The Break: Star Wars Fandom; Marketing and the Church; VR Nausea

Season 2 of Rings of Power shows us a flashback of a moment in the history of Middle-earth during which Sauron seemed to be defeated and eradicated for good. Only to emerge again in another form at another time and place. We may get discouraged to see how humanity falls for the temptation of evil time and again. But Tolkien teaches us an important lesson: that the tenacity of evil should never discourage us, since "Evil labours with vast power and perpetual success - in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in." (J.R.R. Tolkien , “The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien”) We have a moral obligation to keep fighting evil whenever it shows up: "It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule." (J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings”) [This episode contains mild spoilers for Rings of Power Season 2, episode 1]

In this episode of The Break, I talk about the supposed cancellation of Star Wars: The Acolyte and about its implications for the future of the franchise in a radically changed media landscape. I also share my thoughts about a ground-breaking iPhone accessory that was launched on Kickstarter by Lexar. Check out my new landing page for my Storytelling course: https://fatherroderick.com/storytelling

D23 gave us more information about what to expect from Disney when it comes to Star Wars, but not as much as I hoped. Skeleton Crew may bring an essential element back to the franchise. I'm wrapping up the UK series 'Life on Mars', I am almost done building the LEGO Ghostbusters Fire Station and I share my thoughts about Donald Miller's book 'Hero on a Mission'. I also talk about Deborah Ann Woll's explanation of Dungeons and Dragons on the show 'Real Ones' (https://youtu.be/hC07aVjdRC8?si=8AQ_mO-T9PJfqh67) Move your Patreon subscription to my new membership community before time runs out by going to https://fatherroderick.com/join

During my break, I look ahead at Disney's D23 Fan Event this week. Will there be new Star Wars announcements? Also in this episode:  Daisy Ridley opens up about being diagnosed with Graves' disease Rings of Power season 2 will include an appearance of Tom Bombadil Pope Francis writes a letter about the importance of reading poetry and fiction Retro Arch offers free gaming emulation on iOS and on the Apple TV Want to continue to receive these podcasts and get access to even more perks? Make sure join my new community (or to migrate from Patreon!) by going here: https://www.fatherroderick.com/join Check out my new video course about Storytelling if you want to learn how to become a better storyteller and share your message through stories online, in public speaking or when sharing your faith. With a one-time donation of €99, you get access to 2 months of lessons and you help me produce more of these courses. Follow this link to sign up: https://fatherroderick.com/storytelling

Disney has given us a first look at their upcoming live TV series 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew'. I share my initial thoughts. I also talk about the TV series 'Life on Mars', I discuss the early reviews of the game 'Star Wars: Outlaws', and I talk about the upcoming Castlefest Fantasy Fair this weekend. Join my new community that replaces this Patreon community and get access to many new perks and features: https://fatherroderick.com/join (after signing up, you can stop your Patreon support; you will be able to access this podcast through a new personal feed on the new website). Become a sponsor of my learning project and get early access to my London course about storytelling: https://fatherroderick.com/storytelling

In this episode of my podcast The Break I sit down for lunch and coffee in the center of Leicester as I review the classic Doctor Who episode "Planet of the Daleks", the anime series Demon Slayer and the future of the story of The Acolyte. I share my thoughts on the importance of rest even in times of high pressure. I talk about my experience playing Rummikub for the first time and I give you my impressions of the latest update of the game No Man's Sky.

During my coffee break, I review the first season of The Acolyte now that the series has wrapped; I talk about some of the books I read this week and I talk about the risk of seeing modern day events as fulfillments of Biblical prophesies or as signs of Divine intervention. Go to fatherroderick.com/storytelling to learn how you can get early access to my full course about storytelling!

In this episode of The Walk, I walk along the Thames in London as I share with you some of the things I've been doing during my first week as a Digital Nomad in the UK. More information about my Storytelling Course and about how to sign up is coming soon!

The new documentary 'I am' in which singer Celine Dion shares the heartbreaking consequences of being diagnosed with the rare 'Stiff People Syndrome' may be one of the most important things she has ever recorded. In this episode, I explain why. I also talk about the controversial superhero series 'The Boys' and how its story reflects the current climate in large parts of the western world. I review Bear Grylls book 'A Survival Guide for Life: How to Achieve Your Goals, Thrive in Adversity, and Grow in Character', and I explain why we need more Catholic testimonials like this. And I share with you what technology I'm taking with me on my first 'Digital Nomad' experiment this upcoming month.

In this episode, I give you an update about my travel plans for the month of July, I review the Doctor Who season finale, I talk about what's going on with Star Wars fans and I tell you why I think the Catholic Church has a marketing problem. I talk about my experiences with the Pokemon Plus + and about why the Meta Quest makes me nauseous. The migration from Patreon to my new membership community and Premium Podcast feed is now in full swing; all patrons should have received an invitation to migrate. Let me know if you have any issues, I'm here to help!