Movies

I have not seen "How to Train Your Dragon" on any best film lists for 2010 and beat the heck out of "Shutter Island" and some of the others cited most often, including "Toy Story 3."

History

No pardon for Billy. The Kid remains an outlaw.

Windmills of my mind

Weather turns cold. Wind quits blowing. Big trouble in windmill country. But don't worry, French nukes saved the day (or at least warmed the toes). Thanks to Charles Oliver for this link.

Great photo

The heart and soul of the game I love. This image is so gridiron primeval, so powerful.

Hump Day Free Tune

First We Take Manhattan Stevie Ray on guitar.

Steven Chapman

Is the death penalty dying?

My Thursday column (from 2 weeks ago)

Time tabs wrong POY. From The Summerville News.

Ron Paul

NRO interviews leading libertarian.

Georgia Gummint

Cleaning up the past at Ag offices. A little too Orwellian for my taste.

Food

Bison burgers, steaks hot with consumers. Supply is tight.

Heavily bearded fellows target newspaper

And I thought Garry Trudeau was a pain in the ass.

Robert Samuelson

Bad Bob says Cut my benefits, please!

Guns

Atlanta range draws steady business. No problems so far.

Christmas at Bastogne

By John Paul Strain.

Chavez

Creates $billion fund to buy votes/help flood victims. But where will money come from? Where will it go?

Civil War

Secret message decoded. From the AJC.

WWII

Rare photos of Nazi leaders at Christmas.

Food

A recap of Top Chef Masters. From the AJC. And when will Fabio go to the gnocchi well one time too many?

A white Christmas?

My daughter will be thrilled. My wife will be catatonic. I'll be fine as ong as we get back from Summerville in time.Honey, make sure we have plenty of bourbon.

Econ 101

What can happen when a pension fund fails. The checks stop coming in small Alabama town. From the NY Times.

My recent column

Warm memories chase away biting cold.

My columns

This is most of what I did in 2010. May be a few missing. Thanks for reading.

WW II

Bismarck and Tirpitz. Great work by Steve Nuttall.

Robert Samuelson

Bad Bob says 'retiree benefits are cheating our children.' From Newsweek. "The Pew Center on the States estimates $1 trillion of underfunding for the pensions and health benefits of states."

Braves

Jerry Crasnick at ESPN writes about the return of Chipper Jones.

Movies

Kurt Loder loves 'True Grit.' My question is, how many other actors could play Rooster Cogburn? Bridges heads a mighty short list.

Games

Nine-year-old becomes youngest U.S. chess master. But Owen Bieber still gets the girls.

Lucy and Ethanol

'The cancer that is ethanol.' But the Iowa caucus voters are happy and that's what's important. Right? From The American Spectator.

In Georgia

Is horse racing in state's future? Remember when ol' Tom Murphy would denounce betting in Georgia, but still make it over to the Turf Club in Birmingham for the races?

In Georgia

Georgia Power gets huge rate increase past those toothless watchdogs at the PSC.

Guns

Chris Christie frees man jailed for owning legal guns.

Chavez

Chavez given sweeping powers by worshipful politicians.

Reds

Cuba gets the easy treatment, despite human rights abuses. From the NY Times.

Holiday hijinks

Courtesy of the Red State Update boys.

Rapid Robert dies

Bob Feller, RIP. Feller was a fantastic pitcher and a courageous veteran. Unfortunately when Imet him at a Fort Myers Miracle game he was a prick. It was a signing event and he was PO'd about soemthing and refused to sign despite the long line of fans waiting. Funny how a personal memory like that overwhelms all the public hoopla.

Chavez

Needs more power? Wants to rule by decree, as if he already didn't.

Rasslin'

'Brawl' at Hulk Hogan's wedding Let's see how they work this into an angle.

Robert Samuelson

Bad Bob looks at the rotten moral core behind our deficit woes.

Guns

Chicago demands range training but outlaws gun ranges in the city. I hate government. From Reason.

More drug war BS

Town refuses to return seized cash. Men not charged with crime. Via Drudge.

Books

True Grit the novel unfairly eclipsed by the film.

Sharks!

Severak sharks involved in Egyptian attacks. Sounds like a really bad SyFy movie.

TV

Top Chef All Stars, a recap. A new record for whining set. Contestatnt ducks out of kitchen after being nicked by knife. Marcel still a prick, but a good chef.

Econ 101

Free up trade with Colombia and Panama. How could anyone reject this when we are spending trillions with China?

Econ 101 and the movie biz

Georgia film business booming. What the article doesn't say is how long it took the state to make the necessary tax changes. A lot of states moved passed Georgia on filmmakers' list until this state caught up.

Hump Day free tunes

The underrated Lindsey Buckingham at his best on I'm So Afraid. I saw Fleetwood Mac live in Atlanta in the early 1980s and Buckingham's guitar work was a revelation. He stole the show. This is a terrific song. They played it once on "Miami Vice," though it's not a tune that makes you think of South Beach or sun-splashed days.
And on this one, the great Sly Stone, with no band, explains a few things to his woman. Here's the classic version with the thundering, plundering bass line groove. A funk masterpiece!

Horror on TV

"Walking Dead" draws record ratings. And the finale set up an on-the-road-again sequel.

Gone Fishin'

A really big tuna.

Bob Barr

Lawmakers target cold remedies. From the AJC.

Reds

Chavez blames capitalism for heavy rains. Via Reuters. Jews not specifically blamed, yet.

Shark attack

Another tourist killed off Egyptian coast. Jews blamed.

My Dec. 2 column

A shopping we will go ...

The Border

Jim Coronette tries to go to Canada. But the bureaucrats sunset flip his ass right back to the U.S.

Plan to learn a little about history

I caught some numb nut talking head on one of the morning cable news shows going on about the beauty of Chinese central planning. He seemed to have no idea that the Soviet Union "central planned" itself right our of existence. Central planning on that scale by the government does not work. History has shown this repeatedly. When numb nuts was told by a co-panelist that central planning had deep communist roots, he just grinned and moved on to the next subject.

Gummint

Charles Rangel is sorry. sorry he got caught and sorry the ethics committee did its job.

PoliEcon 101

Why do Tea Partiers ignore ethanol subsidies? It's bad for drivers, it drives up food prices and makes little sense scientifically. From Newsweek.

The bailout

Foreign banks lined up at the trough.

Rugby's top player

New Zealand's Richie McCaw honored.

Irving Kershner, RIP

Kershner, who died this week, is loved by the StarDorks for his contributions (as director) to "The Empire Strikes Back," easily the best of the overrated series. It was easily the highight of his career as he made few films that were anything more than crappy or forgettable. Sean Connery, who worked with him on "A Fine Madness," in 1965 brought him in for "Never Say Never," which I like (but don't love).
His second best film, which comes with a glowing recommendation from the "Devil Dog" James Ellroy is "Stakeout on Dope Street" from 1958. It's his first movie as a director and was made for a pittance.
But's it's an imaginative, tough little crime story that TCM showed once that I know of. Check for it on DVD. TCM might drag it back out now that Kershner had passed.

Hitchens

Big Chris and Tony Blair debate religion.

Horror film star dies

Ingrid Pitt, RIP. If you were a teen age boy and saw her in "Countess Dracula" or "The Vampire Lovers," you never forgot her ... that, or you are gay.

World War 2

Duma apologizes for Katyn Forest massacre. For years the Soviets blamed the Germans.

Just what should I be thankful for?

My Thanksgiving column.

Eco Baloney (or beef)

The myth of free range cattle. John Stossel says feed lots make more sense.

Robert Samuelson

Speedy pork. High speed rail just does not make sense. From Newsweek.

Virginia Postrel

TechnoGlamor trumps reason. Think high speed rail and giant wind turbines.

Rasslin'

Atlanta-based wrestler slain by gunman. Chris Long worked independent shows and for Lucha Libre on MTV 2.

The Biz

Murdock, Jobs go newspaperin'

Warren's World

Buffet wants taxes raised and lowered.

Indians signature win came 30 years ago against Dalton

My story from the Nov. 18 Summerville News.

Election nights have changed over the years

My column from Nov. 4.

Writers who stay with you

My column from Nov. 11.

Free music

Joe Ely sings of his disdain for Billy the Kid.

Hitchens

Big Chris interviewed in a fine piece. Via Drudge.

EnviroStuff

Bjorn Lomborg featured in new documentary. Al Gore won't be happy.

Spy vs. Spy

U.S. mole named by Russian newspaper. Turned in sleeper cell.

Chavez

It would be comical if not so telling. Government takes control of apartments. Via Drudge.

Music

Cracker Barrel has soul.

Chavez

Now he's getting serious! Venezuelan kleptocrat to snatch golf courses.

Movies

John Wayne's "Alamo" turns 50. One of my favorites as a kid. Great battle scenes. What a cast!

My Summerville News Column

Good times then are not forgotten My 30th high school reunion.

Free music (but buy the record)

I love Robert Earl Keen's Corpus Christi Bay. Ironically, it's a great drinking song.

World War II

Files reveal Hitler's peeves; the Fuhrer wanted his marmalade.

My Summerville News Columns

Most of them are gathered at this site.

Ouch!

Is Jay Cutler the new Jeff George? From ESPN.

Horror alert!

Four consecutive Hammer Frankenstein movies on Friday. TCM is all horror from Friday until Sunday. This was a terrific series. I underrated it for years but the more I watch them they better most of them seem. Cushing is incredibly good as the Baron.

Barbecue blowout

There's going to be a barbecue cook-off in Summerville at Dowdy Park on Saturday. Get there early; the parking isn't so good. Supposed to be at least 15 chefs and they're encouraged to cook extra to sell. It's set up for lunch time but opn until 4 4 p.m.

The art of Charles Knight

I read a little about Knight in a piece on Ray Harryhausen and found this site. Knight's dinosaur stuff is fantastic. You can see why it has captivated people for years.

A great song

Who'd a thunk it? Leon Russell and Elton John make some magic.

My addiction column

I can't kick the TAGS habit.

Econ 101

Raise taxes, then lower taxes! Puerto Rico can't make up its mind.

Bullwinkle co-creator dies

I just bought a DVD with Rocky and Bullwinkle and my daughter really loved them. Anderson's passing is sad news.

Winds of change

Foreign wind energy companies dominate DOE policy according to story on American Spectator blog. The anti-turbine folk on Lookout Mountain will want to read this.

Damn Yankees

By Espy
Any day the Steinbrenner Monster falls short in the playoffs is a good day and the Yankees being eliminated in the ALDS by the Texas Rangers made Friday a REALLY good day. I will not claim to have predicted this upset, but I've been following the Rangers on the side for the last few years and really like the team they've put together.
They can thank the Braves for two of those key components, shortstop Elvis Andrus and super reliever Neftali Feliz, who along with three other players were shipped West when the Braves rented Mark Texeira for a few months three years ago. Texeira is now with the Yankees -- hahahahahahahah -- but was hurt and not on the roster for the end of the Texas series.
Imagine what the Braves' future would look like now if they had Andrus and Feliz now, but the Texeira move was a bold one that just didn't pan out; no use crying (too much).
Hopefully the Giants will make it a two underdog World Series by finishing off the fat Phillies.
Born a National League man I almost always back the NL team in the Series, but this year will be an exception.
Go Rangers!
By the way, the Yankees opened the season with a team payroll of over $206 million and added some expensive reinforcements; the Rangers came in at $55 million and change. The Rangers actually cut more than $12 million off their payroll from the previous year, though they did trade for the terrific (and soon to be a free agent) Cliff Lee.
Once again, go Rangers!

Peachy politics

Poll predicts "sweep" for GOP

Another column from The Summerville News

Ten reasons to yell at the columnist

My Column from the Summerville News

Halloween was a devil of a good time

Sharks

Young man dies after attack in California.

Economics 101

India follows China's sporting folly From Reason Magazine.

Mark Williams column

My old pal has penned a good one on his his experiences at the fair.

A recent column

Hard work (hers) makes a marriage work

Back to work

Sorry to be absent from the Outpost so long, but I'm back now to help try and stem the tide of ignorance sweeping the world.
I've been sick for awhile and the most pressing problem has been several months of a sleep disorder which pretty much knocked me out of action. Recently I was diagnosed with slip apnea and put on the breathing device at night. That has helped enormously and though I still have an unexplained difficulty falling asleep, I take a pill to help there and now am getting at least 5-7 hours quality sleep a night.
That may not sound like much but I was getting less than 1-2 hours quality sleep a night night for a long time.
I stayed exhausted.
My improvement has me back blogging and I hope to rebuild the number of people who checked out the site. I also plan on doing more of my own writing here and returning sports-related links to this site. I was posting them elsewhere.

Peachy politics

Republican functionary quits post over Nathan Deal candidacy. I don't care for Deal for multiple reasons and hate the fact the state GOP could do no better for its nominee. Barnes seems to have rolled over to the old demo establishment, so it looks like I'll be voting Libertarian. From Jim Galloway at the AJC.

NFL

Is the 3-4 the league's latest fad? I remember the rush to the 3-4 in the 1970s. One factor is the shortage of pass rushing 4-3 tackles. If you can't get a rush with those 330-pounders, you have to get it somewhere. Now, let's see how many 3-4 pass rushing OLBs the colleges can deliver. Paging Vernon Gholston! Paging Vernon Gholston.

The Splendid Splinter

Of such stuff legends are made!

The Civil War

An interesting discussion of Civil War art.

World War II

Death of a spy. A most remarkable woman. British agent escaped concentration camp.

Run away! Run away!

Reid leads retreat on key tax vote. President said it was vital. Harry said, not so fast!

'Bylines' cuts through heart of the South

A recent column about a book authored by my old college professor and friend Joe Cumming of Carrollton. The column doesn't do the book justice. It is an eclectic collection of pieces Joe wrote over four decades, many of them very powerful observations on the civil rights movement. Look for it at Amazon.

Warren's World

Shut up and take it, America!

My column

Get better Mr. Wrestling II.

Hitchens

Won't join in prayers for his own health.

Another recent column

Twain was right -- A good walk spoiled

A recent column by me

It was never about the grades.

Larry McMurty

Tim Rutten looks at McMurtry's new Hollywood book for the LA Times. It should arrive at my door tomorrow and will be read by MOnday morning.

Tunes

A fine one by James McMurtry. Down Across the Deleware. "I know the janglin' of your keys"

Guns

Obama Adminsitration bans the import of M1 Garands, the rifle that won Dubya Dubya 2. Why does Obama hate America?

We don't need no stinking badges!

Mexican mayor murdered. Does this sound like a healthy, modern country to you?

Dope

Dutch city reconsiders drug tourism. From the NY Times.

Shark 2

Australian surfer killed.

Food

Gulf shrimp season opens. But will customers return? I damn sure will. Ship me a few pounds ASAP. From the NY Times.

Ray Bradbury

The author sounds like a tea partier but wants our country to go back to the moon.

Shark!

Kayaker escapes Great White.

Civil War

Preservation group backs casino. I'm with them on this one. The casino should be built if the private funds are there to do it. The integrity of the battlefield isn't threatened.

My Aug. 5 column

D Day for mom and dad (and baby, too.)

Reds

I saw this coming. North Korean soccer team humiliated, punished for poor performance.

The jihad

Taliban fighters cover themselves in glory by murdering medical workers.

Food and drink

Give the smell test to Gulf seafood. Speaking of which, I got some great shrimp at Cornerstone Grill last night. Ali liked her crab cakes and my shrimp was excellent. First time I have been in there in awhile but it was well worth the money.

Your Sunday free tune

Billy Stewart sings Summertime. Dig that groovy ensemble!

Mags

The grim situation at Newsweek. New owner but old problems remain.

Hitchens

Big Hitch wrestles cancer. God bless.

Iran

Did they or didn't they toss a bomb at the big man? Something isn't kosher about this story.

Politics 101

Jim Webb tacks right. Must be an election coming up. Now who's keeping Obama's lap warm?

Food and drink

Kroger tops Publix in Atlanta market.

My Uncle David

Thanks to the SCV for all you've done.

Jim Galloway

Roy Barnes looks to the boondocks. Lots of ways to look at this. Is Barnes afraid the machine isn't going to be able to get the black vote out? Is he just trying to blunt the GOP advantage in the sticks? How does a multi-millionaire Atlanta lawyer sell himself as a son of the sod?

On the road in L.A.

A 20-year anniversary look at LA's mass transit system.

The Comic Con

As experienced by the Red State Update boys. How about that Power Girl!

Comics

Joss Whedon to direct Avengers film. Whedon is good and could pull it off, but I always thought the Avengers was kind of a clunky comic. I did love The Vision though. He was cool. I hope they leave that dork Thor out of the mix.

Cynthia Tucker

Time for Rangel to pack it in.

A classic tune

Johnny Cash and the Carters sing Were You There?

News from St. George Island

State official wants boom removed. from bay entrance.

Econ 101

Don't trust the GOP on spending. From NRO.

Red State Update

The World Cup. Jackie Broyles ain't happy with all that "strutting that ass!"

Down South 2

Extending the Appalachian Trail to Africa? That's the plan. From the BBC.

Down South

Shine on. Old habits die hard. 'Moonshine tempts new generation,' according to the BBC.

Hank Cochran, RIP

You have to mourn the man who wrote I Don't Do Windows.

My July 15 column

Thanks for the lesson, old friend From The Summerville News.

My July 8 column

A walk down the old school halls. From The Summerville News.

The robots are coming!

Robbies on the border?

Food and drink

Scotch is king!

History (or is it?)

Southern Poverty Law Center spotlights SCV youth gatherings.

The French they are a funny race ...

French government defends culture by telling Muslim chicks what to wear.

The robots are coming!

South Korea's killer robots now aimed against N. Korea's killer "robots."

Food

My story on a father-son barbecue duo. From the Chattanooga Times-Free Press.

Peggy Noonan

Will Republicans do any better?

Boutros Boutros GOLLY!

Don't blame N. Korea. They won't like it. From the BBC.

Econ 101

Reports suggests millions in savings for New Jersey through privitazation of services.

Iran

Cracks in the iron glove. By Michael Ledeen.

Dope

Legalization would drop pot costs 80 percent. according to study.
Then again, the governments will tax it so much the cost will shoot back up and it be sold on a no-tax black market.

Food and drink

The milkman cometh. From the L.A. Times.

Mark Steyn

Afghanistan and the AMerican will.

Chavez

Get to know the commie ruler's thug followers. I love the line "financing from the government."

Flocking to the Fort

Fort O growth tops Northwest Georgia.

The robots are coming!

Iranian robots!!!! Obama is wasting billions of dollars on "green jobs" when he clearly needs to be building up our anti-robot defenses. Didn't that fool see "Terminator?"

Europe

German economy gains momentum; spending cuts key to plan to avoid tax increases. Please forward this story to the White House.

On the border

Gun battles kill 21.

Econ 101

Tax break gone. Home sales plummet.

Newspaperin'

J. Todd Foster named executive editor of the Times-Free Press. Foster is a real journalist and that should help the TFP get better. The paper does a lot of things well now, but Foster could take it to another level.

Cool stuff

Steam trains may return to the rails.

TV

Charles Oliver's blog alerted me to this gem Leave It to Beaver recognized as a classic. Finally! "That's a very lovely dress you're wearing today Mrs. Cleaver."

Hollywood

Dalton war veteran J.R. Martinez finds new life as soap opera star.

Hitchens

Writer to start chemo treaments.

Econ 101

Robert Samuelson on Obama's irrational views on energy. From Newsweek.

Guns

They save lives, according to John Stossel.

Gummint'

Fed up with the booze and sex police.

A Jimmy Espy fishing column

Read and enjoy!

The robots are coming!

Pentagon sells us out. Joins the conspiracy of the mechanical mercenaries of mayhem. Humanity's fate sealed!

Guns and gunners

Gun prohibition, RIP From National Review Online.

Guns

Handgun law struck down. And Politico says Democrats are happy. One less issue for Republicans to pound them on

Robert Byrd, RIP

Nick Gillespie on the late senator. Let others pile on the praise.

Movies

TCM recently had night of service comedies. One of the movies was Abbott and Costello's "Buck Privates." I had been wanting to rewatch it so I kicked back and laughed my arse off for 90 minutes. It's amazing how fresh and smooth the boys' routines remain. A great comedy and the Andrews Sister provide terrific musical bits. The movie didn't stop cold for them; their songs kept the energy up. Lots of fun. Now I have to find the A&C haunted house picture. That one was great, too. TCM remains a national treasure!

Napoleon Dynamite

If Favre retires, the Vikings should take a look at Uncle Rico. A great moment in film!

Politics

Forget Pedro. Vote for Clint Webb! Via IFC and Charles Oliver.

Mark Steyn

The unengaged president.

Hitchens

Charles, Prince of Piffle

On the border

Arizona immigration law architect now in demand in other states.

Newspaperin'

Let it go. Look to the future.

Da Devil 101

Tax dollars for atheist schools? Good question. I say yes. Give parents their money back let them make the decision.

Music II

Greg Allman gets a new liver.

Music

REM recognized by the Library of Congress.

Another recent Espy column

Dateline Apalachicola. A trip to the Gulf.

One of my recent columns

A true master at work. From the Summerville News.

Chavez

U.S. property to be stolen. Government to seize oil rigs. Everything this government touches turns to crap and it is touching more every day.

Jim Gallagher

Can Barnes win without a runoff?

Eats

They look good and I'd love to try several of them, but in terms of health these are allegedly America's worst burgers. I am on a pretty strict diet now and so I cann't eat this kind of stuff, not that I was ever a fan of the various "mega burgers." But as I told my brother the other day, the worst thing is I miss the freedom to eat them if I by god wanted to.

Books

Michael Schaub looks at Hitch-22.

Music

Dr. Demento moves to Internet radio. Still wacky after all these years.

Bob Barr

Government targets Internet.

Chavez

The same, old tragic story as a commie economy crashes It would be funny if it were not for the human misery and the repression that will only worsen.

Fathers Day

Watts Dantzler and his dad.

Food

Gulf spill impacts oyster, shrimp prices.

Books

Twain letter brings big bucks.

Bilderberg

A fun column for the paranoid set. Don't know much about the author but this one is worth reading.

I'm back

Returned from Florida. Hope to resume posting some stuff but I'm fighting a bit of illness right now and am distracted. BUt keep checking if you get abything out of this hillbilly hootenanny of a blog.

Mark Steyn

Where did all the Europeans go?

TV

Caution: Genius at work Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The Jihad

Muhammed: Thou shall not rock and roll!.

At war

Senior management position opens up at al-Qaeda. Competitive pay, lots of travel.

Food and spirits

The truth about chocolate.

Movies

George Romero heads out west for his latest zombine epic.

Down South

Grim times for Louisana shrimpers.

Dennis Hopper

Sicilians

Wheels

Earnhardt edition Camaro. Damn!

WW II

When germ warfare happened.

Mona Charen

Chris Christie rocks the boat.

Spirits

The return of tiki.

Guns

80 year old man ends robbery attempt expeditiously.

WW II

Brits recall Dunkirk. From the BBC.

James McMurtry

Isn't good with people. From the Huntsville Times.

McMurtry

Archer City in the spotlight.

Econ 101

Was it just the other day everyone was ready to switch to the Euro because the dollar was unstable.

WW II

Saving the ME 262.

Chavez

Next target to be looted? Workers say No!

My column from The Summerville News

Elections send a mixed message.

Christopher Hitchens

Our accomplices in North Korea.

Consumer beware

Some pretty good tips.

Your Sunday free tune

The Zac Brown Band teams with Leon Russell. God bless those boys.

Rand Paul

Sam Tanenhaus from the NY Times.

Paul Finebaum

A desperate Big 10 chases the SEC. Count the cliches in this column.

George Will

Tough times for Democrats.

Britain's ongoing demise

Paul Blaisdell would be so proud of these monstrosities. Of course, he did not have millions of dollars to come up with his designs, but he still did OK. Check out these.

Stolen valor

Just when you think your skin is thick enough to withstand anything, along comes a scumbag likes this.

Mark Steyn

Don't say the I-word.

Chavez

The looting continues.

Guns

U.S. snipers get new gun.

Fantasy

Frank Frazetta, RIP I have yet to see a really good obit so instead I have linked to these images. They roar!

Books

An interview with Joe Lansdale.

Dope

How the stuff gets to Europe.

Books

Amy Scobee talks scientology and why she left the "church."

Mark Steyn

Bonfire of the Liberties.

Food

Let's here it for shrimp and lobster!

Solomon Kane the movie?

I love the character but didn't know this movie had been made.

My column from the Summerville News

State fails to do its primary job

George Will

GM's chicanery and the cleverness of Greece.

Robert Samuelson

Depression 2010

The jihad

Cartoonist attacked by freedom loving sons of the fertile crescent.

My weekly column

Facebook in my future. From the Summerville News.

Your Sunday free tune

I miss you mama.

Halloween 2

Rob Zombie's take on Michael Myers was disappointing in his remake of Halloween; it's even worse in the followup H2. I hate that because Zombie really wants to make the fans happy, but his writing and directing skills are just too weak.
The "kill stuff" doesn't show a lot of imagination, but Zombie and actor Tyler Mayne capture the physical ferociousness of Michael. That's the best stuff in the film. After that, there's not much to brag on.
Zombie uses his wife Sherry in a key role, but unfortunately it's a stupid, ill-conceived part linked to a dumb ass white horse, which I suspect is Rob's family pony.
H2 takes place several years after the events of the first story. There are a lot of flashbacks to a Michael rampage at the hospital the night of the original film, but the main story is advanced several years. Laurie Strode is a psychological mess and Dr. Loomis is a sleaze bag trying to make a fast buck off the legend of Michael. Why Zombie "rethinks" Loomis along these lines is a mystery and Michael McDowell is terrible in the part.
He's not the only actor who struggles here, but the story is so bad that I'm not even going to worry about the acting.
A poor effort, despite the best intentions.

World War II

U.S. troops join Moscow celebrations.

Spirits

Who makes the strongest beer?

Rand Paul

DeMint backs him.

Newsweek's travails

I quit Newsweek after the 2008 election. I knew before the race they would favor the Democrat, that is to be expected, but the almost laughable way they maximized their support was infuriating. That, and the big format change made under Jon meacham's leadership did not appeal to me, thought here were some good things about it. I switched to Time, but can't say I care for it much. Anyhow, here's Meacham whining to Jon Stewart.

Great job, Strickie!

Headquarters Grand Canyon.

Tunes

The great Russell Smith does Anger and Tears.

Tonya Craft trial

Experts savage prosecution witnesses.

Dope

California backlash. L.A. targets pot dispensaries.

Red State Update

Jackie and Dunlap and the flood. The Weather Map bit is a classic.

Food

Chef Tom is America's top chef.

Big Chris Hitchens

European politics.

Movies

Jonah Hex trailer.

Jim Galloway

Takes aim at Ray McBerry.

Warren's World

Don't blame Goldman Sachs. Blame the government. That's what Buffett said.

My weekly column

Ticket prices in another dimension.

Immigration

Obama retreats. "Reform" put off until after election. No surprise there.

Georgia politics

14 to run for governor. From the AJC.

Movies 2

More on "District 9." Hollywood looks at the blockbuster without the blockbuster budget.

The jihad

Take a gander at Mohammed.

Movies

How Freddy Krueger changed horror movies. From Entertainment Weekly.

World War II

I cremated Hitler. Via Drudge.

Tunes

Another good one from Alex Chilton and the Box Tops. I'm Your Puppet.

Tonya Craft trial

From the Today Show.

Movies

George Romero's latest.

Tunes

James McMurtry profiled.

Kyle Wingfield

Georgia lawmakers get some stuff right.

Greek ruins

A Q&A on the basics.

My weekly column

In our nation's time of need

Econ 101

Housing sees slight rebound.

Food

The world's 50 best restaurants.

Greek ruins

Markets give thumbs down to EU member. No confidence in nation's ability to right its ship.

Econ 101

How's that stimulus working for you?

George Will

Feds created the Arizona mess.

Boobquake vs. the Jihad

I'll double down on the boobs.

Newspaperin'

Circulation fall continues.

South Park

Making fun of Muslims:The forbidden frontier of crude comedy.

Galt's Gulch goes international

Citizens no more. From the NY Times via Drudge.

Warren's World

The Beast bites Buffet?

Two down

The death of two key terrorists doesn't generate much interest in the U.S. If only one of them had dated Kate Gosslein.

Books

5 reasons to buy the Avery Cates novels. And here's number 6 ... because I said so. The new one is due out this summer.

Your Sunday free tune

Frankie Miller with Wilson Pickett's If You Need Me. Blessed are the Scots. And here's Miller on Be Good to Yourself. Delbert McClinton does a great cover of this one.

Your Sunday free tune

Cartman vs. the Jihad

Comedy Central sucks.

TV

Curb Your Enthusiasm will be back.

Words

50 great nasty comments by authors and about authors. But how could they leave out Capote's assessment of Ken Kesey? "That's not writing; that's typing." From The Huffington Post.

Dope II

The dope merchants of Humbolt County don't like the idea of legalization very much.

Dope

My wife can pack a suitcase better than most. but even she would be impressed by this.

South Park

The comedy jihad continues. Put that in your pipe and smoke it you ignorant BLEEP!

Immigration

What's next? Will Congress insist on tackling immigration next? Can't imagine the Democrats want this issue on the front burner before an election.

Ron Hart

Back in Tennessee. "'Atlanta is the “City Too Busy to Hate,' which leaves it ample time to tax."

John Stossel

Capitalism is alive and well.

South Park vs. The Jihad

Parker and Stone could be targeted according to web site.

Tonya Craft

More from the Ringgold trial.

Newspaperin'

Wow, what a surprise! Robert T. Nash off the air.
Robert worked for me in Dalton before his gig on the radio. He left under bad terms and for several good reasons I don't have much use for him personally.
He told me one time that he'd screwed up every good job he had had and so I can't say I am surprised to see him screw the pooch at WGOW. Robert is a complicated fellow and he does not handle adversity well at all. That situation with WGOW is likely to get messy. Legally messy.
It sounds like some kind of problem with a co-worker is at the heart of this. Before the blow up here, I liked Robert and thought most of the staff did too. Turns out I was incorrect. However, by and large Robert worked well enough with his co-workers in Dalton. After all, we don't have to all be close pals. Mostly he did his job and stayed below the radar.
I listened to him some on the radio. He could be outstanding and remember that comment comes from someone who know's he's an jackass. On the other hand, at times his show was almost impossible to listen to. The self-congratulatory back slapping and the personal diatribes were an embarrassment. But the station allowed/encouraged it and Robert's loyal listeners seemed happy with the crap.
I always told myself that one day I'd get a chance to punch him in his smirking face, but to be honest with you I hope the jackass gets up, dusts himself off and finds a place on the radio. He's good at it when he's on his game.

Food

Apparently doo doo makes great coffee.

Frank Rich seeks the Confederate flank

Frank Rich on Confederate History Month. He doesn't approve. Conservatives are racists, unless they stay in their corner and keep quiet. Civil War history is racist unless it focuses on slavery and I'm a cracker-ass cracker for writing this.

Your Sunday free tune

The great Joe Tex.

Birds

Hummingbirds face to face.

Immigration

Reform is now "the third rail."

My weekly column

Macho men can like birds, too

Tonya Craft trial

"Evidence" looks sketchy. From reason.

Immigration

Reason writer says now is wrong time for push on immigration reform.

Movies

Kick Ass director speaks.

Some of my favorites

Mark Stein on Quebec's effort to ban the niqab and George Will on the Supreme Court.

Tonya Craft

Reason takes a skeptical look as the trial unfolds.

Neal Boortz

THe fringe isn't always so nutty.

Comics

Joss Whedon and The Avengers.

My weekly column

Play ball!

Fun

New Asteroids record score. I would have thought my buddy Richie Ludy held the mark. he used to build up about 50 bonus spaseships and then "sell" the game to somebody else.

Your Sunday free tune

Norah Jones and Willie sing Wurlitizer Prize. Damn, I miss Waylon.

Reds

Why the Chinese hate girl babies.

Music

Billy Joe Shaver acquitted. From the Waco Tribune.

Espy columns

Myy Summerville News columns all in one handy location.

Econ 101

What we can learn from TennCare. From Reason.

Reds

Another dumb ass "hiker" ends up in N. Korean prison.

Fashion

Where can I get one?

Spirits

Indiana's best kept secret. Beer offered once a year.

Econ 101

California's pension time bomb. By David Crane.

Politics

Rand Paul makes National Review jittery. Young whippersnapper spooks the old guard.

Sci fi

The Hugo nominees. Not one talking dolphin novel in the batch.

Your Sunday free tune

Dickie Betts proves to be a Rambling Man. It's a great day for ridin' the roads with this one blasting.

My weekly column

When vinyl was king

Iran

Children of dissident react differently to father's imprisonment. From the LA Times.

David Frum and AEI

Gabriel Winant looks at the story.

A great rock song

Danny Joe Brown is Flirtin' with Disaster. Molly Hatchett from the Kirshner show. Not great quality but it catches the feeling. And here's another version with an ailing DJB still able to belt it out. Made the hairs on my neck stand up when he kicked in.

Sean Flynn

Remains may be his. From the LA Times.

Nathan Deal

He says he's being targeted unfairly by Pelosi and Co. Maybe. But he could still be a bag of doo.

Elmore Leonard's Justified

Ken Tucker loves Justified and I think I'm going to agree. Caught the second episode and really enjoyed it. Just so happens I read the short story that led to the series last summer. The shows catches the feel. Star Tim Olyphant played Sheriff Bullock on Deadwood and is very good in this little sleeper from Victor Nunez filmed in part on St. George Island.

Nathan Deal

I'd vote for Urban Meyer before I'd vote for Nathan Deal, but this sounds like pretty thin soup. Still, it'll hurt in a tight field.

An F in bracketology

My Sunday column. From The Summerville News.

"I wipe my nose on a Taco Bell napkin"

Jackie and Dunlap discuss healthcare.

Food

Baconfest is this weekend. As if you didn't already know.

On the border

Slideshow takes you inside smuggling tunnels.

Chavez

Opponent jailed. I wonder how Sean Penn would play this?

Dope

Outlaw pot growers fear legalization. Exactly!

New home sales flat

Unexpectedly or expectedly, the bad news continues.

O ... Canada

Coulter chased from university speech. Will try again "with berka."

Movies

Marvel picks its Captain America.

Dope

Cash starved NY lawmakers consider legelization. Thinking outside the box is good.

Dalton gets boost from feds

Dalton Utilities to benefit from federal funds in nuclear plant project.

Politics

Pelosi and Reid. Jeepers, I'm more popular than these two.

The robots are coming

Nanobots deliver treatment .... or so they claim.

Your Sunday free tune

Jim and Jesse pursue Slewfoot. "Some folks say he looks a lot like me!" And here's their version of Nine Pound Hammer.

Movies

Netflix lets you track down a lot of obscure films, the kind the critics love. But it also is a storehouse of the tried and true. I dipped into that category this week, renting Louisiana Purchase and Never Say Die, a pair of Bob Hope vehicles. They came on the same disc and both are quite funny.
Never Say Die is the better film. Martha Raye and Andy Devine do their stuff with relish and Hope clearly loves working with them. Hope plays a millionaire hypochondriac who mistakenly thinks he's about to die. There's a pack of ner-do-wells after Bob's cash.
It's a goofy, funny comedy with a little music to boot.
In Louisiana Purchase Hope is funny as a crooked politician being investigated by an eccentric U.S. Senator played by the great Victor Moore. Music and dance play a bigger part in this one and it's not as funny, though still worthy of a look.
Hope was great during this era and shines in both of these silly, funny films.

Reds

Russians stage massive protests.

Neal Boortz

Our kids will curse us for years to come if ObamaCare passes.

Econ 101

Things to come? India targets inflation.

On the border

Did Southern Poverty Law Center smear anti-immigration group? Were they cahootin' with La Raza? From The American Spectator.

Warren's World

The old man plays the fool. I bet all the unemployed Shaw workers think this is hilarious.

WW II

Finland's master sniper. Via Instapundit. 700 kills?

Your government in action

Computer booboo made life miserable for elderly couple. But the cops ARE sorry!

My most recent column

What's in a name? And in case you missed it And the Tooga goes to ...

George Will

Obama education changes just add to federal stupidity.

Food

The Big Cheese selected in Wisconsin. Kudos to the Swiss.

Alex Chilton, RIP

From Rolling Stone. The indie rocker remembered. Pop songs don't get much better than The Letter

Dope

The Irish crack down on head shops. Of course you have to suffer a "Blarney stoned" headline but the article is interesting.

Politics

California union pension funds are handcuffing an already economically crippled state financially. Do you think Jerry Brown is likely to deal effectively with that reality?

Econ 101 II

Is Chinese economy the greatest bubble ever? Investor says forget China and Russia. Look to Brazil and India for sustained growth.

Econ 101

The Irish economy begins to rebound in part by following sound economic principles. Would someone please show this article to Obama, Pelosi and Co., not that they want to allow this recession to go by without milking it for everyt systemtic governmental advantage they can add.

And the Tooga goes to ...

As it always does the Oscar ceremony on Sunday night reminded me how much I loved movies. I don’t get to see as many as I would like now, but over the years I’ve seen thousands, including quite a few at the old Tooga Theater.
I miss that place.
Being a small town theater in the Deep South, the Tooga booked not only high dollar blockbusters like “Patton” and “The Sound of Music” but also a lot of not-so-high dollar genre “classics.”
Following is my version of the Oscars, featuring movies I saw at the Tooga back in those halcyon days (and nights).

Best Supporting Actress
Stella Stevens (The Nutty Professor)
P.J. Soles (Halloween)
Natalie Trundy (Battle for the Planet of the Apes)
Nancy Kovack (Frankie and Johnny)
Susan Sosa (Billy Jack)

Natalie Trundy’s performance as Lisa the Talking Chimpanzee is hard to beat and P.J. Soles gets nekkid, but the winner is …. Susan Sosa, who played the American Indian teen who had the flower dumped on her head by one of the main villains in Billy Jack. Ms. Sosa never acted again.

Best Supporting Actor
Buddy Hackett (The Love Bug)
Nick Castle (Halloween)
Jim Nabors (Stroker Ace)
Alex Rocco (Stanley)
Bert Freed (Billy Jack)

I may be the world’s biggest Buddy Hackett fan and his performance as Tennessee Steinmetz (no kidding) is a dazzler. But the award goes to Bert Freed, for being the the perfect target for Tom Laughlin’s classic boot in the face in Billy Jack. The hero calmly informs Freed’s character that he’s gonna take his right foot and “whop” him right in the face with it and “there’s nothing he can do about it.” And he does. “Whopped” him real good!

Best Actress
Linda Blair (The Exorcist)
Donna Douglass (Frankie and Johnny)
Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween)
Marilyn Burns (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Deloris Taylor (Billy Jack)

Three horror pictures landed nominations for their stars and it looked like they might split the vote. But Linda Blair could not be denied. Any actress who can learn how to rotate her head 360 degrees and throw up on people standing 10 feet away deserves all the awards she can get.

Best Actor
William Marshall (Blacula)
Joe Don Baker (Walking Tall)
Tom Laughlin (Billy Jack)
Jerry Lewis (The Nutty Professor)
Elvis Presley (Frankie and Johnnie)

Four powerhouse stars (and William Marshall) vied for this award and some other fine actors (Donald Pleasence, Dean Jones and Stanley the Rattlesnake) didn’t even make it to the final vote. That’s how tough this category was. This ain’t France, so Jerry Lewis didn’t win and as an actor, Elvis is a very good singer. William Marshall was fine as Blacula; he certainly scared the dickens out of me. Tom Laughlin, thanks to the “whop” scene was a very strong contender, but the sheer genius of Joe Don Baker swinging that big, wooden club and smitin’ hillbilly crooks cannot be denied. The winner … Joe Don Baker.

Best Picture
Walking Tall
Stanley
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Halloween
Billy Jack
The Love Bug
Rollerball
The Nutty Professor
RaceWith the Devil

As with the Academy Awards we have 10 films in the Best Picture category. The competition for this award was fierce and I spent many a sleepless night trying to get it right. Well … one semi-sleepless night. In the end, the zany goings on of Texas Chainsaw Massacre could not be trumped. That was one scary motion picture and I am still psychologically scarred by it. Cool, huh? The winner … The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Good night, drive safely and remember, the low-budget, blood-drenched, sleazily-titled piece of cinematic garbage of today, could one day be someone’s treasured film classic. Or not.

Jimmy Espy is a writer for The Summerville News. His five favorite movies are Blade Runner, The Wild Bunch, Blazing Saddles, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Duck Soup.

The Hall of Fame shame game

A fine bit of reporting from the AJC. Why do I think no one will remember these screwups as soon as the economy starts rolling again.

Spirits

Take your stinking paws off that burgundy you damned dirty ape.

Books

Sometimes I just want to read a goofy science fiction novel and everything about Daniel Da Cruz's "Grotto of the Formigans" indicated that it would fit the bill nicely.
It did.
An African American anthropologist goes to Africa to study a tribe of African Africans. He teams up with a voluptious Cuban guerrila fighter. They do the horizontal bop and then get mixed up with a bunch of underground-dwelling, light-hating, human-enslaving, brain-dead freaks controlled by a telepathic super queen.
There's enough interesting anthopological and biological science tossed in with some goofy characterizations and schoolboy sex to make this an acceptable time waster.

Econ 101

Ramesh Ponneru doesn't like the Fair Tax.

Our bidness

Mark Steyn responds to Howell Raines.

Your Sunday free tune

Jerry Jeff and Suzy Boggus deliver a fine Night Rider's Lament. There's some chitchat at the start but Suzy looks great. From that fine old Texas Connection show which JJW hosted.

Fumento

Michael Fumento looks at a Toyota nightmare. Or was it?

Tea Partying

Room for social conservatives?

The Pacific

HBO series begins.

Books

Tammy Wynette bio sounds right depressing. Almost like a good country song.

Around town

USA Today lists Paradise Gardens as a "Wonderland" worth visiting.

It's a Corker!

Unions stand to gain big. And this is one way Chattanooga Bob benefits.

Keith Rocco and those rampaging Boers

Military Heritage is probably my favorite history magazine right now. The April 2010 issue has sveral good articles including a fine one by William Welsh on the Boer Wars. Also, there's a very good look at the Napoloenic art of Keith Rocco, one of the best painters of military history around. I recommend the magazine and here's Rocco's web site. Enjoy.

My column from The Summerville News

Canadians don't make great villains.

Dope

Phoney leaders crack down on phoney pot.

Guns

Guns on campus? Georgia law advances.

On the border

Obama to rev up immigration fight? Questionable timing on this one unless it's just a shuck and jive meeting.

Chris Matthews is a doofus

On his show last night Matthews said that the biggest problem facing Charlie Rangel -- who he had just acknowledged he "loved" -- was "facts." Matthews didn't say this with humor. He said it like the facts of Rangel's multiple ethics problems were fleas which just couldn't quite be swatted away. It wasn't Rangel's wrongdoing that was the problem, it was that these pesky "facts" were coming out in the NY Times, which Matthews said earler was picking on his beloved Charlie.
Embarrassing.

Politics

Why would a mayor of Philadelphia want to stick it to the working man? Who does he think this proposed tax is going to impact the most?

A fine tune

Dave Alvin and Rosie Flores combine forces.

Politics

They're not laughing at Rick Perry now. Texas governor looks like a threat in 2012.

The Rangel angle

D.C. scuzzbucket steps down TEMPORARILY. I suspect this "temporary" surrender of the gavel will lead to his fellow Democrats calling off the dogs. That means no more investigations of Rangel's numerous questionable activities.

The Rangel angle

Corruption busting Nancy Pelosi is still backing him but it looks like Charlie Rangel is on the brink.

Guns

It's a showdown according to the Christian Science Monitor.

William Tenn, RIP

Another sci fi elder statesman passes.

Reds

Don't be surprised when Putin himself suits up in 2014. The Russkies aren't happy with their Olympic performance and heads are going to roll -- hopefully not literally -- in that nation's sports establishment. The only question is how many sports will Putin be able to compete in.

Georgia XGR

The (horse) show must go on. Budget includes $9 million for horse facility in Perdue's back 40. Meanwhile, the state is selling off crime labs for lack of funding.

Rachel Jones wins beauty contest

Some stories are easier to write than others.

Guns

The Big Court looks at state, local gun control laws.

Ed Thomas, RIP

A friend to mystery writers.

Econ 101

The truth about high speed rail. Californians take a closer look.

Your Sunday free tune

Jerusalem Ridge by Kenny Baker with some old guy named Monroe sitting in. And a good version by the Mayflies.

Tea Partying

Nancy Pelosi does not approve. My limited experience with the Tea Party movement contradicts this claim. The groups I have dealt with did have a grassroots origin and were still highly critical of both parties. Leaders acknowledged an affinity with the Republican Party as it is supposed to be, but not as it has been for the past 10 years. Democrats I know have reacted in very different ways, from wildly accusatory and angry to to smug disapproval.
That reaction is another reason why the Tea Partiers are disinclined to support Democrats.
Locally, I have seen Republicans angered by Tea Party criticism.
When the Tea Party does climb in bed with the GOP leadership. it will cease to have meaning as a political force. Many of the movement's leaders seem to realize this.

My dog Lightning

My most recent column. From the Summerville News.

Broke Sky makes it to IFC

Here's the documentary for the making of Broke Sky. My friend Jeff Burr was a producer on the film and offers some insights on this fine, fine movie made in Texas. A terrific character actor, Joe Unger, is one of the stars and he is outstanding. I saw this awhile back and really enjoyed it. Find it and watch it.

Warren's World II

Mixed results for Berkshire investors.

Warren's World

The Sage tells hot it should be done. Get tough with biz execs and boards when they screw up. Seems reasonable.

Tunes

The Amazing Rythym Aces do a nice Lipstick Traces.

Comics

Detective 27 brings $1 million plus.

Movies

Is Jim Krasinski the new Capt. America? Marvel wants to know.

Guns

Obama silent as states ease gun laws. From the NY Times.

On the border

Fewer Mexicans eye return home. From the LA Times.

Sonny Perdue in Reason

Georgia governor talks innovation.

Movies 2

After wasting 90 minutes on "Jennifer's Body" I was reminded why I love Netflix. The OTHER movie I had waiting on me recently was the nifty French crime thriller "Dirty Money," starring Richard Crenna (!), Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve.
Best of all it was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, the master of French crime films of that era.
"Play Dirty" isn't an upper echelon picture by Melville's standards, but it's plenty good enough to take you along for the ride as Crenna and his cohorts pull off a pair of daring robberies.
Delon is the tough guy cop and Deneuve is the lover of both the copper and the hood.
If you don't mind subtitles and enjoy a good crime picture, "Dirty Money" is definitely worth your time.

Movies

The best thing about 'Jennifer's Body" is Megan Fox's body. She's quit the dish ... as the kids say. Otherwise, this teen vampire flick lacks much to recommend it.
Screenwriter Diablo Cody pops off a few "Diablo Cody" lines --boys can be such a drag! -- and snatches a laugh ot two along the way, but this attempt at a comedy horror picture is light on both kinds of yuks.
It's not "A Vampire in Brooklyn" horror-comedy lame, but it's not much better.
Basically Fox plays Jennifer, a high school hottie turned into a vampire by a rock and roll band. Jennifer then takes out her frustrations on the local boys who have wronged her, but she doesn't stop there. Soon she's nibbling on any neck she can find and MUST BE STOPPED!
Done straight up and with a heavy dose of grind house luridness, this could have been a fun outing. But it's not and so it's not.

Sci fi

Kim Stanley Robinson profiled in the LA Times.

The Lyerly of my younger days

My latest column from The Summerville News.

Politics

Huckabee keeps his bat and ball at home. Too many libertarians at CPAC for his taste. Another tone deaf politician.

Guns

Tennessee surges on permits. Via Instapundit.

Warren's World

The Sage's three biggest mistakes. Not counting Obama.

Eats

Lawmakers have it all. From the AJC.

Neal Boortz

This is why they hate him.

Tiger

Give the man a break. His personal life is a disaster and there is no easy way out of the mess he created. He stood in front of millions and admitted how badly he screwed up and clearly he wants to get is family back together. There are plenty of people who want to put the boot to Tiger while he's down and no matter what he said yesterday they were going after him.
Tiger and I weren't likely to have lunch together before his public fall and I doubt he'll want to be my buddy now, but that's OK. I have my own life. He doesn't need to blubber like a big baby and beg for my forgiveness on Oprah's couch.
I hope Tiger gets his life in order, plays good golf and makes enough money to take care of his wife and kids.
Anything else is between him and Buddha.

Movies

The Wolfman wasn't as bad as expected but it was a long way from a classic. The biggest weakness? It isn't scary. Director Joe Johnston just doesn't seem capable of pulling off a scary scene. The pedestrian script doesn't help, but at no point does the director infuse the action with much energy or verve. Even the climatic lupo on lupo battle is a disappointment.
Benicio Del Toro is properly tortured as Larry Talbot, but Emily Blunt is mostly just torturous as his love interest. Could her character, or her performance, be any duller? Anthony Hopkins has some fun, but it doesn't much translate to the audience.
The most interesting character is his Sikh bodyguard whose fate is inexplicably left to the imagination ... or on the cutting room floor.
I like the fog shrouded look and the locations are striking, but that's about it as far as exceptional goes.
Everything about this movie is by-the-book filmmaking. I assume everyone got paid on time.

Food

Chattanoogans have raved about this place for years. Summerville (actually Pennville) used to have its on Round Table and it was great food as well. The fried chicken was perfect and the seafood was the freshest in the region. I miss that place.

On TCM

Four really good ones in a row on Friday evening:

Hud (McMurtry)
Shane
The Blue Dahlia (Raymond Chandler)
All the Kings Men (not the crappy remake)

Victor Davis Hanson

The columnist gets down to bloody, brassy tacks. War is still about killing the enemy, not building schools.

The Electric Church a movie?

I am a big fan of the Avery Cates novels by Jeff Somers. Now he has a film deal. Here is the author's web site. The Cates' novels are action-packed, bloody, funny and dark. A good combination.

Larry McMurtry

McMurtry and Ossana interviewed by the Arizona Daily Star.

McMurtry looks at books

The Larry McMurtry on the cover of his most recent book "Literary Life" looks positively laid back. Maybe the author is in a more relaxed mood now that he has completed two thirds of his memoirs.
Certainly nothing in "Literary Life" hints at a popular, if not critically exalted, author suffering much angst as he looks back at a long and productive career in books.
"Literary Life," is about McMurtry becoming an author. It follows "Books," which concentrated on his other career as a book scout and book store owner. "Hollywood," the final part of the trilogy, will detail his adventures as a screenwriter.
The subject matter of all three of these books, as it relates to McMurtry's long career, is hard to unravel. There's a lot of back and forth in the first two books (and in the third I assume) but that won't bother book lovers and/or McMurtry fans who enjoy getting a peek inside the author's head.
McMurtry drops a lot of names in "Literary Life." He seems to have met just about every author worth meeting over the last 30 years and the supply of anecdotes appears endless. McMurtry points put the warts, but isn't nasty about it. "Literary Life" is not about settling scores.
McMurtry looks at his own work and his picks and pans may surprise readers. "Duane's Depressed" is his favorite and it is a fine novel.
McMurtry continues to wrestle with the success of "Lonesome Dove," which won him a Pulitzer and put a lot of money in his bank account. The author seems almost embarrassed by the lofty perch his western epic has claimed in the popular culture.
I met McMurtry briefly this past summer and one of the many questions I wanted to ask him, but didn't, was why the hell couldn't he just admit he had written a damn fine book and leave it at that. However, I did thank him for the graceful demise he gave Duane Moore, the hero of five McMurtry novels and a favorite of many of his fans.
"Literary Life" is a fast and carefree read. McMurtry's fans will gobble it up and immediately begin hungering for "Hollywood."

Food

Top Chef to open barbecue restaurant. Bravo show saved his current restaurant.

Tea Partying

Partiers target GOP organizations.

Iran

Hillary takes note of changes in Iran. Hopefully she will mention it to her boss.

Guns

How rootin' tootin' is Obama?

Movies

Ten things you did not know about JOhn Hughes movies.

Your Sunday free tune

Stevie Nicks does Storms. A demo track with some vintage photos. Did anybody else write pop music like her?

Tea Partying

Instapundit was at the convention From the Wall Street Journal.

Movies

Isn't that the guy who was in ...

My latest column

This n' that From The Summerville News.

A great song for the day

Del McCoury, the boys and the Chieftains.

Movies

"Wolfman" bites? USA Today review not so kind. Most of the chewing (scenery) is done by Anthony Hopkins.

Warren's World

Berkshire Hathaway joins S&P.

Tea Partying

Thinning out the herd? The birthers and the truthers face opposition. From Newsweek.

Robert Samuelson

The fine Newsweek columnist writes about Rep. Paul Ryan's gutsy spending plan.

Bidness

Feuding at Hooters.

The jihad

Saudi religious nuts target Valentines Day.

Movies

The Wolfman looks a lot like that stinking "Van Helsing" fiasco. The trailer is lousy. Rick Baker did the werewolf effects, by the way. Here's the trailer and some other info.

On the border

Illegal immigration numbers decline. Is it enforcement? The economy? Tom Tancredo's rants?

Guns

Will Utah take on the feds? New law throws down the gauntlet.

Comics

Captain America hates the Tea Party?

Rand

Cathy Young writes about the author of The Fountainhead.

Frustrations of a multilateralist

The president finds that a change in style isn't the panacea he had hoped. Matt Welch writing for Reason.

George Will

A plug for Paul Ryan's budget plan.

Your Sunday free tune

A day late but here's Emmylou Harris doing Crescent City, the Lucinda Williams song. In honor of the Saints win.

Nick Gillespie on Moyers

Here's the Reason link. I caught this show. Gillespie was good if a little too timid in making his case. His persistent, reasoned approach seemed to irritate Lessing, who made it clear that smart guys like himself needed to be in control of political speech.

Tea Partying

Glenn Reynolds on the Nashville hootenanny. From the Washington Examiner.

Tea Partying

Jim Galloway says the Party crowd opposed Perdue plan. Good for them. It's a bad idea.

Dalton Civil War show

My story from the Times Free Press.

Chavez

You gotta love the commies! The Venezuelan power system is in collapse and Chavez brings in a 77-year-old Cuban to head a committee to fix the problem. Here's the story. It would be funny if not for that part about the Cubans bringing the "counter-revolutionary fury." Sounds like Russell's Wyatt Earp vowing to bring hell with him.

Warren's World

Boom times coming for Berkshire Hathaway.

Books

Reviewer loves the art of Steve Ditko, but he's not so hot on Ayn Rand. Here's the Wikipedia entry on this great comic book artist.

George Will

On Obama's budget flimflam.

Asleep on the job

Officer picks bad time to take a snooze.

Newspaperin'

Whatever happened to Calvin and Hobbes? Bill Watterson speaks the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

My latest column

From the Silver Screen to my screen

Music

George Jones coming to Rome.

Books

An interview with Robert Crais.

Tea Partying

Third party route would be a mistake. From the Washington Examiner.

Sharks

Man killed near Stuart.

Mayberry update

Sad news. Producer Aaron Ruben passed away. He was a key figure on the greatest TV show of all time.

Olbermann bolsters ego, loses viewers

Network defends bad boy but viewers flee to other networks. O'Reilly trouncing Olbermann, whose attack on Scott Brown last week set a new low. Embarrassing.

Iran

You might want to call in sick on February 11. The Great Satan (you and me) is in big trouble.

Civil War Show coming up this weekend

War of the Northern Aggression focus of annual gathering. My story from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

On the border

Gunmen murder students. And this sweet tale of a Mexican prisoner bloodbath.

Your Sunday free tune

Jeff Bridges sings The Weary Kind from his new movie, "Crazy Heart." Damn I miss Waylon! Gotta see the movie. Here's the trailer, which has a fine Steve Earle vocal over it.

'Dandee could sell a snowball to an Eskimo'

My story from The Summerville News. I knew Dandee from when I was a kid, He was a legend in Summerville and a lot of people loved him. The town is poorer for his loss.

My Sunday column

In search of the American Tiger. One of my periodic depressed-about-politics-and-the-decline-of-the-country columns. From The Summerville News.

Tea Partiers target 9th District

My story from the Times Free press.

History

G.I. returns the Hitler book. Photo collection was liberated from Hitler's private collection. From the BBC.

George Will

The columnist dissects Obama's grab bag of a speech. On target.

Gummint'

Forfeiture: Another way The Man steals from you.

Iran

Two more bite the dust.

J.D. Salinger, RIP

Holden Caufield's creator dead at 91.

The John Edwards Affair

It just keeps getting better. New books shows the jackass for what a cretin he is.

Bob Barr

Fort Hood report goes touchy-feely