You're Out of Your Tree...

Both Lisa and Ashley had to work today, so I had the house to myself for most of the day. I made a pot of plum oolong tea and read Eragon for a couple of hours. I just started reading it a couple of days ago, but didn't get very far until today. I am only about 120 pages in to it, but here are my impressions so far: the book isn't bad, but it is highly and obviously derivative of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Dragon Rider's of Pern. Still, despite the fact that it highly resembles things I have read (or seen, in the case of Star Wars) many, many times, it is still an entertaining read.

Lisa and I watched the Packers vs. Bears game, which was rather entertaining. If this is Favre's last game, it is certainly a good way to go out.

Now, I am watching Benny & Joon. Personally, I think both Johnny Depp & Mary Stuart Masterson are brilliant in that movie. I am strangely sympathetic to both of their characters. I think it is because they both embody an awkwardness that is inside us all.

This movie also contains one of my favorite lines:

You're out of your tree - Joon
It's not my tree - Sam

For some reason, I find that line strangely appropriate to life in general...

Merry Christmas

I hope you all had a good Christmas. Pictured here is probably my favorite present this year. My parents got this really nice tea set for me. This is really the first nice tea set I have had since I was in probably eighth grade or so, when my dad brought a tea set home for me from Japan. I haven't actually used it yet, but probably will this weekend.

I didn't take a lot of pictures this year. However, I did post most of them to Flikr, mostly taken Christmas Eve at my parent's house, but a couple taken Christmas day at our house which prove that I am not afraid to have my picture taken with bed-head, whereas my teen-aged daughter quite definitely is.

The Impending Death of a Chicken-Shit Despot

Well, it looks like the day is finally here when the world will be rid of one of the most notorious despots we have seen in a long time. At least some of the other despots in the same league have had the common decency to off themselves, thus saving us the pain of having to do it. And yes, I do mean pain. Whilst I find capitol punishment to be just and not at all inconsistent with the Christian ideal of forgiveness, I do still find it painful, even when it is some like Hussein who is receiving justice. It is hard to describe. It is not really that I feel sorry for him. He had more than enough chances to repent and save his own skin. It is more of a pain related to the fact that life is a precious gift from God, and here is a guy who wasted his to the point that he no longer deserves to have it, and the gift must be revoked. Painful, yes, but it must be done in order for justice to truly be served.

Update: As everyone knows, it is finally done.

The Evils of Drinking

Don't let the title fool you. I do enjoy a good beer regularly, and occasionally I do enjoy just a few too many at one time. However, I have never been so low as to sell my daughter's puppy for beer. Interestingly, there was another drinking related story today about a guy who mistook a police checkpoint for a car breakdown, and was arrested when he got out to offer help. Not real bright, but very helpful...

At least the puppy story ended on a happy note, and the girl got her dog back. I can't imagine that she is going to trust her step-dad too much on anything anymore, though. What a jerk! Of course, it also makes you wonder about mom's ability to select appropriate men...

Why Didn't I Think of That?

Some people are really desperate to avoid work, but calling in kidnapped is a new one on me...