Thomas Sowell

“Economists are often asked to predict what the economy is going to do. But economic predictions require predicting what politicians are going to do-- and nothing is more unpredictable.”

Halloween Highlight

Lynn dressed as Agnes from Despicable Me and Brandon dressed as Lynn

Halloween has come and gone. Here’s my favorite picture from this year’s events. I dressed up as Agnes from Despicable Me (“It’s so flufffffyy!”) and my friend Brandon dressed up as me. I definitely procrastinated on my costume this year, but I think it worked out well!

My X-Factor Top 5

I’m usually hesitant to support contestants on these singing competition shows. My favorites always lose. But, I’m kind of crazy about the U.S. version of the X-Factor. It’s like how American Idol used to feel, but way better. I’m excited for the live shows to start and to see all of these amazing talents. These are my favorite five acts. I hope they go far!

Drew Ryniewicz

Drew Ryniewicz

Phillip Lomax

Phillip Lomax

Chris Rene

Chris Rene

Josh Krajcik

Josh Krajcik

Brewer Boys

Brewer Boys

The (New) Three Musketeers

the four musketeers

It’s true. No Three Musketeers movie will ever be able to top the 1993 Disney version starring Charlie Sheen, Tim Curry, Kiefer Sutherland, and Chris O’Donnell. A good way to try is to cast talented actors like Christoph Waltz and Matthew Macfadyen, to feature beautiful shots of 17th century Paris and Versailles, and to steampunk the crap out of it. Unfortunately, the rest of the film, while occasionally impressive in 3-D, just can’t hold up. Logan Lerman, or Percy Jackson as I know him, plays D’Artagnan and remains unconvincing the entire film, never really proving he’s leading man material. The accents are numerous and inconsistent, some English, some French, and some Californian.

Freddie Fox as King Louis XIII

It’s not all bad, however; there are certainly some bright lights. The action is fun and the scenery, especially for a Paris enthusiast, is exciting and special. The absolute best part of the film is Freddie Fox as scene-stealing King Louis XIII. With humor and flamboyance, his delivery is great. While I probably wouldn’t recommend the film to most, it’s still a fun and sometimes funny reinterpretation.