Here's some photos from the Erie County (NY) Fair. A good time was had by all. the cute little kid in the pictures is my niece. Also, the things in the white bag are deep fried Oreos. Enjoy!
Earlier this week, the town of Silver Creek, NY (where I currently reside) was devastated by massive flooding. The trailer court was pretty much destroyed, as was the fire house. Here are some pics. Also included is a video of some of the devastation.
This is absolutely heartbreaking, dear readers. Please keep all of the people in Western NY in your thoughts and prayers.
As I explained in a post last year, I have a reading list. The list is organized by month. Each month has a different theme. I try to read books and articles in that category each month.
It's a system that works for me. I don't actually plan what specific books I'll read. I just read what's in that category for the months, and looks good. The cycle starts over every September. Also, I should note that this list IS in a particular order.
SEP: Evangelism OCT: History NOV: NT/Luke DEC: Preaching JAN: Lutheran Confessions FEB: Other Religions MAR: Prayer APR: Pastoral Theology/Pastoral Ministry MAY: Old Testament JUN: Worship JUL: Gospel of John AUG: Christian Lit. Classics
Like I said, this list and this reading plan works for me. Other pastors have different systems which work for them.
Let me bring up something that's been on my mind for a little while. At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney or some other bitter old man, let me ask what's the deal with little kids wearing replica concert T-shirts or band T-shirts?
The other night I attended National Night Out block party in Buffalo. There was a little girl wearing a T-shirt that had a replica of the Woodstock poster. And she was way too young to even have attended the one in 1994!
This isn't the first time. I've seen kids as young as 8, 9, and 10 wearing shirts bearing the name and/or album covers as such luminaries as Led Zepplin, AC/DC, and Jimi Hendrix. You just want to walk up to these kids and say, "I'll give you a dollar if you can name a Led Zepplin song. I mean, other than 'Stairway to Heaven.'" Maybe they can, and I am simply underestimating them.
Look, I'm no great dresser or fashionista. Even a cursory glimpse at the photos on this page should inform you of that fact. But, even I know that "faux vintage" is just not cool.
Just wondering what the deal is. Feel free to comment.
This place is really close to my house on Routes 5 & 20. Technically, it's in Irving, NY. I know summer has officially arrived when this place opens.
They've got all kinds of specialty sundaes. They're all pretty tasty. Especially interesting is their "flavor of the week." Each week they have a new flavor of soft-serve ice cream. As you can see in the pic, this particular week's flavor is pistachio. Pretty good. You can get the flavor of the week by itself or twisted with vanilla.
I just felt the need to tell you how great Frosty Treat is. And to give them a little free press. As always, I received no compensation for my endorsement. And I needed to post something.
So, a while back, I asked for suggestions for redecorating the kitchen/dining room area of my parsonage. The choice came down to wine or chickens. The polls indicated that the wine theme was the overwhelming favorite. So, that's what I went for. Though, I am still tempted by the chickens at times. Anyway, as part of the decor, I felt I needed a wine rack. I looked all over for ones that I liked, as well as ones that would look good in the room (they weren't always the same). Anyway, I was at a wine store in Dunkirk, NY and came across this cool number.
I like it for a couple reasons:
1) Uniqueness. 2) My living room has an outdoors/nature theme. It would ease the transition.
Anyway, here's the pic. Please note: the photo was taken at the store, not in the house.
What a fun movie! That's the best way to summarize the whole experience. I saw the movie in 3D, as the title informs you. That really enhanced my film watching.
This is the third film in the Ice Age franchise. And, I am a big fan of it! The film features the familiar characters and voices of the previous two. The plot is certainly scientifically inaccurate. More mature viewers will recognize this, and the kids will have plenty of time to learn the science as they advance in school. But, on the other hand, it is a work of fiction. And a fun one at that.
The comparisons to the Shrek franchise are inevitable I suppose. (I loved the first 2 Shrek movies, and was kind of bored by the third.) But I will say this about the Ice Age films. there are enough regular jokes and sight gags for everyone. That is to say, they don't feel the need to resort to a bombardment of pop culture references for the grown-ups (as the Shrek films tend to do). And this is coming from a guy who loves his pop culture references (couldn't love Family Guy if I didn't)!
The discussion factor is not as high as it might be in other films, but the are opportunities for dialogue. Part of it is technical, as in the animation and 3D aspects. But, it might spur a conversation about friendship, families, and other areas of life. The "That Guy" factor is a pretty tough for two reasons: 1) the characters are all voiced by actors, and 2) most of them are well-known actors. The us the grades at the end of the review will reflect that.
But, overall, the film is a good one. It's a great way to kill a little time. Good animation, good action sequences, good family movie. Not too much else I can say. I wholeheartedly recommend this film. Besides, anything with dinosaurs rules!
This blog marks the end of a hiatus. This blog has had many incarnations, some successful, some not so much.
Despite the title, I hope to not do much complaining. Most of this blog will be reactions and lists, thoughts and ideas.
This blog will probably not intoduce anything new or be very deep. In fact, most of what's on here will probably be quite inocuous and/or inane (to most of you anyway).
But, who knows? Maybe it'll give you something to talk about while you're bored.
