Green Oasis

The Power of Myth changed how I viewed religion. Where I had thought religion was either true and good or false and bad, now I think religion can be consciously false and useful: now I see the transformative power of myth and symbol.

As a newly minted atheist father, I worried about how to teach my children. Parenting Beyond Belief convinced me that teaching my children to be freethinkers was not only acceptable but preferable, even beautiful.

I last read The Old Man and the Sea for seventh grade reading class. What a difference twenty years make! While I’m not yet old, some lessons come only with time: they can’t be rushed. The consciously futile struggle against mortality enriches our stark, youthful views into compassionate, full color vistas.

Ah, the sweet irony of reading Moby-Dick safe in the landlocked Mojave with nary a cetacean in sight.

X-Men: The Last Stand

This is a fun, visually interesting movie. Not being a hardcore X-Men fan, it felt kind of like starting in the middle of a soap opera. Even though I knew most of the characters, I didn’t really care as much as I felt I was expected to.

Georgia Rule

I didn’t expect much from this film featuring Lindsay Lohan among others. This might be the secret to enjoying what turns out to be a reasonably human look at sex, love, and truth. I might reconsider my low esteem for Lindsay. Bonus: “the Mormons” have a central—if comical—part.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

The obvious thing to say is the narrator’s voice is unique: an autistic teenager tells of his investigation which starts with a dog’s murder and ends in family secrets. While probably not truly authentic, that voice provided a window into what it might be like to be autistic.