Gloria Steinem on Sarah Palin
By Patrick Henry · Leave a Comment
“Sarah Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Hillary Clinton.”
–Gloria Steinem
George Patton on Fighting
By Atticus Finch · Leave a Comment
“Men, this stuff we hear about America wanting to stay out of the war, not wanting to fight, is a lot of bullshit. Americans love to fight - traditionally. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble player; the fastest runner; the big league ball players; the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans despise cowards. Americans play to win - all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost, not ever will lose a war, for the very thought of losing is hateful to an American.”
–General George S. Patton
Ben Affleck’s “Boiler Room” Soliloquy
By Spartacus · Leave a Comment
Ben Affleck–yes, the same Affleck of Gigli fame–absolutely rocks the house in this cameo appearance from Boiler Room (2000). His performance is almost enough–but not quite–to forgive him for so many of his other forgettable roles:
Martin Luther King, Jr. on Freedom
By Atticus Finch · Leave a Comment
“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
–Martin Luther King, Jr.
Atticus Finch on Courage
By Spartacus · Leave a Comment
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
–Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
pH Reading — Tuesday, September 2, 2008
By Write Of Center · Leave a Comment
A Star Is Born?
New York Times · William Kristol
Thursday night, after Barack Obama’s well-orchestrated, well-conceived and well-delivered acceptance speech in Denver, Republicans were demoralized. Twenty-four hours later, they were energized — even exuberant. It’s amazing what a bold vice-presidential pick who gives a sterling performance when she’s introduced will do for a party’s spirits…
Woody Allen on Fidelity
By Spartacus · Leave a Comment
“I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics.”
–Woody Allen, Manhattan (1979)
Alec Baldwin’s Sensational Speech from “Glengarry Glen Ross”
By Spartacus · Leave a Comment
This is a spectacular scene from Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) — unquestionably, the best scene of the movie and one of the best of all time. Alec Baldwin at his best:
pH Reading — Monday, September 1, 2008
By Patrick Henry · Leave a Comment
The Audacity of Hype
The New York Times · William Safire
By choosing the venue of a vast outdoor stadium as John Kennedy did for his “new frontier” acceptance, and by speaking on the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” address, Barack Obama — whose claim to fame is an ability to move audiences with his words — deliberately invited comparison with two of the most memorable speeches of our recent history. What a mistake…
