This is just for fun. I found this on the web and had to share. It's one of the animated short films nominated for an Oscar. It's the prehistoric squirrel from the "Ice Age" movies meets a time machine. Hilarious!

Lincoln's Greatest Speech

I'm pretty sure I'd read Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address previously but I'm not sure exactly when that was. I've read his Gettysburg Address and had to memorize part of it in Junior High School like most kids, but at different times I've heard people comment on how amazing is this speech he gave when he was sworn into office for his second term as president. So when we went to The Lincoln Memorial Musuem at Thanksgiving I got this book in the gift shop to see for myself.

Ronald C. White, Jr. gives a very thorough, easy to read description of the speech and everything related to it. He takes Lincoln's words paragraph by paragraph and gives all of the background that brought those words to be in this speech at this time. White describes Lincoln's creative process with examples of previous speeches, letters, and personal notes. He also brings in correspondence from other writers and speakers that influenced The President.

White sets the stage of Inauguration Day, March 4, 1865. He brings in events from Lincoln's life, the civil war, the current political climate, and even the weather so the reader can understand the experience of people going to hear The President speak. And the only photograph of Lincoln speaking was of him giving The Second Inaugural. Ironically, John Wilkes Booth is clearly visible in the center, above Lincoln, facing the camera.

We commonly think of the 20th century as a time of amazing technological change, but the middle of the 19th century was also such a time. After Lincoln's First Inaugural Address in 1861, copies of it were carried by Pony Express until it reached California many days later. In 1865, the first transcontinental telegraph was just completed and The Second Inaugural was "downloaded" from the telegraph and published in the next days newspapers. This speed up in communication compares to the explosion of the Internet 130 years later.

This book leaves you with an appreciation for Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address as a masterpiece of oration by a supremely talented artist who had honed his craft over a life time of practice. In 702 words he describes the outbreak of the war, the effects of four grueling years of battle, and the path the nation should take as the war's end came into sight. People expected that day some words of triumph, of gloating, and hints of punishment for "the rebels". But Lincoln does none of that. "With malice towards none, with charity for all" Lincoln puts the blame for the war on the entire country, the North and the South, and charts a course to "bind up the nation's wounds" and "achieve...a just and lasting peace." In Lincoln's slow delivery and with a couple interruptions for applause, it took him just 7 to 8 minutes to deliver. It only takes a few minutes to read. I found it at: http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres32.html. If politicians today put half the wisdom into twice the words, we'd be amazed.

IMAX "Night at the Museum" December 26, 2006

The day after Christmas Patrick and Chuck, in the middle, drove up from Imperial Beach to go with me and Keith for a mini road trip. We loaded into my car and drove up to Irvine to the Spectrum Mall where there's a large Edward's Cinema that has an IMAX movie theater. Chuck has been there many times before. It was the second time for me and the first for Keith and Patrick. San Diego has an IMAX theater, but it only shows documentary type films.

The Spectrum is a very nice, large, outdoor (no roof - not needed in southern CA) mall with lots of nice details such as this fountain. "Night at the Museum" is the Ben Stiller comedy where he works as a night guard at a museum and everything comes to life at night. It's a fun movie with a fairly original premise. But this occasion was about friends getting together for a mini road trip more than going to see this particular movie. The IMAX format is fun, but this movie isn't a must see on the big screen. The best part is seeing Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke perform again. Dick Van Dyke is a scene stealer. Be sure to stay for the end credits for clips of them goofing off for the camera.