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My Favorite History on You Tube

  I refuse to pay for cable television. As a by-product of that aversion, I tend to watch some You Tube channels. Here are high quality channels I belive are actually better than what you see on cable. Especially better than the History Channel which ironically has almost no history. Forgotten Weapons  ( https://www.youtube.com/@ForgottenWeapons ) — I list this channel under history because of the way the subject is approached. Ian is a wonderful host. Although you can tell he loves guns, he is not some 2nd amendment freak. He thoroughly covers the mechanics of each weapon and what makes it special. Then he will usually tear the weapon down or show some time on the range. The channel is entertaining and informative. The Rest is History  ( https://www.youtube.com/@restishistorypod ) — This channel is in depth analysis and discussion of a historical subject from the viewpoint of two English historians Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook, two quite knowledgeable but differen...
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Top 10 Spike Lee Movies

  Spike Lee: Mars Blackmon, Mega-Knick fan, Political lightning rod … yes, but do we properly remember that his filmography rivals all of the great modern directors. He is right up there with Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers, Spielberg (maybe not Spielberg), but he has had some great and underrated films. These are only Spike Lee films that I have watched so I may have some holes. Malcolm X — This was not just a film for Spike Lee, but a labor of love and indeed his masterpiece. Denzel Washington’s performance is so good you have a hard time differentiating the film from historical footage. This film was important in re-shaping the story Malcolm X in the publics eye in a way similar to what the musical Hamilton did for Alexander Hamilton. The film is definitely long, and gets dreary towards the end, but that mirrors his life. So here is the deal, with Spielberg you have Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List, those are great films. But I never re-watch them. But I can and ...
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Top 10 Dystopian Novels

  Absolute at Large — I picked this one up at random and could not put it down. It is a tale of unintended consequences. What you think should solve every problem can sometimes be a downfall in disguise. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick is the hands down master of dystopia. Blade Runner is based of this novel, but it really only took some of the plot, a couple of characters, and the overall feel of it. Mercer, and his endless battle with rocks is missing, as well as serious questioning of religion and consumerism are all missing. As much as I love the movie, the book is even better. The Stand — Stephen King’s opus about a bio-engineered flu that wipes out 90% of the US population and divides the rest into two camps, one centered on Las Vegas (the evil ones) and one in Boulder, CO (the good ones). None of the filmed adaptations seem to be able to get it all of the way through, but the book is massive and enthralling. The Road — Cormac McCarthy is probably my favor...
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