An Important Article on X-Men

John Podhoretz is a great writer and a very penetrating film critic.  I enjoy a lot more films than he does, but his reasons for not enjoying them are always spot on.  In his review of the new X-Men movie, he raises some very stark issues about the portrayal of evil on screen, particularly as it relates to the Holocaust.  Food for thought...

Read it here.

An Interview with the god, Thor

Marsha Hamilton lands the interview of the year with the god, Thor!

Marsha Hamilton:  Hello!  My name is Marsha Hamilton, and I am here with the real life inspiration for the movie Thor... the god Thor!  Mr. Thor, thank you for sitting down with us today.  It's quite an honor!

Thor: My title is the God of Thunder, not this "Mr…".  

Marsha: Sorry, my mistake!

Thor: Harrumph...

Marsha: As our viewers know, you have a brand new film coming out depicting your life as a god, called (inventively!) Thor. Tell us how this film came about!

Thor: Centuries ago, my worshippers were swept from the face of Earth.  I was content at first to remain in the fastnesses of my Northland. Then Loki, my brother, insulted me to my face at the dishonor of my isolation, and so I descended in storm and cloud upon the face of the northern city, Seattle, to reclaim my followers from the peoples of this planet. 

The Crimes of Lord Llewellyn

Lord Peter Llewellyn decapitated a cigar, smelled the black dusty blood, struck a flame, and drew a deep, gaseous breath. He smiled in a silent chuckle. It was his favorite bad habit.

Tapping the entrails from his stick of tobacco, he turned his attention to breakfast. In front of him lay a silver platter full of favorites: eggs, potatoes, bacon, and coffee, accompanied by three little bowls of salt, pepper, and garlic. It was a peculiarity of Lord Llewellyn that he never allowed anyone to season his meals except himself.

A slight pinch of salt, a steady shimmer of pepper, and an avalanche of garlic clothed the steaming meal in a soft aroma, and Llewellyn smiled. Only then did his eye settle on the regal sheaf that awaited him.

Ronald Reagan, C.S. Lewis, and the Evil Empire

Just watched this clip of Ronald Reagan's amazing "Evil Empire" speech.  For those in my generation who have never watched the real thing, watch it! :)

A Dialogue on the Modern Age

The Modern motioned to the Cosmos and turned to his friend, The Clown. 

"What say ye?"

"What say you, you mean," he replied.

"I was going for dramatic effect," said the Modern. "A question has more weight when asked with older words."

"But clarity, my dear fellow, is the most important thing about a question."

"I thought it was the answer."

"Every question is an answer."

The Modern paused. "I'm not sure that makes sense."

"The better the question, the more one knows the answer already."

"Tell that to the scientists."

"There are a few in my line of work," the Clown replied.

Great Speech by Geert Wilders on the Future of Europe

"The Failure of Multiculturalism and How to Turn the Tide"

Signore e signori, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends of the Magna Carta Foundation, molte grazie. Thank you for inviting me to Rome. It is great to be here in this beautiful city which for many centuries was the capital and the centre of Europe's Judeo-Christian culture.

Together with Jerusalem and Athens, Rome is the cradle of our Western civilization - the most advanced and superior civilization the world has ever known.

As Westerners, we share the same Judeo-Christian culture. I am from the Netherlands and you are from Italy. Our national cultures are branches of the same tree. We do not belong to multiple cultures, but to different branches of one single culture. This is why when we come to Rome, we all come home in a sense. We belong here, as we also belong in Athens and in Jerusalem.

It is important that we know where our roots are. If we lose them we become deracinated. We become men and women without a culture.

A Paradisal Bookstore

I love bookstores. When I hear that Barnes and Noble has fallen on hard times, my heart aches. The bookstore is perhaps the one place in the shopping and entertainment experience where I feel most at home. Nothing thrills me more than browsing books I will never buy on the upshot that I might find that one classic I've been hoping to see in print.

Of all the bookstores I've ever been to, Full Circle Bookstore is certainly the best. Situated in the heart of Oklahoma City, it is not the place you would expect to find in flyover country. Bookstores like this with a love of fine editions, beautiful displays, classic works, and warm atmosphere are a rare treasure. Here are some pictures of Full Circle for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to experience the joy firsthand.