It's all about the Lincolns

Hey Reader, sorry, it's been cold.

Is everyone in love with Abraham Lincoln right now? Have we always been?

I picked up a book by Philip K. Dick the other day that had a robot Lincoln on the cover, and...it's really good. It's funny to hear a robot Abe Lincoln arguing weather or not robots can be someone's property. The book is funny in a way I usually don't associate with Dick's writing; I've laughed out loud twice.

Speaking of funny Lincoln books, it wouldn't hurt you to check out Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation, either. Though it's not entirely about that assassination, it's really insightful and clever, and the best of the three books of hers I've read.

And no book has made Lincoln more real for me than Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Seriously. I didn't see the movie, Tim Burton reminds me of that kid in high school that tries too hard to be weird, but the book is good.

Reader, I think I'm good at coming up with snarky little comments about a bad movie or book. What I'm not good at is praise that sounds genuine...or...that doesn't sound like I'm trying to sell you something. I wish I were better at this, because the movie "Lincoln" is really tremendous. Daniel Day-Lewis is perfect and the entire cast is just phenomenal. It was nice to be in a packed theater, and it had been a helluva long time since I'd heard the audience clap when the credits started to roll.

The movie didn't choke you with Abraham's demi-godhood or show a bunch of black people being treated poorly. Maybe it did vilify the Confederates just a little, but they were the bad guys, right? And it's not like Spielberg was yelling "more likable!" to Jackie Earle Haley.

I was happy when I thought I heard a mistake, but thirty seconds of Google proved that I was wrong, apparantly the term "sniper" had been used at that time. Sue me.

WM proclaims: Point Blank.