Stimulus Plan and Prince Caspian Quiz 11

I'm not an economic expert, and I don't know exactly what it will take to bring our struggling economy back into shape, except maybe time. I'm not convinced that a massive amount of government spending, which is still over 50% of the current stimulus plan, is the answer. Any spending that the government does will have short-term effects at best. Once the public works projects and other infrastructure improvements are done, the workers that were employed will be unemployed again, unless the private sector begins to hire more workers, again. The private sector will only start to hire workers, though, when it can afford to. Right now, the current situation is one where companies are not hiring. Clearly, something needs to be done to try to find a way to encourage businesses to hire. I don't know what that something is. Lowering tax rates on businesses would, in theory, give businesses the extra capital to make infrastructure improvements and hiring more workers. In practice, though, we've seen some of the stupid things that businesses have done with their excess capital: insane executive pay and benefits, luxury items like private jets, etc. In the end, the best thing to do, to my mind, is to let the economy correct itself. I realize that such a laissez faire approach to the situation will look like apathy on the part of politicians, so there is little hope that they will take a hands-off approach. They want to be able to say, "Look what I did!" to their constituents. The danger, of course, in trying to do something to fix the economy is that 2 years from now, the economy might still be struggling because of the interventions of government. Then, the constituents of these politicians might well be the ones saying, in frustration, to their representatives, "Look what you did!"

Prince Caspian Quiz 11
21. What are Caspian’s first words to the Narnian creatures?
A. “If we’re taking a vote, I’m with him.”
B. “Could I have some of that soup, please?”
C. “Gentlemen, whatever you do to me, I hope you will be kind to my poor horse.”
D. “Hey, Trufflehunter, Wisconsin called. They want their mascot costume back.”

22. What does Caspian do first when he regains consciousness?
A. He lays in bed, dazed, and Trufflehunter gives him something to drink
B. He gets out of bed and tries to fight his way out of the wave with a fireplace poker
C. He breaks into a song and dance number
D. He counts his fingers to make sure that he doesn’t have a concussion

Prince Caspian Quiz 10

19. What are the first words that Caspian hears upon regaining consciousness?
A. “Pass the bacon, please.” “
B. “And now, before it wakes up, we must decide what to do with it.”
C. “This bread is so stale.”
D. "What are we going to do tonight, Brain?”

20. How many Narnian creatures are there in Trufflehunter’s cave?
A. 0 – Caspian is alone in the cave
B. 1 -- Trufflehunter
C. 2 – Trufflehunter and Nikabrik
D. 3 – Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and Trumpkin

February & Prince Caspian Quiz 9

February. Bah. Humbug.
Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but of all of the months of the year, February always seems to be the one I least look forward to. It's not that good things don't happen in February, and it's not that I don't enjoy myself during this month. I just have to work a little harder at it in order to survive this shortest of months, which Gilbert and Sullivan referred to as a "beastly month." There are several factors that work together to create this challenge.
First, this month features the celebration of things that are not really worth celebrating. I think February ought to be designated "National Month Month" because it seems like (although it's not true) that the majority of the "National __________ Months" are all in February. Some are worthy of celebration, like National Black History Month, but most, such as National Boost-Your-Self-Esteem Month and National Canned Food Month, are hardly laudatory.
Second, this month features a holiday that I, as a meteorologist, dislike: Groundhog Day. If you've ever seen the movie of the same name and remember the scorn poured on the "holiday" by Phil Connors, then you'll know about how I feel, although with less disdain and cynicism. (Besides, there's always this nagging fear in the back of my mind that I'm going to get stuck in an endless cycle of living the same day over and over again. [grin])
Third, this month is often the coldest month of the year, and, since I know that Spring is right around the corner, it seems like one of the longer months of the year. With warmer weather looming, the anticipation makes time seem to come to a crawl.
Finally, this month contains February 14th, enough said.
Like I said, those are all reasons that February is a hard month for me to enjoy. That doesn't mean that I won't enjoy it, however. I'm determined to persevere through these annoyances and live my life enjoying the blessings that God has given me, now that I've vented a little about some of the minor annoyances.

Prince Caspian Quiz 9
17. What are Trumpkin’s first words to the Pevensies?
A. “Drop him?! That’s the best you could come up with?”
B. “Next time, try shooting them before they drop me in the water, ok, missy?”
C. “Well, whatever they say, you don’t feel like ghosts?”
D. “Where’s Legolas?”

18. How do the Pevensies convince Trumpkin that they are indeed the old Kings and Queens of Narnia? (Choose as many as apply)
A. Edmund beats Trumpkin in a sword fight
B. Susan beats Trumpkin at an archery contest
C. Lucy heals Trumpkin’s wounds with her cordial
D. Peter gives Trumpkin a tour of Cair Paravel

Prince Caspian Quiz 8

15. What do the Telmarines do after Susan fires her warning shot into their boat?
A. Start rowing frantically away from Cair Paravel
B. Drop Trumpkin in the river and attempt to shoot back
C. Panic. Susan fires a second arrow and they both abandon ship
D. Break out into a song and dance number

16. What instrument is used to cut Trumpkin’s bonds?
A. Peter’s sword
B. Edmund’s pocket knife
C. One of Susan’s arrowheads
D. Lucy’s dagger

Prince Caspian Quiz 7

13. What time of day is it when the Pevensies go down into their old treasure vault at Cair Paravel?
A. Day
B. Night
C. Sunrise
D. Sunset

14. How many Telmarines does Susan kill when the Pevensies rescue Trumpkin?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

Rant: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Last night, I went along with a couple of friends to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I normally don't see many movies in the theater, nor do I usually review them, but I need to get my feelings about this one out of my system. One caveat: I am not a huge movie person, nor a movie expert like some of my friends. So, don't expect me to provide an expert-style review.
Button, very loosely based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, follows the titular character's adventures as he ages backwards. The idea holds quite a bit of potential. This movie could have successfully and intelligently dealt with issues such as death, the meaning of life, the value of relationships, and the dignity of human beings.
[rant]Instead, however, it deals with none of them, at least, not well. It mentions death as "a frequent visitor" and implies that it's normal and okay, but that's far as it goes in dealing with the issue. It never makes any deep statements about the issue.
Likewise, the meaning of life gets short shrift. The meaning of life, according to the movie, is to live hedonistically, drinking a lot and sleeping around.
Relationships also take a hit. Hardly any relationship is seen as having any value, especially marriage, as none of the main characters in the movie ever even bother to marry. Living together is fine and seen as completely acceptable, even though the movie starts out in the 1920s, an era where such things were not looked on kindly.
On top of being shallow, the movie also is insanely long, nearly 3 hours. It seems to me that the editors fell in love with every aspect of the movie and couldn't figure out how to cut the material that wasn't essential to the plot. Speaking of plot, there really wasn't much of one. There really isn't a central conflict. Instead, it's more of a "Forrest Gump" style following of one man's life.[/rant]
The only positive I found in this movie was the acting. Brad Pitt, the make-up team, and the special effects guys did an excellent job of portraying this man who ages backwards. That is not an easy task to pull off.
[rant]Obviously, I did not enjoy this movie. After it was over, I thought about going to the box office and asking if I could get a partial refund. After all, if I'm going to spend nearly 3 hours of my time and over $9, I'd like to enjoy, at least partially, what I purchased.[/rant]

Prince Caspian Quiz 6

11. What is Miraz’s title when the story begins?
A. Duke
B. Earl
C. King
D. Lord Protector

12. How do the Telmarine lords react to seeing Trumpkin?
A. Fear
B. Shock
C. Amusement
D. They don’t ever see Trumpkin

Phrase Origin and Prince Caspian Quiz 5

I was pondering the phrase "confirmed bachelor" the other day. No, it's not because I'm afraid that I'm going to become one (at least, not most of the time). Rather, it's just an unusual phrase. Confirmed by whom? Is there a "bachelor confirmation entity?" Does one receive a certificate in the mail? Is there a "marriage confirmation agency?" Who has ever heard of a "confirmed married man?" And a serious question: at what age does one cease to be a single man and become a "confirmed bachelor?" My answer to that last question: at least 55. Maybe older.

Prince Caspian Quiz
9. Which of the four Pevensies first realizes that they have arrived at Cair Paravel?
A. Peter
B. Susan
C. Edmund
D. Lucy

10. When does Trumpkin get captured by Miraz’s men?
A. While defending Caspian in the old forest as Caspian is initially fleeing for his life
B. While fighting against the Telmarines to steal arms from them while the Telmarines are encamped next to the River Beruna
C. He doesn’t
D. When he sneaks through enemy lines to see if the Pevensies have arrived at Cair Paravel in response to Caspian blowing the horn

Prince Capsian Quiz 4

7. How well are the Pevensie children adapting to life back in England?
A. Everyone is fine, except Lucy who just cries and cries
B. Fine. They have sold their story to a tabloid for millions of pounds.
C. Very well, thank you
D. Not well. Lucy nearly gets run over by a car, Susan lies to a boy about her name, and Peter and Edmund get into fights.

8. The Pevensies find themselves magically transported to Narnia. What is the nature of the terrain immediately around them?
A. Blank plains
B. A cave by the beach
C. A forest
D. A tall mound known as Aslan’s How

Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing & Caspian Quiz 3

In just a few days, this country will experience a changeover from a Congress controlled by one party and the Presidency by another to a government fully in the hands of one party. This one party has promised large amounts of change to the way that the country works, in everything from energy policy to economic policy to health care. How much of this change is merely rhetoric? I suspect quite a bit. First of all, it's important to note that the President-elect has changed his position at least once on just about every significant issue, as have many other politicians on both sides of the aisle (although isle might be a better word to describe a government that seems increasingly disconnected from reality). Second, many of the ideas being proposed simply are impractical or quite obviously have negative consequences. Surely the politicians in our nation's capital have not yet reached the point of being so disconnected from reality that they will fail to realize that "green energy" and "universal health care" are ideas that sound great in theory but fail in practice. Third, there's the tendency of the party not in power to exercise every parliamentary tactic to obstruct the agenda of the majority. It happened in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It could well happen again. For the sake of America, I do indeed hope that this new government in Washington, D.C., accomplishes far less than they have promised. Many of the promises have the potential to backfire on America and hurt this country more than it helps. On that, of course, only time will tell.

Prince Caspian Quiz 3
How does Caspian wind up getting knocked unconscious during his flight?
A. His horse gets spooked by a thunderstorm, and in its panicked run, Capsian hits his forehead on a tree
B. He doesn’t
C. He gets hit on the head by one of the dwarfs
D. Little Bunny Foo Foo mistakes him for a field mouse and bops him on the head

6. When does Caspian blow the horn of Narnia?
A. As soon as he enters the forest
B. Right before the Dwarfs knock him unconscious
C. He doesn’t
D. At dawn a few days before a major battle with Miraz at Aslan’s How

Prince Caspian Quiz 2

3. How does Capsian escape his bedroom?
A. He draws his sword and kills the guards sent to kill him
B. He sneaks out through a secret passage in the wardrobe
C. He and Dr. Cornelius leave through the antechamber because Cornelius has put the guards to sleep using a magic potion
D. He climbs out the window using a sheet for a rope

4. How many guards try to stop Caspian as he escapes?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

Narnia Movies & Prince Caspian Quiz 1

I just found out a couple of days ago that Walt Disney Co. has pulled its support of making the movie adaptation of the next book in the Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. More details, although they are scant, can be found at IMDB. I'm disappointed to see Disney pulling the plug on what hopefully was going to be one of the most movie-friendly books in the series, one that could generate quite a bit of income. Of course, one of the possibilities is that Disney execs saw that the script was as unfaithful to the book as Prince Caspian's and backed out because they knew that they wouldn't make enough money with another poor adaptation. On the other hand, no one knows exactly what happened. All we know is that Walden Media is shopping the Dawn Treader around. Hopefully, they find someone to help with production while also having a script that stays closer to the book than Prince Caspian.
Speaking of Caspian, I've had the chance to go back and watch the movie, again. I've already written my opinions about Prince Caspian in a previous post, so I won't rehash that review. Instead, I've made a series of quiz questions that highlight the differences between the movie and the book. The point of this quiz is simply to have a little fun with the changes that occurred between the book and the movie. At times, I will still post blog entries on other topics and tag the quiz questions on the end.
The rules for the quiz are as follows: you will be given two or three multiple choice questions that deal with some aspect of the story. Answer either according to the movie, the book, or both. I’ll post the answers as a comment. Because of the vast differences between the book and the movie, give yourself 5 points for answering correctly according to the movie and 10 points for answering correctly according to the book. Give yourself 20 points if you get both right. Read on to try the first two questions. (Note: I am following the movie’s chronology.)

1. How does the story begin?
A. At a train station somewhere in the English countryside, where the Pevensie children are headed back to school
B. At Aslan’s How, with a counsel called by the red dwarf Nikabrik
C. In Trufflehunter’s cave
D. With a son being born to Miraz and Caspian fleeing for his life

2. Upon being wakened by Dr. Cornelius in order to flee for his life, what are Prince Caspian’s first words?
A. “Five more minutes…”
B. “Are we going to do a little Astronomy, Doctor?”
C. “What time is it?”
D. “My, but you look a lot like Dumbledore!”

New Happy Year!

(No that's not a typo. It's a reference to an old New Year's television special. If you can correctly identify it, give yourself 5000 brownie points.)
One of the most random holidays that we celebrate in America is upon us: New Year's Eve/Day. I still don't quite understand the fascination everyone has with reaching the same orbital position as we occupied 365 days ago. I mean, I could see if we celebrated at the end of a certain season (say, March 22, the end of winter) or the end of a certain time frame (May 31, the end of school for most students). But to celebrate on the arbitrary day that we do just seems unusual to me. I guess we have to take time and look back over the year at some point, and this time is as good as any. It's still odd to me. Oh, well. I don't make the culture. And it's not that big a deal. I just needed to write something today, so there you go. Have a wonderful New Year, and even though January 1, 2009, will look an awful lot like December 31, 2008, may you be able to look back at 2008 and see the many blessings that God has bestowed upon you!

Semester in Review (Brief)

Several of my friends have sent out the traditional Christmas/end of the year letter that summarized all of the big events that happened in the past year. Being a teacher, I function on the academic calendar, so for me, the year is only halfway started. And it really divides into three pieces: two semesters and summer. So, for those of you who read this blog that aren't nearby, here is a brief overview of this past semester.
The semester began with a sense of foreboding, as if several unusual or bizarre events were just waiting to unfold. And those concerns proved true when a few of my students unexpectedly left the school during the school year. Now, having a few students leave at the end of the year or even at the end of a semester was not unusual. But to have some students depart part of the way through a quarter was completely unexpected and a bit shocking. The changes, though, proved good for the students involved, although we miss them at school.
Outside of school, life continues much as it always has. I've been blessed to have the chance to facilitate the discussion a couple of times in Sunday School class. I still referee soccer and serve as an assistant for the school's soccer teams, although I'm not sure how much longer I'll have the desire to do either. And the Scholars' Bowl team, which I sponsor, has started to get involved in more tournaments, even winning one.
And that's all the news that is news here in heartland of America.

Merry Christmas

May God bless you with a joyous Christmas and a wonderful time of rest as you celebrate the birth of our Savior!

I Wish You a Gratitude-Producing Period of Late December

It seems that in our pluralistic society, people are afraid to wish each other Merry Christmas, even Christians speaking to other Christians seem to suffer from this malady. The attempts to deny the existence of Christmas, even when many people who are not substantially Christian celebrate it, annoys me. Below are some of the common politcally-correct euphemisms for Christmas, and my initial thoughts when I hear them.
Statement: "Seasons Greetings"
My thoughts: "Which season? Spring? Summer? Fall? Baseball season? Oh, I love baseball season!"
Statement: "Happy Holidays"
My thoughts: "Which holiday? Groundhog Day? Veteran's Day? Yom Kippur? May Day?"
Statement: "Wishing you all the best this time of year"
My thoughts: "What about the rest of the year? And are you wishing it to me or to all of me, since I'm single and there's not a 'you all' in my life."
(And I'm sure there are others, but since my brain is still fried from having to speak in and listen to Spanish for 3 hours straight, I can't think of them right now.)
Now, I don't say these initial thoughts. Rather, I politely say, "Thank you. Merry Christmas to you!"
So, let me wish you now, dear reader, an early, merry Christmas, and a happy New Year!

Snow Is Great (To Look At)

It's a beautiful winter wonderland here in Topeka right now, with cold temperatures and 3" of snow on the ground. Unfortunately, that same 3" of snow is still clogging up most of the side streets, making driving quite the adventure. Admittedly, though, it could be worse. I could live in the country. Gravel roads become especially nasty in snow/ice conditions, so I am quite glad right now that I live in the city. If only the city would plow residential side streets. I can guarantee you that my street will probably not get plowed at all, which means that the packed-in snow will have to melt on its own. I would have no problem with this plan, except that the snow on my street doesn't melt easily because it is an old, tree-lined street. Beautiful, of course, but quite slick once snow is on it. I wouldn't be surprised if some of this snow stuck around a while, say, until March. :-)
Seriously, though, the beautiful of the argent landscape just helps set the mood for Christmas, which is now just over a week away. It would be wonderful to have the snow stick around to create a picturesque Christmas scene. Snow is wonderful to look at. Too bad it doesn't drive on quite as well.

Snow! Again!

Since I missed a post last week, I've decided to do an extra one to compensate.
The big news around Topeka today is the snow. I received 3.5" here at my house in the heart of Topeka. It's nice to see snow, again, and nice to be able to clear off my sidewalks and driveway in under an hour. The first snowfall of last year saw me shoveling for almost twice that long. There's nothing quite like shoveling snow to Christmas music as the Christmas lights on the house kick on! Below is a picture of one of the small boxwoods in front of my house covered in undisturbed snow.

College Football Turmoil

It seems like everything in society is in turmoil. The Big 3 automakers, the financial industry, and many other related industries are all struggling. And so are both college football teams that I follow: Kansas State and Iowa State. Earlier this year, K-State suddenly fired its football coach and within a day of the season ending, announced the return of its former head coach. It was strange and surprising. Now, in the past couple of days, news reports indicate that ISU's head coach, Gene Chizik, has been hired away from ISU to be the head coach at Auburn. Chizik was only at ISU for 2 years, and his first two teams struggled, but every indication was that he was going to stay at ISU for several more years. The opening at a prestigious school where he formerly worked apparently was too great a lure for Coach Chizik. His sudden departure certainly leaves the ISU Athletic Department in a lurch.
While I should be in shock at all of these sudden coaching changes, given how much chaos has been happening lately in the world, not much surprises me, anymore. And since it's football, not life, I guess it's not that big a deal, anyway. It is, though, just another bit of turmoil in a tumultuous world.

The Fall of America?

In Sunday School class today, one of the side notes focused on what happened to Rome as it began to decay from within. The scary part about the list was that it could easily have been 21st-century America. Now, I'm sure that everyone thinks that his generation is the most wicked and that it will be in his generation that society will collapse. But in this case, I would not be surprised if, within my lifetime, America loses its place as a military and economic superpower. Perhaps that is a good thing. So many other cultures right now try to imitate us, but the view of America that they get is a skewed view based on television and movies. What a horrible legacy to be giving to other countries! Perhaps it is better if we cease to be in such a prominent place, since our entertainment, I fear, is only heading farther into the tank. Of course, I don't expect the barbarians to come storming over the 7th hill any time soon, but I do know that the rest of my life will probably be lived in a society in turmoil. All the more reason that I am going to try to live with the attitude that Paul urges, using "the things of this world as if not engrossed in them" (1 Cor. 7:31).