Monthly Archives: December 2016

Poe’s “Mesmeric Revelation”

Posted on 2016-12-30 by jimbelton

Edgar Allen Poe wrote many great horror stories, plenty of which are still effective today. One which does not fair so well is the “Mesmeric Revelation”. This is the story of a conversation between a mesmerist (what we would today … Continue reading →

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The Worst Films I Watched in 2016

Posted on 2016-12-29 by jimbelton

Here are the 8 worst films I watched last year, from least to most horrible: #8: “London Has Fallen” ** A trope filled action flick starring Gerard Butler with dialog that is laugh out loud bad, this is none-the-less a fun … Continue reading →

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A Parable of Two Brothers

Posted on 2016-12-28 by jimbelton

Once there were two brothers. The older brother was wise, and he always excelled at everything he did. The townspeople resented him, and so he was banished. He went to live in the great city, and he once again prospered. … Continue reading →

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Dante’s Inferno: Canto VI

Posted on 2016-12-28 by jimbelton

Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”, written around 1300 A.D., tells of his fantastic vision of hell, purgatory, and heaven. The first volume, the Inferno, has had incredible influence over our modern conception of hell. There are several free English translations available, … Continue reading →

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My Top 10 Movies of 2016

Posted on 2016-12-27 by jimbelton

I’ll get to the top 10 movies I watched in 2016 in a minute. But first: Solid Sequels Here are a couple of sequels to good films that I liked, but weren’t top 10: “Allegiant” * * * Allegiant is … Continue reading →

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Dante’s Inferno: Canto V

Posted on 2016-12-27 by jimbelton

Dante Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”, written around 1300 A.D., tells of his fantastic vision of hell, purgatory, and heaven. The first volume, the Inferno, has had incredible influence over our modern conception of hell. There are several free English translations available, … Continue reading →

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Review of “Star Wars: Rogue One” (No Spoilers)

Posted on 2016-12-27 by jimbelton

* * * * A I really liked “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, but found it a bit derivative. I had high hopes but low expectations for Rogue One. Wow! It blew my expectations away, and was everything I’d hoped … Continue reading →

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Do We Need a Minimum Wage?

Posted on 2016-12-26 by jimbelton

I generally believe in libertarian principles, and would argue that, in an ideal world, we shouldn’t need a minimum wage. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world. Regardless of whether you think a purely capitalist system would be free of … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction: What Does the Future Hold?

Posted on 2016-12-22 by jimbelton

Science fiction can be used as an allegorical medium, allowing ideas to be taken out of their familiar context and shown in a new light. A great example is the classic Star Trek episode Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, … Continue reading →

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Murders in the Rue Morgue: The Genesis of Mystery

Posted on 2016-12-20 by jimbelton

In 1841, a full forty five years before Arthur Conan Doyle published A Study in Scarlet, the first of his Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Edgar Allen Poe published “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”. This was the first of three mysteries … Continue reading →

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