It was while I was thinking over Lady and the Tramp that I came up with the following thoughts. Of course, one aspect everyone remembers about that film are the two wicked Siamese cats who torment Lady, complete with a gleeful song about themselves. And it's standard practice today to cringe over them a little … Continue reading A Quick Word on Caricature
Some Key Points of Our Country
Reading and thinking about history lately, it seems to me that a lot of Americans seem to gloss over certain key points about our country. We have a tendency either to forget the very peculiar circumstances of our own history and the consequent effects it must have had on our national development and mindset, or … Continue reading Some Key Points of Our Country
Kaiju Appreciations; Kiryu (Re-Upload)
I made an appreciation for Kiryu, the third incarnation of Mechagodzilla...wow, seven years ago. It got hit with a copyright claim that led to the audio being muted, and, to my shame, I've only just gotten around to re-uploading it (partly I didn't want to just do a re-upload when I was behind on new … Continue reading Kaiju Appreciations; Kiryu (Re-Upload)
Batman: Broken Promise
A friend put me onto this excellent fan-made 'Batman' film. The animation is a little limited, but the writing is top-notch. Batman's as much a detective as a martial-artist and ultra-skilled without being invincible. The villains are broken and mentally-ill, but all the more dangerous for that. And it's got a great visual style that's … Continue reading Batman: Broken Promise
Poetry – “When Earth’s Last Picture is Painted”
When Earth's last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it - lie down for and aeon or two,Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew. And those that … Continue reading Poetry – “When Earth’s Last Picture is Painted”
Fulton Sheen for Mother’s Day
At my parents' house today, so I'm outsourcing to Ven. Fulton Sheen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qtv2bPJ-bsg Bonus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byetMFF9OJo
Kaiju Appreciations; Zigra
My latest appreciation video is up at last. This was kind of a tricky one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFum3UHzhCY I haven't done a full survey, but at the moment I want to call Gamera vs. Zigra the worst kaiju film to come out of either Toho or Daiei (well, Gamera Supermonster might top it from being mostly just … Continue reading Kaiju Appreciations; Zigra
Friday Flotsam: Political Mobs and Some Other Stuff
1. Is it just me, or do most motivational speeches sound exactly the same? “I had something I wanted to do, and I worked hard every single day, and I’m committed, and I have my teammates' backs,” etc. It is as if they are all made to pattern, formed by the same teacher or following … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Political Mobs and Some Other Stuff
Viva el Imperio!
Cinco de Mayo from the Monarchical POV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrOiKn13r2g&ab_channel=TumblarHouse Apparently, Karl Marx called the effort to restore the Mexican Empire "One of the most monstrous enterprises in the annals of international history", so you know it had to have something going for it. In any case, it's one of the great 'might have beens' which, given … Continue reading Viva el Imperio!
Motivation and Warm-Ups
Honestly, I didn’t want to write this post. I was tired and distracted and generally couldn’t think of anything I wanted to say. Then I happened to see my team lead at work promising “great motivation!” at a company rally later this week. (side note: my company is one of those that prides itself on … Continue reading Motivation and Warm-Ups
Serpent's Den 