Looking to God

Real Steel: Max Kenton

Posted on February 3, 2016February 2, 2016 by Jack Flacco

Every now and then, everybody needs a hero. But what if that hero is an 11-year-old boy who believes in the impossible? Is it possible? What if that same 11-year-old boy sets the standard to win so high that not even those older than him would believe in him? Would you trust a kid to lead a charge to win? Will he be your hero?

Max Kenton (Dakota Goyo) is Real Steel‘s hero and today’s Wednesday Warrior. And if you haven’t seen the movie, therein awaits spoilers.

Unwanted, rejected by those who he thought loved him, Max is a kid who decides to take his fate in his own hands in the futuristic battle bot movie Real Steel.

In a junkyard, as the rain pours and thunder threatens Max’s very survival, the boy falls into the hands of an equally rejected character called Atom. At first, Atom is nothing more than a pile of junk the kid hauls out of a heap to call his own. In a world where robots fight one another, Atom is the lowest grade of robot ever made. It doesn’t have a life, neither is it ready for anything beyond walking.

Through his perseverance though, Max manages to put Atom back together again. Piece by piece Atom becomes whole. All that is missing is a heart.

When Max turns Atom on, he is not so sure what he is in for. Atom doesn’t seem like the robot that could stay in the ring one round, let alone go the distance and win a fight.

Yet, something magical happens. Max believes. He believes Atom is capable of greater things than what others think of it. He believes in the impossible.

Max’s first fight with Atom becomes a lesson in humility when Atom falls to a knockout. In spite of this, Max doesn’t give up on the little robot. He believes. On his hands and knees, he dips his head next to Atom and screams, “Get up, Atom.” Within a matter of seconds, Atom rises as the little robot that could. The second round becomes the proving ground for Atom’s eventual first win in the bot wars.

The story of Max and Atom is well known. It is a story familiar to many. Only this time, it makes Max the unlikely hero.

Max took a robot that no one wanted, Atom, built it back into shape and believed the machine could perform miracles. And miracles it did perform. As Atom’s opponents became large and faster, Max would not give up on his robot. Right from the start, he knew Atom would be a champion among rivals.

Imagine that. How could a kid’s faith have turned a small machine into a winner?

What others don’t seem to understand is that as the world viewed Atom as a robot, Max viewed him as a friend. And if Max believed in his friend, his friend could win any fight—even if the opponent in the fight was impossible to beat.

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Have you seen Real Steel? Do you find Max’s friendship with Atom unique?

Monday Mayhem

What Is Utopia?

Posted on February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 by Jack Flacco

Has the thought of a better world ever entered your mind? Lately, that’s all I’ve been thinking about. Believe me when I say thinking about a world gone crazy over the course of four years has yielded more than its fair share of interesting thoughts. A case in point? Zombies. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say I’ve learned quite a bit about the undead, how they are born, live and die. It’s no secret that I’ve talked about the zombie culture, and to a point, lived it in my writings.

That’s why for today’s Monday Mayhem article I would like to focus attention on the other side of the pendulum—Utopia. What is it? Is it possible? How soon can it happen?

On many occasions, I’ve touched on the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation. If there ever were a true representation of Utopia, I would say the era of the crew of the Starship Enterprise is it. How could I think any less of the perfect amalgamation of technology, society and morals than that of the United Federation of Planets?

The original show introduced audiences to the transporter, a machine that dematerializes the molecular structure of objects and reassembles them in another location. Imagine beaming to Florence in the morning for an espresso, then beaming back home to get ready for work in the span of a few minutes. Are you worried about costs of the trip? No need. Apparently, the need for material wealth no longer exists, replaced by the desire to better oneself with the arts and sciences instead.

The show also gave viewers the replicator, a device possessing the ability to create foods and recipes from a technical schematic fed to it in binary instructions. In other words, no dish is too difficult to cook in a matter of seconds as long as the computer has it programmed in its database. The replicator is a dream for those wanting food fast without it being fast food. I smell a turkey dinner, mashed potatoes, vegetables and a bucket of gravy slated for tonight’s dinner. It is that quick. You think it, the computer makes it.

And the biggest of all creations Star Trek brought to the table is the enigma called the holodeck, a device that can recreate a time and place in history. The device can also create an environment specially designed to conform to one of the biggest game centers ever. The practical application for such a device is with the recreation, say, of a crime scene. The holodeck can also add all the suspects involved, and a court can determine the guilty party based on the evidence and the holodeck’s presentation. Yet, the holodeck gives me the biggest thrill when members of the crew use it to recreate historical events as an educational device. Imagine living through the era of the first settlers in North America. Or, what would it have been like had we lived during mediaeval times when damsels in distress were a norm. Wouldn’t that be something?

Through it all, Star Trek’s gadgets and devices can’t replace one of the greatest messages the show depicts. In the Star Trek universe, all people, regardless of race, religion or nationality live in harmony, respecting one another and each one’s ideals. As much as I would enjoy saying this is true today, the whole world has yet to follow this futuristic Utopian model.

Wouldn’t it be something if it did?

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What do you think of the Star Trek Utopia? Do you think it possible?

Frittata

Posted on January 29, 2016May 8, 2017 by Jack Flacco

Simple meals are my favorite. They are easy to make, delicious to the palate and a wonderful break from the otherwise elaborate meals I cook on Saturdays. The best part about it? With a few simple ingredients the meal doesn’t hurt the budget. I also find I can make many of these types of dishes without much prep time either. And that’s a big bonus for those of us on a schedule.

Frittata with sweet red pepper and parsley

One of the easiest things to make is a good ol’ fashion frittata. If this is your first foray into Italian cooking, don’t be afraid. A frittata is a fancy way of saying omelet. There is, however, a big difference with an omelet and a frittata, and that is in the final presentation.

The quickest way I make a frittata is this way: take a pan, add olive oil and one small garlic clove. While you’re waiting for the garlic to cook in the pan at medium heat, beat two eggs in a bowl adding finely chopped parsley and salt to taste. Once you see the garlic cooking, flip it a couple of times until it browns. Turn the heat down to simmer, remove the garlic then pour the egg in the center of the pan. What should happen is the egg will cook nice and even, but not stick to the pan. After you see the bottom turn a golden brown, flip the egg over to the other side. Leave it cooking until the other side is golden brown. Remove the frittata and serve with your choice of veggies. I love carrots with my eggs, so you’ll see that happening at Casa Flacco.

Omelet with hash browns, carrots and marinated eggplant

Also, you don’t necessarily need only to add parsley to the mix. You can add virtually anything you like. I’ll dice sweet red pepper and have that as part of the egg mix.

Remember how I said frittata is like an omelet? Guess what? Instead of flipping it a second time, you can add a good amount of mozzarella cheese on top, then flip one-half over the other, wait a minute or so and serve warm. You’ll find the omelet will have a nice flavor because of the garlic base you cooked it in and the cheese will have melted inside.

My favorite part about the whole adventure with this kind of omelet is cutting through it to make trailing strands of cheese with every bite. I don’t think I have this much fun with food than when I eat a cheese-filled omelet. There really isn’t anything like it.

Okay, your turn. What is quick to make, fun to eat and won’t cost you much but a few bucks?

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Do you have any quick recipes you’ll like to share? How did you come up with it?

Wednesday Warriors

Michael Scott

Posted on January 27, 2016January 24, 2016 by Jack Flacco

He’s the boss no one really wants. He’s the guy who we try to avoid during parties. He’s the one who comes up with brilliant ideas only to backfire in the most miserable way. To whom am I referring? Michael Scott, of course. And Michael Scott is this week’s Wednesday Warrior.

I’ve been binge watching The Office episodes on Netflix lately. I can’t get enough of the show. It has fast become one of my favorites, not only because of its ridiculously talented cast but also because of the awkward moments each episode presents and how the characters make you squirm in your seat hoping the situations would never happen to you.

Part of the cast is Steve Carrell who plays Dunder Mifflin‘s branch manager Michael Scott. As crazy a character as you might think Michael is, he actually means well.

So he may be a tad crazy at times, but that doesn’t mean he’s the worst boss in the world. Just misguided. With all that goes on at his branch, or rather, with everything he puts his employees through, Michael should have had a pile of resignations on his desk long ago. Surprisingly, with every weird and wacky idea he comes up with, he manages to survive unscathed.

How does he do it? How does he serve up one cringe-worthy moment after another and live to tell his story?

I mean, how can I forget the time when he was planning to jump off his building into a blowup castle usually reserved for kids’ birthday parties, all in the name of safety? Or how about the time he organizes a beach party requiring everyone to walk across a bed of burning coals? That really went well. Or the time when he gave out golden tickets as coupons for free paper. I won’t tell you how that went.

Michael Scott certainly is brilliant. And yes, I may be saying it sarcastically but he’s proven repeatedly that he can still pull a rabbit out of a hat and surprise everyone. I’ll reference the fifth season’s episode Broke. I’m not going to get into the details for fear of spoiling it. In that episode, though, he is the boss everyone wants. He wasn’t cringe-worthy. He wasn’t embarrassing. He acted like a real boss who had thought things through right to the very end. Like I said, I can’t tell you about the episode, but I was pumping my hands in the air celebrating his awesome win.

Then, as unbelievable as it is, Michael has his moments when he shows his soft side. He’ll sit with his employees, lending an ear to all their problems. He quickly becomes the most sensitive human being on earth. Big kudos goes to Steve Carrell for being able to bring Michael Scott to life. Had anyone else played him, I’m sure the character wouldn’t have had the impact on the show as it did.

Whatever anyone thinks of Michael, whether his is the biggest buffoon, or the smartest guy in the room, he knows how to call his troops to action. Even if he sometimes appears misguided, his enthusiasm is infectious enough that others will go ahead and follow him. Few people in this world possess that talent.

But you know something? What I like most about Michael is that he makes me laugh. And that is the biggest reason I watch The Office.

Get the Ranger Martin trilogy now!

Have you watched The Office? Who is your favorite character? Do you like Michael? Why? Why not?

Monday Mayhem

The Star Wars Universe

Posted on January 25, 2016January 24, 2016 by Jack Flacco

There was a time I didn’t like Star Wars. I was in my teens. All my friends, who were nerds, by the way, were into the whole Star Wars universe thing. I didn’t care for it. In fact, I went one step further. I used to tell my friends Battlestar Galactica was better. Boy, did that go over well.

Thankfully, as I’ve grown older, I had kids of my own. My first introduction to the entire Star Wars universe wasn’t until I hit my mid-thirties. Yes, you can call me deprived. Coincidentally, it was also when my kids experienced their first introduction to the sci-fi saga.

For those of you wondering what it was like watching it on TV, and all we had back then were thirty-two inch CRT TVs and a VHS tape that rendered the film in a pan-and-scan format—life couldn’t have been better. You may think this is crazy, but if you didn’t have today’s standards to compare the picture quality, you would have thought the presentation was phenomenal. And back then, it was. The kids loved it.

Once the Star Wars prequel trilogy hit the theaters, I couldn’t help but take my kids to watch it. Somehow, the films were so amazing that other films in the sci-fi genre had trouble keeping up with the visuals, creative motifs and gorgeous backdrops.

And this brings me to the reason why I’m writing this Monday Mayhem post with Star Wars on my mind.

I have found that other than Star Trek, the Star Wars universe is where I would enjoy living. With so much talk about how bad or how wrong this world is right now, isn’t it refreshing to know hope exists in the movies we watch? I don’t know about you, but when I die, I’d like to think the world I’m leaving to my kids would be a world filled with hope. I don’t think I’ve ever thought that until I began watching Star Wars.

And although the Star Wars universe has meddling Sith Lords wanting to bring about the death of all humans, akin to a zombie apocalypse, the Force, which holds everything together, reigns supreme. Even with the Dark Side wanting to corrupt a good heart, the Force, living in every Jedi can overcome evil, and bring about real change to a heart.

Imagine the Force now, living in us, able to help us overcome the pulls to the Dark Side. Wouldn’t that be awesome? I sure wouldn’t think life would be all that bad after all.

Yet, as fictional as Star Wars is, some truth exists within its universe’s tales. Perhaps to see that truth we have to look closer. Or, perhaps, the Force is something real we have yet to experience.

Get the Ranger Martin trilogy now!

What do you think of Star Wars? What do you like about its universe?

Freedom Friday, Photo Opportunities

Winter

Posted on January 22, 2016May 8, 2017 by Jack Flacco

Every year I look to winter as my time to prop my feet up, grab a snack, and ease into a cozy atmosphere of hibernation. Even though January has yet to end, I haven’t taken any of my Christmas lights down. Call me a die-hard Christmanite. Thinking about it, I really don’t suppose the lights come down at all until sometime in April when the first bird appears and declares the arrival of our Canadian spring.

So, this time of year is my time. Why?

Some people find winter to be a miserable season. I’m in the other group. I don’t suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), nor do I hate the massive storms we receive at the hands of nature unleashing its wrath on humanity for abusing the environment. I love my 5:30 walk in the morning when the air is tight, the ice cracks under my boots, and the wind howls between the still moments.

Ah, winter! There isn’t anything like it.

I live for coming in from the cold to find a hot cup of apple cider waiting to warm me up. I love sitting by the bay window during a snowy evening to observe everything turn white. I get a thrill from watching the twinkling lights of the winter village we have sitting on the ledge of the bay window. I love driving through a whiteout, appreciating the inside of my warm car while another track of Star Wars: The Force Awakens plays in the background.

I can keep going, listing every single reason why I love winter—but what would that serve? Actually, maybe I should do that. Let’s see how far I get.

My parents' backyard — My parents’ backyard

Have you ever caught snowflakes on your tongue? Sounds silly, I know. I’ve done it. Have you ever slid down a hill at full speed in a toboggan with the fear of God stuck in your throat wondering if you’ll survive once you reach the end where a clump a trees awaits your arrival? Done it. Have you ever thrown a pot of boiling water into the air outside at subzero temperatures and watch it instantly turn into vapor? Done it. Have you ever dropped in the snow and made the greatest snow angel in your life? Yup, done it, too.

Gosh, then there are the times when I sit at the kitchen table with my parents and steal a glance out the window to enjoy the dark blue look to the evening. And then there is the time when I build a fire, and the smell of burning wood spills into every room of the house, providing another layer of coziness to an otherwise frosty night.

Yet, of everything I’ve described, I think my favorite part of winter is spending time with the family and feeling warm inside. Inside my home, and inside my soul.

Get the Ranger Martin trilogy now!

Do you like winter? If so, what do you like about it?

Wednesday Warriors

Ethan Hunt

Posted on January 20, 2016January 19, 2016 by Jack Flacco

When I think of Mission: Impossible, I think of the old sixties series with Mr. Phelps, played by Peter Graves, as an aging leader to a crack team of secret agents given the missions no one else can accomplish. I also think of Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. And although Hunt works best alone, he would give his life for any member of his team.

For today’s Wednesday Warriors, I’d like to have a look at Ethan Hunt: his strengths, his weaknesses and why he always makes the Mission: Impossible franchise a treat to watch.

A long time ago, I once saw Tom Cruise on Oprah—no, not the couch-jumping episode. In this episode, he described Mission: Impossible as one of his most successful movies he had made. Many folks have their opinions about Tom Cruise the man, but I have my opinion of Tom Cruise the actor. Say what you will, the man can act. I use Magnolia as one of the best films he had ever starred. No one can convince me that after watching the quietly-judging-you scene he didn’t deserve an Oscar for that performance.

Yet, as much as I admire his dramatic roles, his action roles, including his role in the film Edge of Tomorrow, is where Cruise really shines as a big audience draw.

Enter Ethan Hunt, the Impossible Missions Force‘s (IMF) top agent and leader. His expertise lies in virtually everything. He has an extensive background in explosives, weaponry and stealth. He can get in and out of a target’s home and before anyone knows what is happening, the target will have met its fate.

Ethan is also a master of disguise. One time he posed as an elderly man taking his enemy by surprise, disarming and capturing him. He also has a good command of languages, useful for when he needs to get himself out of a jam.

Martial arts? Ethan knows that, too. Whenever an adversary presses Ethan for a fight to the death, it isn’t difficult to know who will win.

But the best thing I enjoy about Ethan Hunt is not so much his mastery of disguise, command of languages, or him being a martial arts expert. No. What I like about Ethan is his ability to get out of one jam after another while showing his humanity along the way. Whether he’s fighting for his life on a speeding train, racing down a highway on a motorcycle at 140 MPH, or latching his fingers on the belly of an aircraft with the intention of securing its cargo, Ethan Hunt does the impossible. He will take the shots, in not only opportunities but also punches to the face, and fight the bad guy until the end.

Lastly, Ethan Hunt possesses a will never to surrender. In every mission he picks himself up, dusts the dirt from his clothes and continues his fight against the enemy, whoever that enemy is.

If I can say anything more about Ethan Hunt, it’s that he will do his best in whatever assignment he has going at the time. To me, such a character is a great lesson for any of us facing challenges greater than ourselves.

Get the Ranger Martin trilogy now!

Have you seen any of the Mission: Impossible movies? What are your thoughts on Ethan Hunt?

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