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Fitzgerald is going to be holding a news conference today at 2 ET, noon here in the Panhandle. Update: Fitzgerald's web page is here. Documents released will be posted to the page....

From Drudge: CBSNEWS Chief White House correspondent John Roberts described the President?s selection of Judge Samuel Alito as ?sloppy seconds? during today?s press gaggle with White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. John Roberts: ?So, Scott, you said that -- or...

Looks like Scooter Libby is going to be indicted. Karl Rove won't bet getting the call, at least for right now. I told you so. (Well, me and lots of other people probably.)...

Chad Schuldt, who is on of Steve Hildebrand?s paid bloggers, has been attacking those parents who have taken issue with the Sioux Falls Middle School?s sex education programs. He has called them Fundies and prudish. Apparently Schuldt thinks you are...

Did a quick Google blog search this morning for Samuel Alito, and found some interesting results. Alito on Federal Courts and Appellate Advocacy. Sam Alito, As I Knew Him. Justice Alito? Intrade: Alito Is the Next Supreme Court Nominee. There's...

Eric notes that a few conservatives in the know are hearing Alito will be the Supreme Court nominee. Of course, the linked Red State post puts something of a jinx into play. Red State in turn links to the Prowler,...

The other day Abe noted a very pessimistic and cynical column from Peggy Noonan. Let me tell you, the Pegster was on a real downer when she wrote this baby. Here blogger The Speculist says Cheer Up, Peggy. Our future...

Discovering Narnia

Ther is an evident disconnect here between the fact of what C.S. Lewis created with the Narnian Chronicles, and the media view of what's happening with the upcoming release of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

One doesn't have to get further into this piece form the DC Times than the first paragraph to see this:

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," a $150 million film combining religion and fantasy, is being pitched to churches as a cross between "The Passion of the Christ" and "The Lord of the Rings."

CLUE TO JOURNALIST: If it comes across as a cross between "The Passion of the Christ" and "The Lord of the Rings," maybe it's because that's what Lewis had in mind when he wrote it. Lewis and Tolkien were contemporaries, friends and academic associates.

Both were unapologetically Christian, and elements of Christianity and Judeo-Christian symbolism are unmistakeably present in the LOTR trilogy, and even more so in the Narnia cycle.

This is only news to typical modern secularists, and those whose "modern" and/or "deconstructionist" educational experience has left gigantic holes where the the understanding of the cultural underpinnings of Western Civilization (both Judeo-Christian as well as Classical) would have formerly resided.

Those traditional "Classical" elements became classic due to their deep and abiding resonance with the circumstances of the human condition. Those elements, which still resonate with the human condition, are intrinsically embedded in the fabric of both Tolkien and Lewis. This is a good part of what attracts the often values-starved cinema audiences of today, although the fact that both authors could spin a good tale certainly doesn't hurt.

Anyway, as far as the latest iteration of the Narnia world is concerned, it looks to the Chief as if the Lewis legacy is in good hands:

Mr. Gresham (movie co-producer Douglas Gresham, Lewis' stepson) spent six months on the set ensuring that the story line stayed true to its Christian values. In his new book, "Jack's Life," Mr. Gresham described his stepfather as "influenced by the Holy Spirit of God." The director, Andrew Adamson, is the son of missionaries. Walden Films president Micheal Flaherty, who has staked his personal reputation on the film's adherence to the book's Christian message, attends the nondenominational Grace Chapel in Lexington, Mass.

"We got as faithful an adaptation as possible," said Mr. Flaherty of the yet-to-be-rated movie. "All the key scenes and the key dialogues are there."

The Chief hopes, and expects that the audiences will be there too.

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