Just like Rene Zellweger tells Tom Cruise that he “had her at hello” in Jerry Maguire, the Counterfeiters had me at Nazi and Concentration Camp when I read the synopsis.  I’ve always been fascinated by the European part of World War II, especially the Holocaust.  I didn’t even read past those buzz words, so I was surprised to find that it was based on a true story about concentration camp prisoners who are given preferential treatment due to their special abilities which will help the Reich counterfeit the British pound and the American dollar.

The winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2008 tells the story of these prisoners who succeeded in counterfeiting £132 million in £5, £10 and £20 notes.  Their delay in counterfeiting the dollar was pivotal.  Had they not delayed, the Nazis might have been able to flood the American economy; thereby, possibly causing a very different outcome to WWII in Europe.
Continue Reading

Popularity: 10% [?]

In a recent article, I comically used the dysphemism “like a B-52 over Nagasaki” to describe my writing style. My aim was not to offend anybody. Well, not to offend anybody with that statement. I had an interesting comment that got me to thinking about how long is the moratorium for humorous references to tragic events.

I personally choose to laugh at as much of life as possible. I have found that it really helps me keep my sanity. Yet, at the same time, I don’t want to laugh at other people’s expense or in the wake of their pain. Now it’s one thing to laugh at kids that wipe out while riding their bikes and skateboards. It’s an entirely different thing when you outrage an entire generation.

Continue Reading

Popularity: 8% [?]