Philippa Middleton arrives at Westminster Abbey with the bridesmaids and page boys ahead of the wedding service between Prince William and Catherine Middleton, 29 April 2011
Prince William and Kate moved in together about a year ago. In this clip above the commentator suggested that maybe Prince Charles and Princess Diana would not have divorced if they had lived together before marriage. Actually Diana was a virgin, and it was Charles’ uncle (Louis Mountbatten) that gave him the advice that he should seek to marry a virgin.
I really do wish Kate and William success in their marriage. I hope they truly are committed to each other, and if they are then the result will be a marriage that lasts their whole lifetime. Nevertheless, I do not think it is best to live together before marriage like they did, and I writing this series to help couples see how best to prepare for marriage.
Contrary to what many people believe, “test driving” a relationship by living together before marriage also reduces the odds of success. The exact reasons are unclear. It may be that couples make riskier picks with a live-in partner than they would with a potential spouse. Or couples who defer marriage and opt to live together first may do so because they have trouble with commitment. After they move in together, some couples eventually walk down the aisle as a result of inertia, not love. Undoing the entanglements of a live-in relationship can be a hassle, especially if the couple has children, Scott Stanley (co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver) said. Sliding into marriage becomes “a transition without a decision,” Stanley said. “For a lot of young people, it’s not a real deliberative thing. They’re not really thinking, ‘Are you the one?’ ‘Am I the one?’” (Kyung M. Song from article in the Seattle Times titled, Marriage as learned behavior: Can divorce be foretold? 727/05)
Here’s a couple who went to a FamilyLife Conference and how it made a difference in their marriage.
File photo of Schwarzenegger
File photo of the Schwarzenegger family: (L-R) Maria Shriver, Christina, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Patrick(AFP/Getty Images/File/Jason Merritt)…
Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life?
Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed for divorce. In the you tube clip above she comments:
“Like a lot of you I’m in transition: people come up to me all the time, asking, what are you doing next?” she said, adding: “It’s so stressful to not know what you are doing next when people ask what you are doing and they can’t believe you don’t know what you are doing.”
“I’d like to hear from other people who are in transition,” she said. “How did you find your transition: Personal, professional, emotional, spiritual, financial? How did you get through it?”
Mrs. Shriver has asked for spiritual input and I personally think that unless she gets the spiritual help that she needs then she will end up in the divorce court. I am starting a series on how a marriage can survive an infidelity. My first suggestion would be to attend a “Weekend to Remember” put on by the organization “Family Life” out of Little Rock, Arkansas. I actually posted this as a response to Mrs. Shriver’s request on you tube.
At a Weekend to Remember marriage conference, our marriage was set on the right path when my husband invited God to be a part of his life and a part of our relationship.
After being married for four and a half years, Andy (who was a newly commissioned officer in the Marine Corps) and I finally decided to attend a Weekend to Remember® marriage getaway. At the time we were really struggling. We had a 2-year-old daughter and a baby on the way.
Andy’s parents had gone to a Weekend to Remember and had highly recommended it, as did the base chaplain. Although my husband was willing to attend the conference, he had told me that he had begun to lose faith in our marriage. He said that he was wondering about his options.
Andy reassured me that he still loved me and our daughter very much, but added that he was struggling with the thoughts of “what if.” He said that he knew in his heart that he would be miserable if he left me and our family, but his own demons continued to haunt him. Neither of us had ever dated anyone else before we were married, and he kept wondering if he had married the right person.
I felt there wasn’t much more we could do to save our marriage without help.
Attending the Weekend to Remember
Although I had never been very deep in my own spirituality, I longed for my husband to lead me spiritually. Andy is a history and sociology buff and has always had a profound interest in various religions. But for some reason he seemed most resistant when it came to getting personally involved spiritually.
As Friday night at the Weekend to Remember began, I did my best to stay open-minded but tensed every time God was being made part of the lesson. I was so afraid that my husband would reject this. I just hoped that he would stay open-minded, but in the back of my mind I knew better. We did our homework that night together but didn’t finish it.
Saturday morning was the most stressful. Andy was sitting slumped down, with his arms crossed. His expression was one of annoyance. By the time we separated to write our love letters (one of the Weekend to Remember projects) he said to me, “I don’t want to be here. I’m not comfortable here. I don’t want to do this.” I was crushed inside, but said nothing.
We both finished our letters, which were not even close to being full of love or romance, and I felt very depressed. We decided to break off on our own to discuss the letters and his rejection of the conference. We talked and I cried for almost two hours.
Although Andy and I didn’t resolve anything, we came to the conclusion that without him changing his outlook and saying “divorce is not an option” and deciding to work and fight for our marriage, we weren’t going to make it. He said he didn’t think he could do that.
So I asked him if he would be willing to do it for just the weekend. He looked me in the eyes and said, “Yes, I can do that.” I was still very scared for us in the long run, but decided to make the most of the weekend.
Saturday night was date night. Andy seemed to be a little better on our date, but overall I could tell it was still not right. At first he didn’t want to talk … didn’t want to look at me. He kept saying, “I don’t want to be here.”
We did finish our homework that night and both learned one new thing about each other regarding our sexual relationship. It was very enlightening and for the first time, I felt like I was getting somewhere and was able to do something to help improve our relationship.
Finally … hope
Sunday morning, after we packed up and were getting ready to leave our hotel room, I sat on the bed and gathered up the courage to ask him if he would pray with me. We had never prayed together … ever. I was nervous and scared, but he said “sure” so we held hands, and I said a two-sentence prayer for God to bless our marriage and each other. Andy hugged me. Although that was good, it felt somewhat staged. I feared he was a bit taken off guard and uncomfortable, as was I.
When we got to the conference, the men and women were immediately broken into separate groups for the husband and wife sessions. I truly enjoyed this the most. We met briefly and then headed back in the ballroom for the mom and dad sessions. After those sessions, I went to the conference resource center where I found him browsing through the books. We went to a little corner to review our homework.
What he said next blew me away. He closed his workbook and looked at me and said, “I don’t know how to say this.”
My thoughts were, Oh no … what now! I looked at him and encouragingly said, “Okay,” and right then and there, on the floor in the corner, my husband told me that he had decided to invite God into his heart … his life … and our marriage.
I was shocked and filled with joy! I couldn’t speak … so I smiled. He said for 25 years he had been without God and that “it’s not working” and he didn’t know how or where to really begin. He said that he wanted to be a great husband and father and feels like this is the way he needs to do it.
I was overjoyed. I started tearing up, trying not to make too much of a scene. I told him how wonderful it was to hear him say those words and that I wanted him to lead me and our daughter. We talked for a few more minutes, and I felt completely rejuvenated and filled with hope.
We went over our homework and what a difference in his answers that time! It was like he was filled with the Holy Spirit that morning! And amazingly, one of his final answers written down was a promise to say “divorce is not an option.”
We sat together the rest of the afternoon and this time, when God was brought into our lessons, I was filled with optimism and love and confidence that my husband and I would both be able to open our hearts to these words. I left that conference with a renewed sense of optimism and faith in our marriage and in our new journey together into God’s Word.
If all of our personal struggles and arguments led us to God through a Weekend to Remember, then it was all worth it.
Saving Private Ryan – Omaha Beach Scene Part 2 – Super High Quality
Saving Private Ryan – Omaha Beach Scene Part 3 – Super High Quality
Saving Private Ryan opens with a 30-minute cinematic tour de force that is without a doubt one of the finest half-hours ever committed to film. This sequence, a soldier’s-eye view of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, is brilliant not only in terms of technique but in the depth of viewer reaction it generates. It is certainly the most violent, gory, visceral depiction of war that I have ever witnessed on screen. Spielberg spares the viewer nothing of the horrors of battle, using every tactic at his disposal to convey the chaos and senseless waste that lies at the core of any engagement. We are presented with unforgettable, bloody images of bodies being cut to pieces by bullets, limbs blown off, entrails spilling out, and a variety of other assorted examples of carnage. And, when the tide comes in with the waves breaking on the body-strewn beach, the water is crimson. Those who are at all squeamish will find the opening of Saving Private Ryan unbearable. This aspect of the film almost earned it an NC-17 rating; only the fact that Spielberg rigorously avoids even a hint of exploitation convinced the MPAA to award an R.
In addition to showing what happens when projectiles rip into the soft flesh of the human body, the director employs other methods to capture the essence of battle – hand-held cameras, a slight speeding up of the images, muted colors, and several different kinds of film stock. Put it all together, and it adds up to a dizzying, exhausting assault on the senses. As good as the rest of Saving Private Ryan is, and it’s very good, the D-Day attack on Omaha Beach is the sequence that everyone will remember most clearly.
By dawn on June 6, thousands of paratroopers and glider troops were already on the ground behind enemy lines, securing bridges and exit roads. The amphibious invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture beaches codenamed Gold, Juno and Sword, as did the Americans at Utah Beach. U.S. forces faced heavy resistance at Omaha Beach, where there were over 2,000 American casualties. However, by day’s end, approximately 156,000 Allied troops had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches. According to some estimates, more than 4,000 Allied troops lost their lives in the D-Day invasion, with thousands more wounded or missing.
Less than a week later, on June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy.
For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the counterattack. Reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. Moreover, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.
In the ensuing weeks, the Allies fought their way across the Normandy countryside in the face of determined German resistance, as well as a dense landscape of marshes and hedgerows. By the end of June, the Allies had seized the vital port of Cherbourg, landed approximately 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy, and were poised to continue their march across France.
Victory in Normandy
By the end of August 1944, the Allies had reached the Seine River, Paris was liberated and the Germans had been removed from northwestern France, effectively concluding the Battle of Normandy. The Allied forces then prepared to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet troops moving in from the east.
The Normandy invasion began to turn the tide against the Nazis. A significant psychological blow, it also prevented Hitler from sending troops from France to build up his Eastern Front against the advancing Soviets. The following spring, on May 8, 1945, the Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Hitler had committed suicide a week earlier, on April 30.
Photo by ROBERT CAPA
An American soldier wades through water under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire to reach the beach on the Normandy coast of France, June 6, 1944. It turned out to be the biggest and most important Allied amphibious operation of World War II. (AP Photo/Files-Wartime Pool/Robert Capa)
CHICAGO (Reuters) – The death toll from the May 22 Joplin, Missouri tornado has risen to 141, city officials said on Sunday.Lynn Iliff Onstot, public information officer for Joplin, said the city had identified three new victims who died from injuries sustained as a result of the twister.
The massive F-5 tornado cut a six-mile swath through the southwest Missouri city just as residents were sitting down to Sunday dinner. It was the deadliest single tornado in the United States since 1947.
Tornadoes have battered the country this spring, killing more than 500 people, mostly in the south. A twister even struck Massachusetts, where tornadoes are rare, last week, killing four people.
(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Jerry Norton)
Springfield MA tornado aftermath A smashed car sits next to the South End Community Center, which lost most of its roof in a tornado that touched down in Springfield, Mass., Wednesday, June 1, 2011. (/AP Courtesy Marque Tortoriello An apparent tornado has caused damage in Springfield, Mass. Twister: This photo, taken through a window, shows […]
Springfield, Mass. Tornado – Multiple Views – June 1, 2011 (lots of cursing) ___________________________________ Raw Video: Tornado Strikes Springfield, Mass. An apparent tornado struck the downtown of one of Massachusetts’ largest cities Wednesday afternoon, scattering debris, toppling trees, and frightening workers and residents. _________________________________ Tornado touches down Springfield, MA _____________________________________
Steeple of First Church of Monson lays The steeple of The First Church of Monson lays in rubble on the ground after a tornado swept through the downtown area of Monson, Mass., Wednesday, June 1, 2011.… Read more » The Associated Press reported this morning: SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Rev. Bob Marrone was pained […]
Destructive Joplin Missouri Torando On May 22, 2011 a destructive and sadly a deadly tornado tore through the town of Joplin, MO. Here is video of the tornado entering the southwest side of town. Filmed by TornadoVideos.net Basehunters Colt Forney, Isaac Pato, Kevin Rolfs, and Scott Peake. Good Morning America: Joplin, Missouri Tornado Video: Storm […]
Destroyed helicopter lies on its side A destroyed helicopter lies on its side in the parking lot of the Joplin Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., Sunday, May 22, 2011. A large tornadomoved through much of the city, damaging the hospital and hundreds of homes and businesses Emergency personnel walk Emergency personnel walk through […]
The last video listed does not have very good pictures but you hear when the tornado hits a building where people inside are filming. The sounds are just horrible and a cold feeling went through my body just listening to it. Joplin, Missouri tornado damage from the air Tornado damage of Joplin, Missouri. Aerial coverage […]
Volunteer firefighters William Jackson Volunteer firefighters William Jackson, left, and Ashley Martin, center, from Oklahoma, and Johnny Ward of Joplin look through the wreckage of a home whereit was feared a pregnant woman as feared to be trapped following a tornado in Joplin, Mo., Sunday, May 22, 2011. A large tornado moved through […]
Fox News reported today: Rescue crews dug through piles of splintered houses and crushed cars Monday in a search for victims of a half-mile-wide tornado that blasted much of this Missouri town off the map and slammed straight into its hospital. At least 116 people died, making it the nation’s deadliest single tornado in nearly […]
Today we are picking the fourth best player of all time.
Wilson Hatcher picks Diego Maradona and he won the world cup in 1986 and came in runner up in 1990. He is most famous for the “Hand of God” and the goal of the century. He is third best player ever from South America.
Everette Hatcher’s pick:
Lionel Messi is my pick for the fourth best soccer player of all time.
Lionel Messi 2009 – Top 10 Goals *NEW*
_________________________________
Another list below I got off the internet:
10 Raul Gonzalez
FW, SS
Called the ‘Angel of Madrid’ and simply known as Raúl, he is a Spanish football striker who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid. Also the three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League and is the second all-time leading scorer in official UEFA competitions after Filippo Inzaghi with 64 goals. He took over the captaincy of Real Madrid when Fernando Hierro departed in 2003, and has since shown himself to be a natural and respected leader.
9
Michael Platini
OMF
Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was voted the best player and top goalscorer. Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana together made up the “carré magique” (magic square), the group of midfield players that formed the heart of the French national team throughout the 1980s. He is also widely regarded as one the best passers in football history as well as one of history’s greatest free kick specialists and finishers. He holds the record for most goals scored in European Championship final.
8
Carlos Alberto Torres
WB
is a former Brazilian footballer, one of the most highly regarded defenders of all time. He captained Brazil to victory in the 1970 World Cup and is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century, as well as the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. Carlos Alberto’s goal against Italy in the final of the Football World Cup 1970 is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored in the history of the tournament.
7
Ronaldo
FW
A brilliant and fluid forward, Ronaldo became one of international soccer’s great stars of the 1990s and Brazil’s biggest soccer hero since Pele. Nicknamed “The Phenomenon,” the talented forward has played for Cruzeiro, Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, amassing numerous records, championships, and cups. An international superstar, Ronaldo has been on the Brazilian national team since 1994 and was part of World Cup–winning teams in 1998 and in 2002, when he was the tournament’s top scorer
6
Gerd Müller
FW
Müller was short, squat, awkward-looking and not notably fast; he never fit the conventional idea of a great footballer, but he had lethal acceleration over short distances, a remarkable aerial game, and uncanny goalscoring instincts. He could turn quickly and with perfect balance in small spaces at speeds that would cause other players to fall over. He also had a knack of scoring in unlikely situations. With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was by far the most successful striker of his day.
5
Johann Cruyff
OMF, ST
Cruyff is a former Dutch football player and manager/coach. He was named European Footballer of the Year three times. In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the IFFHS, and came second, behind Pelé in their World Player of the Century poll. Cruyff was known for his technical ability, speed and acceleration, but his greatest quality was vision, based on an acute sense of his team-mates’ positions as an attack unfolded. He is believed Cruyff superior to any previous player in his ability to extract the most from others.
4
Franz Beckenbauer
SW, DMF
German football (soccer) player. He is credited with inventing the modern attacking sweeper position. Nicknamed “Der Kaiser,” Beckenbauer is the only man to both captain and manage World Cup-winning teams (1974 and 1990, respectively). He spent most of his career with Bayern Munich, leading the team to three European Cup championships and four national titles. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1972 and 1976. He is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and also as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.
3
Diego Maradona
FW
Maradona is an icon in Argentina. As a soccer player, he took his team to new heights and became a hero to sports fans – many of whom referred to him as “San Diego.” He also took sports paychecks to new heights, claiming unheard of salaries in trade after trade. Maradona was plagued by cocaine addiction, though, and his career came to an early end. His performance included two memorable goals against England, one scored with his hand (the referee mistakenly thought the ball struck his head) and now remembered as the “Hand of God,” and another that saw him dribble through a pack of defenders.
2
Pele
born 1940
Pele – called “the Black Pearl,” was the greatest soccer player in the history of the game. With a career total of 1280 goals, he may have been the world’s most popular athlete after he was named Athlete of the Century by the world’s combined National Olympic Committees in 1999, though he never played in the Olympics himself. In March of 2002, the jersey Pelé wore in the 1970 World Cup final sold at auction for $220,850. Pelé became Brazil’s minister of sports in 1995, serving until 1998.
1
Zinedine Zidane
OMF, CMF
Popularly nicknamed Zizou, he is a French former football midfielder. His career accomplishments include winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000, in addition to the 2002 UEFA Champions League. He is also one of only two three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners. Zidane won the Golden Ball as the MVP in the World Cups of 1998 and 2006. Zidane played his first professional First Division game for Cannes and quickly rose through the professional ranks. He sealed his reputation by scoring two goals in the World Cup finals of 1998, helping France defeat Brazil to claim its first-ever World Cup championship. Extremely passionate and a leader by example, he came first in an online poll conducted by UEFA.
(L-R) California First Lady Maria Shriver, niece of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, her son Patrick Arnold Shriver Schwarzenegger and her husband CaliforniaGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger attend funeral services for Senator Kennedy at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston, Massachusetts in this August 29, 2009 file photo. Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has acknowledged that he fathered a child more than ten years ago with a member of his household staff, the Los Angeles Times reported on May 17, 2011. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/Files
Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life?
Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed for divorce. In the you tube clip above she comments:
“Like a lot of you I’m in transition: people come up to me all the time, asking, what are you doing next?” she said, adding: “It’s so stressful to not know what you are doing next when people ask what you are doing and they can’t believe you don’t know what you are doing.”
“I’d like to hear from other people who are in transition,” she said. “How did you find your transition: Personal, professional, emotional, spiritual, financial? How did you get through it?”
Mrs. Shriver has asked for spiritual input and I personally think that unless she gets the spiritual help that she needs then she will end up in the divorce court. I am starting a series on how a marriage can survive an infidelity. My first suggestion would be to attend a “Weekend to Remember” put on by the organization “Family Life” out of Little Rock, Arkansas. I actually posted this as a response to Mrs. Shriver’s request on you tube.
My Story: Can One Weekend Really Change a Marriage? We were pretty close to the end if we didn’t do something, by Briana Brunner
Last year, my husband, Mark, and I were not getting along well. We had been in and out of counseling, and it seemed like we were always going over the same problems.
Mark and Briana Brunner
That all began to change in November 2007 when I happened to hear about the Weekend to Remember® marriage conference while listening to a local radio station. I told Mark that we needed to go to it. At first he kind of fought me on it. I told him that we didn’t have a choice and said, “I’m signing us up. We are going.”
Until then, I don’t think Mark had really admitted to himself that we were pretty close to the end if we didn’t do something. I had been through one divorce and didn’t want the kids to have to go through that again.
Things didn’t begin well for our Weekend to Remember. Mark and I had an argument as we drove to the conference, and we really didn’t like each other when stepped into the ballroom. Only God could have turned that evening into a weekend that transformed our marriage, our lives, our family … forever.
A turning point
The conference was an eye-opener for Mark and me as we heard God’s purpose and plan for marriage. One phrase that struck us both very powerfully was, “My spouse is not my enemy. My spouse is a gift given to me by God.” I think grasping that truth was a turning point for both of us.
It was neat to see couples who on Friday night were just bodies sitting by one another transform into lovers on Sunday. They sat with their arms entwined around each other and hands clasped. Mark and I were among those couples.
Today we still use a lot of what we learned at the Weekend to Remember. One of the biggest changes is that neither one of us ever mentions the word divorce any more. We made a commitment to never threaten divorce because we love each other—and it’s not even a consideration when things don’t seem so bright.
Remembering that “My mate is not my enemy,” has also been huge for us. If we are in an argument one or the other one will say (depending on who is more upset), “I’m not the enemy, I love you. I’m your spouse.” Those words always remind me that whatever we’re disagreeing about is temporary. It instantly makes me tone it down to a level where Mark and I can calmly talk.
We’re also much better about listening to one another. Now we sit back and let each other finish a sentence instead of instantly getting mad and trying to jump in to defend ourselves or blame the other person. We’ve learned to listen and really try to hear what’s being said and not what we think someone means.
Nine times out of ten our arguments have come from one of us misinterpreting what the other one was trying to say. Sometimes one of us will now say, “Hey, that’s not what I meant.”
Mark and I work together and that can be very trying at times. In the past, when things didn’t go right, we blamed each other. Now, if Mark or I start to point fingers and say something is “your” fault, the other will say what we learned at the Weekend to Remember, “This isn’t about blaming each other. It’s not a you or a me problem. It’s just a conflict that needs to be resolved.” And that’s really helped quite a bit.
The weekend taught us huge things about dealing with conflict in front of the kids. We learned that it’s okay for them to notice that we’re not exactly happy with each other. But today we say, “We need to go talk for a few minutes and when we are all done talking things will be fine, but we just need to talk by ourselves.”
The older kids have noticed a difference in the way we communicate. It’s really funny because if they see things getting a little tense once in a while they say, “Remember what you guys learned [at the Weekend to Remember].”
The most important change
As wonderful as these changes are, the most important thing that happened at the Weekend to Remember was that Mark and I prayed and invited Jesus Christ into our lives. That was really powerful for both of us.
I had heard people in our business talk about finding God and I wondered, What are they talking about? I can’t really explain what happened at the conference spiritually, but it was like an “Aha!” moment, and I finally understood what finding God meant.
Having Christ at the center of our lives and marriage has been huge. When we are having difficulties I will pray, “Lord, I can’t do this on my own. Will you help me to get over this?”
Today Mark is much more open about talking about God with me, our kids, and others. I have seen him say to people, “I’ll pray about this.” I had never seen that side of him before.
When I first heard about the Weekend to Remember and read some of the testimonials about the conference, I wondered how one weekend could really change marriages that were so close to ending. I no longer have to wonder. Mark and I just have to look in the mirror and remember what God did in our lives and legacy.
COMMENTARY | Sarah Palin stepped out of Paul Revere’s home in Boston and appeared to get her history wrong. The Internet then exploded in ridicule and astonishment at the ditz from Alaska once again uttering nonsense.
It started when Palin told a questioner, according to the Daily Caller, that Revere had had “warned the British” and not the colonials. The firestorm was instantaneous and viral. From staid organs of the mainstream media like the Los Angeles Times to the snarky left side of the Internet such as the Daily Kos, almost everyone arose in high dudgeon.
Except, albeit somewhat clumsily expressed, Palin was correct.
Professor William A. Jacobson over at Legal Insurrection notes the memoirs of Revere himself, as pointed out by the Conservatives4Palin site. In it, Revere recounts an incident during the famous Midnight Ride in which he was accosted by a British military patrol and was interrogated about what his business was on the road. Revere indicated to his British captors that he had warned the countryside of the approach of British troops up the Lexington-Concord road, matching pretty much what Palin said.
“He demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and added that their troops had catched aground in passing the River, and that there would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up. He imediately rode towards those who stoppd us, when all five of them came down upon a full gallop; one of them, whom I afterwards found to be Major Mitchel, of the 5th Regiment, Clapped his pistol to my head, called me by name, & told me he was going to ask me some questions, & if I did not give him true answers, he would blow my brains out. He then asked me similar questions to those above.”
So how was it that Palin got it right and just about everyone else got it wrong about Paul Revere and his famous ride? Most peoples’ knowledge about Revere begins and ends with the famous Longfellow poem, which somewhat fudged the actual history of the ride that night in 1775. Palin either has actually cracked open a book or, just as likely, was paying attention to the lecture visitors get when they go to Paul Revere’s home, unlike her critics.
The Smothers Brothers comedians Tommy Smothers (C) and Dick Smothers (R) and wife of Tommy Smothers, Marcy Carricker (L), arrive at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre on September 21, 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
The Accidental Interview – Smothers & Van Dyke
Ran into Jerry Van Dyke & Tommy Smothers in a restaurant in Hot Springs, AR over Memorial Day weekend. They were in town performing Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys”, in preparation to taking to Broadway. They very graciously allowed me to interview them and shoot some video. Needless to say, it was a hoot! http://directorzone.cyberlink.com/video/550283
My son Wilson wants to be a movie director and my son Hunter is trying his hand at comedy. I told both of them that they needed to see Jerry Van Dyke and Tommy Smoothers because they both are comedy legends. Hunter was tied up, so Wilson went with me to see the “Sunshine Boys” on June 1st in Hot Springs. It was unbelievable. We sat on the 2nd row. The place was filled!! The chemistry of the two actors was great.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported:
HOT SPRINGS — Two kings of comedy take the stage tonight at the RayLynn Theater in Hot Springs, where they take on characters they say are not too different from themselves.
Longtime performers Jerry Van Dyke of TV’s Coach fame and Tommy Smothers, half of the music and comedy team of the Smothers Brothers, have recently joined forces to present The Sunshine Boys over seven days at the RayLynn Theater, 710 Central Ave.
The show opens today and continues through Wednesday.
In the Neil Simon comedy, a former vaudevillian duo, who grew to hate each other over their more than 40 years together, are invited to reunite for an on-screen performance.
“It’s us,” Van Dyke said. “It’s two over-the-hill comedians that were a team and broke up years ago and are fighting and they have to reappear to do a famous sketch.”
He and Smothers — both in their 70s — have never performed together, but, like the characters in the play, one wants to retire while the other wants to continue working. Van Dyke hopes to take the performance on to Broadway, but Smothers is reluctant.
“I tried to get a lot of people to do [this part], but the problem with it is if you’re old enough to do it, you’re too old to do it,” said Van Dyke, who is also directing and producing the play.
Though he was familiar with The Sunshine Boys storyline, he had not read the script until a few years ago when someone suggested he do the play.
“When I read the play, I wanted to do it because it was me, now,” Van Dyke said. “It’s the best role I’ve ever had. I am this guy.”
Van Dyke, who began his career as a stand-up comedian, had his television debut on The Dick Van Dyke Show. On the show he portrayed, as in real life, the young brother of Robert Petree, played by his older brother Dick.
Jerry went on to appear in a number of other shows and movies. He earned four Emmy nominations for his supporting role in Coach, which ran from 1989-1997.
Now a resident of Glen Rose, Jerry debuted The Sunshine Boys last October at the RayLynn Theater, with Jack Iafrate of Hot Springs Village playing alongside him.
“There are a lot of places that [Jerry] could perform this, but this is close to where he lives, and he loves Hot Springs,” said Tom Wilkins, owner of the RayLynn Theater and a longtime friend of Jerry.
Last year’s performance of The Sunshine Boys was “extremely successful,” Wilkins said, and, as a result, they decided to bring it back — this time with Smothers.
“This is a whole new added twist,” Wilkins said. “Bringing Tommy in is something that’s going to really give it new life, if you will.”
Wilkins said he expects this year’s performance to be successful as well.
“I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Wilkins said. “The phone has been extremely busy. When you get those two guys together, they both have big names and are extremely professional, I think that it will be a huge success.”
Following its debut at the RayLynn Theater last year, Jerry took the play to Branson, Mo., performing again with Iafrate, then to Malibu, Calif., where he performed with his brother, Dick.
Jerry said he had always had Smothers in mind for the part, though, having first approached him about it two years ago. Smothers, however, turned him down.
“I said, ‘I’m not interested. I don’t do plays. I can’t memorize them,’” Smothers said.
Jerry persisted, though, and eventually won him over.
“He sent me this video of him and his brother doing [The Sunshine Boys], and he’s so brilliant in this play,” Smothers said.
“I brought him out of retirement,” Jerry boasted. “It took me two years, but I got him.”
Last year, Smothers, a resident of Sonoma, Calif., retired after 51 years of touring with his brother, Dick. The longtime duo rose to fame with their popular yet controversial variety show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The pair continued their act following the show’s cancellation in 1969, performing both on stage and on television.
After wrapping up their schedule at the RayLynn Theater, Jerry and Tommy will take the show to Dallas, and possibly on to Broadway.
“With my brother, they came out from Broadway [to see the show] and wanted us immediately,” Jerry said. “[Dick] is 85. He couldn’t do it. So they’re going to see it with Tommy here and hopefully, we’ll go to Broadway — if Tommy will.”
Throughout their careers, Jerry and Tommy have met on occasion — the first time some 40 years ago — but they never really knew each other until recently.
By ANDREW MIGA, Associated Press Andrew Miga, Associated Press 59 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Two decades ago, Rick Santorum took the House by storm as a freshman rabble-rouser who gave the complacent Republican leadership fits.
One decade ago, Santorum vaulted into the Senate GOP leadership as a young firebrand whose conservative zeal later helped cost him his seat in Congress.
Now, in a new decade, Santorum is back.
At 53, he’s entering the Republican presidential race no longer offering himself to voters as a rising star or the next big thing, but as the tried-and-true candidate conservatives can count on — like an old shoe that fits better than anything new.
“Someone who’s been there for many, many years talking about the same issues in the same way is what a lot of folks, a lot of conservatives, are looking for,” he says.
Long a favorite of religious and social conservatives for his staunch opposition to gay rights and abortion, Santorum is joining the GOP field on Monday as a longshot driven by his belief that religion deserves a stronger role in public life.
“To me there are truths out there,” Santorum said recently in an AP interview. “There are things that are right and things that are wrong. That may not be popular and it may lose you an election, but that’s OK.”
Santorum may have lost some swagger since his days as a congressional upstart, but he’s betting that the same conservative fire that worked against him when he lost his seat in Congress will be a big advantage in GOP primaries and caucuses often dominated by the right.
He’s selling authenticity.
“He says things that are combustible,” said Terry Madonna, a professor and pollster at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. “He’s hard-charging and high-octane. … But he’s very direct. You don’t have to worry about double-speak with him. He is what he is.”
Santorum’s conservatism is deeply rooted in his faith.
He grew up in a devout Catholic family in Butler, Pa., the son of an Italian immigrant father who was a psychologist and a mother who was a nurse.
“You had to be on your deathbed not to go to Mass,” said his younger brother, Dan.
Butler was a mostly blue-collar town with lots of ethnic churches, Rick Santorum recalled.
“Those characteristics of hard work, loyalty, family and church were very much drummed into me,” he said.
Dan Santorum said his brother had a deep competitive streak, evident when he played baseball, chess and board games like Risk. He hated losing.
“He still does,” said the younger Santorum. “But he’s not a sore loser. He’s not a quitter. That’s served him well in politics.”
During college at Penn State, Rick Santorum drifted a bit from his faith before meeting his wife, Karen Garver Santorum.
“The beautiful thing about it is we grew in our faith together,” Santorum said. “We wanted that to be the grounding for our marriage.”
That faith has been tested. He and his wife have seven children. Another child, Gabriel Michael, died in 1996, two hours after an emergency delivery.
The couple slept with the bundled dead baby’s body in their hospital room that night, wanting to keep Gabriel in their arms until the burial. They took Gabriel’s body home so their other children could see and hold the baby before burying him, according to Karen Garver Santorum’s book, “Letters to Gabriel.”
“Daddy and I wanted to hold you for as long as we possibly could,” she wrote.
The couple’s youngest child, 3-year-old Isabella, was born in 2008 with trisomy 18, a genetic disorder. Fewer than 10 percent of those diagnosed with the condition live to their first birthday.
Santorum says his daughter’s illness cut both ways as he debated whether to run: He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, but he also felt the need to fight for “children like Bella and for the dignity of human life.”
“These children are simply denied care because they don’t have long life expectancies,” he told the AP. “They’re not seen as useful economic units.”
Santorum has doggedly laid the groundwork for what he hopes is his comeback campaign. He’s been a frequent visitor to New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, states that vote early in the nominating season. His back-to-better-days campaign slogan: “Fighting to make America America again.”
But his candidacy will have to overcome hurdles, including low name recognition and the lack of a strong fund-raising organization. He also has to hope supporters aren’t scared off by his 18-point loss in the 2006 Senate race.
Santorum was elected to the House in 1990 at age 32. He shot to prominence as one of the “Gang of Seven” freshman Republicans who bucked their leadership and helped to expose fellow lawmakers who had abused checking privileges at the now-defunct House bank. In 1994, the scandal helped the GOP capture control of the House.
That same year, Santorum beat Democratic Sen. Harris Wofford and emerged as a conservative force to be reckoned with in the Senate, attaining the No. 3 leadership spot in the chamber.
He successfully pushed a bill that banned late-term abortions. In 2005, Time magazine named him among the nation’s 25 most influential evangelists.
Santorum held his Senate seat for 12 years before losing in 2006 to Democrat Bob Casey, the son of a popular former governor, as part of an anti-war, anti-incumbent tide.
Controversy over his conservative views hurt him as well.
Santorum drew sharp criticism after saying in 2003 that he believed states had the right to ban gay sex or other private behaviors “antithetical to a healthy, stable, traditional family.” He brought up a pending Supreme Court case over a Texas sodomy law and said, “If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery.”
His words sparked protest, particularly among gay rights supporters and Democrats.
Santorum later said his remarks were in the context of a past Supreme Court ruling on privacy and were not meant as “a statement on individual lifestyles.”
Since losing his Senate seat, Santorum has given speeches and worked at a conservative think tank and as a cable news channel commentator.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Never Got A DNA Test for Love Child was a top story. Here is the recap: (TMZ) Arnold Schwarzenegger concedes he’s Mildred “Patty” Baena’s baby daddy, but TMZ has learned there was NEVER a DNA test establishing paternity. Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the baby saga tell TMZ … Arnold never demanded a DNA test. We’ve also learned Baena never took steps to establish paternity through DNA. As for why Arnold was so sure he was the father … our sources say Baena’s husband was not even in the United States when the baby was conceived. He returned to the U.S. just days before the boy was born. By the time the boy was a toddler, it became “physically obvious” that Arnold was the dad, one source says. In fact, we’re told several members of the Maria Shriver/Arnold Schwarzenegger staff sometimes confused Arnold’s youngest son, Christopher, with Baena’s child.
Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life? Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed for divorce. In the you tube clip above she comments: […]
Hot Topics-Arnold’s Love Child – The View Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life? Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed for divorce. In […]
Schwarzenegger’s Love Child Bombshell Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life? Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed for divorce. In the you tube […]
Arnold Schwarzenegger: News On Woman & Love Child TMZ Scoop Maria Shriver Asks – How Do You Handle Transitions in Your Life? Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted to his wife several months ago that he had fathered a child about 10 years ago with a member of their household staff. Maria moved out, but has not filed […]
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