Revelation

  

As part of one of my New Year’s resolutions, I joined a bible study group at my church.

 

Four studies were offered: The Mass, The Timeline of the Church, Mary, and The Book of Revelation. Which do you think I chose? Your humble author, devourer of science fiction and weird esoterica such as Nostradamus, and aficionado of historical mysteries? That’s right; I signed up to do a deep dive into the Apocalypse.

 

We meet on Monday nights from 7 to 9. So far I attended two sessions. We’re working with a study guide published by Ascension Press. The classes start with an hour reviewing the questions from the workbook out loud; these vary from simple listings of the various items we read in the current chapter to speculation on what God is speaking to us through them. Then we watch an hourlong recorded presentation by the author of the study workbook. It covers not only the text of the Book of Revelation, but the historical, cultural, biblical, and spiritual context of the themes we encounter. There are about 25 of us in the group, one-third men and two-thirds women, ranging in age from mid-30s to one in her late 80s. I’m about the median age. So far I’ve found it warm, welcoming, and extremely interesting and informative. I expect to be an expert in the final book of the New Testament when the study ends in ten weeks.

 

In the days leading up to the first class I felt a little weird. The last college course I took was nearly thirty years ago. Apart from a few classes for my IT certifications around the turn-of-the-century and my eight-week H&R Block tax preparer course in 2016, this is my first foray into formalized group learning in a long while. I must admit, auto-didact I claim to be, there’s nothing like a group setting to hold one’s feet to the fire. Plus, I am learning from my classmates. All are nice people, all are the sort of Catholics who put their faith into practice, so I quickly overcame any nerves midway through the first session.

 

Already I am loaded with stats and trivia. But I am wondering whether I would share that here or, if so, how much and what exactly? While recapping every session might be overkill, I think I’ll post some “highlights” midway through and an evaluation when it finishes at the end of March. And maybe some odd or inspiring things I come across here and there. There is a “homework heavy” aspect to the preparation before a sessions (15-20 minutes daily), so I don’t want to burn myself out. I am, after all, still reading other non-religious books voraciously, as well as working and parenting full time, walking as much as possible, etc.

 

I’ll have to give it some thought. But I’ll definitely post something, and continue to write and publish here when the spirit moves me.

 

Happy (End Times) readings!

 

Happy New Year 2026!

 

May all my visitors here have a safe, happy, healthy, wealthy, and, most importantly, holy 2026. 

I have a good vibe concerning this upcoming year!

The 2025 Best-Ofs!

 

Shhhh … hear that? … listen … it’s getting louder … Yes! … I can hear it now! The noise, the cheering, here it comes … louder … Louder … LOUDER … LOUDER!!! It’s here! It’s here! Tens and tens and tens of people worldwide – all right, ten people worldwide … Cheering! Roaring!! Celebrating!!! It’s here! It’s here!!

 

IT’S HERE!!!

 

THE 2025 HOPPER BEST-OFS!

 

Yes, my annual tradition of the best and worst of all the literature, movies, TV, phases, and experiences Hopper has undergone in the past twelve months. All for your edification. Books and films to experience and enjoy – and those to avoid at all costs.

 

Now, without further ado, here they are –

 

 

Best Book:

   Nonfiction – My Effin’ Life (2023) by Geddy Lee

   Fiction / Re-reads – Moby Dick (1851) by Herman Melville, Conquerors from the Darkness (1965) by Robert Silverberg, Space Skimmer (1972) by David Gerrold

   Fiction / First-time – The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1963) by John Le Carré

   Notable Mention – The Seventh Scroll (1995) by Wilbur Smith. [This was an insane read and deserves its own blog post … perhaps in early January … trust me on this.]

 

 

Worst Book:

    Iceberg (1975) by Clive Cussler (all the embarrassments of 1970s culture)

   Stephen King’s It (1986) reread was slightly disappointing

 

 

Bucket Lists:

   As mentioned above, I read through Moby Dick for the third time – I dunno, it just gets better and better every time I read it. Also put away Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, Le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and The Confessions of St. Augustine.

 

 

Best Film:

   Horror/Science Fiction/Action – Frankenstein (2025) directed by Guillermo del Toro. What cinematography! What props! Plus an intelligent, human ending to tug at heartstrings.

   Comedy (alleged) – Friendship (2024). Truly and delightfully bizarre … but don’t watch with the wife.

   So many runner-ups – A Man Called Ove (2015 – the Swedish version, not the Tom Hanks remake), Good Boy (2025 horror flick with a dog as the main character), The Dark Divide (2020, midlife crisis meets bigfoot), Nobody (2021, old man John Wick), Being There (1979), Abigail (2024), House (1977 campy Japanese horror flick seen with Patch)

 

 

Most Disappointing Film:

    Dream Scenario (2023, where everyone on the planet dreams of a bald, frumpy Nicolas Cage)

   The Woman in the Yard (2025, where you watch a premise get wasted after a promising 20 minutes)

 

 

Best TV:

   Again, not a big TV year for me. I did enjoy the first season of Ash vs. the Evil Dead.

 

 

Worst TV:  

   The Lazarus Project – everything I hate in modern writing, and I mean everything. Identity politics, wokeism, vulgarity. Wife made me sit through first episode; you couldn’t pay me enough to sit through another one.

 

Personal Accomplishments:

   Losing 18 pounds the first five months of the year (but, unfortunately, gaining 10 pounds back at the time of writing).

   Shaking the dust off my electric guitar and shaving the rust off my fingers with something like 30 hours of serious practice.

   Assembling my daughter’s college bunkbed with her roommate’s dad, plus assembling two bookcases and an ergonomic chair on my own.

   Six trips to the confessional.

   Grew my record collection by 19 to 63 total.

   Met not one but two Little One boyfriends (and behaved myself the whole time).

 

 

Phases:

   Sugar-Free January 1st to May 20th

   UFO literature revisited (read 8 books in November and December)

   The Lindbergh baby kidnapping case – deep dive for one week middle of October

   Return to SF pulp paperbacks (read 9, gave up on the 10th – Asimov’s Foundation)

   Diary of St Faustina six-month reading journey

   Hell House LLC quadrilogy watched with Patch for Movie Nights in September and October

 

Favorite Phase:

   No, don’t make me choose!

 

 

Best Podcast / YouTube channel:

   Andrew Wilson debates. Discovered him in August and probably have watched twenty hours of him debating feminists, communists, transvestites, islamists, you name it, mostly in 1v1 debates but also Andrew versus a whole panel of opposition. He’s a little crude and rough around the edges, doesn’t bar any holds, and may be an acquired taste, but it’s a fun way to get the adrenaline flowing when your job involves generating reports and spreadsheets and more reports and more spreadsheets.

 

Song of the Year:

   Most anything from The Essential Frank Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. I find it relaxing on the nerves, especially after all them YouTube debates.

 

Workout Tally:

   37 weightlifting sessions

   68 miles walked

   Not nearly as well, physical-health-wise, as 2024, where I lifted 46 times and walked 20 miles more. I am a few pounds heavier, but what’s more concerning is a worsening lack of flexibility. For 2026 I would love to get in 100 workouts next year – with deep stretching before and after – plus around 150 miles walked. I recognize that this is highly optimistic.

 

Reading Tally:

   43 books / 18 fiction, 25 non-fiction (if you count 5 UFO books as “non-fiction”)

   Re-read the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Genesis, and Revelation

   Abandoned 8 books anywhere from 30 pages to 431 pages in

   Re-read 8 books, not counting the Bible books above, mostly science fiction from my youth

 

Proudest Moments:

   Seeing Little One posing in her first class teacher picture after six months of student teaching. Also watching her grow independent with her own car, an off-campus apartment (with her two bffs), and a serious relationship.

 

   Patch with her first retail job managing a woman’s clothing boutique, getting her permit and taking her out driving a dozen times on the way to getting that driver’s license, and being accepted into all four colleges she applied to.

 

2025 was a decent year. Had better, had worse. I enjoyed most of it, albeit with a hint of sadness as the little ones are now young adults and are starting to forge their way through life, more and more independent of their parents. Next year Patch will be leaving us for college for extended periods of time (she’ll be way out of state) and that will bring new challenges. And there may be a new pet in the near future. We’ll see.