Often thoughts “occur to me” that I am convinced are unique to me.
I am relieved to find out I am not the only one NOT surprised by the “Batman” massacre. In fact I’m surprised there’s not more acting out of what’s considered “entertainment” today.
Check out these people who have already spent the time to spell it out convincingly. A short excerpt from each link is included:
An Issue with the Trailer by Warner Brothers – Deadline Hollywood
“According to Warner Bros, this distribution exec suddenly remembered that the trailer for the mob movie contained a scene showing a gangster with a machine gun shooting up people in a movie theater from behind the big screen. This distribution exec quickly instructed the studio to “replace it as soon as possible”. At 6 AM, Warner Bros started notifying the theater circuits to pull the offensive Gangster Squad trailer. That is being done all over North America today. ”
Potential Link to Dark Knight – New York Post
“But there are general parallels to the Colorado shooting, “The Dark Knight” and the comic book character:
— Bruce Wayne’s drive to become Batman arose from witnessing the deaths of his parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne, at the hands of small-time criminal Joe Chill, who shot and killed them after they had left a movie theater.
— The Batman video game called “Arkham City” takes place in an abandoned movie theatre (The Monarch, outside of which Bruce Wayne’s parents were killed).
— In the third issue of DC Comics’ “Batman: The Dark Knight,” a gritty retooling of the Batman character that was written by Frank Miller in the 1980s, the Joker kills an entire late-night TV audience with gas.
—In the same book, a man starts shooting up a porn theater after getting fired from his job.
— “The Dark Knight Rises” features at least two scenes where unsuspecting people are attacked in a public venue: the stock exchange and a football stadium.”
Beyond a Joke; Our Attitude to Violence – by Jenny McCartney of The Telegraph
“If I were the parent who relented and took a 10-year-old child to seeThe Dark Knight, would I be sorry? Once again, you bet I would. It’s different from other superhero films, as fans are quick to point out. Certainly, there are surprises in its swooping camera angles and darkened, ominous screen.
But the greatest surprise of all – even for me, after eight years spent working as a film critic – has been the sustained level of intensely sadistic brutality throughout the film.”
Howdy! It’s a laid-back day here at Parker Academy. Hee Hee. We’ve just put up our feet.
Strict Discipline breeds fine Habits!!!
Actually, I hope we finish our study of walnut trees and ginko today. But that’s not what this post is about….just want to keep you “posted” on the school stuff, Hee Hee.
This post is about planning food for my family. This like so many things is a battle for me, and it seems God tends to answer my prayers by making me desperate. If I did not plan our meals then we would go broke, get fatter than we already are, be more chaotic than we already are….and so I do it to keep sanity. For a few years there, it was an ideal, a dreamy proposal that never got lived out. Now it must be done or I am failing in many things, many ways.
What I start with is this little alliterative device…
- Mexican Monday
- Tomatoey Tuesday
- Wild-Card Wednesday
- Thrifty Thankful Thursday
- Fancy Friday
- Soup & Sandwich Saturday
- Simple Sunday
This helps with my “writers block” and gives me a direction, but not a straightjacket.
Mexican Monday is anything from tacos, burritos, tostatas, salsa chicken, nachos, etc. Many new recipes fit here, like white chili. (which could also go on soupy saturday!)
Tomatoey Tuesday is anything italian/tomato based. Chili, stew, lasagne, spagetti and meatballs, etc.
WildCard Wednesday is usually newer recipes I’m trying out like quinoa salad; leftovers, or whatever doesn’t have another category
Thrifty Thankful Thursday is anything that is inexpensive and I’m positive everyone will enjoy. 🙂 You can’t always count on that here.
Fancy Friday is just like it sounds. Steak, Salmon, expensive in time, cost, or both. I also use this night for training in table manners/nicer placemats, etc.
Soup & Sandwich Saturday (or sometimes Salad)is so I can spend time doing other things, and is usually something that goes in the crockpot, a fancy sandwich (cilantro salad, anyone?), or both.
Simple Sunday is usually burgers in the summer, but often we eat out on Sunday noon; we just find what there is to eat in the evening before or after the church service 🙂
Once I have planned the meals, then I make a list of ingredients needed that I know I don’t have; often I choose a meal based on what I know I do have; and then I purchase the food and am set for a week, in theory. Unfortunately I don’t live in theory, I live in Wheaton. As I said, this is often what happens but sometimes it doesn’t. Also I said before, the categories are just to get my recipe idea juices flowing, not hard and fast at all. I have a few tools that have helped over the years, and the newest is the Cozi Family Calendar. I can add Supper as a repeating event every day, and then instead of “where” I type “spagetti” or whatever is for dinner that night. Then when I print the weekly calendar everyone, including me, knows what to expect. Another helpful site, though not free like Cozi, is Meal Mixer. I like this one a lot too, and it also computes calories and nutrient info for the meals you plan, as well as prints the list for you! I will try to figure out a way to display the cozi calendar for our family for a week, as well as the meal mixer list, but until then, if you are desiring to be more scheduled/routinized than I am, you can check out Courtney for some really great stuff for all areas of life. She was so kind to tag me at the bottom of her post, but she has much more to offer than just scheduling meals, so I suggest you visit her for some soul food ideas too. Click on the wreath below for ideas specific to fall.
Blessings!
So what’s been happening is this:
Summer has come to an end, and I am now going to be homeschooling Chad and Ryan, …. and Eden will be home as well. Honesly I am so excited about ending up like this, even though its not where we set out to go. I am confident that she will be blessed from her studies this year. More on that later.
I’ll let you know the schooling details when our schedule is done. In preparation of this, I have been spending time here:
because I feel like the last 7+ years with the twins has taken a toll on our order around here. 🙂 Charlotte Mason says education is an environment….and we need ours to be, well educational and not deconstructing to the mind. In addition to this, I read What is Woman? and I was dumbfounded at the truth of it, in my own life and in the women around me.
http://circeinstitute.com/2011/08/what-is-woman-a-re-examination-of-feminsim-the-church/
It’s explaining to me why I am making the choices I make. Furthermore, I am so encouraged by some websites I have found, not just by the site obvioiusly but by the people and hearts and minds and kingdom work that they represent:
http://circeinstitute.com/2011/08/saint-paul-and-christian-classical-education/
http://www.memoriapress.com/articles/10-ways-destroy-imagination-your-child.html
http://www.lifeingraceblog.com/2011/08/why-i-still-homeschool.html
Will keep you posted. 🙂
I remember learning about how the verses in the bible were created long after the text itself. I have been returning to a certain text lately in my struggles as a mom, worrying about my children. (Look around this post for examples of things I might tend to worry about…though this is surely one of the least!) As I went to really meditate on this verse after thinking I had memorized it, I discovered that the verse number actually cuts off a sentence. The sentence is:
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The Lord is at hand! I had memorized Philipians 4:6-7 beginning with “do not” but without the REASON! The Lord is at hand. He is on his way here physically, and in the mean time he is near and available to me by his spirit! This is why I need not be anxious.
Then I looked at what to do instead of being anxious: prayer and supplication. Aren’t these the same things? Well yes and no. Other places in scripture they are used together, showing that there is a difference. If you look it up you will find that supplication is an attitude of prayer marked by humility, earnestness, and repentance. Earnestly making your requests known, yet with thanksgiving and an attitude of repentance & humility is the recipe for supernatural, protective peace. If only I could just whip it up in my kitchen! I am so often helpless to even pray accordingly.
“Prayer cannot truly be taught by principles and seminars and symposiums. It has to be born out of a whole environment of felt need. If I say, “I ought to pray,” I will soon run out of motivation and quit; the flesh is too strong. I have to be driven to pray.” So says Jim Cymbala and I agree! Here’s another one where I live: “I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him. So I begin with simply, “help me.” Lord please keep your promise to send that peace-guard to my heart and mind! Thank you for being “at hand.”
