MadMania

Faith, Books, and Stuff

Category: reviews

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

I haven’t read The Hunger Games, and haven’t really paid attention to the book series. I had the barest concept of the story from The Baby, who liked the first book, was cool to the second, and hated the third. So I had pretty much no expectations going in. I only went because the girls […]

Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

I loved almost every minute of Captain America. I had high hopes for it, and Joe Johnston (who also directed The Rocketeer) did an amazing job with it. It was both faithful to the original story as well as new and unique. The cast was amazing: Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, and that […]

Review: A Death in the Venetian Quarter

Alan Gordon’s is one of a series of mysteries set around 1200 AD and based on characters from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The main characters are jesters who belong to the Fool’s Guild, who in this particular novel attempt to solve a murder and prevent the fall of Constantinople. Judging the book by its cover like […]

Review: Bates City Café

Heather and I stopped in at the Bates City Café last week. Having lived in Bates City for one miserable year, I try to avoid the town. However, since the gas station became a Valero franchise it’s really the quickest way to stop and get gas between Kansas City and Concordia. When Heather and I […]

Review: Mel’s Diner in Tipton, Missouri

I stopped at Mel’s Diner on 50 Highway on my way back from Rolla last week. Mel’s is a little steel building with a ketchup and mustard interior. Service was decent, despite the large party they had in the back. I ordered the Kosher Corn Beef sandwich. The sandwich was fine , but when you […]

Review: Big D’z Dawgz

Besides being uncomfortable to type, Big D’z Dawgz is a food vendor that can be found during the week on Holmes street between Children’s Mercy Hospital and UMKC Med School in Kansas City, Missouri. Due to an imposed hot dog and french fry diet earlier in my life, I didn’t eat hot dogs with any regularity […]

Review: Smokin’ Aces BBQ

Smokin’ Aces BBQ is a food vendor found on Holmes street between Children’s Mercy Hospital and UMKC Med School in Kansas City, Missouri. My first impression of Smokin’ Aces was of some place I didn’t want to visit: a black travel trailer with the words, ‘Smokin’ Aces BBQ’ painted on the side in red and […]