tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:21:32 +0000FLICKSQUOTESMOVIEREVIEWLOLTHEOLOGYFAITHVIDPERSONALCULCHAGEEKYELECTION2008HOLIDAYSINSPIRATIONTOONSPOLITICSBLOGGINHEALTHTRIVIABITNIZTVQUESTIONSSPORTSPERSPECTIVEBIGBROATTITUDEHMMMMEMORIESMILITARYWEIRDBOOKSMONEYKCRIPMYINBOXSQUAWKWHEELSIDEOLOGYIRAQBIOOBAMAGIMMEABREAKBOBSBESTFOODMEMEGOPWEASELSABORTIONELECTION2012KANSASPOLLGOINGREENOPEDBACONAtoZplacesTUNESWITHDEVOTIONDACOURTACCESSIBLEGRIEVINGCAPTIONGEEZERTRAVELSOCIALMEDIACLICHËBAILOUTSCONSERVATISMWIFIISLAMTAXESCHARITYFAMILYNMOPAINQ&ATOBACCOWOWRESTAURANTREVIEWWISDOMWORDSATHEISMBBQFBGREGBOYDPOEMRELATIONSHIPSWARIRANRANTDEBTREDUCTIONDISABILITYJUSTICETEAPARTYI am a New Yorker by birth, Kansas Citian by choice and Christian by grace. I blog to inspire, inform and interact. I am the blogger formerly known as Kansas Bob. ツhttps://www.kcbob.com/noreply@blogger.com (kc bob)Blogger3678125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-1364294748485745475Sun, 18 May 2025 15:55:00 +00002025-05-18T10:56:32.093-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW True stories are sometimes the most endearing. Nonnas is a great example of that. Set in my hometown of Staten Island, New York, the plot revolves around Joe Scaravella, a guy who grew up in a loving Italian family in Brooklyn. The story really begins at his mom's funeral. As he grieves, he discovers an abandoned place across the waters and decides to open an Italian restaurant dedicated to his https://www.kcbob.com/2025/05/nonnas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-4312644483032170655Sun, 10 Sep 2023 18:10:00 +00002023-09-10T13:11:53.027-05:00THEOLOGY In 2016 I posted this thought and had a number of comments on it:"The sovereignty of God is always in accord with the character of God." #kcbobHere are a few of my responses to comments from back then:Regarding the character of God:The sovereignty of God is sometimes misused to malign the character of God by attributing to him things like genocide and infanticide. We see it a lot when people https://www.kcbob.com/2023/09/commentary-on-divine-sovereignty.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-1966438316190510556Wed, 09 Aug 2023 16:35:00 +00002023-08-10T07:36:58.727-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW Watching the beginnings of this spiritual awakening took me back to the beginnings of my own faith journey. Deep emotions were awakened in me as I was reminded of how simple and pure those times seem to be.  I was also reminded of how religion and institutional faith seemed to overwhelm and overcome that simplicity. I related to the story and the struggles on a very personal and somewhat https://www.kcbob.com/2023/08/jesus-revolution.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-9126016832314532792Mon, 04 Jul 2022 14:35:00 +00002022-07-04T09:35:05.646-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW   Caught this documentary streaming on Hulu. Was not really sure if I would enjoy it because I am more of a bio pic, rather than a documentary, kind of viewer. The first few minutes dragged a bit but I was soon pulled in. Using original footage, and augments from recent interviews with folks who were there, the film documents the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that was held between June and https://www.kcbob.com/2022/07/summer-of-soul.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-1512890717379841999Sat, 09 Apr 2022 18:30:00 +00002022-04-09T13:30:04.402-05:00 I lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis in my early teens. Like most people, I hadn't a clue about what was going on in the world of international covert operations. This movie is about one of those ops.This 2021 true-life spy thriller tells the story of British businessman Greville Wynne, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who was recruited into covert service to transport Russian https://www.kcbob.com/2022/04/the-courier.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-1335458824307799162Sun, 03 Apr 2022 16:25:00 +00002022-04-03T11:25:23.796-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW John Hamm, of Mad Men fame, brings a great portrayal of a man whose life fell apart when he was thirty. Ten years later he is called back to the city of his devastation to help an old friend. He really does not want to go but goes anyway. The movie is about his return and finding closure when he does.I found the movie to be suspenseful. The story was really good. The before and after images of https://www.kcbob.com/2022/04/beirut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-4153051087004268115Sun, 27 Mar 2022 15:33:00 +00002022-03-27T10:53:18.445-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant in CODACODA (Child Of Deaf Adults) is first and foremost a thumbnail of what it is like for a deaf family living in a hearing community. And what it is like for the youngest member of the family, the only hearing member, to bear the responsibility of being the voice for the family.I really liked the way that the family dynamics developedhttps://www.kcbob.com/2022/03/coda.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-160709948151382856Thu, 03 Mar 2022 18:21:00 +00002022-03-05T17:14:33.399-06:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW This movie surprised me. It was not so much about the TV persona of Mr Rogers but about the healing power of relationships. It is based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Lloyd Vogel. I really liked the vulnerable way that the co-stars, Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys, embraced their characters. The roles gave us a peek into way that faith and love https://www.kcbob.com/2022/03/a-beautiful-day-in-neighborhood.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-8310711610744295647Sun, 09 Jan 2022 14:57:00 +00002022-01-09T08:57:04.751-06:00HMMMPERSPECTIVEI like this quote from Merton, a Catholic monk. Even so. I wonder. As we all have a limited amount of time.Is it possible to love someone and not give them a bit of your time?I think that love and time are linked together.We express our love by spending time.If we love baseball we will spend our days watching it.So how do you deem someone worthy of your time (i.e. love)?Especially if you think ofhttps://www.kcbob.com/2022/01/love-and-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-1031102140084881461Tue, 30 Mar 2021 11:55:00 +00002021-03-30T07:12:54.596-05:00WISDOM A friend posted these on Facebook.  The source is unknown but said to be over 70 years of age.After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now startedloving myself.I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders.I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but https://www.kcbob.com/2021/03/senior-reflections.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-185292125464921956Sun, 28 Mar 2021 18:55:00 +00002021-03-28T14:30:33.856-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW This movie touched me at a deep level. Maybe it is just timing? Perhaps it is because I resonated with so many characters who were people, like me, in their 'senior years'. Or maybe it is because I live in an urban community where houselessness is epidemic. I am not sure why but Nomadland really moved me like few movies ever have.The story revolves around Fern, a senior citizen type person, who https://www.kcbob.com/2021/03/nomadland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-5840796514459764710Tue, 16 Feb 2021 18:24:00 +00002021-02-16T12:25:42.107-06:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW This is the story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. You may enjoy it if, like me, you are a fan of courtroom dramas. I remember that turbulent time and honestly I had not viewed any of the defendants in positive light at all. In that sense I found the movie to be a bit educational. Here arehttps://www.kcbob.com/2021/02/the-trial-of-chicago-seven.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-7885739533749625162Sun, 14 Feb 2021 18:51:00 +00002021-02-14T13:13:46.385-06:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW This is a dark movie with dark themes and dark characters. It showcases the hopelessness of growing up in the poorest areas of India where, as the main character says, there are two visible castes - “men with big bellies, and men with small bellies”. The film is a story about the haves and the have-nots.The way that the poor live in India was absolutely heartbreaking but the resiliency of https://www.kcbob.com/2021/02/the-white-tiger.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-3633563334145543695Sun, 14 Feb 2021 00:11:00 +00002021-02-13T18:11:42.218-06:00INSPIRATIONPERSPECTIVE The word “prayer” has often been trivialized by making it into a way of getting what we want. But I use “prayer” as the umbrella word for any interior journeys or practices that allow you to experience faith, hope, and love within yourself. It is not a technique for getting things, a pious exercise that somehow makes God happy, or a requirement for entry into heaven. It is much more like https://www.kcbob.com/2021/02/prayer-and-spirituality.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-5328288706309726725Sat, 30 Jan 2021 16:28:00 +00002021-01-30T10:28:38.240-06:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW A friend disliked this one and I almost skipped it. Glad that I watched it. I found the story about a young boy's experiences growing up in a dysfunctional family both refreshing and depressing. I thought that the performances by a-lister actresses were dwarfed by the actual story. I found the plot from the memoir by JD Vance (nicely portrayed by Gabriel Basso) to be engaging and endearing.https://www.kcbob.com/2021/01/hillbilly-elegy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-1934330441290409708Sat, 16 Jan 2021 17:46:00 +00002021-02-14T13:23:38.378-06:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW I am really not a fan of documentaries so I was not sure if I was up for a dry telling of facts - Crip Camp is not such a film. Full disclosure, my wife has used a wheelchair since 2007. So I had more than a casual interest in the movie and the message. The story chronicles the journey of a group of disabled people from their beginnings at Camp Jened, a summer camp for people with https://www.kcbob.com/2021/01/crip-camp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-6956971678370670133Sun, 10 Jan 2021 00:50:00 +00002021-01-09T18:50:17.018-06:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. A few IMDb review titles (that I saw too late) with my commentary:  + 2020. The Movie. || definitely sums up the year of covid  + Insult to General Intelligence || illogical in a bizarre sort of way  + Nothing Happens. Ever. || seems to drone on forever  + Appalling Waste of Time || even for a retired person  + https://www.kcbob.com/2021/01/the-midnight-sky.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-2557871983748113611Thu, 31 Dec 2020 17:18:00 +00002021-01-02T11:33:53.383-06:00TV My binging of all things Netflix and Amazon Prime kicked into high gear earlier this year when my wife was quarantined in a nursing facility for 7 weeks. Here are a few thoughts, and some feedback, on the things that I binged. In the Star Trek Universe, I watched a lot of Trek movies. Always enjoy the newer Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto versions of the movie franchise. Here are a few shows https://www.kcbob.com/2020/08/the-2020-binge-report.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-8587112329522666745Wed, 16 Dec 2020 17:58:00 +00002020-12-16T11:58:24.898-06:00 - be content - seize the joy - https://www.kcbob.com/2020/12/carpe-gaudium.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-6780750040000021477Fri, 24 Jul 2020 12:59:00 +00002020-07-24T07:59:40.748-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW I love how this movie deals with Southern Slavery. The complex images of life as a slave is on display. It gives us an insightful view of the faithless cruelty of plantation owners and the magnificent faithful courage of slaves. Harriet Tubman, played beautifully by Cynthia Erivo, emerges as a woman of faith and courage. I was fascinated by the ways that the Lord guided and directed Harriet as https://www.kcbob.com/2020/07/harriet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-260115560628124558Sun, 21 Jun 2020 15:36:00 +00002020-06-21T10:36:37.129-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW Ann and I are fans of the detective-sleuth genre. This movie plays in that arena. We should have liked it more than we did. I thought that the story-line was a tad predictable and sluggish at the beginning but picked up steam midway into this two hour flick. It had some pretty good twists and turns in the second half. Thought that Daniel Craig, the lead actor in this ensemble cast, may not havehttps://www.kcbob.com/2020/06/knives-out.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-2334355714569014895Fri, 05 Jun 2020 14:41:00 +00002020-06-06T09:53:53.608-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW Pictured to the right is Bryan Stevenson and actor Michael C Jordan - the subject and the star of the movie "Just Mercy". Bryan is an amazing person. His book of the same name (reviewed here) is a heartbreaking account of injustice in Alabama. The movie takes the books main narrative and creates a compelling look at systemic racism in the South. The movie was hard to watch but communicated suchhttps://www.kcbob.com/2020/06/just-mercy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-6866277013781750870Thu, 04 Jun 2020 12:43:00 +00002020-06-05T09:42:47.162-05:00CULCHA This cartoon cracked me up! Reminds me how I loved to play outside when I was a kid. When it was cold outside I would play board games inside with my sisters but when the summer came I was outside all of the time playing with my neighborhood pals. Can you relate to that? Do you think that video games keep kids today from playing outside? Not sure that I do because my son usually just played https://www.kcbob.com/2020/06/do-video-games-keep-kids-inside.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-5620832689087298207Tue, 02 Jun 2020 13:02:00 +00002020-06-02T08:02:50.262-05:00PERSPECTIVETHEOLOGY Ever had really high expectations and have somewhat of a let down? Fifteen years ago my wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in Niagara Falls. Our hotel room overlooked the horseshoe falls on the Canadian side. Here is the view from our room. Quite majestic. And awesome. If only I didn’t have expectations. Hype and preconceived ideas are not the best way to approach something as https://www.kcbob.com/2020/06/perspective.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-749955731953911627.post-3804065231044477903Mon, 01 Jun 2020 15:07:00 +00002020-06-01T10:07:38.137-05:00FLICKSMOVIEREVIEW Elton John is one of the most iconic performers of my lifetime. His music is legendary. His sound is unique. Even so, this movie surprised me. I was not ready to watch a movie that was so transparent and so revealing. The flick takes us on a journey. Beginning with childhood Reginald Kenneth Dwight, Elton's name before he changed it, showed somewhat of a musical genius. He played his https://www.kcbob.com/2020/06/rocketman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (kc bob)1