Happy New Year, etc.

Well, the ball has dropped, a bazillion people wished Dick Clark health and Regis once again astounded me by being considered an interesting braodcaster. Auld Lang Syne and all that.

I had the nice, but short-sighted, idea to let the kids stay up playing Nintendo 'til midnight or they fell asleep...REALLLLLLY thought they'd collapse before 10. But the Princess crashed 'round 11:30 (should've been 9:30, but she's stubborn) and the boys made it to 12...but next year, back to the regular movie-thon...that'll be sure to get 'em down early.

Happy New Year's all...see ya in a few.

Fiction binge

Since I finished classes a couple weeks ago (and honestly, during study breaks that last week) I've been reading pretty much nothing but novels (so much for my "I'm going to take this break to read up some hard-core theology stuff I've been putting off" plan...maybe in May).

Well, as part of this binge, I've reread a couple of Rex Stout's, started a reread of a Parker, knocked off 2 well-written novels I will probably never want to re-visit, and have just started a Science Fiction novel, In the Garden of Iden, as recommended by a chat pal.

In many books there's something you read that makes you say, "Okay, doesn't matter what happens in the rest of this book, I'm here to the end." I should probably have an example of this, but really can't come up with any but the one I'm talking about at the moment. Anyhow, paragraph 2 of chapter 2 in this book is this moment for me:

Also there, in the enormous cathedral, the Infanta Katherine, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, is supposed to have stopped to hear mass on her way to marry the Prince of England. Now, in this cathedral was a silver censer, big as a cauldron, that swung in stately arcs at the end of a chain; and during the Infanta's Mass the chain broke and this censer hurtled out of the church through a window and exploded like a bomb on the paving stones outside. Some people would have taken this as an omen, but not the Infanta. She went resolutely on to England and would up marrying King Henry the Eighth. This shows that one ought to pay attention to omens.

Pac Man Fever

The family got a GameCube last week. Oy. Today has been spent trying to get the older three kids to the point where they can actually do something other than push buttons madly. To say that patience is required is a radical understatement (for all of us). To say I succeeded in that would be an overstatement.

Overall, Frodo and I did okay. Sam has moments where he comes close to getting it. Daddy's Little Princess is still too little :) But they're having fun...and tonight after the kiddos are safely tucked into bed, my wife will teach me what a Quidditch player should look like (not me), and I'll show her why a Yankees fan will ultimately triumph over a Sox fan. :) And really, isn't that what the holiday season is all about? Demolishing each other on the sports field?

Anyway, thanks to value-packs at Costco (yes, even video games are in bulk), we were able to get a handful of games to get us started. Surprisingly enough, Piglet's Big Adventuree, isn't that great of a game to start kids off with. Mostly because it is really hard to see the point in anything. Mario Kart: Double Dash is bunches of fun, but until they get the whole hand-eye coordination thing down, not the best use of time. Pac-World 2, so far is their game. Simple objectives, short levels...and so far, they think it's a blast.

Oversaturation

Hollywood needs to slow down with these comic movies--they're talking 2 X-men spin-offs...there's even rumors of a Wonder Twins movie. It's just too much folks...the market will backlash....

At the same time, I can't believe that The Martian Manhunter is having such a hard time getting anything going! Who wouldn't want to watch/make a movie about him?

12 Days of Christmas Revised

Got this off a humor list...no author given

On the 12th day of Eurocentrically imposed midwinter festival my significant other in a consenting, adult, monogamous, relationship gave to me:

Twelve males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming.

Eleven pipers piping (plus an 18 member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract, even though they will not be asked to play a note.)

Ten melanin deprived testosterone poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping.

Nine persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression.

Eight economically disadvantaged female persons stealing milk products from enslaved bovine Americans.

Seven endangered swans swimming on federally protected wetlands.

Six enslaved fowl-Americans producing stolen non-human animal products.

Five golden symbols of culturally sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration. (After members of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, hens and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further Animal-American enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.)

Four hours of recorded whale songs.

Three deconstructionist poets.

Two Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled processed tree carcasses, and

One Spotted owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Good Kwanzaa,, Blessed Yule, and Happy Holidays*

*unless you are suffering from seasonally affected disorder (SAD). If this is the case, please substitute this gratuitous call for celebration with the suggestion that you have a thoroughly adequate day.

Must read for the week

Christians in the crossfire - Michelle Malkin

Yes, it's maddening when politically correct bureaucrats ban nativity scenes and Christmas carols in the name of "diversity" and "tolerance." We are under attack by Secularist Grinches Gone Wild. But the war on Christmas in America is a mere skirmish.

Around the world, a bloody, repressive war on Christians rages on.

read on...

From fetus to baby

Rich Lowry:

Given that fetuses are routinely destroyed in America (and legally can be destroyed up to the point of delivery), it was odd to see such an uproar about the welfare of one.

Some good news on the baby front: the world's smallest baby.

Yessir, that's my baby...

Years ago, a certain young lady made a horrible mistake, she allowed herself to think she couldn't do better than me. And then she compounded that error by promising to spend the rest of my life with me. Somehow, she finds the strength to carry on.

Well, a couple of days ago, she once again was acknowledged as being the wonderful person I know she is. She received an award from the director of the state department that she's employed by. This is the second time in the last 2 or 3 years she's been so honored.

Way to go, honey.

Now we're cookin'!

Frodo's favorite show, believe it or not, is probably Good Eats, the food network show hosted by Alton Brown. For the record, I'vebecome somewhat of a fan...goofy and smart guy making things I never will in a very entertaining way. Anywho, today I stumbled upon his sometimes updated blog...bookmarking this for sure. It contains such gems as:

The fact that “Dr.” Phil has the number 1 cookbook on Amazon.com makes me want to end it all.

and

Here’s what it comes down to kids. Ronald McDonald doesn’t give a damn about you. Neither does that little minx Wendy or any of the other icons of drivethroughdom. And you know what, they’re not supposed to. They’re businesses doing what businesses do. They don’t love you. They are not going to laugh with you on your birthdays, or hold you when you’re sick and sad. They won’t be with you when you graduate, when your children are born or when you die. You will be with you and your family and friends will be with you. And, if you’re any kind of human being, you will be there for them. And you know what, you and your family and friends are supposed to provide you with nourishment too. That’s right folks, feeding someone is an act of caring. We will always be fed best by those that care, be it ourselves or the aforementioned friends and family.

We are fat and sick and dying because we have handed a basic, fundamental and intimate function of life over to corporations. We choose to value our nourishment so little that we entrust it to strangers. We hand our lives over to big companies and then drag them to court when the deal goes bad. This is insanity.

Feed yourselves.
Feed your loved ones.
And for God’s sake feed your children.

Don’t trust anyone else to do it…not anyone. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go out to dinner every now and then…that is after all one of the great joys of life…but it isn’t life itself and that’s what I’m talking about.

Is MacDonalds food bad for you? What do you think? Does that mean you shouldn’t eat it? No, it just means you shouldn’t live on it or anything else made by someone you wouldn’t hug.

Burgers don’t kill people.
People kill people.
Don’t be one of them.

I'm Done!

Sent off the last final about 1.5 hrs ago, catching a little R&R with the kids (in the form of Spider-Man 2).

Ahhhhh.

Keeping his Comments Pithy and to the Point

'course he has to, only gets XX seconds on air for them...David Asman's The Asman Observer from today gets it right.

Daddy Time

The Kidney Kid is having quite the "I need time with Daddy" kind of day.
Which is great...I 'm really enjoying the way he's bonded to me at this age
better than any kid since Frodo. BUT. I'm having quite the "I need to
finish this reading I fell asleep doing so I can take my final exam while
drinking copious amounts of coffee" kind of day. Those two don't mesh well.
Sadly for my academic life, stopping his screaming (by laying down next to
him and letting him pull on my nose and ears) is winning.

Quick Hits

• Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow. Who thought that this was a good idea?
• Future Fuel Prices Skyrocket around Thanksgiving
• Headline: Methodist church stirs controversy with statue. DUH!

When some members of Amor de Dios United Methodist Church in Little Village elected to move a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe into the sanctuary last year, the icon spawned an exodus.

Turned off by the introduction of a Roman Catholic tradition to a Protestant congregation, most of the church's 15 founding parishioners drifted away. To them, venerating the Virgin Mary and reciting the rosary did not belong in a Methodist church.

Pastors of other Hispanic Methodist congregations objected too. They said praying to the Virgin equaled idolatry.

And Roman Catholics in the neighborhood worried that the church might be selling itself as something it was not.

Welcome to Earth!

Congrats to Alex and Cassie. Hi Katrina! You know this is the first time in ages I've heard of someone in your family being early to something. Way to go girl... :)

Links of the Day

• This'd make a great stocking stuffer if I wasn't the only person I knew who'd want it.
• Nice column...We Red Staters can get offended, too
• ACLU Homeland Holiday Alert System
• Church Sign of the Month - November 2004
• And most important of all....The New Batman Begins Trailer

Updates

d'oh! Forgot to hit "Publish Post" on Saturday...and here I thought I was entertaining you all for days with my little tale o' woe...sorry

Also, got some links fixed/updated over there to the left...

My (dullish) Brush with CSI

So I'm leaving work last night/this morning/whatever and I see that my interior light is on...so naturally, I feel like a dummy. I don't remember leaving the light on...don't remember turning it on for that matter. So I start hoping there's enough juice left in the battery. Hop in, and it starts up really easily--who-hoo!

And then, as Archie Goodwin would say, I utter a word. My CD-Player, or at least the faceplate of it, is missing. So I get out, walk back and knock on the the window near the office (almost giving my manager a cardial infarction), call the cops, etc. etc. Other than being on hold for an eternity or three, that was a pleasant experience--friendly person answering the phone and the officer arrived pretty darn quick for a litle thing like this.

The Officer is very friendly, keeps reassuring me that things like the bandit's* fingerprints not showing up here or there isn't my fault, frankly nothing is my fault, and I shouldn't feel bad about touching what I did before I figured out I'd been pilfered. My wallet had been looked at, but was left with everything in it (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know..don't leave my wallet in there...).

So the Officer determines that they rapscallion entered through the sliding door, and gets his fingerprint dusting kit out of the back of the CSI SUV...I'm tempted to ask if I can just sit in there and look around while he's doing his thing. But I take the wise route. So he's putting his little purple magnetic fingerprint powerder around the door and then "Cool!" Yes, here's a fully armed (taser gun as well as something more lethal), crew cut wearing, tough looking cop, playing with a little brush, shouting "Cool!" like someone in #prosapologian talking about a new blog.

What was cool? He got a print. Most likely not mine, since I hadn't touched that door since Monday. Should take about a month to find out if there's a hit.

In the end, am missing my garage door opener and face plate to my CD Player. What an idiot. Now it's mostly a good story...

oh yeah, and I have to buy the Spider-Man Soundtrack again...never coming out of that deck...

* Frodo's word for him...

Better Poster

This is the international market version of the Batman Begins poster.

Full size is all over the place, here, for example.

Perplexed

I was looking for something else on the new PCA magazine site (I *miss* PCAnews!!) and stumbled upon the news that Ligonier has a new president. Good for Dr. Sproul...he needs to cut back. But I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that Timothy Dick's previous work as executive V.P., and he "has overseen the expansion of the ministry, which includes the recent acquisition of Soli Deo Gloria Ministries and a new product development cycle."

WHAT??? Ligonier bought SDG? Sure enough...tried to pull up their site and got this:
Welcome to Soli Deo Gloria's storefront.

Bummer II

Hot Potatoes reports:

Bad news for Shrekies: 'Shrek 3' Swamped Until 2007/E-online: Say it ain't so, Princess Fiona. I might be able to wait an extra year or two for the final "Star Wars" episode. But three years for another Shrek movie. That's cruel and inhumane punishment.

Bummer

Got this bit of news today:

Aflac, the insurance company that rose to pop-cultural heights on the wings of a waterfowl, is launching a $50 million ad campaign that partly muzzles its web-footed friend and instead seeks to better define what the company does. The move is a risky one, given the iconic status the feathered creature has reached since being introduced in January 2000.

Overheard...

Jeopardy's ratings have fallen off sharply since Ken Jennings' record winning streak ended last week. In related news, the sky is blue.

The Ever Quotable Michelle Malkin

Even in small doses she's great.

Bush=Lucy.
House GOP mavericks=Charlie Brown.
Real immigration reform=football.

Argh.

Time Off

Haven't had a lot to say the last few days...been very busy wroking on papers/projects/etc. Really fried my brain in doing so--I kept making really dumb mistakes all Friday night at work, it was like I was a trainee all over again. So I took a few days off, just to relax, enjoy life. Didn't do anything major--watched Spider-man 2 with the kids, hung out with the Mrs, re-read a Rex Stout novel. Nicely, I didn't get scheduled to come in since Saturday, too. I think I extended my vacation a day too long, honestly, now as I look at the questions I have to answer for my History of western Philosophy Final. But I don't care really :) It was nice just being a dad for a bit. More than nice, it was just what I needed.

Back to the grindstone now. 2 finals before next Friday(one open-book/long answer, and another closed book/short answer). Much to read, more to write before then.

The Poster is Up

In my continuing effort to keep my beloved readers up to date on the soon-to-be classid Batman Begins, I bring you the first poster:

The full size image is here.
This reminds me...need to share some thoughts about Spider-Man 2's DVD...maybe tomorrow. For now, need to finish watching this House episode I taped...I hope this show catches on enough that they put out a Season 1 DVD set...

Another Product Idea that just Needs a Marketer

Oreo filling without the fuss of the "cookie sandwich." Just put it in a
little 8 oz. plastic tub--3 oz. travel size, 30 oz. "Family size." Maybe
attach a couple of plastic spoons for ease...Guaranteed to make you a
millionaire...

(disclaimer: this post brought to you by a sleep-deprived person od-ing on
coffee, soda and Double Stuff Oreos)

Mr. Gates if you're reading this...

and why wouldn't you?

Could you see to it that a special King James/Authorized Version Language
Pack is developed for Windows/Word/etc.? I'm really tired of my spell check
having problems with "-eth" and so on.

Thanks.

Kidney Kid Update

Another specialist visit done. The Doc's very pleased with how things are going for him in general. His growth, etc., could be better, but he's within acceptable levels. Blood pressure's on the high end of normal, but given that we're giving him extra sodium to help with growth, it's expected. His lab work is good--the creatinine level in his blood appear to have leveled off, which means this is as good as he's going to get. Doc figures he'll stay at this point for about a year, and then start to go downhill. Personally, I'd gotten used to nothing but improvements, and this news was a blow.

But as his Great-Grandma reminded me, we've got to get through this for him to get better, which is the big goal, right? (thanks GG!) From the get-go this has been one of the three things we've been looking for to determine transplant time. Where he levels off, how long he levels off for, and how quickly he drops off from that. One down, two to go. Hopefully it'll be awhile.

He's developing quite a fun personality, has a great laugh, has the annoying tendency to grind his teeth (shudder), loves pulling CD's off their shelves and playing with electronic equipment, will be crawling all too soon. Aside from the drama, he's really the easiest baby we've had.

Again, thanks for all your prayers and interest.