My series on cinematic nostalgia continues—after Wes Anderson’s Francophilia, Ridley Scott’s Italian farce, and Spielberg’s Puerto Rican fiasco, here’s a California story: Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature film, Licorice Pizza, the only Hollywood movie made last year with some reason to be remembered. Continue Reading...
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February 23, 2022
A new documentary on the life of Kurt Vonnegut is unstuck in time
What would Kurt Vonnegut have made of the accordion-style cycle of lockdowns and other restraints imposed on us by the seemingly permanent American sanitary dictatorship devoted to the religion of health in this the centenary year of his birth? Continue Reading...
February 22, 2022
Charles Schulz, Peanuts, and the power of community
Charles Schulz believed that life was hard and lonesome.
That is why he believed that life was best experienced with others. Only through the sharing of burdens and triumphs and fears and joys could a person navigate the immense challenges of life. Continue Reading...
February 21, 2022
George Washington will not be canceled
Cancel—as in noisily toppling George Washington’s statue and striking his name off of buildings? In 2020, one group demanded the removal of his statue from the campus of the University of Washington. Continue Reading...
February 17, 2022
Steven Spielberg’s woke West Side Story is a self-contradictory disaster
Steven Spielberg has recently made a number of movies nostalgic for midcentury liberalism, Bridge of Spies and The Post, especially, very mediocre stories that won him Oscar nominations and praise in the mainstream press at the price of the popularity he once enjoyed. Continue Reading...
February 16, 2022
Why we need more O’Rourke Conservatives
So by now you’ve heard that P.J. O’Rourke, journalist, essayist, and, of course, humorist, has died at the age of 74. Those who knew him and those who read him have been pouring out encomia like so much best-for-last wine. Continue Reading...
February 15, 2022
Modesty for thee but not for me: Brian Sauvé, Beth Moore, and Ephesians 4
For those of us who have dealt with compulsive behavior or addiction in our families or our own lives, there are clues—perhaps too seemingly unrelated for some to notice—that tip us off that someone might be engaged in an internal battle. Continue Reading...
February 14, 2022
Terrorists and your valentine have more in common than you think
Economics is the study of human action; it’s the study of individuals making choices. As a result, we can use the “economic way of thinking” to understand the decisions people make when it comes to all types of behavior, including dating and marriage, Spring break and Vegas vacations, and, yes, even why terrorists commit acts of violence or voluntarily die for their cause. Continue Reading...
February 13, 2022
Joe Rogan is not a problem, but a mirror
The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the world’s most popular podcasts and, for the past two weeks, the world’s most controversial. Launched in 2009 by comedian and martial arts enthusiast Joe Rogan, the show was originally recorded in his home and is known for its meandering interviews, sometimes surpassing three hours in length, with comedians, athletes, businessmen, conspiracy theorists, journalists, musicians, fringe political figures, magicians, and doctors. Continue Reading...
February 11, 2022
A year after coup, Burmese people continue to resist brutal military rule
A year ago Burma’s military staged a coup. The junta has since killed at least 1,500 people and detained another 12,000, of whom nearly 9,000 remain in custody. A couple thousand sought by the regime are in hiding. Continue Reading...