1. Today, of course, is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, which comes this year amidst a tumult of, shall we say, significant events. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to pray the Rosary and make some kind of special obeisance. 2. Boethius reaches the conclusion that to be good is to … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Of Glory, The Chastisement of Wickedness, and Monopolies
Thoughts
A Quick Word on Caricature
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; 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
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
Masterful Heroes
I was trying to decide what made the hero in The Monster Men feel different from most other fictional heroes I’d encountered recently and I realized that it was a quality of masterfulness. Without spoiling too much, Number 13 is not only able to engage small armies of pirates in pursuit of his heart’s idol, … Continue reading Masterful Heroes
On the Honesty of God
It is sometimes asked whether God couldn’t have just forgiven mankind by a direct miracle following the Fall. Whether He couldn’t have simply declared that man was saved and foregone the Cross. I’ve heard many people, including priests and writers I respect, saying that He could have, but chose the Cross for other reasons. With … Continue reading On the Honesty of God
Thoughts on ‘The Monster Men’
"Let those who will say that I have no soul, for I am satisfied with the soul I have found...And if the savage men who came tonight to kill have souls, then I am glad that my soul is after my own choosing—I would not care for one like theirs." I had started to read … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘The Monster Men’
Friday Flotsam: Generation Y and Then Some
1. I’ve often longed for a Professor Kingsfield-style class of fiction writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx22TyCge7w&t=12s&ab_channel=TheIowaStateBarAssociation 2. At work today, someone brought up the African Shoebill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93xRBQHPfWs&ab_channel=AnimalTales Add it to the list of things that ought to be too ridiculous to really exist. 3. Reading lately has included Generation Y: The New Lost Generation, a collection of essays … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Generation Y and Then Some
Serpent's Den 