The other night I was flipping channels and stumbled upon my favorite movie, Rocky IV. I tossed the remote aside and made myself comfortable to watch the flick I'd seen at least a hundred times. Right on cue my on-and-off FWB emerged from her kitchen bearing gifts of homemade empanadas and rice milk (love my Latinas). After she rolled her eyes at the television and handed me my plate she took to her usual task of playing with her more reliable FWB—her iPhone. Shortly after Ivan Drago sent Apollo Creed six feet under with the left hook heard ‘round the world Read More

Before the rise of England to the status of a world power in the seventeenth century, Spain's empire in the sixteenth century covered an immense portion of the globe. Yet the character of this nation, so unlike any other in Europe, confounds easy explanation. Inheriting the bloods and passions of its constituent peoples, it blended Arabic, Hebraic, native Iberian, and Latin stocks into a mixture of perfervid and turbulent vitality. No other nation in Europe was as devoutly religious as Spain; and the preference of the people was for a creed rich in miracles and stern in conception. Even criminals carried Read More

I need some time off from the blog to launch a new site. I didn't plan on starting something new but recent events revealed an opportunity that I decided to take. I'd like a hundred or so beta testers (heh) to take a look during the soft launch in about a week. If you're interested, you can sign up here. I'll take it down by the end of the day. P.S. My newest book is called Poosy Paradise. It's about my three month trip to Romania in search of poosy paradise. Click here to learn more about the book. Read More

Tomorrow, the U.S. holds its midterm elections. While not quite the orgy of inanity that is a presidential election, there'll be plenty of idiocy pouring out of the chattering classes like diarrhea out of a sewer pipe for weeks to come: Well Jim, the Elephants look like they're going to win this one, but the Donkeys aren't going down without a fight. True, John, the Donkeys have many loyal supporters but the Elephants are fired up and angry and have the momentum… Hold on, McConnell has the ball and is dashing for the finish line! Can Alison Lundergan Grimes catch up with him! Read More

“When our food and clothing and housing all are born in the complication of mass production, mass method is bound to get into our thinking and to eliminate all other thinking.” - John Steinbeck The regurgitated garbage that passes for film these days (or even entertaining blockbusters) is appalling; Robocop remakes? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remakes? Saw XXI? Is anyone's intelligence insulted? The lack of original thought in our arts and culture would make anyone think the western world is truly in decline. The movie industry no longer invests in such frivolous things as plot, script, and original ideas. Why is Read More