EXCEPTIONALLY INFORMATIVE TEXT - Although Some Movies Don't Require An Explanation (*A Haiku Review)

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UNDERSTANDING MOVIES (Third Edition)

by Louis Giannetti

originally published: 1972
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So, now when I watch
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES,
I “get it” . . . and laugh.

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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[* This goofy review is dedicated to the goofy MARTIN BRUMER (Feb. 15, 1960 to July 18, 1989), a doggoned good actor and an even better friend whose copy of this fine book was presented to me by his Mother after he left for “That Great Sound Stage In The Sky.” Thanks, Marty & Miriam!]
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NO POLITICAL TURTLES HERE (They All Stuck Their Necks Out!)

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2Oth CENTURY HEROES
by American Opinion Publishing, Inc.
copyright: 2000
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My family participates in a "Mystery Santa / Gift Theft" game every Christmas Eve. A few years back, I anonymously brought a copy of 20TH CENTURY HEROES for the game, hoping to swipe it for myself -- which I did. "Santa" knows what I like.
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20TH CENTURY HEROES is a fine book, featuring well-researched and nicely written profiles of "25 extraordinary individuals [who] helped steer the course of history away from the tyranny of the Total State." These people were GREAT GIRAFFES, not POLITICAL TURTLES! The book is loaded with photographs and 5 to 10 pages are dedicated to each hero.
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In his Introduction, Gary Benoit writes: "On the surface at least, the tragic history of the last century does not appear to offer much hope for the survival of our Christian-style civilization ... the 20th-century prologue to the new millenium could be described as the rise of the Total State -- the totalitarian "isms" (Communism, Nazism, Facism), under which the ruling elite exercise absolute power without any religious, moral, or legal constraints. ... Of course, none of the heroes honored in this book was perfect; all of them were sinners. Yet, by the grace of God, they were able to perform heroic deeds in spite of man's fallen nature and, in many cases, to rally their countrymen in defense of freedom."
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The 25 individuals are profiled under the following categories...
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MARTIAL VALOR:
Douglas MacArthur / George Patton / Draza Mihailovich / Henri Guisan
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STATESMANSHIP:
Chiang Kai-shek / Francisco Franco / Antonio de Oliveira Salazar / Syngman Rhee / Moise Tshombe / Augusto Pinochet / Robert Taft
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FAITH, COURAGE, CHARACTER:
Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty / John Birch / Charles Lindberg / Ezra Taft Benson / Booker T. Washington
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SCHOLARSHIP, PHILOSOPHY, IMAGINATION:
Ludwig von Mises / G.K. Chesterton / C.S. Lewis / Taylor Caldwell / Yoey O'Dogherty
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FREEDOM ACTIVISM:
John T. Flynn / Martin Dies / Joseph McCarthy / Dan Smoot / Robert Welch
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I have an affinity for any book that sets the record straight concerning the calumny STILL being upchucked by the mass media about Senator Joseph McCarthy -- (TV Guide's Dec. 5-11, 2004 issue featured 'The 100 Most Memorable TV Moments!' Coming in at #39, "HAVE YOU NO SHAME?" [6/9/54]: "At the Army-McCarthy hearings, the lawyer's question for the senator finally shows who the real enemy is." *Anybody who believes that is in dire need of deprogramming!)
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Although the man died before I was born, I feel an intense pain in my heart for McCarthy, and embarrassment for how this country turned its back on that truly heroic patriot. America was not worthy of him. Even less so now.
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'The New American' magazine (an organ of the John Birch Society) is quite possibly the finest current events periodical in the country (see [link> www.thenewamerican.com). Since these essays first appeared in its pages, it is no surprise that John Birch and Robert Welch are included.
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20TH CENTURY HEROES will be a valuable research tool in the bookshelf of any real American patriot concerned with the struggle between liberty and despotism, between the free enterprise system and State-controlled abject collectivism. However, my mind being devoid of Panglossian delusions, I am convinced that this book and the great truths it explores will remain largely ignored by this and future generations and to the detriment of global societies!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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ILLUMINATIng The Shadows

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THE SHADOWS OF POWER
by James Perloff
published: 1988
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The vast majority of Americans believe that the U.S. is engaged in a "Culture War". Indeed, this is true, but where they go wrong is in assuming that the war is carried out by two titanic forces known as the Democrat and Republican parties -- the white and black-hatted combatants, or the black and white-hatted combatants, depending upon where the observer stands. The truth is that BOTH parties are wearing black hats, and the raging battle played out daily in Washington and the various media outlets is for public consumption only. The REAL war theater is elsewhere.
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My best analogy is a "Punch-And-Judy" show. While the audience (the public at large) is engrossed in the fisticuffs between two warring enemies, behind the scenes, a single entity controls both participants. If you wish to see beyond the marionettes and get a look at the puppeteer, you'll need to read printed material that exists outside of The Establishment's imprimatur. Such as James Perloff's 'THE SHADOWS OF POWER'.
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I can hear a few of you balking already: "It sounds like he's referring to a... a...a... (shhh!)... conspiracy."
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Welcome to the REAL world, friend! It's about time you woke up and smelled the arsenic! 'THE SHADOWS OF POWER' is a well-researched and well-written expose on the heart of the matter: The Council On Foreign Relations (C.F.R.) -- which is not "Ground Zero" of the Conspiracy, but it does represent the visible moving parts, the meshing gears, the framers and roofers and electricians building 'The New World Order' structure from the blueprint provided by the "architects" hidden from public view -- the "wizards" behind the curtain.
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More than you know, you need to read this book if you...
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* Have no idea what the C.F.R. is and wants.
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* Think the Federal Reserve, which controls the U.S. economy, is a government agency.
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* Wonder why the U.S. sent young men to fight Communism in Asia only 3 years after permitting (and assisting in) the establishment of a Soviet satellite just 150 miles off the coast of Florida.
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* Still can't figure out how and why the U.S. lost that war with two-bit Communists in Asia.
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* Were watching nice little stories on the Seven O'Clock news about Presidents Bill 'n' Hill [*See them tote their Bible to church and sing praises with the congregation.]; their nice daughter, Chelsea; and their nice little dog, Buddy, while sensitive technology with military capability was being sold to the Red Chinese without comment from the mainstream media.
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One chapter of particular interest is 'A Second Look At Ronald Reagan'. Reagan "chalked up more government debt than all the Presidents before him COMBINED!" He was touted as an enemy of taxation and big government, and yet, although he did cut tax rates, he "also pushed through the largest single tax increase in our nation's history, as well as boosts in the gasoline and Social Security taxes." Although critical of Jimmy Carter for abiding by the Salt II Treaty, which the Senate didn't ratify, later as President, Reagan ordered two Poseidon ballistic missile submarines DISMANTLED to ensure we stayed within Salt II limits. And that's just the beginning!
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'The Media Blackout' chapter is also very enlightening. Here we learn of Nicaragua's former President Anastasio Somoza's complaint about the deliberate hatchet job he received at the hands of Dan Rather and 60 Minutes. It reveals the power to promote an agenda and sway the public perception that major print and media outlets possess. And it should force most Americans to reconsider how many of their current beliefs might have been artificially induced by the manipulative mainstream media.
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Although the book was published in 1988, it's every bit as relevant now as it was then because the C.F.R. program hasn't changed -- evidenced by today's headlines, and discerned by anyone who knows how the game is played.
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If there's ONE thing I've learned in studying politics over these many years, it's this: It's NEVER what politicians SAY that counts; it's strictly what they DO. To the detriment of the People of the United States, when the Democrat party takes power, it usually keeps its campaign promises. Equally detrimental, the Republican party doesn't. And because I love the U.S. Constitution, I despise them both! Get this book and see who is standing in the shadows and pulling the strings on those two puppets.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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"THERE'S A SADNESS IN THE HEART OF THINGS"

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[Originally published on 2005, Feb. 16th]
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SENTIMENTAL HYGIENE
by Warren Zevon
released: 1987
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Although I'm not a hardcore WARREN ZEVON fan, I owned several of his albums back in the era of Licorice Pizza (vinyl records). And I did catch him live once in the late '80s -- a fairly mundane performance, and this in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles. When I sold off my LPs and made the transition to compact discs, his eponymous album was the only recording I reacquired.
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On vacation this past July, I heard SENTIMENTAL HYGIENE in a store and bought a copy -- it having reminded me of my youth and those daze of "Liquid Sedation."
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I've never listened to ZEVON so much for the music. He's not terrifically "melodic" much of the time and his sandpaper-edged vocals lack range. It's Zevon for the lyrics, for his wry take on life. He was Rock's Grim Reaper on Laughing Gas! Zevon's writing didn't just put angst on the table, it presented it as the entree, but usually with rich jocularity sauce ladled over the top for seasoning. A pint glass of arsenic with a "twist" of humor (or perhaps that ought to be "with a twisted humor"). He always gave us the WAR-IN-ZEVON: that interior knock-down, drag-out struggle of a warped man in a totally insane world.
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Overall, this is the warped boy's hardest rocking disc. After a much publicized stint in rehab for drug and alcohol abuse, this was a "comeback" album designed to show that he had indeed gotten up off the canvas swinging! For me, the standout tracks are:
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BOOM BOOM MANCINI -- A thunderous anthem to the lion-hearted, Youngstown, Ohio pugilist. It is driven by an appropriately over-amped, bruising guitar hook and uppercut! I can still remember the car radio announcement that informed me of Mancini's 14 round loss to Alexis Arguello in 1981. I bawled for the brawler. But then I was "LIQUIDATED" at the time -- some evil man at Dodger Stadium having sold me 2 beers an inning for 9 innings. (Don't hate me; I wasn't driving!) THE WAR-IN-ZEVON: "Some have the speed and the right combinations; if you can't take the punches, it don't mean a thing."
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RECONSIDER ME -- A plaintive and moving ballad sung straight on the rocks, no "twist." THE WAR-IN-ZEVON: "If it's still the past that makes you doubt, darlin' that was then and this is now. Reconsider me."
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BAD KARMA -- A very funny song about picking up the gauntlet thrown down by life and coming to grips with disillusionment. THE WAR-IN-ZEVON: "Was it something I did in another life? I try and try but nothing comes out right for me. Bad karma, killing me by degrees."
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EVEN A DOG CAN SHAKE HANDS -- Ya gotta love the enthusiastic energy of this one. It starts out with "YEAH!! WOO-OOO!! HEEEEEY!!" Good stuffs about the tie-wearing parasites in the music biz. Now, if you've lived in L.A., you know that the San Fernando Valley is where you take up residence just prior to limping out of town with yer head down and yer tail tucked between yer legs. So it's pretty funny when our singer is warned to play the game properly or he'll "end up dead, living in The Valley someday". As though the two are synonymous. THE WAR-IN-ZEVON: "Abandon all hope and don't rock the boat, and we'll all make a few hundred grand. Everybody's trying to be a friend of mine. Even a dog can shake hands."
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THE HEARTACHE -- Another ballad on the rocks, no "twist." The subject is unrequited love, which in common parlance means, "unsuccessful open-heart surgery." 'The Heartache' contains one of the greatest lines in song: "THERE'S A SADNESS IN THE HEART OF THINGS". This one line has haunted me ever since I first heard it in 1987. In all these years, not a month has passed that I didn't find myself silently reciting it in response to some unfortunate situation, or while merely contemplating the setting of the sun. If you don't get it, then consider yourself lucky and rejoice in your insensitivity. THE WAR-IN-ZEVON: "There's a sadness in the heart of things" ...of course! Why, it's only the most poignant moment on the entire album!
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I would dig SENTIMENTAL HYGIENE a lot more if the songs that I don't care for, I felt merely neutral about. But I actively dislike DETOX MANSION, Zevon's noisy, irreverent attempt to make light of his drug and alcohol rehab. To plagiarize one of his earlier songs: It ain't that funny at all. The attempt at humor sounds forced. Many years ago I wrote a poem called 'The League Of Soul Crusaders' which included the lines, "THESE BOYS DON'T CRY WHEN THEY SHOULD / AND LAUGH WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T". I feel that 'Detox Mansion' is a good example of that.
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One of my pet peeves in music is when lifelong Rock Stars with Champagne and Brie on their breath sing about the tough life of 'the working man'. Boys, give it a rest! Don't let your conscience convince you that we need to hear your understanding. If you want to sing to us about how difficult it is to have 13 groupies a night but only 2 hotel suites, or how the bad concert promoter forgot to remove the brown M&Ms from the backstage candy bowl, or how room service is too slow at the Hilton, fine. But don't be telling us about punching a time clock with the bossman looking over your shoulder! Don't gripe about the 8 to 5 'blue collar' life, because you don't know it like we do! (Are you listening Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon & Jackson Browne?) 
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Zevon commits this cardinal Rock Music sin in the unconvincing and unmusical THE FACTORY. Aside from all that, the first four lines are poorly conceived: "I was born in '63 / Got a little job in the factory / I don't know much about Kennedy / I was too busy working in the factory." (Give that some real thought. What happened to the Child Labor Laws?!)
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Overall, SENTIMENTAL HYGIENE is a very solid effort. His self-titled album 'WARREN ZEVON', however, remains his essential release. It includes his real masterpiece, DESPERADOS UNDER THE EAVES, and also CARMELITA, with its reference to the infamous "Pioneer Chicken Stand". Which, incidentally, once stood on the Southeast corner at Alvarado and Montana Streets in L.A., a few blocks north of Echo Park. The spot is now just the upper corner of the Vons Supermarket parking lot. But if any of you Zevon diehards ever make the pilgrimage to this "legendary" location, don't tell anyone that you heard from Stephen T. I hear the cops, a one-eyed bartender, and thirteen angry waitresses are still hunting for me.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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AVOCADO: IT'S NOT JUST ANOTHER CALIFORNIA "FRUIT"

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[Review written and published at
Amazon.com on October 1, 2005]
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AVOCADOS
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The [link:> Hass Variety From California Preferred
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I found myself with a little spare time and decided to write an Amazon review. Ah, but what to apply my computer keyboard to? Certainly it needed to be important -- something with social relevance, and worthy of my time. Plato's 'REPUBLIC'? Nah, too old.
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'THE ANTI-FEDERALIST PAPERS AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION DEBATES'? Too stuffy.
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G. Edward Griffin's 'THE CREATURE FROM JEKYLL ISLAND: A SECOND LOOK AT THE FEDERAL RESERVE'? Too depressing.
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'THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE' by William James? Nah, too remote for "Six-Pack" Sam and "Max Factor" Mary.
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And then, just as I was salting my avocado, I hit upon the porridge that was "just right". Why, avocados of course! The answer was right there under my nose all along. "Why not share with your Amazon pals 'The Southern California Experience'?" I asked myself. "There is nothing in which you have more expertise." And when I failed to find an adequate reBUTTal, I planted mine on the chair and clicked the "Write A Review" button.
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Say the name "California" and immediately "nuts" and "fruits" come to mind. After all, California produces 40% of America's produce. And yet, one rarely thinks specifically of that most delectable California fruit: the avocado.
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The old joke is that "When California sneezes, the rest of the country catches a cold." But when we're talking avocados, it's no joking matter to me -- this is SERIOUS business! I fear, however, that some may not approach this matter with sufficient solemnity. And granted, my attitude in the past may be partially responsible.
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In the 2005, April 25 issue of Time magazine -- that paragon of nonpartisan journalism published by the C.F.R. corporate sponsor AOL Time-Warner Inc. -- the cover story featured Ann Coulter. She revealed in the interview that when her editor suggests cutting a line from a column to save space, she asks him, "But is it funny?" And if he says it is, she'll cut an actual fact instead.
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Now, in some respects, Ann Coulter and I are quite dissimilar. For instance, she is more liberal and politically diplomatic than I am, while being physically less attractive and less muscular. However, we both appear to be slaves to our own sense of humor. Perhaps I occasionally say or write something I ought not, but if it strikes me as funny, I "out with it" anyway. And I feel that because of my brand of humor, I am often misunderstood by those who march to a drummer who keeps a steady, though unadventurous 4/4 beat. You see, the "drummer" in my head -- when he's not trying to sell me some trinket I don't need -- keeps a rather quirky, irregular time. But if you'll take me seriously for once, I'll take you on a No-Expenses-Paid vacation to Southern California. Having been born and "razed" there, I'm the best tour guide you'll find... (at this price!)
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Here's what you'll need:
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1) One copy of Bruce Brown's seminal surfing flick 'THE ENDLESS SUMMER' (1966).
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2) One copy of any Beach Boys album, but preferably the anthology 'ENDLESS SUMMER'. (You can substitute 'MORRISON HOTEL' or 'L.A. WOMAN' by The Doors if you require a slightly harder edge, but I recommend you go the traditional route.)
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3) One bottle of California's BEAULIEU VINEYARD "Rutherford" Cabernet Sauvignon. You can substitute SIERRA NEVADA Pale Ale, brewed in Chico, California, if you prefer to quaff liquid cereal than liquid grapes.
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4) Two slices of WHITE TOAST.
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5) Two pats of butter.
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6) One CALIFORNIA HASS AVOCADO, as pictured above. It should be HASS -- identifiable by its very bumpy, thick, almost leather-like skin.
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7) One shaker of salt (which one should keep handy anyway whilst reading Stephen T. McCarthy).
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Here's what you do: A) Put on the surfing movie and turn the sound DOWN. B) Put on the Beach Boys music and turn the sound UP. C) Occasionally sip your liquid California grapes or liquid California cereal, while you...
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* Spread the butter on the toast while it's hot, so the butter melts.
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* With a round-tipped dinner knife (a pointed steak knife will only "butcher" the project) cut into the ripe (!) avocado at its tapered end, and cut around the fruit (or guide the avocado around the knife's blade) to create two equal halves. Pull them apart.
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* Carefully cut around the inner seed and gently pry it out of the avocado's center.
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* Insert the knife carefully and deeply just between the flesh and the avocado's shell and gently saw through the flesh while slowly rotating the fruit around the knife. Make two revolutions to be thorough, and then use the knife to pry the inside flesh out of the outer shell and onto a piece of toast. If you did it properly, you should have the flesh of half of an avocado in one piece, sitting on the toast.
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* Now slice the avocado up into multiple segments and mush it all together until the top of the toast is entirely covered.  (It should look something like guacamole on toast.)
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* Finally, salt the top very, VERY generously, and eat.
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* Repeat the process for the second piece of toast.
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You are now as close to being a genuine, dyed-in-the-wool, Old School Californian as any outsider can ever hope to be.
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This delicacy which you have just enjoyed is a McCARTHY FAMILY TRADITION, which I grew up savoring. I got it from my Pa who got it from his Pa who got it from... who knows where?
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1) I have yet to meet anyone outside of the McCarthy Family who had eaten avocado in THIS particular manner.
2) I have yet to meet anyone who didn't imagine it to be unappetizing when described.
3) I have yet to meet anyone who hasn't loved it after finally giving it a try. (Key: Again, lots of salt!)
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I freely admit that I'd find ideologically abhorrent the ordering of California avocados from New York. And the current $2.99 price tag would only add injury to insult. That's like getting "Californicated" by a New Yorker! Back when I was growing up in the "Dogtown" section of Los Angeles, we often pulled 'em right off the trees which were growing EVERYWHERE. Got 'em free from God! But if your only choices are California avocados from New York at $2.99 apiece, or no avocados from anywhere at any price... get "Californicated".
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If I were scheduled to be executed (and someday I probably will be), AVOCADO  ON  TOAST would be my "last supper" request. And hopefully they'd have to order the avocados from New York while I'm imprisoned in some Scandinavian country. (More time to make good my escape, ya un'erstan'.)
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In closing, I'll suggest the same thing to you that the four-time national surfing champion, Yoey O'Dogherty, once suggested to me in 1977 while we were "hanging ten" on a nine foot wave in sunny Malibu, California: "Dude, like, let's go get some avocados, man!"
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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PRIME PRIMA!

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THE CALL OF THE WILDEST / THE WILDEST SHOW AT TAHOE
by Louis Prima w/ Keely Smith, Sam Butera & The Witnesses
released: 1990
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Although he's likely listening to the ethereal harmonizing of an angel choir now, when my Pa (who was truly one of my best friends) was still with us, his favorite vocalists were Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington. But the records I remember him most often playing were 'Golden Hits' by Roger Miller (he had a penchant for waking us up for school by blasting, 'You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd') and the two LOUIS PRIMA albums collected here on this one compact disc.
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As a little kid, I was fascinated by the cover photo on 'THE CALL OF THE WILDEST' and I spent a lot of time scrutinizing it. I thought that the over-the-top rambunctiousness of the song THERE'LL BE NO NEXT TIME was hilarious (and I didn't even know what adultery was!)
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The second album, 'THE WILDEST SHOW AT TAHOE', recorded live at Harrah's Club in 1958 always reminds me of our family vacation to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, about fourteen years later: Out on the lake in a small boat, my Pa says, "Look at the size of that fish!" Stephen, like the idiot he was and is, peers over the side of the boat and gets the predictable shove in the back.
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My Pa knew he had erred when I resurfaced bluer than the lake. Cold? Folks, you don't even know what cold is until your Pa has pushed you into the notoriously frigid Lake Tahoe! My brain was instantaneously transformed into blue raspberry Jello. Forget swimming! I couldn't even remember how to dog paddle! But over the years, that regrettable little event gained me great leverage -- "What do you mean you won't buy me a stereo? Pa, you remember that time in Lake Tahoe when you...?" Ah, such fond memories this disc calls to mind for me.
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The music produced by this top-notch small jazz band (featuring Sam Butera on tenor sax) is consistently good. It's performed fast and loose with a sense of humor and an eye toward the novelty. But they play it straight (and quite well) on most of those numbers that feature Keely Smith. Two things about Keely that cannot be disputed: 1) She was perpetually in great need of a decent hair stylist. 2) The lady could really sing! I like her renditions of AUTUMN LEAVES and THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES, but I love FOGGY DAY and I GOTTA RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES with its shifts in tempo. This may be the definitive take on these songs.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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DANGER! YOU ARE SKATING ON THIN ICE!

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THE EDGAR CAYCE COMPANION
compiled by B. Ernest Frejer
published: 1995
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As a third generation 'Cayce-ite', I spent the better part of two decades intensely studying the Edgar Cayce Readings. I was a long-time member of a Cayce 'Search For God' study group, and for two years I was a volunteer correspondent for the Cayce Foundation's (Association for Research And Enlightenment - A.R.E.) Prison Outreach Program. So, my personal history with this material is extensive. But after circumstances compelled me to initiate an objective re-examination of my metaphysical teachers and their teachings, I arrived at a conclusion that forced me to back off and entrust my Spiritual development exclusively to Bible study, prayer, meditation, and the Divine Guidance ensuing from these practices.
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To be sure, there is much information of great value within these pages. Cayce was a benevolent soul whose psychic readings helped bring physical healing to scores of people. This is documented fact and The Holy Bible tells us "a tree is known by its fruit" and "a house divided will not stand". (Matthew 12:25, 33) THIS work was of God. 
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In one reading (#1152-5) Cayce stated, "DID YOUR LORD BLEED WHEN THE NAILS WERE DRIVEN IN HIS HANDS AND FEET? DID HE GIVE UP THE GHOST? DID HE DIE? YEA. FOR AS HE GAVE, WITHOUT HIS DEATH -- YEA, WITHOUT HIS RESURRECTION -- THERE IS NO HOPE IN MAN'S ESTATE.' And in another (#422-1) he said that spirits or entities must be tested: "IN EACH EXPERIENCE ASK THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE LIFE, THE DEATH, THE RESURRECTION OF THE JESUS, THE CHRIST... OTHERWISE, GET THEE BEHIND ME, I WILL HAVE NO PART WITH THEE." 
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According to The Holy Bible (1st John 2:22; 4:1-3; 5:1) Cayce could not have made statements like these but by inspiration of The Holy Spirit. 
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That the Light of God can be found in many of his readings is indisputable and clearly evident in this collection of excerpts which includes a valuable section on SPIRITUAL IDEALS and gems such as these: "Why worry when ye may pray?" (#2981-1); "You'll not be in Heaven if you're not leaning on the arm of someone you have helped." (#3352-1); "When individuals hold a grudge they are fighting the God within themselves against the God within the individual... towards whom such is held." (#1304-1); and the EXCEEDINGLY IMPORTANT WARNING: "(In meditation) never open self... without surrounding self with the Spirit of The Christ, that ye may ever be guarded." (#440-8) 
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The section on HUMOR is very brief, but it's a hoot! For example: 
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Q: woulD it be better fOr the body to remain in bed without movinG about? 
A: It'll move when you give it the Castor Oil. (#348-18)
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Q: How much better am I? 
A: 37.3% (#567-4)
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Hide not skeletons in thine own closet, for they rattle when ye least expect them. (#3246-1) 
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So, what's the problem then? Cayce's readings are NOT ALL correct and they sometimes originated from spiritual darkness! In reading #1472-14 he said, "IT IS NOT MEANT THAT INFORMATION GIVEN THROUGH THIS CHANNEL SHOULD BE INTERPRETED AS BEING INFALLIBLE." In #531-2 he posed the question, "WHAT PREVENTS THE INFORMATION FROM ALWAYS BEING ACCURATE, OR BEING WHOLLY OF UNQUESTIONABLE NATURE?" before continuing on with an impossibly convoluted answer! 
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This is YOUR Spiritual development we're talking about here; no small matter! Do you REALLY trust your own judgement sufficiently to always be able to discern which of Cayce's readings are Divine and which are a demonic deception? MANY of his Earth changes prophecies have proven to be inaccurate. Jesus did not return in 1998 (#5748-5); The poles did not shift in 2000 or 2001 (#826-8), et al. 
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Yes, I know experientially that Cayce's 3-Day Apple Cleanse Diet is efficacious, and clearly he supernaturally gained insight into the anti-cancer Vitamin B-17 content of (bitter) almonds (see #1158-31 and read WORLD WITHOUT CANCER by G. Edward Griffin and ALIVE AND WELL by Dr. Philip Binzel, Jr.) 
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And yet, in another reading (#3180-3) he inexplicably makes the absurd statement that "AN ALMOND A DAY IS MUCH MORE IN ACCORD WITH KEEPING THE DOCTOR AWAY... THAN APPLES. FOR THE APPLE WAS THE FALL, NOT THE ALMOND." Not only does the apple have nothing whatsoever to do with the "Fall" of mankind (the word "apple" does not even appear in the entire book of Genesis), but in fact, apple seeds contain as much or more concentrated Vitamin B-17 than bitter almonds do! 
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In other readings (#1152-11 & #470-10) Cayce dubiously praises things that my independent studies have conclusively shown to be luciferian in nature! In #364-1 he says of Theosophical literature: "AS TO WHETHER THIS INFORMATION IS TRUE OR NOT, DEPENDS UPON THE CREDENCE INDIVIDUALS GIVE TO THIS CLASS OF INFORMATION." Is this not bovine excrement of the highest order? Can a less helpful and more non-committal position be conceived? 
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Over the years I developed a theory to explain how Cayce's God-given Gift became polluted and why his 'HEALTH' readings are considerably more reliable than his 'LIFE' readings. But the bottom line is this: Do you really wish to risk the condition of your mind and soul by trusting in these pages when a sincere appeal for (and faith in) The Father and Son's Guidance, serious Bible study, prayer and PROPER (!!!) meditation is all that's required in order to get you SAFELY where you want to be? Not to mention saving you $16.00 (See my online guide titled "Would You Like To... DEVELOP A REaLATIONSHIP WITH GOD" Parts 1 Through 4.) 
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Naturally, it is for each person to decide just what course they wish to sail. I apologize for the unseemly length of this review, but I felt that this was important and that I ought to share my thoughts with you. Thanks for considering them. 
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HOSANNA!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Wind Your Watch and "WATCH!"

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END-TIME PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE

by David Haggith

published: 1999

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Simply stated, DAVID HAGGITH has written the most exhaustive and Spiritually mature book on eschatology that I have encountered. About five years ago, a gentleman who owned a mobile bookstore expressed his appreciation for me by insisting that I select any item from his stock. I had not heard of David Haggith, but because of my deep interest in Bible study, his tome 'END-TIME PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE' caught my eye. I can tell you without hesitation that I would have been every bit as pleased with my choice even if I had paid full price.

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The first question that will be raised by people Biblically aware, but a bit naive is: Why study the Last Days when Jesus said that they will arrive like a thief in the night; no one knows the day or the hour of their coming, and they could be far into the future? 

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There are several ideas to take into consideration here. First -- Jesus said, "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven." (Matt. 24:36) Note that He spoke specifically of days and hours, not necessarily decades or years. HAGGITH says on page 121 that looking at it this way is "being hyperliteral".  I don't think so. Jesus chose His words carefully. 

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Furthermore, what might have been unforeseeable two thousand years ago, may be quite perceivable now. Also, if it was still going to be unpredictable even when the age was nearly upon us, why did Jesus bother giving His closest apostles clues to watch for? In Matthew 24 & Mark 13, The Master tells Peter, James, John and Andrew the signs (situations) that will be prevalent on the Earth and related to the end of the world (AS WE KNOW IT!) and His imminent return. Why did He go to the trouble to elucidate the scenario if NO ONE would be capable of discerning the time? And He even concluded with the admonition, "What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

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Significantly, the Old Testament book of Daniel (also concerned with eschatology) closes with another indication that as the time draws near, at least some of God's people will have foreknowledge of the timing of Tribulation events: And the angel said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified... and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand." (Dan. 12:9,10 - NKJV) 

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It makes sense then to study this subject, especially since several Biblical prophecies concerned with the timing of these momentous events indicate that we are about to enter into the age in question. (Even if Mr. Haggith does not overtly make such a bold statement.

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There are many books on the market that address this subject and most all of them in a more sensationalistic manner. But HAGGITH's approach is very sensible and evinces a highly developed Spiritual understanding. His respect for God's Word and his humility is evident throughout the book. For example, on page 408 he states, "Judgment, as St. John's Gospel emphasizes, is going on all the time throughout our earthly existence." That would appear to be a basic premise, but one you will find eluding many of the more well-known Christian commentators! 

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On page 450, Haggith observes that, "Humility comes from confidence in the goodness and justice and love of God." There is much wisdom in his writing that goes beyond a strict adherence to the book's primary theme. His equating the patterns of Biblical truth and prophecies with fractals, and his observation that "Jesus never did a miracle that wasn't a metaphor for spiritual truth" are just two more examples of his great insight, no doubt derived from a warm association with The Holy Spirit. END-TIME PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE also has a wonderfully extensive index that will make it easy for the reader to refer back to certain topics at a later date.

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DAVID HAGGITH also understands the necessity to refrain from inflexible positions when exploring the nature of Biblical prophecy. This idea, and his personal humility, shine through in this excerpt from page 459:

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"Simply linking passages as I've done in this book can distort meaning if the wrong links are forged. If the reader sees a more natural fit for any prophecy than where it has been placed, he or she should explore that connection. ... It's best to keep one's opinions about God's revelation fluid and allow the God who makes all things new to shape one's opinions over time and to reshape oneself in the process. A dogmatic stance on words the Bible, itself, describes as ultimate mysteries belittles the greatness of God. It presumptuously assumes that the human mind can fully comprehend God's mysteries."

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END-TIME PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE is a very thorough, thought-provoking, open-minded, and scholarly study. As far as I know, it is the best book of its kind. If you are very serious about exploring the Bible and seek publications that will help you to develop the capacity to examine theological concepts from a variety of perspectives, this book will surely be a welcome addition to your personal library. Other than Salvation, it's the best thing that I ever got for free!

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~ Stephen T. McCarthy

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BASICALLY WORTH UP TO $3. IF IT’S FOR A CUTE CHEERLEADER

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BASIC FOOTBALL
narrated by Burt Reynolds
released: 1994
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The day after Superbowl XLI, I received an E-mail from my friend PAL AMY. She wrote: “Go, Colts! I was actually excited. ... I watched the game far more than I thought I would. Of course, I still didn’t have the slightest idea what was going on most of the time -- even with the color commentary.”
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Today, in my grocery store, I passed a large bin filled with cheesy DVDs selling for one dollar each, but sitting right on top, and catching my eye, was BASIC FOOTBALL, narrated by BURT REYNOLDS. (A lot of people don’t realize that Burt was a rather accomplished Runningback for the Florida State Seminoles in the mid-1950s.) Pictured on the cover was Burt in his Mean Machine jersey from the original 'THE LONGEST YARD' (1974) -- the best football movie ever. I thought: How bad could this DVD be? And: So what if I lose a buck? It’s not like losing a fumble!
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Well, turns out it ain’t TOO bad. Ain’t too good either. I’d say it’s a stalemate at the fifty yard line. It promises that it... “Explains the game in a fast-paced, funny and very entertaining way. … Using state-of-the-art graphics and animation, football clips and story-like segments, BASIC FOOTBALL will turn any football novice into an educated game-loving fan in less than an hour. Men and women of all ages will love BASIC FOOTBALL!” Fast-paced? Yep. Funny? Oh, there are a few amusing moments, and Burt delivers a couple of good lines. State-of-the-art graphics? Fifteen yard penalty for “roughing the truth”. Men and women of all ages will love it? Well, Pal Amy is a woman, but NOT of “all ages.” (Somewhere between “Old enough to know better” and “Young enough to do it anyway.”) I’ll let ya know what kind of feedback I get from her.
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Will BASIC FOOTBALL turn you into an “educated” fan? Hardly. When it says “Basic”, it means the most rudimentary aspects of the game. But you WILL know enough to be able to comprehend the gridiron skirmish and actually enjoy a game on the tube. There is an awful lot of football knowledge left out of this 40-minute program that I would still consider basic. For example, you will not learn what the “Red Zone” is. You won’t learn the meanings of the terms “Play-Action Pass”; “Quarterback Option”; “Quarterback Sneak”; or “Onside Kick”. You’ll see, but not hear, what a “Lateral” is. Same with “Scrambling”. You won’t learn where a “Nose Tackle” is situated on the line of scrimmage. But yes, in just a little over half an hour, you’ll understand the “BASIC” action on the field of play. Football will no longer look like just a bunch of big pigs falling on a pigskin.
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The clips from the college and NFL games used to illustrate certain points are old and the image transfers are grainy. The sound isn’t great, and the scenarios (most quite goofy) utilize amateur or inexperienced actors and actresses who can be embarrassing to watch at times. (You know, the exaggerated facial expressions and vocal inflections. Think Infomercial “actors.”)
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{*2017 Update: Better yet, think "Government Crisis Actors".}
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Yet still, there is some value in seeing a concept presented in live action, as opposed to merely printed on a page. And a couple of the segments are a bit clever in the way they get the information across. Notably, the Field Goal Kicker and Punter “Inquisition”, where these players must justify their inclusion on the team to three overbearing women who don’t understand the game. Pretty funny since kickers have always been the “odd men out” on every NFL team. I enjoyed the Oprah Winfrey spoof with the Offensive Linemen, too. And you’ll learn how important these most unsung players are to the success of a team. (Something the Airheadzona Cardinals organization still hasn’t figured out in 19 years.)
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BASIC FOOTBALL treats the viewer to that scene in 'THE LONGEST YARD' where Burt Reynolds drops back to pass and Bogdansky (the great Ray Nitschke) catches the football in the ... uhm ... that place where you don’t want to catch a football. After which he suffers from a highly illegal Mean Machine dog pile. And there’s a quick shot of that classic moment in Superbowl VII (1973), when after recovering his blocked field goal attempt, Miami Dolphins (this reviewer’s team of choice) kicker, Garo Yepremian, attempts a pass. Ha! I once saw an intoxicated Sailor on a 3-day AWOL binge in a strip joint make a better pass at a one-armed Go-Go Dancer.
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The one REALLY egregious moment in this DVD comes during the DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL 101 class, when the (not-so-heterosexual-looking) instructor informs his swooning female students that, “Mostly it’s the Defensive Line who blocks the Offensive Line”. Well, one of us has that very wrong. And something tells me that while I was playing the game of football, this instructor was leading an “alternative” team: the cheerleading team.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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“F” Stands For: FANTASTICALLY FAR-FETCHED FEMINIST FANTASY FLICK

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[*This review was originally published at Amazon.com 
on Thurs. Jan. 18th, 2007*]
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GIRLFIGHT
directed by Karyn Kusama
released: 2000
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Karyn Kusama’s GIRLFIGHT is nothing more than a strident misandrist pleasuring herself on film!
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Ordinarily, I would never consider wasting my valuable time watching this type of movie, much less bothering to write anything about it, but because I recently wrote a series of reviews for some mostly older anti-Feminism books, it was suggested to me that I should also “weigh in” on GIRLFIGHT, which I had previously never even heard of.
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Written and directed by then-newcomer Kusama, the title, GIRLFIGHT, is simply a rather pedestrian substitution for “Woman’s Struggle”, that is, “Feminism.” Her title displays the same sort of “heavy-handed” touch that she exhibits throughout the movie. As a filmmaker, Kusama has all the subtlety of a Great White Shark in a feeding frenzy. The movie consists of one “ham-fisted” symbol after another, decrying all of the usual exaggerated and simplistic contentions regarding men that radical Feminists have been screeching about for over forty years; illustrating the feminist anthems; and portraying resolutions dreamed up in their wishful fantasies.
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It should come as no surprise to any educated person that GIRLFIGHT won a couple of awards at Robert “Red” Redford’s Sundance Film Festival in 2000; the incestuous relationship between Marxism and Feminism has long been established, and GIRLFIGHT was bound to be enthusiastically embraced at Sundance, and promoted as another vehicle for further conditioning the masses -- particularly young women -- toward the Socialistic goals of hard-core feminism. (If you want to turn off your TV one day and read a nonfiction book, The Gender Agenda by Dale O’Leary, or The Privilege Of Being A Woman by Alice von Hildebrand, would be a smashing place to begin.) It was, after all, no less a Communist than Vladimir Lenin himself who stated in 1920, “We must create a powerful international women’s movement.” (Was keeping the spectators seated and talking during the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner before GIRLFIGHT’s climactic bout a Marxist “jab” at America?)
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* Although I will not be discussing anything that the majority of the previous reviewers have not already revealed, be advised that this review will examine the major plot points and the ending of GIRLFIGHT. If you don’t want to know how this movie ends, you should discontinue reading this review.
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Ostensibly, the story is about a high school girl, Diana Guzman (Michelle Rodriguez), who, prone to violent outbursts, redirects her aggression by taking up boxing and ultimately confronts her emotionally abusive dad, and then later, her boyfriend in the ring. The entire movie is simply a kaleidoscope of embarrassingly overt visual metaphors meant to convey the concept of Patriarchy getting pummeled to a pulp by Womanhood, and the castration of perceived masculine power. (Diana or Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, is portrayed in mythology as having killed various men and male gods.)
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Early on, we get a barely veiled glimpse of Diana’s (writer/director Kusama’s mouthpiece) disdain for the traditional role of women in society when she stares out of her 11th story bedroom window at a mother pushing a baby carriage with a crying toddler in tow. That she’s “looking down on Motherhood” couldn’t have been more obvious.
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There are three “types” of one-dimensional men (or malignancies) in this movie. (The “father”, the “son”, and the “emasculated ghost”?)...
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#1) The domineering, emotionally and physically abusive male determined to “keep women in their place.” This type of man is represented by Diana’s drunken dad, and in a typical exhibition of Kusama’s over-the-top symbolism, he is knocked around and nearly strangled to death by Diana in the family’s kitchen (after she has received some boxing training). Get it? A woman’s place is in the kitchen, but only if that’s the location she chooses for bloodying the Patriarchy! “You belong to me now! ... All these years you just looked right through me”, Diana says to her beaten dad on behalf of women everywhere.
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#2) The unfaithful romancer who refuses to accept women on equal terms in every single facet of social endeavor. He is represented by Diana’s love interest, Adrian, who dreams of “winning” his way out of the projects with a successful boxing career. Giving him the name of Rocky Balboa’s wife was an obvious slap at the character and at men in general who express their manhood through a fascination with sports and sports movies. That slap becomes a punch, however, when 18-year-old Diana, with perhaps two months worth of training, defeats 19-year-old Adrian in the ring -- despite the fact that he’s been training for nearly a year, and supposedly has true professional boxing potential. (In a sorry display of how far Kusama was willing to go to get the most “punch for the buck”, she wants us to believe that these two characters would be fighting in the same weight class. Never mind that Adrian is obviously 6” taller than Diana and appears to outweigh her by about 40 pounds. It simply wouldn’t do to have the Feminist hero defeat a man merely her own size!)
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#3) Diana’s brother, Tiny, is the way men ought to be in Kusama’s warped world. He is artistic, sensitive, effeminate, satisfactorily de-masculinized already. He is tolerable because he is pathetic, as he can do nothing but stand back, wring his hands, and plead for his dad’s life, while the “new” man (Diana GuzMAN -- get it?) strangles the “old” man in the kitchen and usurps his authority (i.e., transforms the Patriarchal family unit into a Matriarchy). 
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But in an ironic twist, Kusama also reveals her revulsion at the feminine man as well, by naming him TINY. Diana’s brother is neither excessively large or small for his age, so we must assume that the name hints at something else: His unmanly “endowments” literally or figuratively; his diminished social status in the imagined new Matriarchy; or simply Kusama’s personal view of such effete men?
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GIRLFIGHT begins with one of the silliest opening shots ever conceived. (Diana Guzman looks up and glares directly at the camera, i.e., at “you”, the viewer. Why? Uh, well, because Kusama told her to.) And it ends with one of the most improbable scenes ever filmed: After losing to her in the ring -- bringing his dream of a boxing career to an end -- Adrian practically begs Diana not to break up with him. This shows just how out-of-touch with reality and Male Psychology these extreme Feminists really are. If such a scenario as presented in this movie were even truly possible, does Kusama and her Feminist horde actually believe that a “man” in this situation would REALLY want to retain his romantic relationship with his female conqueror? That he would be willing to take a licking and keep on kissing?) GIRLFIGHT is indeed a Feminist fantasy from the opening bell to the final round.
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It does, however, contain a few positive ingredients: Technically, the screenplay is competently constructed and well-paced, and some of the cinematography is imaginative. The score nicely compliments the images and adds an exotic tone. Herb Lovelle as Cal is good in a very small part, and Jaime Tirelli in the role of Diana’s trainer, Hector, delivers a fine, multi-layered performance. However, having read the script, no self-respecting “man” would have consented to appear in this propaganda piece. (But divesting men of their self-respect has been a goal for Feminists for over forty years now, and they’ve been largely successful.) Otherwise, the acting was uneven across-the-board. This was Rodriguez’s first role, and it sometimes showed.
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I could excoriate the artificial dialogue, the nonstop profanity, and the sloppy editing in GIRLFIGHT, but that would be like criticizing a dead dog for being lazy. Instead, let me give you one small dose of reality: Men generally possess nearly 50% more muscle mass than women, and testosterone (a steroid hormone which studies have linked to enhanced aggressiveness and increased muscle formation) is approximately thirty times more prevalent in the adult male body than it is in the adult female. (That’s 30 times, not 30%!) In other words, there are genuine physiological reasons why women trained in boxing are never going to be serious competition for men trained in boxing -- Karyn Kusama’s fantasy notwithstanding. (Don’t blame me; blame God. But your arms are too short to box with Him.) 
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Lucia Rijker is universally regarded as the best fighter in the history of female boxing; she has had 54 fights with women and won them all -- most by knockout. In earnest competition, she stepped into a ring only once with a man: In 1995, she fought Muay Thai boxer Somchai Jaidee, who was far from being a world elite fighter in the men’s competition. Rijker managed to survive the first round but in the second round, she was laid out on the canvas, unconscious for several minutes. (If she didn’t have a clue about Women Vs. Men in Boxing when she climbed into that ring, I’m sure she had one when she woke up in it!)
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What disturbs me is not that a misandrist would put her neurosis on film (wrong, Cyndi -- these days, “Girls Just Want To Be Boys”), but that anyone would tout this fiction as some kind of inspiring movie to be shown to youngsters -- THAT'S what bothers me! As if Diana Guzman represents some viable means to conflict resolution in the real world. My heart goes out to any child of a rigor mortis-brained parent who believes that “fighting” -- even in a square “ring” -- is the best way to channel aggressive behavior. 
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When my Brother (nicknamed “Napoleon”) was only about 12 years old, a professional trainer recognized that he possessed a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore and an almost freakish, innate aptitude for fighting. This man offered to prepare my Brother for a professional boxing career. Being an Irish-American fighting in sub-Middleweight divisions, and being as proficient in physical destruction as he is, Napoleon would have made many millions of dollars as a successful boxer. But even at that young an age, he was intelligent enough to recognize the senselessness of making a living knocking other guys senseless, and so he turned down the trainer’s offer. Instead, he was able to sublimate his anger without needing to unleash it on others in any harmful form. With his fiery energy redirected into more constructive activities, he eventually grew into a very good and caring man (who could still decapitate any one of us with either fist, though he would never do so).
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That anyone would show GIRLFIGHT to a young person as motivation for anything, and would hold up this fictional character as a role model for young women to emulate in any way, is deplorable and irresponsible! GIRLFIGHT is not just a Feminist cartoon fantasy masquerading as a gritty, urban tale -- it’s a bad cartoon with bad language and a bad agenda, and that’s a bad “combination.” This crappy movie is out for the count!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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