Sunday, February 01, 2009

can you tell difference...

... UPDATED 2/4/09: Amazingly enough no one correctly identified all 12 structures. Only three people got all but ONE right. The ones that seemed the most difficult to identify were numbers 1,3,6,11. If I had to declare a winner it would be the first individual who answered all but one correct. And that person was...

RC!. He only missed number 7.

Followed by cslord who missed number 1 and Rocky who only missed number 6. Your prizes are untold blogger fame and glory and bragging rights.

Here's the big reveal. I plan to come back to this post and link the source for each structure for verification. Please be patient with me.

THIS IS A CHURCH


THIS IS A CHURCH


THIS IS A PRISON


THIS IS A SLAUGHTER HOUSE


THIS IS AN INSANE ASYLUM


THIS IS NESTLE'S CHOCOLATE FACTORY


THIS IS A PRISON


THIS IS A UTILITARIAN STRUCTURE


THIS IS A CHURCH


THIS IS A CHURCH


THIS IS A CONCERT HALL


THIS IS A CHURCH


... a big "thank you" to all who participated. I hope you enjoyed this year's contest. Comments have now been re-opened.

128 comments:

Derik said...

My guess is as follows (U = Utilitan Structure, C = Church)

1 U, 2 U, 3 C, 4 U, 5 U, 6 U, 7 U, 8 C, 9 C, 10 C, 11 C, 12 C.

This is fun!

john said...

+JMJ+

I hate to say it, but I think they are ALL churches.
Arrgh!

Dixie said...

1. C
2. U
3. C
4. C
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C

Although 3 could be a library. These are some outrageously ugly buildings. :(

The Crescat said...

No winners yet but good guesses!

Mark Tan said...

1. C
2. U
3. C
4. C
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. U
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. U

Diego said...

Veni Domine Iesu!

The Crescat said...

Mark, nice try but no cigar.

Patm said...

1 - C
2 - C
3 - C
4 - C
5 - C
6 - C
7 - U (Please. Please.)
8 - C
9 - C
10 - C
11 - C
12 - C

polarbear said...

1-U
2-C
3-C
4-U
5-C
6-C
7-U
8-U
9-C
10-C
11-C
12-C

Mark Tan said...

Arrrgh... I'll try again!!!!

1. C
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. U
6. C
7. C
8. U
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. U

The Crescat said...

Nope. Nope. and Nope.

No winners yet.

*NOTE: If you see your submission above please do not comment on it.

Fr. D. said...

1=p
2=u
3=c
4=u
5=u
6=c
7=c
8=c
9=c
10=c
11=c
12=u

Fr. D.

The Crescat said...

Sorry, Fr. All good guesses though.

Colonel Mustard said...

1. Utilitarian structure
2. Church
3. Church
4. Utilitarian structure
5. Utilitarian structure
6. Church
7. Utilitarian structure
8. Utilitarian structure
9. Church
10. Church
11. Utilitarian structure
12. Utilitarian structure

The Crescat said...

Sorry Simon-Peter, nope.

Quite a few of you are getting stumped on the same 4 ones.

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

Ooooh! I'll play! =D

1. U
2. C
3. C
4. U
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. U

I can't wait for the answers. Thanks for this fun post. =)

The Crescat said...

Nope. :-)

Deirdre Mundy said...

1.U
2.C
3.U
4.C
5.C
6.C
7.U
8.U
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

Based on the shape of the parking lot and those glass squares for windows, #3 looks a lot like a school. Schools are ALL about atriums, these days.....

But #2 is definitely one of those new-fangled mega-church thingies!

The Crescat said...

again, the same 4 ones keep triping every one up, sorry Deirdre.

Familias católicas said...

1-c
2-c
3-c
4-c
5-u
6-u
7-c
8-c
9-c
10-c
11-u
12-c

Thanks!

Fr Longenecker said...

I thought the church was a correctional institution.

Tom said...

My guess is that the utilitarian structures are 1,4,5,and 11.

Paul Bernacchio said...

I would guess all of them...
Let me give you two of the ugliest and weirdest churches you will ever visit. St. Mary's Rockledge, Florida. This one should be on your list Please see http://www.stmarysrockledge.org/history.html view the "new church"
I have been in there and it looks like it was designed, created and built by a committee of science fiction writers. The other one is closer to home St. Jean Vianney in Baton Rouge. see http://www.neworleanschurches.com/vianney_br/index.htm&h=2048&w=1536&sz=478&tbnid=VB9PW8OPhB1d1M::&tbnh=150&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Bst%2Bvianney%2Bcatholic%2Bchurch%2Bin%2Bbaton%2Brouge,%2Bla&usg=__-kOAVm_oDb0ESsJ58WR8sVIcNLw=&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&cd=1 With it's cold concrete slab walls with the holes from the rebar visible to all parishioners and its panoramic view of a slum like duplexes, this church begs the question: what were they thinking?

The Crescat said...

"I thought the church was a correctional institution."

Does that make you the warden, Fr. L?

And as for the latest 2 guesses from Familias & Tom... nope and nope.

AlephGamma said...

Is my assumption that all churches are Catholic correct?

The Crescat said...

sadly, yes. The ones that are churches are Catholic.

Winefred said...

Here goes:

1 = U
2 = U
3 = C
4 = U
5 = U [prison]
6 = C
7 = U
8 = C
9 = C
10 = C
11 = U
12 = C

Can't wait to find out if I passed.

Derik said...

Lets try again

1 U (Priests quarters)
2 C (Picture from the back)
3 C (alternate entrance)
4 U (the logo)
5 U (seminary dorms?)
6 C (not the 1st without windows)
7 U (that balcony)
8 C (apse with a view?)
9 C (picture from the back)
10 C (I think I saw it before)
11 U (that flag pole)
12 C (from the back)

Rich Horton said...

Here I go:

1. C
2. C
3. C
4. U
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C

I'm sure that was just dreadful...but not as dreadful as every single one of these buildings.

The Crescat said...

nope. nope. and again nope.

Simply Catholic said...

I would say

1.C
2.C
3.U
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.U
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

Derik said...

I Can't wait for the results

The Crescat said...

ooooo, simply Catholic.... so close yet so wrong.

Darrell said...

1.C
2.C
3.C
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.C
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

The Crescat said...

Darrell... again nope. But again, getting closer.

It seems everyone is missing the same four.

Jane said...

1. C
2. C
3. C
4. C
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. U
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C

The Crescat said...

Jane, nice try but again nope.

_ said...

1 - C
2 - C
3 - C
4 - C
5 - C
6 - C
7 - C
8 - C
9 - C
10 - C
11 - C
12 - C

Do I win?

The Crescat said...

francis... no.

stthomasmore1535 said...

1. U
2. C
3. C
4. U
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. U
10. U
11. C
12. C

The Crescat said...

sorry, stthomasmore1535.

Anonymous said...

Ooo! Fun!

1.U
2.C
3.U
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.U
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

The Zapman said...

And with my .02% chance:

U - Utilitarian (including possible alien spacecraft)
C - Church (including possible alien spacecraft)

1) U
2) C
3) U
4) C
5) U (Panopticon, right?)
6) C (possibly alien)
7) C
8) U
9) C
10) C
11) C
12) C

Richard Chonak said...

Hm:
1: c
2: c
3: u
4: u
5: u
6: u
7: c
8: u
9: u
10: c
11: u
12: c

Mary Kay said...

All except 10 as church:

1. Church (even though it looks like a store with apartments)
2. Church
3. Church
4. church (even though it looks like a bunch of airport hangars)
5. Church
6. Church (closing my eyes as I write this)
7. Church (even worse than the orangy-red Slinky look-alike)
8. Church
9. Church
10. Utilitarian (looks like a greenhouse)
11. Church
12. Church

Luís Guilherme Fernandes Pereira said...

1-U
2-C
3-U
4-U
5-C
6-C
7-U
8-C
9-C
10-U
11-C
12-C

Gabby said...

1. U
2. C
3. U
4. C
5. C
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. U
12. C

LauraZ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LauraZ said...

1-U
2-U
3-C
4-U
5-U
6-C
7-U
8-C
9-C
10-C
11-C
12-C

the Savage said...

Trying the "wisdom of crowds" theory, with one guess.

1. c
2. c
3. c
4. u
5. u
6. c
7. u
8. u
9. c
10. c
11. c
12. c

MilitantMom said...

My guess is they're ALL CHURCHES!

I was married in a church resembling #10! It was a WWII-era US Navy chapel, now demolished I believe! :-(

Marcos said...

Hmmm...
c
c
u
c
u
c
c
c
c
c
c
c

Right, right?
I guess I'm wrong, though =P

Babs said...

1C
2C
3C
4U
5U
6U
7U
8C
9C
10C
11C
12U

Angelicbob said...

1.U
2.C
3.U
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.C
9.U
10.C
11.C
12.C

cavehippo said...

1 U
2 C
3 C
4 U
5 U
6 C
7 U
8 U
9 C
10 C
11 C
12 C

Christina said...

1. C
2. U
3. C
4. U
5. U
6. U
7. U
8. U
9. U
10. U
11. C
12. C

KMcNalls said...

Hmmm....

1 C
2 C
3 C
4 U
5 U
6 U
7 C
8 U
9 U
10 C
11 C
12 C

Simply Sister Mary said...

U - 1,5,7,8
C - 2,3,4,6,9,10,11,12

For what it's worth!

Jayna said...

1. Utilitarian Structure
2. Church
3. Church
4. Church
5. Utilitarian Structure
6. Church
7. Utilitarian Structure
8. Utilitarian Structure
9. Church
10. Church
11. Church
12. Utilitarian Structure

Mark Tan said...

1.U
2. C
3. C
4. U
5. C
6. U
7. C
8. C
9. U
10. C
11. U
12. U

Al said...

1. U
2. C
3. C
4. U
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. U
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C

Mark Tan said...

I am getting a little restless.... =( a curse to all liberals who put me in this dilemma of not knowing the difference between a church and utilitarian structures!!!!!!!!!!

Argh!!!!!!!!

Mary Liz said...

Just a guess...
1. C
2. C
3. U
4. C
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. U
10. C
11. U
12. C

The Crescat said...

Wow... Still no one has accurately identified all 12 structures. Only a hand full have even come remotely close.

I don't know if I should be glad you're enjoying the challenge or saddened these structures exists to the point where one can't tell the difference.

The Crescat said...

Again, if you are positive about one structure don't post the details here. Let every one have a fair chance at the challenge.

Thanks.

jeanette said...

I think it's:

1.U
2.C
3.U
4.C
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.C
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.U

The Crescat said...

Jeanette... No, I'm sorry.

Poeta...no fair hitting up the photographer for details.

:-P comment removed.

NiceLady said...

1. A really bad house-hunting choice. Let’s mark this one #0 for “No way!”

2. A bank where both money and people are kept locked up all day.

3. A temple to a pagan goddess or the new church for RCWomenPriestesses.

4. A really bad experiment in solar paneling.

5. Currently, a meeting place for whirling dervishes who needed an unobstructed space; previously a Christian church built from the bricks of an ancient Roman temple.

6. The space ship from the invading Puppet Masters [Robert Heinlein].

7. A prison designed by an architect on LSD.

8. The Tin Man’s outhouse?

9. An giant alien bug . . . . Runnnnnnnnnn!

10. Oh! A cute little Quonset hut left over from WWII.

11. A fake egg for Mrs. Godzilla to incubate!

12. A huge, gigantic primitive explosive grenade . . . . to take out Mrs. Godzilla?

Seminarian TLG said...

As a seminarian hoping to serve (with your prayers) in a beautiful church someday (hopefully not on this list!), I'll guess:
1.U
2.C
3.C
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.C
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

Amy said...

1. P/U
2. C
3. C
4. P/U
5. P/U
6. C
7. C
8. C
9. C
10. P/U (that's a quonset hut)
11. P/U
12. C

(Dave & Amy)

Unknown said...

1.C
2.C
3.U
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.U
9.C
10.U
11.C
12.C

Tessy said...

1.P
2.U
3.K
4.E
5.P
6.U
7.K
8.E
9.P
10.U
11.K
12.E

cslord said...

I submit that the churches/chapels are numbers 2,9,10, and 12, while the others are utilitarian structures.

Anonymous said...

Of course all are utilitarian structures, but I don't think philosophical answers will cut it. So here goes.

1) church
2) church
3) church
4) church
5) utilitarian
6) church
7) utilitarian
8) church
9) church
10) utilitarian
11) church
12) utilitarian

Babs said...

1U
2C
3U
4U
5U
6U
7U
8C
9C
10C
11C
12U

Laura The Crazy Mama said...

I think that 2,5,6,7, and 12 are churches.

Geoffrey said...

1) U
2) C
3) C
4) U
5) U
6) C
7) C
8) U (not big enough to be a church)
9) C
10) C
11) C
12) C

The Crescat said...

Day 3 and still no winners but I really like Kelseigh answers for sure.

Do you guys want hints or want to know who was the closest to getting them all right?

peregrinator said...

Having carefully checked to make sure I didn't have the same answers as someone else AND having signed up for Google, here are my guesses:

1. Stumped- just stumped U??
2.C
3.C
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.C
8.C
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

Let me know if I'm close?

The Crescat said...

peregrinator... not even close. Sorry.

Mark S. Abeln said...

I notice that nearly everyone makes the same guess on some of these photos.

Anonymous said...

1,5,7 are prisons/utilitarian structures, the rest are churches. Reminds me of the song our director of music decided would be the anthem for our parish's 125th anniversary, "Gathering Place" or some such title "...as we gather in this place." This place? What place? Oh, is this a church? Who knew?

rocky said...

1.C
2.C
3.U
4.U
5.U
6.C
7.U
8.U
9.C
10.C
11.U
12.C

Derik said...

Once again

1 C
2 C
3 U
4 C
5 U
6 C
7 U
8 U
9 C
10 C
11 C
12 C

Nicolle said...

Giving it a shot:
1. U
2. C
3. U
4. U
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. C
9. C
10 C
11. U
12. C

Winefred said...

No hints -- but can we get a cut-off date? As somebody (I think it was Cecily Cardew) once said:
"The suspense is killing me -- I do hope it will last."

The Crescat said...

I guess the cut off date will be midnight tonight if no one gets it before then.

Only one person got all but one right. The rest keep missing the same 4.

The Crescat said...

... so STILL no winners.

Chip said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
tjwasik said...

1-U
2-C
3-U
4-U
5-C
6-C
7-C
8-U
9-U
10-U
11-C
12-C

Unknown said...

U
C
U
C
U
C
U
C
C
C
C
C

Hank said...

1 U
2 U
3 U
4 U
5 U
6 U
7 U
8 C
9 C
10 C
11 C
12 C

The Crescat said...

still no winners.

Hank said...

1 U
2 U
3 C
4 U
5 U
6 U
7 U
8 U
9 C
10 C
11 C
12 C

Mr Flapatap said...

1) C
2) C
3) C
4) C
5) C
6) C
7) C
8) C
9) C
10) C
11) C
12) C

Fr. Joseph Lody said...

1.u
2.c
3.c
4.c
5.u
6.c
7.c
8.u
9.c
10.c
11.c
12.c

The Crescat said...

no.no.no.

I'm sorry.

Simply Catholic said...

Ok, I will try again

1. U
2. C
3. U
4. U
5. U
6. C
7. U
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C

Barb the Evil Genius said...

My guess:
1. Utilitarian
2. Church
3. Church
4. Utilitarian
5. Church
6. Church
7. Utilitarian
8.Church
9. Church
10. Church
11. Church
12. Church

DalkullanJewelry said...

I'll give it a try:
1. u
2. c
3. u
4. u
5. u
6. c
7. u
8. u
9. u
10. c

DalkullanJewelry said...

Oops, sorry, here's the last two:
11. c
12. u

** said...

They are all utilitarian structures, the Church is made up of her people.

Hat Tip to: Saint Lawrence

The Crescat said...

No body wins!!!!!

Wade Condict said...

1. c
2. c
3. c
4. u
5. c
6. u
7. c
8. u
9. c
10. u
11. c
12

Wade Condict said...

12. c

The Zapman said...

Take two:

U, C, C, U, C, C, U, C, U, U, C, C

Babs said...

One final try:
1U
2C
3U
4U
5U
6U
7U
8C
9C
10C
11U
12U

Derik said...

Please delete my last comment, I made a mistake

The Crescat said...

Less than five hours to go & still no winners.

rocky said...

I'll give it another try:

1.U
2.C
3.U
4.U
5.U
6.U
7.U
8.C
9.C
10.C
11.U
12.C

john said...

+JMJ+

Of course, with 12! possible answers, we could be here a while. Last guess:
I think they are all churches except numbers 6, 8, and 11.

The Crescat said...

3 1/2 left and still no winners.

ok.. so you got a bit more time than that... of course I do not plan to get up at midnight and check the blog.

You have till around tomorrow-ish, when I get a free moment. I do have a life, I swear it!

cslord said...

Last guess:

2,3,9,10 and 12 churches, others non-churches.

ScienceMom said...

1. P/U
2. C
3. C
4. P/U
5. P/U
6. C
7. P/U
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C

Gabby said...

Making another attempt.

1 U
2 U
3 C
4 U
5 U
6 U
7 C
8 U
9 C
10 C
11 C
12 U

Carolyn said...

All churches except 3 and 11

The Zapman said...

Third time's the charm?

U, U, C, U, U, C, U, C, U, U, C, C

California Girl said...

"The suspense is killing me--I do hope it lasts."

WIlly Wonka (Gene Wilder's)

Darrell said...

1.C
2.C
3.C
4.U
5.C
6.U
7.U
8.C
9.C
10.C
11.C
12.C

Might be a different test for buildings originally designed to be churches.

The Crescat said...

COMMENTS CLOSED. No more guesses....

No one accurately identified all 12 structures. One person got all but one right so they'll be declared winner later at the big reveal.

Donna said...

Does anyone else think that Number 9 looks like a catfish?

rocky said...

Since I'm one of the lucky guessers who only missed one picture, it behooves that I explain the (ir)rationale behind my guesses. In some cases my reasons were legitimate; in other cases I can only thank my luck.

#1. Looks like a perfectly legitimate, though drab, office or utility apartment building. Nothing in it suggests an ugly church. So why did Carrie Cannonball include it? It must be because it IS a church!
#2. Cannot be a utilitarian building because it has a perfectly useless feature: the taller section in the back. Ergo:it must be a church.
#3. Not a church, it looks like a library or a grade school. I would have never guessed that it is a prison. Convicts are way, way, WAY too pampered in our country.
#4. This set of huts is not organized as as a church. It looks like the premises of car and motorcycle mechanics.
#5. Definitely a prison or an asylum for the criminally insane. Not even Mgr.Bugnini would have accepted this building for a church.
#6. I missed this one. It is so alien that I thought it was a church. The cheerful red color should have warned me (post-V2 churches are drabber than that) but it didn't.
#7. So horrid that it could be either a church or a prison, but two features give it away: churches don't have outside balconies or chickenwire fences.
#8. Alien enough to be a church, but too small. It could have been an anglican church, since most Episcopalian parishes only include 20 to 50 people, but Catholic parishes are much bigger than that.
#9. A huge mollusk swimming in the oceans of the fourth planet of Fomalhaut? Possibly. Or else a Catholic church inculturated in a Pacific island.
#10. A perfectly legitimate quonset hut. It must be a church, for the same reason as #1: because otherwise there would have been no reason to include it. Incidentally, I'm not offended at all by provisional structures like this used as churches, when the parish or the diocese is too poor to afford a proper building. It is only the purposeful and expensive ugliness of new-wave architecture that disgusts me. Likewise, I'm not put off by a eucharist occasionally celebrated outdoors during, say, a scout camping trip, using a log for an altar, a guitar for the music and a poncho for a chasuble. But when you regularly and purposely use drab interiors, funky vestments and guitar music inside a church, when you could do things properly, then you lose me.
#11. A neat eggshell, simple but not ugly. Looks like the auditorium of my alma mater, MIT. Not a church, new-wave churches are uglier than this.
#12. So ugly it could equally be a post-V2 church or a prison, depending on whether the top of the tower hosts a set of bells or a machine gun nest. The photo shows a scaffolding inside the top room of the tower, which could hold bells but leaves no room for guards with machine guns. Ergo: it is a church.

This is how I guessed.

Derik said...

Wow

The Crescat said...

very logically well thought out, Rocky. I plan on hosting a
'parade of rejects' that will include all the ugly churches I was flooded with by readers that were disqualified bc of the obvious; crosses and name signs.

Donna said...

Rocky,
Regarding your comment about the quonset hut church, I was thinking the exact thing today. I have nothing against taking an existing structure and using it for a church; it's the intentional building of something that is, in concept, alient to Christian tradition that bugs me.

Cannonball,
I love your contests. They are a lot of fun and give some of us an avenue for impishness.

Charivari Rob said...

Rocky - "#3. Not a church, it looks like a library or a grade school. I would have never guessed that it is a prison. Convicts are way, way, WAY too pampered in our country."

Well, that photo bore a strong resemblance (in my mind) to the visitor's entrance at MCI Framingham, MA (state women's prison). Had to Google to convince myself it wasn't the same.

A modern annex like that is critical to processing visitors in an efficient and secure manner (especially without treating them like criminals themselves). The rest of the facilities are somewhat more, err... venerable? ....dated? ...utilitarian?

I've never come away from my visits with an impression of the inmates being "way, way, way too pampered". Of course, the prison shown in this photo may reflect a different reality.

Unknown said...

Assumption Greek Orthodox in Louisville, KY used to look like a quonset hut (not unlike your picture), but they built a new church.

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