1984

1984 by George Orwell - This classic work details the dangers of a society with too much information, too much surveillance, and too much apathy on the part of its members.

This novel has had such an impact on Western society that it has coined phrases all its own, changing the very language here in America. An "Orwellian" society or something reminiscent of "1984" are phrases we all understand to mean a watchdog state of over-surveillance and tyranny.

This is a book that everyone, no matter their political affiliation, should read and give to their friends and family to read.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein - If you have ever heard the word "grok" used and wondered where it came from and what it means, this is its source.

In this work, which in my opinion defined Heinlein's career as a science fiction writer, Heinlein explores the meaning of religion, social frameworks, and pre-conceived notions.

The main character is a human born of a failed exploratory team of scientists on a mission to Mars. After his parents died, the baby was taken in by martians and raised as one of their own, learning their culture and absorbing their vast understanding and intellectual power.

Upon his return to earth, the young man finds himself on a quest, in his simplistic, monk-like way, to reform earth's inhabitants to save them from the looming martian threat: become enlightened or face extinction as "heathens."

In his fascinating and, in many ways, Christ-like adventure, we learn of true humanity and gain an understanding of self.

Send In the Waco Killers

Send In the Waco Killers: Essays on the Freedom Movement, 1993-1998 by Vin Suprynowicz, Deke Castleman (Editor), Jeanne Suprynowicz - Reviewer Bryan Carey summed it up in his Amazon.com™ review of this book:

"Author and journalist Vin Suprynowicz has something to say about the political climate in the United States. He doesn't like the government's excesses of control, the lying, the manipulation, and the almost complete disregard for the constitution. A strong proponent of individual liberty and personal responsibility, Vin covers many topics in this book that relate to government run amok, all with an inspired fervor and a very Libertarian angle."

This book, and Vin's other book The Ballad of Carl Drega are HIGHLY recommended reading!

Saints and Soldiers

This might be one of the best movies I've seen in months. I happened on it by accident, as none of my friends had (to my recollection) ever mentioned it. It's a great movie and definitely worth watching, even for those who don't normally like war movies.

The action is pretty light, since this movie is a drama, not an action-based war film. It features three soldiers as its main cast: one a Mormon sharp-shooter who's opposed to killing, one a medic who's ready to kill anyone if it means getting out of this mess, and the last their leader who wants only to get them through.

The group starts out as surviving POWs, based on an actual massacre (and loosely based on actual events) of POWs late in the war. These are several of the men who were captured during the invasion of France. The massacre itself is portrayed as the accident that went terribly wrong, which is unusual as American films prefer to show the Germans of WWII in the worst light possible.

The drama unfolds as we learn about the Mormon's background, the medic's personality (and change), etc.

Definitely worth watching and, while not truly family-friendly, it's not overly bloody or full of cursing, so older children will be welcome here too.

The Obama Deception

This is the latest film from Alex Jones, whose radio show is syndicated nationally on the GCN network and whose following numbers in the millions. His movies, such as Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement and Terrorstorm have been seen by hundreds of thousands of people.

I'm a fan of Alex Jones, I'll admit that. I don't agree with him 100% of the time, but I find him compelling and thoughtful. Most of all, he documents almost everything he says. I've seen all of his movies to-date and just got the chance to see this one yesterday.

To be honest, Alex has done a better job on his films before. This one isn't garbage, by any means, but it's not really his best work either. It's in HD, has more extensive use of cutting-edge graphic/CGI work than ever before for the illustrations, and has some of the most visually compelling information available.

What it lacks is new content. Basically, the whole movie could have been boiled down to about 30 minutes (instead of it's 1 1/2 hours run time) and still contained all of the information about Obama presented. The extra information involves the Bilderbergs, the Federal Bank, and interviews with the usual list of experts from Jones' other movies.

Most of the pertinent information is contained in the first five minutes and the last twenty or so. If you've seen Jones' other movies, the middle section will be almost a re-run and is a basic re-hash of information already contained in Endgame (especially).

Overall, the movie is very good and well worth watching. If you have friends and family who aren't "awake" yet and want to keep their attention in today's ADD society, this movie will do that. It's fast-paced, informative, and visually entertaining.

Click here to purchase a copy or go to PrisonPlanet.tv to watch it online.

The Seven Myths of Gun Control

The Seven Myths of Gun Control: Reclaiming the Truth About Guns, Crime, and the Second Amendment by Richard Poe, David Horowitz (Foreword) - This is one of the premier fact books on gun control, crime, and the correlation between the two. No one will argue that the issues of gun control and crime are not related. This book, however, will show you that their relation is commonly misconstrued by gun-ban advocates. A great book for supporters of the Second Amendment.

The Bias Against Guns

The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control Is Wrong by John Lott, Jr. - This is a followup study to Lott's book More Guns, Less Crime.

Lott is the best-known pro-gun writer and researcher today. This book shows the correlation between gun ownership and lower crime rates, using data collected from surveys, interviews, and census information. A must-read for anyone fighting to save the Second Amendment.

Tropic Thunder

This movie stars two of my favorite comedy actors: Jack Black and Ben Stiller. Neither of which manages to carry this flop anywhere. This movie sucks on so many levels that it manages to nearly create a vortex of suckness that eliminates whatever brain you've got functioning.

The movie does have one great part, though: Robert Downey, Jr. as a black man. He does an awesome job and is the only person in this movie who isn't dragging it down. It's thanks to him that this movie doesn't manage to be completely, turn it off halfway through, horrendous.

Don't bother seeing this movie unless it falls off a truck or is sent to you as a free enticement to join a movie club--a club which you should never, EVER join. Even then, the DVD might function better as a drink coaster. Save yourself! This one is destined for bargain bins and landfills everywhere.

Ratatouille

This movie is pretty good. It's funny, has a good message, and is generally entertaining for everyone. It definitely has its high points and a lot of uniqueness that makes it refreshing to watch.

After saying all of that, though, I have to point out that it's somewhat predictable and a little obvious. It aims to entertain both children and adults, which it does nicely, but the adults will have to be more patient than the kids to watch this movie.

Regardless, I'd recommend it to families who want to be entertained and enjoy Disney movies and animations. Besides, it's hard to go wrong with Pixar.