This week “Vol. 3” of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies was released to streaming on Disney+. It is light-hearted sci-fi action fun. I was going to write a synopsis of the three movies, but it is enough to say the leader of the Guardians, Peter Quill, Star Lord (he wants everyone to call him that but no one does – he just wanted a really cool nickname…) … where was I… oh, yeah. In every one of the movies he ends up in space without all or some part of a space suit. Continue reading →

This morning I had to opportunity to swim at the Rouse Center in Stafford. While churning away the yards in the competition pool, nearby in the recreation pool the Water Exercise program churned away to what seemed to be the greatest hits of the 1970s… at least if the tunes were all in the bopping range with sufficient beats per minute. The BeeGees “Staying Alive” is a regular feature, clocking in at 105 bpm. Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” is also a regular at 123 bpm. In case you’re wondering, I only hear all this during rest between sets. So far I have avoided ear worms. Continue reading →

The gospel passage Matthew 13:54-58 offers a profound reflection on the nature of assumptions and the limitations they impose on our understanding and beliefs. In this passage, Jesus returns to his hometown, and the people there are astonished by his wisdom and miraculous works. However, instead of embracing him as the Messiah, they respond with skepticism and disbelief, saying, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?”  After all, wasn’t he just the son of a carpenter? They knew his family. At this point, perhaps it is an honest question? Maybe for some, but we finally read, “And they took offense at him.” Continue reading →

As I am sure y’all know, the Barbie movie is out and it is exceeding box office sales well beyond expectations, and expectations were already pretty high. I have no comments or insights about the movie as I have  not seen it… and am not likely to watch it in theaters. When it streams? A friend and I have a general pre-watch classification system for movie. Barbie falls in the “streaming online, weather is terrible, I’m stuck inside, and why not” category.  But all that is neither here or there. This post is following the “breaking news” that Barbie’s pink is (a) not real world and (b) that her pink looks fake!  Seriously, there was an article in this morning’s news. Continue reading →