Spider-Man 3 rating

 10.      Spider-Man 3

Rewatch. 7.95/10.

Party at 111 Howard - Part 6

 

Andrea entered Jane's room after some hesitation. She saw that there were many art supplies. “But is there a large tub of paint?” She started looking, being careful to put stuff back where she found it.

The area of the yard between the house and the gazebo was starting to get crowded, Daria noted as she noticed Angie lead Robert out of the house. She took a sip from the punch. 'At least it hasn't been spiked yet.' She then decided to go see if more people would come soon.

Charles knew it might be a bad idea but he approached the Fashion Club with his usual grin and a soda.

Quinn saw him coming. “Upchuck at 2 o'clock!”

“Wha-at?” Tiffany asked, oblivious, as Stacy started hyperventilating.

Sandi turned to the approaching menace.

“Hello beautious maidens.”

“Charles! You had best turn away before something happens,” Sandi said.

“Feisty!” Upchuck said, but didn't move.

Sandi glared at him as Quinn put herself in a fighting stance.

“Feisty!” he said before leaving.

“He shouldn't be bothering us!” Sandi declared.

“We can probably do something, that will humilate,” Quinn pondered.

Sandi had an idea. “Something...” she said with a smirk.

Daria opened the door. “Ted?”

“Hi, Daria!” Ted Dewit-Clinton said.

“I suppose you were interested in what a typical high school party would be like?”

“Yes,” Ted answered. “Although I have been to a couple of others, that haven't been as big as this is going to be.”

'That doesn't sound good,' Daria thought. “How many more people are coming?”

“I'm not sure. But I passed several people down the street,” Ted answered.

“I hope this isn't going to be a disaster!” Daria groused.

“I don't think it will be,” Ted said in his usual upbeat tone.

Jane wondered where Daria had got to. She saw Brittany. “Brittany!”

“Are the Band starting soon?” Brittany asked.

“Yes, in five minutes,” Jane answered. “Have you seen Daria?”

“I think she just went inside.”

“Of course. Thanks, Brittany.”

Jane saw Daria talking to Ted near the door. “Oh, there you are,” she said.

“Just taking a break from the crowd in the yard,' Daria said.

“Hi, Jane,” Ted said.

“Your parents you you're here?” Jane asked.

“They know I'm going to a party if that's what you mean,” Ted answered.

“OK,” Jane said.

There was another knock on the door. Ted opened it. “Jenna? Koichei?” Ted asked.

“It seems everyone is coming here tonight,” Jenna Swartz said.

“Everyone?” Daria asked nervously.

“Well, not 'everyone' per se,” Koichei Robasaki interjected as he and Jenna entered. “That would be like if the Zon actually had a good band for once.”

“Well, it is a big yard,” Jane said. “But one of the bands that regularly play at the Zon is playing...”

“Mystik Spiral?” Jenna asked.

“Yes,” Jane answered. “They are just about to start playing.”

“Cool,” Jenna said.

Koichei looked at her and raised his eyebrow.

“I mean, they fall into the 'So bad it's good' area,” Jenna clarified.

“I suppose so,” Jenna said.

There was another knock on the door.

“How many more?” Daria groused as Jane opened the door.

“Mr. DeMartino!”

“Good Evening, Miss Lane. I heard about the party through the grapevine, and I knew it would be here.”

“Oh Great!” Daria groaned.

“Don't worry, Miss Morgendorffer. No other faculty members are coming.”

Federal Budget 2022

 Federal Budget 2022

Unemployment to go even lower... (?)

100 Billion better off than last year.

Significantly lower debt than last year.

More disaster payments to be made in response to the flood crisis in North east NSW and southern Queensland.

Cost of living relief. Temporary 'cost of living package.'

20 cent fuel excise cut from midnight tonight.

(Not at a cost to road funding).

$420 cost of living tax offset from mid year.

5000 dollars to new apprentices.

3.7 billion to national skills agreement.

$120 tax deduction for every $100 spent on electronic infrastructure by small businesses.

Half taxes for new patents by small companies.

New water infrastructure in regional areas.

More training places for doctors at regional universities.

Net Zero by 2050. Highest takeup of rooftop solar.

Further investments in microgrids. Renewables for remote communities.

Mental Illness treatment - more Headspace, digital support services

Domestic Violence - more services to help victims, including emergency accomodation. $1.3 B package.

Enhancing parental leave. Flexibility for parents. 2 more weeks for single parents.

$350 Million dollars more funding for aged care facilities.

50000 places per year in the Home Guarantee scheme.

$180 Billion in education over the next four years.

636 million dollars to expand indigenous rangers program.

170 Billion dollars to threatened species programs (including towards conservation of Koalas).

Extra Veterans funding.

38 Billion dollars to expanding Defence Force

$9.9 Billion to cyber capabilities.

Church notes in 2022 so far

 January '22: https://www.deviantart.com/brenorenz/journal/Church-notes-January-2022-905414404

February '22: https://www.deviantart.com/brenorenz/journal/Church-notes-February-2022-908286965

March ' 22: http://fardell30.deadjournal.com/215303.html

Church notes - March 2022

 On LiveJournal: https://fardell24.livejournal.com/540990.html

On Dreamwidth: https://fardell24.dreamwidth.org/704026.html

Church notes - 27th March 2022

 27th

John 19:28 - 30

Revelation 5

Only Jesus is worthy.

Jesus, not Satan, holds the future.

Jesus is in control, and He alone is worthy to set in motion the events of the last days of history.

vs 2

Who is worthy to open the scroll?

vs 5

Genesis 49:9 - 10

Judah - the ruling tribe.

The root of David - Isaiah 11:1, 2

Only Jesus, via His death at the Cross and His Resurrection.

vs 6 A lamb. The Lamb who was slain.

The final sacrifice. Worthy of our worship.

This Lamb is worthy of worship

1. Because of Who He Is

Seven - number of perfection.

Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent

2. Because of Where He is

In Heaven. Not the Manger, the Cross nor the Tomb.

Interceding for us.

All creation focuses on Him

On the Throne

A living reigning God

3. Because of What He does

Praise

Worship - ascribing worth

vs 9

The climax of the Bible.

4. Because of What He has.

vs 8

Our future is secured.

vs 9, 10

Ephesians 3:20

Star Trek: The Motion Picture review

66.      Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Rewatch. With a strange cloud approaching Earth, the recently refitted USS Enterprise is rushed into service. The overall story is rather good. The various characters are also presented very well, particularly the main trio, Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The main part of the story is the crew investigating the nature of the threat. That it turns out to be an augmented old NASA probe seeking it’s creator is poignant and thought provoking. A good, if slow, film. 7.5/10.

Changes in Time and Space - Chapter 5 - Part 1

 The 11^th Doctor’s TARDIS

Felicia Lovell awoke, on the floor of a TARDIS corridor. It looked much the same, but she knew that it was an even earlier version of the TARDIS. ‘And which version of the Doctor…’ she pondered. She stood up and decided to try to find the Doctor. ‘He’s likely to be in the console room.’

Felicia soon found the console room, but it was empty. “Doctor?”

No answer. She decided to sit by the console and wait.

After another five minutes, she heard a sound. She turned and saw the Doctor walking down the stairs.

“Hello, Doctor,” she said. 'Another male version,' she thought.

The Doctor turned to her. “How did you enter my TARDIS?” he asked in a dark tone.

The Doctor’s tone unnerved Felicia. “I came from a future version of it. I normally travel with your incarnation after the next,” she said with slight fright.

The Doctor appeared to be in thought. “You don’t seem to be lying.”

“I’m not!”

The Doctor turned to the console. “You’re right. The sensors did record some sort of anomalous activity within the TARDIS structure.”

“That would be right.”

“You said the incarnation after next?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impossible!” The Doctor said.

“Not impossible!” Felicia said. “I have been travelling with her for five months.”

“I have run out of regenerations!”

Felicia thought for a moment. “Maybe you obtained some more?” she asked.

“Unlikely, the Time Lords are gone!” The Doctor thought for a moment. “Or maybe, River did more than save my life. Either that or the Sisterhood broke the rules and gave me extra...”

“There’s your answer.”

“Probably.”

“So you believe me?”

“Yes, it means that I’ll survive whatever is coming,” the Doctor said sardonically.

Felicia wasn’t sure to what the Doctor was referring to. “What are you saying?” she asked after a few moments.

“Something in the universe is out to get me. Some kind of conspiracy involving a race of ‘Silents.’ Anyone who sees them would not remember afterwards.”

Felicia was dubious. “And you know of them, how?”

“Myself and a few companions found out a way around that limitation.”

“Are they here, in the TARDIS?”

“No, they have stopped travelling with me,” he said morosely.

“Oh,” Felicia said. ‘They must have parted on bad terms,’ she decided, but the Doctor refuted that...

“A little run in with Weeping Angels!” he banged his fist against the console.

“Yikes!” Felicia said. That was one force of the Doctor’s enemies that she didn’t want to meet.

The Doctor just looked at her. She held back a shudder.

Felicia then waited for the Doctor to say more. “So, where are we going?”

“I’m chasing an impossible mystery. You don’t know anyone named Clara Oswin Oswald, do you?”

Felicia shook her head. “No.”

“I have met her twice, and she died both times.”

“She couldn’t have come back to life?”

“No, the first time the planet blew up. She had been turned into a Dalek anyway. The second time there was definitely a body.”

“Seems impossible.”

“It is, their personalities were the same, and they used the same phrases. They like making soufflés.”

Felicia then decided to ask the Doctor to help her to look for her Doctor. “You don’t want to help me look for my Doctor?” she asked. ‘Or the one I just left,’ she thought whimsically.

“Any particular reason? I could just drop you home.”

“You could do that, but I would like to see my version of the Doctor first.”

“You may give me spoilers about my incarnation after next. Then that information will be fixed. I already know that I’ll meet you in that incarnation. Not to say that I now know that I’ll actually have that incarnation!”

“He’ll be looking for me with you after having determined that I’m no longer with his immediate predecessor.”

“You did it again! Don’t do that!”

“You needed to know that.”

The Doctor thought for a moment. “I suppose I did. But no more information about my future!”

“Unless I can’t help it,” Felicia teased.

The Doctor moodily looked at her. “Just be careful about you say.”

“Certainly.”

“And now I’ll have to break that rule to help you,” the Doctor said even more moodily.

“How so?”

“I need to know where you were so we can trace the future TARDIS’s.”

“Not much help there.”

“How so?”

“In the first place, the TARDIS had been going off course. We had just left the Azores in 2018. Secondly, we had just come back from another universe.”

“Minimal information, good. I don’t want to know what’ll happen at the Azores or how the TARDIS will work in that other universe,” the Doctor said. He laid in a course.

However after a moment he saw that the TARDIS had set a different course. He tried to set it back to the Azores, but the setting didn’t budge. “Of course, she knows where she was going to go if you hadn’t come, so she’s going anyway!”

“Maybe she has located this Clara person,” Felicia considering that the Doctor wanted to solve that mystery.

“Possibly,” the Doctor said.

The Batman review

 65.      The Batman

The latest film based on the comic book character. Over a year into his ‘Gotham Project’ Bruce Wayne finds himself in over his head in a rather urgent case when the Mayor of Gotham City is assassinated. In the course of trying to find the murderer, he finds that events in the city are coming to a head. His established relationship with Jim Gordon and the burgeoning one with Selina Kyle were both well done. The same with Alfred. It forms an emotional backbone for the plot. Then there is the villain, the Riddler. Sure, he was brutal, but it worked, and it added to the mystery.

Gotham City was well realized as a setting too. Overall, the film was rather good. 9.01/10.

Spider-Man 2 rating

 9.      Spider-Man 2

Rewatch. 9.1/10,