Dream Dinner Guests

There is always that question that gets asked: If you could have dinner with any person living or dead who would it be? I thought why not just have a dinner party. The typical large dinner party is of twelve, so I will choose 11 people living or dead with whom I wish to dine.

Here they are in no particular order:

Jesus

John of Patmos

Mother Teresa

Pope John Paul II

Alexander the Great

Queen Elizabeth I

Hillary Clinton

Agatha Christie

Henry James

C.S. Lewis

Tom Cuff

Obama Cabinet

I thought it would be interesting to hypothesize the members of a President Obama's Cabinet.

We'll go in order of presidential succession:

Secretary of State - Governor Bill Richardson

Secretary of Treasury - Former Secretary Robert Rubin

Secretary of Defense - Senator Chuck Hagel

Attorney General - Governor Janet Napolitano

Secretary of the Interior - Former Vice-President Al Gore

Secretary of Agriculture - Senator Dick Lugar

Secretary of Commerce - Amy Domini

Secretary of Labor - Former Representative David Bonior

Secretary of Health and Human Services - Governor Bill Ritter

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Senator Chris Dodd

Secretary of Transportation - Governor Ed Rendell

Secretary of Energy - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Secretary of Education - Wendy Kopp

Secretary of Veteran Affairs - Representative Chet Edwards

Secretary of Homeland Security - Representative Bennie Thompson

Interesting Articles

I thought I would share some interesting articles that I have run across lately:

I believe that this article offers the fairest and most logical way to distribute the delegate votes from Florida and Michigan in the Democratic primary contests.

Iran continues to defy the IAEA, the United Nations, and the international community.

It appears the Middle East may be stepping up and trying to fight for peace itself.

Best Pantomime Ever!

He's Alive!

Holy Asteroid!

Here's a fascinating article about scientists discovering information regarding how Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

Random Selection of Films

Just thought I would share the films I watched this weekend:

Marvin's Room

Interview

Le Samourai

Into the Wild

Rocket Science

Straight Talk

Double Indemnity (1973 TV version)

It's quite a random selection of films, but those of y'all that know me know that my taste in general is random. All were thought-provoking, although not all were enjoyed.

Rock and a Hard Place

Here's an article that perfectly sums up the situation concerning Florida and Michigan's participation in the Democratic primary process.

2008 Presidential Predictions

I thought I would share my predictions for the nominees for President and Vice-President for the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

The presidential nominees have been my prediction for several weeks. The vice-presidential nominees are fresh to my mind.

Democratic Party
President: Barack Obama
Vice-President: Bill Richardson or Joe Biden

Republican Party
President: Mike Huckabee
Vice-President: John McCain


I may be proven completely wrong when the nominating conventions occur but these are my predictions and I am standing by them.

Posted: January 3, 2008

Movie Quotes

I know it's been two months since I last posted. Not much has happened: work, life, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now it is 2008. Life has been good with Lifegroup and spending time with friends and family. Also, I am currently applying to graduate schools in international relations, public policy, and social work. Deadlines are up by February 1st and should hear back by March-April. We will see what God has in store for the next step.

On something a little bit more fun, I am going to share some of my favorite film and television show quotes. (NOTE: This is not a complete list. It could go on forever.) Before, I start, I'd also like to put in a plug for This American Life and All Things Considered, two great shows on NPR.

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"It has been decided that you will be dressed as a priest, to help you get away in the pandemonium afterwards. Chunjin will give you a two-piece Soviet Army sniper's rifle that fits nicely into a special bag. There's a spotlight booth that won't be in use. It's up under the roof on the Eighth Avenue side of the Garden. You will have absolutely clear, protected shooting. You are to shoot the presidential nominee through the head. And Johnny will rise gallantly to his feet and lift Ben Arthur's body in his arms, stand in front of the microphones and begin to speak. The speech is short. But it's the most rousing speech I've ever read. It's been worked on, here and in Russia, on and off, for over eight years. I shall force someone to take the body away from him and Johnny will really hit those microphones and those cameras with blood all over him, fighting off anyone who tries to help him, defending America even if it means his own death, rallying a nation of television viewers to hysteria, to sweep us up into the White House with powers that will make martial law seem like anarchy!"-----Mrs. Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate (1962)



"Maybe it makes sense now. Maybe somewhere in all of this there's a reason. Maybe somewhere in all of this there's a why. Maybe somewhere there's that thing that lets you tie it all up with a neat bow and bury it in the backyard. But nothing, not getting angry, not prayers, and not tears, nothing can make something that happened unhappen."-----Leland P. Fitzgerald in The United States of Leland (2003)



"Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"-----Auntie Mame Dennis in Auntie Mame (1958)



"The game's up, Scarlet. There are no more bullets left in that gun.
Oh, come on, you don't think I'm gonna fall for that old trick?
It's not a trick. There was one shot at Mr. Boddy in the Study; two for the chandelier; two at the Lounge door and one for the singing telegram.
That's not six.
One plus two plus two plus one.
Uh-uh, there was only one shot that got the chandelier. That's one plus two plus *one* plus one.
Even if you were right, that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus *two* plus one plus one.
Okay, fine. One plus two plus one... Shut up! The point is, there is one bullet left in this gun and guess who's gonna get it!"-----Wadsworth and Miss Scarlet in Clue (1985)



"But that's what they say.
That's what they say, huh?
Yes. That's what they say.
I've always wondered this. Who are 'they'?
You know - Them.
'Them'?
Yes, the inimitable collective 'Them'.
And who says we're supposed to listen to 'Them'?
They do!"-----Drew Baylor and Claire Colburn in Elizabethtown (2005)



"You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.I am big. It's the pictures that got small."-----Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. (1950)


"My parents didn't get me what I wanted for Christmas.
What did you want?
Hungry Hungry Hippos.
And how did you feel, being denied these hungry, hungry hippos?
Regret."-----Donnie Darko and Dr. Lilian Thurman in Donnie Darko (2001)



"The Pentagon has experience, as do the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the NSC, but in the event they all lose their way, the President can always send C.J. Cregg to Ramallah to swat at suicide bombers with her purse."-----Toby Ziegler in Liftoff (Episode 6.04), The West Wing



"I was happy. Wherever I...was...I was happy. At peace. I knew that everyone I cared about was all right. I knew it. Time...didn't mean anything...nothing had form...but I was still me, you know? And I was warm...and I was loved...and I was finished. Complete. I don't understand about theology or dimensions, or...any of it, really...but I think I was in heaven."-----Buffy Summers in After Life (Episode 6.03), Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"Sometimes to expect the best from everyone is arrogance."-----Hephaistion in Alexander (2004)