Proposed Postage Stamp Increase

The U.S. Postal Service proposed today a stamp increase of 2 cents that would begin Jan. 2. That would increase the rate of a stamp from 44 cents to 46 cents. In addition, a whole slew of other rate increases are included in the proposal. The Postal Service cites "ever-declining mail volume as people and businesses shift to the Internet and the declining economy reduces advertising mail," as the principle reasons for the proposed increase.

Even though the Postal Service doesn't receive any tax income, it is still a federal agency and, boy, does it show. When a business is losing revenue, you don't increase the price of your product in order to increase that revenue. Instead, a business lowers the price of the product and then when things have started to pick-up you gradually increase the price. That's just a basic principle of business and economics. But, as many of us know, the federal government doesn't follow basic business and economic principles.

I like the Post Office. I'm one of a few who actually enjoy going to the Post Office and getting stamps for letters and sending out packages. I've collected stamps since I was about 8. I still write hand-written letters and I try to support my local Post Office as much as I can (Post Offices in small towns are part of the town's livelihood). Yet, it really irritates me when the people at the Post Office propose such bone-headed decisions. Come on people, get with the program.

Christianity, Social Justice, and Politics

I've read C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters at least three times. There is so much in the book that continues to be relevant in this post-post-modern era we now live. Below is a passage from the book about social justice and politics. Read it and see if you can recognize how it's being used in certain political circles today.

From a letter from Senior Tempter Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, who is in training to tempt Christians:

About the general connection between Christianity and politics, our position is more delicate.

Certainly we do not want men to allow their Christianity to flow over into their political life, for the establishment of anything like a really just society would be a major disaster.

On the other hand, we do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as a means; preferably, of course, as a means to their own advancement, but, failing that, as a means to anything—even to social justice.

The thing to do is to get a man at first to value social justice as a thing which the Enemy (God) demands, and then work him on to the stage at which he values Christianity because it may produce social justice. For the Enemy will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of Heaven as a short cut to the nearest chemist’s shop. Fortunately it is quite easy to coax humans round this little corner.

The Screwtape Letters, pp. 126-127. [A special thank you to Justin Taylor for posting this]

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence, America! To help celebrate here's a couple of good videos. The first is a sequence from ABC News about Frank Buckles, the last living American WWI veteran. The video is from a year ago when Frank was 108. He is now 109.

The second video is of some of the Muppets performing the "Stars and Strips Forever". There's very little more American than Muppets and John Philip Sousa.

Book Review: THE COMPLETE PEANUTS 1975-1976

The 13^th Volume in Fantagraphics republishing of the complete Peanuts, THE COMPLETE PEANUTS 1975-1976 could also be subtitled “The Peanuts of the Absurd”. In the past Schulz had toyed with some absurdist plotlines, e.g. the talking school building. However, between 1975-1976, Schulz took those ideas to a whole new level. The talking school returns but ends up falling apart because of depression, Charlie Brown’s pitcher mound floats away during a major rainstorm, and Snoopy’s stomach (and later feet) has conversations that Snoopy sometimes hears and sometimes doesn’t.

The longest sequence in this volume is where Snoopy breaks his leg. There’s about six to eight weeks worth of consecutive strips (including some Sunday strips) dealing with the saga of Snoopy breaking his leg and trying to recuperate. I’m not sure, but I have a feeling that either Schulz or someone in his family must have broken a leg sometime not too distant from this storyline.

Besides Snoopy breaking his leg, this volume introduces us to one of Snoopy’s brothers, Spike, and a sister, Belle. I never knew about Belle until I saw the SNOOPY’S REUNION special. However, Spike was one of my favorite Peanuts characters. I’m not sure what it was, but there was something about Spike’s lonely existence in the Arizona desert that particularly appealed to me. Snoopy goes to visit Spike and Spike comes to visit him for Thanksgiving which leads to a memorable holiday for both dogs.

Peppermint Patty is featured in a majority of strips in this volume. There’s a storyline where Peppermint Patty spends Halloween in a pumpkin patch with Linus. There’s the storyline where Charlie Brown’s school building collapses and he ends up having to share a desk with Patty at her school for several weeks. There’s a story where Peppermint Patty and Marcie try to fly Snoopy’s doghouse to a Powder Puff competition in Michigan and there’s an incredibly long storyline where Peppermint Patty leaves regular school to attend a private school recommended to her by Snoopy, the Ace Obedience School. She graduates near the top of her class and thinks she’s done with school for life until she is shown the truth.

It seems that Schulz thought about introducing a new character to the strip, a girl named Truffles back in 1975. Linus and Snoopy get lost in the woods and are rescued by Truffles. They both fall head over heels for her, but Snoopy is more quick in the ways of love that poor Linus. After a few weeks of strips about Truffles, she leaves to return home and other than a Christmas card at the end of the year she’s never heard from again in this volume. Truffles has an appearance completely different than any previous Peanuts character.

Towards the end of this volume I came across a strip that is featured in the revival edition of the musical YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN. It features Charlie Brown and Linus talking about Linus’s grandfather and how old he is. It should also be noted that it is in this volume of strips that the Cat Next Door’s name is revealed. The vicious cat that Snoopy is frightened of, yet still teases is named World War II.

The introduction to THE COMPLETE PEANUTS 1975-1976 is written by Robert Smigel.Like some of the other introduction writers, it’s fitting that a person of Smigel’s humor write the introduction for this absurdist collection of “Peanuts” comics. His introduction is one of the best in the series so far and touches not only how “Peanuts” influenced his own life, but how the strip interacted with and reflected parts of history. This isn't the best collection of "Peanuts", but it does capture the evolution of the strip into a new era. It's a must for any "Peanuts" fan or anyone who is a serious fan of comic strips.

A Children's Book Recommendation

From the illustrator of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs comes this humorous little book about a monkey, a jackass, and a mouse delivering a story about the power of books.

I can't ever recall a time in which I read a story about the power and permanence of books that starred a jackass as one of the main characters.

Older elementary kids and younger middle school boys will love this book, but if I had a younger child, I'd think I'd let her read it, too, even if there is a jackass in the story.

Sarcasm and Christianity

I worked at a Christian summer camp for several summers. During the majority of those summers during the staff training it was pounded into our heads over and over and over that, "sarcasm has no place at camp." I understood why the trainers emphasized that, but it didn't quite seem right to me. Sarcasm is overused in our culture, but that doesn't mean all sarcasm is evil. I couldn't express these thoughts very well at the time, but I recently finished reading a book that has done it better than I could have. The book is Word Pictures by Brian Godawa. Here's part of what he says about Christianity and sarcasm.
----------
"Some Christians feel that sarcasm or satire is harsh and unloving--not befitting a Christlike treatment of people. And a cursory look at American culture confirms that concern to a degree....It turns out that an examination of the Bible yields a rather startling revelation: God uses sarcasm and mockery as an important tool of truth-telling.

God is often sarcastic in humor. And particularly in relation to sin....

Sarcasm is not below God's character, and neither is it below his people's character. The same laughing derision that God himself employs toward the wicked is also played out dramatically through God's appointed mockers--I mean messengers.....

Of course, these biblical examples do not justify all sarcasm. We many not receive actual visions or direct words from God like they did, but we can draw the principle that satire may be appropriate when applied to public sins or evil done by men who openly defy God's law, but not necessarily to the private sins of individuals with whom we have personal relationships....

The danger of using sarcasm notwithstanding, it is certainly one of the most potent tools to make a moral point and expose sin, lies, and hypocrisy with an edge of humor. The essence of comedy is precisely that we laugh at our faults and frailties, and yes, even at our sins, which elevates the excellent and the virtuous as superior. Sarcasm reinforces the values we believe in by showing the absurdity of those values that we don't. God is the original satirist. And he has built his comedy on the foundation of his apostles and prophets."

Toys Make Kids Fat

Last week I came across an article that described a lawsuit the "Center for Science in the Public Interest" was threatening to file against McDonalds. Basically, according to the organization McDonald's was responsible for making thousands of children obese because of Happy Meal toys. Toys make kids fat. That was a new one to me. Food and no exercise makes kids fat.

I realize that this lawsuit is just a big publicity campaign for the "Center for Science in the Public Interest". Still, you know if they are threatening a lawsuit but never follow-through, someone somewhere will.

Also, where did these people come up with their name? "Center for Science in the Public Interest"? There is no science involved in their lawsuit and suing McDonald's because you believe toys make kids fat is definitely not in the public interest. If anything, they should be thanking McDonald's because that little toy actually encourages a child's imagination and gets them to play and kids using their imaginations and playing are much better than kids sitting around watching tv 12 hours a day.

Stephan Pastis Strikes Again

"Pearls Before Swine" is the best comic being written right now, hands down. Stephan Pastis has a nice posting about a strip that his editor wanted changed because he thought the word "banana" was offensive. You can read the post here. Also, if PEARLS BEFORE SWINE doesn't appear in your local newspapers as part of the comics offerings, you should write to the paper's editor requesting and then demanding that it do so.

The Thin-Skinned President

When I first starting preparing to enter acting as more than just a hobby, one of the things I kept hearing over and over and over was that performers have to have a thick skin. Rejection is a constant in the business and for every job someone says yes to you, you'll get at least 100 nos. People will constantly be judging and evaluating you and if you want to be successful, you can't take everything that's said personally. You have to have discernment and grow some "rhino-skin".

Though there are differences, the same advice goes for politicians. Everything you say or do will be examined, judged, and critiqued and you have to have discernment and some rhino-skin. That doesn't mean you don't listen to the people who elected you, but it does mean that you can't take every little thing personally.

Apparently President Obama doesn't have much discernment nor a very tough skin. Yesterday he fired the commanding general of U.S. operations in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, for some comments he and some of his staff made in an impromptu interview with a Rolling Stone reporter. Neither McChrystal nor his staff disrespected the President, but they were rather critical of Vice President Joe Biden and other members of Obama's administration. Some media sources have been quoted as saying that McChrystal's "resignation" came about because of his insubordination to the President which is utterly absurd. Insubordination involves a willful disobedience to a direct order and though it is frowned upon and usually punished, there are times when insubordination is called for (e.g. raping women that you are supposed to be protecting). McChrystal's comments were NOT insubordination. Perhaps they were foolish and misguided, but that's about it.

There have been comparisons to Obama's firing of McChrystal to that of Lincoln removing Gen. George McClellan of his command during the Civil War and Truman's dismissal of Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War (the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is one such newspaper that made the comparison). Such comparisons are invalid and show a willful ignorance of history. Lincoln gave McClellan every opportunity to win the Civil War early and fast, but McClellan was indecisive and lost numerous battles and a high cost and even his few victories came with large numbers of casualties over an extended period of time. McClellan wasn't a very good war-time general. Truman's dismissal of MacArthur was for the opposite reason. The U.S. was fighting in Korea as part of a U.N. conflict. Under MacArthur's guidance, the early part of the war went well. However, China started flooding North Korea with troops and equipment and the early victories were eradicated. MacArthur wanted to make a full fledged invasion into North Korea and if needed into China. Truman was against it because it would mean the U.S. fighting alone and Truman didn't want to upset those countries who were allied with us. MacArthur, however, was convinced a massive invasion was needed and continued making plans not only to invade the northern part of Korea, but even into China. Truman fired MacArthur for that, something that is closer to insubordination than McChrystal's criticizing politicians and poking fun at Vice President Biden. (By the way, MacArthur was probably right, in my opinion).

President Obama's firing of McChrystal is more akin to a spoiled teenager having his parents bail him out for breaking a school rule than that of a Commander-in-Chief leading a country's military. It was an action that was far more dictatorial than Presidential.

Ken Jennings Speaks Out

Ken Jennings, the guy who holds the record for most consecutive wins on JEOPARDY! and has won the most money ever on game shows, has written an interesting article for THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS about reality tv and the dumbing down of America. Dumb tv shows might not a dumb nation make.

Book Thoughts

I picked HIGH SOFT LISP up to read because of the cover and the title. The woman on the front attracts the eye, but the color scheme plays with the mind on some sort of psychological level. The blurb on the back also was intriguing.

It's by far, the most bizarre book I've read this year. If you like under ground or alternative comics, you might enjoy it. Teenage boys might get a kick out of it, too because there are moments in this TPB that verge on soft-core porn. Other than that, I'd just stay away. Your life will not be enriched if you do read it and it won't be any less lively if you don't.

Come On, America! Are You Really That Dumb?!

- Almost 60% of Americans know the names of the original THREE STOOGES, but just 17% are able to name three former or current U.S. Supreme Court justices.
- 8 out of every 10 e-mails that are sent are spam.
- 14% of Americans between 18-24 can't find Iraq on a map, %18 can't locate
Afghanistan, and %10 can't locate the U.S. on a blank world map!
- 70% of Americans cannot identify the source of the phrase "life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness."
- Most political speeches are geared to the comprehension level of an average 7th grader. 50 years ago political speeches were, on average, spoken to people who had graduated high school.
- "karoshi" is a Japanese phenomenon of being worked to death, but even the Japanese take more vacation time than Americans.

Taken from the book 1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*T Out of You by Cary McNeal

VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER Teaser Trailer

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA are my favorite books of all time. I enjoyed the first two movie adaptations, though I was a little disappointed by PRINCE CASPIAN (too much spirituality and fun fantasy were cut). Part of the reason for the rather lackluster reception was because Disney was the distributor and Disney is notorious for watering down everything. Fox is distributing the films now and the teaser trailer for VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER is now available. I have to say it looks gorgeous and I'm glad to see that the monopods did make the final cut. No images of a dragon, though, so I'm not sure if one of the most spiritually significant parts of the novel is in the movie adaptation. Nevertheless, I'm very exciting to see this movie.

Charlie Brown in a Rubes Cartoon

I love Charlie Brown. In many ways, I'm a living version of the character. Below is a comic I came across in the book The Wild and Twisted World of Rubes by Leigh Rubin. I found it to be hilarious.

Some Fun Facts

-Lightning strikes the Earth more than 5,000 times every minute.
-Once lightning enters a building, it may run through the electrical system, phone lines, plumbing, tv and radio antennas, and cables. It is also possible for lightning to pass through metal in concrete walls or flooring.
-Male desert rats can copulate up to 150 times in an afternoon.
-A tiger shark's bit is powerful enough to slice through a hard turtle shell.
-Sharks find the colors yellow and orange particularly irritating.
-A giraffe has 12-inch hooves and legs that can kick in all four directions; giraffe kicks have been known to decapitate lions.
-Swans have been known to capsize boats, attack humans on jet skis, and strangle dogs to death.
-A polar bear can rip the head off a human with one swipe of its paw.
-Pigs can become alcoholic.

These facts are taken from the book 1,000 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You by Cary McNeal.

Sea Turtle Takes Video From Sea

This video has just gone viral on YouTube. A military person lost his camera around Aruba about a year ago before it washed up in Key West, Florida. Somewhere between that time a sea turtle got a hold of it and turned it on. There's mostly just a lot of movement in and out of the water with a few shots of the turtle here and there, but the picture quality is gorgeous. It's just neat that the turtle turned the camera on, even if accidentally. Of course, those reptiles aren't that dumb. For instance, I worked with a tortoise that was rather adept at moving barricades out of the way that were keeping him from "expanding his horizons".

What I'm Reading Right Now (June 10, 2010)

Below are a list of books I'm reading at the moment.

Moments With the Savior by Ken Gire
Word Pictures by Brian Godawa
1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You by Cary McNeal
Hot For Words by Marina Orlova
101 Things I Learned in Film School by Neil Landau & Matthew Frederick
The Complete Peanuts, 1975-1976 Vol. 13 by Charles Schulz
A Barnstormer in Oz by Phillip Jose Farmer

World Cup Star Wars Commercial

I like this commercial because it's a parody of STAR WARS. However, I think the funniest thing about it is that they have to have people like Snoop Dog and Jay Baruchel in it because American audiences have no clue who the football players in the commercial are.

May 2010: Media Consumed

Books Read
*Signature Wound: Rocking TBI G.B. Trudeau
*Jeremy & Dad Jerry Scott & Jim Bergman
*Star Trek: Spock Reflections Scott & David Tipton
Tassel-Free Living for Grads Tim Wesmann
The Talisman Stephen King & Peter Straub
*50% Wool 50% Asinine Scott Hillburn

The two books that I recommend reading from the ones I read in May 2010 are The Talisman and 50% Wool 50% Asinine. The Talisman is a novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub written in the mid-1980s. I'm a pretty big fan of King and usually enjoy whatever of his I read. I was enchanted by The Talisman. I thought most of the story was great. The reason I say most of the story is because I felt that the story was great until the moment when the lead character in the story reaches the Black Hotel where the Talisman, an object he has been searching for during the whole story, is kept. Once he gets to the Black Hotel, the story unraveled. In short, the concluding chapters of the story just don't seem to fit with the rest of the story. Conclusions can be difficult, but I expect better from King. Still, even a let down of an ending can't ruin the "odyssey tale" woven before.

50% Wool 50% Asinine is the 2nd book of "The Argyle Sweater" comic strip collections. This book was hilarious. Comic strips are such a great way to get a dose of daily humor. You just have to read the right comic strips, because lets face it as much as I enjoy reading them, "Blondie", "Hi and Louis", and "Family Circus" probably aren't going to make you laugh as much as you'd like or need.

Movies Viewed for the First Time
Look
April Fool's Day (1980's version)
Iron Man 2
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1925)
Robin Hood (2010)
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
Shrek Forever After
The Wizard of Oz (1910)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1933)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Spies Like Us

Iron Man 2 was a great movie. Robin Hood is perhaps the best Robin Hood movie ever made; it tries to tell the origins of Robin Hood and actually tie it to real history. Prince of Persia is a good action-adventure mind candy flick. Lastly, I hadn't seen Spies Like Us since I was a kid. It's a hilarious movie. Ackroyd and Chase make a great comic duo.

April 2010: Media Consumed

Books Read
*The Wizard of Oz John Kane, adaptation
#Young Pillars Charles Schulz
Jane Austen Peter Leithart
#Math, Science, and Unix Underpants Bill Amend
#The Wild and Twisted World of Rubes Leigh Rubin
#Ziggy Goes For Broke Tom Wilson
#Fox Trot Sundaes Bill Amend
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz L.Frank Baum
The Unlikely Disciple Kevin Roose
#The Twilight Zone: The Monsters Art Due On Maple Street Marke Kneece

* = denotes a play
# = denotes a book of comic strips, graphic novel, or TPB

Out of the books I read in April of this year, The Unlikely Disciple is the one that deserves a special mention. The author of the book was a student at Brown University who after meeting some students at Liberty University decided to spend a semester there and see firsthand just how great the "God divide" really is. Unlike a lot of books I've read that promise to be honest and unbiased, The Unlikely Disciple really is. It's an honest look at some parts of the Christian subculture by an outsider who really does his best to keep an open mind.

I read a lot of comic strip collections in April. Comic strips are great.

Movies Viewed For the First Time
Clash of the Titans (2010)
The Silo Project
Hot Tub Time Machine
Strange Invaders
Invaders from Mars (1986)
Kick-Ass
Chaplin
Earth Vs. the Spider

The remake of Clash of the Titans was basically crap. That remake had so much potential, but the filmmakers blew it.

The Silo Project is a documentary about a guy who records a folk-music album in an abandoned grain silo. It's directed by a close friend of mine and looks gorgeous, which is even more amazing considering he had no real budget.

Hot Tub Time Machine was a surprise that I really enjoyed. A time traveling movie hasn't been that fun since Back to the Future. I really enjoyed Kick-Ass, despite the whole "children committing violence" thing. Lastly, Chaplin wasn't as good as it could have been, but the acting was phenomenal and overall the movie was good.

DVD Review--INVADERS FROM MARS (1986)

Sooner or later, someone in Hollywood will remake not only every classic film that has been ever made, but every half-way decent film, too. The original 1953 INVADERS FROM MARS really isn’t a great piece of sci-fi, but it is regarded as a classic because of some of the magnificent images in the movie, e.g. the lights behind the hill with the fence and people being sucked by a swirling vortex into the ground. In the early 1980s, Tobe Hooper (of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE fame) set out to remake his favorite movie of all time, INVADERS FROM MARS.

The movie revolves around David Gardner (Hunter Carson). David loves astronomy. One night during a freak thunderstorm he thinks he sees a spaceship land not far from their house, just over a hill. He tells his parents about it, but they think he was just dreaming. However, David’s father, George (Timothy Bottoms), investigates and when he returns in the morning he is a different man. He tells David he was right, that there was something just over the hill but before he gets a chance to show David, the school bus arrives to take David to school. Later, David’s mother and school teacher start acting just as strange as his dad and David suspects that aliens are involved. After he catches his teacher secretly eating during a meal, he knows aliens have invaded and are taking over people’s bodies. He meets with the only person he feels he can trust, the school nurse, Linda Magnussen (Karen Black). Initially she doesn’t believe David, but does believe something is going wrong in his life. But after seeing the truth for herself, she sets out with David for a nearby military base for help.

When this version of INVADERS FROM MARS was initially released, it was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. People kept talking about how good the original was and that this movie just didn’t live up to it. I don’t think any of those people ever saw the original movie because other than some amazing visuals and some fine acting by Jimmy Hunt as David Maclean, the 1953 INVADERS FROM MARS isn’t that great of a movie. There’s really only one alien in that movie and the rest are a bunch of Martian/human hybrid mutants that are referred to as “moo-tants” (instead of “mew-tunts) and are portrayed by people in green makeup and rubber suits running around with their hands in a robotic positions. The budget was so low that the interior of the cave in the original was made from blown-up condoms that were painted over. It’s true that watching the original movie now, there is a certain charm to it that initial viewers of the remake might not have felt upon watching the remake.

Still, you can tell that Tobe Hooper was a major fan of the original movie because his version carefully replicates the best parts of that movie and sometimes the worst (including the terrible ending). However, he updates the movie with a more modern feel and also leaves his own special touch in a few places. The result is a fun little piece of sci-fi horror that is overall actually just as good if not a tad better than the original. It’s a mix of humor, sci-fi action, and horror that at times borders on campy, but is blended fairly well. Also, watching the movie over 20 years after its initial release, the remake has a certain charm to it to, though of a far different kind than the original.

That’s not to say INVADERS FROM MARS is a great movie, because it’s not. However, it is a fun one. It’s a movie that people would probably enjoy watching on a rainy day or late at night when they can’t get to sleep.

The extras on the DVD include an original publicity featurette, a sci-fi featurette, and the original theatrical trailer.

Book Suggestion

Last month I read this book, THE UNLIKELY DISCIPLE by Kevin Roose. I highly recommend it. Kevin was a Quaker with a taint of agnosticism and a strong Democrat who went undercover at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. The book is well-written in a flowing, narrative style with a conversational tone that is easy-to-read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading, especially Christians and those who are feel they are anti-religious. Believers and non-believers alike can take something away.

Interesting Posts About Iron Man and The Mandarin

I recently read a couple of blog posts about Iron Man, the movie IRON MAN 2, and the next villain in IRON MAN 3. You can check the posts out at the blog entitled "The Hurting". Read the entries for May 18, 2010 entitled "Cool Exec With a Heart of Steel" and May 19, 2010 entitled "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy". The author, Tim O'Neil makes some great points about why The Mandarin should be the main villain in IRON MAN 3 and the reasons he probably won't be (mainly because Hollywood is a major wuss).

Book Review: SUPERMAN & WONDER WOMAN WHOM GODS DESTROY

Set in alternative timeline where the Third Reich didn’t lose WWII and Germany and much of Eastern Europe is still under control of the Nazi regime against a backdrop that the gods, goddesses, and monsters of mythology are actually real and have returned to meddle in human affairs, the four-part SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY is one of the worst Elseworld stories I have ever read. Most Elseworld stories are kind of hooky, but charming with about as much substance as a dime-store novel. There have been a few Elseworld stories that are quite spectacular, e.g. RED SON. However, sometimes there’s an Elseworld story that attempts to be monumental but is in really just trash, such as SUPERMAN: AT EARTH’S END. SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY is another.

The basic plotline begins with an elderly Lois Lane is having nightmares about Superman going around the world and joyfully killing people. She confides in her BFF, Lana Lang. Meanwhile, Superman is living in semi-exile in his Fortress of Solitude on the moon. Old Supes discovered the hidden remains of the Holocaust a few years ago and went postal. He’s been banned from even the airspace of the Third Reich with a promise that his very appearance will be seen as a declaration of war from the U.S. Anyway, Lana Lang gets kidnapped and starts having some dreams that are even more bizarre than Lois’. Lois and Clark fly to Germany to discover what happened to their mutual friend, but along the way their plane is attacked by harpies. Yes, harpies. Superman rescues the plane, but when it lands Lois and Clark are taken into custody. They meet with one of the leaders of the Reich, Adonis. Readers eventually find out that the Greek gods of mythology have tired of staying out of human affairs and want to be important again and similar to the tragedy that was the Trojan War, they’ve decided to start a conflict. The stakes are high. Superman is bewitched by Circe and turned into a centaur; Lana Lang is given the power of the Oracle of Delphi and turns young; and when one of the Greek goddesses dies after a battle with the German army, she bestows all of her powers to Lois who becomes a new Wonder Woman. The original Wonder Woman has betrayed her brethren of Paradise Island and has joined the Nazis. That’s only the first half of the story.

I read SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY because the basic premise of Superman and Wonder Woman fighting incarnations of the Greek gods was one I found interesting. However, I was appalled by the storyline in which the premise is delivered. The characterization of Superman is completely off with the Man of Steel behaving more like a troubled teenager than the hero he is. Then there’s the whole concept of the Third Reich still existing. Anytime a comic book has to fall back on a Third Reich that somehow won WWII and wasn’t defeated, you know the story is going to be bad. In fact, the only real reason I can see that this entire plot was brought about was so that Lois Lane, Lana Lang, and Superman could end up in a menage a trios.

This series was written by legendary Marvel writer Chris Claremont. Claremont wrote some amazing stories for Marvel and the X-MEN, but he apparently didn’t know much about the DC universe. SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: WHOM GODS DESTROY is the second worst Superman story I have ever read, beaten out only by SUPERMAN: AT EARTH’S END.

The only reason I can offer for reading this book is for the eerie prediction of Sept. 11^th from Superman’s typewriter and Lois Lane’s nightmare in the first book of the series. Other than that curious trivia, there’s no reason to waste your time reading, let alone buying this comic book story.

Stephan Pastis Makes a New Friend

The comic strip "Pearls Before Swine" is the best comic strip being written right now. "Peanuts" and "Calvin and Hobbes" were my favorites growing up, but Watterson retired and Schulz died. "Fox Trot" was great, but that's only a Sunday strip now. Now the only strip that's a "must read" everyday is "Pearls Before Swine".

The strip's creator, Stephan Pastis writes a blog. I found one of the latest entries particularly funny. I've copied it below. Check it out.
*************************************************

On Sunday I went to a place that serves Brazilian food.

The guy behind the counter said, “What can I get you, my friend?”

I asked what he recommended.

He said, “We have many good things, my friend.”

I asked what most people ordered.

He said, “The chicken and rice, my friend.”

I stared at him, wondering how we had grown so close so fast.

“I’ll take the chicken and rice,” I said.

He entered it in the register.

“That will be eight dollars, my friend.”

I started to take my wallet from my pocket but stopped.

“Eight dollars?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said, “Is that a problem?”

“Yes,” I said, staring him in the eye. “I thought we were friends.”

He didn’t smile. He didn’t react.

As I paid him, I felt compelled to add one more thing.

“You’ve put a great strain on our relationship.”

Private Pay At Historic Lows

In an article from yesterday's USA TODAY, it was reported that, "Paychecks from private business shrank to their smallest share of personal income in U.S. history during the first quarter of this year," while, "At the same time government-provided benefits — from Social Security, unemployment insurance, food stamps and other programs — rose to a record high during the first three months of 2010."

This isn't good news. Yes, we need programs to help people in need, but if the economy is really getting better, as is being reported in most of the traditional media sources, then private pay should be increasing while government provided benefits either remain the same or decrease. The opposite has happened and, as evidence by what's happened in Greece and is on the verge of happening in several other European Community nations, this is one of the final warning signs before a nation jumps over the edge of the cliff. History does repeat itself, will we learn from the mistakes of the past or will we just repeat them, too?

The Return of the Ghostbusters--Sort Of

The group Improv Everywhere, at the request of the New York Public Library, recently had the "Ghostbusters" visit. Below is video from the event. It brightened my day.

Book Review - ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

Last year Seth Grahame-Smith became an internationally-recognized author with his horror mash-up PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES. The book is about 70% of Jane Austen’s original work with the other 30% Grahame-Smith’s, filling in the holes of the story with a battle against zombies. The publication and huge success of the book has created a subgenre of literature: the horror mashup. There are now stories about Alice in Wonderland fighting the undead, Queen Victoria fighting demons, Robin Hood slaughtering zombies, as well as several other horror mashups that feature Mr. Darcy as a vampire. In ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER, Grahame-Smith has produced another mashup, but one that successfully combines the biography with an alternative historical fiction about American vampire history.

The book begins with an introduction from the author describing how he came into contact with the secret diaries of Abraham Lincoln, how he had them verified as real, etc. The rest of the book, except for the last few pages, are a combination of the writings from Lincoln’s secret journals and a biography of Lincoln as told by the author.

Due to the nature of the book, there might be some confusion about how to read it. Some have read the book expecting a piece of brilliant and bizarre historical fiction, others have expected an exciting piece of horror-action featuring Abe Lincoln, while others seem to expect a graphic horror story. ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE is not written as a historical fiction, as an action story, or as a horror novel. Instead, the book is presented as and written as a biography about Lincoln that explains the secret history of vampires in America. There are some elements of an action story, such as the descriptions of some of the vampire battles, but this is not an action story. There are some scenes of violence described, but other than the involvement of vampires and in some cases real people, there is nothing frightening enough to describe the story as horror.

As a biography about Lincoln, the book is average. Except for the entire fictionalized vampire history, there is nothing new in the book that adds to what we know or has already been written about Lincoln. Of course, it’s the vampire element that makes the book unique.

I really enjoyed reading ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER. I thought it was a great fictional biography. But what really impressed me was how much research was involved in meshing the real history of Lincoln with Grahame-Smith’s vampire story. Real names, dates, and events are all used and the actual historical record is in sync with the vampire history. In fact, I learned a great deal about many of Lincoln’s friends as associates as I compared the people mentioned and named in the book to other sources. Take for instance Dr. Joseph McDowell. This was an actual doctor who lived in his medical school in St. Louis. He really did wear a breastplate of armor, he really did go around the area snatching bodies, and his school really was equipped with canons atop. He was known for his erratic behavior, his distrustfulness, and his successionist views. Years after he supposedly died his school was supposed to be one of the most haunted places west of the Mississippi until it was torn down in 1882. If vampires existed, Dr. McDowell would be a prime candidate and in the alternative world of Grahame-Smith, he really is.

There’s also the interesting use of Lincoln’s words. Some of the journal entries contain phrases, sentences, and whole passages that were actually written or spoken by Lincoln in other sources. The author does a fantastic job of using those words and combining them with his own to create the fictional “secret diaries”. The combination is seamless in most cases. I also enjoyed the photographs. Some of the pictures are doctored better than others, but they add a nice element to the book’s premise.

There are only two flaws I had with the book. First, is that as a book it initially only has limited appeal. I think the book will be a major publishing success, but initially people will probably be disappointed because they will all be expecting the book to be different things that it is not, e.g. historical fiction, action story, horror tale. Once people realize that it’s a fictional biography about Lincoln involving vampires (think steam punk with a gothic angle) then it will catch on.

The second flaw I had with the book is the ending. The book creates what is supposed to be an ironic twist, but with everything else that happens in the story the ending feels like a shallow and tacky add-on. It’s the only part of the entire tale that really doesn’t fit.

I found ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER to be both a highly entertaining and informative read. It was much better than I expected it to be. In fact it’s the best book I’ve read so far in 2010.

Can a Villain Ever Win SURVIVOR again?

I've been a huge fan of the tv show SURVIVOR since it first aired in 2000. I've seen almost every episode (I've missed 3) and have applied for 17 of the 20 seasons (I missed the 1st season and I didn't send in an application for the All-Stars or Heroes Vs. Villains seasons). Richard Hatch won the first SURVIVOR and was seen as being the ultimate villain until this guy, Russell Hantz came on to the scene. Russell is the ultimate villain, including all the arrogance that great villains seem to possess. He basically played the same game that he played in "Heroes Vs. Villains" as he did in "Samoa" and the result was the same: he didn't win. Russell should have won in Samoa, but he made a lot of boneheaded decisions in "Heroes Vs. Villains". However, Russell is really the first true villain since Hatch to make it to the finals, which raises the question, can a villain ever win SURVIVOR again?

LeBron James Isn't a Champion, Yet.

Adrian Wojnarowski has written a very interesting article at Yahoo! Sports about LeBron James, his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and what it takes to be a true champion. The Cavaliers are playing the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs right now. I've been a Celtics fan almost my whole life. After winning the 1st game of the series, the Celtics got creamed in the next two games but have now turned things around and are one game from winning this playoff series. Here's hoping LeBron James will remain selfish so the Celts can finish things off.

Does God Delight in the Art of Non-Christians?

Thanks to Justin Taylor for pointing out this essay by Tony Reinke that addresses this issue. And, with a few caveats, the short answer to the question is yes.

I Want To See This Movie

I just learned about this movie recently. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Spirituality

There is no such thing as "spirituality." Doesn’t exist, has no meaning. It’s just a name for “doing what I want to do and feeling that the universe somehow smiles on me for doing it.”
--Alan Jacobs

Thanks to Justin Taylor for providing this link.

Interesting Facts.

Just some more interesting facts from a book I'm reading, 1001 Facts That Will Scare the S#*t Out of You.

*The Bible is the most shoplifted book in the world.
*The human stomach must produce a new lining every day to protect itself from its own acid.
*The acid in the human stomach is so powerful it can dissolve a razor blade in less than a week.
*Continuous human farting for 6 years, 9 months would create enough energy equal to that of an atomic bomb.
*A person can live without eating for weeks but only survive 11 days without sleep.

And what did I learn from all of this, it's highly improbable that Bobba Fett survived being swallowed by the Sarlaac in Return of the Jedi. Notice I said improbable, not impossible.

U.S. Troops Make Video Parody

My brother served for a year in the Middle East and I know from him that during the "down times" soldiers are always looking for a way to keep themselves occupied. I discovered this video today and completely enjoyed it. I really don't "get" Lady Gaga, but it's nice to see troops using their down time to create Art, even if it is parody. Pray for these men.

Keep Your Eye On the Ball and Not the Hand That Moves It

GM is playing the video below all over the place. I've seen it on broadcast tv, cable tv, in a pop-up internet advertisement, and heard it as an ad on the radio. It's a really slick and well-made ad. However, it's also mostly lies.



Early last year GM received an $8 billion loan from the federal government. In addition, it also received nearly $59 billion in TARP funds. GM is operating in the red right now, so essentially what they did was take part of the TARP funds they received and used those to "payback" the loan they received. Make no mistake GM is in trouble, but with the U.S. and Canadian federal governments owning more than 50% of the company, expect to see lots more slick advertising like this to make you believe all is well.

March 2010: Media Consumed

Books Read
*Young Jesus Chronicles by Spencer Smith & Mark Penta
*Children at Play: A Cul de Sac Collection by Richard Thompson
The Skinny on Willpower by Jim Randel
Three Frenchmen and a Goat by John Goldsmith
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
* The Complete Peanuts 1973-1974 by Charles Schulz
+The Dark Tower: Treachery by Robin Furth, Peter David, et al.
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce
+The Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead by Robin Furth, Peter David, et al.
+Heroes: Volume Two by Various
*14 Years of Loyal Service in a Fabric-Covered Box by Scott Adams

* = denotes a collection of comic strips
+ = denotes a graphic novel or trade paperback of comics

The best book I've read all year, so far, is Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Written by the guy who wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and the creator of an entire new sub-genre of literature, the book is fascinating not only because it's a great fictional story, but because the amount of research that went into the book to make the real historical people, events, places, and writings match up with the fictional world that is created. I learned more about Abe Lincoln and his associates reading that book than I did the rest of my life.

Cosmic is a great young adult novel written by the man who wrote the book Millions. It's a great little story and I highly recommend it, too. Three Frenchmen and a Goat is a self-published work that still remains as the authoritative volume about the DeMoulin Brothers Company and their early history manufacturing fraternal initiation devices.

I was really excited to read the latest collection of comics in The Gunslinger comic series as well as finishing off the 1973-1974 collection of "Peanuts" strips. One of these days I'm going to actually go back and read King's entire Gunslinger storyline as well as get and read all of the "Peanuts" reprint books.

Movies Watched For the 1st Time
A Perfect Getaway
Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
The Crazies (2010)
Shutter Island
How to Train Your Dragon

Of the movies I watched for the first time this month, there weren't any that I thought were terrible. A Perfect Getaway is a good yarn with Steve Zahn in a role he doesn't usually get to play. I thought was a good continuation/reviving of the original stories by Lewis Carroll. The Crazies was chilling. Shutter Island was a great adaptation of the book (and it's one movie that the book and movie are almost identical) and How to Train Your Dragon was much better than I expected it to be.

Interesting Facts About Food

Here are some interesting facts I learned today from reading the book 1,001 Facts That Will Scare the S**t Out of You.

*According to government and industry estimates, almost 40% of bottled water is ordinary tap water, often with no additional treatment.

*Red-colored grocery items like fruit punch and strawberry yogurt are often dyed with carmine, which is made from ground-up cochineal beetles. For some, carmine can case severe allergic reactions and can even lead to anaphylactic shock.

The Muppets and "Stand By Me"

"Stand By Me" is my favorite song of all time. I'm also a huge fan of the Muppets. I came across this video today and loved it. It's hilarious. The Muppets are back and it's good to see.

This Would Sell Millions

Came across this video today. Thanks to Jack Hager for posting it on his site.

Watch This Movie.

My friend, Joel Hager, made a movie not long ago. It's a documentary about some very talented people recording an album in an old grain silo. The film is fairly short (a little over an hour) and looks gorgeous, so even if you don't enjoy watching documentaries you might actually enjoy this because it is short and the visual images are so beautiful. I think everyone should check it out. Also, if you like the movie you should buy the album.

Go here:

http://www.stukenbergsucks.com/index.php?pg=store

The oPad

Came across this video today. Provides an excellent analogy of the iPad and health care in the U.S.A.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER

I read this book last month. I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a long time. There's a movie version coming out in 2011. Enjoy.

Wait Times Under the Health Care Bill

I posted this video last year, but with things being on the edge of the precipice I thought it would be good to post again.

Health Care and the Fate of the Republic

This Sunday the U.S. House of Representatives will convene (other than times of war--when has Congress ever been specifically called together on a Sunday?) and "vote" on whether or not the U.S. Senate's version of health care reform should be "deemed" worthy as passing. Though this maneuver is often done, it's supposed to be for something small, e.g. a few words of difference between two bills. This procedure of "deeming" has never been used and was never intended to be used for a piece of major legislation. This process will allow Representatives to "vote" for the bill without actually voting for anything.

Should the procedure pass this Sunday, I fear it will be the beginning of the end of our Republic. Should the procedure pass, I think it will be used time and time and time again in the future by whatever party that has the majority. I don't believe the procedure is Constitutional in this matter, but I have very little faith left in the judicial system to believe that it will be overturned and ruled unconstitutional and even if it is, the damage done will be tremendous. I haven't had time to read the entire bill (it's over 2,000 pages long), but I do know that there are lots and lots and lots of new taxes. For instance, do you ever buy soda, juice, or flavored water from a vending machine? As part of this bill beverages (except for water, I believe, though I'm not sure because the language is a bit confusing) sold in vending machines will have a tax levied on them. Those things typically cost between $.50-$1.00 now but if this current health care package passes those things will cost between $1-$2 more.

Those in support of the bill say that according to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill will reduce the federal deficit $130 billion in the first decade, and by by $1.2 trillion in the second. This makes no sense whatsoever. You cannot create a massive entitlement program and expect it to actually reduce the deficit. Every single entitlement program the government has ever offered has only further increased the federal deficit and debt. Even those Congresspeople in support of the legislation say that the initial cost to just start the new program will be around $1 trillion. Let's see, it'll cost $1 trillion dollars just to start but in ten years if everything goes right, it'll cut $130 billion from the deficit. You don't have to be very good in math to see the numbers do not add up. The U.S. has already been warned that our AAA credit rating is in jeopardy (unless we stop our reckless spending) and this health care overhaul will only add to that. I don't have any children right now, but when I do, I don't want them to have to speak Chinese because that's the national language.

I've been working as a temporary office employee for over 20 months. There isn't much chance the company I work at will bring me on as a regular employee. However, there is a chance. Should this pass, I won't ever have a chance of being a regular employee. Several smaller businesses have already gone on the record as stating if the health care package passes, they will be making all of their employees contract workers. What that means is that all of those workers will be like me, they will be working on their own without any sense of job security or any benefits (no insurance or perks) and in some cases it will mean a pay cut. Let me tell you something, though I'm thankful to have a job, being a contracted worker doesn't allow one to make much gains in ones financial situation. I've been poor and living near the poverty line most of my life. Should this health care legislation pass on Sunday, I'm afraid there are going to be a lot more people who will be living like me. They say that misery likes company, but not me. I'd rather not have others experience any of the misery I've known. Unfortunately, Congress seems to think you should.

The U.S.'s AAA Credit Rating and Health Care

Today (Monday, Mar. 15, 2010), Moody's Investors Services, an institution that despite having come under criticism in recent years (most notably for firing analysts at the company that had warned of the 2007 housing market collapse and promoting those responsible for helping to bring about the collapse) has a tremendous amount of influence in the financial world, released a report stating that the U.S. and Britain are in greater danger of loosing their AAA rating with than Germany or France. Should the U.S. lose its AAA rating, interest rates on outstanding debt would skyrocket, making it even more difficult to pay down the debt and stop deficit spending.

Most reports I've read and seen on the usual news source (Yahoo and Google News, ABC, NBC, CBN, the New York Times, etc.) have emphasized the part in the report where it's stated that, "the U.K. and the U.S. don't face an immediate threat to their AAA ratings because they are still able to service their debts." However, the report also states that the U.S. will face a huge amount of downward pressure on its AAA rating unless the country reduces its spiralling federal deficit.

It's not a coincidence that this report was released at the beginning of a work week where some in the U.S. Congress are trying to ram down a health care "reform" package through, despite major opposition from the U.S. people. The report from Moody's today was a warning to Congress. The company made a major mistake in 2007 and they don't want to make another. They know how much the health care package is going to cost, how it will skyrocket the debt and deficit, and damage the chances of any major recovery in the U.S. economy. Moody's gave Congress a warning today. Sadly, it doesn't seem that Congress is listening. Instead of being leaders who steward the Republic through troubled times, they are more interested in trying to leave a political "legacy" that will ultimately destroy not only the Republic, but their precious political legacies as well.

No one denies that health care in America has problems that need to be addressed. I've read a part of the legislation (about 300 pages worth of a bill that is over 2,000 pages long) and from what I've read and gathered, the current bill as it now stands before Congress does very little to address the real problems with health care in America.

If you haven't already contacted your Congress person, I plead with you to do so and give your opinion. Perhaps you think the legislation that Congress will be voting on very soon is a good thing. Then let your Representative know. This is still a republic and you're concerns still matter even if I might disagree with them. However, if you are like me and you believe that this legislation is not a good thing, please contact your Representative and let them know. The fate of our country, everything that the founders of our country were willing to sacrifice (their honor, lives, and fortunes) is at stake.

Ok Go--"This Too Shall Pass"

I recently was introduced to the band OK Go by my youngest brother. I like the music, but I like their music videos even better.  Below are two different music videos they've made for the same song.  The first version has the band as a part of a massive marching band.  The second is a giant Rube Goldberg device that was filmed without any cutting or editing in one shot. Simply amazing.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

February 2010: Media Consumed

Books Read
The Skinny On Success Jim Randel
*Star Trek: Countdown Mike Johnson & Tim Jones
The Skinny On Time Managment Jim Randel
*The Twilight Zone: The Big Tall Wish Mark Kneece & Chris Lie

* = denotes a graphic novel or TPB

I really enjoyed reading Star Trek: Countdown is a comic book prequel to 2009's Star Trek movie, but it's really the movie that Star Trek: Nemesis should have been.

Movies Viewed For the First Time
The Wolfman (2010)
The Hurt Locker

Both The Wolfman and The Hurt Locker were good movies. The Wolfman is the only 2010 movie release that's worth watching in theatres right now (other than Shutter Island). I found it be a really fun movie that did a pretty good job of updating the original Lon Chaney film. The only problem with the movie is Benicio Del Toro. The guy is a very talented actor, but he's terribly miscast in the movie. He just doesn't fit the part and there is absolutely no chemistry between him and any of the other actors in the film.

The Hurt Locker is looking to be the film that might beat Avatar in the Best Picture race for 2009's Oscars. It's a very good movie, too. The acting is superb, the directing solid, and the overall scenery and sets do a great job in helping to set the film's tone. The movie was made with a smaller budget and didn't do very well at the box office. It's garnering a lot of attention and is now available on DVD. However, as much as I enjoyed the film, it's not the best movie of 2009 either. It's worth seeing, but don't expect to be awed.

By the way, for those who want to know, the Real Best Picture of 2009 is Up. Pixar hit gold with that film. It's a completely original story that gives nods to famous actors and movies of the past and has a little bit of something for people of all ages. It's just as beautiful as Beauty and the Beast, but with a playful sense of wonder that is lacking in that movie. The first 15 minutes of the film are really a movie all of themselves, because it tells the life story of two people who love each other very much, all with the lead character of speaking a few words. Avatar will always be significant because of the technological breakthroughs the film developed, but the story and plot are rehashes of countless movies before. The Hurt Locker will probably be looked at as a how-to piece, as in how-to make a movie on a small budget that becomes an Oscar favorite. However, it is Up that will be looked upon and revered by movie lovers of every stripe and character for generations to come.

January 2010: Media Consumed

Books Read
*The Twilight Zone: Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? Mark Kneece, et al.
+Tundra Chad Carpenter
**Midlife the Crisis Musical Bob & Jim Walton

* = denotes a graphic novel or TPB
+ = denotes a book that is a collection of comic strips
** = denotes a play

In all honesty, I didn't read anything that was completely outstanding in January.

Movies Watched For the First Time
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
Daybreakers
Avatar
Moon
The Book of Eli
Up in the Air
You Can't Take It With You
Santa Buddies

I enjoyed most of the movies I watched in January, but there were a few that I found disappointing. Daybreakers was pretty well done. The Book of Eli was a movie that took me completely by surprise; it's a really well done film that reminded me a lot of an updated version of The Pilgrim's Progress. Moon, starring Sam Rockwell and Sam Rockwell, is a rather simple movie that starts off slow but then gathers steam and doesn't stop until the end. Avatar was good and the effects are nothing short of amazing, but the movie doesn't deserve near the praise it's been lauded or money it's taken in; it's definitely not the best picture of 2009.

Up in the Air is kind of a simpler movie, too that was mostly filmed in and around St. Louis. However, I found it incredibly depressing in addition to be overrated, too. Beyond the acting, there's really not much there, especially the story. You Can't Take It With You won Frank Capra a Best Picture Oscar, but it's not as good as much of the rest of Capra's work.