When I was a kid, Good Friday was such a reverent day. Some of my friends' families even observed silence from noon to 3.
This is the day, after all, when Christians remember Jesus' crucifixion. It was a turning point of history no matter what your beliefs may be.
I hope you can take a moment today and reflect on what Jesus did for you.
Meanwhile, I have a Religion section to get done for tomorrow's paper... Deadlines never sleep.
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My precious Dookies survived by the skin of their teeth last night in the first round of the NCAA tournament. March Madness indeed. No. 2 seed Duke won, 71-70, against No. 15 seed Belmont.
The key is that Coach K's young squad survived. Now they'll face West Virginia tomorrow. I don't expect Duke to win it all this year but it will be fun to see how far they can go. If they play up to their best ability, they should make it into the Elite 8.
The NCAA tourney is the best event in all of sports, in my opinion. One loss and you're out. All the players are amateurs, or the closest our system gets to it. They have to produce every minute, every quarter, every game. There's no resting on laurels and no tomorrows.
It's always thrilling no matter who wins.
But of course I have to root for my alma mater as long as possible, and against the dreaded Tar Heels ... So to sum it up all my March Madness hopes and dreams in two little words: Go Duke!
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Today is my brother Paul's birthday. He's in St. Petersburg, Fla., where it's warm and sunny. Here in the frozen Midwest we're expecting 3 to 6 inches of snow overnight. It's been a long and trying winter. I'm sure Paul is enjoying the tropical setting for his birthday.
Have a good one, Pablo, and many more to come.

Toledo, Ohio
March 21, 2008