Clarity

I believe clarity is always a good thing.  The American people see a president trying to make us safe, and an opposition party that wants us to look like Europe.

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Underground Railroad Hero

This video is about my great-great-great grandfather John Ratliff who was involved in the Underground Railroad in Grant County. He was the father of Harvey, a Quaker preacher, who was the father of Eva, my grandfather Ralph Malott's mother.

As an abolitionist, John contributed to the formation of the Republican Party in Indiana and later in life served in the Indiana General Assembly.

John died in 1912 at the age of 90... Nine years before my Dad was born. But  Dad does remember sitting on John's son Harvey's lap, eating his homemade taffy, and listening to stories.

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Struck Down, But Not Destroyed.… America Survives

Quote of the Day

"Inside every Progressive is a Totalitarian screaming to get out."
--David Horowitz

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Meryl Streep is Still Alive?

Well, when an actress gets old and stops making movies that people actually watch, you sometimes wonder if they're still alive.

But there she was at The Golden Globes... Pontificating... Lecturing... Looking like everyone's grandma... Scolding the Least of These... Pouring out her special celebrity wisdom for the benefit of the country.

Thanks Meryl.  We stupid people who voted for Donald Trump desperately seek the advice of ill-educated narcissists to correct our foolish mistakes.  Thank you... Thank you...

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The Best Westerns

For me the best movies in any category are the ones that you are happy to watch over and over again.  Some of the following I've viewed more than five times and I still enjoy them.  

The West, depending upon the year, can be anywhere from Tennessee to California.

20  The President's Lady... Charlton Heston and Susan Hayward portraying the lives of Andrew Jackson and his Rachael.

19  The Plainsman... Gary Cooper and the beautiful Jean Arthur as Wild Bill and Calamity Jane.   

18  The Horse Soldiers... John Wayne and William Holden

17  Buffalo Bill... Joel McCrea, Linda Darnell, Maureen O'Hara, and the little crippled boy in the bleachers.

16  Cheyenne Social Club... Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda.

15  Angel and the Badman... John Wayne, Harry Carey, and a very attractive Gail Russell.

14  The Mark of Zorro...  Tyrone Power and a 17-year-old Linda Darnell.

13  Little Big Man... Chief Dan George and the stars from whom he stole the show.

12  Silverado...  This western has everything but Indians.  It launched the career of Kevin Costner.

11  Tombstone...  The best Wyatt Earp movie, stolen by Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.

10  Outlaw Josey Wales...  Clint Eastwood's best western.

9   Jeremiah Johnson...  A story of the Mountain Men with Robert Redford.

8   Dances with Wolves... The music, the scenery, the love story, and the romanticizing of the plains Indian.  I particularly liked the old Indian woman with the perfect 20th century dental work.

7   The Searchers...  John Wayne, Ward Bond.

6   Red River...  John Wayne, the great Walter Brennan, Montgomery Clift, and Joanne Dru.

5   The Westerner... Gary Cooper, and the great Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean.  Brennan won his third Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

4   Bend of the River... James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, Rock Hudson, and the great character actor Jay C Flippen.

3   Shane... Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, Ben Johnson, and the beautiful Jean Arthur at the age of 53... still looking great.

2   She Wore a Yellow Ribbon...  John Wayne, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru, the great Mildred Natwick... The perfect cavalry movie.

1   The Big Country...  Gregory Peck, Charles Bickford, Burl Ives, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Carroll Baker, and a very nasty Chuck Connors.

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