CS Lewis on Vision Casting


American culture (even churches) are rife with talk about vision casting ...

"While we believe that good is something to be invented, we demand of our rulers such qualities as 'vision', 'dynamism', 'creativity', and the like. If we returned to the objective view we should demand qualities much rarer, and much more beneficial - virtue, knowledge, diligence and skill. 'Vision' is for sale, or claims to be for sale, everywhere. But give me a man who will do a day's work for a day's pay, who will refuse bribes, who will not make up his facts, and who has learned his job."


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Star Trek :: Into Darkness | ★★★★★★★


Saw it yesterday. A few random and brief bullets about it:

    • KC Star review contained a huge spoiler that I wish I had not read;
    • I like Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachery Quinto as Spock;
    • Felt it was too long and could have used better editing;
    • I like Benedict Cumberbatch as the villian;
    • Found the relational development of the main characters to be lacking;
    • No surprise that the movie mostly appeals to fans of the original series;
    • Nice high-tech update to the bridge of the enterprise;
    • The story line was a bit jerky and seemed to jump around a bit;
    • Enjoyed the twists at the end of the movie;
    • Was a nice re-imagining of an old TV show episode.

I mostly liked the movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★.

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Watergate Changed Everything


About a month ago Ann and I watched "Sunrise at Campobello" - a heartwarming and inspiring movie about President Roosevelt's struggle with disabling polio. I loved the movie! A few days ago we watched "Hyde Park on Hudson", a very depressing movie about FDR having affairs with various women - most notably his cousin. The first movie presents us with a 1960 rose colored glasses view of the man while the latter a grittier portrayal of a skirt chasing momma's boy.

I think that the Watergate scandal and aftermath changed the way that we view our leaders. In a sense Woodward and Bernstein were the first to topple a president from his pedestal. Since that time we have been confronted with the many character weaknesses of our leaders. Nothing appears to be off limits to the press any more. I am not sure that I like the changes that Watergate brought. What do you think?

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Regretting Regret


This thoughtful Shoebox cartoon reminds me ...

I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done. -Lucille Ball

Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind. -C. S. Lewis

I have many regrets, and I'm sure everyone does. The stupid things you do, you regret... if you have any sense, and if you don't regret them, maybe you're stupid. -Katharine Hepburn

My one regret in life is that I am not someone else. -Woody Allen

The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either. -Mick Jagger

I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. -Nathan Hale

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Everyday Grace


Often religious folks like me speak of grace as being God's unmerited favor. So interesting how that concept seems to elude my grasp every day. Here are a few thoughts about sharing grace today ...
Consider the notion of tipping more for bad service ...

Say thank you even when you do not feel thankful ...

Be nice when someone treats you badly ...

Smile even when your heart is hurting and life sucks ...

Encourage a friend when they deserve it the least.
I would love to hear other ways of sharing everyday grace. Please share!

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Lessons my Daughter has taught Me

A few months ago I told my daughter, Susie, that she was so much better of a parent than I was. Over the years I have watched her raise my grandson and granddaughter with such an amazing grace. So I thought that, on this Mothers Day weekend, that I'd take a few minutes to share some of the lessons that she has taught me about parenting and about life.
  • Advocacy: I have never seen a more tenacious mom than Susie. She will defend her children against anyone and anything that would come against them. She is the definition of a Momma Grizzly.
  • Bravery: Susie is one heroic woman. She has confronted major obstacles in her life with such resiliency and power. There is nothing that can defeat her.
  • Compassion: My daughter has a very tender side to her. You see it the most when she is around the kids. She communicates such a passionate love to them.
  • Discipline: I love the way that Susie disciplines the children. She is firm and unbending when they do something wrong. Then she comforts and encourages them later.
  • Education: Sometimes a single mom can give up on their dreams and settle for smaller ones. The way that Susie perseveres in her education makes me so proud.
  • Forgiving: I have watched my daughter grow in this area over the years and admire the way that she has been able to forgive and forget past failures.
  • Gladness: Susie is a fun person to be around. Her love of life is a bit contagious.
As you can tell, I am very proud of my daughter. And on this weekend dedicated to great Moms I wanted to take a few minutes to celebrate Susie and share a bit of her with you.
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The Real Price of Gas



The Motley Fool comments on this chart saying: "There are two big takeaways from the chart.

One is that gas prices are much higher today than they were during the 1990s and early 2000s. There's no disputing that.

The other is that real gas prices are no higher today than they were a decade ago. That's largely due to two factors. In 2003, the average new passenger vehicle got 29.5 miles per gallon, while today a new car averages 35.6 MPG. And annual miles driven per capita has declined 5% over the past decade."

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The Guilt Trip | ★★★★★★★

Interesting how this DVD appeared in our mail box the week before Mother's Day. This movie reminded me of how funny Barbra Streisand was in her early career when she played the likes of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. I think that the image on the left captures the essence of the story of how a loving son reluctantly takes his mom on a cross country trip. The pairing up Seth Rogen and Streisand was perfect casting. I smiled and laughed all the way through it as the two characters tangled and talked in such a warm story. Here is the way one Netflix reviewer described it.

"This is really an '80s movie about a relationship between a grown son and his doting mother, and with the exception of some gratuitous bad language it has little in common with most of the crude and cynical comedies we see today. There is great chemistry between Streisand and Rogen, both are very much in tune with their characters, and I think a lot of mothers will relate to Streisand's speech to her disrespectful son toward the end of the film. My mother gave similar speeches to me, and this scene helped me acknowledge how right she was."

I liked Guilt Trip and think you might too if you enjoy heartwarming flicks. On a scale of ten, I give it ★★★★★★★.
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Where no man has gone before ...


ZDNet wonders if we should thank Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for many of the advances that we see these days. I must admit that many of these inventions do bear a resemblance to things found on the Starship Enterprise. Consider ...
  • Flip cellphones do resemble that "Beam me up Scotty" Communicator.
  • The ear piece that graced Uhura's ear is a predecessor of current bluetooth ones.
  • Gigantic flat screen televisions of our day were once imagined by Roddenberry.
  • Remembering those tablets used by Captain Kirk reminds me of an iPad.
  • I talk to my Android phone like I am interacting with the Enterprise computer.
The article goes on to speak of medical advances that look like a Starfleet Sickbay and how we are a long way away from Replicators and Transporters. Even so, you have to wonder if maybe Roddenberry saw further into the future than we can imagine. :)

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State Taxes and the Poor


The Motley Fool reports that "many states have tax structures that make poor people pay a far greater percentage of their incomes in taxes than those who are better off." They identify six states that tax the poor the hardest. Perhaps you can identify which three of these seven states made the list:
1) Alaska  2) Florida  3) Nevada  4) South Dakota  5) Texas  6) Washington  7) Wyoming 
Interesting that all of these states do not have a state income tax but only three made the list of six states. Here is what the Fool says about state tax codes and how the affect the pporest amongst us.
States that rely on sales taxes more than income taxes tend to be harsher on the poor, who have to pay a greater percentage of their incomes on living expenses that are often subject to sales tax.
The writers contrast the disparity of effective tax rates in these states. The largest disparity has the poor paying 16.9% of their income in taxes, while the figure for the richest citizens is 2.8%. Interesting numbers. Wonder if this disparity is representative of how a national sales tax would affect the poor?

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