I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys-R-Us kid

Coming into this holiday season I’m reminded of one of my favorite child-hood memories. Every year when I was a kid, come Christmas time, my mom used to take my brothers and I out Christmas shopping. Now, I have three brothers, and my mom got us started at an early age buying Christmas gifts for each other. In order to do this and still keep it a surprise what gifts we had bought for our brothers, she would pick a Saturday, make sure that we had all saved up our thirty dollars from allowance money ($10 for each brother’s gift), and then take us out one by one to shop, and we always had to be in a different room of the house when they got back to the house so as not to catch a glimpse of the gifts. Well, my mom’s method meant that every year she made four subsequent trips to the local Toys-R-Us, and each of these trips almost invariably led to the Lego’s isle.

Twilight has Teens all a’Twitter

Apparently it’s the most watched trailer online. Apparently it’s soundtrack is number one right now. Apparently it has teenage girls lining up around the book. Apparently the books have sold more then 25 million copies worldwide. Apparently the story is also bad for your soul.

Chuck Wilson of the Voice writes of the movie:

“In the 17-million-copy land of Twilight, the calling card isn’t blood and fangs, but the exquisite, shimmering quiver of unconsummated first love.”

How to Contact Your Favorite Hollywood Big Shot (the right way)

Here’s a sobering thought for any Narnia enthusiasts. Dawn Treader’s budget has been already been slashed by 50 million as compared to its predessor and Disney wants to cut 50 more, trimming it down to a lean $100 million, half as much as Prince Caspain cost.

Now, this isn’t horrible news for an effects film. A lower budget often encourages creativity. However, this does tell us that Disney is quickly loosing faith in the Narnia franchise. Not only are they encouraging a lower budget, but they have also mysteriously removed Dawn Treader from next year’s original may timeslot in favor of Prince of Persia. This doesn’t mean Dawn Treader is in jeapordy of not being made. Rather, it tells us that Disney simply doesn’t know what to do with it.

Hector, the real hero of the Iliad?

In returning to Troy to gather his mother and all the noble women to offer prayers to Athena, Hector approaches his brother Paris, and hurls insults toward him for his prolonged absence from the war.

Helen, the mistress of Paris and woman whom the Achaean and Trojans have spent years of agony and suffering for, seductively speaks to Hector, first lamenting that she is not the wife of a better man, then softly encouraging him to, “Come in, rest on this seat with me…You are the one hit hardest by the fighting, Hector.” Hector responds in noble fashion,

I’ve got 98 theses but the Pope ain’t one!

In lieu of anything substantive to say, here’s something rather silly.

That’s right, it’s a Reformation Rap! And considering that Reformation day has just passed, I find this a fitting celebration.

My favorite line:

“Oh snap, he’s messin’ with the holy communion.”
But I ain’t never dissed your precious hypostatic union!

Praise the Living God: Songs of Grace

My Church- Grace Ev Free La Mirada has just released at worship album.

Walt Harrah, our beloved and amazing worship leader who has written pretty much all the songs on the album, and various other musically talented members of our church have worked endlessly for the past three years trying to complete this project.

This past Saturday night we had a concert that celebrated this release.

The great thing about this is that you can download the whole album for free!
Just go to www.songsofgrace.org. We hope it blesses you.

The Case for John McCain

The election is at hand, and America is reeling. Fatigued by election and economy, we have got ourselves “stuck in a moment, and we can’t get out of it.” But get out of it we must, and if we can manage to zoom out and see the big picture, we see that McCain and Obama offer two different visions for America. I believe we should go with McCain, and here are three reasons why.

First, John McCain brings the right blend of wisdom and toughness to finish this war and provide solid leadership in a post-9/11 world. He has been personally involved in every major American conflict in the last five decades, giving him a deep historical perspective which will enhance his leadership as commander in chief. He was a war hero in Vietnam, and his service in Congress stretches back to the presidency of Reagan and the Cold War era. While Obama might make a better diplomat, McCain would certainly make a better commander in chief.