ISSUE #98 - December 13th, 2019

ONE

BOOKS - I'm in the middle of a really long book right now that I'm 50/50 on whether I'll continue reading. I didn't want to bring it on the plane for a recent flight and I wanted something a little lighter and faster-paced, so I finally picked up Stephen King's short story paperback, Elevation.   The book, which is a lightning-fast 150 pages, was a minor literary sensation at the end of last year and it is brilliant in its simplicity. There are only four main characters and two major storylines to follow. The first storyline involves Scott, a big guy at 6'2" 240, who is dropping weight at an alarming clip...except...he's not losing any size. He loses several pounds a day, with no end in sight, but looks and feels the same. In fact, any object he touches seems to lose its weight as well. Naturally, this creates a ticking clock scenario... What happens when the scale gets to zero? The secondary storyline cleverly involves the prejudices that can develop in a small town. I know these seem wildly unrelated, but King weaves them masterfully and it all makes sense in the end. Check it out here.

TWO

COMEDY - Here's a riddle: Name a guy who is hilarious, who you likely used to watch every week, who disappeared for a long time, but has now reappeared on Instagram as funny and odd as ever?  Any guesses? Fine. I'll tell you. None other than Craig Kilborn of late night and ESPN fame. Over the last few months he has re-emerged with regular bits/videos/oddities on Instagram right in his feed. I know his humor isn't for everyone, but when he's on and he's doing his weird delivery thing, it's awesome. Figured it was fitting to share his pre-Renaissance on the week Jumanji 2 comes out becuase, you know...'jumanji'. Enjoy Mr. Craig Kilborn.

THREE

MOVIES - I couldn't tell you how I stumbled onto this interview show hosted by Jamie Foxx, but what I can tell you is that this 10-minute interview with Denzel Washington is phenomenal.  Movie for movie, Denzel might be my #1 favorite actor of all time. Who else can absolutely dominate movies as different as Man on Fire, Crimson Tide, Remember the Titans and Training Day? And I'm leaving off about a dozen other great movies. Maybe 4 other actors? Maybe 2? Anyway, this interview probably reaches peak charisma about 5 minutes in, but if you like these guys (and who doesn't) watch it.

FOUR

HONOR - Things rarely get too serious around here at the FF5, but I saw this photo/post on Instagram and it has stayed with me all week so I wanted to share it.  The photo is of a young man named Fin Doherty, who is tearing up at his military paratrooper graduation ceremony as he earns his beret. The photo struck me immediately because the moment you see his eyes, you can tell that this isn't just a graduation for him. You can almost feel that it's larger than that for this man. And then you read the post. And you realize it's just about as heavy as it gets. And it's inspiring. I'm not trying to tease you with a cliffhanger, but the post is short and says it all so I don't want to ruin it. Just make sure you click to the 2nd photo as well. We're all lucky that people like this exist.

FIVE

A QUOTE ABOUT HONOR  “You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor."  — Aristotle

HA! - Jocks in Chief is a TOP 30 'Government' book on Amazon... Even though it has nothing to do with government. Somehow my book ranking the most athletic presidents is next to 'Common Sense', the letters of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson: His Works....  If you are looking for the perfect gift for the sports fan/history junkie in your life, then Jocks In Chief IS IT!  ON SALE NOW FOR ONLY $14.99!!!

BUY IT BELOW. THANKS!