The Bishop’s Wife. I watched this oft-overlooked Christmas movie (made in 1947) last week and really enjoyed it. A bishop struggling to build a new cathedral prays to God for help. God sends an angel named Dudley (played by the ever-suave Cary Grant) to help the bishop. However, Dudley’s attention turns towards helping the bishop’s neglected wife. Romantic tension and a Christmas transformation ensue.
Ascent Chocolate Peanut Butter Whey Protein. Supplementing with whey protein is an easy way to make sure your body gets all the protein it needs, and I drink one whey protein shake each day. Ascent makes my favorite whey protein; it’s clean — no artificial sweeteners or flavors — and tastes good. I’ve always gotten the straight chocolate flavor, but recently discovered the chocolate peanut butter variety and am really digging it.
Claus.com. I’ve been visiting Claus.com every Christmas since 1995, when I was a 12-year-old. It’s a virtual Santa Claus village that hasn’t changed at all in nearly 30 years. It’s all done with HTML. It’s like stepping into an internet time capsule. When I looked into who runs claus.com, it looks like it’s owned by Universal Enterprises, Inc., a mechanical contracting company in Ohio. I have so many questions. Why is a mechanical contracting company in Ohio running the oldest Santa Claus website on the web? Why have they kept the same design for 30 years? This is a Verge.com article waiting to happen. Thanks for the Christmas memories, Claus.com and Universal Enterprises.
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. I’ve read a lot of TR biographies. Edmund Morris’ The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt was the first one I read way back in 2006, and it’s still my favorite. The book is the first in Morris’ biographical trilogy on TR and covers Roosevelt’s life from his birth in 1858 to his ascent to the U.S. presidency after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901. It details TR’s inspiring transformation from a sickly child into a dynamic statesman, capturing his personal and political growth amidst the backdrop of American expansionism and reform. The rest of Morris’ trilogy is a must-read as well.
Quote of the Week
Some day, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer. Character cannot be made except by a steady, long-continued process.
―Phillip Brooks
