Over the past few weeks I've been to see Steven Spielberg's film about a world bounded only by the imagination, the ultra-hyped latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and a Dwayne Johnson vehicle based on a cheesy arcade game. Guess which I think was the best. Go ahead; guess. Rampage is basically a sci-fi … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘Rampage’
Thoughts
The Two Thieves
All four Gospels note that Christ was crucified along with two others. These two are described as ‘thieve’ or ‘robbers,’ though this is sometimes rendered ‘revolutionaries’ or simply ‘criminals.’ One was crucified on His right, the other on His left. Viewed from a modern perspective, the designation of right and left is a little interesting, … Continue reading The Two Thieves
Another Thought
There is a popular idea, particularly in feminist circles, that men generally want women with pretty faces, empty heads, and closed mouths. Jane Austen thought this idea was stupid back in 1815. Emma: "I am very much mistaken if your sex in general would not think such beauty, and such temper, the highest claims a … Continue reading Another Thought
Thought
An Aristocracy is only an old Meritocracy.
Our Lady of Perpetual Grievance
So, some friends linked to this article the other day and I had some thoughts. Fair warning, if you liked this article, you probably won’t like my response, because quite frankly, this article was repulsive. On Facebook yesterday, a number of Catholic friends were sharing around an image of Mary the Mother of Jesus, modeled … Continue reading Our Lady of Perpetual Grievance
Brief Thoughts on ‘Duck and Cover’
Being the 1950s aficionado that I am, I can't help noticing some, to me, odd things about our subsequent perspective on the era. Briefly, there's a strange, vitriolic hatred for the time period that leads people to characterize it in a way that really doesn't fit what I see myself in relics from the era. … Continue reading Brief Thoughts on ‘Duck and Cover’
Thought
There comes a point where, if your arguments are true, they disprove your position as thoroughly as if they weren't. For instance, you sometimes hear socialists claiming that 'real' socialism has never been implemented, meaning that the track record of Marxist politics shouldn't be taken as an indictment of the idea itself. But if that's … Continue reading Thought
Doofenshmirtz and Identity Politics
Phineas and Ferb is one of those shows that, though simple on the surface, lends itself to endless fascinating interpretations. Like so many great works of fiction, it tells the truth merely by trying to tell a good story. One of the chief themes of the show is the balance between childhood and maturity: Phineas … Continue reading Doofenshmirtz and Identity Politics
Thoughts on the Greatest Showman
The other day I got out to see The Greatest Showman before it left theaters, which I’d been meaning to do for a little while. I’d known almost nothing about the film before, except that it was about P.T. Barnum and the founding of his circus. Then a month or so into its release I … Continue reading Thoughts on the Greatest Showman
The End of Multiculturalism
The Pagan religions were, in many ways, fine things. Though far more prone to cruelty and depravity than our squeamishly tolerant modern minds like to admit, there was a nobility to them. They were the fumbling, crude efforts of man to render worship to the unknown and hidden powers that govern the universe. From before … Continue reading The End of Multiculturalism
Serpent's Den 