Tuesday

One of the nicest advantages of living in a town (but not a village): the movie theater is situated downtown, within walking distance. And for me, the theater is within crawling distance. It's just three doors down from my office. Last night, I worked until 6:45, then my family came by the office and picked me up for Dark Knight Rises.

I really liked it. I'd give it an "8." Seven years ago, I probably would've given it a "9," but The Lord of the Rings movies really raised the standard in this genre, so it's hard for anything to get close to a 10 anymore. I had a very difficult time understanding the villain's speech (which cost the movie a full half-point in my rating), and the plot bordered on incoherent at times (probably because of the villain's garbled speech), but it's a very good movie. I definitely recommend it.

I heard Mark Steyn (substituting for Rush Limbaugh last Friday) say that the movie's writers are conservative and that they wrote the movie with a conservative slant. I haven't had a chance to flush out the details in this regard, but you could definitely see some conservative political philosophy. It's an Animal Farm-type work, and that's all I'll say, for fear of spoiling the movie for TDE readers.

As a result of the movie, I don't have much time for blogging this morning, so I just offer this nugget from my Nock Notebooks (aside: I don't endorse Nock's opinion of policemen):

Were the Chinese oppressed in nineteenth century California? Henry George, who lived for a long time in California and had a keen distaste for all oppression and injustice, said "no." Well, they weren't oppressed for the most part. Here's George, who answers the question directly and colorfully adds a larger point:

No Californian gentlemen or lady every abuses or oppresses a Chinaman under any circumstances; an explanation that seems to be much needed in the East [on the East Coast, where people were rather judgmental about the plight of the Chinese]. Only the scum of the population do it, they and their children; they and, naturally and consistently, the policemen and politicians likewise; for these are the dust-licking pimps and slaves of the scum, there as elsewhere in America.