Another Fallen Star

There are so few of the great stars remaining from Hollywood's golden age, and Lauren Bacall was one of the brightest left to us. Over the decades, she had endured as a legend of that era.

It's famous show business lore that she and Humphrey Bogart were a team both on and off the silver screen. They married, had children, and parted only at Bogart's untimely death in 1957. The story of her trademark "look" is also well known; Bacall said she was so nervous on camera that she could only keep her head from shaking by lowering her chin and casting her eyes upwards.

Screen icons such as Bacall are unique and irreplaceable. It's some comfort that she will always shine on in her films.

Lauren Bacall ~ 1924-2014

The Solitude of Suffering

The overblown media coverage and the emotional public outcry over the untimely death of actor and comedian Robin Williams is so interesting to observe.

Robin Williams ~ 1951-2014
Photo: collider.com

Why are people so acutely affected by this loss of a beloved celebrity? The ongoing reactions are shocked, devastated, disbelieving. It's a sad and upsetting event, of course. I've always enjoyed Robin Williams as an entertainer and will miss him terribly. But is it really so shocking that a comedic genius, who had spent most of his life tormented by inner demons, would eventually lose his very human battle?

I think the forceful reactions to Williams' death are expressions of our own human vulnerabilities. They are a reminder to us that we are each alone with our own soul; no one can truly know the depths of another person. Internal struggles can remain forever hidden, or they may result in a tragic suicide like Robin Williams. Not even loved ones closest to Williams knew the extent of his pain.

Perhaps that's what bothers us so much. Robin Williams had fame, wealth, family, and almost universal goodwill and admiration. If someone as blessed in life as he was could be conquered by his darker side, who among us is safe? This is an ancient question with an unchanging answer. The poem Richard Cory, published in 1897, expresses well the mystery of a troubled man's private despair. In following the narrative of Richard Cory's life, Robin Williams played his final part. The brilliant comedian has left us through a self-imposed tragedy. Now, because he is gone, the world is a poorer place; and we are left to wonder why.

Five Things Romney Got Right

It's not much comfort, but 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been proven correct on much of his campaign discussion topics:

1. Withdrawing U.S. troops abruptly from Iraq would have terrible consequences
2. Russia is our "top geopolitical foe"
3. Veterans should be allowed to use vouchers to obtain medical care outside of the VA
4. Tax reform is needed to keep businesses in the U.S.
5. Bipartisan and problem-solving skills are sorely needed in Washington D.C.

It's too late to do us any good, but it's gratifying to see the better man proven right.

Hail, Caesar?

At yesterday's press conference, President Obama was questioned about his power to grant work permits to illegal aliens. As is his custom, our supreme leader used 135 words to say "Yes."

JONATHAN KARL, ABC NEWS: Do you believe you have the power to grant work permits to those who are here illegally as some of your supporters have suggested? 

Photo: The View from the Island

PRESIDENT OBAMA: What I certainly believe in respect to immigration reform and I have said this in the past is that we have a broken system. It's under-resourced, and we have to make choices in terms of how we allocate personnel and resources. So if I'm going to, for example, send more immigration judges down to the border to process some of these unaccompanied children that have arrived at the border, then that's coming from some place else, and we're going to have to prioritize. That's well within our authority authorities and prosecutorial discretion. My preference would be an actual comprehensive immigration law, and we already have a bipartisan law that would solve a whole bunch of these problems. Until that happens, I'm going to have to make choices. That's what I was elected to do.

I am especially amused by the president's remarks about his "preference" and "choices" with regard to the constitutional process. Instead of lawful legislation, we now have his personal whims determining our national fate. To borrow one of our self-appointed monarch's favorite phrases, this country is in "a whole bunch" of trouble.

Specifics Needed

Statement by the President on the Occasion of Eid-al-Fitr

"As Muslims throughout the United States and around the world celebrate Eid-al-Fitr, Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to them and their families.  This last month has been a time of fasting, reflection, spiritual renewal, and service to the less fortunate.  While Eid marks the completion of Ramadan, it also celebrates the common values that unite us in our humanity and reinforces the obligations that people of all faiths have to each other, especially those impacted by poverty, conflict, and disease.

In the United States, Eid also reminds us of the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy.* That is why we stand with people of all faiths, here at home and around the world, to protect and advance their rights to prosper, and we welcome their commitment to giving back to their communities.

On behalf of the Administration, we wish Muslims in the United States and around the world a blessed and joyous celebration.  Eid Mubarak." ~ President Barack Obama

*Can you give me any specifics, Mr. President?

I would appreciate hearing details about "the many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation and strengthening the core of our democracy." Did they arrive on the Mayflower? Participate in the American Revolution? Help draft the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights? Settle the West with American pioneers? Create new inventions that facilitate modern life, such as the telephone, lightbulb, or automobile?

I ask these questions, because all I can think of in the way of Muslim "contributions" to the U.S. are the following:

1. The 9/11 terrorist attack
2. The Boston Marathon bombing
3. The Fort Hood massacre
4. The airline "shoe bomber"
5. The airline "underwear bomber"
6. The would-be Times Square car bomber

I must be missing something, so please enlighten me. Take your time, Mr. President. I'll wait.

A Century of War

...How many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

~ Bob Dylan 

Trench Troops - World War I

Today marks the 100-year anniversary of the start of World War I.

Especially in view of current events in the Middle East and Ukraine, this day's dark centennial reminds us of the dominance of human nature's enduring evil streak. Hundreds of millions of people have died in global conflicts during the past century.

Will there ever be an end to the strife? All these years later, the answer is still lost in the wind.

Newsworthy or Nuisance?

The Islamists persecuting Christians in Iraq doesn't merit much mention on network TV news. Iraqi Christians have been threatened with death and driven from their homes by the fanatics. If it were Muslims fleeing Iraq to save their families' lives from Christians, I suspect MSM would find 30 seconds to cover it on the evening news.

This situation has been described by Iraq's Catholic leader as "worse than Genghis Khan." I wonder how heinous the persecution of Christians would have to be before it's considered newsworthy.

It's similar to the Israeli deaths vs. those in Gaza. The Muslim deaths get the prime coverage, right upfront at the start of the broadcasts and print news articles. Jewish deaths are mentioned briefly after detailed coverage of the Islamic casualties.

In global conflicts today, the deaths of Jews and Christians--whose religious philosophies represent the bedrock of Western Civilization--are somehow less worthy of thorough reporting than the deaths of those in the radical extremist religion that pledges to eradicate the West.

A Grandmother's Thoughts

When evil of the magnitude of the shoot-down of Malaysia Flight 17 occurs, the loss of human life becomes almost too much to contemplate.

There is something that writers call a "hook"--an anecdote or situation that draws you into a story and personalizes it for you. For me, that visceral connection came when I heard an NBC news reporter state that one woman had lost all four of her grandchildren. "I'm not a grandmother anymore," she is quoted as saying. I can think of no more devastatingly sorrowful fate. Grandchildren are our life's legacy, our crowning achievements. They are living proof and a true reward that all our hard work and sacrifice along life's rough roadway has been worthwhile--and they are a constant joy and inspiration in our later years. As the grandmother of three beautiful and precious grandchildren, I know I would gladly lay down my life to protect any of them from fatal harm. To lose any one of these life's treasures-- let alone all of them at once--in such a horrific atrocity, is beyond my comprehension and, I'm certain, more than I could bear.

I think of that unbearably bereaved woman, and I pray for her. Because I know, if I had to walk in her shoes, I would long for the sweet release of my own death to free me from my eternal grief.

A Radically Different Film

I saw the movie America: Imagine a World Without Her, and I give it a go-see. It's definitely a thought-provoking presentation of how indoctrinated the United States has become in viewing its national history negatively. Quite predictably, it has lefties wailing and gnashing their teeth.

It makes me wonder, why would so many forces--academia, media, terrorists, politicians, and aspiring leaders--have such a coordinated vested interest in rendering the greatest success story of Western Civilization worthy of contempt?

Perhaps because evil is dedicated to the destruction of good?

The movie includes coverage of the 20th century left-wing leader Saul Alinsky, whose disciples include Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, wrote the leftist bible Rules for Radicals. Alinsky dedicated that book to Lucifer--although Alinsky himself, who was born Jewish, is documented as either an atheist or an agnostic, depending on which source you read.

In the New Testament, Lucifer is described by Jesus Christ as the "father of lies." Just some food for thought on a summer's day.

June Passages

I've been taking a "life break" for awhile, just enjoying family and friends. It's been a remarkably eventful five weeks, and unfortunately most of the news is bad. So this was either the worst or the best time to be offline.

American Cemetery in Normandy, France

It's almost impossible to find a jump-off point on world and national events, so I won't even try. But two significant days in June must be acknowledged before I can allow myself to move forward. The 70th anniversary of D-Day was commemorated on June 6, and Tony Gwynn, one of baseball's all-time greats, passed away on June 16 at the age of 54.

From everything that has happened, how did I pick those two events? Because both represent so many of the good and inspiring qualities of the best of the United States as a country, as well as the best of individual Americans. Both the victory of our valiant D-Day heroes and Tony Gwynn's professional and personal success, along with his final battle with cancer, embody courage, commitment, dedication, a sense of honor and duty, a determination to succeed, a quiet faith, and a humble acceptance of the challenging, often tragic aspects of life. All of these qualities contributed to making America great.

Tony Gwynn ~ 1960-2014

I hope it's not to late for us, as a culture, to recapture our noble and winning spirit. Our D-Day veterans are vanishing into history, and Tony Gwynn personified an old-fashioned sports idol whose actions on and off the baseball field made him worthy of the adulation he received. Despite the problems in our government and the world, I suppose a true American must always believe that a positive outcome is possible, no matter how grim our circumstances may seem. Believing in happy endings is a tough exercise at the moment. But that doesn't give us an excuse not to try.

Welcome to summer 2014. Who knows? It could be one of the best.