DVD Review: Enchanted

When it comes to fairy tales, no movie studio does them better than Disney. In fact, if you think about popular fairy tales that have been made into films you're more than likely to think of the House of Mouse. With its latest release, Enchanted, Disney has added an instant classic to its library.

The opening of the movie suggests that the film is going to be just another animated fairy tale. However, it ends up being something quite different indeed. The story opens in the fairy tale land of Andalasia.Giselle (Amy Adams) is a charming young woman who has fallen in love with Prince Edward (James Marsden). Once Edward meets Giselle he also falls in love much to the consternation of his evil stepmother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon). They immediately decide to get married since that's how things happen in fairy tales. As Giselle arrives at the church for the ceremony, she is intercepted by Narissa who is disguised as an old hag. Narissa encourages her to make a wish at the magical wishing well and as Giselle leans over Narissa pushes her end sending her to the "place where there are no happily ever afters": New York.

Giselle arrives in New York by climbing up through the sewer and is immediately confronted with a world that is vastly different than her fairy tale world. She soon encounters Robert Phillip (Patrick Dempsey), a divorced single father who is also a divorce lawyer. Robert does not believe in fairy tale romance and does not hesitate to say so. Giselle is still very naive at first about the ways of the real world. But as Robert and Giselle spend more time together each begins to learn a little more about real love from the other.

Meanwhile, Edward has followed Giselle to New York in an attempt to rescue her and return her to Andalasia. Narissa, wanting to be sure that Edward does not succeed, sends Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) her assistant, to follow him and make sure that they don't have the chance to rekindle the romance. Will Edward and Giselle be reunited? Will they discover that their love is true love or something entirely different?

Although the film follows a typical fairly tale plot it also turns the genre on its head with the soon-to-be princess Giselle having to cope with life in New York. Along the way there are subtle references to previous Disney classics that provide added enjoyment for fans of the animated classics.

The film works in large part because of the fantastic performances of Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, and James Marsden. Ms. Adams is perfectly cast as the lovely Giselle. Early in the film she perfectly captures Giselle's naivete when she first arrives in New York. She honestly believes that life should be lived like a fairy tale and that "happily ever after" isn't just a dream, it's a reality. She's a stark contrast to Patrick Dempsey's Robert who sees only the dark side of relationships. He's skeptical that true love that lasts is possible. It takes Giselle to show him what's really possible. James Marsden is a wonderfully dense, self-absorbed hero who is smitten with Giselle but doesn't have enough of an idea of what true love really looks like to know whether what he feels is real.

Another bright spot in the movie is the wonderful soundtrack composed by Disney veterans Alan Mencken and Stephen Schwartz. They have come up with songs that are reminiscent of show-stopping tunes from previous Disney films.

The filmmakers also chose to not taking some available shortcuts and create more elaborately choreographed moments that add to the charm of the film. For example, in the early part of the movie Giselle decides to help out Robert by cleaning his apartment. In a sequence reminiscent of "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves she calls upon the animals of the city (pigeons, rats, and even cockroaches) to help her clean up while singing the "Happy Working Song". The sequence could have easily been done entirely through computer-generated creatures but the producers decided to include live animals in the sequence. As a result, it's a more realistic shot and is far more believable to the viewer.

Another great moment occurs a little later in the film when Giselle is trying to help Robert express how he feels to his current girlfriend. She provides her advice through a rousing song "How Will You Know" that is an elaborate song-and-dance sequence filmed through Central Park with over 100 professional dancers.

The bonus features include great behind-the-scenes looks into how the different effects were achieved. They also show the great care that was taken in crafting the production to make sure that it's a fitting tribute to Disney's fairy tale legacy. The Blu Ray disc has an added feature: a pop-up guide to the cinematic references throughout the film.

With Enchanted, Disney has done only what they could really do: pay tribute to their fairy tale legacy while at the same time gently poking fun at the conventions of the genre. With stellar performances from the entire cast and an uncompromising production design, they've outdone themselves. Enchanted is sure to be another Disney classic.

This article originally appeared at Blogcritics.

Baseball Quote of the Week - Opening Day Edition

Do you know what we get to do today, Brooks? We get to play baseball.


- Jimmy Morris (Dennis Quaid) in The Rookie

Baseball is back.

99 Years and Counting...

Monday marks Opening Day for the Chicago Cubs 100th season since their last World Series championship. To mark the occasion, ESPN recaps 99 years of Cubs' futility.

Maybe this is the year. Maybe.

Book Review/Interview: Steel Trapp - The Challenge by Ridley Pearson

Ridley Pearson long ago established himself as one of the premier writers of adult crime novels. His latest book, Steel Trapp: The Challenge, however, is his first foray into crime novels for young adults. As he explained in a recent interview, this book was originally intended to be another adult thriller.

"It started as an adult crime thriller and had at its center a young boy of 14. I wronte the whole novel as an adult novel," said Mr. Pearson. "In working out what I wrote next for my adult publisher it became apparent I wasn't going to use this book. My assistant at the time, Louise Marsh, who was always the first to read my material before any of this career kind of thing came up [writing books for kids] said, 'Hey, are you totally sure this should be an adult novel? I'm totally loving the kid in this book. Maybe it should be one of your kid books.' And I kept saying this is a Roland Larson book [the U. S. Marshall from Cut and Run]. As time went on I realized that she was right and I went back and recast the book with the kid as the focal point of the book and sort of turned down the volume on the Roland Larson parts."

The kid is Stephen "Steel" Trapp, a brilliant boy of 14 who is blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it) with a photographic memory. While on a train to Washington, D. C. to compete in the National Science Challenge, he sees a woman get on the train with a briefcase. Later, when the woman leaves the train in Chicago, she leaves behind the briefcase. Stephen takes the briefcase to her but she insists it isn't her even though Stephen is absolutely sure he remembers her bringing it on the train. His attempt to be a Good Samaritan immediately backfires as he becomes entangled in a kidnapping and terrorism plot and puts himself in mortal danger. With the assistance of Roland Larson of the U. S. Marshalls' Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, Stephen tries to unlock the mysteries inside the briefcase and stop the sinister plan before it is too late.

Click here to listen to the interview with Ridley Pearson.

Although Stephen's photographic memory causes him to get into trouble in the beginning it also helps him discover the clues that will solve the mystery. The idea of someone who has such an ability to recall information is intriguing.

"I enjoy the idea of somebody who can't forget," said Mr. Pearson. "There is part of the human condition that is made easier by the fact we can forget. This idea that you can't let go of things whether it's your parents being mean to you or a friend being mean to you, it;s good when those things can leave your head and the fact that there's this kid and that stuff can't leave I think will make him a very complex character."

Although this is a novel written for kids, Mr. Pearson admits that his approach to writing this book is not much different from his approach to writing his adult crime novels.

"There really isn't much difference in writing for young adults and adults. It's fun for me because at its base it's all storytelling. I don't try to pull any punches. I don't try to write down to the kids. If they don't get a word then as my dad used to say, 'Look it up!'. You can go to a disctionary and figure out what a word means. I just try to write a story that I would want to read."

Although this is a book primarily about a kid, fans of Mr. Pearson's adult crime thrillers will find great enjoyment in it as well. This is because Mr. Pearson has not only crafted a tightly plotted story but has also incorporated extensive research into this book which has been one of the hallmarks of his previous novels.

"The job of a novelist is to suspend a reader's disbelief. I don't want you disbelieving what I'm writing because I'm making up a world anyway and if you start disbelieving it I failed and you're likely to throw the book across the room and pick another one off the shelf."

"Early on in my novel writing, I realized one of the helpful aids would be to craft the books mostly out of fact and bend them to my needs when I need the fiction to take over. So I do an awful lot of research to build a bed in the book of fact that it's standing on. So you're not going to disbelieve it because it's true and when I hit areas where I have to shrink the time or make someone unusual I can do that because hopefully I've sold you with enough fact that you don't then doubt my fiction."

"For Steel Trapp, I interviewed a U. S. Marshall to find out about how they do fugitive apprehension. They have a thing called the Fugitive Apprehension Task Force that is part of the Justice Department. These guys chase down people who have escaped from prison, the people who are the mose threat to society. There are only 4 or 5 of these guys. But they are the elite of the elite. Roland Larson is one of these guys."

With Steel Trapp: The Challenge, Ridley Pearson has done a terrific job of creating an intriguing yet unlikely hero in Stephen Trapp. Judging by the speed with which our family devoured the book I think it's safe to say that Mr. Pearson has another hit on his hands. He also says he plans to write more about this kid as he's already well into writing a second novel about him. Hopefully there will be many more such adventures to come.

This article originially appeared at Blogcritics.

Baseball Quote of the Week

Only a few more days until the new season starts. I can hardly wait. As I'm reading a couple of baseball history books at the moment, this quote seemed appropriate:

The strongest thing that baseball has going for it today are its yesterdays.

~Lawrence Ritter, author of The Glory of Their Times, one of the best oral histories of baseball ever published.

Barack Obama's Church Problem Isn't Going Away

Over at The Point, Anne Morse takes a look at Mark Steyn's latest column and then offers an astute observation about why Barack Obama's failure to either confront Reverend Wright over comments the Senator found disturbing or ultimately leave the church will continue to plague him as the campaign wears on:

I can tell you as a life-long believer---ignoring even one instance of craziness from the pulpit is not normal Protestant behavior. We're too concerned with the truth--or at least, what we believe to be the truth. That's why we Protestants have about 9 million denominations: A minister said something we thought was nuts, and so off we went to start a new church.

That Obama did none of the above--and that he seems to have trouble ever
admitting he was wrong about anything--is troubling.

Indeed.

Baseball Quote of the Week

Given the discussions this week about race and politics, this quote seemed particularly appropriate:

A game of great charm in the adoption of mathematical measurements to the timing of human movements, the exactitudes and adjustments of physical ability to hazardous chance. The speed of the legs, the dexterity of the body, the grace of the swing, the elusiveness of the slide - these are the features that make Americans everywhere forget the last syllable of a man's last name or the pigmentation of his skin. ~Branch Rickey

Have a great weekend.

Barack Obama and His Church

Much has been said about Barack Obama's relationship with his former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The controversy forced the senator to address his relationship with his pastor today in a major speech. More troubling, however, is the theology of his church and as Joe Carter points out, is the more important point.

By continuing to maintain membership in the church for nearly 20 years, Senator Obama is in effect expressing agreement with its theology. Senator Obama may hope that he's put the controversy to rest with today's speech. But there's much more to the story that needs to be explored and the Senator has a lot more explaining to do. How he handles those questions in the coming weeks will speak volumes about whether he's ready to lead this country as its President.

UPDATE: Over at the Townhall blog, Carol Platt Liebau suggests that Senator Obama joined the church in order to develop a political base and is hesitant to leave now for fear of the damage that could be caused by his departure from the congregation. Her concluding paragraph nails the issue:

Whatever the reason, here's why this is so hard to explain away. Whether the vitriolic anti-American remarks were simply insufficiently offensive to Barack, or whether they were offensive but outweighed by personal political considerations, there's simply no justification for them. Ultimately, the whole messy episode does either his judgment or else his character no credit. And there's no spinning that away.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Carol posts again and points to this post by Jim Geraghty raising the point that if Rev. Wright's statements were so troubling then why did he continue to expose his daughters to the Reverend's teachings?

DVD Review: The Complete Jeeves and Wooster

If you were to take a poll of the funniest British televsion comedies of all time, Jeeves and Wooster would likely receive a fair share of votes. In my mind, this is probably the funniest comedy I've ever seen. Not only that, but the series remains funny no matter how many times I watch it.

Based on the characters created by legendary British humorist P. G. Wodehouse, the series follows the adventures of Bertie Wooster (Hugh Laurie), a rich young playboy living in 1920's London who has too much time on his hands and an affinity for getting caught up in various sorts of relational predicaments involving friends and family.

In the opening episode, Bertie has had a wild night on the town and ends up hauled off to court to face charges of stealing a policeman's helmet. After paying the fine (and still rather hung over), he returns home only to be rudely awakened by Jeeves (Stephen Fry) who is the new valet sent by the agency to attend to Bertie's needs. Jeeves revives Bertie with a secret recipe hangover cure and is immediately hired. It turns out to be a fortunate decision as Bertie immediately manages to get himself tangled up in an engagement that he doesn't want any part of. Fortunately Jeeves manages to come up with a scheme to extricate Bertie just in the nick of time. Future episodes involve similar precarious circumstances and it will be Jeeves that will come to Bertie's rescue.

Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry are the perfect choice to play their respective roles. They are great friends and have a very natural chemistry which is absolutely necessary to make the stories work. The scripts are adapted mostly from Wodehouse's numerous short stories and are, for the most part, faithful to the original material. The only major deviation from the source material is to give Bertie Wooster the ability to sing and play the piano which allows Hugh Laurie to show off his musical talents through numerous performances of several comic tunes.
There is also a host of wonderful supporting characters to round out the cast. Unfortunately, the same actors were not always used for the same roles as the series develops causing a little confusion.

But it's all wonderful escapism, a portrait of an England (and America) that never really quite existed except in our imaginations. It's the kind of show you can never get tired of watching. You just wish by the time you reached the end of the series that there was more to come. Unfortunately, there's only 23 episodes. We can hold out hope, can't we?

The Complete Jeeves and Wooster is available from the A&E Store.

Quick Takes 3-14-08

It's Friday and time for another weekly roundup of links of interest:

How hard can it really be? An eight year-old Brazilian boy has been admitted to law school. Insert your favorite lawyer joke here. (hat tip: Megan McArdle)

DVD Review of the week. Check out my review of 101 Dalmatians at Blogcritics.

Elders in the local church. Tim Ellsworth has some words of wisdom on the role of elders in the church.

Health insurance isn't really insurance. Health insurance as we've come to know it is more of a gigantic exercise in cost-shifting rather than pure insurance. This is one of the best explanations why that is the case I have ever read (and I've worked in insurance for nearly twenty years). It's something to keep in mind as we hear politicians discuss huge government "fixes" to the "health care crisis".

Recommended reading. I just finished Mark Frost's excellent book The Match: The Day the Game of Golf Changed Forever. What began as a simple bet between two friends turned into one of the classic battles of all time. Even if you're not a fan of golf, you'll still find plenty to enjoy in this book.

Homeschool tip of the week: What you can learn about writing from Legos.


Curse less and make more money. A study of PG rated movies shows those that had less profanity did better at the box office.

Trying to squelch March Madness. CBS is streaming all of the games for this year's Men's NCAA basketball tournament on their website but some businesses are cracking down on workers who are trying to watch the tournament during business hours.


Don't try this during a job interview. Careerbuilder.com has released a survey of the wackiest mistakes made during job interviews. My personal favorite was the candidate that refused to give a writing sample beacuse all of her writing had been for the CIA and it was "classified".


Eat your vegetables. A review of Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. The recipes may seem a little odd at first but we've liked what we have taste-tested so far.


Barbecue Blogging. Here's the right way to make barbecue. By the way, I've never eaten at Stamey's but will certainly try it the next time I'm in the neighborhood. Looks like they make their barbecue the way it should be done. (Hat tip: Instapundit)


Perfect Season. Considering all they have dealt with this year with the devastating tornadoes, the achievement of the Union University Lady Bulldogs is even more remarkable. Their women's basketball team finished the season undefeated as they head into the NAIA tournament next week. (Hat tip: Tim Ellsworth)

Coming Next Week....A review of the brand new book Steel Trapp: The Challenge and (in our inaugural podcast) an interview with the author, Ridley Pearson.

Have a great weekend.

Baseball Quote of the Week

The trouble with baseball is that it is not played the year round. - Gaylord Perry

Only 17 more days until Opening Day. Baseball will be back soon.

DVD Review: The History Channel's Pearl Harbor

It was one of the darkest days in American history: December 7, 1941, the Japanese surprise attack on the U. S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor woke the sleeping giant of the United States armed forces and brought America into World War II. It would bring the nation into a war it had long tried to avoid (and ignore).

In this documentary, The History Channel explores the events that led up to Japan's attack on the U. S. Veterans of both sides are interviewed and offer their perspective on the attack and the larger role that the battle would play in each nation's war effort.

Many theories have circulated for years that the U. S. government had advance knowledge of the attack and that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had allowed the attack to occur in order to allow the U. S. to be drawn into the war. These theories are dealt with in detail and quickly dismissed as the true facts surrounding the attacks are revealed.

The filmmakers also spend a great deal of time focusing on the stories of those who survived the attack. Both U. S. and Japanese veterans are interviewed. Perhaps surprising is the Japanese pilots that admit they didn't think it was a good idea for them to attack the U. S. One of the best quotes from the veterans was from John Finn who won a Congressional Medal of Honor for his valor demonstrated during the attack. When asked how he survived he simply said "It just wasn't my day to die". In this simple statement, Finn demonstrates the humility of many of the World War II veterans.

The second disc of the set includes a documentary of Admiral Chester Nimitz who was named Commander of the Pacific fleet shortly after the attack occurred. As the film shows, Nimitz almost single-handedly rebuilt the Pacific fleet into a lethal fighting force. Nimitz's tactics help secure a swift victory in the Pacific theater that was unthinkable in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor.

This documentary reminds us even in a post-9/11 world that there are dangers in ignoring events taking place around us that can put our security in peril. John F. DeVirgillo, the Hawaii Director of the Pearl Harbor Association summed it up this way: "You must remember Pearl Harbor. It is a lesson of being complacent. Don't let individualism blind you. We still need to think of the country as a whole. You must always be prepared. If you're not prepared, you'll pay in blood."


The History Channel's Pearl Harbor is available from the History Channel Store.

Democrats, Do Overs, and Disenfranchisement

These are tough times to be a Democrat. After months of battling through primaries and caucuses, Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are practically deadlocked in the race for their party's presidential nomination. Even though several states are still slated to hold their primaries they aren't going to ultimately decide who the nominee will be. That decision will be made by 796 "superdelegates" who are party officials who will ultimately select the nominee. Never before has the Democratic party had to rely on these unelected delegates to decide a nomination. This was the year the Democrats were supposed to win back the White House. Now, it looks like the party may implode before they can select a nominee.

To make matters worse, Senator John McCain has already wrapped up the Republican nomination which means he can focus on the general election and raise a boatload of campaign cash.

The question now facing Democrats in how to bring their nomination process to a peaceful end. Unfortunately for them, no one has a good solution.

The Democrats didn't arrive in this position overnight. Rather, decisions that were made months ago have had a profound effect on the nomination process.

First, the primary schedule was compressed in the hopes that a nominee could be selected quickly. Instead of allowing the primaries to occur over a period of, say, five or six months, they were bunched up together at the front end of the election schedule. So about 75% of the elected delegates have already been chosen but neither candidate can mathematically obtain the magic number to secure the nomination.

Part of the reason the race is so close is because Barack Obama has turned out to be a much more formidable candidate than anyone had imagined. This was supposed to be the year Hillary Clinton would finally get the opportunity to run for the White House. But all through the campaign she's been struggling to defeat Senator Obama. Her campaign has seemed perpetually off balance as if it was never ready to face such a stiff challenge. It's also interesting to note that Senator Obama had declared her candidacy before Senator Clinton did which in effect pushed her into the campaign before she really seemed ready to jump into the fray.

Then there's the problem of Michigan and Florida. Party rules stated that Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina would all vote first (in that order). Both Michigan and Florida wanted to have a bigger role in the nomination process so they moved up their primaries. The Democratic National Committee responded by basically saying they could not seat delegates at the convention since they broke the rules. Now the DNC has a huge problem on its hands. Because the race is so close, they can't afford to not seat delegations from those two states. However, even the states' delegations are not large enough to secure the nomination for Senators Clinton or Obama without the intervention of the superdelegates.

There is also the fact that all of the primaries and caucuses apportion delegates among the candidates proportionally based on the percentage of the votes each candidate receives or by congressional district or some similarly convoluted mathematical formula. As a result, a candidate can score a huge win in a primary or caucus (as Senator Obama did yesterday in Mississippi) and yet it can have a negligible effect on the overall delegate count.

So now Democrats find themselves in a thoroughly uncomfortable position. Their nominee will ultimately be selected by the party's elite, unelected delegates rather than by the millions of voters who turned out in during the primary season. Depending on which way they go, they run the risk of alienating a huge portion of their base. They could potentially disenfranchise millions of voters (particularly if they cannot resolve the Michigan/Florida problem). It's rather ironic that the same party that since 2000 has routine accused Republicans of disenfranchising voters may do the same to their own base. How they solve these issues in selecting their nominee could mean the difference between a huge victory in November and utter self-destruction.

Chuck Norris on Homeschooling

Actor Chuck Norris weighs in on last week's court ruling in California with his own thoughts on homeschooling. An excerpt:

The reason government courts are cracking down on private instruction has more to do with suppressing alternative education than improving educational standards. The rationale is quite simple, though rarely, if ever, stated. If one wants to control the future ebbs and flows of a country, one must have command over future generations. This is done by seizing parental and educational power, legislating preferred educational materials, and limiting private educational options. It is so simple any socialist can understand it. As Josef Stalin once stated: "Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed."

Read the whole thing.

Quick Takes - 3-7-08

It's Friday and time for another roundup of random links for your weekend enjoyment. Thanks again this week to my lovely wife who did most of the research.

This is a club I could easily join. It's the No Cussing Club.

Be careful what you aim at. A golfer is charged with killing a hawk. As a side note, this reminds me of the time I was playing golf near Chicago and one of my playing partners nailed a Canadian goose in the back with his shot (not on purpose). It just goes to show that there is no telling what obstacles you may encounter on the course.

A second career in golf? Golf ball diving.


Fire the youth pastor. So says pastor and author Voddie Baucham on Family Life Today. Instead, fathers take the lead for discipling their children. (Hat tip: Stones Cry Out)


Say it ain't so. The new owner of the Chicago Cubs is considering selling naming rights to Wrigley Field. Some things are better left alone and this is one of them.

An "A" for effort. A Minnesota bar tries (and fails) to get around a local smoking ban.


Book of the week (part 1). The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes reveals that FDR's policies did more to worsen the economic crisis of the 1930s than to improve it. It also shows that FDR's policies and beliefs were not all that most of us had been taught through sanitized history classes in school.

Job loyalty personified. A Lexington, VA man retires after nearly 35 years working for Kroger. It says something about his contentment in his job to do the same thing for so long.

More than he bargained for. A tourist's Australian Outback vacation included a close encounter with a crocodile.

Dying is against the law. And the mayor has promised "severe punishment" for those who disobey. I wonder what that means?


Book of the week (part 2). Personal Faith, Public Policy by Harry R. Jackson, Jr. and Tony Perkins confronts the issue of applying a biblical worldview to our current public policy crises. This looks like a book whose time has come.

Tackling political humor. Comic book legend Stan Lee's newest venture.

Still going strong at 100. Age hasn't slowed this woman down. Good for her.


World War I Veteran honored. Frank Buckles is the last known U. S. military veteran from World War I. Yesterday, he was honored with a visit with President Bush at the White House. Buckles is 107 years young.


Dumb Criminals of the week. Two guys in cowboy gear stole doughnuts from a local bakery and when the sheriff's deputies showed up to arrest them they tried to bribe the officers with the stolen goods!

Have a great weekend.

Baseball Quote of the Week

I couldn't see well enough to play when I was a boy, so they gave me a special job: They made me an umpire.

Harry S. Truman

John McCain: A True Hero

Say what you will about his political positions, there is no doubt in my mind after watching this video that John McCain is a true hero.

Hat tip: Hugh Hewitt

New DVD Reviews at Blogcritics

Here's a roundup of my recent DVD reviews over at Blogcritics:

The Aristocats
The classic animated feature about a family of felines living in 1900 Paris. This is the last movie that Walt Disney personally supervised. It's also the last movie to be scored by the Sherman Brothers during their initial run as part of the Disney family.

Becoming Jane
Anne Hathaway stars in this biopic about novelist Jane Austen. Although rated PG it really should have been a PG-13 given some of its mature content. It's also been criticized for playing a little loose with the truth. Still, Ms. Hathaway shines as Austen.

Persuasion
A brand new adaptation of Jane Austen's last completed novel which recently aired here in the United States on PBS. Sally Hawkins makes her mark as Anne Elliott and adds a classy performance to the long history of Austen heroines.

Quick Takes - 2-29-08

Random links of interest for your weekend enjoyment (with a huge tip o' the hat to my lovely bride for her exhaustive research):

People who work alone are more productive? A new study suggests this is the case. From my personal perspective, I've worked from home for over four years now and find I am much more productive than I ever was working in an office. (hat tip: Evangelical Outpost)

Honoring Champions President Bush welcomed the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox to the White House on Wednesday. They also spent time at Walter Reed Army Hospital visiting with wounded soldiers (scroll down for pictures). But the highlight for manager Terry Francona and slugger David Ortiz was riding on motorcycles in the motorcade.

Flushing money down the toilet. Atlanta spends $300,000 on toilets for homeless people.

Doctors said abort the baby, parents defy them and he's born healthy. This story begs the question how many babies that are aborted based on a doctor's recommendation would otherwise be born healthy.

All the news that's fit to recycle. The New York Times tries to stir up more trouble for Senator John McCain by regurgitating old inquiries about his birthplace.

Movie Trailer of the week. Here's a peek at The Final Season. This looks like it could be great.



Portrait of a hero (Part 1). A Marine loses his leg in Iraq but rather than letting that slow him down returns to active combat.

Portrait of a hero (Part 2). An Amry Sergeant, home after two tours of duty in Iraq, bought a scratch-off lottery ticket on a whim at a convenience store. Little did he know he would win $1 million. Now he's getting set to return to Iraq for his third tour of duty.

Does higher turnout among Democrats in the primaries mean a landslide in November? Not necessarily.

Grandma said so. Several news outlets made the regrettable decision yesterday to disclose that Prince Harry has been fighting on the front lines with the British Army in Afghanistan. But the best part of the story is that Queen Elizabeth (his grandmother) told him he was going to be deployed.

Dave Barry on getting a colonoscopy:

OK. You turned 50. You know you're supposed to get a colonoscopy. But you
haven't. Here are your reasons:
1. You've been busy.
2. You don't have a history of cancer in your family.
3. You haven't noticed any problems.
4. You don't want a doctor to stick a tube 17,000 feet up your butt.

I can relate to #4. Been there, done that. (hat tip: Betsy's Page)

Anyone can have a bad year century. The Chicago Cubs get ready to start year 100 since their last World Series championship.

The troop surge in Iraq is working. Just ask Angelina Jolie.

Maybe she should have bought the dogs a different chew toy. It's just a thought.


Have a great weekend.

Baseball Quote of the Week

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.

~A. Bartlett Giamatti

Survey: Traditional Media Is "Out of Touch"

A new Zogby survey released today shows that two-thirds of respondents are dissatisfied with traditional media outlets:

Two thirds of Americans - 67% - believe traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from their news, a new We Media/Zogby Interactive poll shows.

The survey also found that while most Americans (70%) think journalism is important to the quality of life in their communities, two thirds (64%) are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities.

Meanwhile, the online survey documented the shift away from traditional sources of news, such as newspapers and TV, to the Internet - most dramatically among so-called digital natives - people under 30 years old.

It's also no surprise that Republicans and Independents are more likely to be dissatisfied with traditional media:

Republicans (79%) and political independents (75%) are most likely to feel disenchanted with conventional journalism, but the online survey found 50% of Democrats also expressed similar concerns. Those who identify themselves as "very conservative" were among the most dissatisfied, with 89% who view traditional journalism as out of touch.

Traditional media outlets have never adjusted to the proliferation of news outlets and the competitive forces that are now at work. Unless they can make substantial changes, they are unlikely to survive much longer.

Quick Takes - 2-22-08

A few random thoughts heading into the weekend:

Maybe it's just me, but Barack Obama's rallies seem more like tent revivals than political events.

"We would like to restore William Wilberforce to his rightful place in history."

Diagramming a smear.

An attentive waiter saves a woman from the worst blind date ever. (Hat tip: Megan McArdle)

George Washington was a great hero, but also human (it's also his birthday):

We should give less slack to those who think of George Washington as a monument, perpetually frozen-faced as in Gilbert Stuart paintings. The danger of taking seriously the "I cannot tell a lie" fables about Washington's childhood is that we might deify him as sinless. But the "cannot" is also not fair to Washington, because the most impressive thing about him is that he had strong tendencies to sin, as do we all, but he fought them more successfully than most of us do.

Read the whole thing.

Portrait of a media junkie.

It's a 52-week television season. NBC decides to start debuting new shows all through the year rather than starting them all in the fall. It's just another sign of the eroding influence of network television. (hat tip: In the Agora)

How Democrats can lose the election.

The steroid scandal has given baseball a black eye, especially in Washington.

Have a great weekend.

Baseball Quote of the Week

That's the true harbinger of spring, not crocuses or swallows returning to Capistrano, but the sound of a bat on a ball. - Bill Veeck

Finishing What You Start

With John McCain's victory tonight in Wisconsin, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee will undoubtedly receive a renewed barrage of questions about when he's going to drop out of the presidential race. After all, he's trailing McCain by almost 600 delegates. Senator McCain needs to win only about 200 of the remaining delegates in order to get to the magic number of 1,191.

I don't think Huckabee will drop out. He's said many times that until Senator McCain reaches the magic number he's not going to drop out.

To quote Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

It's highly unlikely that Huckabee could win enough delegates to deny McCain winning the nomination. But that doesn't mean that he should give up, either.

In fact, Mike Huckabee strikes me as a person who finishes what he starts. Anyone who commits to losing over 100 pounds has to have a firm sense of dedication not only to achieve that goal but to continue to do the things day by day that allow him to keep the weight off.

Mike Huckabee won't win the Republican nomination this year. But he will have shown something far greater: the strength of character to finish what he started.

Politics, Washington Style

Presidential historian and George Washington biographer Richard Brookhiser offers a wonderful glimpse into the campaign style of our first president (hat tip: World on the Web). An excerpt:

George Washington’s two elections to the presidency were nothing like the process, part-marathon, part-cage fight, we are seeing right now. All Washington had to do to get elected (unanimously) was not say that he would not serve. Washington’s campaigns were the ultimate bare-bones operation — no pollsters, no fundraisers, no ad buys. Yet he was well-versed in the arts of politics even so.

Washington did have to campaign to win his first political office, a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses, the lower, elective chamber of the colonial legislature. Until early in the 19th century, voting in many parts of America was a festive occasion. You went to the county seat and announced your choice in public; rival candidates plied voters and onlookers with drink (which was illegal, but universal).

Washington ran for the House of Burgesses in 1758 while still serving as a colonel in the militia. He could not be at the polling place on Election Day, but he delegated a friend, Lt. Charles Smith, to tend bar in his absence. We know from their correspondence what the Washington campaign served: 28 gallons of rum, 50 gallons of rum punch, 34 gallons of wine, 46 gallons of beer, two gallons of cider (probably hard), for a total of 160 gallons of booze. There were 397 voters. Washington won. If you’re not the candidate of Change, be the candidate of Have Another.

Read the whole thing.

Quick Takes - 2-15-08 Edition

A few random links of interest for your Friday enjoyment:

Reading More In Less Time

I love to read but never have enough time to get to all the books I have on my nightstand. However, this article has some great tips on how to read more efficiently that I'm inclined to put into practice. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

Abraham Lincoln and faith

Marvin Olasky explains how Lincoln learned to lean on God through the hard times in his life and especially his presidency.

Overwhelmed by chocolate

Living on a fixed income, Elizabeth Emerson gave up her one vice: Hershey bars. But when her story appeared in the New York Times, folks started sending her candy, including the Hershey Company.

Netflix pick of the week

We've become big fans of Netflix, the online DVD rental service. The best part about the service is once you start rating your favorite movies it will make recommendations to you based on your favorites. My wife and I are currently enjoying Monarch of the Glen which Netflix had recommended to us. Think Northern Exposure set in Scotland It's worth watching just for the scenery.

A Slugger of his own

A Mesa, AZ teenager made news last month by overcoming a burglar with a Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Hillerich and Bradsby, makers of the famous bat, honored the teenager with a personalized bat of his own.

Baseball factoid of the week

Most baseball fans are familiar with "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". But you may be surprised to know that the songs authors, Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, had never been to a ball game. Only 44 days to the season opener.


Have a great weekend.

Baseball Quote of the Week

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. - Rogers Hornsby

Baseball Is Back

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training today.

Baseball is back and not a moment too soon.

Only 45 days until the season opener at the new ballpark in Washington, D. C.

Clemens Hearing A Big Waste Of Time

I caught a few minutes of the Roger Clemens Congressional hearing today. On one hand it was fascinating to watch the process and on the other hand it struck me as odd that Congress had so much time on its hands that it needed to be investigating the steroids problem in Major League Baseball. Michael Medved concurs:

For five hours today, baseball great Roger Clemens testified before Congress on allegations he used steroids to enhance his pitching career. These hearings, broadcast live on most cable networks, forced viewers to choose between believing Clemens, or trusting charges by his former trainer, Brian McNamee. But there’s a bigger question, and that’s why our representatives in Congress should waste their time and our money on this TV extravaganza? If either Clemens or McNamee broke the law and lied under oath, the criminal justice system should prosecute them – a process made more difficult, not easier, due to the high profile hearings. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform may face daunting responsibilities, but supervising Major League Baseball isn’t one of them. For the sake of bloviating on TV with a famous athlete, Chairman Henry Waxman and colleagues have provided a sickening example of the political process intruding in an area where it doesn’t belong.

I couldn't agree more.

John McCain's Conservative Problem

John McCain scored a huge victory in yesterday's Virginia Republican primary winning nearly 51% of the vote and defeating Mike Huckabee by a double-digit margin. But a closer look at the results reveals McCain's biggest weakness: his inability to win conservative voters.

McCain won the primary by over 50,000 votes. However, when you look at the individual city and county results McCain's problems are immediately obvious to anyone who is familiar with the state's demographics.

Mike Huckabee won in more rural and suburban counties which are the more conservative areas of the state. McCain won the larger cities and urban counties that traditionally lean more towards Democratic candidates. Even though McCain won a big victory8 he still did not do well in traditionally Republican areas.

Virginia has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1952. However, this year may be the year that Virginia turns blue. Consider this: the last two governors of Virginia have been Democrats (Mark Warner and current governor Tim Kaine). The last time Virginia elected a senator they picked Democrat Jim Webb over incumbent Republican George Allen. This year, long-time Republican senator John Warner (a RINO in every sense of the term, by the way) will retire and the aforementioned Mark Warner is a heavy favorite to win his seat over former Republican governor and one-time presidential candidate Jim Gilmore.

Unless McCain can figure out a way to get the conservative Republican base behind him, he'll have a hard time winning Virginia. If he cannot win Virginia, he won't be able to win the White House no matter who the Democrats decide to nominate.

A Date With Dad

This past Sunday was a special day for our family. I had the opportunity to take my two daughters to a Father/Daughter dance in honor of Valentine's Day. They were very excited because they got to dress up in their formal dresses, put on makeup, and even wear the corsages that I had bought for them. But most important for them was that they got to do something special with Dad. The whole experience made a real impact on them because several times since then they've remarked about how much they enjoyed the experience.

It made an impact on me, too, in that it reminded me of the importance of giving my girls a "date" from time to time with Dad. In other words, it's important to offer them the chance to just hang out with Dad doing something that they enjoy.

When my girls were younger and I worked outside the home, I made a point to schedule times that I could go out with each one of my girls doing all sorts of different stuff. Sometimes we'd go out for dinner or ice cream. Sometimes it was something simpler like just allowing one of them to tag along as I run errands.

The purpose of such times is twofold. First, spending time with my girls deepens the relationship that I have with each of them. As they have grown older, they have become more willing to share with me things that they are dealing with as they are maturing into young women. The time that I invested in my relationship with them when they were younger will pay huge dividends as they become teenagers.

Second, time that I spend with them offers me an opportunity to demonstrate to them how a gentleman behaves towards a lady. My daughters' conception of how they should be treated by men will be in large part shaped by how I treat them. Dads can be the best example for their daughters of what to expect from men. A healthly relationship between a daughter and her dad will go a long way towards her having healthy relationships with men as an adult especially when she is married.

A date with your daughter doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. The only thing it requires is time that you're willing to devote to her. As men we have all sorts of things demanding our attention. Our daughters, like our wives, should be a priority. A little time alone with our daughters will be a small sacrifice today that will reap huge rewards in the future.

This post originally appeared at DadBloggers.

An Odd Phone Call

As we get ready to vote tomorrow in the Virginia primary, we've been receiving a few robo calls from the Republican campaigns. But the oddest call I've received so far was a message from Senator John Warner on behalf of Senator John McCain.

If you're trying to build support among conservatives, is John Warner the person you want making calls on your behalf?

I don't think so.

Quick Takes - Friday Fun Edition

I spent the entire day on the road for business and made a point not to listen to talk radio. It was refreshing to have a break from politics for a day. In that spirit, I offer the following politics-free edition of quick takes:

Curt Schilling fills us in on the status of his shoulder injury. Here's the Associated Press version of the story.

Like most parents, we read Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon repeatedly to our kids and even had the whole story memorized at one point. Now there is a sequel that has been discovered in her papers. (hat tip: Instapundit

Tim Ellsworth offers suggestions how to pray for Union University in the aftermath of this week's tornadoes. He also has videos. Be sure to pray for Tim as he's handling all of the media relations for the university.

In the mail this week: two Jane Austen films: Persuasion and Becoming Jane. Reviews of both coming soon. By the way, the casting of Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen is no accident. She did her senior thesis at Vassar on Austen.

Also in the mail to review this week: The Aristocats. This is the last movie that Walt Disney was personally involved in starting (he died during production). It's also the last movie to be scored by Richard and Robert Sherman during their golden years at Disney. They were also responsible for the scores for Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, and Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree among other Disney classics. They'll be the subject of an upcoming documentary entitled The Boys. It's about time as the Shermans rank (at least in my mind) as one of the greatest songwriting teams of all time.

Put me in, Coach! It's John Fogerty singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

$1.3 Billion (yes, you read that correctly) for a new Yankees Stadium. Yikes!

This definitely goes to the top of my book wishlist: Culture Shift by Al Mohler. Need more evidence? Check out this entry at Out of Ur in which they present Mohler's argument that it's time for Christians to pull their kids out of public schools. It is time indeed.

Getting Behind McCain

With Mitt Romney's withdrawal from the presidential campaign today, it looks more and more likely that Senator John McCain will be the Republican nominee. Many conservatives (particularly in the right-wing media) are vehemently opposed to the McCain. But Bill Bennett and Seth Leibsohn make a compelling case for supporting McCain in a column today at NRO. Their message is simple: McCain will be a much better president that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

Now, For More Astute Analysis

Since I've already had to eat crow over my Florida analysis, I'll turn to the indispensible Joe Carter to provide some sensible analysis of the Super Tuesday results. It's well worth reading.

Eating Crow: Super Tuesday Edition

In the aftermath of the Florida Primary, I suggested that it was time for Governor Mike Huckabee to withdraw from the race.

I was wrong.

Good thing I have a day job.

Dr. Dobson: "I Will Not Vote if McCain is the Nominee"

Dr. James Dobson, President of Focus on the Family, made the following statement today regarding the state of the election (Hat tip: World on the Web):

"I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who did not support a Constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage, voted for embryonic stem-cell research to kill nascent human beings, opposed tax cuts that ended the marriage penalty, has little regard for freedom of speech, organized the Gang of 14 to preserve filibusters in judicial hearings, and has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.

"I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. McCain actually considered leaving the GOP caucus in 2001, and approached John Kerry about being Kerry’s running mate in 2004. McCain also said publicly that Hillary Clinton would make a good president. Given these and many other concerns, a spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.

"But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can't vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country."

While I respect Dr. Dobson, I believe he is wrong to simply sit out the election because of who is going to be the Republican nominee. I agree that Senator McCain is not my first, second or even third choice for President. But if he is the nominee in November, I'll vote for him not because he holds the same positions that I do on most issues (he doesn't) but that he is far better than anybody the Democrats nominate due to fundamental differences on big issues. I also believe that McCain's moral character is superior to that of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. In the final analysis, character matters more than issues.

The Republican Party seems determined to abandon its conservative principles and focus on selecting a candidate who is most electable. Each party makes such a decision at its own peril. But the fact that one's political party of preference is not selecting who you might be rooting for in the election as their nominee does not relieve you of the responsibility to exercise your right to vote. That right has been paid for with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Americans. I cannot imagine staying at home on Election Day because my candidate is not in the race. We each should vote regardless of what the results might be. It's not only our right Americans but it is also our duty.

Following the Huckabee Campaign

Little did we know when we got out of bed this morning that we would end up attending a rally for Mike Huckabee. He stopped by the Tri-Cities Airport in northeast Tennessee and held an event on the eve of Super Tuesday. Chuck and Gena Norris also accompanied him on this stop. The crowd was about 500 strong which is quite surprising given the governor's current standing in the polls.

As I was listening to Governor Huckabee's stump speech I was struck by how well he connected with the audience. He pointed out that most candidates don't pay attention to our area (and they don't - Governor Huckabee is the first to make a campaign stop in the area). I believe the Republican establishment made a grave error in dismissing him as someone who could not win the nomination. I believe he has very solid conservative credentials and would make a fantastic nominee.

He also comes across as someone who has an extremely strong work ethic. Everyone knows by now that he lost over 100 pounds. But another story that he told was the fact that not only was he the first person in his family to graduate from high school but that he finished college in just 2 years and 3 months. He said he didn't finish quickly because he had so much money but because he was poor and had to work his way through college and could not afford to take four years to get his degree.

One of his most fascinating observations was summed up in this line: "People should tell the media who they are going to vote for not the media telling the people who to vote for." In this simple sentence he has hit upon a fundamental truth of this campaign: it is the media who has set the parameters for this race rather than the voters. It will be interesting to see in the coming months what influence, if any, the media has on the course of the campaign.

My other favorite line of his speech has to do with the IRS. He said, "Where I come from when something is broken if it can't be fixed with WD-40 and duct tape it can't be fixed." Indeed, the tax code is so maddeningly complex that it's impossible to see how simply modifying it will do any good. While there are arguments to be made over whether the Fair Tax is the right solution (and I haven't done enough research on it to say whether I totally agree with it) it's fair to say that what we've got now doesn't work.

Now there may be some who ask why I would take the time to take my family to a political rally for a candidate that I suggested withdraw from the race. First of all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our family to witness first hand a presidential campaign rally. Second, I've long thought that Governor Huckabee was the right candidate but that because of the circumstances of this race (namely the abundance of candidates running this year) it would be difficult for him to win. I hope that I am wrong and that he does well enough tomorrow to give him a fighting chance at the nomination. But if the outcome is what the polls suggest, it will probably be time to call it quits if he hopes to have any chance at running again in the future. I hope he will run again because he is just the kind of leader this country needs.

Planning a Baseball Getaway

Sometime this spring I've got to travel to Manchester, New Hampshire for a business trip. So I was on the internet the other day looking at hotels and ran across one that seemed just perfect to me: the Hilton Garden Inn. The pictures tell the whole story:

The hotel is situated just beyond the left centerfield fence of MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA Eastern League affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.



I've been a fan of minor league baseball since going to see the Durham Bulls during my college days at UNC. Back then they were playing in the old Durham Stadium where the movie Bull Durham was filmed. In fact, I was in college and could have gone over to the ballpark to be an extra in the film. It's one of my great regrets that I didn't follow through on that opportunity. Anyway, the park was one of the more intimate ballparks I've ever visited. That's the real beauty of minor league baseball is that you're so close to the action.

If you interested in learning more about life in the minor leagues, I'd also recommend David Lamb's excellent book Stolen Season: A Journey through America and Baseball's Minor Leagues. The author took a year and drove all across the country visiting minor league ballparks. Sounds like a great summer vacation to me.

The GOP No Longer Represents Conservatives

If the Republican Party continues on its current path it will nominate either John McCain or (given a Super Tuesday miracle) Mitt Romney, who are not bona fide conservatives. In doing so, the GOP will demonstrate that it no longer represents conservatives and has placed a higher value on winning an election than standing by its principles.

The GOP didn't get to this point overnight. Part of the blame can be laid at the feet of President Bush who, in spite of his excellent nominations to the Supreme Court of Samuel Alito and John Roberts, his consistent pro-life stands, and his persistent prosecution of the war on terror has done little else to further conservative principles. Government programs have expanded dramatcially under this President's watch and spending has gone through the roof.

There's little reason to think that John McCain or Mitt Romney would govern much differently from President Bush. I think they both would stand frim on pro-life and terrorism issues and follow the President's lead. Beyond that, I don't expect that there would be much more we would see from their administration that would follow conservative principles.

However, I do not intend to sit on the sidelines come November. The stakes are far too high for conservatives to sit out this election. With the retirement of so many Republican congressmen this year it likely that both the House and Senate will not only remain in Democratic hands but their majorities in both houses will be much larger. It's safe to say that conservatives don't want to put either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama in the White House with a Democrat controlled Congress.

That's exactly why conservatives should stop whining about how McCain and Romney don't represent their values. More conservative candidates like Duncan Hunter, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo and even Mike Huckabee are being tossed aside in favor of more "electable" candidates. Conservatives have had their chance to select someone who reflects their values. Instead, they have decided to put winning above principles. Given the dynamics of this year's election that is understandable. But that's not necessarily the right thing to do.

If a Democrat wins the White House this year (and there is a good chance that will happen) perhaps Republicans will take a good hard look and see how abandoning their conservative principles led to their defeat. It's a lesson that they should have learned from the 2006 election.Until they do learn it, they shouldn't expect to win many more elections.

Six Lessons From Florida

Congratulations to Senator John McCain for his victory last night in the Florida Republican Primary. He has now emboldened his position as the front runner for the nomination. While he's not necessarily the person I would want as the nominee, I'll support him if he wins the nomination.

Looking over last night's results, I've observed six things that should be kept in mind as the process moves forward.

1. Polls are increasingly unreliable predictors of election outcomes.

First, we had the fiasco with polls in New Hampshire that predicted a victory for Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. Then in South Carolina, the polls correctly picked Obama as the winner but did not predict his blowout victory over Hillary Clinton. Yesterday, several polls had Mitt Romney winning the Republican primary. While polls are likely to still be around for some time it's clear they are no longer as reliable as they once were.

2. Military voters are an important part of the Republican coalition.

Military voters were a big part of Senator McCain's win in South Carolina and showed themselves to be a potent force yesterday in Florida. In a time of war, military voters are going to naturally gravitate towards the person that they believe is best equipped to lead the country. Military voters probably understand better than the average voter what it takes to be Commander-in-Chief. Because of the Republican party's position on the Global War of Terror they have developed a huge base of support among military voters. They will continue to be an important constituency for Republicans in the future.

3. Personality matters more than policy positions.

Whether we like it or not, voters tend to gravitate for who they like and who they can trust mor than for what the person stands for. I suspect that much of Senator McCain's appeal is the fact that he is perceived as a straight talker who knows what he believes and stands up for his beliefs. He doesn't seem to change his opinions on issues based on which way the political winds are blowing. In a post-Clinton political era this is a hugh asset. I also think one of the reasons that Mitt Romney has not gained as much support is because he is perceived as someone who has changed positions on issues (most notably abortion) and is willing to say anything in order to get elected.

4. Electability becomes the primary issue.

As it becomes clearer who the Democratic nominee will be (and my guess right now is Hillary Clinton will win), Republicans are beginning to think about who is most likely to win the general election. Senator McCain matches up well against both of the possible Democratic nominees and is the one candidate that Democrats fear facing the most. Many Republicans realize that it's crucial that they don't allow the Democrats to win the White House and are willing to support the person who is most likely to win even if they disagree with him on key issues.

5. Money does not guarantee victory.

If this primary had been simply a matter of who had the most money, Mitt Romney would have won hands down because he has so much more to spend than anyone else in the race. As Mike Huckabee proved in Iowa and John McCain proved in New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida you can be outspent by huge margins and still win. Money is important but having the most money does not necessarily mean you'll automatically win. Winning depends more on how you campaign then how much you spend.

6. It's time for Mike Huckabee to withdraw.

It's hard for me to write this as Governor Huckabee is the person that I probably am most likely to vote for even though he doesn't stand a chance of winning the nomination. In many ways, I believe he's the best candidate and that the media have done such a hatchet job on his record and his positions that most voters don't realize what a sound conservative he is. But Huckabee has nothing to gain at this point and would only embarass himself further by staying in the race. I thiink he would be better off to withdraw now and save himself for another run at the presidency in the future. It would also demonstrate to voters that he's more willing to put party unity over personal gain.

There's still a long way to go in this race for the nomination. But the time is coming soon when Republicans have to come to grips with the fact that the man who will be their nominee may not be their first choice but he is going to be their choice and that they need to rally around him to help get him elected.

Picture of the Week

Feel free to insert your own caption for this one:



Actual roadsign in South Carolina.

Priceless.

Hat tip: Anne Schroeder

Stealing the Democratic Nomination?

Could Senator Hillary Clinton try to steal the Democratic Presidential nomination?
Sure, it may seem like a stretch but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a sudden call from the Clinton camp to have delegates from Florida and Michigan seated at the convention particularly if she wins big in today's Sunshine State primary.

But it's not beyond the realm of possibility at all to consider that Senator Clinton could win the nomination without receiving a majority of the delegates selected through the party's primaries and caucuses. That's because of a quirk in the Democratic Party known as the Superdelegate, who is an elected official or party member and is not tied to any particular state primary or caucus.

Though it is not widely reported in the media, Senator Clinton holds the lead for the nomination due to the advantage she has over Senator Barack Obama in the Superdelegate category. As of this writing, Mrs. Clinton leads 201-116 according to the Real Clear Politics delegate scoreboard with 114 left uncommitted. Senator Obama has won more delegates through the primaries and caucuses held to date by a margin of 63-46.

It would be ironic if Senator Clinton managed to secure the nomination without winning a majority of the delegates up for grabs during the primary season. Given how close the race for the Democratic nomination has been so far, it's also not beyond the realm of possibility. But we will hear anything about voter disenfranchisement like we have the last two election cycles from Democrats? Don't bet on it.

North or South?

I usually don't put a whole lot of stock in online quizzes but this one caught my attention: Yankee or Dixie?


For the record, I scored 97% Dixie. Not bad for a city boy....


Hat tip: Lorie Byrd

Ernie Harwell on Attitude

The Detroit Free Press marked legendary baseball broadcaster Ernie Harwell's 90th birthday (January 25th) with a great profile of the living legend. At one point, he's asked about attitude and he responded this way:

The greatest thing is my trust in God. I know that whatever happens is for the best, and I try not to worry about anything, because worrying is a sin and He's going to take care of me.

Hat tip: Tim Ellsworth

The Importance of the VP nod

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson surprised no one by withdrawing from the presidential race today. His third place finish in South Carolina last Saturday sealed his fate.

Now comes word via Fox News' Carl Cameron that Thompson's plan all along was to put himself in a position to be the Republican nominee's choice for vice-president. (Hat tip: My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy)

Thompson would make a terrific vice-president and would immediately shore up the Republican ticket and appeal to the base. The most logical person to pick him would be John McCain who needs the most help getting the conservative base behind his candidacy.

As Joe Carter pointed out in his post-SC primary analysis, Mike Huckabee would also make a great VP nominee also. Hopefully he'll also be smart enough to decline and make another run for the presidency in 2012.

Even Mitt Romney, who has yet to win a primary in a prominent, solidly Republican state, could benefit from having Thompson as his running mate to bolster his appeal among conservatives.
On the Democratic side, the VP sweepstakes will also be important but for much different reasons. Given the bitter divide between Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's campaigns it would make sense for the winner to offer the VP slot to the runner-up in order to heal divisions within the party. If they don't, the could end up resembling Republicans of 1976 and losing the White House again.

In most years, the VP nomination is almost an afterthought. This year, the person occupying the number two slot may be as important as who is number one.

Choosing a Leader

It's election season and in our household we're watching the news almost daily trying to decide where candidates stand and which person we will ultimately end up supporting. Not surprisingly, our kids have picked up on some of the things we've seen and heard and have been asking us tough questions about the candidates and the issues. In many ways, we're glad they are interested as it's important for them to understand the tremendous responsibility those of us who are able to vote have to choose carefully those who will lead us.

Rather than focus on the silly and superficial aspects of the campaigns (crying games, who's most charismatic, who's most "electable") we've been discussing issues: what we believe and how we both agree and disagree with each of the candidates.

Ultimately, our choices are not based on who is most likely to win or who seems most appealing to us. It's all about the deep convinctions that we hold and who most closely mirrors our beliefs. But there is more to it than that. Who holds the strongest convictions? Who is most likely to stand by their principles? Who is willing to do what is right even when it is unpopular?

Our children need to understand that we have a great freedom as Americans to elect our leaders. Our system works because we choose to allow it to work. But each one of us has a responsibility to carefully make choices when we step in the voting booth. When we fail to carefully choose who will lead us we get the incompetent leadership that we deserve.

When we go to vote in our state's primary in a couple of weeks, our children will step into the voting booth with us. They will get to witness our choices firsthand. We will discuss at length with them why we are choosing to vote for a particular candidate. We want them to understand that we take our responsibility as citizens and as voters seriously.

Before our children have the right and responsibilty of voting thrust upon them we will show them through our example how we decide who we will vote for and wrestle with the issues of the day. Our children need to understand what is at stake not just in the election of 2008 but in every election. Our investment in them today will make them far more responsible citizens as adults.

Why I Don't Play More Golf

It's because my golf game is a lot like Bertie Wooster's (Hugh Laurie in the clip below):




You can buy Jeeves and Wooster at the A&E shop.

DVD Review: Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition

Long before he became known to American audiences as William Wilberforce (in Amazing Grace) or Reed Richards (in Fantastic Four), Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd made an indelible impression as Horatio Hornblower in the A&E movie series. For the first time, all eight movies are available on DVD in Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition.

Based on C. S. Forrester's novels, the films trace the career of Horatio Hornblower, a young sailor in the British Navy who finds himself thrust into the middle of the battles of the Napoleonic War. The films, like the books, trace Hornblower's amazing career from Midshipman to Commander.

Although these were made-for-television films, each one reflects outstanding and lavish production values that leaves the viewer believing that they could have been major motion pictures. No expense was spared in the production of these films.

The casting of Gruffudd, who was largely unknown at the time, was nothing short of sheer genius. Gruffudd captures the essence of Hornblower's character: a young idealist who is very green and somewhat naive in the first movie and grows and matures over the course of the eight installments. Gruffudd portrays Hornblower as a true, if not somewhat flawed, hero. He is a hero to be admired but also to learn from. His strong sense of morals and duty are refreshing and greatly needed today.

The supporting cast is also outstanding and rounds out the wide array of characters that we grow attached to over the course of the films. Robert Lindsey, a legend from British stage and film, is Sir Edward Pellew, Hornblower's commander and mentor. Jamie Bamber (Band of Brothers) adds a wonderful dimension to the films as Hornblower's best friend and shipmate Archie Kennedy. Paul Copley (Matthews) and Sean Gilder (Styles) are two fellow crewmen who fight side-by-side with Hornblower and it is through them we see the growing respect that Hornblower receives from his fellow sailors through the progression of the story.

This DVD set is also jam-packed with bonus features including a behind-the-scenes featurette about the production of the film; an interview with Ioan Gruffudd; a profile of English warships; and much, much more.

We watched all eight films together as a family and thoroughly enjoyed them. There are some disturbing images (war footage) but the violence of the battles is not overly graphic. There is also brief language but overall they still make appropriate viewing for families with older children. In addition, the overall themes of duty and honor make these films must viewing.

Horatio Hornblower Collector's Edition is available from the A&E Store.

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who recently returned to Pakistan to run for Prime Minister in next week's election, was assassinated this morning:

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Pakistan's paramilitary forces were on red alert Thursday following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.

The former prime minister was murdered by an attacker who shot her in the neck and chest after a campaign rally and then blew himself up. Her death stoked new chaos across the nuclear-armed nation, an important U.S. ally in the war on terrorism.

At least 20 others were also killed in the homicide bombing that immediately followed Bhutto's shooting.

Bhutto's supporters erupted in anger and grief after her killing, attacking police and burning tires and election campaign posters in several cities. At the hospital where she died, some smashed glass and wailed, chanting slogans against President Pervez Musharraf.

Musharraf blamed Islamic extremists for Bhutto's death and said he would redouble his efforts to fight them.

"This is the work of those terrorists with whom we are engaged in war," he said in a nationally televised speech. "I have been saying that the nation faces the greatest threats from these terrorists. ... We will not rest until we eliminate these terrorists and root them out."

In the U.S., President Bush strongly condemned the attack "by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy."

Terrorism, which had been downplayed as an issue in the current presidential campaign, has once again come to the forefront and candidates are naturally scrambling to respond.

But the bigger concern is what's next for Pakistan. Do elections go forward as planned or does President Musharraf declare a state of emergency again and postpone the elections? Given the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear nation, their stability is of prime importance if there is to be any hope of peace in the Middle East.

Benazir Bhutto will be remembered for her courage as she returned to Pakistan knowing there was a very good chance that she would be assassinated. She was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice - her life - in order to give her country a chance to move towards a more stable democracy. It will be up to President Musharraf and the other leaders of Pakistan to determine whether Ms. Bhutto's dream will become a reality.

Recent Reviews At Blogcritics

Here's a roundup of my recent reviews for Blogcritics:

DVD Review: National Treasure - Two-Disc Collectors Edition

The action-packed adventure is back with more bonus features to enhance the
viewing experience of this first-rate film.

Book Review: Monopoly - The World's Most Famous Game -- And How It Got That Way by
Philip Orbanes

A masterful tale with a special spotlight on the inventors, game publishers, and business executives who helped give Monopoly a unique place in our culture.

Book/Music Review: Clapton: The Autobiography and Complete Clapton

No doubt fans of Clapton will enjoy reading about the musical influences that shaped his career.

CD Review: Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs

After selling millions of albums, Jars of Clay finally records their own Christmas album. But will it be a holiday classic?

DVD Review: The Wild Wild West - Season Three

Secret agents James West and Artemus Gordon return for a whole new series of adventures in The Wild Wild West Season Three.

DVD Review: Biography - Jane Austen

Jane Austen is easily the most widely read and widely published author of all time. Her six novels (Emma, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility) have sold hundreds of millions of copies and have been adapted for film and television numerous times. But who was the woman behind what have been called the greatest novels of all time?

We recently picked up the A&E Biography episode on Jane Austen in the hopes that we could find out more about her and what inspired her to write such marvelous stories. While the program did offer a little more insight into her life story, it really focused more on her novels that Austen herself.

Part of the reason that biographical information is so sketchy is that it was not until after her death in 1817 that Austen was identified as the author of her books. During her lifetime, writing was not seen as a fit occupation for a woman and so she published all of her books anonymously.

What little is known about Austen's personality is best reflected in her letters. But as the program points out, most of her letters were destroyed by her sister Cassandra. Still enough of them survived (and a few are excerpted during the program) that we get a sense of her wit and keen observations of society around her.

The program also touches on her two romances. While we were familiar with her relationship with Tom Lefroy (which is dealt with at length in the wonderful movie Becoming Jane) we were less familiar her second relationship that resulted in a marriage proposal from Harris Bigwither. He proposed to her in 1802 when she was 27. Although she initially accepted the offer she broke the engagement the next day after having second thoughts. She would never become involved in another romantic relationship again.

The program goes on to show the wide impact that Austen's novels have had and continue to have on readers all around the world. Nearly 200 years after her death, readers of all ages and backgrounds continue to enjoy her works. This episode of Biography shows that Austen continues to have an impact far beyond what she could have ever imagined.

Biography: Jane Austen is available on DVD from A&E Networks.