How is today only Tuesday? This day alone has felt like a week. I just finished up and sent out the meeting recap for today's meeting about the Rome and Athens trip. Earlier, I discovered that I have to find alternative transportation for our DDF tournament this weekend. I believe that both items have been mostly figured out, but I there was a while there that I was rather frantic.

There's still a lot to do before Friday. I think that I had better head to bed so that I am rested up and ready to hit the ground running tomorrow. It helps--knowing that this effort will lead to some fantastic experiences.

Ever since the first tense moments when I played the opening scene of The Last of Us on the PS3 on my birthday, I knew that the game held something special. I have held the opinion since then that it is one of the best stories that I have seen, read, or played in any medium. At the time, I had hoped that it wouldn't get a sequel. However, when the second game came out, I was once again blown away by the its epic continuation as well as dynamic changes to the first game.

When I heard that HBO was making a TV series about the game, I was guardedly optimistic. While I felt that it could not possibly deliver the same level of experience as the video game, I believed that it was possible to get the main elements of the story out to a new audience. After a friend of mine invited me over to watch the first three episodes, I feel that I have been proved correct.

The TV show definitely deviates from the game. Episode 3 showcased how the TV show could take elements from the game, play on the viewers' expectations, and craft a different experience that still feels like part of the original. To be clear, I feel that the game's version of the events that built that episode was both more probable and more entertaining (much as I do with the conclusion to episode 2); however, by deviating from the game, the TV show created a new and powerful experience that informs and possibly deepens the events of the game. 

This game and show are not for everyone. If anything, they push my own limits concerning my tolerance for horror elements and brutality. What makes it such an amazing experience is the characters who make visceral connections with the audience. Even those that are only in small portions of the story (or just mentioned in writings left behind) have had a real impact on me and made me question our world as it could be and as it is.

I want to play the games again.

Today's readings focus on Jesus' message: that we need to love and care for one another. In the Gospel, Jesus is followed up a mountain by a throng of people looking for any easy answer for their problems, and he gives them one: the Beatitudes. In short, He tells us that we are blessed no matter what problems surround us, but that we should also notice the blessedness in those who are so often considered cursed.

As was stated in today's homily, many people buy into the "prosperity gospel" even today. They believe that God clearly loves those who are successful more than those who are less fortunate. However, Jesus clearly states the opposite. Paul drives the point further by saying that the test is whether the powerful use their strength to help the weak or whether the wise help the foolish.

Some have used the Beatitudes as way to tell people that they should be happy with their lots in life because they will be rewarded in heaven. They forget that Jesus said that His kingdom was established "now and forever"--not in some distant future. He was telling us about the importance of treating one another better, even saying that in helping those less fortunate that we are helping Him directly.

I just finished filling out the PFD online applications for myself and my two youngest sons. The PFD is the Permanent Fund Dividend which supplies a portion of its yearly profits to each Alaskan resident who qualifies and applies. Janelle and Trevor had filled out theirs before she left. The deadline isn't until March, but Janelle put in an annoying reminder on our calendar today so that I would get it done sooner.

Clearly, it worked. 

This might be a bit too heavy for a Friday night, and I might be too tired to do it justice, but I'm going to try anyway.

It's easy to look back on the late 19th and early 20th centuries and see the role that education played in supporting and promoting European imperialism around the world. Missionaries "educated" indigenous cultures about European values and religions, supplanting the values and traditions of the people and thus impressing the idea that European ideas and peoples were better than those of other peoples. Meanwhile, in their home countries, these imperialistic nations focused on indoctrinating their own children in the concepts of nationalism and exceptionalism, justifying the erosion of other cultures and the exploitation of other people and their resources.

Recently, the tragedy of Canada's boarder school education system for native children received a great deal of attention. Similarly, the United States had an educational policy to "Kill the Indian in him, and save the man." The results were predictably disastrous. However, even though the boarding school programs have been almost completely dismantled, the underlying idea is still there.

Let's take Alaska as an example. Even with strong native corporations who still hold considerable political power, Alaska's educational curriculum (as loose as it often is) holds many of those imperialistic ideologies at its core. The curriculum does not call for teaching students any of the languages native to Alaska. Instead, it holds standards for thirteen years of English development. Even in the villages, students are not taught in their native languages. By its very nature, the state and its educational system indicate that English is better than the language spoken in their homes. Nor do the "language arts" give equal credence to Native Alaskan stories or native methods of story-teller; however, it certainly provides plenty of focus on white (and usually male) authors and their stories. Don't worry; student do get one entire semester for Alaska history--which has a predominant focus on the times after European contact.

Of course this is how it is done, right? How will these young people succeed in the world if they don't learn English? Don't we have an obligation to teach them "modern" ways of doing things so they can survive in our materialistic culture? ... To me, it's no wonder that so many Native Alaskans are struggling with identity, with depression, with substance abuse and suicide. Our system is still trying to "Kill the Indian" within.

I was given some of our flight information for the Rome and Athens trip this Spring Break. Considering the awkward departure (6 AM) and arrival (9 PM) times in Anchorage, I spent a little while after school calling charter bus companies. While the final cost will depend on the number of people who sign up, it seems like this will be a more cost-effective option than either flying or driving up and back while also paying for long-term parking. We'll have to see where the official quotes end up standing (I only have received one back so far).

This trip is coming up fast! Especially since I'm dealing with Janelle's current trip and planning travel arrangements for two more DDF tournaments, I'm already getting confused with dates, times, and accommodations. However, I'm also getting quite excited about all this too! In just under seven weeks, I'll be craning my neck to fully appreciate Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel! I literally have chills thinking about the historic marvels that I will get to see with my own eyes! 

There's still a LOT to get done before then, but I know that the experience will more than make up for all of the preparation (and will likely be even better for it)!

First of all, Janelle made it to Katrina's house safely. Michigan decided to welcome her with its largest storm of the year so far. In Janelle's own words, "It's snowing hard , but not really. Not for us anyway." However, the last winter storm was apparently far enough back in people's memories that a large number of them either lost their minds or completely forgot how to drive in the snow. Still, when I finally had the chance to FaceTime with her, she was safely sitting on a sofa with grandbaby Julian sleeping peacefully on her.

As Connor is off playing in the drumline at today's basketball games, Rowen and I had dinner on our own. Lately, we've been rewatching Community, but Connor asked that we not watch it without him. Thus, Rowen and I decided to see if Paramount+ would work on our StarLink and continue watching the first season of Star Trek: Prodigy. Considering the problems that we've had with Disney+, I was not expecting it to work well. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. While not as robust as Netflix (which buffers far enough ahead that it can continue playing even with occasionally outages), Paramount+ still performed better than Disney+.

On the subject of StarLink, at Janelle's recommendation, I joined an Alaskan StarLink owners group on Facebook. It was there that I learned about the site satellitemap.space which unofficially shows the positions of StarLink satellites and other orbiting objects. Almost immediately, one can see that the problem has not been my trees but the lack of satellites in the uppermost latitudes. Thankfully, it is also tracking a group that was launched in late December that looks like it is making its way into a circumpolar orbit--greatly increasing the number of contact points that we will have available. Still, it also clearly shows why astronomers might not be that happy with this system.

Hopefully, tomorrow will bring me more news about my upcoming trip to Rome and Athens. I asked my tour consultant for topics that I should cover at the meeting that I'm holding next week, and she indicated that our flight information might be ready for me to share. She is going to video chat with me tomorrow and will hopefully have that information by then.

Add in two more DDF tournaments between now and my trip, and I'm in for a busy couple of months.

I was recently told that my use of the expression "My wife is leaving me" could be taken the wrong way. Well, one way or another, I just got back from dropping Janelle off at the Kenai airport as she begins her journey to Michigan. She'll be gone for a little less than two weeks to help Katrina and to get plenty of grandbaby hugs.

That leaves the boys and I behind to fend for ourselves. We've had to do so a couple of times before; however, this might be our easiest run of it yet. With Rowen going to Skyview Middle School instead of Sterling Elementary, we don't have to figure out some way of getting him off to school as doing so is part of my normal drive to work. There are also not a lot of after school activities that we need to juggle.

Apparently, my freezer is filled with quick-to-make meals for the next little while. Connor was telling me about some of the options on our way home today, and he seems pretty set on making at least some of the meals while Janelle is away. Add in pizza and Arby's and I think that we might just be able to survive until her return.

I do really envy her those grandbaby hugs.

Frequently, my students are asked to think ahead towards their future. What will they do after high school? What career do they want to have? Where do they see themselves in five years?

The fact is that I have difficulty looking ahead in my own life. While I seem fairly settled on my career, it's hard for me to say what I will do after high school as I seem to never really leave it. As for where I see myself in five years, I expect be in the same job and living in the same house. However, I remember writing a similar post eight years back, and I certainly didn't expect then to be living in Alaska now.  

I wonder how much (and how little) technology will have changed by 2028. Will public schools have undergone a much-needed renovation by then? How well will I have adapted to the changes in education through those years? What will Rowen's senior year be like for him (as he is in the class of 2028)? What will my other children be doing?

Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.

In the second reading, Paul tells the Corinthians that they need to end their rivalries and divisions. He asks, "Is Christ divided?" having earlier said that they should "be united in the same mind and in the same purpose." I do not doubt that he would be dismayed by the state of Christianity today. 

Paul warned against Christians saying "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas ...". However, here we are with Christians saying, "I belong to Luther," or "I belong to Calvin," or "I belong to Smith and Young." Somehow, within those divisions, the message of Christ is often lost. As Paul worried, in some cases "the cross of Christ" has been "emptied of its meaning."

Christ's ultimate message is of forgiveness for all people as one family. It should not matter if someone was dunked, drenched, or sprinkled with water at the time of baptism. It should not matter if the prayers are in Latin, one's vernacular, or in Tongues. It should not matter if the hymns are song with an organ, an electric guitar, or acapella. What matters is that we follow Christ's teachings--helping one another as we share our love for God and His creation. 

I had a slow-moving morning, getting to for my dump run later than I would like. This meant that everything was busier as more people were out and about. Thus, I had a bit of a wait at the landfill and another one at Safeway where I was picking up Chinese food from their deli (it's my favorite place to get Chinese food in the area). I did feel like a bit of a celebrity in line at Safeway as I ran into a friend and then four formers students. No sooner did I hear a "Hey, Paul!" than I heard a "Hey, Mr. Marks!" and then a "Look! It's Dr. Marks!"

Unfortunately, that was about it for my accomplishments. Soon after lunch, the idea of a nap became irresistible, and any thoughts of taking down decorations or getting more school work done set with the sun--which was starting to set as I struggled to wake up from my nap. I knew that I had been running on fumes this week, but I didn't think that I was quite that tired until the exhaustion hit me like a tsunami. 

My idea of sledding today (as the weather was great) would have been put on hold anyway as a moose has been camped out by the side of the house with the sled runs all day (at least, the moose was there both before and after my nap). I did manage to hunt down and replace burned-out lights on our decorations--nearly all of them are the blue lights for some reason. I also took a moment to fix the latch on our dining room entertainment center which the cats were otherwise exploiting. However, other than putting away my fresh laundry and reading my newly chosen book (from the Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy), it's been a pretty unproductive day.

I'm still tired, so I hope that my long nap doesn't mess with my sleep pattern tonight.

Ever since switching to StarLink, our Disney+ has been finnicky. Often, it simply doesn't work at all, but sometimes it does something even worse: it freezes the video while continuing on with the sound. However, on occasion, it runs just fine, as it did so today, finally allowing us to watch the final episode of the new television series that follows the movie Willow.

Willow is a favorite movie from my youth. I remember the first time I heard of it. We were at my Uncle Dexter's house when a trailer for it came on. The trailer was little more than clouds with words across them saying something about knowing good and evil (or something like that) and ending with "Forget all you know ... or think you know" and then displaying the title, Willow. As it said it was from the creator of Star Wars, I was hooked with only that minimalistic advertisement. I'm even certain how many times that I've see the movie since then, but even with its often ridiculous and campy action, I enjoyed it every time.

Later, Lucas released a trilogy of books that was supposed to continue the story. In short, they were terrible, a nightmare which hardly resembled the world that the movie had created. Although I purchased all three, I never made it all of the way through the second book as it was also, simply, not good writing.

Thus, although interested in seeing the Disney+ series, I was also quite trepidatious about how it might turn out. After finally getting to watch all eight episodes, my overall review of the series is simple: meh. 

The story is thankfully not as convoluted and terrible as the book series (whose storyline has apparently been completely dropped), but it also doesn't capture the magic (yes, I wrote that) of the original film. I've heard (or read) someone else say (or write) that this series felt like it was made by CW. While I've enjoyed CW shows such as Smallville, Arrow, and The Flash, I have to agree that the writing for this series follows some of their lesser trends. The characters are confident, then whiny, then confident, etc. with little impetus. The tone abruptly shifts from bizarrely comedic to horrifying with little reason (the woodswomen being the prime example). Even characters' skills continually flip from incompetent to brilliant, then back to incompetent (except for Erin Kellyman's character who is basically the worst knight protector ever--a real disservice to an actor whom I otherwise like).  And what is up with the bad covers of severely misplaced rock songs at the end of each episode?

Still, Rowen really liked it (even those ending songs). Also, I was generally happy with Warrick Davis's contributions as the titular character (even if some of Willow's actions were giving me Last Jedi vibes). We will likely watch future seasons, but I'm not as excited about them as I would like to be.

At the suggestion of a friend, I picked up The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie. My friend had recommended two other sets of books that I ended up quite enjoying, so I figured that the odds were that I would like this one as well. I just set down the final book in the trilogy after finishing it--devouring it by the end. Not only do I recommend it to anyone who enjoys "edgier" adult fantasy (think Game of Thrones, but with an actual conclusion), but I now want to acquire the other six books (three stand alones and another trilogy) that Abercrombie set in this world.

I do have to say that the books are a sort of guilty pleasure. Quite frankly, all of the characters are terrible people. Frighteningly, the one whom I absolutely enjoy the most is the crippled torturer, Glokta. He is a member of this fantasy world's Inquisition who takes no real pleasure in his job, but who also has no qualms about doing truly awful things to get the results that he wants. Still, like Tyrion from The Song of Fire and Ice (commonly known as The Game of Thrones), there is something compellingly honest about his character that had me looking forward to his passages in the books and rooting for him to succeed more than any of the other characters. 

I'm also quite impressed with how complete this trilogy stands. Elements that are revealed in the third book have their hints in the first. While I was able to guess a few of the mysteries before they were revealed, there were some that caught me quite by surprise, and others that have been pleasantly (instead of frustratingly) left unresolved.

In short, I look forward to delving into this world again.

Wizards of the Coast, under the ownership of Hasbro, are the corporate overlords of the Dungeons and Dragons brand. A year and a half ago, they announced that they would be releasing a new edition of D&D. Rather than call it 6th Edition (as the current version of D&D rules is referred to as 5th Edition), they announced that they were branding it "One D&D" which immediately brought to mind the Lord of the Rings phrase of "One ring to rule them all." 

Sadly, as we are now a year away from this new edition's launch, it seems that Wizards of the Coast is making other changes that have the gaming community gathering pitchforks and lighting torches. In the past couple of weeks, they have released, then backtracked, then retaliated, then apologized, and then tried to swindle their way through new business tactics that were seen as an attack of the creative shared community built around D&D--especially in the past 20 years (when my favorite rules set--3rd Edition--was released). Ultimately, it will probably not affect me in any way personally, but it does have me wondering if 5th edition might be the last edition of D&D that I purchase (at least for another decade or so). Certainly, it makes me glad that I didn't get a subscription to D&D Beyond (which I was THIS close to doing last year). 

I understand that it's a business, but I still preferred it when the business understood its customer base and encouraged creativity.