December 18, 2012

1. I was very pleased by the beginning of President Obama’s speech on Sunday to the people of Newtown, Conn. In the face of that horrific tragedy, the president referred to and quoted from Scripture extensively. In a time of unspeakable tragedy, it was significant that our president took us to our greatest potential source of comfort. One YouTube post cut that part out—a sure sign that the Judeo-Christian worldview came through.

2. Saturday night, Judy and I took in the Robert E. Lee production of the musical WHITE CHRISTMAS. As a chaser, we watched the Bing Crosby/Danny Kay movie last night. I was surprised that the stage version is so different than the movie version. For example, in the movie, General Waverly leaves the WWII European front because he is being demoted. In the stage version, he has to return to the states to receive an operation on his wounded leg. I liked both, but the movie version lasts only two hours, compared to the stage version’s duration of three hours. If I must vote, therefore, I vote for the stage version.

3. I think the Texas Rangers did the right thing in letting Josh Hamilton go. There is no way the team’s income can support signing him to a contract like the Angels. Having said that, I fear that we will look back on Hamilton’s time with the team as the golden years. I wish they would have won at least one World Series during that time—the window of opportunity has closed.

4. If you want to read a book to help you emotionally understand that beautiful actresses do not have it made, read Portia De Rossi’s book Unbearable Lightness. Tormented by her homosexual feelings and her physical self-loathing, she does a tremendously effective job of communicating her insecurity and fear. Those twin evils fueled her eating disorders and self-destruction. At one point, her weight dropped below 90lbs. (Photos from that time in her life break your heart.) I bet most females in the country reading the book think to themselves, “I’m glad I’m not her.” Remarkable.

5. I know I wrote on this yesterday (http://markedgeremarks.blogspot.com/), but the more I think about Lev. 25 and Deut. 15, the more I am challenged by those two passages.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.

December 11, 2012

1. I think LeBron James is a lot better guy than I had previously thought. Sports Illustrated

has a terrific article on him in this week’s issue where he is named SPORTSMAN THE YEAR.

 Not only has he financially helped a lot of people, he has given them the gift of his time.

 In addition, he is an extremely intelligent ballplayer; some of his coaches all him a genius.

 Here is a link to the article: http://www.sportsillustratedeverywhere.com/issues/protected/com.timeinc.si.web.inapp.12102012/index.html

2. I avoided reading His Excellency George Washington for several years. Recently, I made the decision to give it a shot, and was thoroughly impressed. The historian, Joseph Ellis, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning book Founding Brothers, also wrote this biography. It is short, it holds your attention, and it gives you an effective global view of Washington's life and career. Ellis produces the most balanced view of Washington. He shows him to be a great man, but a man who has weaknesses like all others.

            I have read other books on Washington, including James Thomas Flexner's four-volume biography. However, this work by Ellis is definitely the most enjoyable. If you can only read one book on George Washington, read this one.           

3. I have no desire to see the new movie musical Les Miserables, but I hear the singing is very good. Also, I read that is an unusual film in that the singing was recorded on-location rather than in the studio. I do respect that.

4. I was disappointed in the documentary on former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. It was called The Fog Of War. I had heard about it for several years. In the film, McNamara recounted some of the reasons why he made the decisions that he made in the Vietnam War. The movie does not offer much new information.

5. That was a gutty win Sunday, Cowboys.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this title.

December 4, 2012

1. I think I want to see the Steven Jobs biopic when it arrives at theaters. Here is a link to the photo released by the studio of Ashton Kutcher as Jobs:

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/04/photo-ashton-kutcher-as-steve-jobs-in-jobs/?hpt=hp_bn9

2. I think if you have a high tolerance for secular culture, the movie BLUE LIKE JAZZ gives an accurate portrayal of what you can expect to see in our nation’s future.

3. I am sad to see that Frankie Muniz, the actor who played Malcom in “Malcom in the Middle” suffered a mini-stroke last week. He is only 26.

4.  A couple of weeks ago, I finished Evan Thomas' new book Ike’s Bluff President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World. Thomas wrote this for popular consumption, and he succeeded in producing a work that the public will like.            

            Thomas’ premise is that President Eisenhower drew from his poker playing skill to bluff China and the Soviet Union into restraining themselves from engaging in nuclear war. Thomas, from the beginning, makes a strong case for his central point; however, I found the last half of the book repetitive. It was as if he had to stretch his material in order to write a full book. Do not let that discourage you though; it is still a very good read.

            Through the years, I've been blessed with the opportunity to read a number of books about Dwight Eisenhower, and Thomas has some information, due to recently declassified documents, that is fresh and new. Moreover, access to the diary of Eisenhower’s personal physician offers dramatic insight to the delicate balance the president had to maintain between stress and health. Thomas’ narration shows a close correlation between the stress of the presidency and Eisenhower's various health problems. These included a heart attack, various stomach ailments, and a stroke. Eisenhower's physician recorded his need to give Eisenhower a sleeping pill during the middle of the night to help him go back to sleep.

            All of this makes sense. Eisenhower is the first human being in history who has to cultivate a strategy for the hydrogen bomb. Nothing in history compared to this exercise. Furthermore, Eisenhower potentially faced unspeakable consequences. He had to manage thermonuclear bombs, address the reality that other nations on the planet had atomic weapons that could destroy his country, all the while knowing that any combination of moves could conceivably destroy life on this planet. I think I would have health issues as well were I to make these decisions.

            The book's best quote was this, “Lincoln went to war to save the Union. Eisenhower avoided war to save the world.” That one line describes the burden and the glory of Eisenhower presidency.

            The 20th century birthed a man who organized the greatest military invasion in human history. It also birthed a man who had to address the possibility that hostile nations could have literally wiped his nation from the planet. It just so happened that both men resided in the body of Dwight Eisenhower.

            Who knows? Maybe he should be designated the man of the century.

5. When you say a prayer tonight, pray for one of our elders, David Smith. He is fighting for his life.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this title.