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I don't often do movie reviews. Not sure that my observation of a piece of celluloid art is actually even worth anything to me much less anyone else, therefore unlike my friends Ed Morrissey and Michael Medved, I seldom opine on a movie of the many, many, many movies I see.

This summer I've seen Harry Potter, G.I.Joe, Public Enemies, Julie & Julia, Transformers 2, Star Trek, UP, The Hangover, The Proposal, and as of tonight 500 Days of Summer.

Few of them would I recommend, though Depp will likely be nominated for best actor, Meryl Streep SHOULD be, and UP will walk away with best animated. G.I. Joe is a blot on American pride, Transformers was painfully long and drawn out. Potter is what anyone who has seen the rest of the series would expect. Star Trek had the best special effects thus far.

Besides UP not much family friendly fare in the rest of the stuff I've seen, which I admit is minute compared to the numbers of films released.

But "500 Days of Summer" might have been for me the most engaging film of all of them.

***SOME SPOILERS FOLLOW***

Partly because it felt eerily like I was watching a bit of a personal autobiography on the screen. But in the end I liked the message of the narrative, "Soul-mates do exist, even for the skeptics and cynics."

It's a warm story of two individuals lost in life's machinery of, as young adults, trying to find their way in a world that certainly doesn't care. But then they find each other. Zoey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are the two characters brought together by circumstances they do not control. Levitt's character feels like Deschanel's is "the one." What we do not find out for a good length of time into the film is that she doesn't feel the same way. In fact like many feminist schools have tried to convince women today, "there is no such thing as--the one."

Ultimately life teaches her that there is, and he happens to NOT be the Levitt character.

In the end the melancholy of the not-so-happy ending provides hope for anyone who has been the victim of a significant other who has loved them less than they loved in return.

Following my divorce I went through a relationship identical to the one in the film. It hurts, its confusing. You seem so right for each other but the other person doesn't seem to realize it.

With a little time, and a bit of perspective however I'm so glad my fleeting romance to a 20 something Eastern-European did fall through. For she found and married a man who has brought her a happy life complete with their first child just within the last few weeks.

And for me... I would have been genuinely robbed of the chance to meet, to know, and to be known by the ONE who was made for me. I've never known more happiness joy and support than I have these last six years. I've never known more goodness, mercy, and most importantly grace, from anyone--much less an amore--than I have since August of 2003.

My Lovely Bride, who I do invoke, refer to, and talk about often ended up being my "Autumn" (reference for those who have seen the film) and we are currently wrapping up day 2195.

Here's my thanks to her for being everything she has been, and here's to the next 20,000 days together!

When Ed Morrissey first asked me Monday afternoon what I thought had happened to the then missing Governor of South Carolina, only one thought came to mind... "What's her name?"

Like many, I appreciated the Governor's position on the stimulus money and the bailouts. He felt his state didn't need it (or at least very much of it) and he was creating large stirs in the media over threats to not take it.

Such a strong public position on the public welfare of "We The People" would have won him great points across the partisan divide.

When Ed asked me directly, I said on Monday's show that I genuinely believed that the then given reason of going off to work on his next book was acceptable.  But doing so in such an irresponsible fashion pretty much ended his hope of running for President.

Now to know that he held at the least left his staff with the implication and thus being forced to lie about his real whereabouts would have been an even stronger reason why "We The People" should not elect him.

But to abandon his Southern Belle, only to go "hit it" with the "Girl from Ipanema" is approaching Bill Clinton, Jim McGreevey stature...

The conservatives in the state have already denounced him and will demand his resignation. Rightly so.

The voters who actually have beliefs in moral order don't tolerate this mess, nor should they. Liberals on the other hand ALWAYS condone the behavior, but criticize the hypocrisy. (Something that they themselves never have to be accused of given that they proudly embrace their own perversity with gusto.)

South Carolina is still a fundamentally solidly conservative state--both fiscally and morally. In the end this will not likely hurt that.

My thoughts, prayers and sympathies tonight are with the Lovely Mrs. Sanford, I pray yours will be as well!

UPDATE:


UPDATE: My facebook'ers are encouraging me to point people in the direction of help for this sort of thing... If you'd prefer not to be another statistic... maybe this will help.

Big mad hops to Steve Hiller at 90.1 WMBI FM in Chicago.

A pre-election day break from election talk... believe it or not we're going to use the motherlode FM signal of Moody Broadcasting's flagship station in Chicago (that is heard from South Bend, Indiana all the way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin) to discuss:

The Kind of Man that EVERY Man SHOULD Be! (Signed Copies Here)

Listen LIVE here 4-5pm EST

I can't begin to express what Ed's words mean, as he has captured the exact essence of not just what I actually wrote, but what I hope the book is able to actually do in the lives of men, women, and children.

It has not surprised me that this book, though dealing with the issues of masculinity has sold so well across the spectrum of men and women alike.

My goal is stronger families, a more secure environment for children, more effective communities, and more Godly churches. Missing in that equation in today's scenario is the well balanced, compassionate, and unrepentantly strong man!

And if my failures and observations can help correct that course then I'm thankful for the chance to do so...

(On a side note - my friends at GLYBooks.com are the only folks who have signed copies. With Stevie B and I broadcasting from their Long Island location Saturday night I was able to sign several dozen so until they run out - grab one or a handful.)

The reviews continue to come in on my brand new book, and I continue to be THRILLED with the response it is receiving on critical levels.

Yesterday STONES CRY OUT book reviewer Tom Parsons weighed in:

Mr. McCullough, however, doesn’t simply make cultural observations in laying out the problems that men face. To his credit, he shares openly how he has been directly affected by his own struggle to understand what it means to be a man of God. His honesty about his own failings is both startling and refreshingly honest. By being willing to open up and offer a glimpse into his own past he brings a sense of authenticity to the problem.

I am humbled by Tom's generous comments. And he's right. This book has MUCH personal observation of why my gender has in so many ways checked out and not returned to their crucial role in today's all important decisions, issues, and needs in life.

Having thoroughly documented the problem, he then progresses to offering practical solutions. He very neatly encapsulates each idea in a simple slogan that is easy to remember (e.g. “Believe With Certainty”, “Act With Clarity”, “Fight With Tenacity”,  to name a few). These action steps help the reader understand how they can practically apply the principles outlined in the book...

While this book is primarily written for men, it’s also a great book for women. By reading this book, women can get a better idea of what God desires for men to be. It allows women to encourage the men that area of their lives. For a single woman, it gives a great portrait of what they should be looking for in a man.

Thanks Tom! And friends I hope and pray that the book does as much for you as what Tom shares in the extended version of the review.

No... I'm not REALLY talking about the Presidential candidates. More like measuring for yourself - what makes the Kind of Man EVERY man SHOULD Be!

Some wonderful things being said about my new book...

From the blog StonesCryOut:

His book is a wake up call to men (and women) everywhere that it’s time for men to start living the way that God has designed them. It’s both a very personal and immensely practical book and one that I heartily recommend to everyone.

And from the e-mail bag:

About the time I had finished reading the book (the first of many times, I am sure) my mother launched a vicious attack via e-mail upon myself, my wife, and my two young daughters. There's a long story involved but the short version is that she is angry with me because I have dared to live my life and raise my children according to God's word. This has been a longstanding problem that had come to a head just in the last two weeks. But what your book showed me was how I had repeatedly failed my family by not protecting them even when it involved my own parents. I am a changed man as a result of reading your book and I can safely say that the changes will be for the better.
 
Thank you so much for writing your book. As difficult as I am sure it was for you to write please know that God has used the struggles you've experienced to encourage myself and I am sure countless other men (and women for that matter). I thank God that you had the courage to step up and write this incredibly important book.

For understandable reasons I am keeping the identity of the e-mailer concealed.

I certainly don't claim my new book is the perfect fix-all for everything that is amiss in men's lives today. But my goal was to aim at making the best overarching case for what a healthy man looks like as I could.

I hope and believe it can do that for you.

If you would like personally inscribed copies click here. To just buy it click here.

This book was written for women to understand what men SHOULD be, WHY they don't see these kinds of men readily in today's world... and most importantly what can be done about it. It was also written for men to understand why the women they know may occasionally look at them with those all too familiar looks of, "I can't believe I'm out in public with you!"

This week (Sept 8) is when it goes on sale.

As I've said before - this was one of the most painful things I've ever written - because of the reality of what failed manhood produced in my own growing up. Some of the demons of my adult life have been transparently scribed as well. There were even times when writing it I felt so overwhelmed and convicted I literally had to pick up the phone, ask someone's forgiveness, or write a letter, or an e-mail.

But the desire in writing it is to help. Help men be more connected to the woman in their life, the children they share, and the world he's in the midst of. Men today should be their family's superhero - not its lost navel-gazer, and that's what we try to point to.

As you can see from the table of contents below - the first four chapters demonstrate how the man has been dismantled. The remaining chapters tell us/you/him how to put "the kind of man every man" should be back together.

And if you have sons - this book is especially important. Read merely the titles of the chapters below and ask yourself - aren't these traits and behaviors that I want my son to emulate?

Today its out, I'm a little bit excited because yesterday it broke the top 5,000 on Amazon (out of over 6 million). But get a copy for yourself, mark it up, and put these ideas into your young man's mind... because in doing so - he may just become - The Kind of Man EVERY Man SHOULD Be!

Vince Foster his brother may not have been - but did he have to stab him?