Historically-based sport movies were all the rage for a while in the early 2000s. Off the top of my head you had Remember the Titans (football), Miracle (hockey), Cinderella Man (boxing), Seabiscuit (horse-racing),Invincible (football again), The Rookie (baseball) and I’m sure about a dozen others that I’m forgetting or never saw. Coming in the midst … Continue reading Thoughts on “The Greatest Game Ever Played”
History
Assumption Proclamation
Should have gone up yesterday. I have a feeling that I might have made the same error last year...oh, well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJcSyaRU0kc "The old world in its sunset was fair to see."
Writing Historical Characters
The film Cinderella Man came up on the Castalia House blog the other day. The film, just so we’re all clear, is the story of James Braddock, a slightly-over-the-hill boxer during the Great Depression whose career had seemed over, until he suddenly returned to the ring with a series of stunning victories, culminating in him … Continue reading Writing Historical Characters
Thought of the Day: Hollywood Friendships
I think the most positive aspect of Hollywood as an industry, in its golden era at least, were the great, intense friendships that sometimes resulted; people like Laurel and Hardy, or Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda, or Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, or Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The entertainment industry has always been a … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Hollywood Friendships
Friday Flotsam: Mad World Misses
I don’t feel like putting actual work into the Flotsam this Friday. Instead, since It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World came up on work chat this week, I thought I’d do a quick rundown of some of the most notable comedians who weren’t in that film and why. 1. Charlie Chaplin: Had expatriated himself … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mad World Misses
George Washington: Deathbed Convert?
So, here's a very interesting rumor, which I've now heard from a couple sources. It is said, among both the Jesuits of Maryland and the descendants of George Washington's slaves, that in his final hours he sent for Father Leonard Neale, S.J, and that he was received into the Catholic Church shortly before his death. … Continue reading George Washington: Deathbed Convert?
Friday Flotsam: Jungle Books and Rockefeller
1. Had a depressing and discouraging week. Got a bit of a snaggle tooth, and it’s left me with a tongue sore. Home remedies include chamomile tea and honey, so trying those. 2. Revisited both the original The Jungle Book and the live action remake recently. Quite frankly, I’m still not sure which I think … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Jungle Books and Rockefeller
Friday Flotsam: Verne, History, and Broomsticks
1. Visiting relatives in Maine all this week 2. On the way up, listened to a biography of Jules Verne. It was certainly interesting to get a look into the life of such an important author, though the biographer is rather annoyingly intrusive; his thesis is that Verne is one of the great authors of … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Verne, History, and Broomsticks
Thought of the Day: Making History
Another one of the great truths we miss, thanks to an illusion created by historical accounts (not the same thing as history per se); society ought not be made for the extraordinary, but for the ordinary. The people who end up being written about are generally not the people who make up the general running … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Making History
Friday Flotsam: Starts Grim, Gets Happier
1. An exhausting week full of discouragement. I’m really realizing how much I dislike coding, but the trouble is that I don’t know what else I can do for a day job. I’d really like to have a job that I can actually be invested in, even if it isn’t the Final Goal, but there … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Starts Grim, Gets Happier
Serpent's Den 