JohnnyBGamer

Classic Disney Cartoons Failed Me

Classic Disney cartoons ill prepared me for snow in East Texas.

Scenes filled with Mickey and Minnie skating across the ice? Nope.

Scenes filled with Huey, Dewey, and Louie battling against Donald Duck in an epic snowball fight? Nope. Our snow is sandwiched between two layers of ice. Sandwiched! Even if you can get through the first layer, the snow underneath is powder. Not an ideal snowball building material… at least not here.

Luckily our power has still worked, our heater is running, and my wife did grocery pickup before the storm hit. East Texas, for the most part, has had it pretty easy. I think there is something about the constant thunderstorms (re: death from above), in the spring/summer, that keep our powerlines in working order. The storms are good for something, I guess.

So how about you? What is the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Playing Together in Among Us

“Do you want to play again?”

Wyatt looked at me. He had us playing Butter Royale on Apple Arcade. To say that I was done with it after 3 games was an understatement.

“No, I’m good. Do you want to play Among Us?”

“Sure.”

I hadn’t played Among Us before. I had no clue how the controls worked; I had no clue what you did in the game besides make guesses as to who the imposter is.

The game starts you off in the lobby where you wait for other players to join your game. Wyatt and I created a password protected game first, joined the game together, and then opened it up to the public. While we waited, I used the computer to change my color and add some accessories. Perfect. Once we had enough players (the minimum is four), we were good to go.

From there, we ran around and accomplished different tasks (as you can see in the top left of the screen above). While we were accomplishing tasks, the imposter lurked nearby. Before I knew it, I was dragged into a meeting where we could chat and decide who was the imposter. Wyatt and I decided it was a specific player, so we voted for him. Among Us then cuts to an airlock screen where the player who received the most “he’s the imposter votes” is sent floating in space. The person we all voted for, the person we thought was the imposter, wasn’t.

Our game went through this cycle a few more times. Each time we voted wrong, a fellow player was sent out the airlock. Eventually, the imposter won, and we lost.

Wyatt and I played 5 or 6 games together. Each on our own screen (we both have iPads). Completing tasks, making accusations, and generally having a good time.

I miss this.

Playing games, together, is a lot of fun.

It almost makes me miss Fortnite. Almost.

The Surf Report – Bible Reading, Social Media, and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Welcome to the Surf Report for January 14, 2021

.: God :

My Bible reading plan for 2020 has carried over into 2021. I’ve got to finish up:

Jeremiah
Psalms
James
2 Kings
2 Chronicles
Lamentations
Obadiah
Ezekiel
John
Daniel
Ezra
Haggai
Zechariah
1 John
2 John
3 John
Esther
Revelation
Malachi
Job

.: Life :

I’ve been sitting here scrolling through Facebook. Mindlessly, I scroll past former friends and acquaintances. Some have tried to monetize their lives, perhaps even create some sort of lifestyle brand; Some have tried their hands at homebuilding, while documenting how many kids they have on the side. Through the countless pictures, videos, and inspirational images of scripture, I have to wonder, does anybody care?

We put so much time into social media but what does it really give us?

More importantly, could I start a lifestyle brand? 🙂

.: Gaming :

I spent part of my Christmas break playing Ustwo Games Alba: A Wildlife Adventure on my iPad. I love it! I loved:

Skipping around the island
Taking pictures
Enjoying the wildlife
Being able to explore and chill at my own pace

So, what about you?

How did your Bible reading plan go for 2020? Did it bleed over, like mine, into 2021?

Play anything good lately? Read a fantastic book?

Let me know in the comments below.

From Across the Net – “What We’ve Lost by Over-sexualizing Male Friendship”

“But with this change has also come a loss of male friendship—something which men everywhere will readily admit. Keeping close male friendships just seems hard. It is. Intimacy makes a bond, but we no longer have access to male intimacy because it seems sexual. We avoid it. We do not have strong bonds.”

You can read more here

From Across the Net – “How Do We Discern Good and Bad ‘Magic’?”

Based on these truths, when parents approach a fantasy novel, our critical thinking should always precede our impulse to censor the story. Start by analyzing the story’s magic system to determine the source of power. Ask: Do the magicians seek to elevate themselves? Or do they wield their power in sacrifice and service to others? More importantly, does the story cause you, the reader, to desire to elevate yourself over others or even over God, the source of all real power?