor Benny, that "power" will soon lead to miracles:

    Benny Hinn: "By moving those legs that have been crippled for all
those years."

    This is from a highlights tape we bought from the ministry's Web
site.

    Benny Hinn: "You're tired of all the pills you've taken, and all the
needles they put in your body and all the pain you felt. Well, I'm here to
tell you, you will be healed tonight!"

      After the preaching, there's the passing of the collection buckets.
And then comes the moment when Benny Hinn makes his
 much-anticipated
announcement - God is speaking to him, he says, revealing a multitude of
miracles, actual healings now taking place throughout the arena, some of
them very specific.

    Benny Hinn: "There is a young man named George. George has HIV. But
my brother George, the holy ghost is burning it out of your body!"

    At all of the evening crusades we attended, it was about 10 p.m. when
Hinn announced God was speaking to him.

    Benny Hinn: "Another arthritis has been healed."

    Benny Hinn's ministry says that in order to verify the miraculous
healings that have taken place, it screens those who claim they've been
healed before they get up on stage.

    First, Hinn staff members talk to the people who get in line. This
screener is even a
 doctor and he evidently thinks this woman is a good
candidate to announce her healing up on the platform with pastor Benny.

    Doctor: "No pain? Great job. You couldn't do that before? (As she
moves her head around.) That is neat. Yeah, take her up there."

    The people selected by the screeners are then introduced to Benny
Hinn and the capacity crowd. Those who've been healed, and others who attend
each service, are given a blessing by pastor Benny with his own personal
touch. And whether he blows or flicks or waves his hand, the faithful are
strewn across the floor like bowling pins. So what exactly is at work here?

RELIGION OR HYPNOSIS?

    "They'd fall down," says Michael Cohen. "They'd fall backwards. He'd
blow on them. They'd fall over. And I thought these were actors that came in
and they paid them so much. And they had a string and they pulled them
 down."

    Even some who were skeptics at first soon became believers, like
Michael Cohen.

    "And when I finally went up there, I ended up falling down," says
Cohen. "I closed my eyes but I knew that Benny didn't push me. I knew I wasn't
 pulled or tugged. I knew that was God touching me."

    But Ole Anthony says he thinks it's a phenomenon that has much more
to do with mass hypnosis than religion.

    "And they watch him on television over and over and over for years,"
says Anthony. "And they see it, they expect it, they see other people
upstage are falling over right and left. Sometimes Benny falls over the
place. It's a circus. It's like professional
 wrestling."

    Bob McKeown: "But in fact he's been on the record time and time again
saying he is not a healer."

    Ole Anthony: "Of course."

    Bob McKeown: "It's God who heals."

    Ole Anthony: "Of course."

    Bob McKeown: "He's just the vessel that's been chosen."

    Ole Anthony: "What's the reason that people come to the crusades?
What's the main thing that happens onstage? That's his attraction. He
promotes himself as a healer, as a healing ministry."

    But according to former Hinn insiders, there's a great deal more to
Benny Hinn's crusades than what you see on television - and what we've found
supports that. A woman who worked at crusades said she was instructed to
look particularly for those standing in front of their wheelchairs.

    Benny Hinn: "Look at all the empty wheelchairs here in Las
 Vegas,
people!"

    Empty wheelchairs apparently imply there's been a lot of healing
going on. But for every one of the people declared healed by pastor Benny on
stage and on TV, many more leave the arena still sick or disabled.

    "Desperate people, the really desperate ones, the ones that break
your heart are at the back on the crusade, they won't let them up in the
lines," says Anthony.

    The broadcasts of Benny Hinn's crusade in Buffalo did not include
what our hidden camera captured. This man was escorted from his seat by
security guards after crying out for pastor Benny to touch his apparently
ill son. "I wanted to take my son up there and get prayed. That's all I
wanted," he said.

    So not everyone who wants to get up on stage is allowed to.. But what
happens to those who are called up on the platform to be touched by pastor
Benny? To try to find out, we attended a crusade in
 Las Vegas, and we did
our best to keep track of each and every one of the miracles Benny Hinn
proclaimed. By our count, there were 56 of them in all - many of which ended
up on this videotape we purchased through the ministry.

    This little boy said his damaged vision was cured: "And as soon as
God healed me, I could see better."

    According to one woman, her cancer was gone. Hinn said God told him a
demon had caused the cancer, and he cast it out.

    Benny Hinn: "Go out of her! It's gone!"

    One woman said she had a diseased lung.

    Benny Hinn: "The lord is asking me now to ask him to give you a new
lung."

    According to pastor Benny, she got that new lung, right there on
stage.

    Benny Hinn: "That's why she's coughing... that's why she's coughing."

    And there was this woman, who said she was cured of lung cancer. She
says: "She had cancer in the lungs. She don't have it now!"

HEAVYWEIGHT HEALING

    In his 25 years of healing, there have been thousands of similar
stories from Hinn's followers - none of them more famous than this one. At a
crusade in 1994, Benny Hinn came to the aid of the former heavyweight
champion of the world. Evander Holyfield had lost his boxing license because
a medical test had revealed a serious heart
 ailment.

    Benny Hinn (at a crusade): "The Lord is telling me right now he is
repairing Holyfield's heart completely."

    Reportedly, Holyfield promised Hinn a check for $265,000, and before
long, he got a clean bill of health, and won the world title back.

    But Benny Hinn doesn't only minister to the rich and famous.

    Bob McKeown: "And you needed a miracle."

    Belva Ventura: "Oh, did I."

    Bob McKeown: "You and your son."

    Belva Ventura: "Yes."

      We met Belva Ventura at a crusade in Worcester, Massachusetts. She
and her son had both been diagnosed with cancer. Both had been told it was
terminal. Before long, she and her son were on stage in front of 14,000
people, right next to pastor
 Benny.

    Bob McKeown: "And what did Pastor Hinn say to you?"

    Belva Ventura: "Oh, he hugged us. And he put his arm around me. And
he couldn't believe all the cancer in one family. And he said we're gonna
get this cancer out of this house right now. It's not gonna bother you no
more. And we came home, we were happy. I was healed. I know I was."

    The question is, despite all the claims, how does anyone really know
if Belva Ventura or any of the others was indeed miraculously healed at one
of Benny Hinn's crusades?

    So we asked pastor Benny to help us follow up on some of the people
we saw on his stage. Then we did some following up of our own.

    Bob McKeown: "As far as you know, the ministry has no idea whether
your cancer is still there or not."

    Belva Ventura: "No."

    Bob McKeown: "Whether you're alive or not."

    Belva Ventura: "No. No. they don't."

   Benny Hinn: "But as surely as God is God - your legs will work again,
and your body will be healed again, and your lungs will breathe again, and
your eyes will see again!"

PROOF OF HEALING?

    At all of his live crusades, Benny Hinn proclaims a breath-taking
litany of miraculous healing. Pastor Benny has said that everyone who gets
up on his platform has been checked by a doctor. His ministry also claims
 it
has a follow up process with people afterwards that it describes as
"exhaustive" and "thorough," and that medical information it collects is
reviewed first by a nurse, then by a doctor.

    So we wanted to find out how that process works and which of those
claims of miracles actually can be verified. We thought a good place to
start would be with the ministry itself. Last year, we asked Benny Hinn to
help us confirm the 56 healings we counted at just one of his crusades - the
one in Las Vegas.

      By the time we asked, dozens of those "miracles" had already been
broadcast around the world on his TV show, including the woman who Benny
Hinn said had grown a new lung right there on stage.

    Woman: "Feels like something in there, like someone was reaching in
my heart, in my lung."

    Benny Hinn: "I want you to
 go back to your earthly doctor, have him
give you an X-ray. I want to hear about it. I want a full story."

    But if Hinn knows the full story about who was healed in Las Vegas,
he's not sharing it with us. In a letter from its lawyer, the ministry
refused to provide proof of any of those healings to "Dateline."

    So since the ministry wouldn't give us any information, we did some
checking of our own about Las Vegas, and other reported healings.

    Remember the woman we met in Las Vegas who said she'd been cured of
lung cancer? With our hidden camera, we were able to go back stage to her
follow-up interview.

    Hinn staffer: "Now, what happened tonight that makes you feel God
touched you?"

    She did speak to a Hinn staff member, but it's hard to know how from
this conversation alone he could have known
 whether she was cured of cancer,
or even if she had it in the first place.

    Staffer: "That primary tumor can be one cell."

    She was asked a few questions, but it didn't appear to us that there
was any medical examination.

    Staffer: "Keep trusting God. Follow it up with your physicians. Thank
you so much. The Lord bless you all."

    Unfortunately, there's one thing we were able to determine about this
woman without the ministry's help. She died two and a half months after the
crusade. The cause was lung cancer.

    And then there was Evander Holyfield's heart ailment - which seemed
to disappear after that crusade in 1994 - touted as one of pastor Benny's
greatest healing successes.

    When Holyfield then won his world title back, it seemed a storybook
ending - except for one problem. According to the Nevada Athletic
Commission, two different clinics determined that Holyfield
 had been
misdiagnosed. His doctor had been given incomplete information about his
condition. In other words, there was nothing seriously wrong with Holyfield'
s heart in the first place. But three years later, pastor Benny was still
claiming credit for the champ's miraculous healing.

    On the "Larry King" show with Pastor Benny, he was aksed: "Evander
Holyfield credits you with curing his heart problem, although doctors said
that maybe it was misread in the first place."

    Hinn: "God healed him in one of our crusades, yeah."

    Evander Holyfield had no comment through his lawyer.

STILL DYING OF CANCER

    And remember Belva Ventura, who said Benny Hinn cast out cancer from
her and her son?

      A few weeks after that crusade in Worcester, Massachusetts, Belva's
son died of cancer. When we visited several months later, she said she hadn'
t had a follow-up call from anyone in the Hinn organization.

    Bob McKeown: "As far as you know, the ministry has no idea whether
your cancer is still there or not."

    Belva Ventura: "No."

    Bob McKeown: "Whether you're alive or not."

    Belva Ventura: "No. No. they don't. Otherwise, they would have got
hold of me. Nobody did."

    Her physicians evidently were not convinced of her claims of healing.

    Bob McKeown: "What do your doctors say?"

    Belva Ventura: "They laugh. They look at me and they laugh. They don'
t believe me."

    Belva
 still believed apparently until the end. A month after our
visit, she died. The cause, her doctor told us, was cancer.

    Bob McKeown: "If Benny Hinn, by whatever means, can give people like
that hope, is that not a good thing?"

    Ole Anthony: "Then why don't we just - why doesn't the FDA approve
snake oil? And we could have snake oil salesmen run around offering and
saying, "This little tube of water here, cost you $1,000. And if you take
it, you'll be cured of cancer." It's the same thing except he's doing it in
God's name, which makes it terrible, terrible. He's lying. False hope has to
always be exposed. It must be exposed."

    Benny Hinn says it's possible for someone to be healed at one of his
crusades only to have the illness or injury return later. Here's how he
explains it:

    Benny Hinn: "This is your Day Vegas... My
 Friend, hear this well. The
reason people lose their healing, is because they begin questioning if God
really did it."

    That, says Ole Anthony, only makes matters even worse for those who
are desperately ill.

    "Now they're twice as bad off as they were before because now,
according to Benny, they've done something wrong," says Anthony.

    After repeated requests to verify healings - specifically the 56 we
saw at the crusade in Las Vegas - Benny Hinn's ministry sent us details of
what it said were five irrefutable and medically proven miracles, but none
was from the Las Vegas crusade we were asking about.

    The cases they gave us ranged from a herniated disc, to heart
problems, cancer and Lou Gehrig's disease. When we called them, all five
people insisted they had been healed, but four of them wouldn't or couldn't
provide their medical records, and we could not speak to their
 doctors.

    As for the woman who said she'd been healed of Lou Gehrig's disease,
for which there is no known cure, we did speak to her neurologist, who said
he suspected she didn't have Lou Gehrig's disease in the first place.

    Though the ministry says publicly that the medical information it
collects is reviewed by a nurse and a doctor, in a letter to us from its
lawyer, the ministry acknowledged to us that it is ".... Impossible to
investigate and substantiate each and every one" of the healings proclaimed
at pastor Benny's crusades.

    But with our without absolute proof of the miracles, millions of
followers keep coming to the crusades, and continue to donate millions to
his ministry.

    But now, people who've worked inside the Hinn organization are
raising questions about where some of that money has gone.

Part two: Former insiders question what happened to some of the church
 money

Benny Hinn (at his crusade): "Only those who have been giving to God's work
will be spared."

    The money starts pouring in at Benny Hinn's crusades, thousands of
people filling hundreds of pastor Benny's collection buckets at every
service we attended.

    Chris Hinn: "One side cash, one side checks."

    A 1994 security tape shows Hinn staffers and volunteers counting the
collection money at a crusade.

    For three years in the mid-1990s, Mike Estrella says he was one of
those responsible for counting crusade collections in his capacity as Benny
Hinn's head usher.

    At the time, Estrella says, he was a devoted follower, and
 still
credits pastor Benny with curing his heart condition.

    Bob McKeown: "In cash, what was the biggest night you counted?"

    Mike Estrella: "In cash? Well, one night I counted $420,000."

    Steve Brock: "A dollar a day. Everybody say it with me - a dollar a
day."

    It may sound like they start out small, but the numbers soon get very
big. According to documents provided by the Trinity Foundation, and
published reports - Benny Hinn has more than 100,000 people who promise to
give him a dollar-a-day. If they keep that pledge, that would add up to at
least $3 million a month - $36 million a year.

    The people on this list seemed to be even more generous than that -
it appears some of them pledged or gave more than $100,000 apiece last year.

    Benny Hinn: "The greatest thing you can do for your finances is to
give to the work of God."

    On TV, and at his
 crusades, Hinn promises that not only will God
improve your health, but your financial life as well - perhaps by getting
you out of debt with an unexpected financial windfall. But first, you have
to give money to his ministry. Hinn calls it "sowing the seed."

    Benny Hinn: "Amen. So expect a financial harvest but you have to sow
a seed to see it happen... you may want to call your seed in today. Our 800
number is on the screen."

    Hinn follower Carlotta Moore told us she sows a seed of $12,000 a
year with pastor Benny, and that she expects to be financially rewarded.

    Carlotta Moore: "Because the Bible say [sic] what you sow, you gonna
reap. Now if you sow good things, you
 gonna reap good."

    Bob McKeown: "But might that mean that if you give money, you get
money back?"

    Carlotta Moore: "Oh yes, you will get money back. You will get money
back. Out of the clear blue sky, checks will come from somewhere. You go to
put on a dress or something, or take out a pocketbook up there in the
closet. There is $50 or $60 laying up in there. You'll be like, 'Woah, woah,
woah. Thank you, Lord.' You understand?"

    And the money Benny Hinn's ministry gets is not only in the form of
donations.

    "He sells his books, he sells his tapes, he sells everything, and is
just a money machine, and money pours in," says Ole Anothony. "He's one of
the most successful money raisers in history."

    In recent years, the Hinn ministry's total annual income has
increased dramatically from $50 million in 1997 to the latest estimates -
that the ministry says are inaccurate - of more
 than $100 million a year.
And because the ministry is registered as a church, all that money is
tax-free and Benny Hinn is under no legal obligation to make his finances
public.

    Bob McKeown: "Is there any way to know how much Benny Hinn makes?
Whether he's personally benefiting or not, and where the money goes?"

    Paul Nelson: "There really isn't, and that's why an organization like
ECFA has been formed."

    Paul Nelson is president of ECFA, the Evangelical Council for
Financial Accountability. Billy Graham, Pat Robertson, and the Salvation
Army are among its 1,000-plus members who voluntarily disclose to potential
donors more financial information than the law requires.

    "We believe that most people would like to know that the charities
that they give to are governed responsibly, that they practice disclosure of
their finances and other activities, they willingly answer questions,
 and
that they raise funds with integrity," says Nelson.

    Members release audited financial statements, including the salaries
of their ministers.

    Benny Hinn is not an ECFA member. He wouldn't tell us his annual
salary, but five years ago he acknowledged it was then between $500,000 and
$1 million a year.

    And Hinn won't specify how his ministry's money is spent, except to
say he doesn't personally benefit from any of it.

    Benny Hinn: "Every dollar you give this morning is going to the work
of the Lord."

    What Benny Hinn does tell his followers is that all their donations
are spent on God's work - for example, the expenses of his TV show and
crusades, the salaries of his staff, supporting churches and orphanages
around the world and more importantly.

    Benny Hinn: "So everything you give this morning is going for souls.
Is going for what?"

    The crowd repeats: "Souls."

    And many of his faithful, like Carlotta Moore, say they have no doubt
that's true.

    "We're not giving it to Pastor Benny, we're giving it to the ministry
to do the work the Pastor Benny has been entrusted to do," says Moore.

    But this former Hinn ministry staff member says he has reason to
question pastor Benny's sincerity.

    "And Benny was laughing and joking and saying, 'Hey guys watch how
much money I make tonight,'" says Michael Cohen.

    For years, Michael Cohen and his wife were church members. He also
belonged to Hinn's security detail, traveling the world with
 him. Cohen
recalls an incident after a service at the church where he says pastor Benny
bragged about his financial conquests.

    "Like one little grandmother one time came up and cried, I think she
said, this is my last $5. And we got back in the Green Room and he said,
'Ha, I got her last $5, guys,'" says Cohen.

    The ministry says the incident never happened.

    As for his lifestyle, pastor Hinn has explained that some of the
perks he has enjoyed like custom-made suits and expensive cars have been
paid for by his personal income, including the royalties from his many
books.

    While that may be true and legal, it's only part of the story.
According to the Trinity Foundation, the biggest customer for pastor Benny's
books is pastor Benny's own ministry. Trinity says the Hinn ministry buys
thousands of the books for which Hinn apparently collects the royalties.

    The ministry then
 offers them for sale at crusades and on its Web
site, and gives them away to donors.

    According to Paul Nelson of ECFA, that kind of business deal is too
close for comfort, and wouldn't be allowed if Hinn belonged to his
organization.

    "Our standards prohibit the royalty in that case going to the
individual," says Nelson. "The royalty must go for the benefit of the
ministry."

    The Hinn ministry also spends a great deal on pastor Benny's
lifestyle when he's on the road. These records show hotel suites for well
over a thousand dollars a night and transatlantic flights on the Concorde -
at more than $8,000 round trip. That is, before pastor Benny began flying in
a multi-million-dollar private jet.

    But Hinn contributor Carlotta Moore says that use of money given to
Hinn's church for God's work is just fine with her.

    "I'm pretty sure NBC's man that owns NBC probably got his own
 jet and
multimillion dollars," says Carlotta Moore. "Probably got houses here,
houses there, and this that and the other. And I believe that the preachers
of the gospel, I believe they should live better than even NBC's president."

    But Benny Hinn's followers may not know about how all of their
donations are spent. For example there's Hinn's palatial new home, now being
built for $3.5 million in an exclusive gated community overlooking the
Pacific Ocean.

    The plans call for more than 6,000 square feet - 7 bedrooms, 8
bathrooms and a basement garage with enough space for ten cars. Who's paying
for that? Not pastor Benny. That mansion on the Pacific is considered the
Hinn ministry's church residence or "parsonage," and the ministry is picking
up all the expenses for land, construction, even property taxes.

    The ministry says the house is a good investment, but Paul Nelson of
ECFA says Benny
 Hinn should be concerned about the perception of that house
deal. He says the expenditure of millions of dollars of church money on a
house for it's leader, is almost unprecedented.

    Bob McKeown: "Are you aware among your membership of any church
residence, parsonage, that is worth $3 million?"

    Paul Nelson: "I am not aware of that."

    Bob McKeown: "Not Billy Graham's..."

    Paul Nelson: "I don't believe so. No."

    Bob McKeown: "...residence? Pat Robertson's?"

    Paul Nelson: "I don't believe so."

    However it managed to pay for his house. Benny Hinn's ministry has
apparently had problems finishing other special projects.

    Since February of 2001, the Hinn Web site has been soliciting
donations for a new orphanage to be built in this little town outside Mexico
City saying it would be finished "soon.."

    But when we checked in Mexico, more than a
 year-and-a-half later, we
could find no sign of any construction. But the Hinn web site kept promising
that construction would be finished in, "a few short months."

    That was news to the local official in charge of construction in the
town, who told us the Hinn ministry hadn't even been issued a building
permit yet.

    What we did find, however, was this sign - curiously not in Spanish,
but English - attached to a house the ministry called it's 'temporary
orphanage,' which appeared to be empty. The Hinn Web site continued to
solicit donations.

    And then there was pastor Benny's most ambitious project - his $25
million healing center to be built in Texas.

    Benny Hinn: "And the Lord said to me to build a healing center that
people can come to 24-hours a day, any day of the week to be prayed for and
get
 healed."

    That was Benny Hinn raising funds for the project in 1999, but this
was Benny Hinn on a Christian telethon a year later: "Many of our wonderful
friends have called and said, 'What's with the healing center?' and
basically what the Lord has said to me is to wait for his voice."

    Hinn announced that God had told him to postpone construction, so he
said he was going to spend that money on other things.

    Benny Hinn: "I am putting all the money we have in the ministry to
get out there and preach."

    According to ECFA's Paul Nelson, that kind of unilateral diversion of
funds would simply be unacceptable.

    "They're creating a backlog of funds and they're not really released
to spend those funds on anything else,"
 says Nelson.

    But now apparently, pastor Benny has changed his mind again and says
the money raised for the healing center is being held in special ministry
accounts until the time is right.

    Benny Hinn: "The day will come, I am in no hurry, neither is God. The
day will come I will fulfill that vision."

    Remember Mike Estrella, who was the head usher at Hinn crusades? He
says one night, the ministry's chief executive officer offered him a wad of
cash taken from the collection.

    How much money? Mike Estrella says thousands.

    According to Estrella, the man who took that money from the
collection buckets was pastor Benny's righthand man, CEO Gene Polino.

    "I just push it back," says Estrella. "One day he told me
 these
words, he says 'Mike, if you follow me and listen to me, I guarantee one
thing, you never have to work again.'"

    After that Mike Estrella says, he began to watch Gene Polino more
closely.

    Estrella: "One time, Polino says give me all the hundreds and all the
fifties. And I did that. And many of them went to his pockets."

    Now how does he know that? "Because I saw him doing it," says
Estrella.

    In a telephone interview, Gene Polino, now retired as Hinn's CEO,
denied those claims.

    Gene Polino told "Dateline" he has "no problem" with Mike Estrella,
but that the former head usher sometimes got "confused." But two years ago,
in a deposition given under oath, Benny Hinn's 's brother Christopher, who
worked in a crusade counting room, testified he too saw Gene Polino
regularly stuff $50 and $100 bills into a bag. Christopher Hinn also
testified that the ministry CEO told
 him "...don't worry about it." Hinn and
Estrella both say they don't know if Polino kept the money they described
seeing him take.

    But Gene Polino told us none of it happened, insisting he never took
any money from the collections.

    Bob McKeown: "You categorically deny that?"

    Gene Polino: "Surely."

    Polino was never charged with any crime and the ministry says he did
not engage in any wrongdoing while employed by the church.

    Christopher Hinn and Mike Estrella both say they told Benny Hinn what
they saw, and we wanted to ask him about it. Through his lawyers and
spokesmen, Hinn repeatedly turned down our request for an interview. We
finally approached him outside his hotel after a crusade in Buffalo last
year.

    Bob McKeown: "Pastor Hinn, I'm Bob McKeown from 'Dateline, NBC.'
Could we have a word with you? We would like to arrange an interview. As you
know,
 we've been trying to contact you."

    Benny Hinn: "I'm so tired right now. I'm worn out."

    Bob McKeown: "Well, we would be pleased to do it at any time you'd be
available."

    Benny Hinn: "Alright."

    Bob McKeown: "In the near future. But as you know, we've been trying
to do this for several months now."

    Benny Hinn: "I know, I've been so busy."

    Bob McKeown: "And we haven't had much luck with you."

    Benny Hinn: "No, no, no, no, hey, hey, hey, gentlemen, please."

    Bob
 McKeown: "We seem to be having a bit of a problem with your
security detail here."

    Benny Hinn: "I know, I'm sorry about that."

    We did eventually get a final answer from Benny Hinn to our interview
request - it was still "no."

    Benny Hinn's brother Christopher has left the ministry after a
dispute with his brother, and the church says it has had no further dealings
with him.

    As for those other former Hinn insiders, head usher Mike Estrella and
security man Michael Cohen, they say that when they tried to complain to
pastor Benny about abuses in his organization, they were fired.

    In another letter from its lawyer, the ministry says Mike Estrella's
allegations are "unfounded and
 unsubstantiated," and that he was "... Acting
irresponsibly, maliciously or suffered from some impairment when making the
charges."

    As for Michael Cohen, the ministry says, "he is motivated by a
misguided personal vendetta against pastor Hinn and the church..." and
called him an "...unstable and unreliable source."

    Bob McKeown: "What would he say about you now, and the things you're
saying about him?"

    Michael Cohen: "He may tell people that haven't been around for
years, that I'm a disgruntled employee. The fact is, when I first started
working for him, for two years, I wouldn't even take a paycheck."

    Bob McKeown: "Do you believe that he has healed people? "

    Michael Cohen: "No."

    Bob McKeown: "Or that people are healed because of him?"

    Michael Cohen: "No. I don't. I believe that people have been healed.
It's God's power, it's not Benny's. Benny, in the
 last couple of years,
wields this power around likes it's his power."

    Cohen and Estrella maintain they were true believers, who put their
faith in a man they thought could bring hope and healing to millions.

    "What I saw was a big business rolling millions of dollars every
year, many people getting rich," says Mike Estrella. "And the rich getting
richer, and the poor getting worse."

    But then, there's Carlotta Moore, a pastor herself, who like millions
of others says she still believes in Benny Hinn.

    She says, "Pastor Benny's job is the work that God has called him to
do, to be that mediator, that channel for that anointing that God has placed
on his life, the work that God has called him to do, to carry that work out
here on Earth."

    Benny Hinn (at a crusade): "Stand up, lift your hands, and
 receive
from heaven, in the name of Jesus!"

What more information do you need?
Benny Hinn is a manipulator who EXPLOITS the Gospel and Christianity.