Yaks And Other Comfort Food: 7 Quick Takes

~1~

My friends are ... unusual. They like asking these extreme questions regarding the Catholic faith. My buddy asked what happens if you're hiking in the Himalayas and you get gored by a Yak and there's only an Orthodox priest to hear your dying Confession. Is that OK?

That led to this post on Catholic Worst Case Scenario Survival Tip #1. Check it out.

 ~2~

Ah November. One of the best times of the year. The turning of the leaves, the chill in the air, and Thanksgiving all turn our thoughts to ... coconut.

Seriously, I have no idea what makes me tick. I dig coconut. I crave Mounds candy bars, always get a coconut cream pie for my birthday, cook with coconut milk, munch on dried coconut, and so on. Did you know that they make coconut M&M's?  These things are DA BOMB!

Tune in next time where I proclaim my love for mincemeat pie.  I know!

~3~

Decided to treat myself just a bit when I passed by the Art of Shaving store at the Mall. (Note to self -- if I never go to the Mall this time of year ever again, it will be too soon.)

Anyway, since it's Movember, I get to grow my beard and mustache back for the cold months. This inevitably leads to trimming and shaping issues, which is why I went in the Art of Shaving store. I picked up this miniscule mustache razor that is for all those hard to reach places, like the corners of your mouth.

Handsome devil, isn't it?

I've always been attracted to the idea of straight razor shaving, but while there are little Nodlings in the house, prudence must prevail.  A small mustache safety razor isn't so bad though, right?

I finally took the time to try it out properly: hot water, pre-shave oil, shave lather, shaving with and then against the grain, and finally after-shave lotion. I can honestly say my face feels awesome. It's a bit time consuming to do it "properly", but the results are fantastic. Can't say it'll be my everyday, but definitely worth it for those special times you want to look your best.

~4~

With regards to action adventure, pound for pound, you just can't beat the Bible.  These stories always inspire, awe, or otherwise engage man on a visceral level. Truth, fiction, allegory, or something greater -- they capture the imagination.

Director Darren Aronofsky and Paramount are making Noah, starring Russell Crowe; albeit not without some controversy. It remains to be seen whether it is merely an apocalyptic action adventure or a dramatic Bible retelling. It looks to be a spectacle either way.

~5~

One of my favorite board games is Empire Builder by Mayfair. It takes a couple of hours to play as you have to build railroad track for your train as you go, picking up commodities and selling them in different cities for a payoff.  It's a "serious" game in that you have to plan, allocate resources, and make decisions, but it's simple enough that a young teen or pre-teen can play it without much difficulty.

Plus you get to draw with crayons on the board. I've played computer versions of this game, but I keep coming back to the waxed board and the wipe-off crayons. Similar to crossword puzzles, some things are best in their tactile form.

~6~

Our bishop wrote us a Pastoral Letter to mark the end of the Year of Faith: Go Forth With Hearts on Fire: A Pastoral Letter on the New Evangelization. This is very cool, as I don't think this kind of thing happens very often.

It's a little bit like when the Pope writes an Encyclical, but this one is aimed at just our diocese.  Now that we've spent a year reflecting on faith, he wants us to go out and evangelize.

Exciting, yes?

~7~

Read a book! Better yet -- write one, then let me read it!  You go, NaNoWriMo people!

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