IKE: Countdown to D-Day

I just got done watching IKE: Countdown to D-Day. Tom Selleck is of course much taller than Eisenhower was, but he played the role remarkably well. The whole cast was just great. This is a war film without war. It’s all about the strategies being put into place leading up to D-Day and the invasion of Normandy. Really well done. I can’t believe I waited nine years to watch this.

And since I'm talking about Ike, the greatest president of the 20th century, I thought I’d post this video clip of his farewell address as well. This is the one where he utters the well-worn phrase he invented: "military industrial complex." Remember, this was three days before Kennedy was to take office. Many people think it was a warning against a government with too much power over the military, but it was actually a warning against a military system with so much power, even the government couldn’t control it. Would the CIA be included as part of this "military" complex? So many people are convinced that members of the CIA along with VP Johnson were behind Kennedy’s death. Did Ike see it coming 3-years earlier? I really don’t have an opinion on the subject, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Work, Work, Work

I don't mean to be so quiet as of late, but work is really hectic this time of year, and I've been helping my nephew and sister with some remodeling after work and weekends, so I'm too bushed to do much of anything but lay in front of the TV when I get home lately.

Speaking of TV, have you seen the new Tom Selleck (can you believe he's 65 now?) TV series called "Blue Bloods?" He plays a police commissioner in NY with two sons that are cops (a third was killed on duty) along with a daughter who's a prosecuting attorney.

His aging father (a former commissioner) lives with him too. After just a handful of shows I'm already prepared to say that it may be the best cop show ever when all is said and done. And a big part of that I must say is because Donnie Wahlberg plays the best TV cop I've ever seen. He seems born for the role. It's also a show that truly relishes family. Every episode seems to end with the family all together eating supper, including spouses and grandkids. They're a Catholic family, and saying grace is still an honored tradition among others. You've really got to see this one. If you miss it on TV, CBS has been posting the shows online.