Today in History

January 28, 1986 - One of the most tragic days in American space exploration history. The space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff from Cape Canaveral in Florida. I was in kindergarten at the time, watching it live on television in the school library. I have vague memories of it, but do remember a group of very stunned and upset 5 year olds, although I don't know how much we really understood what was going on, just that something bad had happened.

Challenger Memorial at Arlington National Cemetary

Faith No More - Falling To Pieces

Today in History

Three very cool and very talented people share a birthday on this day: Mozart, Lewis Carroll and Faith No More singer Mike Patton.

Beck - Girl

The Idaho Songbag

I found this interesting collection of songs about Idaho yesterday at the Idaho Falls Public Library. It is entitled Idaho Songbag: A Sampler of Songs About Idaho People, Places, and Historical Events. There is even a song on the album written and performed by "Dugout Dick" Zimmerman, a Salmon River hermit who sadly passed away just last year. The CD was published by the Idaho Humanities Council and more information on it can be found at: http://www.idahohumanities.org/?p=idaho_songbag

C.S.A.: Confederate States of America

C.S.A. : Confederate States of America is an irreverent mockumentary exploring what life would have been like had the South won the Civil War. It is incredibly well done, and leaves the viewer (at least this one) extremely grateful that the South did not win the Civil War. The C.S.A. takes control of the United States, forming one country with slavery legal throughout. The focus is on this element, and there are even fake commercials throughout the movie showcasing everyday life with legal slavery. It's a rather disturbing thought to envision slavery still being legal in the 20th century. However, perhaps even more disturbing is a short footnote at the end of the movie stating that some of the things shown in the "fake" commercials were real products, some used up until the 1980s. One commercial showcases a restaurant that remained open well into the late 20th century, and was open in cities like Portland and Salt Lake City, not exactly bastions of Confederate pride. The last frame of the movie reminds the viewer that racism and use of slave imagery is still alive and well, stating: "Just ask Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben." This is a very interesting look at what life would have been like under Confederate power, and differs from author Harry Turtledove's vision of both a C.S.A. and U.S.A. existing after the South won the war, in his popular alternate history novels. Again, I am extremely grateful the Confederacy did not win the war, and although we still suffer from racism and prejudice, the despicable institution of chattel slavery no longer exists in this nation. (As for other forms of slavery, that's an entirely different discussion).

More about the film can be found at it's official website: http://www.csathemovie.com/

Jonah Hex

I finally got around to watching this one. I was a little hesitant, as most of what I had heard and read about the movie was negative. However, feeling it duty to my interests in how the West is represented in pop culture, I watched it anyway. While it's not going to be winning any Oscars anytime soon, I didn't think it was as terrible as many have said. The dialogue was pretty bad, but some of the action was fun, and I kept reminding myself it was based on a comic book. There were a few allusions to our current political scene, including once when Jonah Hex, being questioned on why he chose to fight for the Confederacy, mentions that he believes both sides are "hypocrites." The movie also shows how the Civil War is not over for many people, even today. I am currently reading Tony Horwitz's Confederates in the Attic and it blows my mind how people are still fighting the war, day after day. Again, this is not a great movie, probably not even a good movie, but it was watchable, which I can't say for some other movies based on comic books. (Fantastic Four, anyone?) Those interested in the West in pop culture (although technically most of the movie is in the South and the Eastern Seaboard, I guess it still counts as a Western) should at least view it for that reason alone.