Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Churchill: Role Model or What?

This documentary was invigorating in many ways. Witness the pure power of FDR's Reality Distortion Field--I mean, "lend-lease" is insanely great. Churchill's "regimen" and carefully designed schedule even better.

(Churchill) said this siesta, a habit gained in Cuba, allowed him to work 1 1/2 days in every 24 hours.

From American Experience The Presidents: FDR

Doris Kearns Goodwin: When Churchill came, it was like a cyclone that hit the White House. His whole schedule was totally out of whack with Roosevelt's. He, of course, loved to stay up late at night, drinking, smoking cigars, and Roosevelt would sit there with him until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, smoking cigars.

Alonzo Fields: Before breakfast, he preferred a tumbler of sherry and he would have that as his eye-opener. For lunch, he started drinking scotch and soda and he'd drink scotch and soda until he'd take a nap. And at dinner, he had to have his champagne and 90-year-old brandy. Then he would go to work.