Book Review: Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 20 by Hiromu Arakawa

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 20 by Hiromu Arakawa

After the extended flashback in Volume 19, we're back to the main story. Ed makes an unlikely alliance to continue his fight against the homunculus conspiracy. Al and his team have a dramatic fight with the homunculus Envy that ends in defeat...for Envy, who is reduced to a minuscule worm. The worm doesn't die and begins causing trouble as soon as he can. Al also has a reunion with his estranged father that's...awkward. Meanwhile, Lt. General Armstrong fights her brother for control of the family, but it seems more like a ploy to get family members out of town as "the promised day" approaches. It's not really clear what "the promised day" is, but the homunculi are excited about it so it must be bad.

The story is still really good and has me reading on!

Recommended.

Book Review: Science of Today and the Problems of Genesis by Fr. Patrick O'Connell, B.D.

Science of Today and the Problems of Genesis by Fr. Patrick O'Connell, B.D.

When reading a book about the "science of today" it is important to know what "today" is. This book was first published in 1959, with a second edition coming out in 1968. The copy I have was printed in 1993 by Tan, a traditionally-minded Catholic publisher. The book is unabashedly pro-Church (as in the Roman Catholic Church) and is also a serious effort to understand and use scientific research in supporting the author's arguments.

Father Patrick O'Connell was a missionary in China throughout the time that the Peking Man fossils (assumed to be a "missing link" species between apes and man) were discovered. Those fossils were subsequently lost in 1941 during the Japanese occupation. O'Connell attributes the loss to a cover-up of fraudulent fossils, though the scientific community (with its bias towards evolutionary interpretations) did and still accepts Peking Man as legitimate. It is interesting to note that the site was opened back up for excavation after the war and no additional fossils have been found, even to the present day (the present day being January 2020).

O'Connell argues against evolution a lot (about half the book) and also discusses the antiquity of man and evidence for Noah's flood. He sites many findings from paleontology and archaeology to back up his claims that Biblical account is highly compatible with scientific discoveries. His rhetoric is often a little too heavy handed, calling "absurd and ridiculous" claims that men were descended from apes or that mankind on Earth goes back half a million years. The style of writing would be off-putting for those not already sympathetic to his conclusions.

Which is a shame because O'Connell makes a lot of good arguments and ties together information from various disciplines (paleontology, archaeology, astronomy, and literary analysis of biblical and other ancient texts). He has read and discusses works from all sides of the arguments. He remains staunchly Catholic and argues that science and faith can be reconciled. He does a convincing job of that. And the interdisciplinary approach is indispensable for understanding complicated topics like evolution and human history.

Slightly recommended. The information is a bit old and the rhetorical style is a bit harsh.

If you want a reconciling of modern science with biblical faith, Seven Glorious Days is a much better book, though it is strictly focused on the Genesis creation account. See my review and the discussion of Seven Glorious Days on A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

Movie Review: Blinded by the Light (2019)

Blinded by the Light (2019) co-written and directed by Gurinder Chadha

In 1987, Pakistani teenager Javed (Viveik Kalra) dreams of leaving his small English town of Luton. His domineering old-world father (Kulvinder Ghir) keeps a tight leash on his family. Javed can't go to parties at his neighbor's house across the street. He can't date. He can't keep any money he earns, it goes to the family fund. Javed loves writing and hanging out with the neighbor. They ride to the outskirts of town on the hill overlooking the M1, which goes to London and the North. His life changes when he starts a new school and runs into a Sikh who loves Bruce Springsteen. Javed isn't really sure but he takes two tapes. Listening to the Boss touches and rejuvenates Javed. He lives by the Springsteen philosophy, starts dressing like him, and grows as a writer. His English Lit teacher (Hayley Atwell) encourages his writing. He finds a girlfriend and the courage to try for more than just A-levels that will get him into Manchester University (200 miles from Luton!). All the while he has to deal with anti-Pakistani racism in their small town.

The movie is extremely charming. In addition to the typical boy-gets-girl-and-follows-his-dream-and-gets-out-of-town-while-coming-to-terms-with-his-family routine, the movie gets deeper. None of the characters are two-dimensional plot devices (except maybe the English Lit teacher). The dad really does care for his family and goes through a lot of hardship during the film, making the inevitable reconciliation with his son all the better. The girlfriend isn't just a passive motivator for Javed; her actions brings out the themes of living through a challenging family situation and helping others. The performances are all good. Springsteen's songs are all over the soundtrack and are used in effective ways. The movie flirts with having musical numbers but never wholly commits to them (possibly the movies only flaw?). Overall, it is a very enjoyable film.

Recommended.

Chuck E. Cheese!

We went to Chuck E. Cheese for a family birthday. When I was a kid and went to parties at Chuck E. Cheese, I remember playing arcade games like Defender and Gauntlet. They had a small section of carnival-type games where you could win tickets to trade in for prizes. A lot has changed in thirty plus years.

The Chuck E. Cheese we went to (in Bethesda) was almost entirely games with tickets. A lot of them are sports-themed. Basketball is a family-favorite since we have a hoop at home.

Using his head

Flying through the air with the greatest of ease

Older brother gives it a try

Another flying ball

A fun variant of Whack-a-Mole lets the player be a member of the Justice League whacking the villains who pop up. Who wouldn't want to bonk Sinestro, the Joker, or Lex Luthor on the head?

My daughter as Wonder Woman

Skee ball is a classic game that all our family loves.

The youngest rolls his best 

My older son was happy to find a more challenging (and maybe more realistic) basketball game. We played head-to-head and I was unable to beat him. That time has come!

Another air ball

Chuck E. Cheese does have some rides, though they are definitely aimed at the younger visitors. My youngest liked the getting lifted around a clock. They had a micro-carousel and other ride-on games.

Getting a lift

I don't remember the party food and party room from my childhood. Now, the room has a big screen with cartoons and other info and a wind tunnel with free tickets. Chuck E. himself was not as present as I remember. He did come out for pictures but I was away when he showed up.

The party room

We had to rush off and weren't able to cash in our tickets, so we will have to go back and get some of the fun stuff they offer.

Book Review: Essential Thor Vol. 3 by S. Lee et al.

Essential Thor Volume 3 written by Stan Lee and art by Jack Kirby

This extra-thick volume includes issues 137 to 166 of the original Thor comic. These stories were published from 1967 to 1969. The story starts with Thor admiring fellow Asgardian deity Sif, who takes over as his romantic interest now that Jane Forster is out of the picture. The origin story of Thor (which is recounted in this book) has Thor banished to Midgard (that's Earth to us Earthlings) with amnesia by Odin, the main god and Thor's father. Thor shows up as Donald Blake, a medical student with a bum leg. He graduates from medical school, has a successful practice, and learns humility and service for others along the way. Blake takes a vacation in Europe and winds up in a cave where he finds a walking stick that, once struck to the ground, turns Blake into the Mighty Thor.

In these issues, he faces a good variety of opponents and challenges. Loki, Norse god of mischief, is a key background player. He endows the Wrecker with magical power at a time when Thor is deprived of his divine power, so the battle is close, but naturally Thor wins. He also faces Galactus (a world-devouring giant), the Ringmaster (a criminal mastermind who runs a carnival as a front), Kang the Conqueror (a time traveling villain), and the Super-Skrull (a Skrull who has all four powers from the Fantastic Four), among other villains. He also faces the loss of his powers because he's not obedient enough to Odin; the kidnapping of his girlfriend more than once; and a short stint in jail(!). Through his persistence and courage, he manages to win out every time.

The stories are interesting but have a particular style. Sif is a goddess and warrior who does a lot of fighting, but she's also an object of affection for Balder the Brave (another Asgardian hero). The situation is not so much a love triangle as an unrequited love on Balder's side. Sif is probably too self-assured and aggressive for stereotypical modern-day conservatives and too protected and submissive for stereotypical modern-day liberals. A lot of the dialog is pseudo-Shakespearean, with nods to the King James translation of the Bible thrown in. The style is fun but it gets a bit thick at times. Reading it once a month rather than back to back might make it easier. The outfits look a little weird. I understand they are supposed to be otherworldly but the minor characters look a bit blocky and awkward. Sif and Balder have caps that look dorky by modern standards. The action sequences are fun and have a good variety. Thor doesn't always win by brute force; sometimes he uses his wits too.

A set of thirty comics is bound to have better and lesser stories but overall I found these enjoyable if quaint.

Slightly recommended.

TV Review: The Witcher Season One (2019)

The Witcher Season One (2019) created for television by Lauren Schmidt from the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) is a Witcher, a hunter of beasts (mostly supernatural or mystical) with incredible physical prowess and some magical abilities. He's often hired to take care of weird and annoying monsters, though often enough his wanderings take him into weird and annoying situations where his talents are called foreven without a paying customer. He doesn't talk a lot, making him pithy and brooding. He appears like a hard man with no concern for others. In his actions, he strives to do the right thing in a given situation even if that isn't beneficial for himself. At one point a bard latches on to him, wanting to promote his Witcher reputation, with mostly comic results. Geralt is a man destined for a hard life.

Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) is a lowly and deformed teen who exhibits magical powers. She's taken in by a mage guild that develops her powers. The mages hire themselves out, with the best serving as court mages who do whatever magical tasks need doing for the royal families. She makes a horrifying deal to be made beautiful and discovers how unfulfilling a mage's life can be when it's all in the service of others. She spends a good deal of time in one kingdom then becomes a wanderer like Geralt. She even runs across Geralt several times. She is a woman destined for a hard life.

Cirilla of Cintra (Freya Allan) is the kingdom's young princess who has to go on the run when they are overrun by forces from the south. She becomes a wanderer and discovers her own magical ability that she can't quite control or understand. Her destiny is entwined with the Witcher's, though they travel many roads separately before they are brought together. She is a child destined for a hard life.

Destiny is a large and deliberate motif in the story. The characters' stories are intertwined though the connections are not immediately obvious. About halfway through watching, I realized that the narrative was jumping back and forth in time, making it a little confusing to piece together. Also, the many kingdoms on the Continent (it's a mythical land without a mythical name) are a little hard to keep track of. But the show is not so much interested in politics as it is in the personal stories of the three main characters. The three try to alter or ignore their destinies and yet the plot keeps pulling them toward what they'd rather not have.

The tone fluctuates a bit. At times, it's dark and graphic like Game of Thrones. At other times, it has the sense of adventure and self-aware humor of Xena: Warrior Princess. The blend works better than I thought it would. I found the show very entertaining, if slight. The story knows where it's going but the ending is abrupt and leaves viewers waiting for Season Two, which I found a little annoying, especially since it will be over a year until the next season.

Mildly recommended.

Parental Warning: The series contains quite a bit of nudity and sexuality; there's a lot of swearing (Geralt drops a lot of f-bombs, though maybe it seemed like a lot because he's so terse); the violence is also graphic though mostly against mythical beasts; one horrible surgery happens on camera with gory organs shown.

The show is currently (February 2020) streaming on Netflix. I'm sure it will come out on disc eventually.

Cool Kid Pix January 2020

More pictures that didn't make their own blog post...

On the way home from Christmas in Florida, we looked for a Mass along the way in Virginia for January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. We thought we had a sure thing in Richmond, but the church had their 10 a.m. Mass at one of the satellite locations. We were on Church Hill and saw the church where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech.

Saint John's Episcopal Church as seen from behind the gates

That church was closed so we didn't get to look around (and thus, no blog post). Nearby was the Church Hill Bank which does look like a church.

A bank!

We wound up at the noon Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. It was still decorated for the Christmas season!

The front of the basilica

Inside the basilica

Someday I'll go and do a proper photo shoot of the basilica. And we will go to Richmond and see a bunch of stuff there.

My youngest son had his first Pinewood Derby with the Cub Scouts. His car came in third for the den, which meant he went on to the final round. He came in twenty-first there (out of twenty-one entrants). He had a good time.



I went to what turned out to be the final game of the Baltimore Ravens' season. They were the number one seed in the playoffs, so they had a bye-week. Then they played against the Tennessee Titans, who had beaten the heavily-favored New England Patriots.

Ravens Stadium at night

My church was selected to help hand out programs and flags to everyone coming in. I was stationed at Gate B. We had a few minutes before the gates opened so we went into the empty stadium to see what was going on.

Pre-game stadium

The gates open just over two hours before kick-off

The volunteer coordinator came and selected two of us to go work at the Media Gate. The gate is relatively small and is used by media to get in before the game starts. Most of the media were already in, so we handed out items to the regular patrons savvy enough to use the gate. The lines were pretty short.

The flags we handed out

Since it was a playoff game, it was sold out so volunteers didn't get free seats. I hung out till half-time when the score was 14-6 favoring the Titans.

A fuller stadium

The game wound up at 28-12, a Ravens loss and the end of their Superbowl hopes. There's always next year.

We visited mom's workplace and had a little break in the cafeteria. We brought some stuff to entertain us during a meeting.

Backgammon and 3DS!

My eldest had a several performances at his school's coffeehouse fundraiser. Here's the video!