Finding joy in the everyday

Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Ant-man, Thor, Captan America, Green Arrow, Iron Man, Hulk, Green Lantern, Flash Wolverine, Steel, the Fantastic Four . . . . plus the hundreds of other superhero created by Marvel and DC over the last 80 years. And with every superhero is a villain or two.  Superheroes are not new — Superman (or Clarke Kent) was created in 1932 and Batman (or otherwise known as Bruce Wayne) was created in 1939. Many millions of children around the world have grown up with these superheroes and spent lots of pocket money buying the comic books. Modern children (and adults alike) flock in very large numbers to see the latest Marvel or DC movie — we have the X-Men franchise (8 thus far), we have the Batman and Superman franchises and it just keeps on growing. There is money to be made in these franchise (for example, the three Batman movies made $US1.45 billion and the three Superman movies made $US1.11 billion). Disney bought Marvel comics in 2008 for $US4 billio...

I don't think I need to remind any of you that "50 Shades of Grey" (book and movie) should be avoided . . . completely.  It is pornography and as Christian women, we must stay away from this sort of literature. But what disturbs me even more is the fact that millions of women around the world love this book (over 100 million copies have been sold in 50 languages) and they find it erotic and exciting (many say it has improved their sex life no end), when the truth is . . .  it glamorises sexual violence and tells men it is ok to dominate women in an abusive manner.   “While millions of women are fantasizing about the controlling and abusive Christian Grey of fiction, there are many other women dealing with the horrors of actually living with men like him.”  (source:  Bible Society ) Australia, like the USA and other countries around the world have a major problem with domestic violence. Some men think it is perfectly acceptable to emotionally,...

Elizabeth Gaskell was born 1810 and died in 1865. She was an author during the Victoria era and weaved through her books the plight of the very poor and the consequences of the Industrial Revelation on these people plus an insight into the class system of Britain at the time. Several of her books have been made into mini series and they are all excellent. My favourite would have to be North and South , a gritty portrayal of northern England during the height of the British cotton industry.   Cranford is lovely, I thought  it was much more gentle that "North and South" but so beautifully made with some of England's best actors including Judy Dench.  And on the weekend I watched Wives and Daughters as recommended by my brother. Another wonderful BBC production by Andrew Davies. Interestedly, Gaskell never finished "Wives and Daughters", she died before she wrote the ending.  However she had told a friend how it would end and who Molly would marry.  ...

Richard Geer from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman Often when women discuss a movie they have watched they will talk about how gorgeous (or cute) one of the characters was. I've done this, more than once, many times if I am honest.  The character in most occasions is some handsome male actor.  I can remember watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and telling others how handsome Aragon was in the films. I don't think there are many women who have not done this at some point. Most of us are flawed human beings that have minds that wander where they shouldn't.  We generally associate men with perving at women. However women "perv" too, just in a different manner. When men perv, it is out there in the open, everyone can tell, however when women do this it is perhaps more hidden eg comments made whilst watching a movie or talking to a friend at work about a male colleague.  When women are perving at men it isn't quite in the same sexual vein that men d...