Last week was my daughter's fifth birthday. Happy birthday to my little Bluey! We celebrated by taking her to see Moana 2 (more on that next month probably), but for today I'm dedicating this Pokemon/Bluey blog post to her. So here are some more Bluey-themed Pokemon nicknames for next time you play through. Click here to see the Gen I nicknames.
As I sit here in the middle of March, surrounded by the warmth and joy of Christmas memories, I'm reminded why I choose to celebrate this special holiday all year round. My love for Christmas isn't just about the presents, decorations, or even the festive atmosphere – it's about the spirit of love, generosity, and family that embodies the true essence of the season.
Growing up in a large family, Christmas was always a magical time. My siblings and I would eagerly anticipate the holiday, and our parents would go to great lengths to make it special. One of my fondest memories was our family tradition of picking our stockings for the year. Those colorful, felt ski boot stockings, handmade (or so I thought!) with love, represented our family's unique bond and connection to the mountains of Utah.
However, it wasn't until I stumbled upon those cherished stockings 20 years later that I discovered a heartwarming secret. The number 10 stocking, mine, was different from the rest – smaller, shaped like the Mouse King from The Nutcracker, and crafted with extra love. In that moment, I realized my family had gone out of their way to make me feel included, to give me a special place in our Christmas traditions.
That realization sparked something within me. I understood that Christmas isn't just a holiday; it's a state of mind. It's about embracing love, kindness, and generosity every day. As the famous essay "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" beautifully puts it, "He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy."
As an adult, and especially as a parent, I've experienced the magic of Christmas through my children's eyes. I've seen how the spirit of Santa Claus lives on through acts of kindness, charity, and compassion. And I've come to realize that Christmas isn't just a season; it's a way of life.
So, why do I celebrate Christmas all year long? Because I believe in the transformative power of love, kindness, and generosity. I believe that the true spirit of Christmas can bring joy, hope, and light to our lives, no matter the time of year.
In the words of Tiny Tim, "God bless Us, Every One!" May we all keep Christmas well, and may its spirit guide us throughout the year. --- Share your favorite Christmas traditions and memories in the comments below! How do you keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year?
Heading into a new year, people will inevitably start making resolutions (and hopefully keeping them). So for those setting goals or need something for a new start, check out the discussion Russell and I had about some more of our favorite Disney songs.
It’ll be another few months before TJ and I finish off our Third Doctor podcast episodes (blame technical difficulties, the holidays, etc.). In the meantime, I finished Planet of the Spiders and now we enter the era of the iconic Fourth Doctor, his scarf, and his jelly babies. So let’s start with a few thoughts I had from Tom Baker’s inaugural story: “Robot”
Every once in a while there’s a Doctor Who story with a distinct lack of alien involvement. I’m often hit and miss with these stories. This one hit home with a theme about humanity’s fatal flaw (well, one of them anyway). Seriously though, human knowledge and hubris is more dangerous than any alien. The titular K1 Robot was designed to cover human lies and scheming. And then it blew up in their faces anyway.
Now let’s take a note about the best part of humanity: kindness. Leave it to Sarah Jane Smith to empathize with and show compassion to a machine. It didn’t take much, but Sarah Jane’s treatment of K1 is what prevented global catastrophe. She tried to understand the feelings of a machine in regards to how it was being treated. Most human beings don’t show that much consideration for living beings, never mind machines. Seriously though, is this a cautionary tale of AI? Of humanity’s pride? Or of how we treat machines? Remember the episode next time your self-checkout at Walmart seems to glitch.
And now with this post-regeneration story, it’s time to explore the long-reaching era of Tom Baker and his marvelous scarf. Like previous regenerations, it took the Doctor some time to get his footing, but a mystery kept him going. Plus we got to meet Dr. Harry Sullivan, companion to Sarah Jane and the Doctor for the season, as we bid goodbye to the UNIT era of Doctor Who. No more regular appearances from the Brigadier (but at least he kept the Doctor on payroll).
Now off into time and space with Sarah Jane and Harry as his companions. Let’s part with some wise words the Fourth Doctor:
"There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes"
Christmas time offers an opportunity to meet together as families and loved ones for the celebration of our Savior’s birth. This birth is significant because of what the Savior did for you and for me. I am especially grateful that because of Jesus Christ, I can repent and change from mistakes I have made. I am grateful for His promise found in Doctrine and Covenants 58:42: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” I know that I need to be forgiven daily and know that the Lord can and does help me in my efforts to change.
In listening to this year’s First Presidency Christmas devotional, there was a reference to last year‘s First Presidency Christmas devotional where Elder Gong referenced Charles Dickens classic novel, A Christmas Carol. I found it interesting how there was an invitation to think about Scrooge not as the curmudgeonly man who insisted on people working on Christmas Day, but rather thinking about the changed Scrooge; the one who remembered Christmas, who raised Bob Cratchett’s salary, who purchased the enormous Christmas turkey and made an effort to uplift and strengthen those around him the rest of his days. Ebeneezer Scrooge was a changed man by the end of his story. He had repented and become a better version of himself.
In hearing about Scrooge’s transformation, I was reminded of another beloved Christmas classic, namely Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. There are many similarities in these two stories. The Grinch is like Mr. Scrooge, in that he does not care much for Christmas. The Grinch even takes his dislike for Christmas to a whole new level in striving to prevent Christmas from coming at all. However, the Grinch is a changed character at the end of the story, who’s heart had grown 3 sizes. He brings back the Christmas presents and even cuts the roast beast at the Whoville Christmas feast. Like Scrooge, he has repented and changed.
So why is it that when someone is referred to as a “Scrooge” or “Grinch” it is usually associated with being grumpy or selfish or “anti-Christmas?” In my personal reflections on the matter, I was drawn to Elder Holland’s BYU devotional from 2009 titled, “Remember Lot’s Wife.” In that talk, Elder Holland said the following,
“[L]et me pause and add a lesson that applies both in your own life and also in the lives of others. There is something in us, at least in too many of us, that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life—either mistakes we ourselves have made or the mistakes of others. That is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes—our own or other people’s—is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.
Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is that hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all, it is charity, the pure love of Christ. If something is buried in the past, leave it buried.”
Perhaps, this is lesson to be learned from Mr. Scrooge and the Grinch. When someone repents and changes, I can do better to remember them for the changes they have made. I am certainly hopeful that this is how the Lord will view me. Merry Christmas 2024!
My last LOST blog post for the series 20th anniversary. What could be more appropriate than to spotlight the first mystery of them all? That's right! I'm talking about the Smoke Monster. From the first night the Flight 815 survivors were on the Island, they knew something was strange about the place, as they heard the monster and knocked down trees in the distance.
The Man in Black
I debated whether this blog post fit more in the category of "Creature Feature" or "Character Spotlight", because Smokey was once a man. If you watched through the final season of LOST, this is old news. Born on the Island at the heels of his brother Jacob, he was raised by an unnamed woman who killed their birth mother.
Despite being raised as a native, he was antsy to leave the Island from a young age. And that was before he saw a vision of his birth mother. Even so, he kept a civil relationship with his brother. Long story short, desperate to leave the Island, he ended up killing his adoptive mother. But in retribution and anger, Jacob threw his brother in the "Heart of the Island". The Island's electromagnetism somehow separated him from his body and turned him into the smoke monster.
Powers and Abilities
Connected to the Heart of the Island, the Man in Black was invulnerable to physical attacks and conventional weapons, both in human form and smoke form--though dynamite scared him off. Though intangible he was super strong, capable of disposing of human being and trees with ease. To whatever extent he also displayed some telekinetic and/or telepathic abilities, influencing dreams and "scanning" human beings. At least some of these abilities were eliminated when Desmond unplugged the Heart of the Island.
Countless times through history the Man in Black took the form of deceased humans (and maybe a horse or spider on occasion). He was confirmed to at least take the forms of Isabella, Christian Shepard, Yemi, Alex Rousseau, and John Locke. Sometimes it seemed like he needed the body physically on the Island, but cases like Isabella prove otherwise. By the time he arranged Jacob's murder, the Man in Black was limited to transforming between Locke and Smokey.
Though powerful, he was limited in his ability to travel except over land. He may have been able to travel short distances over water (unclear) but he definitely couldn't ascend high enough (even in smoke form) to clear DHARMA's sonic fence and had issues with ash circles or whatever reason. And though murderous he was unable to harm Jacob or his candidates directly, working through manipulation, due to some power in place guardians of the Island.
History with Island Visitors
As far back as the Black Rock, Jacob and the Man in Black played this game of chess to see who'd win: the Man in Black claiming that mankind only comes to corrupt and Jacob banking on humanity continually progressing and growing. Caught in the chaos of the chess match included the likes of the US Army testing explosives, Rousseau's team, the DHARMA Initiative, and of course the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 (and Ajira Flight 316).
Jacob: You'll have to ask 'em when they get here.
MIB: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
Jacob: You are wrong.
MIB: Am I? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
Jacob: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.
Though this exchange from "The Incident" presented their feud as a test of the nature of mankind, the final season of LOST set the focus of their ongoing battle as a search for a loophole to kill Jacob and leave the Island. Each time a new group arrived on the Island, the Man in Black would use his powers of deception (posing as Isabella, Alex, Locke, etc.) to further his plans. In the end, both sides of kind won, I guess: the Man in Black got Ben to kill Jacob, but Jack (as Jacob's replacement) stopped Smokey from leaving the Island.
It's a curious question to pose, with the two brothers as the centerpiece: Mankind good or evil? The question has been asked and philosophized over for millennia. And in true LOST fashion, that question between human nature and free will remained subjective in the finale.
I suppose I could give some gospel related answer about the "natural man" or about being children of God, but I think the message of progress is more relevant to my life. Progress over perfection. Anything that happens before it "ends" is only progress.
Unanswered Questions
Besides the unanswered question of philosophers through the ages, it only makes sense to end this blog post and the LOST anniversary with some unanswered questions about Smokey:
How/why did the Heart of the Island transform him into Smoke and not Desmond or Jack?
How/why did Smokey's birth mother appear to him?
What would've happened in the Man in Black left the Island?
I played Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memories (MoM) so you don’t have to. MoM is essentially a Kingdom Hearts-themed version of Guitar Hero, featuring most, if not all, of the series’ songs. There are only 5-9 buttons for players to hit. When I was younger, I thought Guitar Hero was fun, but I’ve moved on. However, I wanted to play MoM because, like every Kingdom Hearts (KH) game, there's always some important storyline detail that you’ll miss if you don’t play it—and sure enough, there are hints of what’s to come for the franchise. I’m glad my local library had this game available to borrow because, in my opinion, it’s not worth the purchase price unless you really enjoy Guitar Hero. As usual, I’m going to review the game mechanics and go over the story so you don’t have to play it.
Game Mechanics
As mentioned, there are really only 5 essential buttons, plus directional controls, adding 4 more buttons. Three of these buttons perform the same action, but sometimes you’ll need to press 2 or all 3 simultaneously when multiple enemies appear. Fortunately, these three buttons aren’t tied to enemy positions on-screen unless you enable a setting that requires you to hit the correct button to match the enemy's location on the left, center, or right side of the screen.
What’s strange is that for most of the game, you’re playing in one format, but when you reach the Kingdom Hearts III storyline, the format changes dramatically. You still use the same buttons, but now all the characters are flying while clips of the world play in the background. I thought it was odd to have such a change near the end of the game—it would have been better to use that format throughout.
Throughout the game, you’ll have a team of three characters, and I appreciated the option to unlock and switch between different teams:
I enjoyed being able to change party members, and each team levels up based on your performance. Leveling up supposedly increases health points, attack power, and defense, but I didn’t notice a significant difference. You also receive items throughout the game, which are said to unlock new songs and other features, but I never figured out how to use them.
One thing I wished for was the ability to change the characters’ appearances. Sora and Riku have used different Keyblades and outfits in other games, so it would have been nice to customize their look. I also wished I could mix up the party, like having a team with Sora, Riku, and Ventus. Additionally, I felt King Mickey should have been in Riku’s party since he’s been a companion of Riku for a while, despite not appearing in Dream Drop Distance. Finally, although this game is about Kairi, we barely see her or play as her until the very end, even though she’s the narrator.
Plot Summary
One of the more surprising aspects of this game is its summary of the KH series, delivered as you play through the melodies. This was somewhat embarrassing for me because, after years of playing these games to understand the story, all I really needed was this one game. I’ve included a video of the all the cutscenes if you’d like to watch it.
For most of the game, you’re re-experiencing the events of past KH games, but during the final melody, “Melody of Memory’s End,” the story actually progresses. After playing for over six hours, we finally learn something new that sets up Kingdom Hearts IV—which, I’ll admit, was a bit frustrating.
Art: Thekingblader995
At the end of the game, we learn that after Sora vanished while rescuing Kairi, she falls into a deep sleep under Ansem’s supervision, creating a dream world from her memories of Sora to search for clues about his whereabouts (hence the title Melody of Memories). In “Melody of Memory’s End,” Kairi confronts Xehanort, who overpowers her until Sora remotely takes control of her body to defeat him. After Xehanort’s defeat, he cryptically mentions worlds on the “other side.” Ansem describes this “other side” or “fictional world” as a previously unknown realm. When Kairi awakens and reports back to Ansem, the Fairy Godmother arrives, explaining that three keys are needed to find Sora: Riku’s dreams, Kairi’s memories, and the knowledge from a heart of a girl from another reality. As they approach the heart of the girl in Final World, Riku then recalls a dream of a modern metropolis, which the girl identifies as a city in her world called Quadratum. Together, they create a portal to the other reality, and Riku begins his search for Sora while Kairi stays behind to continue her Keyblade training under Aqua.
Conclusion
I’ve included a video of this long cutscene for you to check out. Overall, I didn’t enjoy the game, and I thought the new information revealed in MoM was underwhelming given the time I invested. The girl from the fictional realm knows Sora, yet we don’t know her name or much else about her—just another mystery to add to the list. While I like KH, it often raises more questions than it answers.
In the future, I’ll create a post on unanswered questions and who I think this girl might be. Until then, “Let your heart be your guiding key.”
TJ and I finally managed to work through technical issues (at least for this time) and find time in our schedules to record again. Join us this time for our favorite adventures with the Third Doctor.
--Spencer
PS: I had an allergy attack literally an hour before recording. I tried to edit out most of the sniffles, but I apologize in advance for the unattractive noise.
Slow on the uptake, huh, Spencer? Yes, it's been over a year since the movie came out. That being said, I don't think any of the Captain Marvel haters will blame me. And I except that anyone like me who loves Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel will appreciate the post in general. As far as the movie itself, I enjoyed the it (when it came to Disney Plus). We got space travel, we got the Khan family back, and we got some insight into what Captain Marvel's been doing. I maintain the movie was AT LEAST as good as Iron Man 2 or Dark World (not all Marvel sequels are home runs).
But today is just a fun fluff post.
"It is a marriage of convenience. It's more of a diplomatic act, you know? It's like there was a power struggle. Matriarchal society. We are friends. It's a long story."
During the movie, we learned that Carol got in a political marriage on a planet that speaks music. This was the cringiest part of the movie for me, though I did love how Kamala reacted to the whole (I'd react more like Monica). Turns out the person she married was their prince. So yeah, regardless of whether you like Captain Marvel, she's an unofficial Disney Princess now. For fun, I wanted to compare her to some of her sister Disney Princesses.
Rapunzel and Aurora - Lies About Her Heritage
Let's start with the comparison of Carol Danvers to two tragic Disney Princesses. Like Rapunzel, Carol was taken from her family and her home and was explicitly lied to about where she came from and what her powers represented. Like Aurora, she was kept in the vague lies that her caretakers thought would keep her in line (PS: I have some issues with the three fairies' plan but that's a post for another day). Captain Marvel's backstory is more in line with Rapunzel and how she was manipulated and gaslighted. But like Rapunzel, once she learned the truth Carol was pretty unstoppable. So here's my plug for the Tangled series on Disney Plus--Loved it!
Mulan - Massive Body Count
This one is almost laughable when you stop and think about it. I've seen memes repeatedly about how Mulan is the Disney Princess with the highest body count, but I think Carol could give her a run for her money. Like I mentioned before, once she learned the truth about herself and became Captain Marvel, she was unstoppable. Imagine if she'd been around for the full fight against Thanos (Infinity War or Endgame, I don't care). The tide of the Endgame battle changed once Danvers came in as a shooting star. Only person with a higher body count in that fight was Tony Stark himself.
Elsa - Magic Hands
Flashback to Ralph Breaks the Internet. When the Disney Princesses tried to determine if Vanellope really belonged with them, Elsa asked if she had magic hands, demonstrating her ice magic. Carol Danvers literally has magic hands. Okay, maybe not magic, but I think Tesseract-based powers are pretty magical. That's why, like Elsa's parents giving her the gloves, Yon-Rogg and the Kree had to dampen her powers. Once the gloves came off, Captain Marvel definitely had some "let it go" energy (but set to the tune of "Just a Girl").
Jasmine and Moana - Adventurous
At the end of the first Captain Marvel movie, Carol took to space to help the Skrulls find a new home. Based on Secret Invasion, The Marvels, and a handful of credit-scenes we know it wasn't that simple. All the same, we have no indication that she spent much time on Earth before or after Thanos. She explained away her absence by telling Rhodey (or a Skrull pretending to be Rhodey) that there were a lot of places in the galaxy who needed help. Maybe this was just out of duty, but Carol was an adventurous person before she became super. Traveling to many different worlds and helping them puts her in good company with her fellow princesses, Jasmine and Moana. While once these princesses were contained in their palace and island, they went on to explore their worlds. See also: Moana 2 and the Aladdin TV series (why is it not on Disney Plus yet???).
With over a dozen official and unofficial Disney Princesses, I'm sure there are plenty of other ways Carol Danvers relates to her Disney sisters. Let me know if you think of any, but she fits the bill, whether you like her or not. Sorry, guys.
What Could Be Improved: Gameplay Depth and Balance
One of my main gripes with the app so far is that the gameplay feels a bit underwhelming. The matches are fun in their own right, but the game would really benefit from adding a battle story mode or a progression system with different challenges. Imagine playing through a journey with themed battles or different trainers—each with unique decks that force you to change your strategies! Right now, facing random decks or computer-controlled opponents with varied styles could add so much depth to the experience. Without this, the battles feel somewhat repetitive, as you’re often going up against similar decks and strategies over and over. I am in favor of this because I don't like playing with other people and waiting for them to take their turn unless it is a friend.
What the App Gets Right: Free Packs and No Pay-to-Win
Now, let’s talk about the positive stuff—there’s definitely a lot to like! One of the things that has really stood out to me is the app’s daily rewards. You get two free packs every day, which keeps the game feeling generous and fun to log into regularly. Opening those packs is always a little thrill, and it’s a great way to build your collection without feeling pressured to spend money. It’s a big plus that the game feels accessible to all players, regardless of whether or not they’re spending real money.
Additionally, I have encountered any pay-to-win elements, but it is not terrible which is refreshing for a digital card game. You can purchase gold and buy more cards with it. In most apps, you end up feeling that those who spend money have a big advantage over free players. Here, everyone has an equal chance to build strong decks and compete on a fair playing field. It’s nice to see that they’re respecting the game’s competitive spirit by making sure all players can progress at the same pace.
For now, though, I’m enjoying building my deck and taking on other players, and I appreciate that the developers are making the app accessible without pay-to-win mechanics. It’s exciting to think about how this app might evolve over time—and hopefully, the changes that make it even better for fans like us.
