Keywords by David Yonke

I'm interested in the new release by David Byrne and Brian Eno, "Everything That Happens."
Here is a link to the website where you can learn more about the disc.

Both men are musical mavericks and geniuses. Byrne was the brains behind the Talking Heads and Eno had his own ambient music and has produced albums by U2, Coldplay, David Bowie and Paul Simon, among others.
The two collaborated on "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" in 1981 and have been busy with their own projects, but collaborated on this new disc via email and the internet. Jon Pareles of the New York Times, one of my favorite and most dependable music journalists, wrote a great article about the CD that piqued my interest. Here's a link to that article.
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What I'm listening to now: "Memory Almost Full" by Paul McCartney. Also: "One Kind Favor" by B.B. King and "Dukie Treats" by George Duke.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 1, 2008

I don't want to minimize the damage caused by Hurricane Gustav, because it did cause havoc, but thankfully it certainly was not a catastrophe on the scale of Katrina.
For one thing, the hurricane did not hit New Orleans directly, but veered west a bit. Second, it lost some of its strength just before landfall.
Aside from those factors that are determined entirely by Mother Nature, it seems that people have learned a few lessons. Ninety percent of the population had evacuated this time, showing they've learned from the past. And the levees held up well. The Army Corps of Engineers have done a good job and pledge to have the levees at full strength by 2011.
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Meanwhile, on the GOP front, Gov. Sarah Palin has dropped a bomb on the Republican convention by announcing that her 17-year-old unwed daughter is five months pregnant. That's not a fatal political mistake but it sure is embarrassing for poor John McCain (who was in Toledo yesterday when the news broke. ABC News said she had told McCain about it before he picked her; I certainly hope so.)
Life happens, as they say, and kids will disappoint parents. Everyone knows someone who has gone through such a scenario. But this hockey mom and conservative pro-life politician from Alaska is not just anyone, she's the Republican candidate for vice president. It should be interesting to hear what she says at the convention tomorrow night. I'm thinking she's likely to address the issue, at least cursorily.
One political plus from all this is that it shows Sarah Palin is a real person living in the real world. That could help McCain, who blundered when he told a reporter he didn't know how many houses he and his billionaire wife own.
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Here's a copy of the statement the Palins released yesterday:

ARLINGTON, Virginia, September 1 /Standard Newswire/ -- Today, Sarah and Todd Palin issued the following statement regarding today's Reuters story:

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi's privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates."

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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 2, 2008

Some of my recent photos...

1960s Cadillac at Henry Ford Museum.

James Pickens, Jr., aka "The Chief" on Grey's Anatomy, at BGSU graduation (he's an alumnus).

The cot and mess kit of Gen. George Washington, at the Henry Ford.

A 1968 Ford Lotus

The legendary Oscar Mayer Weinermobile.

Olympic hero Michael Phelps, taken from TV image.

The chair in which Abraham Lincoln was sitting when he was assassinated (rocker is on display at the Henry Ford).

Your friends and mine from Sesame Street, on display in a store window.

(all photos copyright David Yonke)

Here are a few notable quotes from Nobel Prize winners...

* Werner Heisenberg, the inventor of the Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics, composed this epitaph for his tombstone: “He lies here, somewhere.”
* Al Gore, 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner: “The future will be better tomorrow.”
* Niels Bohr, 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics winner, explaining why he had a horseshoe above his door: “I certainly do not believe in superstition. But you know, they say it does bring luck even if you don’t believe in it!”

-- From David Pratt's book The Impossible Takes Longer; The 1,000 Wisest Things Ever Said By Nobel Prize Laureates (Walker & Company, 2007)

If anyone was wondering if John McCain might have made a mistake in picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, all doubts were erased in Minneapolis tonight.
The Alaskan governor "knocked it out of the park," as one CNN commentator said.
No matter which side of the aisle you're on, it's undeniable that Palin showed she is a phenomenal speaker and a refreshing change from the old school politicos. What a marked contrast from the measured moves and stilted gestures of most candidates.
On the home front, Palin didn't directly talk about her pregnant 17-year-old daughter but the girl was in the seats with her boyfriend -- and later on the platform -- and the gov did mention that every family has its challenges and that those challenges can bring blessings.
Palin's precision attack on Obama's lack of experience as a chief executive and his meticulous attention to image was impressive because these are the key issues that Republicans need to make if they hope to win in November.
So this relatively unknown politician stepped into the spotlight and, under pressure, was extremely impressive, not just in my humble opinion but in the consensus opinion of the network commentators who spoke afterward.
Of all Palin's zingers, I thought her most stinging and clever remark was that Obama is a man who has written two memoirs but not a single piece of legislation either as an Illinois state senator or U.S. senator.
Ouch.
Her line about the presidency not being a place for people to make a journey of personal discovery also was a feisty one. I am guessing that her sports background, having played on a state champion high school basketball team, contributed to her fighting spirit.
Governor Palin adds a new dimension to this arduous campaign and one that gives McCain a major lift.
Both political parties have presented formidable tickets and this race for the White House is historic and one of the more interesting ones in modern history.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 3, 2008

Went to see Sanctus Real perform last night in Toledo. It was the start of a nationwide headlining tour by these Christian rockers from Toledo. The band keeps getting better, focusing on their songwriting and musicianship and ministry.
The group also will be playing in town Sunday for a benefit concert organized by Extreme Makeover, which is building a home in Toledo next week.
Here are a few photos I took at last night's concert.

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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 5, 2008

This religious biography of Sarah Palin, Republican candidate for vice president, was posted today by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. This excellent website posts the same kind of biographies on all the candidates. You can read them here.

In Her Own Words

"Faith is very important to so many of us here in America, and I would never support any government effort to stifle our freedom of religion or freedom of expression or freedom of speech."
Debate, Aug. 2006
Palin was baptized a Roman Catholic as an infant. When Palin was a teenager, she and her mother began attending Wasilla Assembly of God, a church affiliated with the Assemblies of God, a pentecostal denomination that claims more than 52 million adherents worldwide. According to Kaylene Johnson, the author of Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down, Palin asked to be re-baptized and was immersed in Beaver Lake in a ceremony that included her mother.

A point guard on the varsity basketball team, Palin led a Wasilla High School chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Palin's biographer recounts a story about how Palin, then a junior, followed up on a close loss at the state basketball tournament. The morning after the game, when the coaches didn't see any of the players at breakfast, they wondered whether the team had stayed up partying. But later they discovered Palin and her teammates returning from a church service, Bibles in hand. The next season, Palin made the free throw that won the Wasilla Warriors an Alaska state championship.

Wasilla Assembly of God's website says Palin attended the church until 2002. Media reports have connected Palin with several churches since then, including Juneau Christian Center, which has a pentecostal history; The Church on the Rock, a nondenominational, evangelical congregation; and Wasilla Bible Church, a nondenominational, evangelical church where the Palins' baby, Trig, was recently part of a dedication ceremony in which parents ask for a congregation's help to raise their child as a Christian.

A spokeswoman for the McCain-Palin campaign has said Palin attends different churches and does not consider herself a pentecostal. Shortly before her surprise selection as McCain's running mate, Time magazine asked Palin what her religion is. Palin responded, "Christian." When asked if she was any particular type of Christian, she answered, "No. Bible-believing Christian."

Palin On the Issues
Abortion
Palin, whose youngest son has Down syndrome, opposes abortion in all cases, except to save the life of the mother. She called herself as "pro-life as any candidate can be" during her campaign for Alaska's lieutenant governor in 2002. In April 2008 she said, "Alaskans know I am pro-life and have never wavered in my belief in the sanctity of every human life."
Compare McCain and Obama

Church and State
In response to a question about religious leaders endorsing political candidates, Palin said, "Faith is very important to so many of us here in America, and I would never support any government effort to stifle our freedom of religion or freedom of expression or freedom of speech." During her 2006 campaign for Alaska governor, Palin said her interpretation of the Bible would not "bleed over into policy."
Compare McCain and Obama

Death Penalty
Palin supports capital punishment. During her 2006 gubernatorial campaign, she was asked whether she would introduce legislation – or support a bill introduced by a legislator – to adopt the death penalty in Alaska, and if so, to which crimes it should apply. She responded, "If the legislature were to pass a bill that established a death penalty on adults who murder children, I would sign it."
Compare McCain and Obama

Education
In a 2006 debate during her gubernatorial campaign, Palin said she favored schools teaching both evolution and creationism but that she would not push Alaska's state board of education to add such alternatives to school curricula, saying, "I won't have religion as a litmus test, or anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism." She has not pushed the issue while in office.
Compare McCain and Obama

Environment
Palin supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as offshore drilling, to help America reach energy independence. In her 2007 state of the state address she said that "to sustain our future, we must look to ramp up responsible resource development." She was instrumental in securing a license for a natural gas pipeline that will run from Alaska's northern Prudhoe Bay to Canada. In a June 2008 speech at her former church in Wasilla, Palin said, "I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that."
Compare McCain and Obama

Faith-Based Initiatives
As governor of Alaska, Palin increased the role and authority of the Alaska Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which had been set up by the previous governor. Palin's proposed 2007 budget caused some controversy by eliminating $1.5 million in social service grants for three Alaska communities and instead giving a similar amount to the state Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. That proposal was ultimately dropped.
Compare McCain and Obama

Gay Marriage
During her 2006 gubernatorial campaign, Palin said that she had supported a successful 1998 Alaska state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. In December 2007 Palin issued her first gubernatorial veto on a law that would have denied health benefits to same-sex partners of state employees, stating she had been advised that the bill was unconstitutional. Also in December 2007 Palin signed a bill calling for a nonbinding advisory vote on the issue of benefits for same-sex partners and said she supported a constitutional amendment to deny the benefits if the advisory vote showed the public wanted such action.
Compare McCain and Obama

Health Care
Palin favors more competition in Alaska's health care sector. In her 2008 state of the state address, Palin argued for doing away with a program that limits the creation of new medical facilities and criticized the program as "broken and expensive." In the same speech, Palin supported a youth health education program to combat alcoholism, suicide and child abuse but emphasized personal choices in health care, saying that "government cannot cure all ills."
Compare McCain and Obama

Immigration
Palin's position on immigration is unknown at this time.
Compare McCain and Obama

Iraq War
In a March 2007 interview with Alaska Business Monthly, Palin, whose oldest son is scheduled to deploy to Iraq in September, said, "while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan." In a June 2008 speech at her former church in Wasilla, Palin requested that attendees "pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."
Compare McCain and Obama

Poverty
In 2007, Palin introduced legislation to continue the Alaska SeniorCare Program, which provided support for low-income senior citizens in Alaska. "I'm pleased to present a plan that continues this important assistance to Alaska seniors, and helps keep pace with cost-of-living changes," she said. The bill failed to pass at the end of the legislative session, but the Alaska legislature held a special session and voted to expand aid to seniors. To strengthen the economy, Palin supports reducing small-business and property taxes.
Compare McCain and Obama

Stem Cell Research
Palin opposes stem cell research.
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Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 5, 2008

I was speaking with Matt Hammitt recently, the lead singer of Sanctus Real, and he said his band has been touring so much with other artists that it has not had many opportunities to promote its own favorite causes.
You know how it is at Christian rock concerts: Almost every band brings out a spokesman for from a worthy causes, usually Compassion International or World Vision -- both excellent global Christian relief agencies -- and asks people to make donations.
Now, however, Sanctus Real -- Hammitt, Chris Rohman, Mark Graalman (the 3 Toledo members), Pete Prevost and Dan Gartley -- is headlining its own We Need Each Other tour and will get a chance to put the spotlight on two nonprofit groups that are doing great things.
One is The Mocha Club, which asks people to skip two cups of mocha a month and donate the $7 they save by giving to a group that builds wells in Africa. People who sign up pay $7 up front and then pledge $7 a month.
An average well in Africa costs about $3,000, and at Thursday's concert at CedarCreek Church, the first night of Sanctus' 30-city national tour, the audience pledged more than $30,000 (Janet and I signed up, although I must say that the guy Sanctus Real had giving the appeal was so longwinded and disjointed that he almost drove me away.)
You can read more about this great ministry to the needy in Africa here.
The second cause that Sanctus Real is boosting is Toms Shoes, which will donate one pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair that is purchased. Since starting the outreach in 2006, Toms has donate more than 60,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina and South Africa. The company hopes to give away 200,000 pairs by the end of this year.
You can read more about Toms Shoes here.

They do look like comfy and stylish footwear, don't you think?

... and they have shoes for the politically minded...

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Yesterday was a sad day for me: it is the birthday of my late brother, Roy. He was two years younger than me and died of cancer in 2003. On his birthday, a lot of the fun times we had as children came back to me.
I can't understand why people you love leave this earth at such a young age. And I don't expect to understand such things as long as I'm looking through a glass darkly, as the Bible describes the view of mortals trying to see "the big picture".

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Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 6, 2008

"The average American eats meals with friends and family half as often as fifty years ago."
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I saw the above item written by Bill McKibben when reviewing David Kynaston's new book "Austerity Britain" in the magazine Books & Culture: A Christian Perspective.
No surprise to culture watchers, but a sad state of affairs nonetheless. Sharing meals is such a basic and integral event for family and community. It can build relationships and break down stereotypes when people break bread together.
I remember a friend of mine, Sam Roe, who traveled to Italy and looked up a relative of a friend from the States. The Italian relatives did not speak English, but when Sam knocked on the door and said his friend's name, they invited him in for dinner. It was a memorable and warming experience to eat dinner with strangers even though they could not communicate with words.
I had a similar experience when I was in Medellin, Colombia. I had just arrived for a five-week trip as a Paul W. Harris Rotary Club fellow. I speak Spanish but I was rusty when I got there. For the first few days, I was hosted by a beautiful Colombian family in which no one but a college age son -- who wasn't around very much -- could speak English.
We shared several meals before my language skills rose above bare minimum. But we became instant friends in a way that transcended language. I think sharing meals was a key component to our being able to build cultural bridges. (I still have the Colombian flag the family gave me and told me to display proudly, which I do in my den).
It's a shame we spend so many meals alone or with the TV as our sole companion. I'm as guilty as the next guy, but I'm going to try to get out of the rut and make plans to go to breakfast, lunch or dinner with people I care about.
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UPDATE: I just read an item in the Catholic Chronicle, the local diocese's monthly newspaper, that said it is designating Sept. 22 as "Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner With Your Children."
Maybe an organized effort like this will make a difference. It certainly can't hurt.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 7, 2008

I watched Flight 93 last night, the movie about one of the airliners that was hijacked on 9/11. I've avoided the movie until now because it's so disturbing, but it was on TNT (in high-def) and I just happened to be channel surfing when it started.

When the movie first came out in 2006, I remember talking to a critic about it. A lot of people were upset and said it was too soon after the event. Some cried in the theater, some walked out. Many expressed renewed anger at the terrorists. Movies have such strong emotional impact that they are unlike books or magazine articles, or even TV shows.
I really don't think I could have watched the movie even a year ago, and was surprised I could view it even now. But time has dulled some of the pain and once I started watching it, I could not turn it off.
It was a powerful film, well-made and realistic. Who knows exactly what happened on that plane, we just have isolated incidents mostly through cell phone and air phone conversations with passengers. There's the heroic line from Todd Beamer, "Let's roll."
These were just ordinary citizens on a typical trip -- old ladies, young men, all of the strangers you see in the airport. The movie did not show any children passengers, which was probably not accurate but understandable.
When they got word from loved ones that two planes had hit the Twin Towers and a third may have hit the Pentagon, they realized the hijackers were on a suicide mission. They fought the terrorists and hoped to take over the cockpit and fly to safety. But the jet was too low and they crashed in a field.
Incidentally, a high school friend of mine, Joanne Hanley, is an official with the National Parks Service and is one of the people in charge of the Flight 93 memorial.
The movie brought the horror of that flight to life in a powerful way. Although it's not overly violent or bloody, it is definitely not for the faint of heart.
The opening scene shows four Muslim men in their hotel room, deep in prayer, preparing for their deeds. It's probably the most haunting image of all, knowing that these attacks were perpetrated by religious people.
Every religion has its zealots but this was such a dastardly attack that shook our nation to the core, and the terrorists supposedly were doing this to glorify Allah.
It's a day that will live in infamy, and one that will have repercussions for many generations.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 8, 2008

H. L. Mencken was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on Sept. 12, 1880, and worked for the Baltimore Morning Herald and Baltimore Sun newspapers.

As a keen-eyed, tough-talking and sharp-witted reporter, editor, and author, Mencken is one of my journalism and writing heroes.

Here are a few notable Mencken quotes:

"Nature abhors a moron"

"Life is a dead-end street."

"When women kiss it always reminds one of prize-fighters shaking hands."

"A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier."

"In my day a reporter who took an assignment was wholly on his own until he got back to the office, and even then he was little molested until his copy was turned in at the desk; today he tends to become only a homunculus at the end of a telephone wire, and the reduction of his observations to prose is commonly farmed out to literary castrati who never leave the office, and hence never feel the wind of the world in their faces or see anything with their own eyes."

"Opera in English is, in the main, just about as sensible as baseball in Italian."

"Whenever a husband and a wife begin to discuss their marriage
they are giving evidence at a coroner's inquest."

"The allurement that women hold out to men is precisely the allurement that Cape Hatteras holds out to sailors: they are enormously dangerous and hence enormously fascinating."

"We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart."

"Unitarianism, a movement typical of the modern effort to get rid of Hell, it is not a kind of Christianity at all, but simply a mattress for skeptical ex-Christians to fall on."

"It costs more to maintain ten vices than one virtue."

"Before a man speaks it is always safe to assume that he is a fool. After he speaks, it is seldom necessary to assume it."

"Temptation is an irresistible force at work on a movable body."

"Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking."

"Creator—A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh."

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Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 8, 2008

1. The Large Hadron Collider Rap, by Michigan State graduate and science writer Kate McAlpine. Check it out here.

2. Skinny white French teen Matt Rach playing incredible Jimi Hendrix riffs in his bedroom. Click here.

3. Furniture salesman rapper.

4. My daughter Lisa playing Fergie in a terrific church version of "Glamorous" with a message -- keep an eye out for the senior pastor, the Rev. Jeremy DeWeerdt, as the blonde haired rapper in an oversized jacket. Click here.

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Sylvania, OH
Sept. 8, 2008

Toledo is the site of an Extreme Makeover televison show with a family of 13 getting a new house.
The father is a firefighter and the mother is a minister who has been very ill with a soft-tissue disease the last few years. The couple have 3 biological children and 8 adopted children, most of them from Haiti.
The Frisches live in a modest three-bedroom home in West Toledo and seem to be the perfect candidates for this kind of blessing.
Sanctus Real played a benefit concert for the family Sunday night and drew 5,000 people!
It's great to have a network show filming here and helping out a Toledo family. The project has gotten great publicity and is drawing huge crowds to the construction site.
The only sad thing is that four other families that were finalists were passed over. I know one of those four families, and they also are extremely deserving and in need of some help. But obviously not everyone can be chosen for this TV show and at least the "winners" are so well regarded by all who know them.
Thanks to Ty, the ABC crew, and local volunteers who are doing the work.
* * *
Saw a bit of the TV news this morning and the networks were all saying how much of a bounce Sarah Palin has given McCain. The Republicans are now in the lead in most polls, and Palin is the "X" factor or, as one pundit put it, "the XX factor" (XX as in female gene). Another Gallup pollster said every convention gives a candidate a "bounce" but Palin put an "oomph" in the GOP's "bounce."
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Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 9, 2008

... to a newspaper near you...
I am working on a story about the second annual Red Mass, slated for all members of the legal community, to be held in Toledo at Rosary Cathedral on Sept. 18.
There are other "specialty" Masses as well: a Mass for firefighters and a Mass for deacons the same week, and in October there will be a White Mass for medical workers. Last year, there was a Blue Mass for law-enforcement workers.
I think these are wonderful, I just think they should be scheduled in the right order, according to American culture: Red, White & Blue.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 9, 2008

"This is not the first time Jesus has been with thieves."
-- Father Russ Kohler, pastor of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Detroit, after robbers broke into the church and stole a metal corpus of Jesus from a cross, along with chalices, candelabra, and other sacred items including the tabernacle containing the Holy Eucharist.

You can read the full story here at the Archdiocese of Detroit's excellent website.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 11, 2008

Just a little spin around my block:
Stopped in at a party last night for Jon Hendricks, one of my favorite people in the world. Jon will be 87 on Tuesday, Sept. 16. He is a dynamo, one of the people who changes the atmosphere of a room wherever he goes.
Jon is still full of energy and laughter and has countless stories to tell and boundless enthusiasm. He is a jazz singer and the "poet laureate of jazz," a five-time Grammy Award winner, inventor of "Vocalese," and a professor at the University of Toledo.
I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Jon at his house earlier this week. Here's a quote you won't get in the newspaper: "'I've always had good ears. [Harry] 'Sweets' Edison told me, 'You could hear a gnat piss on cotton.'"
They're having a birthday party for Jon on Monday night at Murphy's Place on Water Street.
* * *
It's been paintful watching network news people and national pundits try to comment on and analyze Sarah Palin's faith. They might as well be talking about the intricacies of brain surgery or translating Farsi. News people are so much more comfortable dealing with mainline Protestants or Catholics or Jews than evangelicals. It's not just out of their comfort zone, it's out of their comfort ballpark.
* * *
I started reading a book called "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs. The writer tried to literally follow every commandment in the Bible for a year.
I am just in the first few chapters and the guy writes that he's not supposed to touch women, for example, so he asks the female clerk at the pharmacy to put his change on the counter. She glares at him, and he covers up by saying he has a cold.
By trying to obey one command, he ends up lying, he laments. This should be an interesting read.
* * *
I went to an interfaith service on hunger awareness last night. On 9/11, a day that is remembered for religous extremism, here were Jews, Christians, Hindus and Muslims joining together to help feed the hungry and provide for the needy.
Yes, religion has its problems but it also is one of the greatest forces for good on the planet.
* * *
Travel & Leisure magazine has released a list of America's best and worst cities in various categories. Miami was rated as the city with the most beautiful people; Philadelphia was last on the list of 25.
It reminded me of when I was in Denmark. The women there were so beautiful... and I guess the men were handsome, too. Tall and thin, blonde hair and blue eyes, active and healthy...
I mentioned to a Dane that their country was full of beautiful people and they laughed and said, "Oh, you should go to Sweden. The Swedes are much more beautiful."
Then we went to Sweden, and yes, it seemed to be true -- the people were even more beautiful than the Danes. I mentioned this to a Swede. He said, "Oh, you should go to Norway, the people there are more beautiful."
We didn't get to Norway so I can't say. But I do know a Norwegian, who stayed at our house for a few weeks last year. He was a very handsome young man -- and also a talented singer-songwriter and breakdancer.
I'm guessing that if we had gotten to Norway the Norwegians would have said we need to go to Finland.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 12, 2008

Here are two of the more bizarre news stories you'll ever see outside of the supermarket tabloids. The articles are not only troubling about the individuals involved, but also about our society in general.

======================

Mom allegedly steals daughter's identity to be cheerleader

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - A 33-year-old woman is accused of stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading squad.

Wendy Brown is charged with felony identity theft after enrolling in a Wisconsin high school as her daughter.

The criminal complaint says Brown admitted to telling school officials she was 15 because she wanted to get her high school diploma and join the cheerleading squad.

She allegedly attended practices, received a cheerleader's locker and went to a pool party at the coach's house.

The complaint says Brown has a history of identity theft. Her daughter lives in Nevada with Brown's mother.

There was no attorney listed in Brown's online court records. Her home number could not be found.

==============

'Capitalist' student auctions off virginity

A 22-year-old woman who is planning to auction off her virginity in order to pay for her college tuition says she has no ethical hang-ups about the plan.

The woman, using the pseudonym Natalie Dylan, will auction herself through the website of the enormous Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel in the US state of Nevada.

"We live in a capitalist society ... why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?" Ms Dylan was quoted as saying in the New York Daily News.

"I understand some people will condemn me ... but I think this is empowering. I'm using what I have to better myself.

The pretty brunette has already finished her undergraduate degree in women's studies at Sacramento State University and plans to start a master's degree.

Speaking on shock jock Howard Stern's New York radio show, Ms Dylan said she got the idea from a Peruvian woman who auctioned her virginity and received a $1.5 million bid.

The Peruvian woman did not go through with the plan.

Ms Dylan told Stern she would submit to a gynecological examination and lie detector test to prove she was really a virgin.

But she said she was not willing to let just any guy win the auction — price and personality would both come into the equation.

Stern denied initial reports that he was behind the auction, saying he only wanted to interview the girl about why she would do such a thing.

==============
I googled the above story after I heard about it and almost couldn't believe it, or maybe I didn't want to believe it. Then I found that a British student had done the same thing in 2004 (and netted $15,000 pounds).
Ms. Dylan in the above story tried to do this on eBay first, but the auction house denied her listing. At least some institution demonstrated some sanity.
But eBay has had some weird listings, including someone who sold a "whale's soul" on the online auction, and another listing supposedly of a relic, or piece of bone, of St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus).
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Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 13, 2008

I watched a movie recently, the well-crafted drama Things I Lost in the Fire, with Benicio del Toro and Halle Berry, and there were two scenes where the background music featured Lou Reed singing "Sweet Jane."
That song triggered memories of my college days, sitting on the bed in a blacklighted dorm room with a bunch of other immature Dukies, cranking up the Pioneer tube amp and Marantz speakers and blasting Reed's "Rock and Roll Animal" until we could hear the neighbors pounding on the wall.

That album is one of the greatest live rock albums ever recorded, and that is no overstatement.

I learned something important from that album: that the mood and the attitude of the artists are just as important, actually more important, than their technical prowess on their instruments.
Up until that time, I was really into Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Doors, Led Zeppelin, the Stones and Beatles of course, Yes, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Johnny Winter, Allman Brothers -- remember, we're going waaaay back here.
Then I was introduced to Lou Reed by some New York intellectual punkers who seemed angry at being stuck at Duke instead of NYU, and we listened to this weird looking dude with the pasty face and short black hair and lipstick and eyeshadow, and the music and the lyrics just rocked my little closed-up sophomore mind.

Lou Reed took me on a trip I wasn't expecting. The music has such energy and emotion it sweeps you away. And Reed's band was right on cue and the attitude was perfect for the era, a pioneering punk rock band that shook its fist at the establishment.
After that, I got into Patti Smith and Television and a few other NY punk rock pioneers (not the NY Dolls or Twisted Sister, mind you -- you have to draw the line somewhere) as well as the inimitable David Bowie.
One Thanksgiving break we went to New York and saw Television at CBGB's, and I remember asking the girl checking ID's at the door if Lou Reed was there tonight. She looked at me, checking me out, and said, "We would never let that little faggot in here."

After watching the movie and hearing Lou sing, I dusted off my CD of "Rock and Roll Animal," which had been sitting on a shelf for years. I hadn't even removed the shrink wrap!
I put that little disc into the player and turned up the volume and found myself being taken down that rock and roll road once again.
The music is just as vibrant and relevant today as it did when it was recorded live at the Academy of Music in New York on Dec. 21, 1973.
You can't say that about too many '70s bands.
My values and my life have changed drastically since then but the music remains the same -- to quote Zep. It was a nice trip down memory lane.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 14, 2008

I am in Washington, DC, attending a conference of the Religion Newswriters Association.
We spent the whole day at workshops on reporting on Islam and Muslims.
There were some very interesting moments and some great speakers, although much of the discussion was pretty basic -- for reporters who don't know much about Islam. Having covered this topic for 8 years now, there wasn't much new material for me.
Still, there were great "human interest" stories, such as Jamie Tarabay, an Australian who was a war correspondent in Iraq and also worked as a correspondent in Jerusalem. She is in the USA covering religion and reporting feature stories for NPR.
And Anisa Mehdi, a documentary filmmaker, also was fascinating and a very dynamic speaker.
* * *
Yesterday I had a chance to stroll around the city and sat in on a session of Congress in which Representatives were debating the energy bill. Very interesting.
A memorable moment occurred while I was walking on the Ellipse and President Bush's helicopter flew overhead, then landed on the White House's South Lawn. Actually two identical helicopters flew by, one apparently a decoy.

Small World Department:
Outside the White House, I ran into a group of 8th graders and their chaperones from Christ the King Parish in Toledo.
At the airport, I bumped into Jamey and Rachel Schmitz from Toledo. Jamey, the CEO and GM of WLMB-TV in Toledo, is in town for an NRB conference.
* * *
I was quite surprised to get an email note about Ray Boltz, the Christian singer from Indiana who wrote the classic song "Thank You."
Ray has "come out of the closet" to announce that he is gay. Here is a link to the well-written article. It also mentions that Kirk Talley has been "struggling" with his sexual orientation but still sings gospel music in the church.
Boltz has retired from performing. I've interviewed Boltz a few times when he lived in Indiana. After he told his wife and four grown children, he got a divorce and moved to Fort Lauderdale.
* * *
Got a call today from some concerned citizen regarding Dennis Gray, the former Toledo priest who had more sexual-abuse lawsuits against him than any other local cleric in the diocese.
The caller said Gray recently applied for a job working with troubled youngsters, but did not get the job.
Apparently news coverage of the abuse lawsuits against Gray has not been forgotten.

* * *
Washington, D.C.
Sept. 17, 2008

It's been a whirlwind week here in Washington, with panel discussions and lectures running continuously from early morning until late at night. The Religion Newswriters Association packs a lot into your day, and it's understood that you don't come here to just hang out and socialize, but to gather as much helpful information as possible in a relatively short period of time.

Here are a few brief items of interest:

I am sitting in a conference at the moment on "sourcing Islam the new way." The speaker, Shaheed Amanullah, is the creator of the website altmuslim.com. At first glance, it seems to be a very practical site that offers real-life inside information on American Muslims.

* * *

Earlier today, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington spoke on the challenges of Catholic education and a statistician from Georgetown's CARA reviewed the data on American Catholic schools over the years.

* * *
Last night we toured the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the largest Catholic church in the Americas and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. It is the shrine where Pope Benedict XVI met with American bishops during his visit to the U.S.
An interesting artifact on display in this magnificent church: A page torn from the guest book that Pope Benedict signed, listing his address as "Vatican City."
* * *
Among yesterday's presentations was a panel discussion on atheism and secular humanism. I do think that these groups are misunderstood. People can be moral and good citizens, concerned for the betterment of society, without believing in God. One speaker said he believes the United States is a secular humanist nation -- citing separation of church and state, and valuing the dignity of the individual.
* * *
Jay Sekulow of the ACLJ and Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas held an entertaining debate on religion and presidential candidates. Sekulow is an expert on the First Amendment while Jeffress is basically a fundamentalist pastor.
Sekulow said a candidate's religion does impact his decisionmaking but said it's more important where a candidate stands on the issues than what his personal beliefs may be. He gave as an example Jimmy Carter being a born-again Christian and a Democrat who supported Roe v. Wade, while Mitt Romney is a Mormon and a Republican who is staunchly pro-life.
Jeffress repeatedly called Mormonism a "cult" and a "false religion" and said he could never support a candidate who represents such a group because it would endanger people's eternal destiny.
It got pretty crazy with these two strong personalities and a roomful of journalists.
* * *
I went to a preview screening of "Fireproof," a new movie coming out Sept. 26 starring Kirk Cameron. It was made by the Kendrick brothers, two pastors from Albany, Ga., who got started in filmmaking with a $20,000 movie called "Flywheel," which led to a larger project, "Facing the Giants," made for $100,000 in 2006.
The brothers had a $500,000 budget for "Fireproof" and it really is a quality movie that is unapologetically evangelical and yet not cheesy or amateurish. It's about a couple who are headed for divorce but the husband, a firefighter played by Cameron, has a change of heart and tries to salvage the marriage. His wife is reluctant at first but not surprisingly the movie has a happy ending.
Some friends of mine went and sat close to the exit with the idea that they could slip out if the movie was boring. They ended up staying for the whole thing.
Writer Stephen Kendrick was there to answer questions and said they don't make movies for awards or critics but to change lives.
This is one of the best Christian movies ever made, with a good story, some humor, and quality production.
Everybody says "The Passion of The Christ" opened the door for Hollywood to produce more Christian films. It will be interesting to see how well "Fireproof" does in theaters -- I think it will be a test of whether there really is a market for high-quality, family-friendly original Christian movies.

* * *
September 20, 2008
Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Joe Wingo, founder of Angel Food Ministries, gave a talk last night about his group that provides groceries at reduced prices for needy families -- starting as a small program run out of his house to now feeding 500,000 families nationwide every month.
He said that when he was a teenager with long hair, he asked his dad if he could use the car. His father said yes, if he got a haircut. When Joe responded that Jesus had long hair, his father replied: "Yes, and he walked everywhere he went."
* * *
Washington, D.C.
Sept. 20, 2008

This bizarre article was published today in a Dover, N.H., newspaper:

Priest's suit claims he found porn at Somersworth church

By AARON SANBORN
asanborn@fosters.com

Foster's Daily Democrat
Article Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008

DOVER — A lawsuit filed by a former Catholic priest claiming he found pornographic material in a Somersworth church remains pending at Hillsborough County Superior Court North.

The Rev. Thomas Cooper of Dover filed the suit against the Diocese of Manchester in 2007.

In the suit, Cooper alleges the diocese ignored complaints by him about the pornographic material.

In addition, the suit claims Cooper had information regarding Bishop John McCormack and Father Paul Shanley of Boston and that as soon as he began conducting his own investigation regarding the information, the diocese made false accusations toward him, leading to his eventual arrest and commitment to the New Hampshire State Hospital.

Shanley is a former priest involved in the Boston clergy sex-abuse scandal and was found guilty of statutory rape.

Overall, Cooper alleges 11 counts against the diocese, including defamation, invasion of privacy, emotional distress, wrongful discharge, false imprisonment, fraud and breach of contract.

Cooper's accusations began in October 2002, when he claims he discovered "large quantities of pornographic materials" in the church rectory and garage of a Somersworth church. Cooper was the pastor of the church at the time, according to the suit.

Among the items were guidebooks containing locations of homosexual meeting places nationwide and sexual attire consisting of leather and chains.

Cooper was told by the diocese to place the items in a sealed container and deliver them to the Chancery in Manchester, according to the suit. However, Cooper claims he continued to find the material at the church and continued to inform the diocese about these discoveries.

Cooper also claims he informed the diocese of reported incidents of sexual harassment of female staff at the Saint Ann Nursing Home in Dover, but claims the diocese never responded to those claims. In 2004, Cooper said he learned of "personal and highly sensitive information" relating to McCormack and Shanley and began to conduct his own independent investigation and alerted priests close to the diocese about the situation, according to the suit.

This is when Cooper claims the diocese accused him of stealing bingo funds, engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct of his own and threatening to commit suicide. Shortly after those accusations were made, Cooper says a Somersworth police officer arrested him because of statements he made to the diocese, according to the suit.

Following the arrest, Cooper was later transferred to the state hospital in Concord, where he was held "against his will" for seven days until a judge found he wasn't properly detained and ordered released.

The diocese later forced his resignation from the Somersworth church and fired him from a position at the Youth Development Center, Cooper claims in the suit.

According to published reports, the diocese claims Cooper misappropriated funds from two parishes in Somersworth and Rollinsford and threatened to commit suicide when confronted. The diocese also claims Cooper was granted a leave of absence for health reasons and resigned following an independent audit. Published reports also indicate half of Cooper's 11 counts were dismissed. Officials at Hillsborough County Superior Court would only say that the suit is still active and in the process of being scheduled for further hearings.

Brian Quirk, the attorney for the diocese, didn't return a call for comment on Monday.

The suit lists Cooper as living in Dover, but attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 23, 2008

I was humbled and honored to place second in the George W. Cornell Religion Writer of the Year Award, an international contest for religion journalists.
I picked up the award Saturday night in D.C. and an announcement was published today in The Blade. You can read it here.
You don't write articles in order to enter contests, but obviously it is nice to be recognized for your work.
When the winners were being announced and I was a finalist, a colleague asked me if I had a speech prepared. That inspired me to make a little inside joke when I was at the podium.
First, a little background: Michael Gerson, the renowned Washington Post columnist and longtime G.W. Bush speechwriter, was one of the speakers at the Religion Newswriters Association's conference. So when I went up to the microphone, I said: "I tried to get Michael Gerson to write my acceptance speech, but he managed to slip out of the ballroom before I could corner him."
It worked that night, but I don't know if it's funny outside the RNA conference.
* * *
One of the big topics at the conference, both officially and unofficially was online journalism and blogging. We are on the cusp of a new era as technology reshapes the distribution of news and information. But nobody knows exactly how it's going to shake out and how to shift gears. It's kind of like trying to change the momentum of a supertanker.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 23, 2008

Thanks to Gerald Robinson and a few other notable news figures, I've been so busy this week that I haven't had time to blog much...I apologize and will try to be more timely.
Maybe if I review the week in brief you'll see why I was so lax on my blog.

It all started the week before my trip to the religion newswriters' conference in D.C.
The week before I go, I am under pressure to double up and get things done for the current week as well as the week I am going to be out of the office.
Then when I get back, it usually takes a full day (or more, really) to sort through the hundreds of emails, voicemails, snail mail, and other piles of work and people waiting to talk.
On top of the usual stuff, that anti-Muslim DVD "Obsession" came out while I was gone so I had a lot of added calls and emails and discussions to deal with.
On Monday, my first day back in the office, two motions were filed regarding Robinson. One was the state's response to the priest's appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. The other was a motion filed by an attorney representing Survivor Doe in the civil suit against Robinson.
You can read about both of the filings here.
Basically, Robinson's attorneys are saying he was denied a fair trial because of the long gap between Sister Margaret Ann Pahl's murder and his arrest. They also make a few points about the Satanism references in the trial and claim he did not have competent counsel.
Survivor Doe's case alleges that Robinson was part of a group of Catholic leaders who dressed as nuns and raped and tortured her when she was a child.
Her attorney, Mark "Bald Eagle" Davis, has asked the diocese to answer a long list of questions and turn over documents. He has not gotten the response he asked for so he is asking the court to compel the diocese to comply.
So those are interesting, but it's going to be a while before the state high court decides whether to hear the case. Odds are against it, since the court accepts only 7 to 8 percent of the cases sent its way, and then it overturns only a small fraction of those cases. It could be 3 to 6 months before the court decides.
Meanwhile, the civil suit is set for trial in May, 2009.
The national media would surely have a frenzy covering the trial of a Toledo Diocesan Catholic priest convicted of murder, on civil charges that he was part of a satanic cult that abused young girls.
* * *
I spent a few days working on a story about the Pulpit Initiative, in which ministers throughout the nation plan to endorse political candidates this Sunday to defy IRS restrictions. They're assuming the IRS will take action, and they'll respond with a lawsuit that they say they will take to the supreme court if necessary.
I worked so hard on that article and was horrified to see how it was edited. I can't get into it here but I am still shaking my head.
I put in so much time and effort, which has a domino effect on the rest of my week, but all on my own initiative because I thought this was such a good story so I was willing to make the sacrifice. Now I wonder i... I must be crazy to take on added work, difficult work, too, only to have it blow up in my face.
* * *
Regarding the religion section this week, my regular editor was on vacation, so that was another added stress factor.
* * *
On top of the religion beat, I had a tough time with a few music stories I wrote in my free time. B.B. King was supposed to do an interview weeks ago, but it wound up happening way late. I stayed up late on Tuesday on deadline, actually after deadline, to write an article about King without having done an interview.
Then B.B. was available on Wednesday. So I interviewed him and it went great but it meant I had to rewrite the whole article, basically. It was like writing two articles instead of one, both past deadline, which means very noticeable added pressure.
I also did a quick story on another octogenarian musician, 85-year-old jazz saxophonist Buddy Sullivan.
* * *
I also wrote a movie review of "Fireproof," starring Kirk Cameron. I saw the film at a press screening in Washington and felt it was pretty good for a low-budget, Christian film. I figured I better review it because most mainline journalists wouldn't give it a chance. I was honest but fair -- and I don't think most movie critics would give it a chance.
* * *
Meanwhile, a dear woman who has sung jazz for decades in Toledo, Mary Ann Russo, died of cancer this week. She was a great singer and a wonderful person.
I also got a call this week from a friend who said that Rusty Monroe, one of the finest persons you'll ever meet, nearly 90 years old now and dealing with cancer, had fallen and broken her neck.
I had a nice chat with Rusty a few months ago and the last thing she said was, "I love you, David." I cried when I hung up.
The whole world will miss this classy lady when she leaves this mortal coil. I am praying she recovers from this tough setback, despite how dire it looks, and shine her light for a few more years.
* * *
I had a church board meeting on Thursday and it went from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Quite a "night off."
* * *
My sister called, her former neighbor in Tampa committed suicide. The woman was in her 40s with 3 young kids. Obviously unstable to everyone who knew her, it was still a shock that she would do something like this. Her husband never saw it coming.
It's bad enough that someone would be so depressed that they take their own life, but the pain it causes the family survivors is unimaginable. I will be praying for Jeff and the kids.
* * *
Tonight I actually did have a free night. Janet and I got takeout from one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants and watched the presidential debate -- what a romantic evening, huh?
To be honest, I am getting increasingly weary of the partisan rhetoric and political posing. It will be nice when the political crazy season is over.
* * *
Well that's enough for now... thanks for taking a quick spin around my block. Have a great weekend and come back soon, y'hear!
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
September 26, 2008

Back to work today after a three-day weekend. We went to visit my daughter, Lisa, who lives and works in Rockford, Illinois.
It's about a five hour drive from Sylvania and it's always so wonderful to visit and hang out with her. Then it's always so hard to leave.
You want to raise your children so they can be independent and responsible, and then when they grow up and are independent and responsible you wish they were still in the same city. That's life in the 21st century. But deep down, it is just good to know that Lisa is thriving and that she is right where God wants her to be.
* * *
The proposed $700,000,000,000 congressional bailout of the banking system is the most massive economic crisis I've ever seen. The chickens are coming home to roost, as the saying goes.
Our country's immense prosperity in the 1990s was not based on production of goods and services, but largely on speculation and expectations. Housing prices kept soaring, banks and mortgage brokers were lending tons of money to people who shouldn't have qualified.
The bubble burst and it was a pop heard round the world.
Congress is going to have to do something to save the day, there's no doubt. But I hope they do build in restrictions they've discussed that would keep corporate execs from walking away with obscene bonuses. That's been an injustice for years -- when companies fail and the CEO's bail out with golden parachutes, while the little guys are left totally broke with no recourse.
I've never seen such an economic meltdown in my lifetime and all we can do at this point is wait and see what our elected officials do about it. I think it's time for some serious prayer.
* * *
Speaking of dark nights, I saw The Dark Knight over the weekend. I didn't like it much at all.
It got so much press and was such a hot commodity when it came out. Why?
It's not a fun movie. There's a lot of suffering and pain. The plot is jammed full of twists and turns that are hard to follow.
The Joker is a despicable madman with no redeeming qualities. Batman hisses every line in a weird snake-like whisper. Maggie Gyllenhall is supposed to be the beautiful babe all the men are fighting over -- and not to be superficial, but she's just not very attractive.
The action scenes were OK and I loved the Batmobile -- but it got mangled after only a brief appearance.
Overall I'd give the movie a "D". I think Heath Ledger's unfortunate death is what made The Dark Knight such a blockbuster.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 30, 2008

The singer on this YouTube video is almost too bad to believe, but after a couple of views I have to think this man is serious.
As much as I resist poking fun at people, this rendition of "Omazing Grace" is out there on the net, viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, and it's really too "omazing" to miss.
It starts off bad and gets worse, so make sure you don't leave early.
The singer seems like he's truly trying to praise God with this song. It makes me wonder: How does it sound to the Lord?
Click here for this must-see, must-hear video.
* * *
On a more positive note, here is a hilarious YouTube video of two girls singing "Money" -- the girl on the right makes the video.
Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 30, 2008