Leaving the world a little better than I found it by sharing my passions and dreams, what inspires me,
and maybe you too, and furthering the discussion about how we can listen to our better angels.
You may know that I love politics. One of the things I never miss, other than voting in every election, watching all the election coverage, and getting educated on the issues and candidates, is watching the President's annual State of the Union Address.
As you also probably know, this isn't just any old speech. This speech is actually constitutionally mandated. Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution (that's the section outlining the duties of The Executive Office, for those of you who don't just know the Constitution backwards and forwards) specifically states,
"He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States."
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 (in 2 days) is State of the Union day this year. It will be aired at 9pm ET on all major broadcast channels and cable news channels, although I prefer to watch it on CSPAN due to the lack of color commentary before and during the speech. Sure, I enjoy hearing the spin and opinions of the talking heads, but I prefer to form my own opinions first. You can also watch it on the White House's website where you'll be able to see "charts, stats and data that helped inform President Obama's policy decisions as he delivers his speech to the nation."
No matter what your political beliefs or whether you like or plan to vote for President Obama, you should watch the State of the Union because this year's speech in particular will begin to educate you on many of the issues that will be debated in this year's presidential election.
Before you watch on Tuesday night, you can watch a preview of the speech below:
I'll be on my couch in my pj's taking notes. I hope you'll join me from the comfort of your couch.
It's no secret that I LOVE everything Brad Meltzer does, so it should come as no surprise that I'm telling you to watch his new TV show Brad Meltzer's Decoded which will premiere Thursday, December 2nd at 10pm ET (that's 9pm for you Midwesterners) on the History Channel.
Brad Meltzer's Decoded (that's the title, not just me repeating his name a gazillion times) features Brad) and his incredibly smart team investigating some of the greatest unsolved historical mysteries.
So that's it. Now set your DVR, call in sick at work (okay, maybe don't do that), call all of your friends for a last minute viewing party, and show Brad the love. And remember, if you call me between 9 and 10pm on Thursday night, I'll be too busy to chat because I'll be watching Brad Meltzer's Decoded.
Here's a sneak peek:
P.S. For all you bookish types (and that should be all of you), Brad's new book, The Inner Circle, is coming out on January 11th. You can pre-order it now on Amazon. He'll be in Chicago on January 21st and you're invited to join me at his book signing. Let me know if you want to go. Really.
I love this. I love that for one hour in two weeks, ABC will devote its airwaves to the power of optimism.
I believe that optimism is limitless in its power. It makes the impossible possible. It is often what separates the winners from the losers (although those words make me cringe). If you believe, like I do, that what you think about you bring about, then optimism is one of the key pieces of the foundation.
And Michael J. Fox, the poster child for the power of positive thinking is going on television to talk about it. As far as I can tell, the only bad thing about this program is that it's not a weekly series. Given all the negativity in the world, that's what we really need right now.
Michael J. Fox, the former star of ABC's comedy hit Spin City, makes an emotional return to the network as the acclaimed television and movie star investigates the nature of optimism. In 1998 Fox publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease and, two years later, made the difficult decision to walk away from a highly successful acting career with credits including the top-rated NBC comedy series Family Ties and the blockbuster Back to the Future movies. His triumphant spirit and positive attitude, considering his daily fight against the symptoms of a complex and incurable neurological syndrome, may make you wonder: How does he remain an "incurable optimist"?
Fox travels across the globe to explore the enduring strength of hope. He talks to both famous and everyday people, venturing everywhere from the Far East to President Barack Obama's inspiring inauguration -- all for a one-hour special, Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, airing THURSDAY, MAY 7 (10:02-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
The whole world, shaken by economic woes, is taking a closer look at optimism. Imagine a country which measures its success with a figure for "Gross National Happiness" instead of Gross National Product. Fox visits the secluded Himalayan nation of Bhutan, a modern day Shangri La that stresses the importance of joy in everything it does. Can happiness actually be legislated? Fox is fascinated by this nation's commitment to the positive well-being of its citizens.
"The same joyous spark that Michael J. Fox shared with us during his acting career shines through in this compelling look at the transformational power of optimism," said Victoria Dummer, co-head and senior vice president, Alternative Series, Specials and Late Night, ABC Entertainment Group.
During this entertaining and inspiring hour, Fox also meets doctors and scientists who share lively insight on the cutting edge science that's helping us better understand the nature of optimism in all of us. He introduces viewers to a variety of people who haven't let difficulties stand in the way of their happiness. Even Fox himself says the past 10 years, dealing with Parkinson's and setting up The Michael J. Fox Foundation, have become among his happiest and his best.
"For everything this disease has taken, something with greater value has been given," Fox says, "So, sure, it may be one step forward and two steps back, but after a time with Parkinson's, I've learned that what is important is making that one step count."
Fox is still an actor, but his personal and professional focus has now shifted to Parkinson's disease. He's revolutionized research in the field with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, the world's largest non-profit funder of Parkinson's research.
He is also a best-selling author. His first book, Lucky Man, was published in 2002. A new memoir of the last eight years, Always Looking Up, is out on March 31. Both books are from Hyperion.
Michael J. Fox, Nelle Fortenberry and Rudy Bednar are executive producers of Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, a collaboration between Northern Fox Productions and Lincoln Square Productions.
Click Here to read an exerpt from Michael J. Fox's new book, Always Looking Up, or click here for more information.
In fine Chicago form, it is predicted to be about 40 and rainy all day today for the Cubs' Home Opener at Wrigley Field.
I have a couple of theories for this . . .
The cold weather on Opening Day at Wrigley Field is so that we know what to look for when Hell freezes over when we finaly win the World Series.
God is unhappy that the Cubs no longer play 100% of their games during the day and on WGN tv.
It's early April in Chicago. What do you expect? Just be glad we don't have a foot of snow.
In all seriousness, it's Opening Day at Wrigley and it's a big deal for any real Cubs fan. After one week of regular season play, the Cubs are 4-2 and in second place in the Division behind the nasty St. Louis Cardinals. While that seems like a problem, the Cubs will fix that problem this weekend when they wipe the field with the Cards.
I'm predicting that the Cubs will take it all this year. Of course, I predict this just about every year. But this year, I'm completely certain of it.
In honor of their pending World Series season, enjoy this Walter E. Smithe commercial. It's perfect for today.
In case you don't know, I LOVE The West Wing. And by love, I mean, I fully believe that it is the best show ever on television - past, present, or future. It is well-written, witty, intelligent, and it speaks to our better selves. Plus, the characters are rich and represent all the folks I hope are always running our country and Bradley Whitford's portrayal of Josh Lyman is over-the-top the sexiest man in the entire world.
One of my favorite scenes from Season 1 is when Press Secretary C.J. Cregg does The Jackal. The title of this post is a line said by Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) to Mallory McGarry (Leo's daughter). This is brilliant.
I miss The West Wing, but am comforted by the fact that we now have grown-ups running the country.
Gather the family around the TV on Sunday night and grab the Kleenex. In the midst of all the economic woes, we need a good heartwarming story and I think this is it. Triumph over tragedy. Miracles. A true love story.
A 'Love Story' runs through Tinley Park Prime-time documentary follows couple's journey after devastating 1987 crash By Bonnie Miller Rubin Tribune reporter December 12, 2008
If the steady drumbeat of bad news—the economy, the weather, the governor—has taken its toll, gather the family around the TV Sunday night and watch "Marathon Love," the perfect antidote to relentless gloom.
The documentary, which airs at 7 p.m. Sunday in Chicago on the Discovery Health Channel, chronicles the journey of Jamie and Lynn Parks of Tinley Park, whose lives took a tragic turn in 1987, just months before their wedding. That's when Lynn McGovern's life was shattered in a horrific car accident en route to a White Sox game, suffering a devastating brainstem injury that left her cognitively impaired and unable to walk.
It would be 17 days before the 24-year-old opened her eyes and another seven months before she uttered a word. Well-meaning friends told Parks he should bail out while he still had the chance.
"I said, 'You've got to give me a better reason,' " said Parks, a mailman, who documented his fiance's arduous recovery with thousands of hours of home video.
The couple ended up tying the knot in 1994—almost seven years and thousands of hours of physical therapy after their original date. Watching the bride tentatively walking down the aisle—her father holding on to one arm, her brother on to the other—will have many viewers reaching for the Kleenex box. That might have been a fine time to roll the credits, but the nuptials represent only the first of many finish lines they cross together. An avid runner, Jamie started pushing his wife in her wheelchair rather than leave her alone during runs. (While he's at work, her mother and an aide are with Lynn, who still endures hours of therapy daily.)
Through sun and sleet, the Parkses became a fixture in their subdivision, waving to neighbors as they pass by. He entered some 5K and 10K races, eventually working up to marathons. Only now, they are joined by their "miracle baby" Annalyn, 9, who acknowledges that her parents "are pretty cool."
Along the way, there were setbacks, but last April, Jamie Parks—now 47—achieved the pinnacle of his running career: the Boston Marathon. At mile 20, Lynn talked her husband up Heartbreak Hill. In the documentary, the runner scoops up his daughter at the last quarter mile and the three finish the race together (time: 3:25:45)—a lump-in-the throat moment. Think "Rocky" meets "Love Story."
Ruth Rivin, executive producer for LMNO Productions, first heard about the Parkses in 1997. She featured them in a short segment for a show. When she heard that they qualified for the Boston Marathon, she remembered the home videos and embraced the chance to tell their story.
"It is extremely unusual to have such a treasure trove of documentation," she said. What moved the producer to share their story was that the couple "reminds us what is really important," Rivin said. "Boy meets girl. They fall in love. They stick together through whatever life throws their way. Simple, and yet so profound."
For his part, Jamie Parks is still not sure why such doggedness is worthy of prime time. "My wife is the real inspiration. If it weren't for her, I'd just be a mailman who runs," he said.
