The Broken Telegraph will resume around Mid-August, after I take some time away for family, summer and other business. I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you and reading your comments. Thanks for your interest,
-ian
Thursday, July 24, 2008
2008 Mid-Year Review: The Best in Movies, Music and TV (So Far)
Here’s a quick look back at the first half of 2008 and the best in movies, music and television:
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Failure: Learning From, or Living In It
Photo credit: FailBlog.org
I am interested in people who have achieved great things, but not on their own terms, and in a field that was never their original intent. I’m sure you’ve read about examples of this. Devastating failure often precedes greatness for those brave enough to change the course of their life. I’ve read some heroic examples of this recently and it’s got me thinking.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Question: Did The U.S. Accomplish The Enemy’s Goal?
I am currently fighting through an intense full body cold and am sweating profusely as I type, so I’m going to skip today’s opinion piece in favor of a question for you.
As you’ll see in this article, one of Osama bin Laden’s lesser-known grievances against the U.S. had to do with our inexpensive access to oil (a mere $11 dollars per barrel back in 1998). At that time, bin Laden demanded that the cost be adjusted to $144 dollars per barrel, and claimed that the West had ”stolen” $36 trillion from Muslims in the middle east by paying far less.
Now here’s where it gets creepy: One month after 9/11, the New York Times wrote about possible “nightmare” scenarios that would deliver bin Laden’s goal. One of those decisions would be a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, which would put oil supplies at risk.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Werner Herzog On His Latest ‘Encounters,’ Roger Ebert and Love
Photo credit: Discovery Films
When Werner Herzog is onto something, his films are transcendent- and that’s not a word that I am typically comfortable using to describe films. The director (and writer, producer, actor) has recently given the world ‘Grizzly Man’ and ‘The White Diamond’- documentaries that are defiant, brave and driven by Herzog’s precision of insight (he often provides narration on his films). But let’s be fair- Herzog is an artist (though he refuses that title), and artists make experiments. Sometimes those end up like his pseudo-documentary ‘The Wild Blue Yonder’ which was an unendurable affair. Hit or miss, Werner Herzog is earnest brilliance.
His latest documentary is ‘Encounters at the End of the World,’ which was shot on location in Antarctica (Herzog is the only feature-film director who has shot films on all seven continents). ’Encounters’ follows the lives of 1,000 full-time residents while photographing the alien landscape of Antarctica. In a recent interview, he expanded on his choice to dedicate the film to critic Roger Ebert, and also talked about the experience of filming in that desolate place. His words make me smile.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Dark Knight Grab Bag: Early Reviews, New Media and More
Photo credit: Warner Bros.
We are just three weeks away from The Dark Knight’s arrival in theaters, and I’m battling myself in an attempt to stay at least somewhat spoiler-free. But my impatience is winning.
I happened to indulge today and as a result- compiled a small mound of goods for your reading and viewing pleasure.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Advisor Sees Future Terrorist Attack As “Big Advantage” For McCain
Photo credit: WashingtonIndependent.com
One of John McCain’s top advisors has something unusual in mind when it comes to the possibility of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil: a campaign victory. During a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, Chief Strategist Charlie Black revealed that such an attack “certainly would be a big advantage” for the presidential hopeful.
The quote detonated in Black’s face shortly after it surfaced. He issued a public apology, McCain distanced himself and Obama released a typical rebuttal. But I’m not over it.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Answers For Skeptics PART I: A Loving God, Rampant Evil and Free Will
Photo credit: Crozerlibrary.org
Answers For Skeptics is going to be another ongoing series here at The Broken Telegraph. Each part will at least partially address different criticisms that are commonly directed towards God and/or Christianity.
First up is a question that I’ve heard quite a bit during discussions with various skeptics: “How can there be so much evil in the world if God is all-loving,” or “why does God allow evil?”
