Category: Television

Weekend Kickoff Mini-Thoughts

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 28, 2021

It’s Thursday, and it’s the start of a fresh new weekend of blogging. Longtime readers of my blog will know that this was once a Thursday night tradition. I only do this every once in a while these days. It’s my ‘Mini-Thoughts’ – a rapid-fire session of random thoughts on my mind right this minute:

I got my first dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine a couple of days ago.
Right now only Seniors are getting in Florida.
I work for the military, so I was lucky to get it early.
My second dose will be in 4 weeks.
I got the COVID vaccine 18 days after getting the Shingles vaccine.
That was my second of two doses of the Shingles vaccine.
I am not an “anti-vaxxer”.
I didn’t know there was such a thing as an “anti-vaxxer” until recently.
Some don’t get vaccines because they believe they do more harm than good.
Some don’t get vaccines because it’s against their religious beliefs.
Getting vaccines are a personal choice for each individual.
I neither promote nor denounce vaccinations to anyone.
I recently signed-up for the Discovery Plus streaming service.
If I’m not careful I can easily binge-watch shows on it for many hours.
Looks like I’ll soon sign-up for Peacock as it absorbs WWE Network.
I also like to “Hulu & Hibernate”.
I don’t “Netflix & Chill”.
I’m looking forward to my upcoming Florida road-trip.
Looks like I’ll cover about 575 miles in 5 days.
I’ll blog all about it after I return home.
Looks like I’ll drive more miles this month than 7 months last year.
Next month I’ll drive more than twice as many miles as this month.
It’s been a chilly winter here in South Florida.
I was shivering in December and the first-half of January.
I think it’s our coldest winter since 2010-2011.
Recently we’ve enjoyed a few days in the 80s for the first time in 2021.
But it’s gonna get chilly again starting today.
50s in the morning is chilly for us.
We’ve had 7 mornings in the 40s since the start of December !
Exactly 35 years ago today the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated.
It occurred right after I got home from work (in England).
I think I watched BBC coverage of it for the rest of the night.
Exactly 2 years ago today I was in the middle of the Caribbean on a cruise.
We were supposed to spend the day on Grand Cayman Island.
But we couldn’t reach the island due to ferocious northerly winds.
A strong cold front had made it deep into the Caribbean.
It was an unusually chilly day on the islands and at sea.
So we had an “extra fun day at sea”.
I can’t wait to get back on a cruise next year.
Here’s my towel animal from exactly 2 years ago:

Towel Animal

1980s Blogging Military Music Radio Television

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 1986

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 22, 2021

Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 25, 30, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 4TH Friday of the month, so I go back 35 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday January 26TH 1986:

“It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)” – Eurythmics
“Suspicious Minds” – Fine Young Cannibals
“How Will I Know” – Whitney Houston
“You Little Thief” – Feargal Sharkey
“Wrap Her Up” – Elton John & George Michael

David A. Stewart had a very good week atop my pop chart exactly 35 years ago. He was one-half of Eurythmics (with Annie Lennox), and he also produced Feargal Sharkey’s hit.

Surprisingly “It’s Alright” flopped here in the U.S. (after 8 previous Top 40 hits). Check out its official music video below or here. It was quite unique and futuristic for 1985:

Oh man – that song – with its eerie sound and feeling – triggers vivid memories of that specific time-period in my mind. I remember buying an “International” (NTSC / PAL / SECAM) TV set at the Base Exchange (military department store) on base a few weeks earlier so that I could watch TV in my own dorm room. I soon realized that while it was convenient to do so I had abandoned my new friends in the “day room” (community recreation room). I felt lonely in my dorm room watching TV solo, so I went back to the day room to hang out with my friends there – even if I couldn’t watch what I wanted to watch. It was more important to be with others, laugh, eat, drink, and play Uno. Ah – the life and times of 18½-year-old me in the south of England.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 1986, British, England, Music, Radio

Bible Blogging Christian Church God Ministry Scripture Television

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 25, 2020

Last Sunday I preached a full sermon (about 35 minutes) to my church family on John – the Apostle – the Elder.

Here’s an excerpt from that sermon:

John continues – on why the truth and love is so important to him, and why it must be important to us as well:

I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)

Sounds like a lot of people today in this world and of this world. There are false teachers everywhere. They deny that Christ came in a real body. This mislead believers. They distract believers. They try to pull them away from God and His Kingdom.

There are even false teachers inside church buildings today. You must verify what you hear from a teacher – from a preacher – from a pastor – from a televangelist. You must verify what you hear with God’s Truth. If it doesn’t sound right to you – then verify it with God’s Truth. God’s Truth is flawless. God’s Truth is the Word.

In the latter portion of the Gospel Of Matthew Jesus predicts future events. In red letters:

Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in My name – claiming – ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. (24:4-5)

Don’t be deceived by the imposters who pretend to know Christ – when they don’t. Or if they do know Him they intentionally say things that aren’t the Truth.

In the next few verses of Matthew – in red letters – Christ speaks of wars and threats of wars and famines and earthquakes. Sounds like 2020. Don’t be overwhelmed by these events. They will come and go. This is not the end, but the end is near.

Don’t follow the false prophets and the miracle workers who claim they are the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the One and Only Messiah !

I’m teaching out of John’s 2ND Letter, but in John’s 1ST Letter he writes about the false prophets that were in the new church at the time – as well as out in the world. He writes that we need to test them. In 2020 we should “fact-check” them. We must determine whether or not someone talking to us about God – actually has the Spirit that comes from God. Or – is their “Spirit” manmade ?

You know I watch a lot of TBN these days. Billy Graham’s classic crusades are on there each week. That’s what got me watching TBN in the first place several years ago. They’re a few other preachers and shows I watch on a regular basis. I’m always looking for new preachers and new shows. Sometimes I stumble across a new one, and I watch it for an episode or two or more, and I think to myself, “No – no – there’s something that’s not quite right with that. That goes against my learning. That goes against my Bible studying. I need to verify or refute that.”

They’re some preachers on TV who are in it for the entertainment value. They are putting on a show. They wanna be stars. They wanna be rock stars. I’ve visited a few churches like that – in-person – here in South Florida and over in Southwest Florida. It seems to me that they are elevating themselves above the people that they are speaking to. I’m turned-off by those types of preachers. When it comes to God – I don’t want to be entertained. I want to be educated. On Sundays I want to walk out of here smarter – and closer to God – than I was when I walked in here, and I do.

So John knows a thing or two about Jesus. He was with Jesus. He was one of the first to follow Jesus. John is called “the one whom Jesus loved”. He was 1 of the 12 disciples. He was a close personal friend of Jesus. He was there !

And so John writes to us in his letter that if a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body – that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus – that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist – which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. (1 John 4:2b-3)

Jesus Christ came in a real body. God became flesh in Christ. He is both fully man and He is fully God. He is the Christ. He is the Son of God.

That’s the Truth then. That’s the Truth now. That’s the Truth forever. See when you have the Spirit of God within you – the Spirit teaches you the Truth – so that you can go and tell the Truth to others – so that you can spread the Gospel – so that you can evangelize. We are commanded to be messengers for the messages of the Holy Spirit.

Tags Apostle, Bible, Blog, Christian, Church, Disciple, Elder, God, John, Minister, Ministry, Scripture, Sermon

Blogging Football Politics Television

I’m Still A Football Fan

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date September 10, 2020

I’m still a football fan. Tonight is the start of the 2020-2021 NFL season – with Super Bowl LV scheduled for Sunday February 07TH 2021 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Florida. I’m really looking forward to this new season of fun and games on the gridiron. COVID-19 cheated-us out of 65 preseason games in August, so my excitement has been building for an extra month.

Some of my friends and family on social media claim to no longer be football fans because of the various political stances of the players, the teams, and the league overall over these past few years. I respect that. As for me I don’t participate in boycotts. If I followed that logic then I’d be boycotting the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the MLB, the MLS, NASCAR, and the WWE. I’d also be boycotting local news, broadcast news, cable news, and newspapers – not to mention Facebook and Twitter. I also wouldn’t support restaurants either – or grocery stores for that matter. Oh – and I wouldn’t go to see movies either.

I won’t let the political viewpoints of other people or companies take away my freedom to enjoy things. I choose to keep my own personal political viewpoints to myself. That’s why you probably don’t know what I believe or support.

So I will enthusiastically watch, cheer, and support the NFL starting tonight and continuing through the end of Super Bowl LV – 5 months from now.

I’ve been a professional football fan since the late-1970s, and an avid Washington Redskins fan for nearly that entire time. (I’m originally from the Washington D.C. area.) They are no longer the Redskins after 88 years. They are now known (temporarily) as the “Washington Football Team”. They are still my favorite football team. I’ll be rooting them on each week just as much as I did in 2019 – and every year before that – through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My football team have been given no chance to succeed by football analysts and critics. I don’t agree with them. I won’t boycott them either.

♫ Hail To The Washington Football Team !
Hail Victory !
Braves on the warpath !
Fight for old D.C. ! ♫