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:
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.
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