Maison Gauche

I remember hearing good reviews about "The Power of Nightmares" about a year ago. But I never tried to watch it. Fortunately, I was recently given a copy of the DVD and sat down to watch it last night. Around 1:30 AM I finally went to bed.  "The Power of Nightmares" is a three-part BBC documentary about the rise of the neo-cons and the influence of Leo Strauss, paralleled with the rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism.  I have a number of criticisms of the series, so I'll concentrate on them and thereby give you a picture of what the documentary details.  One of my first criticisms has to do with the proposition that prior to the rise of the neo-conservative movement, politicians and governments pointed the way forward to a better future. That they gave hope and promises of prosperity to the citizens of their country. In contrast, the neo-cons create and use existing myths to rally the citizens. These myths include religion and the myth of the nation. But they ...

Wicked by Gregory Maguire is thoroughly entertaining. If you love "The Wizard of Oz" and want it's story and characters to remain forever unchanged, then don't even bother reading this review any further, let alone the book. After reading Wicked I can guarantee that The Land of Oz will become a rich, entangled landscape and it's heroines enigmatic.  Not one character or people of the world of OZ escape Maguire's stain. You will feel endearment, enchantment, fear and disdain toward all of the Witches - particularly Glinda (the "Good") and Elphaba (the "Wicked"). Dorothy and her despised-by-everyone Toto, as well as the Tinman, the Lion and the Scarecrow are nearly afterwords to the novel and draw little, if any sympathy from the reader. I must admit that I have never read L. Frank Baum's books covering the Land of Oz and I am sure he provides greater detail of the peoples and individuals inhabiting it. I am willing to bet, however, that ...