Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Bully Pulpit, summarized by Laura Flippin by laura-flippin Laura Flippin has been reading "The Bully Pulpit" and recommends the book for anyone, especially those who are particularly enthralled with United States history and/or government. The book is based off real documents and events and offers a whole perspective of the times during the Progression Era, when William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt were best friends up until 1912, when their disagreements lead to Wilson's presidency.

Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond

Recently, on a long flight from London to Singapore, I discovered the BBC America 4-part miniseries, “Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond” and immediately was almost grateful for the 12-hour flight allowing plenty of screen time. For fans of the 007 books and movies, this show is a new window into the life of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. Fleming served in Naval Intelligence with the British government in World War II, albeit in a desk job, but with plenty of imagination and a desire to be thought of as the dashing hero he would one day create. Fleming and Bond had plenty in common – a playboy reputation with women, a disdain for rules, alcohol in copious amounts and at all times, and fascination with the finest things in life: a great martini, a fabulous antiquarian book, Dunhill cigars, and bespoke suits.

The miniseries, which actually premiered in the USA before airing in Britain in early 2014, covers Fleming’s years during the war. While the creators admit they have taken some liberties, the show is largely true to life, including with respect to Fleming’s ideas for subterfuge and deception of the Nazi military machine. One of his concepts may have held some weight with his superiors, who otherwise seemed to view the future author as a dilettante. Fleming suggested using a corpse dressed in British military attire as a plant for the Nazis, leaving it on the beach with fake military papers in its pocket.

The plan as described by Fleming was never enacted, but the British did use a remarkably similar approach in 1943, when they initiated “Operation Mincemeat,” a plan to leave the dead body of a hobo with military documents that suggested the Allies had battle plans which were in fact fake. The plan actually was carried out and was a success, with the Germans believing, as a result of the faked papers, that the Allies were planning to invade Greece and Sardinia in 1943. Instead, the invasion was planned for Sicily, and took the Nazis by surprise.

Whether or not Fleming was really the creator of this wild scheme is uncertain – although he did work in the same room in the Naval Intelligence Unit where it was planned and developed. But it makes for good history, just as “Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond” makes for good guilty pleasure and enjoyment.

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Mr. Selfridge

This ITV/Masterpiece series is now in its second season, and has already been booked for a third. Based – loosely – on the life of Harry Selfridge, an American businessman who built the very successful Selfridge & Co., a British department store. Mr. Selfridge had developed his expertise in this industry from his time at Marshall Field department store in Chicago, where he rose from stockboy to junior partner. After that, he founded his own store in Chicago, and shortly thereafter went to London to establish an American-style department store there.

Selfridge’s was a new kind of store to the British, allowing customers to see goods on display and examine them before buying, an idea that was radical in London in 1909. It was a huge hit, and also became known for its now-well repeated slogan: “The customer is always right.” Mr. Selfridge was also something of a showman, hosting exhibits that would attract customers, such a demonstration of the new technology of television in 1925.

The series focuses less on the store, and more on Mr. Selfridge, his wife and a number of employees – many of whom are composites or entirely fictional – who work there. Like “Downtown Abbey” at its finest, “Mr. Selfridge” is guilty of soap-operate drama, and often having rather tortured story lines where everyone panics and then ends up happy before the end of the hour-long episode. That said, the costuming and historical details are a delight to watch, and in particular the second season gives an interesting perspective on life in London at the beginning of the

First World War. That war, often lingering in the shadow of World War II (both in history books and in PBS miniseries), was truly the Great War of its time, and it shows as the characters of “Mr. Selfridge” confront the war at home.

In short, “Mr. Selfridge” isn’t the greatest of British miniseries, but it’s an interesting and enjoyable diversion – Masterpiece Theater at its best.

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ABC US News | ABC Celebrity News Social media can be a burden to some, and apparently a live-saver to others, literally. When a tree fell on a little girl's father and his two friends in West Virginia, all cell phone reception was down. The little girl immediately posted on Facebook asking if someone could call 911 because they had no reception and her father needed help. Someone saw the post and called 911. This is quite chilling that something created so recently, a social media page, Facebook, had the ability to help save a life! This story definitely helps bump up the benefits of social media in my book.

Memorial Day Weekend

This year for Memorial Day my sister Laura Flippin hosted a BBQ for friends and family. I felt like she nailed providing every authentic Americana BBQ dish. Laura’s BBQ made me think about what are the top “must haves” at an authentic Memorial Day BBQ or if a foreigner was trying to replicate an authentic Memorial Day BBQ, what would they need as a road map?

Here’s my list below, inspired by my sister Laura Flippin’s Memorial Day BBQ extravaganza.

1)   Red, White & Blue decorations

2)   Hot dogs and hamburgers with fixings

3)   Deviled eggs (homemade)

4)   Potato salad (homemade)

5)   UTZ potato chips and dip

6)   A grill (the hotdogs and hamburgers don’t count as authentic unless grilled)

7)   A good selection of beer and at least one summer ale.

8)   An American dessert (Laura had brownies and watermelon - simple, yet perfect)

9)   A cheers to our service members (it can be personalized if there is a friend or family member in service present)

10)  Ketchup (No BBQ would be complete without it)

Artists Anywhere and Everywhere

Tablets and Apps are creating more and more design programs where you can free-style, and experiment on your own, with no teacher or leader.  A sketching and painting software called Sketchbook has over 25 million users and over 12,000 downloads across all different platforms. Everyday people who would never describe themselves as artists all the way to professionals have access to these types of programs.  That is a beautiful thing!

Musicians are using apps to create sounds that have never been heard before.

Actors are using apps to audition for plays and movies. Steve Coulter, a professional actor who played in the Hunger Games uses his tablet to audition for films and TV shows. His audition for Taken 3, taken on his Tablet has been successful and the movie will be released next year!

There are numerous photo apps that allow you to edit the quality of your photos. Instagram, Procreate, Image Blender, and Photosynth are among the few that can drastically change the quality and creativity of your photo.

This is seen as a turning point in time.  People who may not normally take the time out of their day to create a photo collage or buy some canvas' and paints can express their creativity very easily through use of these apps.  This use of technology is seen as extremely rewarding.

Read more here.

Lesson's Learned from Eloping In New Orleans

I went to New Orleans in March 2014 and had a small wedding with my (now) husband, my sister Laura Flippin and her boyfriend. Here are my lessons learned.

1)   New Orleans is an awesome city to get married in and honeymoon as well.

2)   The French Wedding Chapel is an awesome venue (quirky, cute, fun and Reverend Tony was awesome  - he even incorporated my sister Laura Flippin into the wedding.  She read a prayer that my mom wrote.)

3)   Do not change hotel rooms on the day you are getting married (Doh!)

4)   Do not eat at random late night corner shops (Laura was right about this too, and I learned my lesson the hard way with a brief episode of food poisoning!)

5)   Stay in one B&B or hotel and get settled. Don’t move venues to experience more B&Bs. It’s more relaxing to be able to unpack your stuff for the week.

6)   In New Orleans add a little more time for hair and make up. (People that live there are nice, but some have no sense of urgency or the understanding of the necessity to be on time.)

7)   Mail your wedding dress back home via FedEx or UPS (Thanks for this idea Laura!) You don’t want to lug it back on the plane with you.

8)   Do take an open carriage ride through the French Quarter after the ceremony. They don’t tell you this, but the people in the street cheer and shout their congratulations at you. It’s very cool. (Laura’s boyfriend couldn’t stop himself from continuously yelling, “Thank you!”  -even though he wasn’t the one they were congratulating. HA!

9)   Do go to Frenchmen Street at night.

10) Only go to Bourbon Street once, and then move on to the other lovely things to see in the city.

Check out Laura’s quick video of a Brass band playing in the streets. Live music in front of you, what could be better? Listen Here