Saturday, August 25, 2007
Retro Review: Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer - Of all of the accounts of the American Revolution, this is by far the best one I've read. Until you've read this book, you'll have no idea how key a role Paul Revere actually played in the battles of Lexington and Concord. You'll also find out how extremely organized the network of militia and volunteers really were. You'll also learn how carefully the British and Americans regarded property rights and personal freedoms. This is a great read that, despite its size, will fly by quickly and leave you wishing there were more. Highly recommended!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Invincible
Not long ago, I reviewed the movie Shooter starring Mark Wahlberg. Seeing that movie on DVD prompted me to get another Wahlberg movie, Invincible.
I have become a huge Mark Wahlberg fan! He was great in the movie The Corruptor, starring another of my favorites, Chow Yun-Fat. He's beginning to consistently deliver good performances in great movies. I guess I have to go find the rest of his stuff, despite not liking George Clooney, who co-stars in a couple of them.
Anyway, Invincible is the story of Vince Pepile, a walk-on from Philadelphia who surprised everyone in the NFL when he made the cut and became a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles football team.
The story is pretty well done, with most of Mark's acting requiring expression and movement rather than words. This movie is supremely well-done and tells the story of Philadelphia's true Rocky Balboa.
Vince hits rock bottom at the beginning of the tale, his wife leaving him and losing his job as a teacher. It's rough times in Philly, with strikes and layoffs happening everywhere. Vince fights through it and goes to the tryouts the Eagles hold (mostly as a stunt by their new coach, who hopes to "shake things up"). Everyone is surprised as Vince keeps making the cuts, beating out even veteran players, until finally his place on special teams is assured.
The story is well-told, strong, and very engaging. You really get to know the characters in the film and you really feel for this guy as he walks through his rough life with honor and pride. I highly recommend watching this movie.
I have become a huge Mark Wahlberg fan! He was great in the movie The Corruptor, starring another of my favorites, Chow Yun-Fat. He's beginning to consistently deliver good performances in great movies. I guess I have to go find the rest of his stuff, despite not liking George Clooney, who co-stars in a couple of them.
Anyway, Invincible is the story of Vince Pepile, a walk-on from Philadelphia who surprised everyone in the NFL when he made the cut and became a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles football team.
The story is pretty well done, with most of Mark's acting requiring expression and movement rather than words. This movie is supremely well-done and tells the story of Philadelphia's true Rocky Balboa.
Vince hits rock bottom at the beginning of the tale, his wife leaving him and losing his job as a teacher. It's rough times in Philly, with strikes and layoffs happening everywhere. Vince fights through it and goes to the tryouts the Eagles hold (mostly as a stunt by their new coach, who hopes to "shake things up"). Everyone is surprised as Vince keeps making the cuts, beating out even veteran players, until finally his place on special teams is assured.
The story is well-told, strong, and very engaging. You really get to know the characters in the film and you really feel for this guy as he walks through his rough life with honor and pride. I highly recommend watching this movie.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Where We Stand
I received a preview copy of "Where We Stand: A Surprising Look at the Real State of Our Planet" by Seymour Garte, Ph.D. and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Unlike other books about the environment and how we're apparently the #1 cause of its ruination, Dr. Garte takes a look at how we've improved, where we really stand and how we're doing. No, Garte is not refuting that we're damaging the planet, but he does point out where we've made vast improvements.
In his own words, Dr. Garte gives his reasoning for writing this book: "I realized that there is a pervasive attitude in this country among educated and liberal-minded people that nothing has ever gotten better, that technology is just plain evil, and that we are on an irreversible slope towards destruction." He goes on to say that this attitude is so pervasive that even normally thoughtful, educated professors and scientists will forget the real facts and make absurd statements based on nothing.
This book covers many aspects of the environment of the world and how we are affecting it, how those affects are being fixed now, and where we seem to be going in terms of continuing to fix it in the future. While he does point out the "bad news," the book is mostly about Dr. Garte's upbeat view of how well we're doing. Something all of us can appreciate given the daily doom-and-gloom reports we see.
Dr. Garte does a very good job of spelling out where we're doing well, how we've failed, and what we can continue to do to improve. This book is a testament to the academics and good attitude of Dr. Garte, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Hopefully, by reading it, everyone can learn something, whatever your personal or political views on the subject. I highly recommend this book!
In his own words, Dr. Garte gives his reasoning for writing this book: "I realized that there is a pervasive attitude in this country among educated and liberal-minded people that nothing has ever gotten better, that technology is just plain evil, and that we are on an irreversible slope towards destruction." He goes on to say that this attitude is so pervasive that even normally thoughtful, educated professors and scientists will forget the real facts and make absurd statements based on nothing.
This book covers many aspects of the environment of the world and how we are affecting it, how those affects are being fixed now, and where we seem to be going in terms of continuing to fix it in the future. While he does point out the "bad news," the book is mostly about Dr. Garte's upbeat view of how well we're doing. Something all of us can appreciate given the daily doom-and-gloom reports we see.
Dr. Garte does a very good job of spelling out where we're doing well, how we've failed, and what we can continue to do to improve. This book is a testament to the academics and good attitude of Dr. Garte, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Hopefully, by reading it, everyone can learn something, whatever your personal or political views on the subject. I highly recommend this book!
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Retro Review: Hologram of Liberty
Hologram of Liberty by Boston T. Party - By far the best analysis of the United States Constitution and its founding than any other anti-federalist book I've ever read. Boston documents and fully explains his premise with hard-to-refute proof, using quotes from the Founders themselves!
Boston starts with a simple question, asked on the back of his book:
"Civic Belief #1
Congress was given few specific powers. All else was left to the States and to the people. Ample checks and balances protect the Republic from federal tyranny.
Civic Belief #2
The Federal Government has become so powerful only because despotic officials have overstepped their strict, constitutional bounds."
"If #1 is true, then how did #2 happen?"
During the time I was reading this book, I had the chance to see Boston T. Party speak twice: once at a local libertarian fundraiser and another at the Grand Western Alliance ("free state west") meeting about a week later. Both times, Boston mentioned this premise and this book.
I also got to speak with him a little bit and learned some more of his viewpoint on this matter.
Boston is not an anti-American. At worst he is an anarchist. However, he lays out his premise, denoting several facts about the Constitutional Convention (vs. the Continental Congress and the real Founding Fathers of this nation) that are not widely known to most Americans. He points out the difference between our Founding Fathers (Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, et al) and the Founding Lawyers (Hamilton, Adair, et al). The Founding Fathers were instrumental in fighting the American Revolution. The Founding Lawyers were responsible for creating our Constitution, including ambiguities and weak phraseology which was later construed to destroy what the Founding Fathers fought for.
Whether you believe this premise or not, I highly recommend that you read this book! If nothing else, it will make you reconsider your religious-like beliefs in the Constitution and realize that it was written by men...fallable, imperfect man.
Boston starts with a simple question, asked on the back of his book:
"Civic Belief #1
Congress was given few specific powers. All else was left to the States and to the people. Ample checks and balances protect the Republic from federal tyranny.
Civic Belief #2
The Federal Government has become so powerful only because despotic officials have overstepped their strict, constitutional bounds."
"If #1 is true, then how did #2 happen?"
During the time I was reading this book, I had the chance to see Boston T. Party speak twice: once at a local libertarian fundraiser and another at the Grand Western Alliance ("free state west") meeting about a week later. Both times, Boston mentioned this premise and this book.
I also got to speak with him a little bit and learned some more of his viewpoint on this matter.
Boston is not an anti-American. At worst he is an anarchist. However, he lays out his premise, denoting several facts about the Constitutional Convention (vs. the Continental Congress and the real Founding Fathers of this nation) that are not widely known to most Americans. He points out the difference between our Founding Fathers (Washington, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, et al) and the Founding Lawyers (Hamilton, Adair, et al). The Founding Fathers were instrumental in fighting the American Revolution. The Founding Lawyers were responsible for creating our Constitution, including ambiguities and weak phraseology which was later construed to destroy what the Founding Fathers fought for.
Whether you believe this premise or not, I highly recommend that you read this book! If nothing else, it will make you reconsider your religious-like beliefs in the Constitution and realize that it was written by men...fallable, imperfect man.
The Militant Libertarian Does Book Reviews
Occasionally, I post book, movie, and other reviews on The Militant Libertarian Blog. Since not everything I watch and read is political, however, I thought maybe I should start a new blog just for reviews. This way you'll always know what it is I've just finished reading or watching. Assuming you care what I've been putting into my anti-government brain. :)
So there you go. I'll be posting an occasional "retro-review" or revisit of a review I did in the past. As always, I welcome comments, emails, and even hate mail. I get a lot of hate mail..
So there you go. I'll be posting an occasional "retro-review" or revisit of a review I did in the past. As always, I welcome comments, emails, and even hate mail. I get a lot of hate mail..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
