Fun for the Whole Family at Renton River Days 2014

An audible calm pervaded the scene. The spectators quietly conversed among themselves as they waited for it to begin. A small passenger airplane flew overhead. The hot sun beat down on me.

And then, it started.

What am I describing? I am describing the annual Renton River Days Parade, a local festival which attracted families from all over Renton and the immediate surrounding area, such as West Hill and the Renton Highlands. The attractions featured in the parade were just as diverse as the people, with everyone from local politicians to school marching bands to Ms. Washington to the Seattle Seafair Pirates.

The parade participant which was nearest and dearest to my heart, however, was undoubtedly Lee's Martial Arts. They featured a cool board breaking move while on parade, some bo-staff twirling, and a bunch of students all marching together. As they do every year, they went down to Liberty Park and held the Breakathon, in which they broke boards to raise money for Community in Schools of Renton. Yours truly was supposed to help out at this event by holding boards and manning a booth or some-such activities. Unfortunately, I forgot my uniform and as a result was late to the party, as it were. I did, however, get the opportunity to break a leftover board with a nice, solid punch. Anyhow, I believe that the Breakathon this year was, once again, a great success.

Getting back to the parade, there was an ever-present aura of joy and fun, as the parade participants handed out candy and other S.W.A.G. (Stuff We All Get) to the spectators. The Wal-Mart guys handed out school supplies. Various local businesses handed out flyers. Even Fred Myer handed out water bottles. However, I suppose I should mention a few particularly tasteless participants in the parade. Namely, the decidedly gross looking zombie/ghost/horror people, and these also decidedly gross looking knockoffs of the aforementioned Seattle Seafair Pirates. I think they're called the Buccaneers or something, but all I know is that they're in the parade every year, and they always look pretty nasty. Then again, pirates being pirates, maybe that was the intended effect?

As for the festival itself, there were dozens of booths, I'd even say nearly a hundred, which were even more diverse than the parade. There was a GOP booth, manned by Mr. Bill Stinson, who I had previously met at the King County GOP Picnic. There was a Mountain Mist booth. There was a whole half of the grounds reserved for art-related booths, including this one guy who made fancy-looking pendants and earrings, another guy who made jewelry out of sand dollars (I got one for my sister), and another booth where these two ladies sold this fancy looking soap. There was also a booth for a children's chess program, where I acquired a Chess piece key chain.

All in all, it was a very nice festival this year, and I earnestly desire that I could explore the booths and attractions for the whole weekend. It's a very nice festival, and I wholeheartedly recommend it for tourists and residents alike who find themselves in the area at the time. I have fond memories of past Renton River Days Festivals, and this year was no exception. If you don't have any place to go tomorrow, and you're in the area, go down to Renton River Days at Liberty Park. Bring your kids. You'll both have a blast.

Image from personal collection.

Independence Day 2014

Today is Independence Day, more commonly known as the Fourth of July. On this day in 1776, exactly 238 years ago, in the city of Philadelphia, the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, finalizing the decisions to break away from the tyrannical rule of the British Empire. Not all of the members of the Continental Congress were able to be there to sign it at once, coming in and out of town sporadically to sign when they could. However, this historic document, penned by the great Thomas Jefferson, was the foundation upon which our young country based its most essential doctrines of law. As much as certain pundits, politicians, and people would like to have you think otherwise, it remains as pertinent and relevant today as it did then, along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

For the weekend, I would like to ask everyone to relax, have a barbeque if you can, spend time with your family and friends, watch a patriotic film or historical documentary (preferable a good one), and to enjoy the fireworks. As the great orator and statesman Daniel Webster said, “May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!”

A happy Fourth of July to all of you out there!

"[I]f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
- 2 Chronicles 7:14

Image courtesy wikipedia.org

Bible Verse Sunday #78 & Father's Day 2014

In honor of Father's Day, this week's verse is Ephesians 6:4:

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

Directed at fathers, this verse plainly tells fathers not to work their children into a lather, but to seek to communicate with them and forge strong and intimate bonds with them. This extends past merely spending time with them. Fathers should teach their children how to live, to love God and to love people, and to abide by His commandments.

In the main service at church today, we had a guest speaker. This guest speaker continued in the series on the book of Romans, describing that there are no excuses for excuses. That is to say, we are specifically and clearly told to evangelize and win souls to Christ anywhere and everywhere. One of the biggest lies that Satan has perpetuated, said the guest pastor, is that we have plenty of time to evangelize, plenty of time to win souls. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The pastor said that we are always closer to Christ's second coming than we ever were before, and as he could come back at any given time, we must always strive to reach out to the unsaved.

In the High School service, another guest speaker gave a basic overview of the gospel. Starting with Genesis and going all the way to 1 Corinthians, the speaker told of how the entire Old Testament was basically us saying, "I don't need you God. ...Oh, wait, I actually do." The New Testament describes the fulfillment of the law, that is, Jesus himself. In sum, we owe everything to God, and we should always live for Him wherever we are, wherever He needs us. The reason we owe everything to God is because He sent His only son, Jesus, to die a horrible death in order to take the punishment that we, sinful humanity, so richly deserved. And then he was raised from the dead, just to prove that it was totally legit.

Father's Day, I believe, is a very special holiday. It is not only a fine occasion to celebrate our earthly fathers, but to celebrate our Heavenly Father as well. I would not be the person I am today if not for both of my parents working in sync, not to mention the innumerable teachers and mentors I've had over the years. Most of all, however, God, my Father in Heaven, is the number one influence in my life. I would hope that everything I do would give glory to Him, and to Him alone. But I wouldn't have grown to respect my Heavenly Father if it weren't for the profound influence of my Earthly father. So thank you, dad, and thank you, Heavenly Father.

Image courtesy of nationalharbor.com

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Steve Rogers is doing okay.

After being frozen in ice for 70-plus years and surviving an alien invasion in New York during the events of The Avengers, Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, is doing alright for himself. He's working as a professional good guy at S.H.I.E.L.D. with his Avengers gal pal Black Widow, living in Washington, D.C. where he runs 13 miles daily, and he's made at least one new friend, a VA worker named Sam Wilson. He's integrating into the modern world fairly well, and has even reestablished contact with his now elderly former lady-love, Peggy Carter. Life is... not bad. At least he doesn't have post-traumatic stress disorder like fellow Avengers alumni Tony Stark.

But then stuff hits the fan, and stuff gets real.

It all starts when Steve's boss, Colonel Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is locked out of important, top secret files. Troubled and suspicious, Fury seeks out Alexander Pierce, a senior S.H.E.L.D. leader, to delay the upcoming Project Insight. This project, theoretically, would use three new helicarriers to target criminals and terrorists before they have a chance to strike, which Captain America isn't too happy about. "This isn't freedom," Steve says to Fury. "This is fear." Fury is then critically wounded by a team of assailants led by the mysterious assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Just before the wounded Fury gives Steve a thumbdrive containing the aforementioned top secret files, he whispers to him, "Don't trust anyone." Steve must work with Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff, Sam, and Maria Hill to stop the Winter Soldier's deadly mission, figure just what the heck is going on with Project Insight, and foil the real villain's dastardly plans.

Okay, I just want to be clear, and I'm not gonna lie: This movie is awesome. Resoundingly so. I'd even say that it's resounding in its awesomeness. But empty praise tells little. What makes this movie so great? Without a doubt, I'd say that it's the best installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, up there with Iron Man and The Avengers. My personal favorite remains Thor, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier is undoubtedly the best.

But again, why? Firstly, this movie is constituted of some incredible acting talent. Everybody from Chris Evans as Captain America to Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce to Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury to Emily VanCamp as Agent 13 gives it their all in this picture. It's on the level of the The Dark Knight Saga in terms of sheer star power. It's just as much Fury and Black Widow's movie as it is Cap's. Even the guy who plays the Winter Soldier (I won't tell you who it is because, you know, spoilers. Also, don't Google "Winter soldier". You'll get immediate spoilers.), despite not actually being the main villain, totally kills it. It all adds up to the believable performances coalescing together with the remarkable onscreen chemistry to produce nothing short of brilliance.

Speaking of killing, we've got a lot of cool, killer action sequences which keep you on the edge of your seat. Beginning with the boat skirmish at the beginning between Cap, Black Widow, and the S.H.I.E.L.D./S.T.R.I.K.E. agents and Batroc (Georges St-Pierre, whom we previously saw in Sherlock Holmes, which starred Robert Downey, Jr.), and ending with the climactic battle between Captain America and the Winter Soldier aboard one of the helicarriers, these are some really cool action scenes. But the real thrills from this movie don't come from the fights and explosions; they come from the suspense.

To understand this faucet of the film, we must first understand that Captain America: The Winter Soldier is just as much political thriller as it is superhero action-adventure flick. More accurately, I believe that the writers said that it was a political thriller disguised as a superhero action-adventure flick, just as Captain America: The First Avenger was a throwback to pulpy World War 2 adventure movies disguised as a superhero movie. There's a lot of stuff in this movie that will make you go, "Whoa, I did not see that coming." It's intelligent and relevant in its sociopolitical commentary, asking hard-hitting questions about freedom, security, patriotism, heroism, trust, and friendship. One particularly heart-pounding scene features Steve and Natasha unearthing a devastating revelation about S.H.I.E.L.D. that rocks them to the core. The only explosions that took place in it were after everything else had happened... not that I don't like stuff blowing up, it's just that there's been a lot of it in superhero movies lately.

But while this film is indeed thrilling and exciting, it also has the capacity for some quiet, tender, humanizing moments. For instance, the first half or so of the first act is filled with Steve just going around doing things. He meets Sam while outrunning him multiple times while running... during the same run. He goes incognito to the Smithsonian exhibit dedicated to him and his World War Two buddies. He visits a now very elderly Peggy Carter, who encourages him when he says he isn't sure what the right thing to do is anymore. There's also the many great scenes between Steve and Natasha, Steve and Sam, Steve and Fury, Steve and Agent 13, and even Steve and Alexander Pierce which serve to illustrate the finely crafted characters that Marvel has managed to produce.

Miscellaneous things I liked about this movie include its various continuity nods, such as references to previous MCU films and set ups for future MCU films. For instance, we've got Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), known in the comics as the mercenary called Crossbones, the aforementioned Batroc, based off of Batroc the Leaper, as well as namedropping a certain neurosurgeon. I also liked the film's sense of humor, which, while by no means in the same shape of humor found in the Iron Man and Thor films, was, indeed, funny. Miscellaneous things I did not like include what they did with Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernandez). I don't know if it was an Life Model Decoy, or brainwashing, but he deserved better than that. Maybe he'll come up later in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I don't know, but I just hope that he's not out completely.

All in all though, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, is a solid film. Sam Wilson/Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and Agent 13 were all a bit underused (Batroc is gets one action sequence), despite being heavily promoted, but I can deal with that because when they were used, they were used very well. The acting was top-notch, the script, cinematography and music were all great, and it really pulled of the political thriller thing. It's a great film, and I liked just about everything about it, minus the smattering of bad language. What's more, it made me want to check out the comics run by Ed Brubaker (co-author of Gotham Central), whose storyline introducing the Winter Soldier in the comics was used as an inspiration for this film. Incidentally, this film was also the perfect Geek Pride Day/Memorial Day weekend movie!

RATING: 8.5/10

Image courtesy of comingsoon.net

Bible Verse Sunday #75, Geek Pride Day 2014, and Memorial Day 2014

This week's verse is Jeremiah 48:7:

"For, because you trusted in your works and your treasures, you also shall be taken; and Chemosh shall go into exile with his priests and his officials."

In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah is preaching against Moab, detailing how their greed and vanity has led to their disgrace. Chemosh was the principal deity of the Moabites, whose paganism involved human sacrifice to their god. These abominations are clearly stated to be the reason for the Moabites' downfall, and Israel's as well for sharing in this travesty. We contemporary readers would do well to take note.

In the main service in church today, the pastor preached from the back half of Romans 8, talking about how God takes us in our brokenness and transforms us into something better. God removes from us the frustration, the disgrace, the isolation. There will be no "awkward moment" when we stand before God's throne, because we have been transformed.

In the High School service, the youth pastor preached from John 15, talking about how we should "marinate" ourselves in Jesus, by absorbing his word daily and living out his commandments. He said that although it is possible to "fake" being a Christian, true believers are secure in Christ, and also that God commands us to love each other. The central point of the sermon is that life is lived fullest when lived with those we love.

Today is a momentous occasion. It is not only the seventy-fifth installment of Bible Verse Sunday, but it is also the 37th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars film in theaters, way back in 1977. That particular occasion is why this day was chosen to be Geek Pride Day, a celebration of geek culture the world over. On this day, we shall eat, drink, and be merry, though not necessarily in that order.

This weekend, however, marks an even more important occasion: Memorial Day. Tomorrow, there shall be a nationwide celebration of all those who have fought and died in service to our wonderful country. In accordance, I hereby extend my heartfelt salutations and commendations to all persons who fall into this demographic. In sum, have a blessed Memorial Day!

Image courtesy of sliceofscifi.com

Bible Verse Sunday #73, Mother's Day 2014, and New Primary Ignition Article

The verse of the week is Psalm 100:1:

"Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!"

Plainly enough, this verse tells us to engage in worship in an enthusiastic and hearty manner. Exactly what constitutes a "joyful" noise is up for legitimate debate, but I opine that any and every kind of music is acceptable for use in worship so long as it serves to glorify God. This can vary between cultures, and can include piano, drums, saxophone, electric guitar, etc. I've heard of everything from classical hymns to Christian death metal. The point of this verse is that no matter what noise you make, as long as it's a "joyful noise to the Lord," it's all good.

In church today in the main service, the pastor continued in our study of the book of Romans, speaking from the first part of Romans 8. The essential message of today's sermon was that we need not punish ourselves for and giver ourselves grief over our sins, because we are forgiven. The pastor said something like, "How dare you judge yourself guilty for your sins, when there is nothing to judge! Even if there were something to judge, you are in no authority to do so! Only God can judge in that manner." (Again, this is a paraphrase, not a direct quote.) Today's sermon was also notable for me because before it, I and most of the other members of the Bible Quiz Team were invited to quote Romans 8:1-14 in front of the congregation. We did it for all four services. It wasn't easy, but we were prepared, pulling it off splendidly. I bestow my heartfelt congratulations to those members of the Bible Quiz Team who participated in this demonstration. I have no doubt that it is but the first step in a new, fruitful recruiting drive.

In the High School service, the band Everfound held a short concert, and though they are not my favorite band (I honestly prefer the Newsboys), I am of the opinion that they deserve the accolades and praise that they have received from our church's youth. That is to say, they have a heart for the Lord and are more than capable of making a joyful noise.

Also taking place today is Mother's Day. I will take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to mothers everywhere, especially to my own mother. I mean, without her, I wouldn't be able to write this blog, right? To all of you at home reading, I urge you to leave the computer, go to your phone, and call your mom (if you can) and wish them a happy Mother's Day. You also might want to send them a card, or even take them out to dinner. They deserve it. As the good book says, "Honor your father and mother."

Also, a quick plug for myself: I recently authored a new article over at Primary Ignition, a review of Batman: Eternal #4. Go over and read it, and be sure to like it and maybe leave a comment.

Addendum: I forgot to mention that my most recent pole, which poses the question of Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, was overwhelmingly in favor of Coke. Cheers! I will be putting up a new pole shortly.

Bible Verse Sunday #72 and the Return

Two. Weeks. And three days. Wow.

That's the longest I've ever gone without posting a single word on this blog in its one year and five month history, and I am happy to announce that I am ready to return from this short hiatus. We will begin by getting back to basics, starting with the seventy-second installment of Bible Verse Sunday. This week's verse is Luke 18:16:

"But Jesus called them to him, saying, 'Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."

This verse illustrates Jesus' innate compassion, especially for the younger generation. Jesus, knowing the scriptures, such as Proverbs 22:6, understood that training up the next generation of believers was a top priority. He knew that instilling a godly foundation into children was important to their development into faithful, godly adults. He also appreciated the innocence of little children, which is what he meant when he said that the kingdom of God belongs to such. That is, he meant that the kingdom of God belongs to the innocent. Or rather, it belongs to those who are made innocent through their acceptance of his sacrifice.

In church today, the Pastor continued in his series on the book of Romans (feels like it's been going on forever). In it, we discussed Romans 7, in which we learned that sin isn't the problem; we are the problem. Unfortunately, people are often reluctant to admit this, which leads to the truism that "You can't legislate morality," the flipside being, naturally, that you shouldn't be able to legislate immorality either, i.e. gay marriage. The key question to ask in this instance is, "What in my life do I need to change?"

In the High School service, the youth pastor talked about John 8:12-30, in which Jesus declared that he was "the light." The Pharisees, needless to say, didn't get it. The main point of this story is that Jesus, being the light of the world, gives us light. This means that even when we feel like we're all alone, with no hope, this is not the case. Jesus is always there for us. We are never alone.

During my absence, several momentous occasions came and went. For example, Easter 2014. For that blessed occasion, we invited several of our relatives over for dinner after church, having a good time filled with uplifting and intelligent conversation. Christ was indeed with us, in our very presence.

The following weekend brought us the Bible Quizzing Pacific Northwest Regional Tournament 2014, in which I froze repeatedly and our Novice team emerged victorious as undefeated champions in their bracket. My sister Rebekah's birthday was over that particular weekend, and we celebrated by bringing a homemade chocolate cake to the snack table. Unfortunately, we had neither knives, forks, nor plates, forcing us to cut the cake with a folded up paper cup and to eat it with our hands out of other paper cups. But all in all, I'm glad to have met some new people and to have spent some time outdoors. It is my last Regional as a quizzer, and I look forward to acquitting myself and my team well at the upcoming National competition.

Yesterday brought us Free Comic Book Day, a happy event which was held at my local comic book store, the Comic Hut. I picked up the Avatar: The Last Airbender issue that Dark Horse put out for the occasion and the awfully depressingly Future's End #0 that DC produced. I reviewed them both for Primary Ignition, and hope to see them up and ready soon. I also picked up Azrael Vol. 1 issues #7 and 8. Not the best comic, but hey, I love Jean-Paul Valley and will fervently hope that the creators at DC will bring him back with a talented, up-and-coming writer like Scott Snyder of James T. Tynion IV or somebody. Who knows? Maybe he's show up in this Batman: Eternal miniseries they're running right now. I just bought issue #4 on Comixology, and I'd say that it would be the perfect place to do that. Failing that, I'll get a job at DC and write him in myself. But anyway, I'm rambling. I spent Free Comic Book Day working, going to the comic book store, getting pelted by rain, and helping my mom man a booth at this business expo thing down in Renton.

Finally, today is Star Wars Day, or May the Fourth be With You. This holiday celebrates the Star Wars saga, and I although I am saddened that I'll have to miss my church's film viewing party of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (doubling as a "Cinco de May Eve" party) in order to attend my sister's belated birthday dinner, I am happy to do so on her account. In the meantime, I do look forward to watching The Empire Strikes Back tonight, a fitting follow up to last year's viewing of A New Hope. Thusly, I say unto ye all, happy Star Wars Day, and may the fourth be with you!

Bible Verse Sunday #71 & Palm Sunday 2014

Apologies for the lack of posts all last week. I have been quite busy in recent days, and was unable to sit down to write anything. In the meantime, however, we shall be getting to the seventy-first installment of Bible Verse Sunday, examining Ecclesiastes 3:14:

"I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him."

This verse clearly illustrates the permanent and inexorable nature of whatever God has wrought. He will thus always have a foothold on this Earth, no matter how bad things may seem for his followers. This holds true for institutions such as marriage, the law, and the church. Likewise, "nothing can be added to it," meaning that no work of mankind will truly last forever, as much as we may like to flatter ourselves.

In the main service today, the pastor continued in the series on the book of Romans. He preached about how we need Jesus to wash us clean on a daily basis, and that this is accomplished through spiritual rebirth in Christ. In short, God had won the war, but we still fight the battle here on Earth. In the High School service, the youth pastor continued in a series on the parables of Jesus, teaching about the parable of the tenants. He spoke about how the Christian walk is all about learning to bear fruit for God, and that what God wants is faith which compels us to do good works. Furthermore, the only thing that will genuinely impress God is faith, which is evidenced by good works, our "fruit," the sign of a healthy tree.

Today was Palm Sunday, marking Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The occasion takes its name from the fact that palm tree branches were laid out on the ground for Jesus. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 ("Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."). Jesus' use of a donkey to enter Jerusalem was symbolic in His day, in that kings, upon entry into Jerusalem, would ride a donkey to show that they came in peace. Jesus rode on a donkey to show that He was coming in peace, for He is indeed the Prince of Peace. This fizzled the expectations of most of the Jewish people, who hoped that he would come as a conquering king to save them from the oppressive Roman Empire, not from their sins as He intended. (Incidentally, kings that came in in a conquering manner would have ridden a horse.) At any rate, Palm Sunday is a significant as the beginning of the Christian Holy Week, and an important precursor to the ultimate Christian holiday: Easter.

See you all next week! Also, I have written an addendum to my post on the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy. I had some opinions about it which I discovered in hindsight.

A New Beginning on Food Stars! (Update: April Fools 2014)

Readers, I am here to announce a major change to the blog. Instead of blogging about pop culture and movies and comics and what-not in a half-serious manner, I will now be devoting all of my blog posts to culinary pursuits. It is with this new way of doing things that I will rename this blog to Food Stars. Bible Verse Sunday will be replaced with Supreme Chef Sunday, and reviews will be based on dishes at restaurants in the surrounding area.

If this is all a bit too much to take in, I'll get into it slowly. In the meantime, please, enjoy the following recipe for Savory Squirrel Bakes from Brian Jacques' Redwall cookbook!

You will need:

1 pound of potatoes, boiled and mashed

2 cups (4 ounces) grated hard cheese, such as Cheddar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon chopped chives or scallions

1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, as needed

1 egg, beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

Method:

1.)    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, beat the potatoes with the cheese, butter, chives, salt and pepper until smooth. If the dough is too loose to handle, stir in enough flour, up to 2 tablespoons, to make a firm dough.
2.)    Turn the dough onto a floured board and form it into a 2-inch-thick log. Cut the dough into 1 inch slices and shape the slices into balls.
3.)    Set up a bowl with the egg in it and a bowl with the bread crumbs. Coat each ball of dough in egg, then breadcrumbs, then place it on a baking sheet. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes (alternately, fry the cakes over medium heat in about ¼ inch vegetable oil until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes).

I hope that you all enjoy it! It is merely the first in what I hope will be a honored tradition of sharing recipes on Food Stars!

P.S.: April Fools! I am happy to announce that this blog will not be turned into a cooking blog, and that I will continue to update on comics, books, movies, and other topics. I hope you all enjoyed my little prank. And please, me writing a cooking blog? It would get pretty old after a while, with me taking pictures of my omelets and bowls of soggy cereal.

Review: The Nativity Story

Author's note: I had originally intended to post this review around Christmas week, or at least New Year's, but due to me being busy, I was unable to do so. Thusly, I am posting this review far ahead of works that I intend to review that I had watched or read earlier. Those reviews are taking a back seat to this review due to the time of year.

The problem with Christian films, I believe, boils down to their demonstrated inability to give a Christian message without sounding preachy. Granted, they can be entertaining, and not all of them are poorly made, but aside from Fireproof, I have yet to find an overtly Christian film which meets my standards. Granted, I haven't seen October Baby yet, and God's Not Dead has yet to be released, but my case has already been made by Seven Days in Utopia and Courageous.

However, The Nativity Story is not a Christian film. Rather, it is a film about Christianity in the form of a Biblical epic. This is a very important distinction. Or rather, it's about the popular conception of Christianity.

The Nativity Story depicts the events recorded in the first few chapters of the books of Matthew and Luke, that is, the story of Jesus' birth. But this film is not about Jesus. It's about Mary, Joseph, the Magi, and *sigh* Herod. It chronicles what each of these players did in the story, and how the classic nativity scene came about. But what actually happens, you ask? For those of you too lazy to go to biblegateway.com and read the pertinent scriptures, Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is a young woman in the town of Nazareth, a small village in the land of Israel, currently subject to the Roman Empire. She lives in an unhappy time of oppression and toil, and things only get harder when an angel appears to her and informs her that she has been chosen to give birth to the Messiah. This in and of itself is a difficulty, as she has been pledged to be married to some guy named Joseph (Oscar Isaac). Meanwhile, the evilly evil King Herod the Great (Ciarán Hinds) is actively searching for the promised Messiah in order to stop this potential threat to his power (this is despite the fact that Herod was just as surprised as Mary and Joseph about the coming of the Messiah). Elsewhere, The Three Wise Men (Nadim Sawalha, Eriq Ebouaney, and Stefan Kalipha) provide comic relief while going on about these stars and how they are supposed to align for "the first time in 3,000 years." Yadda yadda yadda, I think you all get the idea.

Okay, I know what you're all thinking. By now, you think by now that I'm going to spend this review utterly roasting this movie, just like I did with Echoes of Darkness. And if you're thinking that, you're wrong. Unlike that ill-advised eBook, this film has some redeeming qualities. Are there enough to justify you getting a hold of his film and watching it? Read on, gentle reader.

Firstly, I'll give the film credit for setting the mood nicely at the beginning of the movie, obvious CGI Jerusalem notwithstanding (we'll get to that later). The haunting, Latin rendition of "O Come O Come Emmanuel" is just beautiful. Likewise, the film as a whole, if nothing else, has fantastic production design, serving greatly in bringing the story to life. Indeed, the film itself really brings the story to life, with little details such as the Nazareth children being taught stories from the Old Testament orally. Also of note is the character of Joseph. He is easily the most interesting character in the movie, with something resembling an actual arc, flaws, emotions, and a half-decent actor. He's easily the best character in this film.

However, that is where the good things end. Let's move on to the bad things, and golly, they are many bad things. Firstly, let's talk about the characters and the actors. Mary's actor, Keisha Castle-Hughes, gives a stagnate portrayal of a stagnate character. She barely reacts to anything, showing minimal outward emotion. She's just so completely devoid of life, ironic, considering whose mother the character is. In this film, Mary has plenty of driving conflict, but zero development. It's a classic example of all sizzle and no steak. By this, I mean that there's plenty of opportunity, plenty of grab (sizzle), but no maturation, no result, no steak. Rather, it's a burnt steak. Mary basically stays the same for the entire movie, and if she does change, she sure doesn't show it. She has absolutely no charisma, or even a personality. And by the way, this is the actress who was nominated for a dadblamed Academy Award!

The rest of the cast (excluding Joseph) is pretty abysmal too, both in terms of acting and characterization, being mediocre at best. The wise men? Why anyone would use the wise men as comic relief is beyond me. Besides, they were never near Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth, only one of the many Biblical inaccuracies in the film. Herod? He's completely devoid of any emotion besides malevolence, and not in a well done way at all. Jarringly enough, he's bizarrely portrayed as something of a family man, eating dinner with the wise men and the fam, even though the Bible clearly states that he summoned them secretly. I think the filmmakers wanted to make Herod a more subtle villain, but they pulled it off very wrongly (the subplot of his familial conflict with Prince Antipas isn't even worth mentioning) Besides, why would you want a terribly subtle villain in a Biblical epic? We need something more menacing. Herod, for all his beard of evilness, is not menacing. I nearly forgot to mention Zechariah (Stanley Townsend) and Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), whose contribution to the story, while important in the Bible, is all but inconsequential here, despite taking up a huge chunk of time! It's a shame, really, because Aghdashloo is the one actor in this movie who actually does a remotely good job.

What else is there to dislike about this movie? Let me count the ways. It's filled with wholly pointless scenes, the shepherds are shoehorned in, and everything is compounded by blatant low budget measures, such as the lack of an angel army choir and using a dadblamed montage to showcase the trip to Egypt, resulting in a greatly abrupt and awkward ending. Also, for such a serious movie, the drama is pretty underwhelming, partly because we all know how the story goes and partly because the way it's played is barely competent.

One final, rather odd note, is that I came away from this movie being reminded of the hideous spectacle known as The Last Airbender, which was based off of a fantastic animated series. By that, I mean that this film had many of the same problems as The Last Airbender- bad acting, underwhelming characterizations, forced plot points, silly departures from the source material, etc. That any movie should remind me of that monstrosity is a huge red flag in and of itself. And yet... I will still always rate The Nativity Story higher than that one. Why? Because, like I said, it has at least some redeeming value, in that, visually, it gives a great rendition of the (popular conception of the) infancy narrative. Granted, it's an amateurish adaptation, but it strives for something that The Last Airbender only dreamed of: grandiosity. This film had ambition. And for that, I'll give it an "E" for effort.

RATING: 6/10

Image courtesy of leeaaron.com

New Year's Day 2014

And here... we... go.

New Year's Day is often seen as little more than a curiosity among holidays. It's a day off, but little more than that, due to the majority of celebrations being held the night before, on New Year's Eve. But for me, New Year's Day is fast becoming an important holiday to me, chiefly because of a new tradition I have started with my buddy Caleb (the GM).

This New Year's Day is the second New Year's Day in a row in which Caleb and I have gotten together to watch a movie. Last year, we had a mind-numbing seven-and-a-half hour marathon of The Dark Knight Saga. This year, we settled for something far less headache inducing: we watched Empire of Dreams, a documentary on the making of the Star Wars original trilogy. This documentary was included with the original trilogy set released back in 2004, and is a monumental achievement in and of itself. It chronicles the background of the George Lucas and how he formulated the Star Wars saga, how the thing was brought to the big screen, and how it turned into what we know it as today. It was a wholly comprehensive look at the series. It'd have to be; it was about 2.5 hours long! It featured interviews with all sorts of people, everybody from George Lucas to Walter Cronkite to Warwick Davis. In short, it was a great documentary which Caleb and I both enjoyed. However, I will not be reviewing it, mainly because I did not take notes. However, I will be looking into re-watching (but not reviewing) the original trilogy bonus material and featurettes, as well as the stuff from the prequel trilogy in future years. Speaking of the future, Caleb and I are considering an original trilogy marathon next year, or a sequel trilogy marathon, or a Christopher Nolan movie marathon (excluding The Dark Knight Saga), or perhaps a The Hobbit marathon, maybe even a Lord of the Rings movie marathon. But we'll have plenty of time to think about that.

New Year's Day is also a time to consider New Year's Resolutions. I have several this year:

* Write a little bit every day.
* Exercise a little bit every day.
* Read (from a book) a little bit every day.
* Eat less junk food.
* Write more review posts (I seriously need to get caught up on my backlog).
* Witness more often.

For tips on making and fulfilling New Year's Resolutions if you are a Christian, please go here. Best of luck to all of you out there who have made new year's resolutions. If you haven't made a new year's resolution (you know who you are) I still wish you luck in all your enterprises this year. Once again, happy new year!

Other things of note that occurred today included dad taking me out driving. I worked on my turning and actually drove around on the open road for a little while. It was ideal driving weather, to say the least. I do  hope that I'll be able to work up my confidence behind the wheel and become a veritable expert at this sort of thing.

Image courtesy of bluemountainvillage.ca

New Year's Eve 2013

Tonight is the final night of 2013. Tomorrow will be 2014. New year celebrations have been celebrated by all cultures around the world, whether they used our Gregorian Calendar or not, such as the Jewish new year celebration The Feast of Trumpets, or the Chinese new year (which also goes by a lunar calendar) celebration, which takes place next year on January 31. New Year's Eve/New Year's Day celebrations are typically celebrated by holding parties where people engage in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, sometimes accompanied by loud music and dancing. There are also fireworks in some areas, including the one in Dubai this year which aspires to be the biggest fireworks display ever to go on record.

For New Year's Eve this year, I decided to take the day off from school, plotting out my schedule for the rest of the week and editing the final chapter and the epilogue of my book. I plan to do much the same tomorrow (that is, take the day off), only tomorrow I'll be going over to my buddy Caleb's house to watch Empire of Dreams. Anyhow, in the late afternoon, we, two of the Rajaos, and my cousin Noa went down to the theater and watched Frozen, after which we went out for dinner. We pigged out on pizza at a certain establishment named after a tobacco using primate. I for one am still full.

All in all, I think that 2013 was, in the words of Frank Sinatra (and later Ray Charles), "a very good year." I got my cell phone, returned to Appalachian Bible College, enrolled in Bellevue College, earned my second degree black belt, got baptized, and got my purity ring sized. I'd say it myself, but I think that Ray Charles can say it better:

Yeah, it was a very good year. Here's hoping that 2014 will be even better! Happy new year, one and all!

Addendum: Also this is my 200th post! How convenient!

Bible Verse Sunday #56

And now, without further ado, I present to you this year's last installment of Bible Verse Sunday. Today's verse is Philippians 4:8:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

The ESV Study Bible has this to say about the verse:

"think about these things The Philippians are to fill their minds with things that will inspire worship of God and service to others."

Today in church in the main service, the pastor talked about the the beginnings of discipleship, and how we have to experience Jesus's unconditional love, trust the Holy Spirit's power, and live in the light of eternity. There High School service was cancelled for today due to Winter Camp. I'm not going, though I did go to summer camp about six months ago, and neither are several of my friends. Nathan (not the one who thinks that Superman is the greatest superhero movie ever made, who will be henceforth referred to as "Nate"), Casper, Kristin, and some others played Uno while we waited for the second service to end. Casper won.

After church, we went home, ate lunch, and then went to my grandparents' apartment and watched the Seahawks game. Go hawks! Then we went home and took down the Christmas tree. Now, it's time to prepare for New Years...

Christmas 2013

Firstly, I would like to wish you all a joyous and merry Christmas. This holiday celebrates the birth of Christ some 2,000 years ago, and is thus rightly the most important holiday in our culture. My family's Christmas celebration this year truly took place over a period of three days; Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, we had brunch with our friends the Meads, the Richardsons, and the Beels at the Beels's house. We dined on waffles, fruit, egg casserole, and two varieties of sausage (skinny and thick). There was much conversation, and my good friends, Nate (the one who thinks that Superman is the greatest superhero film ever made), Nolan, and Caleb (not Caleb the GM) were there. We had a gift exchange consisting strictly of books, and I wound up with a book on superstition. The book that I brought (wrapped in newspaper, as all gifts that I give are) was from the Christian Heroes, Then and Now series. Specifically, it was the book on Eric Liddell, a personal hero of mine. Its full title is Eric Liddell: Something Greater than Gold. Later that day, we had dinner at our house with our friends the Rajaos. We had ham, roast beef, turkey, mashed potatoes, some kind of foreign dish made out of rice and beans and stuff (the Rajaos brought that one), and a gluten free angel food cake. We then opened some presents that we had gotten for each other. I received some clothes, a Barnes & Noble gift card, and a box of Cheeze-Its, among other things.

On Christmas Day, we did relatively little in comparison to the other two days. We got up in the morning, opened our presents, and then had family over for dinner in the afternoon and evening. We opened more presents with the family then. I received many gifts, including a mug with the bat-symbol on it, some clothes, a couple of iTunes gift cards, and some new shoes, among other things. Later on, our cousins on my mom's side, that is, the Cannons and the Shaws, not to mention my Uncle Steve and Grandma Lou, came over. Cousins Blake and Ryan and Aunt Juli were unable to attend for various reasons (Blake was celebrating Christmas Day with his wife and her family, Ryan had to sleep because of his work schedule, and Aunt Juli had work at the hospital where she is employed). We dined mostly on left overs from yesterday, which was a sizable amount of food, and we sat down and opened some more presents that our relatives had brought. I received a Batman t-shirt and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess, Third Edition. I have no doubt that it will be an enjoyable read.

Finally, on Thursday, the day after Christmas, we sat around the house all morning until we went to the Cannons' house in the early afternoon (Dad and Uncle Steve didn't come due to work). We gave Grandma Lou a ride. When we got there, we chatted until dinner time (Blake, Ryan, and Aunt Juli were all there), at about 3:00. We ate a lot of food, including ham, our own mashed potatoes topped with melted cheese, rolls with butter, and Aunt Juli's world famous sweet potatoes. She makes these sweet potatoes with brown sugar and other stuff, and it is a super good dessert. We then opened some presents later on that Aunt Juli had received but had been unable to open. It was a truly happy occasion. We then went home.

Now, I would like to close this Christmas post with a quote concerning Christmas, selected from the quote book Quotable Quotations, compiled by Lloyd Cory. Art Fettig said concerning Christmas, "Some businessmen are saying that this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought that the first one was." I couldn't agree more. A blessed, very merry Christmas to you all, and a happy new year.

Image courtesy of hdwallpaperscool.com

Bible Verse Sunday #55

This week's verse is Hebrews 13:5:

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"

The ESV Study Bible has this to say about the verse:

"The antidote to love of money is contentment, which comes fromm trusting in God's promised provision (see Deut. 31:6, 8: also Josh. 1:5). The citation from Ps. 118:6 applies the idea of trusting in God for more than just financial needs (esp. in light of persecution, Heb. 13:3)."

Today in church, the pastor continued in the second-to-last installment of the our study in Isaiah 9:6, going over the terms used to identify Jesus in this verse. This week, we studied the title "Everlasting Father." This title, the pastor said, is especially important as it links Jesus to his and Jehovah's statuses as eternal, and therefore being one and the same. In the High School service, we had a sort of Christmas party where we ate food at a sort of junk food potluck (my sister baked and brought oatmeal-craisin cookies). This was followed by the singing of Christmas carols, and then a short address by Pastor Wes on the basics of the Christmas story. This address included a reading of Luke 2:1-20. 

Bible Quiz Team Christmas Party 2013

Tonight was the Bible Quiz Team Christmas party, and it was a joyous, fun filled occasion. After dining on snack food, desserts, and some legitimate food, we had a quiz on Christmas-related Bible trivia, that is, on the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. I got 35 out of 150. My sister got 125, so I think it's official that she's smarter than me. Dangnabbit, but oh well. We then had a gift exchange, where gifts included chocolates (such as my gift), gift cards, nail polish, toothpaste boxes filled with rocks (one part of my sister's gift), a DVD (the other part of my sister's gift), and a enormous teddy bear which was even larger than Ava, the girl who acquired it. This bear, named Livingston, it turns out, had been owned by Jeff, a former quizzer who is now one of our Novice team's quiz coaches. He brought it to the gift exchange so as to pass it on to another quizzer, for he himself had gotten it at a previous Bible Quiz Team gift exchange. I wound up with a box of Hershey's Chocolates, not a bad prize. Overall, it was a fun Christmas party, and I really loved the laughter brought on by the gift exchange, as well as during the quiz (when Mr. Wendt was reading the questions off, pointed out in a humorous manner that the answers were printed on the back of his sheet of paper, visible. Everybody laughed while Mr. Wendt fetched a folder to cover up the answers with). In short, I had a great time.

Bible Verse Sunday #54, LMA Christmas Party, and Christmas Shopping

Today's verse is 1 Samuel 10:6:

"Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man."

The ESV Study Bible has this to say about the verse:

"In 1-2 Samuel, the phrase "the Spirit of the Lord" appears only in connection with his anointed ones, i.e., Saul and David (1 Sam. 16:13-14; 2 Sam 23:2). Th eexpression The Spirit of the Lord will rush upon (someone) appears only in Judges and 1 Samuel, ending with David (Judg. 14:6, 19: 15:14; 1 Sam. 10:10; 11:6, 16:13). It always speaks of god's Spirit coming suddenly on someone to equip and empower that person to serve the interests of God's people. The onrush of the spirit of the Lord upon Saul is predicted, but not nanipulated as in Canaanite practices; it is necessary in order to dispel any doubts Saul might have about his choice and as a public demonstration that he is now the "prince" (10:1). It is related to his election as king, and does not mean that he is becoming a prophet (cf. v. 11). be turned into another man. Not by losing self but rather by being equipped with power to play a new role (see Judg. 6:34; 11:29). Cf. "another heart" (1 Sam. 10:9)."

EDIT: Forgot to recap the sermons! In the main service, Pastor Nick continued in the series on Isaiah, looking over Jesus' titles as detailed in Isaiah 9:6. This week, he discussed the title "Mighty King," detailing how Jesus is a powerful ruler who wants to make a change in your life. In the High School service, after a brief discussion of Bethlehem, we sang Christmas songs. Then Pastor Wes continued in his series on Romans, talking about Romans 2 where it talks about judging.

Woof! that's a lot of text. Anyhow, last night was the LMA Christmas, party, and it was a happy occasion filled with lots of food. Dressed in my finest (and only) suit, I saw friends that I hadn't seen in a while, and we all made merry, talked and laughed, and ate a lot of food. Near the end, awards were given to outstanding students, parents, and families, and we had a toy drive for Communities in Schools of Renton. Also, Mr. Driver gave a speech summarizing 2013 for the dojang, and I was asked to read my black belt paper to the attendees. Before that, however, I was asked to tell a joke, and I told them the joke about the mime in the gorilla suit. Everybody laughed (If you want to hear what the joke is, look my number up on Facebook, call me, and I'll tell you). Moreover, since my paper has been so well received, I have elected to post it both here and on Facebook within the week instead of just linking to it. I'm sure that you all will like it.

Today, my dear old dad and I went Christmas shopping after church. Of course, we already did a lot of Christmas shopping on Black Friday, so our Christmas shopping trip basically meant sitting around the print shop looking for good deals on Amazon. But nevertheless, I can't wait to receive all of the stuff and give my gifts to people! Yay! 

In other news, my dear Aunt Naomi and her daughter Noa came over for dinner. We ate tacos and we're planning on watching a Doctor Who? Christmas Special later this evening, as soon as I finish this blog post... Also, the latest episode of The Joker Blogs - Series 2: One Bad Day just got posted yesterday! Go check it out! It's awesome!

(Belated) Bible Verse Sunday #53 & Christmas Tree Hunting

Yesterday's verse was 2 John 1:9:

"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

The ESV Study Bible has this to say about the verse:

"Goes on ahead probably refers to "new" teaching that amounted to rejection of the apostolic faith. Does not have God, i.e., does not have eternal life in fellowship with God. Threats to church purity come not only from the outside but often from within. Paul wrote that some at Corinth had "no knowledge of God" (1 Cor 15:34)."

In church yesterday, the pastor in the main service spoke about how Christ helps to bring clarity to spiritual confusion and chaos. In the High School service, the youth pastor talked about how we might live as though we were ashamed of the gospel, and how we should seek to do the right thing by faith. 

Yesterday was also the day we went Christmas tree hunting. We and some friends of ours from the Rajao family piled into our Sequoia and drove out to this tree farm. After carefully examining the trees, we selected a couple of marvelous specimens (one for us, one for the Rajaos), which can be viewed on my mother's Facebook page. We set it up and decorated later than night. I think we can safely say that it's Christmastime.

Pearl Harbor Day 2013

Today is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the day when Japanese forces 
bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Seventy-two years ago today, in 1941, this attack claimed the lives of about 2,400 Americans, and led to the United States' involvement in World War Two. Pearl Harbor Day was first inaugurated as an official day of memorial in on August 23, 1994. It is not a federal holiday, but many people and organizations gather to remember this "day that will live in infamy," such as the 2,500 people who gathered at Pearl Harbor today. This group included 50 survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

For me, today was not only Pearl Harbor Day, but my sister Naomi's 11th birthday party. I didn't see the party though, because, my dad, my sister Rebekah and I quit the house for a while to go down to the shop. I did my job and brought my trusty computer along, just in case. I wasn't able to do what I had originally intended (that is, put my textbooks from Fall quarter at BC up for sale and purchase my books for next quarter), but I did manage to do my job of cleaning the shop, and got lunch with Dad and Rebekah.

After dad took Rebekah home while I finished up cleaning at the shop, dad and I went to where these people with the Downtown Renton Committee were roasting chestnuts and handing out warm cider and cookies. I stopped by the Comic Hut to browse, and, since I wanted to get into the Thor comics soon, I purchased for $3.50 a copy of Journey into Mystery #639. It seemed to be as good a place as any to get into Thor, even though it's primarily Loki's book, as that character is so quick to declare. Once I get finished with the Spider-Man stuff I want to read, which could take a while, I will move into the 2007 Thor series, and read on from there. I have a very complicated list system.

Anyhow, we then trekked down to the Piazza, where, despite missing the tree lighting, we saw the arrival of Santa Claus on a fire engine. It was an exciting occasion, and many small children and older personages alike were greatly thrilled. Dad and I then walked back to the shop, gathered our things, loaded the car, and headed for home. Naomi's party had long since ended, and I helped myself to a piece of leftover cake. Perhaps we will watch some kind of old war movie tonight in celebration of Pearl Harbor Day. Last year, if you recall, we watched Tora! Tora! Tora!, a marvelous film if I ever saw one. I think we might watch Captains of the Clouds tonight if there is time. In the meantime, a blessed Pearl Harbor Day to you readers, one and all!

Image courtesy of timeanddate.com

Thanksgiving 2013 and Black Friday 2013

I've elected not to mark future belated posts (other than Bible Verse Sunday posts), including this one, as belated. This is because I now see that due to a crowded schedule, nearly all of my posts are becoming belated. In view of this, I find it ridiculous and unrealistic to have all of my posts commemorating significant occasions be posted on the exact same day as the said occasions occur. Therefore, this post (and future "belated" posts) will not be marked as "belated." Now, on to the main  event...

The first Thanksgiving was originally celebrated by the Pilgrims as a feast to celebrate their survival and bountiful harvest in 1621 (It was not, itself, a feast of literal giving of thanks, which would have been celebrated by fasting and prayer). Various Thanksgiving Days were proclaimed by church and political leaders throughout the years to come, to give thanks for various things. For example, President George Washington once proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to give thanks to God for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga. However, Thanksgiving wasn't made an official, federal holiday until President Abraham Lincoln made it so in 1863. Since then, it has been celebrated annually in the United States. Though various "harvest festivals" are celebrated in countries throughout the world, Thanksgiving is the only holiday specifically dedicated to giving thanks for our blessings from the Almighty. Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated by gathering family members and eating a lot of food, watching the football game, and reflecting on what we're thankful for.

Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, was celebrated by I and my family in a way I don't believe we ever had before. By this, I mean that most of the guests for the occasion weren't family members, but were but friends of the family. The Hilliards and the Rajaos were here, as well as my Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty and my grandparents on my dad's side, so that there were fifteen people in all. We had a wonderful time! I taught Ano, Mr. and Mrs. Rajao's son, how to play chess (he needs more practice), ate a huge amount of food, and generally had a good time filled with uplifting conversation. After everyone else left, I and my family watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," still pretty funny and touching after all of these years. This year, I am thankful for my friends, my family, the roof over my head and the food I have to eat, and my wonderful, (still mostly) free country. I am also thankful for all of the material possessions that the Lord has seen fit to bequeath to me, for my good health, and for our safe travels. Most of all though, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the many other blessings that I may have forgotten to mention.

And now for something completely different. That is to say, let's talk about Black Friday. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is a day of greed, chaos, and waste, ironically following what is supposed to be a day of gratitude, calm, and conservation. Contrary to popular belief, its name does not come from companies getting "in the black," but rather from a nickname coined by Philadelphia police who viewed the occasion with dread. The best sales of the year are on this day, resulting in shoppers flooding stores at all hours of the day, trying to beat each other (sometimes literally) to that great deal on that flat screen or what not. Contrary to popular belief, this nightmarish scenario is not a result of capitalism, but of materialistic commercialism. There is a significant difference, but that's a different post. This day is often made light of over at Retail (for more on the comic, click here), for good reason.

For Black Friday, my dad and I traditionally try to avoid the chaos at the big stores and go do something together, usually bowling and Christmas shopping at more low key locations, such as Barnes & Noble. This year, we went down to ACME Bowl down in South Center, and we bowled a good game. He won, but I'd like to think I acquitted myself well, with around 200 points (he had around 280). That said, I really, really need to work on my technique. I went stretches of getting four gutter balls in a row, multiple times! But it was still fun, despite my wrist aching a bit at the end. We then went over to Barnes & Noble and bought some stuff. I'm so glad I have all these gift cards! After that, we drove back to Renton, grabbed lunch at Burger Town, and teamed with a bunch of other people to decorate downtown Renton. We had a lot of High School helpers this year, and I stopped by the Comic Hut after we were done and picked up a copy of Azrael: Agent of the Bat #62. I then went down to LMA to help out at the Parent's Night Out event, in which a group of younger kids were entertained with games, pizza, and, because it was Instructor Driver's birthday today, cake! All of the attendees were treated to the opportunity to shove a whipped cream pie in Instructor Driver's face (also, happy birthday, Mr. Driver!)! I helped a lot, doing things like putting down boundary cones, and with helping get rid of leftover pizza. Man, those kids were loud. But hey, pizza! Plus, the proceeds from admission go to benefit the LMA Christmas party. In sum, this was a fine beginning of the Christmas season. Man, I love Christmastime. I like Thanksgiving better, but Christmastime is a close third, after Easter. It's just so festive!

Image courtesy allianceabroad.com