Broadcasting The Games

I'm not sure how old I was when I received a tape recorder for Christmas. I do recall the euphoria of stealthy placing my microphone around the corner of a door and recording conversations that in the past had been off-limits to my childhood. This became rather tame when in playing back these conversations I realized that adults were much more boring that I had anticipated. It was clear that there had to be better uses for this technology.

Being a fan of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater, I decided that recording my own audio drama would be the best use of my new gift. This goal proved elusive as well, casting and directing proved too challenging for my neighborhood recruits.  It became clear that whatever product I was going to create, it was going to be up to me and me alone to make it entertaining.

Parables of Truth

Jesus told parables filled with eons of truth. Layers upon layers of meaning are interlaced in all of the teachings of Christ. Though we tend to imagine our reality as black, white and gray concepts that is not what Jesus taught. He did not, for example, say, "the only way to the father is through me, except." The laws of his Kingdom are absolute. His Church, is absolute. And if Jesus taught in absolutes and we as fallen creatures do not obey his commandments, we are by definition living in chaos of our own creation.

There is no such thing as mildly living on the outskirts of chaos, just as you cannot be slightly, purely white. The gift of salvation from Jesus Christ re frames our existence. With the Holy Spirit we have access to the mind of God. We have the Words of God to base our decisions. We have the gift of God that we can accept to ensure our eternal salvation. Every Christian is commanded to spread the Gospel using their own gifts and talents. When the enemy attacks God's children he uses the same tactics he has chosen since the beginning of time. Confusion and diversion. Confusion about the character of God. Diversion from the mission He has charged us to complete. Black and White.

The Path of Least Resistance

General George Patton and General Omar Bradley. At the start of World War II, Bradley was a subordinate to Patton, both in experience and in rank. Yet by 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower had selected Bradley over Patton to lead the invasion of Northern Europe. What caused this shift of power?

Believe it or not, two separate incidents were the catalyst for Patton's reduction of responsibilities during the middle of WWII. To understand the motivation behind Patton's actions, let's revisit a directive that he issued to the Seventh Army, "It has come to my attention that a very small number of soldiers are going to the hospital on the pretext that they are nervously incapable of combat. Such men are cowards and bring discredit on the army and disgrace to their comrades, whom they heartlessly leave to endure the dangers of battle while they, themselves, use the hospital as a means of escape. You will take measures to see that such cases are not sent to the hospital but dealt with in their units. Those who are not willing to fight will be tried by court martial for cowardice in the face of the enemy." General George S. Patton - August 5th, 1943

My 5 Favorite Movies

Top 5 Favorite Movies. Note: The benchmark I used to determine this list is the re-watchable factor. All of these movies I can watch over and over and over. So without further ado . . .

1) Patton - Best war movie of the most interesting American general (In my opinion) in history. George C. Scott was awesome in the role of Patton and the music was awe inspiring. The shots placed you right in the middle of WWII and didn't shy away from the brutality of war. If you have 3 hours, well, 2 hours and 52 minutes, this is the movie I'd pick.

2) Sneakers - Widely panned during its release over 25 years ago its surprising how well this movie has held up over time. But its really the cast that elevates this movie. Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Dan Akroyd, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix and Ben Kingsley highlight this team of security intrusion experts. The writers (who wrote the movie "War Games" a decade earlier) do a great job with the MacGuffin, the magic codebreaking "Setec Astronomy" box. Highly recommended.