Just Finished Reading: The Last Emperor of Mexico – A Disaster in the New World by Edward Shawcross (FP: 2021) [288pp] 

Many years ago, I remember watching a Western on TV and was confused more than a little when a bunch of American mercenaries ambushed some French cavalry (complete with shiny breastplates and lances) in Mexico. I couldn't help but wonder: what on earth are FRENCH cavalry doing in Mexico? I presumed that they might have been protecting French interests or maybe the French ambassador. Or that they might have been 'on loan' to the Mexican Emperor Maximilian who I presumed was Spanish... I was partially right. The French forces were indeed 'on loan' to the emperor who was, in fact, Austrian. The things you learn. 

I'll freely admit that my 'knowledge' of Mexican history was effectively zero (essentially things gleaned from some of the older westerns) until I finished this intriguing book. I think the biggest surprise was the actual nationality of the emperor himself. It turned out that he was the annoying younger brother of the emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire who was 'looking for a role' in the world. Maximilian's name came up in conversation with Napoleon III of France and, after some initial resistance, was thought to be a good fit for the position. Unfortunately, there were just a few problems. Firstly, no one had actually asked the Mexican ruling class what they thought (to say nothing of the people themselves). At that time Mexico was going through a slow-motion Civil War between Conservative and Liberal forces and the imposition of a new Emperor could be political dynamite or, as some hoped, the thing which managed to bring things together. A bigger issue was the Monroe Doctrine of the United States which prohibited any European power from interfering in America's backyard. The idea of an Austrian monarch ruling a neighbouring country and propped up by French forces would not exactly sit well in Washington.  

Fortunately, both problems seemed to have solutions. Firstly, Maximilian was lied to about his support within Mexico and Second, the US became engaged in a Civil War with the breakaway Confederacy. Pre-occupied at home it was expected that if the Confederacy won then the Monroe problem would go away and if the Union won (eventually) they would be weakened and presented with a fait accompli. As you might imagine these were far from solid foundations for a new regime. 

The saddest thing about the whole fiasco is that Maximilian had the very best of intentions regarding his new country. The problem (along with everything else mentioned above) was that Max was both incredibly naive and focused on ALL of the wrong things – for example detailed court protocol rather than boring finances. Maximilian expected that his very presence would be enough to stabilise the country and that the people would love him BECAUSE his was their emperor. Despite being clear that it was going to be a disaster from the outset it was actually mesmerising to watch an entire country turn into a train wreck month by month over a few short years. I only had the smallest of hints that any of this had happened, and the details regularly blew my mind. Quite fascinating and a must read for anyone with even the vaguest interest in Mexican/American history. 

['The Last' Project has (finally) started...! More to come.] 

The Last 10 Movies – July 2026 edition.   

Well, this is another SUPER long pause between movie watching. A part of that is that I'm re-watching Babylon 5 (series 1) between films and that (as I tend to watch movies late at night when I'm starting to tire) it can take 3-4 sessions to watch a single film. Oddly I can watch a 2-hour podcast in a single sitting which must mean something.... Anyway, the last 10 movies I watched were... [NEW movies – to me! - are in BOLD.] 

The Bridge at Remagen (1969) 

Classic 60's WW2 war film with a Vietnam 'vibe' as US troops are tasked to capture or destroy the last bridge over the Rhein. Interestingly both sides are shown sympathetically and both sides have fanatics. 

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (2010)  

I've been hearing about this movie for years and finally got the chance to see it. I can see why it's become such a cult classic, and I did enjoy it (mostly) but I'm still in 2+ minds on whether or not it was any good. 

The Vikings (1958) 

One of my all-time favourite movies growing up as Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis fight over a beautiful English woman during an invasion of England. The end fight and castle attack is especially good. 

Sink the Bismarck (1960) 

Totally classic British war movie that did exactly what it says on the tin. After reading more about the actual events I was even more impressed by its accuracy. Pretty good model work too (for its time).  

Upgrade (2018) 

Very silly Sci-Fi Cyberpunk horror/thriller about a paraplegic with an AI chip seeking revenge for the 'accident' that put him in a wheelchair and killed his wife. Had some moments, but few and far between. 

American Ultra (2015) 

Jesse Eisenberg is a failed CIA experiment who believes he's just a stoner working in a 7/11 until his masters decide to tie up loose ends – including him and his girlfriend. MUCH silly violence ensues. Silly, but mostly fun. 

Ice Station Zebra (1968) 

One of the better Alistair Maclean adaptations where a team of Americans (and some foreign spies) travel to the North Pole to recover a Soviet spy satellite. Most of the film takes place on a nuclear submarine and is very tense. Some great scenes and pretty good acting. I think its aged quite well. 

Zulu (1964) 

One of my all-time favourite movies. LOVE it to bits. Rather inaccurate (but not completely fanciful) account of the action at Roakes Drift in 1879 where around 150 British soldiers faced over 4,000 Zulu warriors. Tense and dramatic stuff and starring Micael Caine in his first major role. 

Nobody (2021) 

Yet another silly violent film when an ex-CIA type 'operator' who just wants a quiet life gets involved with the Russian mafia and has to 'take care of business' the only way he knows how: with LOTS of bangs, LOTS of guns and LOTS of blood including his own. 

Project Hail Mary (2026) 

Yet another adaptation of an Andy Weir SF novel. After enjoying The Martian so much I was really looking forward to this. That's probably one reason why I was a little disappointed by it. It's a LONG movie which honestly felt a bit flat. I also felt that the humour sprinkled throughout too often seemed out of place as if they (author or director) didn't really know just how serious they wanted to be. My favourite bits were any scene that involved Sandra Hüller who played the East German lead scientist. I thought she was brilliant. 

Hopefully my NEXT 10 movies list will arrive before Christmas. [crosses fingers]

Happy Birthday: Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress and singer. Her work includes both film and television, and her accolades include two Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for three Golden Globe Awards. In 2025, Time included her in their selection of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Bell began her acting career starring in stage productions, while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She made her Broadway stage debut as Becky Thatcher in the comedy musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001) and appeared in a Broadway revival of The Crucible (2002). She then appeared in the action film Spartan and received praise for her performance in the television drama film Gracie's Choice (both 2004).

Bell had her breakout performance as the title character in the television series Veronica Mars (2004–2007), a role she reprised in the 2014 spin-off film and the 2019 revival. She also starred as Elle Bishop in the superhero drama series Heroes (2007–2008), voiced the titular narrator in the teen drama series Gossip Girl (2007–2012) and its 2021 standalone sequel, and starred in the Showtime comedy series House of Lies (2012–2016). She received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her leading roles in the NBC comedy series The Good Place (2016–2020) and the Netflix romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This (2024); the latter also earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series.

During her time on Veronica Mars, Bell starred in the television musical film Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) and the horror film Pulse (2006). She has since appeared in a number of comedy films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Couples Retreat (2009), When in Rome (2010), You Again (2010), Burlesque (2010), Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), Stuck in Love (2012), The Lifeguard (2013), The Boss (2016), Bad Moms (2016), A Bad Moms Christmas (2017), How to Be a Latin Lover (2017), CHiPs (2017), Like Father (2018), Queenpins (2021), The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022), and Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023). She received further recognition for voicing Princess Anna in the Disney animated films Frozen (2013) and Frozen 2 (2019). She is also the voice of Amy Rose in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4.

In 2006 and again in 2013, Bell was selected "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" on PETA's yearly poll. She was placed 68 on Maxim's 2005 "Hot 100" list, 11 in Maxim's 2006 "Hot 100" list, and 46 in Maxim's 2007 "Hot 100" list in which she was stated to have "single-handedly saved The CW from becoming the worst network ever". In 2006, Maxim also placed Bell at the top of the "Fall TV's Criminally Sexy Investigators" List. In 2008, she was ranked 59 on AskMen's Top 99 Women of 2008 List. Reflecting on her admitted popularity with "geeks", Bell was voted the fourth-sexiest woman on TV by the staff at Wizard magazine.

Gotta admit it.... When Bugs put on a dress, he was one SEXY rabbit...... 

Apparently there's an 'Internet trend' to post pictures of phones from the date you were born. This is mine.... Needless to say that we didn't have one at the time and not for another 15 years or so. 

Just Finished Reading: The Darkening Age – The Christian Destruction of the Classical World by Catherine Nixey (FP: 2017) [263pp] 

I have long wondered why so much of the known ancient knowledge has been lost to time. So much of what we do know is presented in fragments or references in other surviving texts. If it wasn't for the texts and commentaries provided by Arabic scholars our knowledge of the ancient world would be sparse indeed. It's estimated that over 80% of ancient texts have not made it to the present. Why is that? 

Part of it is simply time. The roughly 1000 years between the fall of the western Roman Empire and the Italian Renaissance was not exactly a period of peace and harmony, so it's no surprise that delicate artifacts such as pre-paper books didn't make it this far. Likewise, art, artifacts and statues... But are time and barbarism enough of an explanation? This intriguing (and to be honest disturbing) book shows us otherwise. After the Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and made that belief the default religion of the Roman Empire there was a growing movement not only to promote Christianity itself but to supress ALL other religions and beliefs as both false and dangerous. Some of the effects were obvious such as the ban on professing public belief in the 'old Gods' including sacrifice at the numerous temples. Before long these very temples were closed and eventually destroyed including any statues of the gods. Likewise, as temples often held numerous texts and documents, such items were all too often burnt by the wagonload. It wasn't long before well-known pagans were targeted and given the 'choice' between conversion, exile or death. The one choice few had, however, was the retention of heretical or demonic texts by pagan authors. These had to be given up and destroyed in public. As you can imagine few survived. 

But it wasn't just targeted destruction of especially books that resulted in so few surviving. It was often simple neglect. Books, of all types, don't last forever. They need to be looked after, cared for, preserved. Most importantly at that time they need to be COPIED to be passed on to future generations. Leave them to rot, use them to start fires, refuse to copy them – in fact scrape them clean to produce yet another Biblical commentary – and they are soon lost. Just imagine the thousands of books, the temples that were the wonder of the known world, the art, the statues that were smashed into dust that are gone. Tragic just doesn't cover it. 

This was quite the eye-opener. It its desire to be THE (not just pre-eminent) religion of the time, the new Christian church authorities very effectively eliminated much of their opposition - both secular and sacred - by erasing them from the historical record. It worked. Written with a keen eye for detail and with a scattering of humour this gives a VERY different perspective on the ancient world and is something I'll definitely be following up on. The early years of Christian domination of the Roman Empire were most definitely not a time of rainbows and bunnies for those who held onto their beliefs of the old Gods (who, of course, had been worshiped for centuries or longer). It was increasingly a rough time to be a pagan and could, indeed, be a fatal one. Definitely recommended for those with a curious mind and for those who ever wondered why we don't know MUCH more about our ancient ancestors. 

Erm......