Spider-Man Holiday Spectacular #1

Marvel decided to make Spider-Man the headliner for their 2025 holiday special and I think that was a brilliant idea. Working with high schoolers and middle school students as well, I can attest that the wall crawler in all of his many forms is extremely popular. Actually, I think I referred to it as 'absurdly popular' because I am seeing girls of all ages and races wearing Spidey shirts, hats and bookbags! I've never seen an across the board popularity of a superhero like this before. 

So I think I have established that Spider-Man is having a moment.

In this one-shot, Peter Parker is planning on spending a nice, quiet Christmas with his Aunt May. However, she's unexpectedly booked herself on a cruise, leaving Parker with nobody to share the season with. Almost immediately, he finds himself being asked by any and everyone in the Marvel universe to spend Christmas with them. Parker thinks they're all feeling sorry for him. However, Wolverine lets it slip that the invites aren't out of pity. Instead, everyone is fighting for the privilege to give Peter Parker the best Christmas ever!

Spider-Man is the heart and soul of Marvel Comics. There's no doubt about that. Written by Rainbow Rowell, this was a brilliant way to showcase the rest of the Marvel Universe, that is probably grossly overlooked by all but the most discerning of comic book fans, while featuring Marvel's most popular character. Sadly, as today's youngster isn't buying comics, I question how much of an impact having Spidey as the star of this holiday showcase is going to make on readership among those 13-21. As the advisor for the comic book club at the high school that I teach at, I just don't think it's going to move the needle that much, if at all. 

But of all the 2025 season holiday releases, this one might have been the best. It was heartfelt. It was festive. It was classic Spider-Man, with a perfect ending, set in the modern era. I loved it!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Life Day Treasury - Holiday Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away by George Mann & Cavan Scott

George Mann and Cavan Scott present Star Wars stories set during the Wookiee holiday known as Life Day. Other than Boba Fett, Life Day has become the most enduring contribution to the Star Wars universe to come from the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. This treasury of tales show how different cultures and solar systems celebrate Life Day in regards to the winter solstice. As each populated planet has their winter solstice begin at different times, potentially you could celebrate the holidays every day. Coruscant, Tattioone, Alderaan, even the forest moon of Endor celebrate the beginning of winter and the New hope of warm, fertile days ahead.

I like that this book is set during different periods of time. The story on Coruscant occurs during the days of the Old Republic. My favorite story, 'The Song of Winter's Heart' takes place during the early days of the rebellion, showing how a pair of best friends can grow apart on different sides of the political spectrum, with one becoming a storm trooper and the other a rebel, and yet, the shared cultural heritage of the holidays can make even the worst of enemies brothers once more.

I also like that a majority of these stories star established characters. While my favorite tale had all-new characters, whom I hope to one day encounter again, other stories feature some of the most beloved characters across all 3 trilogies. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Wicket and the rest of his tribe are amongst those who appear. You won't get Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia. But as you could probably guess, Chewbacca and his family, including son Lumpy, star in the Life Day story set on Kashyyyk that closes out this collection. Yup! Han Solo is there too!

Some characters from before Episode I, who have been established in the pages of either Dark Horse or Marvel comics publications appear here too. One such character is Jedi Knight Stellan Gios, who appears on the cover. I only know that Stellan is an established character thanks to a Google search. I'm wondering if he was meant to be based on actor David Tennant. Because that's who he looks like in profile in the beautifully painted cover image by Grant Griffin. All of the artist's paintings were fantastic and added greatly to the intended theme of each story which range from humorous and heartfelt to suspenseful and scary. 

I wouldn't mind a second volume of Life Day stories. Maybe we could see what Life Day festivities are like on Cloud City or when observed by the Hutts. But I would also like to see some sequels. I really would like to know what happened to the opposing main characters of my favorite tale. Did both survive? Did they reconcile? I really want to know more about their story. If that's not reason to believe that is a great read, I don't know what is! And there are several characters, who are not Han or Chewie, in this book that I wanted to know more about.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars 

Christmas Fun Facts! From Advent to Xmas, Interesting Trivia and Amazing Fun Facts About Festive Holiday Traditions From Around the World by Marianne Jennings

 Another holiday tradition that I maintain for just myself is to read a holiday 'fact book'. This started when I was very young when my mom would buy me these really cool books that explains Christmas traditions around the world. There would be recipes and activities and games. But above all, there would be knowledge.

I've read several over the years. A couple of years ago, it was a magazine devoted entirely to the life and times of Santa Claus. Before that, I read a holiday Uncle John's Bathroom Reader and countless others. Realizing that I was without such a work this year, I immediately went to Amazon and found this book. 

By Marianne Jennings, it was a good read in which I did learn more about many festive subjects that I knew about before while still managing to discover some new aspects about one of my favorite holidays! New information came to me about holiday foods from other countries. I got a more clear understanding of Solstice and some other pagan customs that became canonized. I never even thought to wonder how the International Space Station celebrates the holidays in orbit! The author's look at Christmas in Australia, where it's hot and sunny, was fascinating. She covers so much about the land down under, that instead of peppering this book with Aussie Christmas customs, she could have made an entire chapter. 

Amazon lists this 2023 book as being 212 pages long. However, it's actually about a dozen or so pages shorter than that. That's because there are some pages that are left half blank. I come from the school of writing and design that empty space is wasted space. I understand that all that blank space is a formatting issue, because you only seem to have these issues right before encountering a photo on the next page. But couldn't Jennings either make the pictures smaller or still figure out a way to add more material to those empty parts?

The author likes to include 'fun facts'. Surely, she had some more factoids somewhere in that Santa's sack of information of her's! Jennings writes in the back that she hopes to make a second volume and I would like that very much. She requests readers to include traditions from her readings and I've got quite a few not covered in this edition. I bet there's one New Year's tradition that my grandmama perfected that Jennings had never even heard of!

I just hope that if a second volume is forthcoming that the writing is a bit more polished. I noticed that the first third of the book had every other paragraph ending with an exclamation point. Just about every tip about staying Earth friendly during the holidays in the sustainability chapter felt repetitive and I get it. I find myself using similar phrases and Ideals as I write nearly 365 reviews, mostly about comics and graphic novels a year. It is one reason why I will drop a mystery writer in a heartbeat if they basically follow the same manuscript with only the murderer and their weapon being the only thing different during each book.

I don't think that will be a problem if Marianne Jennings does in fact publish a companion. There are a ton of holiday movies that weren't even hinted at! Songs too! What about the national gingerbread competition in Asheville, NC? Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus? The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade? And what's the deal with egg nog? There's enough out there to do 2 more volumes of Christmas Fun Facts!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 24

It's Christmas Eve! The most magical night of the entire holiday season. Why? Because it's the night Santa comes to most, but not all, of the children of the world. That being said, it's too late to support the charitable cause that I selected for today. However, after I discuss it, hopefully it will encourage some of you give it some love and attention next year.

Operation Santa is run by the United States Postal Service. For over a century, the USPS has worked with Santa Claus to help the Jolly Old Elf make it a merry Christmas for children in need all over the United States. 

Here's how it works:

• Kids write to Santa Claus with their wishlist.
• Santa posts the letters online where families can select one and help Santa make their wishes come true.
• Once gifts are purchased, wrapped and shipped, a letter goes to the children from Santa thanking them for their letter and answering any questions the child might have for St. Nick.

You can adopt just one child or an entire family. The choice is yours. It's also up to you if you want to buy everything on the child's list or maybe your budget is a little bit tighter and you need to pick in choose. But if you customize, please try to get things that the child might actually enjoy. If they ask for a Batman Batcave playset that costs $100 and all you can afford is $35, don't buy them Avengers toys. At least get them something Batman related. An action figure of the Dark Knight and his main for the Joker can go a long way for a needy child.

The deadline for this year's Operation Santa has passed. Yet it's not too late to plan ahead for next year! Be sure to check it out and bookmark it here. It'll be another holiday season before you know it.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 23

The holidays are tough. There's the stress of making it the perfect Christmas, either for yourself or a loved one. Maybe it's the last one you will spend with a loved one. Maybe it's the first one without that special someone. Maybe concerns about your health might mean this is your last Christmas season. Perhaps you lost your job, your passion or a beloved furry member of the family. 

Regardless of what may be keeping this from being a Merry Christmas, it doesn't hurt having someone to talk to. 

I was going to talk about suicide rates and the holidays. But upon doing some research, I discovered that it is actually a myth that suicides rise during the holidays. Apparently, the peak season is Spring! 

But if you are feeling hopeless and believe that death is the best option, regardless of the time of year, it doesn't hurt having someone to talk to. 

That is why for today's featured charitable cause, I have selected 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 

I've never used the service personally. But I had a best friend who I wish had. I miss Todd, a lot.

If you are in need of mental health, support or just a friendly voice of guidance, please call 988. You can also text, chat or if hard of hearing, reach a trained volunteer here.

Maintaining such an national service is not cheap. Phone bills, web maintenance, and training of volunteers takes resources. Along with time, patience and compassion, it also takes money. If donating to 988 is an important cause to you, please click here.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 22

On today's date in 1808, Beethoven debuts his Fifth Symphony to a crowd of patrons in Vienna. I'm really glad that there was another key date in music history falling on a date in my Advent. I had planned on covering today's important music charity a few days ago, when my students alerted me to a cause that was important to them. Hey, better late than never, right?

The charity I have chosen for today is the Save the Music Foundation. I'm not musically inclined. My artistry is in other things like culinary and crafts. As much as I love music, I just can't make the notes on paper come alive. However, that doesn't mean that I don't see the value in music programs in elementary, middle and high schools.

So why are music programs important? Along with boosting confidence and self expression in children, studies have shown that kids who play an instrument do better in science, math and enhance their cognitive function which in return, helps boost testing scores. With this information, why in the world do state and federal governments want to shut down school music programs???

The Save the Music Foundation was founded in 1997. VH1 executive John Sykes started the charity after he acted as a principal for a day at a public school in Brooklyn. During his tenure, Sykes noticed that the school's music program was in disrepair and in danger of being scuttled. Inspired to save the program, he worked to found VH1's Save the Music. In 2019, the organization rebranded, dropping the sponsorship name in order to become a separate entity. Since its founding, the Foundation has raised over $75 million dollars, purchasing technology, equipment and qualified teachers for almost 2000 schools nationwide and Puerto Rico. The majority of the funds come of grants. Countless millions of children have benefited exponentially thanks to the protection of school music programs.

If helping a child develop social and school skills through a love of melodious sounds is music to your ears, then please donate to the Save the Music Foundation here.

Christmas 365 #3

Peter's slimeball supervisor stole some of his holiday ideas and attempted to make his own year-round Christmas theme park. But he lacks the Christmas spirit and creativity of Peter and his family. The small attendance at the rival Christmas festival really shows that. However, that hasn't stopped Peter from becoming obsessed in creating the greatest Christmas themed pop-up ever. His Halloween themed Christmas is scaring the neighborhood children. He's sent his son out to spy on his rival. And Peter is shutting out his family, especially phone addicted daughter, who was the creative force behind the Rockwell family's success at all this. 

Perhaps the most heartfelt issue of this 4-issue miniseries. I know what it is like to want to create the best, most memorable outdoor holiday display for your wife and her family and get bogged down into competing with the other neighbors. It's a combination sin of coveting and pride that I can get carried away with. Trying for a perfection that will never come is another issue I succumb to. 

I also understand how it is too feel unappreciated at your job. Perhaps you have a rival and they crap all over you and yet if you confront the billy, it's you who gets in trouble. For Peter, crushing his supervisor by putting on a much more popular holiday display is his way at getting back at his boss for all the conniving and taking of credit for his work. Nobody can fire him for waging an off-hours war to top his boss with bigger and better displays. The only problem is that when you let loose of your principles and convictions, you lose yourself in the process.

Plus Peter has unresolved dad issues. Don't we all.

I'm looking forward to the conclusion. But with a cover that shows Peter and his boss being attacked by a ramping gorilla atop a Rockefeller Center sized Christmas tree, I have no idea what Mickey Way has in store! It promises to be wild!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 21

It's the Winter solstice! The longest night of the year has had an impact in the cultural formation of countless civilizations as well as their holiday/wintertime traditions. Many of the Native American tribes would use the Winter solstice as a time of reflection, fasting and prayer. They saw this time of year as just a curve for the yearly cycle of the seasons. Things would start to look more prosperous from this moment on!

That is why I have chosen to focus on a cause that needs to become a reversal trend for the indigenous people of North America. For women and children, especially girls, of the Native American tribes, they have become targets for sex trafficking, kidnapping and forced labor. In 2023, 293 indigenous children were reported missing or kidnapped. That number is actually thought to be much higher due to under-reporting because of fear and intimidation. A recent student concluded that roughly 8 in 10 Native American women had been sexually assaulted or raped. This is considered 9 times higher than the national average! Again, it's also believed to be higher due to a lack of reporting from the victims. In Albuquerque, it is believed that 85% of all women murdered in that metropolitan area are Native and indigenous people. That number could be even higher as well.

So why such large numbers and why are so many crimes against indigenous women and children being under reported? Aside from the intimation and fear??

For one thing, the issue of jurisdiction is muddied. Tribes and reservations have separate law enforcement agencies apart from state and federal agencies. There is a lot of confusion. There are some things that the FBI could assist with but law enforcement might not know that they can. Or a victim or their family might go to a local police department and be told that it's out of their jurisdiction. After being turned away too many times, hope is lost and the offense goes unreported. Plus tribal law enforcement is so understaffed, as earnest as they are, there just isn't enough manpower to devote to each crime.

Criminals and predators know that the odds are in their favor in not being caught. They understand all about the boundaries of jurisdiction and the lack of manpower. So they continue to target native and indigenous women and children. That's where today's featured charity comes in...

The National Indigenous Women's Resource Center seeks to advocate and educate about the epidemic of missing, endangered and murdered Native American women and children. They provide resources for families that are in need of help finding missing family members, as well as provide legal assistance. A grassroots advocacy program, the NIWRC is operated by various tribal members. They are a part of the Domestic Violence Resource Network and have successfully lobbied for female tribal members to be covered under extensive domestic violence protection bills passed by the United States Congress in the past few years. A brilliant effort to eliminate those jurisdiction overlaps! Another important effort of the NIWRC is the operation of a safe house for battered indigenous women and their children. 

If supporting the safety and protection of Native women and girls is a cause that speaks to you, I encourage you to donate to the NIWRC here. And if you are a person experiencing any sort of abuse from a partner or spouse, please seek help. 

Resources for the National Sexual Assault Hotline are: 

Phone: 1-800-656-4673

Or you can email or chat through the website RAINN.org.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 20

My bride is back again to talk with you about another amazing charity. This one is really personal for both her and myself. Here's Jan to explain the importance of Autism Speaks...

For about 40 years, I have had a passion for learning about and supporting those with autism.  My summer job was a camp counselor with 5-10 year olds with special needs, many of whom had autism.  And my first professional job as a social worker was a residential facility for people with profound disabilities, again many of whom had autism.  Over time, the autism thread wove through other aspects of my life, and today, many of my favorite people are autistic, including my godson and some special friends from church.  So Autism Speaks is a cause near and dear to my heart.

Their mission:

Autism Speaks is dedicated to creating an inclusive world for all individuals with autism throughout their lifespan. We do this through advocacy, services, supports, research and innovation, and advances in care for autistic individuals and their families.

• Ensure access to reliable information and services across the lifespan
• Support research and innovation that drives towards improved quality of life and well-being for individuals with autism throughout their lives
• Leverage our assets through advocacy, partnerships and collaboration to support, extend and convene the work of service providers
• Accelerate delivery of solutions for adult quality of life needs, including transition, employment, housing and health and wellness
• Live and promote principles of diversity, equity, access and inclusion both in and outside of the organization

With an estimated 1 out of 31 children being diagnosed with autism, chances are you know someone who is autistic, someone who loves someone with autism or have autism yourself.  Autistic individuals are just that-individuals, each bringing their own light to the world.  Unfortunately, the world is often not very autism-friendly.  Autism Speaks works every day to change that.  

If you can envision a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential, then please donate to Autism Speaks here.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 19

I write my Advent posts several days in advance. Did you really think that I'm up pass midnight waiting until the exact minute of the day to post these with the corresponding date? 

I had a charity in mind for today when I was at work at saw that some of the students at the school I teach at were working to raise money for a cause. Inspired by their enthusiasm, I decided to research the charity. I wasn't previously aware of them, so I wanted to make sure that it was appropriate for my blog. Well, I did and it is.

The charity is called Undue Medical Debt. Now I know that my wife posted earlier in this Advent about a medical related charity. That one covers medicines and is contained to just the patients who call North Carolina home. Undue, as my kids call it, helps anyone who qualifies for assistance throughout the entire United States. 

I don't think anyone can deny that our nation's medical costs are insane. Not just are they expensive, they're MENSA level difficult to understand. I pay a co-pay and a deductible which my insurance does a great job keeping up with. Yet for some reason, probably greed, the hospital and general practitioner offices will try to get me to pay more than those costs my insurance claim that I owe. Thankfully, my wife has a better understanding of this because of her job in medical care, because I sure as heck can't. And honestly, it should be illegal for hospitals to charge you more after your insurance has paid your bill. 

Don't think that I am on the insurances side. It should also be against the law to deny someone coverage because of an unexpected emergency or the patient gets bad advice from the doctor. Last year, I passed out from a stomach virus and had a really fast heartbeat. I was advised to stay overnight and have my heart monitored. Freaking out, my wife and I agreed for the stay, even though I really wanted to go home. Needless to say my insurance is refusing to cover that part of my emergency. And yes, I am fighting it!

Unfortunately, Undue is unable to just erase an individual person's medical debt. Instead, they act like a debt collector in reverse. With funds raised, Undue contacts hospitals and medical care centers who are willing to sell off their debt portfolios. For every $1 the charity raises, they manage to have $100 of a patient's medical debt erased.  

An area DJ was the recipient of this kind of relief. He likened it to winning the lottery as he wasn't expecting it. I consider it a miracle blessing. 

Undue Medical Debt was founded in 2014, under the original moniker RIP Medical Debt. As of September of this year, the charity has reported the elimination of Nearly $23 billion for almost 15 million people. 

Look, you might not have any medical debt. If that's the case, you've been extremely lucky. But it's a very real possibility that something could happen to any of us unexpectedly, at any moment. Before you know it, you may need help with an unnecessary medical bill. Why not pass it forward this holiday season and donate to the cause today? 

Spread the Joy Advent 2025, Day 18

Today's charity is one that I became aware of thanks to my goats. Well, the farm in which my goats are housed actually. It's called Ornaments 4 Orphans. For Christmas, the gift shop at Spring Haven Farm are selling felt ornaments of chickens, pigs, doggies and of course, goats. They are a part of O4O's Nepal collection.

Ornaments 4 Orphans 'collaborate with global artisans to create jobs, fight poverty, strengthen families, empower communities, and ultimately prevent vulnerable children from becoming orphans.'

You can also purchase ornaments made in Uganda, Peru and Kenya. The ornaments reflect the art and culture of the region in which they are made; along with the animals. For example, the Kenya collection contains ornaments depicting elephants whereas the Peru selection contains a llama decoration for your tree. 

Don't need any more ornaments for your tree, O4O also sells hand crafted bookmarks, key chains and nativity scenes that reflect the rich artistry of the country in which they are made. 

As they support fair trade and wages, it's important to note that this is a for-profit organization. However, the profits are used to buy more supplies, educate, train and empower families and to help keep orphaned children in their communities and with extended families. 

And yes, I did post a link to Spring Haven Farm in this post even though they are not a charity. My goats are my babies and I support and volunteer there like a parent might support their human child's PTA. Plus, the farm has taken in injured, abandoned and elderly animals, like everyone's favorite, Annie Donk(ey). So if their supporting a charity, I will support it as well. 

If Ornaments 4 Orphans sounds like the answer to your Christmas shopping list dilemmas, check out their website and store here...

Christmas 365 #2

Issue #2 takes place a couple months into the Rockwell family journey into a year's worth of Christmas celebration. To celebrate a dozen Christmases is expensive; what with the decorations, the food, the gifts, the trips to the emergency room.

Dad Peter is accident prone. He makes Wile E. Coyote appear like a safety monitor. Thankfully, his daughter has been recording everything and posting the content online. But that income can only go so far and with Memorial Day approaching, it's going to take the Rockwell family to think outside of the box to add to the holiday appeal. In response, they create a Memorial Day Christmas theme park, complete with water slides, reindeer burgers and Santa's salute to Veterans.  

No sophomore slump here. The opening which shows all of the accidents Peter has received since the Christmas when the tree caught fire in the living room, was hysterical. His doctor was a great supporting character. 

The artwork is really good. Lots of creativity, which is essential of you are tasked with developing Christmas themes for Valentine's and St. Paddy's. Piotr Kowalski does a remarkable job that conveys so much life and action.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 16

16 years ago today, the James Cameron film Avatar debuted in theaters. While I have never seen any of the films in the series, I know that they carry with them an ecological message. I had been planning on focusing on a charity that supports the sustainability of our food supply and the effects on our ecosystem, so with today's date in history, I figured today is as good as any in my charitable giving themed Advent.

For today's Advent, I have selected the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation or ISSF for short. As someone employed in the culinary industry, being able to continually grow food is vital. The harder the item to come by, the more expensive it will cost. The more expensive our food becomes, the less customers will come to eat at your establishment and soon you find your restaurant closed. So a regenerative food supply is good for the human race and good for our planet as it promotes the health of the food chain.

The ISSF was founded in 2009 by a group of scientists, fisheries and other conservation organizations to 'undertake science-based initiatives for the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna stocks.' Thanks to the ISSF, a number of innovations have been made in reducing 'bycatch', a term for other fish and sea life that get caught in traps and nets used for the harvesting of specific seafood. They've helped replenish the bigeye tuna from an over-fished state and they've helped to establish catching limits based on scientific data and observations from fisherman to prevent over-fishing of other variety of tuna. The ISSF has also helped fisheries to commit to the banning of 'shark-finning'; the wasteful practice of cutting off a shark's fins for a God awful tasting soup and discarding the rest of the shark, where in having lost its ability to swim properly, sink to the ocean floor and die a slow death. 

The ISSF has a long way to go. The Asian market relies heavily on both tuna and shark fin for both local and  international sales and consumption. Japan refuses consistently to adhere to internationally agreement fishing limits on tuna because of the high demand of sushi and sashimi grade tuna. Current market rate for bluefin tuna, which is dangerously close to being listed as endangered, is around ¥17,000-20,000 ($244-$488) per kilogram!

The thing to consider is that once the bluefin supply is nearly exhausted, those fisheries that rely on tuna for sushi/sashimi grade sale are going to go after the yellow fin and other more plentiful varieties of tuna and the cycle will continue over and over and over until the ocean is just one big empty body of salt water.

If the food supply of our world's oceans and the sustainability of it's occupants are a top priority- nay, a concern!- of yours then I encourage you to donate to the ISSF here!

Christmas 365 #1

This issue came out in time for Christmas. However, issues #2-4 did not. Since I am not a fan of cliffhangers and the month long waits in between, I sat on this miniseries until the 2025 holiday season. But upon finishing the first issue and looking back on things, I can understand why the follow up issues came out after Christmas 2024!

The premise is simple really: a man who is overworked at his job thanks to a clueless owner and a manipulative supervisor has had enough. After having missed his daughter's high school holiday concert and gotten into a fistfight with another dad at Santa's village in the mall on Christmas Eve, the father decides to make up for not being there for his family by vowing to celebrate Christmas once a month on the 25th for the whole year. That means Valentine's, Easter, even Independence Day are all going to have a Christmas feel to them!

Working late into the night for Christmas #1, the house looks like a Winter Wonderland at first. I say at first, because the sparklers used to decorate the living room with have just set the Christmas tree on fire, taking all of the presents underneath with it. So, the plan isn't off to that well of a start...

Written by Mikey Way of My Chemical Romance, this wasn't quite what I had been expecting as I waited until now to read this series. That's not to say that I didn't like it. Its just from the cover as well as the opening 3-page preview I saw last year, I thought that there was going to be a magical element to the story. I thought that some forgotten arcane spirit was going to make it Christmas every day for a year. Maybe a child wished that their Christmas would never end. Or maybe the evil spirit was mad at being forgotten and was punishing the world for their collective amnesia. The opening where a young boy is chased by evil looking snowmen really perpetuated this wrong assumption. 

Instead, Christmas 365 is more like a cross between National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and the unsettling down-trodden man takes revenge pic, Falling Down. Not a bad premise for a story. Just nowhere close to my original idea for the story.

I really hope the main character's supervisor gets what's coming to him. He's such a slime ball opportunist. He reminds me of somebody that one of my loved ones is having to deal with at their job. I hope that I get to live vicariously through this story because I don't want to risk my family member getting fire because I get my revenge on their foe for making whomever's life hellish at the moment.

Although, if Mikey writes anything like his brother Gerard does, I'm not expecting a happy holiday ending to this tale. We'll see...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025 Day 15

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite stores. It's one of my bride's favorite too. Its called Bull City Fair Trade. Based in Durham, NC, Bull City Fair Trade offers an amazing selection of clothes, books, treats, jewelry and much, much more. It's a fantastic, no, make that magical place, during the holidays with their beautiful inventory of ornaments, nativity scenes and Christmasy treats. 

Now you might be asking yourself 'Why in the middle of an Advent about charitable giving are you advertising for a small business in the middle of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill triangle?' The answer: it is because every item sold in the store either supports fair trade and fair wages for the craftsmen who manufacturer these beautiful items or the items are produced by charitable organizations trying to empower the disenfranchised, incarcerated and formerly enslaved.

For example, one company trains women who were once sold in sex trafficking to become seamstresses. They make these awesome purses out of used rice sacks. Another company works with former convicts on parole to become skilled in trades and agriculture, while paying them a wage that is much more fair than what they are forced to earn in prisons. It's a little known fact that some prisons around the world get lucrative contracts outsourced from major American companies and they force the prisoners to make shoes, clothes and more for little to no income. It is all slave labor!

Bull City Fair Trade also carries local products made by Durham area charities that employ those who are homeless, food insecure or with disabilities. My family makes it a point to visit Bull City annually and take care of a large chunk of our Christmas shopping there. In fact, it's almost time for another trip.

In the previous days of this Advent, I have shared links where you can make donations. Today, I am sharing the link to BCFT's online store. Please check it out. Read about some of the charitable organizations that create these incredible items. Then make it a Merry Christmas for all by getting someone or EVERYONE off of your holiday shopping list!

Supergirl #8

It's a good rule of thumb that if a comic book set during Thanksgiving ends with a 'to be continued', the next issue will be set at Christmas time. Even if the Turkey Day story was resolved, if it is a monthly series, you can expect the next chapter to involve either Christmas, Hanukkah and/or Kwanzaa. Maybe even a combination of the 3! I would say such a thing occurs 90% of the time. 

Last month, I was treated to a Supergirl Thanksgiving issue. While I wasn't impressed with it, my devotion to the Maid of Might hasn't wavered. In fact, when I saw that last panel with a promise of 'to be continued ', I was actually excited at the prospect of spending Christmas with Supergirl. 

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I HATE cliffhangers. Yet, since I knew that I would be buying the December issue, it didn't bug me so much. But I did make sure to wait until when I bought the book to check and see if it was a holiday themed issue. 

Another holiday comic book rule of thumb is that if there's snow on the cover, either just starting to fall or full on blizzard, the contents inside involve the holidays. The only real exception is if the book stars an ice powered hero, like X-Man Bobby Drake or guest stars a frigid foe like Mr. Freeze. Well, this issue had a cover with Supergirl and some freaky looking robot standing in a snowy forest. So my chances of this being a Christmas comic shot up even more! Man, was I so full of the holiday spirit when I opened up the book to page 8 and there's a mention of Hanukkah and Christmas!!!

The holidays are hard for Kara. While she loves the Danvers, her adopted parents, and her cousin Kal-El, Kara misses her family who perished after the destruction of Krypton. The night before Christmas Eve, or what my mom would call Christmas Eve Eve, someone has broken into the Danvers home and it appears that they know that Kara Danvers is Supergirl!

Supergirl, along with her fellow Kryptonian Lesla-Lar, AKA Luminary, decide to investigate the break-in. Anything to get her mind off the holidays. The trail leads Kara to the orphanage where she grew up, bringing her face-to-face with a forgotten part of her past.

This was a much better issue than the last. And it didn't even have a different writer from the last. I'm not sure what Sophie Campbell did, but this felt worlds different than the last issue. Now, there was a different by Taiwan artist, Haining. Their talent really showed. All of the annoying double L characters was gone. And Lesla-Lar is really starting to grow on me. Notice, she is NOT an annoying double L character. She's got this rugged, yet bungling fish out of water attitude like Thorfinn on Ghosts. Definitely someone I would want watching my back. Not someone I'd want on my trivia night team.

This comic didn't do anything to restore my Christmas spirit. Mostly, because I haven't lost that despite the constant mystery pain I've been in for over 4 years. What this issue did restore is my faith that this current Supergirl is not completely terrible and that I will still keep this on my pull list.

I just wish Supergirl was more cheery. I like it when she's overly positive, like on Superman: The Animated Series instead of sulking like a platinum blonde Batman.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 13

No Farms. No Food. 

There's pretty much no way to get around it. We need food in order for everything to survive. Automation has done wonders to make it to where we don't need as many farmers as we use to have. And yet, we still need human beings to grow our food, raise livestock and maintain a food supply for the next generation. 

Smaller farms are losing a lop-sided battle against larger, corporate farms. They cannot compete paying living wages to workers when a larger corporation can afford robots, artificial intelligence and automation to offset the need for human workers. I'm not saying that a corporate farm is all bad. Some entrepreneurs do merge a mix of technology with the human equation in order to do the most good helping people find and maintain employment while producing enormous amounts of food. However, such companies are the exception; not the norm.

Every nation on the world is essentially 1 horrible harvest season away from a global food crisis. And I'm not just talking about famine and drought. That's not liberal fear mongering because we came really close to such levels of hunger with the pandemic. While food was plentiful, getting it into the hands of the population was severely disrupted. Some argue that 2020 was proof for more automation. But what are we going to do when there's no more jobs because we lost them to a machine?

These kind of questions are not new. Voices have been expressing fear in loss of employment ever since Jethro Tull and John Deere introduced their first plows for sale. By the mid-1980s, farmers were losing their homes and livelihoods are an accelerated rate that musicians John Cougar Mellencamp and Willie Nelson took inspiration from Live Aid just a few months earlier and put on a massive concert in America's heartland called Farm Aid to assist farmers who were facing losing their homes to foreclosure or corporate giants. 

According to Willie Nelson, he thought that one concert would be enough to solve the problem. Enough money would be raised and not another farmer would ever face economic uncertainty. But the Earth has weather that is constantly changing. Unexpected floods, drought, frost or an massive heatwave could wipe out one farmer's entire crop for a year while down the road, the guy growing broccoli hasn't been affected. As a result, Farm Aid has become an annual event.

Along with raising funds for disaster relief and helping farmers to avoid bankruptcy or worse, the organization runs educational programs to help new farmers create homesteads and alerts to American people to the need for farms. They also have a crack team of lawyers and lobbyists that have helped get vital legislation passed to help the American farmer. 

Now if we could just get legislation passed where instead of paying farmers to not grow food, nor arrange for them to destroy it, and figure out a way to get food to the homeless and needy without jeopardizing competitive wages on the global market. I don't care. Wasted food should never be a thing and a field that was paid for by the government to remain barren is a misuse of resources.

If keeping the American farmer from going extinct is an important cause for you, then check out Farm Aid website and donate here...

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 12

I selected another more local charity today that even if you are not from North Carolina, you can still donate to. Or, maybe this charity would inspire you to pursue options more local to your state or county.

See, my wife's brother, my brother-in-law, was adopted. With that in mind, and the fact that I don't like to the number 12, here's my bride to talk about her family's experience and how you can get involved.

Take it away Jan...

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 11

Samaritan's Purse does a lot of charitable programs: disaster relief, training and counseling for veterans and the creation of wells and water purification stations worldwide. But my favorite activity to participate in is their Operation Christmas Program. People fill a show box with essentials like soap, toothpaste and combs along with books, toys and clothes for a child to unwrap on or near Christmas day- regardless if they celebrate the holiday or not. 

In 2024, almost 12 million shoe boxes were distributed around the world. Over 10 million of those care packages came from the United States!

In past years, my wife and I have donated boxes for both a boy and a girl. You can choose ages from infancy all the way to young teen. I try to pick the teens, figuring they don't get that many shoe boxes. While toy weapons are forbidden, I still try to add Star Wars, superheroes and other popular characters with universal appeal. 

I also buy heavy duty tape. That's because I always go overboard and pack my shoe box to the gills. And I fill an adult size 12-13, male shoe box. No puny kids sized boxes from me!

While the 2025 deadline for shoe boxes is gone and passed, you can still order cool stuff for kids and their families around the world like a dairy goat for milk, clean water for the nearby community and cataract surgery. Some of these items can be purchased individually. But there are a few that can be very expensive. So for those needs, you can donate for a fraction of the cost, in a way that potentially 3-4 donors would contribute. The catalog for such donations can be found here...

Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 10

Another international charity that involves culinary arts in which I am a huge fan of is the World Central Kitchen. It was founded in 2010 when world renowned chef Jose Andres in response to the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti. 

Since it's founding, over 10 million meals have been provided in response to needed disaster relief. Those affected by Hurricane Harvey, the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake and the most recent Los Angeles wildfires have be provided hot meals from the World Central Kitchen.

Chef Andres' model is something that I am trying to emulate with my culinary arts students. We have a decent size of our school population experiencing food insecurity living in situations way below the standard American population poverty level. If a student comes to me needing food, I am going to feed them. And NO!- I am going to charge them.

My students have worked with several clubs at our school where we provide pre-cooked meals for students and their families for both Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks. It's probably one of the most enjoyed and requested annual events we do that the students who produce and pack the meals want to keep on doing.

Believe me when I say it's my dream to turn our professional grade kitchen into a hub for World Central Kitchen or another similar charity. Business opportunities are great for high school students. But it's these type of generous giving that builds up a sense of community amongst my students.

If donating or even volunteering with the World Central Kitchen is something of interest to you, be sure to check out their website here.