ROXY'S MINI REVIEWS - THE BOYS' CRUSADE

Paul Fussell is probably best known for his THE GREAT WAR AND MODERN MEMORY, and excellent book, by the way.

THE BOYS' CRUSADE (2003) is not a large book (184 small pages) but it is excellent. I have often gotten the feeling, having

read a lot of military history, that the stories that are most

instructive are the ones least likely to be told. Even the literary

"anti-war" canon leaves a great deal to be desired. THE BOYS'

CRUSADE talks about the American infantry in Europe, post D-day. Fussell gives a sense of the utter chaos and confusion of war, what happens when soldiers are overwhelmed or badly prepared. Yes, it is a cliche to say that war is not glorious and that it is hell. Not a few writers say this and inadvertantly manage to make war look wonderful after all. But not Fussell.

CALL ME WEIRD, BUT . . .

This is from one of the sexiest things I have ever seen on video. Yes, the flick is called ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS.

The woman on the far right is wearing a suit of armour. She has Costello's magnetic boot attached to her ass. Can you guess what happens next? Too delicious!

JESUS

Many might find it unusual for someone who calls herself a pornographer and cultural bolshevik to also be a Christian. I see no contradiction, however, between writing erotica and religious faith, contrary to whatever the fundamentalists think they know. As for Christianity and left-wing politics, the connection is natural and self-evident.

Like a lot of Christians, however, and not just left-wing ones, I find myself without a church. The traditional churches tend to range from the stultifying to the outright vicious. I admit, that I also have always had difficulty in being a sociable person.

Anyone else in this position?

CARS

I have no car. I can't afford one, and don't need it.

I don't even like driving. But I do like old cars, and have taken recently to reading magazines devoted to car collectors.

CAR COLLECTOR has a section called Auction

Forum, wherein old cars recently sold at auctions

are discussed and evaluated. The August 2007

edition includes an entry on a 1937 FIAT 500

Topolino Siata Gran Sport Cabriolet, Body by Ghia, a picture of which I include here.

I quote part of the CAR COLLECTOR entry here, because I was surprised at the level of passion expressed:

"Ugly, awful chassis, engine and everything else.

Totally neglected except for paint and seats. This

is a shamefully shabbily treated Topolino, an

auction car that someone has given a top quality

repaint and new interior and left in absolutely

despicable condition everywhere else.
It is a disgrace, and was deservedly shunned by

the bidders in Monaco. The scum who presented

it to the auction can now take it back and try to do

the rest of the car without messing up the cosmetics."

Yowsa! "Scum"! Well, some people are passionate

about their hobbies. I can understand that. I'm

in no position to disagree with the expertise of

the writer, but I must say the vehicle in question

looks darned cute. Not sure I like the white

wheel hubs, though.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!

THANK GOD SO MANY OF OUR ENEMIES ARE SNIVELLING COWARDS

Okay, so I don't listen to Fox Radio and don't have cable. But
here's what I have picked up recently on John Gibson's
recent mockery of Heath Ledger's death and Gibson's
comments on "Brokeback Mountain."

http://www.gaysofla.com/content/view/194/1/

Check that out and this one too:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180499,00.html

What gets me is that mixed in with his homophobic bullshit
Gibson says this (from the site of the second link):

"I said, 'Hey, I know people who are gay and I have nothing
against them . . .'"

Well, the bad news is this: yahoos like this are on the air, and,
as corporate flunkies, spreading their hate propaganda.

But here's the good news: the homophobes feel obliged to
pretend they're not anti-gay. An age old prejudice is facing
defeat, and it's getting scared to show its face. It may still
be a long road, but I suspect that by the power of Christ the
days of this bullshit are numbered.

WRITER'S BLUES

God damn. I write soooo slow. Like, everything is sloooow motion. I do everything
that way. I am a good writer. In fact, a VERY good writer. But a very sloooow writer.

Fucking dam.