I am Odysseus, I have slain the Suitors who ransacked my home, and am about to execute twelve women for treason

Greek warrior with helmet, shield, and spear holding a torch in a ruined ancient temple

Thousands of years later, some will claim I’m no hero because of these horrific, bloody actions and the moral code I live by is too alien for the modern world, but I beg you to wonder, is that really the truth or is it merely something you say to yourselves to make you feel better?… Continue reading I am Odysseus, I have slain the Suitors who ransacked my home, and am about to execute twelve women for treason

Teddy Roosevelt, The Odyssey, and the reality that Western civilization is stronger and more inclusive than defenders seem to believe

Soldier in early 20th century military uniform holding a rifle, standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking Athens with the Acropolis and Parthenon at sunset.

To some of the film’s detractors, casting a black woman as Helen of Troy, a transgender man as Sinon, and updating the story to reflect some aspects of modern values is an assault on the foundations of all they hold dear, but Teddy Roosevelt might disagree. Teddy Roosevelt spent much of his life advancing the… Continue reading Teddy Roosevelt, The Odyssey, and the reality that Western civilization is stronger and more inclusive than defenders seem to believe

Springsteen, Einstein, Isaac Newton and the ironic limits of genius

Three blindfolded figures representing science, math, and music with symbols and formulas

While Bruce Springsteen isn’t a scientist or a mathematician and is not likely to develop any grand theories of space or time, he appears to have developed a similar flaw in his thinking late in his career. Sir Isaac Newton was both one of the world’s most brilliant physicists and a devout Christian.  When he… Continue reading Springsteen, Einstein, Isaac Newton and the ironic limits of genius

The Odyssey, The Pitt, and a reminder that woke can be much worse than casting

Ancient warriors in armor fighting with spears and axes outside a fortress

On Sunday night, I did what I almost never do:  Shut off the TV midway through an episode of a show, declared it completely dead to me, and began cursing vociferously. Afterwards, I considered the battle still raging over The Odyssey.  On Sunday night, I did what I almost never do:  Shut off the TV midway… Continue reading The Odyssey, The Pitt, and a reminder that woke can be much worse than casting

Rosie the three-legged dragon and the three days of night, part two

Rosie the Three-Legged Dragon Seeking Shelter

Rosie, Carlitos, and her human servants have abandoned her beloved lair for reasons she couldn’t possibly explain and set off into the unknown, a thing that can be feared and loathed by dogs, dragons, and humans alike. This is part two of an ongoing adventure. Read the first part here... Dogs are famous or should… Continue reading Rosie the three-legged dragon and the three days of night, part two

Nolan’s The Odyssey and the fact that we have way, way too much time on our hands

Remove text; Greek myth battle onscreen; chaotic audience fighting

Whether you choose to see it or not see it, whether you love it or hate it, or feel something in between, The Odyssey remains a movie, a few hours of entertainment that has absolutely no real impact on your life even should it go on to make a trillion dollars. Long before the rise… Continue reading Nolan’s The Odyssey and the fact that we have way, way too much time on our hands

The perverse incentives that will drive the 2028 Democrat primary and the sad story of Representative Ro Khanna

Stage with podium and banners reading solidarity of the working class and power to the people

Whoever wants to be the nominee in 2028, needs to understand that the modern Democrat Party is in the process of both being devoured by Democratic Socialists and consumed by Trump derangement. Once upon a time, Ro Khanna was considered a reasonable Democrat in Republican circles.  While the Representative from Silicon Valley might’ve been unabashedly… Continue reading The perverse incentives that will drive the 2028 Democrat primary and the sad story of Representative Ro Khanna

Rosie the three-legged dragon and the three days of night, part one

Rosie the Three-Legged Dragon

Rosie was black and beautiful, long and lithe, with a patch of white on her neck, on the tips of her paws and end of her tail, but she didn’t have wings and couldn’t breathe fire because Rosie wasn’t a dragon at all.  She just thought she was. Rosie was a three-legged dragon, black and… Continue reading Rosie the three-legged dragon and the three days of night, part one

Springsteen isn’t a “critical patriot,” he’s a partisan hack, but I love him anyway

Statue of Liberty replica on pedestal with inscription honoring fallen heroes under dark cloudy sky

For a man who claims to be driven by principle, he has an odd habit, one dating back to the 1980s, of only entering the fray when a Republican is in office, either sleeping through Democrat Presidencies or somehow believing all our problems are solved when we elect a Democrat. “I believe in critical patriotism,”… Continue reading Springsteen isn’t a “critical patriot,” he’s a partisan hack, but I love him anyway

No, Iran isn’t the same as before and they’re certainly not stronger

Two abstract human figures fighting on a broken chessboard with scattered chess pieces and crumbled architectural ruins around them.

Unless they’re the equivalent of an alien organism out of a science fiction film, not subject to any of the normal limitations of government, economics, or military might, the death of a leader in power for almost forty years and a trillion in damage will have an effect. As we continue to celebrate America’s 250th… Continue reading No, Iran isn’t the same as before and they’re certainly not stronger