Reader Erik Wiseman is a Good Boy: in response to my Sept. 2 post showing a near-empty parking lot at the Ark Park on the first week (but 30 minutes before opening), he found a drone film of Arkapalooza during business hours, and posted the first video below in a comment. I have no idea who actually sent the drone up.
This first video was taken yesterday on Labor Day weekend (a Saturday), and is taken at 1 p.m., when the park should be humming. As Erik notes, the parking lot is about half full (though perhaps the empty lot is employee parking, which I doubt):
And here’s last Friday at 3 pm; the park closes at 8 p.m.
Is attendance good or not? You be the judge!
Given that it’s just opened. It’s still summertime, and the parking lot seems to be less than 60% full, I think it’s looking pretty dire for Ken’s farce of a park.
I agree, I understand the US are having a holiday weekend and the weather’s fine. I somehow think this is not what the Ayatollah of Appalachia expected, in the first year.
As to who sent up that drone, well, Satan of course.
There’s still enough room for the animals to enjoy embarkation without automotive interference.
Why do you waste your time and our time on such trivial stuff? Who cares whether there is good attendance or not at the Ark Park. There are so many other things to discuss.
As an atheist, I have no problem with those who believe in a religion. You, on the other hand seem to have a puerile contempt not only for religion (especially christianity) but those who believe. Get over it and learn tolerance.
The fallacy of relative privation and an unsolicited recommendation for tolerating the intolerant as recommended by a card-carrying faitheist.
I have a problem with people who believe anti-scientific nonsense, and I have a problem with taxpayers subsidizing such nonsense, as they are with the Ark Park.
Indeed. Not to mention the egregious waste of real estate.
Not to mention the carbon footprint of all that tarmac and concrete, none of which will soak away any rainfall as well as the soil that it now covers.
Mind you, I’d laugh my socks off if the place were to flood 🙂
Looks to me like it’s on fairly high ground. Even if not, the increased runoff would only cause minor local flooding *at the site itself*.
The folks in the valley downstream, now, they’ll be the ones who get flooded.
cr
The video makes clear just how much forest and farmland got paved over for a lie.
You do realise that this is Jerry’s website? That means that he can discuss whatever he damn well pleases. If you don’t like it, there’s plenty more interweb for you to explore.
And yes, I think that most of us who regularly frequent these parts do have utter contempt for religion (including, but not exclusively, Christianity). If you find that “puerile”, that’s your problem.
I suspect JC himself will be along shortly to say exactly the same.
Jesus Christ!
The second coming of Jesus right here? Won’t that be something else! Would definitely make for interesting times.
I am sure Mary Magdalene attested there was never a first coming , so I heard. But that might be hearsay, of course.
So much of it abounds within Christianity, does it not, that one might be tempted to suspect it is all made up.
You do know that visiting and reading is optional right?
1. This is Jerry’s site, so he can post what he wants.
2. Feel free to disagree with his opinions, but there is no need to do that in such a nasty way.
3. It’s interesting that you consider he mostly attacks Christianity when it comes to religion. Other people have other impressions based on their own hobby horses. Personally, it seems to me that he criticizes religions on a fairly even-handed basis.
4. Being tolerant of others is a good thing, and you’re right to support it. However, being tolerant of another point of view does not mean you aren’t allowed to criticize it. As a professional in the field of evolution, Jerry is better placed than most to criticize creationists. Further, as someone who dedicated his career to teaching in that field it must be particularly revolting to see an endeavour like the Ark Park, which itself is dedicated to teaching lies to children.
5. The Ark Park, in contravention of your constitution, received taxpayer funds. That makes it everyone’s concern, especially as it appears those funds are being wasted.
6. Who do you think you are to write so rudely to the site’s host? Are you incapable of expressing your disagreement in a more constructive manner?
+1
“6. Who do you think you are to write so rudely to the site’s host?”
Somebody who ain’t gonna be around for very long, that’s who. 😉
cr
Why do you waste our time and not read Da Roolz! before posting ?
As an atheist I’m intrigued by someone who upon first arriving in someone else’s home proceeds to insult the gracious host.
Well, Sterling, this is a prime example of a Roolz violation. I suggest–indeed, INSIST–that you go to other websites that won’t waste your time on such trivial stuff.
God, what a pompous person you are. We have every right to be concerned at how many people are exposed to the lies of creationism at the Ark Encounter. You seem to be mistaking “tolerance” for “accepting lies about biology.”
Sorry, I don’t do that. Bye.
Three cheers for Prof Ceiling Cat (e).
I’ll drink to that!
Me too. Beside agreeing with Prof Ceiling Cat and others, it gives me a good excuse for a nice dram of Scotch tonight.
Youre forgetting that watching willfully ignorant people fail can be fun. Surely you dont have anything against wholesome entertainment.
Sterling Sorbet. If that isn’t the alias of a troll, I will eat my gelato.
I don’t consider that a thought-out contempt for one of the most dangerous idea-sets conceived of by humans, responsible for millions or billions of deaths over the decades, is “puerile”. I think that attempting to destroy this dangerous mental problem is important for the future of humanity. That’s your descendants, not mine ( I don’t, and won’t, have any).
This mental poison is something I do not tolerate.
@ Sterling Sorbet
Ah … Senor Dipshit, what you must remember is this will be seen as a Test Case for the purveyance of idiotic ideas by the mentally unbalanced and will, one hopes, be held up as the reason why Dickheads like Ken Ham-roll should never be allowed access to children.
I could be wrong, but your comment does not sound like something an atheist would write. I have a feeling Jesus told you to write that didn’t he?
And, for the record, Jerry is extending an enormous amount of tolerance – he allowed your comment did he not?
Maybe the lot with cars is the employee parking and the empty lot is for customers. 😺😼😽
One could argue that the employee parking lot should only have room for 2-3 camels at most. That should cover the needs of the 8-10 or so people needed to run the park in a realistic fashion. Since the group doesn’t actually have to feed the static animal displays, that frees up the time needed to run concessions, ticketing, etc.
Is there any connection between the rumor that the guy who plays Noah arrives to work on an ass and the fact that Ken Ham has back problems?
Possibly, but not the same connection you’re thinking of. Probably.
(I am remembering the song about the “Sands of the Nile”, and the “Sphinx’s inscrutable smile”. It’s very rude, particularly if youre nickname is “Sphinx”.)
That reminds me of comedian Ricky Gervais’ words: “I don’t think young earth creationists should be allowed to use fossil fuels.”
+1 After all they aren’t supposed to exist
The fossil fuels or the creationists? 😉
Yes.
I note all the brick/concrete construction on the north? side of this ark. It may be necessary for electric power, air conditioning, fecal matter disposition, cafeteria, offices, maintenance facilities etc but I doubt if it will float when the big flood gets to Kentucky. Does Ken have the design quite right do you think?
I saw that and thought – “Phase 2 : Ark Hotel/ Resort”
All the better for sustained indoctrination. Ohh, Seminary too, I’m sure.
I can’t see this place getting many repeat visitors. Even the religious can get bored, and this place sounds bor-r-ring.
I think it would be appropriate if the park only lasts 40 days and 40 nights.
+1
A lot of those white vehicles near the end looked identical to me?
A considerable proportion of 10-15-seat “minibus” style vehicles. I thought “schools”, but in fact not many 30-odd seat vehicles.
I wondered if a local car dealership was using the parking for its inventory.
Local? It looked like it was the middle of nowhere.
(Checks map, not searching though Google to harm their advertising data.) There’s not enough work to support a farrier, there, let alone a car dealership.
“Is attendance good or not? You be the judge!”
Either way looks bad for Ken Ham. If attendance is good then it means he’s scamming a lot of people, but if not then it means he’s scamming a lot of people.
Can’t figure out which is uglier, the fake boat or all that asphalt.
If all that space is reserved for employee parking, Ham must be padding the payroll. Or else he needs an efficiency expert like Noah, someone to enforce a strict limit of one pair per kind.
Actually, according to part of the Genesis fantasy, there were only pairs of ritually “unclean kinds” (you know, like pigs). The ritually “clean kinds” on the other hand had seven pairs of each “kind”. So the actual story is even that much more improbable, as difficult as that actually sounds.
http://biblehub.com/genesis/7-2.htm
On the brighter side, with such little traffic, there will be no need to repaint the parking bays until the next blood moon. Save a lot of money, that will.
I’m hoping the dronist will provide weekly updates so we can track the flood.
Not flood. Slight ripple. “Oh dear, I wish I’d worn shoe not sandals”
If Ham gets sufficiently desperate for visitors, he could try flooding the park to make it more interesting. Ark ride–now there’s an attraction!
The next drone flight will probably be downed by angry Iowa Hawkeyes.
Maybe it’s the parking lot for the clean animals and the other one ios the parking lot for the cud chewing rabbits and the bird bats.
Holy Land, the laughably bad xian theme park in Orlando, is having a hard time of it as well. Though they have the unconstitutional advantage of not having to pay taxes their revenues have been falling.
They have fallen so far that they are now, or recently had, a “massive estate sale.”
They better start praying to their god for forgiveness because they don’t seem to be pleasing it with this silly ass theme park.
I think most people who believe in the ark just believe in it, I don’t think they need to see a replica to add anything to their faith. And those who don’t believe are hardly likely to spend their money to visit this tourist park.
Poor attendance may just mean that Mr. Ham got a bee in his bonnet for something that just never was a good idea.
However, if they were to add a few other displays to this park, such as the Jewish temple, ark of the covenant, the tower of babel, then maybe Christians would flock to it.