Sad Day in the Literary World

Michael Crichton, Author, Dead at 66. Nov. 4, 2008

One of may favorite authors, Michael Crichton, passed away yesterday after a private battle with cancer. He was a very prolific author, screen-writer, and producer. Almost all of his novels, million sellers each, were made into film.

Most people, including the article linked above, claim The Andromeda Strain as his first book. However, the first book was actually A Case of Need written under the pseudonym Jeffery Hudson while he was still in Medical School and published in 1968, winning the Edgar Award in 1969. It was one of his best novels in my opinion. It really covers the abortion issue very well from multiple angles.

He attended Harvard College as an undergraduate, graduating summa cum laude in 1964. Crichton was also initiated into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. He went on to become the Henry Russell Shaw Traveling Fellow from 1964 to 1965 and Visiting Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom in 1965. He graduated from Harvard Medical School, obtaining an M.D. in 1969, and did post-doctoral fellowship study at the Jonas Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, from 1969 to 1970. In 1988, he was Visiting Writer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [Wikipedia, Michael Crichton web entry, Nov. 5, 2008]

An interesting fact: Crichton was just under 7 ft. tall.

Hometown Favorite

Hometown Favorite by Bill Barton and Henry O. Arnold


I highly recommend this book. I could say much about it, but I don't want to give away anything.

It is a riviting story. For Christian readers, it is better than The Shack in my opinion. Much better writing and much less overt from the religious standpoint. I am not trashing The Shack, I just liked this book better, and it can stand alone as a great book outside of a Christian theme.

For those not interested in Christian based reading, it is still a must read. The story will grab you and hold you; Grisham-esque. I have include a video trailer for the book as well as the Amazon link.

Henry O. Arnold is a friend whose family I have known most of my life via Otter Creek. He is a professional actor, writer, and director in theatre, film, and television. He co-wrote and produced the film The Second Chance (starring Michael W. Smith). He wrote the screenplay for God’s Ambassador, the first authorized documentary of evangelist Billy Graham.

Barton-Arnold website

We Were Sold a Lie and Bought It

POST UPDATE: If you would like to get physically ill over this issue, please read this article, Congress Opens Hearings on Financial Meltdown which descibes Lehman executives liquidating company cofers into their own pockets, literally in the same breaths in which they are pleading for government rescue.

I hope they get life in prison. God is going to have a place for these theives in hell. Their abject greed is going to ruin millions have lives. And they don't care. This is not a credit crisis, but the act of evil, greedy men.

I said in the original post, it is an intelligence crisis. Our country is facing a moral crisis, pure and simple. World Com, Enron, just the tip of the ice berg.

Original post:

I am so angry at our Congress and our Senate right now.

They pushed a bad bill through that will saddle fiscally responsible taxpayers with a huge anchor that is tied to our financial future. Thereby creating more financial distress, not alleviating it.

Worse, they sold this bail out with fear--fear that the market would crash. So the bill passes and immediately the market crashes. I think it is a result of the smart people knowing what this bill really meant. I don't think it would have crashed as bad if it had not passed.

Anyway, the sell by fear was a lie. Thanks for nothing Congress. You promised us the market would stabilize by the passing of the bill, but it did not. It went the opposite way. But you now have want you wanted, an unsigned check for $700 billion from the American taxpayers.

When will this country rise up and stop living in fear? We have been knee-jerk reacting to fear since 9/11. And the Bush administration has been leading the charge. This type of behavior is only hurting us and we don't learn!

In the meantime, I am being flooded with internet ads, TV ads, and mass mail marketing hounding me to take advantage of easy credit.

Credit Crisis my rear end! We have an intelligence crisis. And that crisis is going to undo this once great country.

Vandy delivers on Game Day -- Big Time!!!

The Vanderbilt student body, the University, and its fans delivered for the Game Day telecast. The Game Day producer said it was one of the best atmospheres they have had.

More importantly, the Vanderbilt football team stepped up and delivered amongst all the hype, in the spotlight, and on ESPN in prime time. They beat then #13 Auburn 14-13. The Commodores move to 5-0, 3-0 in confernce play. They're #1 in the SEC East, #13 in the AP Poll, and #14 in the Coaches' Poll.

It was a huge win for this program.

After giving up 13 quick points the first quarter, VU shutout Auburn the rest of the game and put up 14 points against one of the best defenses in the country. I know one better though, Vanderbilt. VU has had only 10 points scored on them in the second half this year, and that by only two teams. They shutout Auburn for the final 48:09 minutes of the game!

For a great breakdown of stats, see the post Vanderbilt-Auburn Report Card at Conquer and Prevail.

Best line by a sportcaster this weekend--Lou Holtz on College Breakdown. The question being discussed: "Is Vanderbilt a legitimate contender for the SEC Championship. After one of the sportcasters made his case for no, Lou Holtz replied: I couldn't disagree with you more if you were my wife!

Best signs on the Game Day broadcast (set up on the Commons on the Vanderbilt Peabody Campus):

You people are blocking the Library

I got my GED at Auburn

Phil Fulmer ate my second sign

The Geeks shall inherit the Turf

Thoughts of Jefferson

My blog friend, JMG, has an interesting post, Domestic Violence?, about a bill just passed in the shadow of the financial crisis. I think this bill would have been hotly debated in the press if not for financial crisis news. I encourage everyone to look at her post.

In response I have posted a few thoughts of the man Thomas Jefferson which may be applicable. I have also included quotes pertaining to the financial crisis. These are especially troubling -- we never listened.

Government Rule and Force

All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.

I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.

Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people.

Present Economic Woes

Delay is preferable to error.

Never spend your money before you have earned it.

I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.


I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.

VU Gets Prime Time Exposure

Vanderbilt at 4-0 sits atop the SEC East at 2-0 in the Conference. Only two other teams, Alabama and LSU (West div), are undefeated in Conference play.

Vanderbilt's hard work and Coach Bobby Johnson's system of building depth and a fundamentally sound football team over a long term are paying dividends.

Vanderbilt moved up to #19 in both the AP and the Coaches' Poll on Sunday. Even better, ESPN Game Day, the hottest football broadcast in college sports is coming to the Vanderbilt Campus this Saturday. The VU v. Auburn game will be broadcast during the prime time college football window Saturday evening.

This should greatly improve the coaching staff's ability to recruit. Having several prominent players in the NFL, including Jay Cutler, the starting QB for the hot Broncos adds even more icing on the cake.

During the first weekend of the NFL official season, VU had 13 former players on NFL rosters.

GO 'DORES!

Letter to my Congressperson: Bail out of the bailout!

This is a letter I emailed to my Congressional members. I encourage everyone to make their opinion on this vital matter known to Congress.

Dear Congressman,

I am opposed to the bailout plan and skeptical of any plan that protects or rewards those who were greedy, participating in fraud, or making poor, un-informed financial decisions, either business or personal. I am also very uncomfortable with the language in the bill that gives the Secretary broad, unchecked powers without oversight from other government branches and without any legal ramifications.

For over a decade our society has preyed on and indulged in easy credit, get something for nothing, short-sighted behavior, both in businesses and in personal decisions. This could not work and was a long-term disaster waiting to happen. It has happened.

It is time to pay the piper. I, who executed fiscal responsibility, should not have to pay for the greed and mistakes of others. I cannot afford to nor can my child afford it.

I feel it is immoral to scare people into accepting a bad plan. We did this with the Iraq War, draconian security measures, and Airport security laws. All of these were knee jerk reactions, accomplished little, and have cost trillions in total. We can no longer behave this way.

Finally, I have a serious problem with the targeted list of firms first in line for the bailout being the very firms that have just been put on a government investigation into fraudulent activities. The government is going to use my money to bailout companies they suspect my have fraudulent practices? Are my elected leaders serious? I appeal to reason on this point.

Sincerely,

Anthony W. Arnold

VU Moves to 4-0, gets Ranked

Vanderbilt won an intense, game on the road at Ole Miss moving to 4-0 and today is Ranked 25 and 21 in the Coaches and AP polls respectively. This takes the SEC to 6 ranked teams. Last week the SEC set a record for having 5 teams in the top 10 from the same conference. There is no doubt which conference is the best in football.

This was a huge victory for VU and they are doing it in ways that VU teams in times past have failed. They are finishing strong and creating turnovers instead of committing them. They had two 2nd half goal line stands, the last one to prevent the go ahead score by Ole Miss, creating a fumble as the Ole Miss runner crossed the 1 yard line.

They are also handling adversity with patience and confidence. In the first quarter Ole Miss made big plays jumping out to a large, quick lead on VU mistakes, but Ryan Hamilton returned his first of 3 interceptions 79 yards for a touchdown as Ole Miss was preparing a knockout punch. Hamilton earned National Defensive Player of the Week from the Walter Camp Football Foundation for his incredible effort.

Hamilton's interception return got VU back in the game and changed the momentum. VU overcame the early deficit to enter halftime tied 17-17. Given our second half performance this year, this is a great position for VU.

Vanderbilt has only given up 10 2nd half points this year and has significantly outscored its opponents after the 1st quarter. Ole Miss did not score after the 1st quarter last night, the second consecutive 2nd half shutout for the 'Dores defense. And we have depth. We are very dinged up but still winning.

Ole Miss hurt themselves continually with penalties while VU remained poised continuing to be the least penalized team in the SEC.

Huge test in two weeks--a tough Auburn defense in Nashville. Vanderbilt can capitalize on Auburn's offense and will have to do this to win.

GO 'DORES.

Big Night, Big Game, Big VU Victory

Vandy beats South Carolina (came in ranked #24)and coach Steve Spurrier for the 2nd consectutive year in front of a national, prime-time ESPN audience.

They played so hard in the 2nd half and earned their victory.

How many coaches or teams can say they have beaten a nationally ranked Steve Spurrier team in consecutive years? Not too many. Last year we won at South Carolina when they were ranked #6.

GREAT GAME 'DORES!

Nickson named SEC Player of the Week

Vanderbilt quarterback Chris Nickson was named SEC player of the week after rushing for a career-high 166 yards and two touhdowns and threw for 91 yards and another score in Vanderbilt's 34-13 win at Miami of Ohio last Thursday evening.

VU wins big, player of the week, UT lays an egg out of the gate. New and pleasant terrioty for VU fans.

Big game against South Carolina at home on prime-time ESPN this Thursday. All VU fans are to wear black to the game.

Can't wait. GO 'DORES!