ISSUE #71 - June 7th, 2019

ONE

MOVIES - Of all the films I quote or reference, Remember the Titans has seen the biggest rise in frequency over the years. 90% of Denzel's scenes are quotable. Coach Yoast has several outstanding lines. But what if I told you that there was a YouTube clip of deleted scenes with EVEN MORE great Denzel moments?  Spoiler alert, there is. Like all deleted scene packages, over half of them deserved to be cut, but a few definitely could have worked in the larger movie. My favorite scene takes place at the 3:30 mark between Coach Boone and his assistant and it has to do with hate and smiling and it is classic Titans. You can watch it here.

TWO

 HONOR - This week marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day and you've no doubt seen or watched or read countless stories honoring the men who stormed the beaches in France. I've read many of the books chronicling that event and that time period and every year amazing new stories come out from the men who saved the world...and this one below was the most moving I read this week.  The story appeared in the Washington Post and it was written by Barry Svrluga about his grandfather, WWII vet Bill Svrluga, and the secret D-Day Journal his family discovered. I won't do any description justice of the sacrifice, honor, honesty and emotion you'll feel reading the piece, so just read it. If you're looking for an extended reading list about D-Day, from Stephen Ambrose's book and more, I put that together for you.

THREE

COMEDY - I love John Candy and I'm sure you do too. He's been gone too long but I enjoy reading stories about how funny/sweet he truly was. From Uncle Buck to Spaceballs to a personal favorite, The Great Outdoors, he's one of the all time greats.   This book excerpt about his time on the set of Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Steve Martin is not only funny (and a must-read for fans of the movie), but gives a glimpse into who he truly was and why he connected with audiences the way he did. Check it out here.

FOUR

FITNESS - New Garage Gym Toy Alert! I try to add something new to the garage gym, AKA, the Meathead Meat Locker, AKA, the Flex Factory, every few months and this week I added...  Fat Gripz to wrap around my pull-up bar (or barbells). There is some decent research around why fatter grips build bigger and stronger muscles, so I'm all for that, but they also serve the practical purpose of helping me grip a sweaty bar as my workouts go on. I'm a HUGE fan of pull-ups, but this time of year with the garage gym clocking in at 80 degrees plus at 5am, my grip on the metal bar is a problem. I use powders and other stuff, which work to a certain extent, but so far so good with my Fat Gripz.

FIVE

A TREMENDOUS QUOTE ABOUT SUMMER:  “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with summer." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby  I know it's not really summer yet, but I've always liked this quote and with the kids off of school and several hours after work to be outside to toss a football or fish, it seems appropriate.