My father was always the storyteller

My father was always the storyteller

We all hope to lead long, full lives that end quietly, surrounded by our loved ones. That wish permeates throughout our culture, manifesting in everything from marriage vows to “god bless you” after a sneeze — from meaningful gestures to meaningless courtesies. Different words, different blessings, the same longing: just a little bit longer on […]

A Quiet Place: Silence has never been so terrifying

A Quiet Place: Silence has never been so terrifying

Directed by John Krasinski Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward This movie is the definition of non-stop. It manages to capture a level of intensity in a post-apocalyptic world that far transcended the overdone zombie and monster films and shows that have been so popular in the last few years. […]

Metropolis: The head, the hands and the heart

Metropolis: The head, the hands and the heart

“Head and hands need a mediator. The mediator between head and hands must be the heart!” – “Metropolis” If you haven’t seen the version of “Metropolis” (1927) that was recovered in 2008 and restored in 2010, I would recommend going and seeing that before reading. However, if you need convincing to go see a 2.5 […]

The value of rest

The value of rest

“I slept like, three hours last night. Studied ALL night,” lied the college student, who still doesn’t understand the material even though they are plenty smart enough and allegedly spent their night “studying.” “Just be glad you got any sleep at all. I was up all night watching TV. Didn’t get a minute of sleep,” […]

War Story by Jim Morris Is the Definitive Special Forces Book on Vietnam

War Story by Jim Morris Is the Definitive Special Forces Book on Vietnam

  This book is dedicated to anybody whoever died for something he believed in, whether he was right or not. The difference between a fairy tale and a war story, is that a fairy tale starts out with “Once upon a time,” and a war story starts out with, “This is no shit.” Before you […]

Netflix’s ‘Lost in Space’ — Problem solving and adventure

Netflix’s ‘Lost in Space’ — Problem solving and adventure

This article contains minor spoilers that you might find in a trailer. Netflix has recently released its newest science fiction saga, “Lost in Space,” a reboot of the television series from 1965 of the same name, and the film from 1998. It follows the Robinson family as they have crash landed on an alien planet […]

Fear mongering and the biggest killers in the United States

Fear mongering and the biggest killers in the United States

The internet is rife with things you ought to be afraid of. Guns, terrorists, illegal immigrants, WWIII, Kim Jong Un — they wouldn’t be able to instill those levels of fear if there were zero amounts of truth to any of it. I’ll leave it to you to decide which headlines are worth paying attention […]

“The Secret War Against Hanoi”, A Must-Read Book On SOG

“The Secret War Against Hanoi”, A Must-Read Book On SOG

When researching the works of the secretive Studies and Observation Group (SOG) during the war in Vietnam, Richard H. Schultz Jr. digs through their papers in an exhaustive and sprawling piece of work. While critical of much their work, especially in the matter of inserting foreign agents into North Vietnam, Schultz’s admiration for the warriors […]

After Families are Gone Home, Enjoy an Easter Epic, Ben-Hur

After Families are Gone Home, Enjoy an Easter Epic, Ben-Hur

Unlike some of the other times of the year when we glued to the screen watching action films that coincide with the particular time of year, there aren’t too many what we’d call “Easter” themed films. But after we celebrate what Easter is all about and enjoy our time with our families, there are a […]

Elvis Presley Helps the USS Arizona Memorial With a Benefit Concert

Elvis Presley Helps the USS Arizona Memorial With a Benefit Concert

On March 25, 1961, Elvis Presley did a benefit concert for the Arizona Memorial which raised over $62,000 and helped to restart public funding for the war memorial that so many Americans visit every year. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States quickly rebuilt its facilities there and raised […]

Wes Studi, Reads Tribute to American Military Films at Oscars to Silence

Wes Studi, Reads Tribute to American Military Films at Oscars to Silence

Wes Studi, who starred in the new film Hostiles, was the first Native-American to present at the Oscars and introduced a segment paying tribute to the military. Studi’s montage about American military films included clips from recent films, American Sniper, Saving Private Ryan and Zero Dark Thirty among others. Studi spoke about his time serving […]

Operation Halyard, One of the Great Rescue Stories of WWII

Operation Halyard, One of the Great Rescue Stories of WWII

Operation Halyard was the greatest rescue mission of American airmen in our history. And it was conducted by a three-man OSS (Office of Strategic Services) team dropped into Serbia that was occupied by the Germans. The OSS operatives linked up with Serbian “Chetniks” led by General Draža Mihailović in August of 1944. This three-man Halyard […]