October 2014 Monthly Entry
Canadian Thanksgiving was a little low key this year at my folks place but the food was great as usual. Turkey, potatoes & carrots, corn-on-the-cob, stuffing, and mushroom gravy. Yummy! Nothing planned for Halloween though outside of traditionally watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Blu-Ray and handing out candy. I might go to my folks instead though it'll mean holding off on Rocky Horror until Saturday night unless it happens to give on TV on Halloween night.
The rains have come, the easiest indicator that the fall season is upon us. The trees aren't changing colour fast enough it seems but the leaves are slowly dying so there are exceptions. I took these two pics on Saturday while waiting for my bus to Langley at King George Station.
Two weeks ago at work, my manager took his family for a trip to Disneyland so it was great not having him around and I managed to sneak out early a couple of times, cautiously. I found out that he and his father brought back our previous supervisor, Anil, who quit in December due to his hating the job and all the money he wasted on gas for his car which they never compensated him for. They must have been desperate to replace Raj since the summer and to sweeten the deal for Anil, they got him to drive the company van so he isn't forced to use his car and gas (which I assume!). The van is an old piece of shit of though. Ah well, it's good to have him back. I got a surprising call that Monday from David at the Marquis Grande that he wanted me to take over for him for Thursday. He was desperate for a day off. I arrived an hour late that day, mostly due to the fucking morning rush-hour traffic on Lougheed. He was a little irritated at me but I think I calmed him some because I called him twice and let him know when I was arriving and why I was late. He was more pissed off at his wife as she was more late than I was to arrive as she needed to pick up their puppy before he could head to the golf course. Not long was I downstairs in the office did the owner of suite 602 approach me (he also called and left a message on the office phone) telling me that he is getting a leak in his main bathroom from the ceiling fan and (thankfully!) was dripping into the toilet. I took down his info and after telling him that I would pass the info onto David, he started to get adamant toward me! Deep down, I was starting to panic but then offered to take him to David, checking to see if was still on the property. We went to the lobby and found him outside, waiting with his golf clubs. We approached him and I told him the situation and he blew up! "Why can't I fucking get a day off around here? I'm late for my tee-off and this shit happens!" he exclaims. We then go up to 702 and he knocks on the door, still in his pissed off mood. A guy answers and David asks him if he has been doing anything that could cause the leak in 602's bathroom. He replies that he recently took a shower and David easily deduces that the pan underneath the shower has shifted and not collecting the water. He then directs me to call the plumber and a restoration company to come in. The 702 guy says he would be home. We then left him and David went back to the lobby while I told 602 I would call the two companies and get them to come in as soon as they are able and he was satisfied with that answer. I immediately did just that and over an hour later, the plumber arrived. We knocked on 702's door and found... he wasn't home! WTF? I was not thrilled! I texted David but got no reply until much later on what to do. We went down to 602 and he did a quick inspection but couldn't do much as he had to access 702. He believes that David was right in thinking it could be the shower pan that lead to the leak. After he left, the restoration guys came next. Since they couldn't get inside 702, they left a note on his door. In 602, they took off the ceiling fan and water dripped from it. They also tested the dampness of the ceiling and even did a swab test of the water, determining if it was likely coming from the shower or the toilet (probably checks for bacteria in the water). They left their fans inside to dry out the damp parts of the ceiling. Before we were done, I assured the 602 owner that I would write a note for 702 to let him know to get a hold of David so they can arrange a time for both the plumber and restoration company to come in. Plus, I would write for him to not use his main bathroom but the alternative one in his suite. He seemed okay and content. That ended that drama for the day and I spent the rest of the day in the office, puttering around on the internet. David called wondering how things were going and I told him how things went with the tradesmen. After he got back from his golf game, he said he noticed my note on 702's door and that he talked to 602, apologizing for his earlier behaviour and assuring that it wasn't 602's fault as "he didn't need this" when it was his day off. It was before 4pm and David said I could take off but I said that since I was late, I would work beyond 4pm but he didn't see the point. I said it wasn't a problem and he could spend some extra time relaxing. He was thankful and he parted.
I was expecting this would be a regular weekend but I had a bombed dropped on me since last Friday morning. After I got up, freshened up, got dressed, and was putting my shoes and coat on did I get a phone call. It was from Larry, my co-worker. I thought it strange that he would be calling since he works at the building I was act-managing last year on Fridays and Saturdays - MacPherson. Anyways, I answer and he says that he told our manager to "fuck off", wanted a raise, and was, "tired of this bullshit." I could tell he was drunk but wondered what the hell was going on. He thanked me for everything and that he would pay me back the money he owed me next week. As I was on the bus and on my way to the Coquitlam Centre bus loop, my manager calls me and basically reiterated what Larry told him. He called 7am in the morning, demanding $12.50 an hour and when my manager said he couldn't afford it (...this coming from a person who just took a weeklong vacation with his family to Disneyland and stayed in the hotel there - and he can't pay us a better wage?), it was when Larry got more mouthy. My manager wanted me to continue working at my buildings and do what I could that day but it presented two problems - who was going to do MacPherson which Larry went to at the end of the week and how were we going to get his two sets of keys? My manager said he tried to call him back but he wasn't answering, and requested I try and when I did, Larry didn't pick up either. I left a voice message about the keys and to call me back. I got no reply for the rest of the day. I did some basic work at his buildings and mine too as I was so uncertain when my manager was going to call and get me to go to MacPherson. I did very little given this uncertainty and I was pretty upset. My manager had to get the only set of keys from Michael, the caretaker, all the way out to his home in Surrey. I called my mom and let her know I was not coming over as usual but will be coming over tomorrow afternoon only. By the time my manager and I met at Royal Oak station and got to MacPherson, it was 2pm. It's just shy of a year since I was last on this property. We went into the amenity room and my manager showed some papers and writings from Michael and fuck... his handwriting is worse than mine! I had major problems reading it and his use of abbreviations that I was wondering what he was trying to communicate to me and others (I deduced for example that w/e means "weekend" and P.M. means "Property Manager"). I saw the cleaning list and wondered how the hell I was going to get through some of it, especially since my manager is having me work for 6 hours on Saturday too! I haven't worked on a Saturday for long time, I think in almost two years. My manager left me to my own devices and I was stuck wondering what I was going to do since I had less than 3 hours of work. I mostly did vacuuming and return the garbage bins into the garbage room - even though I noticed the layout of bins and containers was different from last year which was confusing to say the least! I left at 5pm. The next morning, I arrived at 9am and spent a considerable amount of time working in the lobbies and cleaning the elevator floors and parkade lobbies. All mats had to be removed and the floors mopped and dried before replacing them. I also swept some leaves and garbage where the townhouses were (pics above) and the outside parkade ramp but had no time to lug the canister vacuum and do both stairwells in one of the buildings. The last thing I did was do a quick clean of the amenity room and washrooms. I took down the tables and chairs but Michael, the resident manager, called and told me that they were to stay so I put them back which only took a few minutes. Everything else was put into the guest suite as required. I returned the main keys into the janitor closet while my manager came at 2:30pm - half an hour before the end of my shift and took Michael's keys from me and offered me a lift to King George Station in Surrey as he was on the way to give them back to Michael. On the way, my manager and I were talking about Larry and the day he had with him. He has been trying to get Larry's key sets from him but it turns into nothing more than arguments and Larry not going out of his way to meet up and drop them off. Some of those arguments was Larry denying he was drunk and trying to be nice, even apologizing for his behaviour, to get his job back but my manager replied that he had the biscuit with him since he has not been reliable and his alcoholism has been noted by others. Larry then immediately contradicts his niceness but once again telling my manager to fuck off. Larry promised that he'd drop the keys off on at our property to the other strata janitor that morning but turns out he didn't keep that promise. My manager went to the hotel he has been living out of for months with his brother as he willing to make it easier. He said he'd be there and when my manager called him letting him know he had arrived, Larry replies that he wasn't home and would come, "at my own time". So I can understand it being aggravating since those keys have to be passed onto the new worker who will one day soon replace him at Brentwood, and I guess, MacPherson too. I certainly don't want to do it - unless my manager wants to increase my hours from 40 to 46 a week. It'll mean a better income but having to wake up 6 mornings a week will take its toll on me, as it did for Larry (though he needed the extra hours as all his days were 6 hours each with an occasional 8 hour one thrown in).
A couple of things of note about what had happened to Larry before he quit/got fired. The first was earlier last week, a woman in one of his building's slipped on the lobby floor and he didn't have any "wet floor" signs! The younger son of this woman got into Larry's face about it with the possibility of getting the company sued! My manager talked to him and I about it on Wednesday as he handed us our scheduled paycheques. The second was the following day, Larry was in earlier before I arrived (or so he says...) but he had to make an emergency trip to Revenue Canada that day and he let my manager know too. I have no idea what may have happened with his meeting about his taxes - did he owe more money or did he get some? Whatever happened, he must have been drinking that Thursday night which led into that 7am Friday morning phone call that led to his quiting and being fired. Because of all this drama between my manager and Larry, my manager told me he doesn't want Larry on the property of Brentwood anymore. This also includes his volunteering to help the senior man who is a paraplegic and lived in one of the buildings he cleaned. Larry would take him over to the mall and he'd pay for Larry's meal as payment and I think gave him $5 or $10 for his trouble too. I have no desire to fulfill this "ban" as what Larry does between that man and him is their business. If I find him around, I'll just look the other way and deny seeing him. The one thing I will do for Larry is let him collect his stuff from his closets and I plan to do that when he returns the money that is owed me. I won't be choked if he doesn't pay me back though it would be irritating and tell me a lot about his character.
Mom had her 60th birthday earlier this month. Happy Birthday Mom! Love you!
A couple weeks ago I saw Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Netflix. It was a pretty good documentary that tells us about the genesis of the TMNT comic book back in May 1984, the making of the cartoon show that debuted December 1987, the popular action figures in 1988 that created "Turtlemania", and then the live-action 1990 movie that was taken up by New Line Cinema after no studio wanted to do it! The documentary doesn't go beyond that much which is weird as I wished they talked more about the next two movies (especially to rip on the awful third movie!), the awful live-action show "The Next Mutation", the revival of the series in 2003, the 2007 TMNT CG movie, and then all the way to current Nickelodeon cartoon and the Michael Bay movie that came out last summer. I was surprised on the amount of video taping they did back in the 80s that showed the success of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird plus the guys at Mirage Studios who brought the franchise to life! It was a fun watch and like watching the entire original cartoon series last year, filled me with childhood nostalgia.
Last weekend I watched Oz the Great and Powerful on Blu-Ray. My opinion of it from seeing it in theatres last year hasn't much changed. Here's the Bum Review here and Doug Walker's regular review here. I pretty much agree with him in both reviews.
I watched the Amazing Spider-Man on Netflix. I think maybe I liked it a little more than when I originally saw it in theatres. It is certainly better than the sequel as it wasn't saturated with too many plot points. I'll once again add the Bum Review here and Doug Walker's review here too.
David and I watched on Netflix the 6-part BBC series from 2005 Auschwitz: The Nazis and 'The Final Solution'. It was quite good but very saddening to see the worst in humanity. We also watched a PBS Nova documentary on the assassination of JFK and more specifically, how he died, the rifle used, and the two bullets that struck him. I always feel sad actually seeing the shot makes his head explode and Jackie Kennedy's reaction. :(
I was about to start Castlevania: Lords of Shadow but I'm still waiting for it in the mail. I have decided to switch to another game - namely Resident Evil 3: Nemesis which I downloaded last night as it was on sale from the PSN store. I haven't been concentrating much on Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia but I've made great progress on Dragon Warrior VII in just over a month of playing it at my folks. I kind of doubt I'll be able to beat it by the end of the year but I can see early next year is possible. I have brought the game home this week and will play it a bit after beating Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
We now get to the final books of the Old Testament.
The book of Habakkuk's major theme is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God. Habakkuk addresses his concerns over the fact that God will use the evil Babylonian empire to execute judgment on Judah for their sins. He is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God. In the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action. God explains that he will send the Chaldeans to punish his people but the prophet expresses shock at God's choice of instrument for judgment. In Chapter 2, he awaits God's response to his challenge. God explains that He will also judge the Chaldeans, and much more harshly. In Chapter 3, Habakkuk expresses his ultimate faith in God, even if he doesn't fully understand.
In the book of Zephaniah it pronounces the Lord’s judgment on the whole earth - on Judah, on the surrounding nations, on Jerusalem, and on all nations. This is followed by proclamations of the Lord’s blessing on all nations and especially on the faithful remnant of His people in Judah. Courageously, Zephaniah speaks bluntly because he knew he was proclaiming the Word of the Lord. He knew that neither the many gods the people worshiped nor even the might of the Assyrian army could save them. God is gracious and compassionate, but when all His warnings are ignored, judgment is to be expected.
Haggai's message is filled with an urgency for the people to proceed with the rebuilding of the second Jerusalem temple. Haggai attributes a recent drought to the people's refusal to rebuild the temple, which he sees as key to Jerusalem's glory. The book ends with the prediction of the downfall of kingdoms, with one Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, as the Lord’s chosen leader. The first chapter contains the first address and its effects. The second chapter contains 3 prophecies and are linked to the book of Ezra. Haggai reports that three weeks after his first prophecy, the rebuilding of the Temple began on September 7, 521 BC. "They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.(Haggai 1:14-15) and the book of Ezra indicates that it was finished on February 25, 516 BC "The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius." (Ezra 6:15)
Zechariah is an influential book in understanding the eventual life and ministry of Jesus. There are a series of eight visions, succeeding one another in one night, which may be regarded as a symbolical history of Israel, intended to furnish consolation to the returned exiles and stir up hope in their minds. The symbolic action, the crowning of Joshua (the High Priest after the Babylonian exile), describes how the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of God's Messiah. The last section consists of two "oracles" or "burdens": the first oracle gives an outline of the course of God's providential dealings with his people down to the time of the coming of the Messiah, and the second oracle points out the glories that await Israel in "the latter day", the final conflict and triumph of God's kingdom.
We finally get to the book of Malachi, the last minor prophet and book of the Old Testament canon (for Jews, it is 2nd Chronicles in the Tanakh). It was written to correct the lax religious and social behaviour of the Israelites - particularly the priests - in post-exilic Jerusalem. Although the prophets urged the people of Judah and Israel to see their exile as punishment for failing to uphold their covenant with God, it was not long after they had been restored to the land and to Temple worship that the people's commitment to their God began, once again, to wane. In this context, the prophet delivered his prophecy. Malachi has the people of Israel question God's love for them. This introduction to the book illustrates the severity of the situation which Malachi addresses. He proceeds to accuse his audience of failing to respect God as God deserves. One way in which this disrespect is made manifest is through the substandard sacrifices which Malachi claims are being offered by the priests. While God demands animals that are "without blemish", the priests, who were "to determine whether the animal was acceptable", were offering blind, lame, and sick animals for sacrifice because they thought nobody would notice. Malachi addresses the issue of divorce. On this topic, Malachi deals with it both as a social problem ("Why then are we faithless to one another ... ?" 2:10) and as a religious problem ("Judah ... has married the daughter of a foreign god" 2:11). In contrast to the book of Ezra, Malachi urges each to remain steadfast to the wife of his youth. Malachi also criticizes his audience for questioning God's justice. He reminds them that God is just, exhorting them to be faithful as they await that justice. Malachi quickly goes on to point out that the people have not been faithful. In fact, the people are not giving God all that He deserves. Just as the priests have been offering unacceptable sacrifices, so the people have been neglecting to offer their full tithe to God. The result of these shortcomings is that the people come to believe that no good comes out of serving God. Malachi assures the faithful among his audience that in the eschaton, the differences between those who served God faithfully and those who did not will become clear. The book concludes by calling upon the teachings of Moses and by promising that Elijah will return prior to the Day of the LORD.
In what is called the Intertestamental Period, empires rise and fall until the mighty Roman Empire dominates and rules the land with an iron fist. We now turn to the Christian New Testament, with all its recorded events happening in the 1st century under the backdrop of Roman rule in Judea. An extraordinary preacher and miracle-worker who becomes the central focus of the entire books in the New Testament, will turn human history upside down and conquer man's greatest enemy - death. Four major biographies, called gospels, are written about his life and 3 years of preaching.
Last Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy 3D (Theatrical), The Amazing Spider-Man (Netflix)
Last Book: KJV Holy Bible - Malachi
Last Game: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)
Current Book: KJV Holy Bible - Gospel of Matthew
Current Games: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PSN - PSone) & Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS) & Dragon Warrior VII (PSone)
The rains have come, the easiest indicator that the fall season is upon us. The trees aren't changing colour fast enough it seems but the leaves are slowly dying so there are exceptions. I took these two pics on Saturday while waiting for my bus to Langley at King George Station.
Two weeks ago at work, my manager took his family for a trip to Disneyland so it was great not having him around and I managed to sneak out early a couple of times, cautiously. I found out that he and his father brought back our previous supervisor, Anil, who quit in December due to his hating the job and all the money he wasted on gas for his car which they never compensated him for. They must have been desperate to replace Raj since the summer and to sweeten the deal for Anil, they got him to drive the company van so he isn't forced to use his car and gas (which I assume!). The van is an old piece of shit of though. Ah well, it's good to have him back. I got a surprising call that Monday from David at the Marquis Grande that he wanted me to take over for him for Thursday. He was desperate for a day off. I arrived an hour late that day, mostly due to the fucking morning rush-hour traffic on Lougheed. He was a little irritated at me but I think I calmed him some because I called him twice and let him know when I was arriving and why I was late. He was more pissed off at his wife as she was more late than I was to arrive as she needed to pick up their puppy before he could head to the golf course. Not long was I downstairs in the office did the owner of suite 602 approach me (he also called and left a message on the office phone) telling me that he is getting a leak in his main bathroom from the ceiling fan and (thankfully!) was dripping into the toilet. I took down his info and after telling him that I would pass the info onto David, he started to get adamant toward me! Deep down, I was starting to panic but then offered to take him to David, checking to see if was still on the property. We went to the lobby and found him outside, waiting with his golf clubs. We approached him and I told him the situation and he blew up! "Why can't I fucking get a day off around here? I'm late for my tee-off and this shit happens!" he exclaims. We then go up to 702 and he knocks on the door, still in his pissed off mood. A guy answers and David asks him if he has been doing anything that could cause the leak in 602's bathroom. He replies that he recently took a shower and David easily deduces that the pan underneath the shower has shifted and not collecting the water. He then directs me to call the plumber and a restoration company to come in. The 702 guy says he would be home. We then left him and David went back to the lobby while I told 602 I would call the two companies and get them to come in as soon as they are able and he was satisfied with that answer. I immediately did just that and over an hour later, the plumber arrived. We knocked on 702's door and found... he wasn't home! WTF? I was not thrilled! I texted David but got no reply until much later on what to do. We went down to 602 and he did a quick inspection but couldn't do much as he had to access 702. He believes that David was right in thinking it could be the shower pan that lead to the leak. After he left, the restoration guys came next. Since they couldn't get inside 702, they left a note on his door. In 602, they took off the ceiling fan and water dripped from it. They also tested the dampness of the ceiling and even did a swab test of the water, determining if it was likely coming from the shower or the toilet (probably checks for bacteria in the water). They left their fans inside to dry out the damp parts of the ceiling. Before we were done, I assured the 602 owner that I would write a note for 702 to let him know to get a hold of David so they can arrange a time for both the plumber and restoration company to come in. Plus, I would write for him to not use his main bathroom but the alternative one in his suite. He seemed okay and content. That ended that drama for the day and I spent the rest of the day in the office, puttering around on the internet. David called wondering how things were going and I told him how things went with the tradesmen. After he got back from his golf game, he said he noticed my note on 702's door and that he talked to 602, apologizing for his earlier behaviour and assuring that it wasn't 602's fault as "he didn't need this" when it was his day off. It was before 4pm and David said I could take off but I said that since I was late, I would work beyond 4pm but he didn't see the point. I said it wasn't a problem and he could spend some extra time relaxing. He was thankful and he parted.
I was expecting this would be a regular weekend but I had a bombed dropped on me since last Friday morning. After I got up, freshened up, got dressed, and was putting my shoes and coat on did I get a phone call. It was from Larry, my co-worker. I thought it strange that he would be calling since he works at the building I was act-managing last year on Fridays and Saturdays - MacPherson. Anyways, I answer and he says that he told our manager to "fuck off", wanted a raise, and was, "tired of this bullshit." I could tell he was drunk but wondered what the hell was going on. He thanked me for everything and that he would pay me back the money he owed me next week. As I was on the bus and on my way to the Coquitlam Centre bus loop, my manager calls me and basically reiterated what Larry told him. He called 7am in the morning, demanding $12.50 an hour and when my manager said he couldn't afford it (...this coming from a person who just took a weeklong vacation with his family to Disneyland and stayed in the hotel there - and he can't pay us a better wage?), it was when Larry got more mouthy. My manager wanted me to continue working at my buildings and do what I could that day but it presented two problems - who was going to do MacPherson which Larry went to at the end of the week and how were we going to get his two sets of keys? My manager said he tried to call him back but he wasn't answering, and requested I try and when I did, Larry didn't pick up either. I left a voice message about the keys and to call me back. I got no reply for the rest of the day. I did some basic work at his buildings and mine too as I was so uncertain when my manager was going to call and get me to go to MacPherson. I did very little given this uncertainty and I was pretty upset. My manager had to get the only set of keys from Michael, the caretaker, all the way out to his home in Surrey. I called my mom and let her know I was not coming over as usual but will be coming over tomorrow afternoon only. By the time my manager and I met at Royal Oak station and got to MacPherson, it was 2pm. It's just shy of a year since I was last on this property. We went into the amenity room and my manager showed some papers and writings from Michael and fuck... his handwriting is worse than mine! I had major problems reading it and his use of abbreviations that I was wondering what he was trying to communicate to me and others (I deduced for example that w/e means "weekend" and P.M. means "Property Manager"). I saw the cleaning list and wondered how the hell I was going to get through some of it, especially since my manager is having me work for 6 hours on Saturday too! I haven't worked on a Saturday for long time, I think in almost two years. My manager left me to my own devices and I was stuck wondering what I was going to do since I had less than 3 hours of work. I mostly did vacuuming and return the garbage bins into the garbage room - even though I noticed the layout of bins and containers was different from last year which was confusing to say the least! I left at 5pm. The next morning, I arrived at 9am and spent a considerable amount of time working in the lobbies and cleaning the elevator floors and parkade lobbies. All mats had to be removed and the floors mopped and dried before replacing them. I also swept some leaves and garbage where the townhouses were (pics above) and the outside parkade ramp but had no time to lug the canister vacuum and do both stairwells in one of the buildings. The last thing I did was do a quick clean of the amenity room and washrooms. I took down the tables and chairs but Michael, the resident manager, called and told me that they were to stay so I put them back which only took a few minutes. Everything else was put into the guest suite as required. I returned the main keys into the janitor closet while my manager came at 2:30pm - half an hour before the end of my shift and took Michael's keys from me and offered me a lift to King George Station in Surrey as he was on the way to give them back to Michael. On the way, my manager and I were talking about Larry and the day he had with him. He has been trying to get Larry's key sets from him but it turns into nothing more than arguments and Larry not going out of his way to meet up and drop them off. Some of those arguments was Larry denying he was drunk and trying to be nice, even apologizing for his behaviour, to get his job back but my manager replied that he had the biscuit with him since he has not been reliable and his alcoholism has been noted by others. Larry then immediately contradicts his niceness but once again telling my manager to fuck off. Larry promised that he'd drop the keys off on at our property to the other strata janitor that morning but turns out he didn't keep that promise. My manager went to the hotel he has been living out of for months with his brother as he willing to make it easier. He said he'd be there and when my manager called him letting him know he had arrived, Larry replies that he wasn't home and would come, "at my own time". So I can understand it being aggravating since those keys have to be passed onto the new worker who will one day soon replace him at Brentwood, and I guess, MacPherson too. I certainly don't want to do it - unless my manager wants to increase my hours from 40 to 46 a week. It'll mean a better income but having to wake up 6 mornings a week will take its toll on me, as it did for Larry (though he needed the extra hours as all his days were 6 hours each with an occasional 8 hour one thrown in).
A couple of things of note about what had happened to Larry before he quit/got fired. The first was earlier last week, a woman in one of his building's slipped on the lobby floor and he didn't have any "wet floor" signs! The younger son of this woman got into Larry's face about it with the possibility of getting the company sued! My manager talked to him and I about it on Wednesday as he handed us our scheduled paycheques. The second was the following day, Larry was in earlier before I arrived (or so he says...) but he had to make an emergency trip to Revenue Canada that day and he let my manager know too. I have no idea what may have happened with his meeting about his taxes - did he owe more money or did he get some? Whatever happened, he must have been drinking that Thursday night which led into that 7am Friday morning phone call that led to his quiting and being fired. Because of all this drama between my manager and Larry, my manager told me he doesn't want Larry on the property of Brentwood anymore. This also includes his volunteering to help the senior man who is a paraplegic and lived in one of the buildings he cleaned. Larry would take him over to the mall and he'd pay for Larry's meal as payment and I think gave him $5 or $10 for his trouble too. I have no desire to fulfill this "ban" as what Larry does between that man and him is their business. If I find him around, I'll just look the other way and deny seeing him. The one thing I will do for Larry is let him collect his stuff from his closets and I plan to do that when he returns the money that is owed me. I won't be choked if he doesn't pay me back though it would be irritating and tell me a lot about his character.
Mom had her 60th birthday earlier this month. Happy Birthday Mom! Love you!
A couple weeks ago I saw Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Netflix. It was a pretty good documentary that tells us about the genesis of the TMNT comic book back in May 1984, the making of the cartoon show that debuted December 1987, the popular action figures in 1988 that created "Turtlemania", and then the live-action 1990 movie that was taken up by New Line Cinema after no studio wanted to do it! The documentary doesn't go beyond that much which is weird as I wished they talked more about the next two movies (especially to rip on the awful third movie!), the awful live-action show "The Next Mutation", the revival of the series in 2003, the 2007 TMNT CG movie, and then all the way to current Nickelodeon cartoon and the Michael Bay movie that came out last summer. I was surprised on the amount of video taping they did back in the 80s that showed the success of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird plus the guys at Mirage Studios who brought the franchise to life! It was a fun watch and like watching the entire original cartoon series last year, filled me with childhood nostalgia.
Last weekend I watched Oz the Great and Powerful on Blu-Ray. My opinion of it from seeing it in theatres last year hasn't much changed. Here's the Bum Review here and Doug Walker's regular review here. I pretty much agree with him in both reviews.
I watched the Amazing Spider-Man on Netflix. I think maybe I liked it a little more than when I originally saw it in theatres. It is certainly better than the sequel as it wasn't saturated with too many plot points. I'll once again add the Bum Review here and Doug Walker's review here too.
David and I watched on Netflix the 6-part BBC series from 2005 Auschwitz: The Nazis and 'The Final Solution'. It was quite good but very saddening to see the worst in humanity. We also watched a PBS Nova documentary on the assassination of JFK and more specifically, how he died, the rifle used, and the two bullets that struck him. I always feel sad actually seeing the shot makes his head explode and Jackie Kennedy's reaction. :(
I was about to start Castlevania: Lords of Shadow but I'm still waiting for it in the mail. I have decided to switch to another game - namely Resident Evil 3: Nemesis which I downloaded last night as it was on sale from the PSN store. I haven't been concentrating much on Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia but I've made great progress on Dragon Warrior VII in just over a month of playing it at my folks. I kind of doubt I'll be able to beat it by the end of the year but I can see early next year is possible. I have brought the game home this week and will play it a bit after beating Resident Evil 3: Nemesis.
We now get to the final books of the Old Testament.
The book of Habakkuk's major theme is trying to grow from a faith of perplexity and doubt to the height of absolute trust in God. Habakkuk addresses his concerns over the fact that God will use the evil Babylonian empire to execute judgment on Judah for their sins. He is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God. In the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action. God explains that he will send the Chaldeans to punish his people but the prophet expresses shock at God's choice of instrument for judgment. In Chapter 2, he awaits God's response to his challenge. God explains that He will also judge the Chaldeans, and much more harshly. In Chapter 3, Habakkuk expresses his ultimate faith in God, even if he doesn't fully understand.
In the book of Zephaniah it pronounces the Lord’s judgment on the whole earth - on Judah, on the surrounding nations, on Jerusalem, and on all nations. This is followed by proclamations of the Lord’s blessing on all nations and especially on the faithful remnant of His people in Judah. Courageously, Zephaniah speaks bluntly because he knew he was proclaiming the Word of the Lord. He knew that neither the many gods the people worshiped nor even the might of the Assyrian army could save them. God is gracious and compassionate, but when all His warnings are ignored, judgment is to be expected.
Haggai's message is filled with an urgency for the people to proceed with the rebuilding of the second Jerusalem temple. Haggai attributes a recent drought to the people's refusal to rebuild the temple, which he sees as key to Jerusalem's glory. The book ends with the prediction of the downfall of kingdoms, with one Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, as the Lord’s chosen leader. The first chapter contains the first address and its effects. The second chapter contains 3 prophecies and are linked to the book of Ezra. Haggai reports that three weeks after his first prophecy, the rebuilding of the Temple began on September 7, 521 BC. "They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.(Haggai 1:14-15) and the book of Ezra indicates that it was finished on February 25, 516 BC "The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius." (Ezra 6:15)
Zechariah is an influential book in understanding the eventual life and ministry of Jesus. There are a series of eight visions, succeeding one another in one night, which may be regarded as a symbolical history of Israel, intended to furnish consolation to the returned exiles and stir up hope in their minds. The symbolic action, the crowning of Joshua (the High Priest after the Babylonian exile), describes how the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of God's Messiah. The last section consists of two "oracles" or "burdens": the first oracle gives an outline of the course of God's providential dealings with his people down to the time of the coming of the Messiah, and the second oracle points out the glories that await Israel in "the latter day", the final conflict and triumph of God's kingdom.
We finally get to the book of Malachi, the last minor prophet and book of the Old Testament canon (for Jews, it is 2nd Chronicles in the Tanakh). It was written to correct the lax religious and social behaviour of the Israelites - particularly the priests - in post-exilic Jerusalem. Although the prophets urged the people of Judah and Israel to see their exile as punishment for failing to uphold their covenant with God, it was not long after they had been restored to the land and to Temple worship that the people's commitment to their God began, once again, to wane. In this context, the prophet delivered his prophecy. Malachi has the people of Israel question God's love for them. This introduction to the book illustrates the severity of the situation which Malachi addresses. He proceeds to accuse his audience of failing to respect God as God deserves. One way in which this disrespect is made manifest is through the substandard sacrifices which Malachi claims are being offered by the priests. While God demands animals that are "without blemish", the priests, who were "to determine whether the animal was acceptable", were offering blind, lame, and sick animals for sacrifice because they thought nobody would notice. Malachi addresses the issue of divorce. On this topic, Malachi deals with it both as a social problem ("Why then are we faithless to one another ... ?" 2:10) and as a religious problem ("Judah ... has married the daughter of a foreign god" 2:11). In contrast to the book of Ezra, Malachi urges each to remain steadfast to the wife of his youth. Malachi also criticizes his audience for questioning God's justice. He reminds them that God is just, exhorting them to be faithful as they await that justice. Malachi quickly goes on to point out that the people have not been faithful. In fact, the people are not giving God all that He deserves. Just as the priests have been offering unacceptable sacrifices, so the people have been neglecting to offer their full tithe to God. The result of these shortcomings is that the people come to believe that no good comes out of serving God. Malachi assures the faithful among his audience that in the eschaton, the differences between those who served God faithfully and those who did not will become clear. The book concludes by calling upon the teachings of Moses and by promising that Elijah will return prior to the Day of the LORD.
In what is called the Intertestamental Period, empires rise and fall until the mighty Roman Empire dominates and rules the land with an iron fist. We now turn to the Christian New Testament, with all its recorded events happening in the 1st century under the backdrop of Roman rule in Judea. An extraordinary preacher and miracle-worker who becomes the central focus of the entire books in the New Testament, will turn human history upside down and conquer man's greatest enemy - death. Four major biographies, called gospels, are written about his life and 3 years of preaching.
Last Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy 3D (Theatrical), The Amazing Spider-Man (Netflix)
Last Book: KJV Holy Bible - Malachi
Last Game: Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Wii)
Current Book: KJV Holy Bible - Gospel of Matthew
Current Games: Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PSN - PSone) & Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS) & Dragon Warrior VII (PSone)