Deep Something

Band of Brothers – A Mini-Series Review

August 16, 2009 B. John 242 Views 0 Comments 101st Airborne, Adventure, Drama, Easy Company, History, Steven Speilberg, Tom Hanks, War, WW II

This is the story of “E” Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division from their initial training starting in 1942 to the end of World War II. They parachuted behind enemy lines in the early hours of D-Day in support of the landings at Utah beach, participated in the liberation of Carentan and again parachuted into action during Operation Market Garden. They also liberated a concentration camp and were the first to enter Hitler’s mountain retreat in Berchtesgarten. A fascinating tale of comradeship that is, in the end, a tale of ordinary men who did extraordinary things. Worth everyone of it’s 705 minutes.

Culture Movies

Valkyrie – A Movie Review

December 29, 2008 B. John 271 Views 1 Comment Action, Adventure, Bill Nighy, Biopic, Bryan Singer, Drama, Tom Cruise, Tom Wilkinson, War

A proud military man, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg is a loyal officer who serves his country all the while hoping that someone will find a way to stop Hitler before Europe and Germany are destroyed. Realizing that time is running out, he decides that he must take action himself and joins the German resistance. Armed with a cunning strategy to use Hitler’s own emergency plan – known as Operation Valkyrie – these men plot to assassinate the dictator and overthrow his Nazi government from the inside.

Culture Featured Movies

Boy In The Striped Pajamas, The – A Movie Review

November 23, 2008 B. John 349 Views 0 Comments Asa Butterfield, Cara Horgan, David Hayman, David Thewlis, Drama, Friendship, hate, Holocaust, Jack Scanlon, Nazi, Rupert Friend, Vera Farmiga, War, War crimes, WW II

It is not often that I make a movie review one of our featured posts, but after my experience watching this movie, I realized that this was a movie that needs to be seen. It is a miraculous story with so many lessons about life and morality that I just don’t know where to begin. This is definitely a movie I may see again, and it’s certainly a movie I will encourage others to watch. Leaving the movie was like leaving a moving religious service.

Congress Crime Politics Presidency Society War

The Anthrax Questions

August 3, 2008 B. John 330 Views 0 Comments 9/11, Anthrax, Bruce Ivins, Dick Cheney, False Flag, Gleen Greenwald, Iraq, Pat Leahy, PATRIOT Act, Salon, Tom Daschle, War

Glenn Greenwald has an excellent article up at Salon.com discussing the unresolved issues around the 2001 anthrax incident. As everyone knows Bruce Ivins committed suicide earlier this week as a Grand Jury prepared to indict him in connection with the anthrax incident. Ivins had been a top anthrax researcher at a U.S. Government research facility for 18 years. So seven years after the incident, and after having to pay a settlement to one falsely accused researcher, we’re to believe the government had an airtight case against Ivins witnessed by his apparent suicide.

Congress Election Legislature Politics Presidency Religion Right Wingnuts Society

2006 Mid-Term Elections

November 9, 2006September 29, 2018 B. John 264 Views 1 Comment amtaliban, Bush, evangelicals, Filibuster, Iraq, War

Of course I can’t pass by the 2006 mid-term elections without comment. It was clearly a stunning victory for Democrats, and I can only hope the new Democratic majority will roll back some of the powers granted to the executive branch. Unfortunately, that normally comes very slowly.

Politics War

U.S. Soldiers Kill Iraqi Woman in Labor

May 31, 2006 B. John 180 Views Collateral Damage, Iraq, War

Nabiha Nisaif Jassim’s brother was racing her to the maternity hospital in Samarra, Iraq, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. U.S. troops fired on the car because it didn’t stop at a roadblock and killed her and her about to be delivered child. Her fetus died too. Her female cousin also was killed. Jassim was 35.

Corruption Politics War

U.S. Admits Using Chemical Weapons

November 17, 2005 B. John 258 Views administration, Bush, chemical weapons, department of defense, DOD, Iraq, liar, War, white house

Reversing numerous prior denials, Pentagon officials said yesterday that white phosphorous was in fact “used as a weapon against insurgent strongholds during the battle of Fallujah last November.”

Culture General Movies Religion

Kingdom of Heaven

November 13, 2005 B. John 267 Views Action, Drama, Kingdom of Heaven, Ridley Scott, War

Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.

Culture Movies War

Jarhead

November 11, 2005 B. John 260 Views Action, Anthony Swofford, Comedy, Drama, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jarhead, Marines, Sam Mendes, War

Based on former Marine Anthony Swofford’s best-selling 2003 book about his pre-Desert Storm experiences in Saudi Arabia and about his experiences fighting in Kuwait.

Culture Movies Politics

Lord of War

October 29, 2005 B. John 231 Views arms, Culture, dealer, good, movie, Movies, War, weapons

An arms dealer (Cage) confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an Interpol agent (Hawke).

Politics Religion Society War

Once Again A Call To Methodist Bishops to Denouce Torture

September 28, 2005June 12, 2018 B. John 278 Views bishop, bishops, government, government sponsored torture, Iraq, methodism, methodist, Religion, religious, religious leaders, torture, War

I have, several times in the past, called on the U.S. Bishops of the United Methodist Church, to write George Bush and denounce the practice of government sponsored torture. To the best of my knowledge, only five have done so. In light of the recent revelations, I am, again, calling on these Christian leaders to denounce toture. I will be much aggressive this time in that I plan to make a phone call to each.