Matthew

In a state of high intellectual ferment, I watched this twice over the weekend. Support Your Local Sheriff

Radical Wordsworth: The Poet Who Changed the World by Jonathan Bate.

To my mind, he's more than a manager. Can you imagine the pressure of Churchill and FDR watching your every move? Critiquing them, and knowing you're sending men to death, no matter what your decision? Also dealing with the massive ego of political / military leader of different countries? You have to get it right, and for D-Day, Eisenhower did. How he did as president is another matter...

What has become a D-Day tradition for me is to watch this CBS Special 20 Anniversary interview between Walter Cronkite and President Eisenhower. I get a glimpse into those leadership qualities Eisenhower had, and you can see his intelligence in how he answered the questions. It's also nice to see a quality interview and mutual respect between the two as they discuss D-Day. I always thought of Eisenhower as some kind of stumblebum, not that up on things, and this complete changed my outlook on him.

Lucky you, got to see a Judge homer. I that ball park as small as I hear?

I bet the fourth batter swung at the first pitch also!

Crazy is right! Some members would only/mostly post in the political section. If I remember, there was one, Johnny Z? would knew a ton about jazz, in fact was a jazz musician if I'm correct, but only posted in politics.

I don't mean this in a political way (know that is forbidden), but it is interesting, and incredibly sad, that since WWI, there has been this continuous background of people who have gone through war in the USA. Maybe it's more of an undercurrent, but there is a lot of people walking around with war time trauma as a part of their emotional / physical makeup since 1914.

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll look and see about the Mendelsohn book, sometimes, if I wait for awhile, the Kindle version will go on sale of a book.

Thank you for the comments! I've read two of the three Atkinson's, but plan to read all three in the coming months, along with Ambrose's history of WWII. The one area I'm really looking for a recommendation on is the war Pre-Pearl Harbor, I still don't have a really good fix on that era for Europe. If you know of a good book on that topic, I'm all ears and eyes.

Nik Turner, The Space Falcons & Youth: Interstellar Engery

Reporting World War II. I've always wanted to read these two volumes, but kept holding back. Recently, I read a review by Alan Jacobs and it made me finally order it. Just started but the articles are very well written, makes me long for that quality of writing about events today. It'll take probably the rest of the year to finish. To add: One of the things I've come to realize is how much WWII was in the background and social atmosphere when I grew up (lived in San Diego), and it was the reference for everything. A lot of the, to me, old people I knew were WWII veterans, it was just a part of the culture. Now, it's not. I don't have a nostalgia for the war, but now that the vets are dying out fast, I feel a need to learn about it more than ever. One of the persons I respected the most in my life made the D-Day landing and was wounded about a week after. It all seems so far away now.

The Glass Menagerie. First time reading it, and it's almost too painful to read...

Dinner at Eight. All time classic final scene.

I've watched this a ton of times (watching many time today) and it really is an entertainment style that's long gone, but it really brings out how at ease everyone was on stage.

In terms of books Kathleen Norris book Dakota: A Spiritual Geography is an interesting book that as the title implies examines both aspects.

Dean & Britta: L'avventura

Roger McQuinn: Back From Rio

Poco: Live at Columbia Studios Hollywood 9/30/71. Very good music being played here.

This is one of my favorite Merton books, doesn't get talked about enough, some great insights, and of course, some very dated material.

Maybe I run with the wrong crowd, but I haven't heard or read the word statuesque in quite a long time.

Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark. Such a great album and it stands the test of time. The Laurel Canyon Movement produced a lot of timeless music.

Back in the day, when a bullpen was used up like that, the starting pitcher the next day had to go deep into the game. It didn't matter if he was getting shelled, you stayed in and pitched, to heck with your ERA!

Ugh! I don't care for the rule, or a lot of other changes in the game. I know I'm an old geezer, but the game was better just twenty years ago that what we have now.

Herman Hesse.