Tres Interresant

The law has done its proper work on this fellow. Pray that he might hear the gospel! The real gospel.

Fame is like a poison, says American skiing ace Miller
Feb 16 11:58 AM US/Eastern

American skiing ace Bode Miller says he can understand while some athletes turn to drugs in their quest for fame. Miller, who on Tuesday was disqualified from the Winter Olympics' alpine skiing combined event after a slalom slip-up, believes the pressure to succeed forces some competitors to cheat.

"Sport was born clean and would remain so if it was about just competing for the fun of it, but the media and the public corrupt it because of the pressure they create," the outspoken Miller told the Gazzetta dello Sport. "Any athlete who isn't doing well is left in the corner, nobody asks for their autograph and they're left out in the cold. However, those who win things are regarded as symbols."

"Fame is like a poison. I don't care for it. I used to have a better life when I was nobody. "This pressure is inhumane, born out of an athlete's need to be number one."

"Sport should be a pleasure, a challenge against one's self. Sport is an act of freedom. On the piste you can push your limits and that is the essence of life."

Miller, 28, flopped badly in Sunday's downhill and the combined was his chance to make amends.

Read the article here.

Fred Eaglesmith

Here is a review from the Dallas Observer about one of my favorite musicians, Fred Eaglesmith. How can you not like a guy like this?

"Like Lyle Lovett with a bad hangover, Fred Eaglesmith is a storyteller who has earned his keep. After his father lost the family farm, Eaglesmith hopped trains and gathered subject matter. Cowboy Junkies, Chris Knight and Dar Williams are some of the folks who have covered his songs. Releasing rough country and folk for more than 20 years, his newest, Dusty, ups the ante by employing Casio beats and lush orchestration. Cynical and still uncompromising, Eaglesmith cherishes his outsider reputation. "I went into a record store the other day, and my CDs weren't in there. And I was glad," he writes on his Web site. His bile makes appearances in surprisingly mellow songs: "I-75," "Codeine" and "Carne del Toro" are slow, dramatic expressions of pain and loss, both personal and professional. Relaxed folksters should steer clear. Eaglesmith's calm presentation belies his deep-rooted, authoritative angst. His is what Steve Earle correctly labels "Real Music." "

Mike Horton

POWERFUL interview with Mike Horton on the theology of the cross!

But Ma......

The medieval monk and scholar Caesarius of Heisterbach tells of hearing a lay brother praying to Jesus: “Lord,” the man declared, “if Thou free me not from this temptation I will complain of Thee to Thy mother.”


Read more here.

Classic Horror

When I was a young tyke (in 5th grade or so), I became captivated by black and white horror movies. I read the books that inspired them and books about them. Here are some movie posters of my favorites:


I first saw the 1925 silent version of The Phantom of the Opera when I was in fourth grade. Miss Mullis took us to the Alabama Theatre which is an ornate building built in the 1920s. They have what is called the "Mighty Wurlitzer" organ to play during the silent movies. Every Halloween The Phantom is played, accompanied by Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach.

My little girlfriend at the time was Mary Elizabeth. She sat next to me and ended up in my lap during the famous unmasking scene. It was then I learned the benefits of scary movies. This is a great movie which combines fright, creepiness, and empathy. It is one of my favorite films of all time. I saw the Andrew Lloyd Webber version (2004) of the movie the other night at home and was highly disappointed. It should be illegal for the Phantom of the Opera to break out in song when he is at his most menacing.

Nosferatu is an interesting and highly creepy movie. It is also a silent movie, but it was made earlier (1922) in Germany. Another interesting aspect of the movie is how ssssllllloooowww the villian is. In the most famous scene, it takes Count Orlok about half the movie to climb a set of stairs. It's like The Blob. How can you not get away from it?

When I was a freshman at the University of Alabama, one of my English professors caught wind that I had seen the movie and liked it. She told me she believed Orlok was cast to represent exaggerated stereotypical Jewish features. That had not occurred to me, but I could see how that could happen in 1922 Germany. Legend had it that Max Schreck, the actor who played the Count, was a vampire himself. I am sure that was good for an extra couple of bucks at the box office.

One really cannot discuss classic horror without discussing the 1931 version of Frankenstein. What could I really say that has not been said? An interesting snippet about this movie is how the monster did not talk. Against the wishes of Boris Karloff (the actor who played the monster), the producers decided the monster should talk in the sequel. The sequel is when you hear the monster say "Fire!" and "Friend!" and things like that.

Great movie. Better book.




This is the king of them all in the world's eyes and really speaks for itself. The 1931 version of Dracula is the standard by which horror movies are made. The staircase descent scene is still quite chilling. Kids still dress up as Dracula on Halloween and will continue to do so for the forseeable future. I will say that I read the book again a couple of years ago and it will absolutely make the hairs on you neck stand up.

On a related note, I saw the movie Blacula a couple of months ago. It is a hoot.



The Wolf Man was made in 1941 and starred Lon Chaney, Jr., son of the legendary Lon Chaney. Lon Chaney, Sr. was, of course, the star of the 1925 version of The Phantom of the Opera among other movies. Bela Lugosi of Dracula fame is also in this movie. The Wolf Man is creepiest when the Lawrence Talbot (the protagonist) has not changed into a werewolf. He is bitten by a werewolf and goes to see a really creepy fortune teller. She tells him the most famous line in the movie:

Even a man who is pure in heart/and says his prayers by night/may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms/and the Autumn moon is bright.

I highly recommend the movie.

The Mummy was made in 1932, following closely behind Dracula and Frankenstein. When I was in 5th grade, I became fascinated somehow with ancient Egyptian history, especially mythology. I read every book a young boy could possibly understand about the subject. Mrs. Beckham was such a good Social Studies teacher, it was captivating. Anyway, my love for classic horror and ancient Egypt met at this movie. Boris Karloff played both the mummy and Frankenstein's monster, marking him for legendary status.


So, there we have it. Another interesting tidbit about eccentric me. I never did like the 80's slasher movies or any other kind of modern horror. For some reason, these classic horror movies really captivated me, though. I still watch them whenever I can.