Keywords by David Yonke

Happy Groundhog Day!
* * *
It must have been an awesome Super Bowl last night.
I missed most of the action because I was in the air, somewhere over Pennsylvania for most of the game on my way back to Toledo from a weekend in New York City.
When we left LaGuardia, it was almost halftime. When we landed, I quickly got an update on my phone and saw how close the score was.
After debarking, most of the passengers stood around the TV in the gate area and watched the conclusion. It was an exciting finish. I tivo'd the game but doubt if I'll go back and watch it. Maybe just the halftime show with Bruce Springsteen.
I didn't have any personal stake in the outcome except that I admire Cardinals' QB Kurt Warner for his integrity, his real-world Christianity, and his rags-to-riches story. I also like the Steelers because Ben Roethlisberger is from northwest Ohio and Nate Washington is from Toledo. Other than that, I have no strong loyalties either way. It was just nice to have a good close battle like last night's game.
I hope Warner doesn't retire after this year, as he said he might, but I'm sure that whatever he decides will be the best choice for him and his family.
* * *
We lost two major arts figures recently -- jazz saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman and author John Updike.
I was greatly inspired by Updike when I was a teenager and read his "Rabbit Angstrom" novels. He had terrific literary skill, with a use of words that were colorful and expressive albeit a bit flowery and dense in parts.
Updike was very open and honest with his writings, getting into the complex and often unflattering thoughts and emotions of average people in average cities or suburbs.
I finally got a chance to meet him when he was in Toledo to give a lecture in 2002. I got him to autograph "The Afterlife" and we chatted about his essay in the New Yorker on 9/11. John Updike was a great writer and his books helped me appreciate his literary flair and insights.
* * *
Fathead Newman was not only a talented jazz artist but also a sweetheart of a guy. His catchy nickname was a total misnomer, he was anything but a "fathead". He was intelligent and softspoken, a deep thinker and a true gentleman. He had been the musical director of Ray Charles' band before going off on his own to enjoy a long career as a bandleader, composer and soloist.
David came to Toledo at least once a year and was good friends with Clifford Murphy, Claude Black, and Joan Russell, playing with the Murphys Trio at their jazz club here. He recorded a live album at their club here and I always enjoyed talking to him.
* * *
While in New York over the weekend, I met up with some friends from high school and we had a great time on Saturday night just wandering around Greenwich Village and Soho.
On Sunday, I went on a photo expedition around the city. I also did some on-site research for my novel, which is set in Lower Manhattan. It was nice to see the actual streets I've been writing about and get some new background detail for the book.
* * *
Every time I'm in New York I try to go to Strawberry Fields in Central Park. When I got there yesterday afternoon, it was almost 40 degrees, which felt balmy compared to the bitter cold the preceded it.
There were at least 50 people sitting or standing around the John Lennon "Imagine" mosaic. A trio of musicians sat on a bench and played Beatles songs -- "Don't Let Me Down" on acoustic guitar stands out in my memory.
It's amazing that John Lennon still draws people together even on an ordinary, non-special-anniversary day. Every day of the week, every week of the year, now more than 28 years after his senseless death, people still come to this little spot in Manhattan to remember his music and his life. That's quite a tribute.
While classically trained or jazz virtuosos have disagreed with me, Lennon was a musical genius in his own way. He knitted melodies and harmonies and rhythms and words in ways that touched people's hearts and crossed all generational and social barriers.
Lennon was a fiercely independent person and a free thinker whose music will never lose its magic, for me or his many other millions of fans.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Feb. 2, 2009

It seems that whenever things are looking their bleakest, God manages to send someone along who gives you a much-needed pat on the back... more on this in a moment.
Although optimistic by nature, the state of the economy and the newspaper industry has been quite unsettling. Even President Obama said he loses sleep over the economy. We are in unprecedented areas now, with the global interaction and dependence. What happens in the USA affects China, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and Australia... There are no simple answers or solutions.
I've read a lot of explanations for our economic strife and although there are many logical and detailed theories, it seems that everyone is looking at the trees and failing to see the forest. The two underlying themes of all the scenarios are greed and materialism. These are natural characteristics but not healthy ones. As a nation, we need to re-evaluate our priorities. God's ways are above man's ways. If we let our natural instincts rule, we get into these kinds of jams. It happened in ancient Israel, and it's happening today. Human nature has not changed over the eons.
The correction process and transition period are going to be painful. But I am hoping we come out of it a little wiser, a little more in touch with our spiritual side, and a little more considerate and compassionate for our fellow human beings.

Now, regarding the pats on the back: I won a little newsroom award given out on a monthly basis to reporters or editors who went above and beyond the call of duty. I was cited for my bus trip to DC for the Obama inauguration, which would have been a difficult assignment under any conditions but turned into a nightmare when the bus broke down on the way back and I and other passengers underwent tests for carbon monoxide poisoning.
In addition, I got a call from someone whose ministry I wrote about last week who told me that "God has put me in this position for a reason."
I also am a finalist for a major fellowship award that would give me two months to research a topic and present it at Cambridge, England.
And I got a letter today from Jeff Zavac, a Toledo-born jazz musician living in Miami who was so grateful for articles I have written about him and credits me for the sold-out crowd at Murphy's Place last December when he recorded a live album.
So despite the world falling apart around us, it's nice to get a little praise and recognition from time to time.
Everybody needs a little encouragement now and then. And it always seems that God knows just when we need it the most.
* * *
I'm reading Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas." I picked it up last year to read on a plane and never got started. Then I started reading it on my flight to New York last weekend and couldn't put it down.
Koontz is one of my favorite writers, with his light prose and deep thoughts, and Odd Thomas is a terrific character, a young short-order cook who sees spirits and gets involved in the most bizarre and dangerous scenarios.
This book is the first of three of Koontz's Odd Thomas novels, and I've read the other two. It's good to go back and read the one that started it all.
Feb. 4, 2009
Toledo, Ohio

I'm scheduled to be on YES-FM (89.3) at 8:20 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 5.
The station also broadcasts on different signals outside the Toledo area and can be heard online here.

I am teaching a reporting class at Bowling Green State University and tonight we had a guest speaker from an Indiana newspaper who talked about multimedia reporting.
It was meant to inspire and inform students about the new journalism, but the result was more disturbing than encouraging.
This young reporter carries a digital camera on every assignment, sends photos from his cell phone for breaking news, and edits video and audio for the newspaper's website.
He was talking about having a "story board" in your mind when you go on an assignment, and looking to interview "characters" who are animated when they talk.
Is this the future of print journalism? It sounds more like the kind of stuff you see from a low-budget, low-power local TV station.
This reporter also said the newspaper's website is supposedly going to bring in enough revenue to cover all the newsroom's expenses by 2011. Now that is an ambitious goal... No U.S. paper is even close to that, as far as I know, and to achieve that by 2011 seems like a pipe dream to me.
Several of my students who hung around afterward were quite peeved by this presentation. They want to write for a newspaper, they don't want to be editing videos and juggling cameras and tripods and notebooks while they're doing interviews.
I am cognizant of the importance of the internet and the need for newspapers to be savvy about how to present news online. But I also think this "convergence" of media is not being handled properly.
The main thing for reporters to focus on is to gather the news and write about it. Videos and slide shows and audio soundbytes should be incidental. On the other hand, there is room for reporters who will specialize in multimedia.
Ideally, there should be separate staffs, one for print and one for the web. They can work together and complement one another.
But I cringe at the thought of newspaper reporters of the future being more concerned with storyboarding and finding animated characters than with having a nose for news, interviewing people regardless of how "animated" they may look on screen, and being good at putting their thoughts and news into words.
* * *
I watched my beloved Duke Blue Devils get blown out tonight by Clemson, one of the worst -- no, make that THE worst -- performances I've ever seen from a Coach K-coached squad. Duke has really stumbled after reaching the No. 1 spot a few weeks ago.
* * *
Feb. 4, 2009
Sylvania, Ohio

Attorney John Donahue has filed another notable document in his efforts to have Toledo Diocesan Priest Gerald Robinson's murder conviction overturned.
The latest effort is an affidavit signed by a Toledo woman who claims that one of the jurors in the 2006 trial told her before he heard any evidence that he thought Robinson was guilty. He said he believed Robinson had sexually molested children and should be "put away," according to the affidavit.
This document goes with a 500-page appendix to a petition for post-conviction relief that Donahue filed a few weeks ago.
I can't predict where this will lead, but we'll see what legal system decides. One lawyer who is very familiar with the case told me that the latest legal move is the equivalent of "a Hail Mary pass in a soccer game."
Here is a link to today's news article.
* * *
Meanwhile, the May 4 trial date for Father Robinson's civil suit has been pushed back to March, 2010. That's the case in which a Toledo woman, filing anonymously as Survivor Doe, alleges the priest sexually abused her in satanic rituals when she was a child.
She said she didn't know the identity of the perpetrator until she saw Robinson's face on TV after his arrest. That is why the statute of limitations did not preclude her from suing, according to an appeals court decision, which ruled that she couldn't sue him until she learned his identity.
Therefore the statute of limitations did not start ticking until after she saw him on TV in 2004, and she filed her lawsuit within a year after that.
* * *
February 4, 2009
Sylvania, Ohio

Heavenly Father,
Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and
spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who
can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day "who really ought to get a job" is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the
store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day That of all the gifts you give us
Lord, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity.

Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and
love. Working for God on earth doesn't pay much, but His retirement plan is out of this world.

(Compassion is an important part of life. Thanks to Lowell Yoder for sending this via email. )

Just a few quick thoughts to get the morning going...

It's 15 degrees in Toledo, and it feels warm by comparison to what we've had. Yesterday at this time it was 1 degree. My brother in Florida was thrilled that it was getting down to 25 there, a real cold front. And it is -- for Florida. But it's funny how everything is relative. For me, after this brutal winter, 25 would be a heat wave.
And after weeks of sub-freezing, often single-digit temps and tons of snow, it's going to be 47 degrees tomorrow. All the snow is going to melt at once. It will be a real mess.
* * *
How about that woman who had 8 babies recently? She already had six kids, so that gives her 14. In an interview with NBC, the woman, Nadye Suleman, 33, said: "I love my children."
I sure hope so! She's got to have a lot of love -- and money -- to spread around.
* * *
Speaking of large families, I'm going to interview Jackie Frisch next week. She is the woman whose family was featured in the Toledo "Extreme Makeover" edition. They have 11 children.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Feb. 6, 2009

I enjoy watching the TV show American Idol, especially the early rounds when there are so many goofy people who act as though they really think they can sing. (I wonder if most of them are seriously deluded or if they are just hamming it up for a chance to get in the national spotlight, even if it means looking like a fool.)
But we usually watch the show as a family and it's always fun. You've got to give Simon credit for honesty, even if he delivers it with a hammer and cup of poison.
This season, one of the competitors is a friend of my daughter and her fiance. His name is Reggie and we know he makes it to the top 30.
So far, however, the producers have only shown Reggie for a few fractions of a second, usually panning a group of people celebrating their advancement to the next round. They haven't even shown him singing a single note.
Meanwhile, we're seeing lots and lots of scenes involving a select few drama queens.
Perhaps Reggie is a terrific singer but also a really nice guy, at a time when the show's producers probably are looking for controversy, chaos, tears, jeers and backstabbing -- not talented, wholesome young people with good voices.
Since he's made it to the final 30, it seems obvious we'll be seeing Reggie eventually. But it's interesting that the show has pretty much ignored him so far, don't you think?
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Feb. 6, 2009

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jackie Frisch today. She's the Toledo woman whose house was bulldozed and remade into a spacious and comfy home by the crew of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in September. The program aired on ABC in December, I think it was.
Jackie is ill with EDS, which causes strokes and soft-tissue pain, and, along with her husband Aaron, a firefighter, is the parent of 12 children.
That alone is remarkable, but there is so much more to Jackie. She is a dynamo despite the physical obstacles she faces. I learned a lot about her today that you never got to see on the national Extreme Makeover broadcast.
For example, she graduated from college with a triple major in 2 1/2 years, earned a master's degree in a year and a half, and is now ready to get her PhD, all she needs to do is make her defense.
She had a book published last year titled "A Walk Through Creation: A Closer Look at Genesis Chapter One" (Tate Publishing), has another book ready to go, and has 9 more in the works. That is 9 as in 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 ... 9 more! Plus raising a dozen kids.
Is that amazing or what?
I'll be writing about Jackie shortly, but probably for the A-1 page and not religion. I'm in the process of transcribing our interview now. I'll keep you posted on when it runs.
A truly remarkable and inspiring woman. Meeting people like her and writing stories about this kind of woman makes my job a pleasure at times.
* * *
Here is a staggering statistic:

The stimulus package the U.S. Congress is completing would raise the government's commitment to solving the financial crisis to $9.7 trillion, enough to pay off more than 90 percent of the nation's home mortgages. (Reported by the usually dependable Levine Breaking News Alert).

* * *
Speaking of trillions, Judge Andy Devine gave me an illustration on how much a trillion dollars is the other day that is simply mind-boggling, and I hate to use that cliche but it is the best I can think of.
I haven't independently verified this, but Judge Devine is a sharp guy (even at 87 years old). If it doesn't add up, please let me know:
If you were to stack 1,000 thousand-dollar bills (which have Grover Cleveland on them, he said), to equal a million dollars, it would make a stack 3.75 inches high. So, how high would you have to stack thousand dollar bills to reach a trillion dollars?
According to the judge, the stack of thousand dollar bills would be 52.7 miles high.
If that is accurate, then it's a powerful way to illustrate the difference between a million and a trillion.
* * *
Toledo band Sanctus Real didn't win a Grammy Award yesterday. I was trying to follow the pre-televised events to see how they did and couldn't seem to get the specially required media player installed. But the grammy.com had a link to twitter, and i clicked on it and found that the Grammy category in which Sanctus Real was competing was won by TobyMac.
It's not surprising, since most Grammy voters probably know practically nothing about the contemporary Christian music nominees. TobyMac is probably the only name they recognized.
But it was still an honor for Sanctus Real to have been nominated.
Twitter, by the way, is a new concept for me but one that is catching on around the globe. It features short comments, like a running blog or journal, pared down to minimal words and phrases and typically sent by text message via phone.
* * *
Janet and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire over the weekend -- a terrific film. I love the fact that it had no "stars" and was filmed in India. That meant the story and acting had to carry the day, not some celebrity fixation.
It's a real Rocky story of an underdog who escapes the Mumbai slums to become a millionaire, enduring incredible hardships in his lifetime. I've never been to India but it's obvious there are people who really do live under those horrible conditions, and that's what makes the movie so powerful.
Few, of course, make it out of the slum at all, let alone become millionaires. But that is the dream and the fantasy and rooting for the world's lowliest underdog -- both to win the money and the girl -- is what makes the movie so appealing.
Toledo, Ohio
Feb. 9, 2009

AP Photo NYET509!

From the Associated Press:

The Village People’s first cop wants a revamped version of the group to stop using his likeness and voice.
The lawsuit filed last week in San Diego by Victor Willis claims companies continue to use his voice and picture to promote the new Village People. He is seeking at least $1 million and a judge’s order that they can no longer use his image or voice.
Willis was the original police officer in the group and helped pen the Village People’s greatest hits, including “Y.M.C.A” and “Macho Man.”

My response? Lock this guy up and throw away the key for forcing every wedding reception in America in perpetuity to listen to, and dance along with, YMCA. It was a fun song in its time but can't the DJ's find something else? And not the Chicken Dance or the Macarena, por favor.
* * *

Saw a couple of funny signs at a muffler shop in Perrysburg:
"Man who runs behind car gets exhausted."
and
"Why does your nose run and your feet smell?"

HOW TO ASK YOUR BOSS
FOR A SALARY INCREASE...

One day an employee sends a letter to his boss asking for an increase in his salary !!!

Dear Bo$$

In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding the need$of u$.We are worker$who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company ..
I am $ure you will gue$$what I meant and re$pond $oon.

Your$$incerely,

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day, the employee received this letter of reply:

Dear

I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOw a days, NOthing much has changed. You must haveNOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticably well . NOw the newspapers are saying the world's leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad. I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean .

---- Your Boss
* * *

Toledo, Ohio
February 10, 2009

Here are some questions and answers taken from a book called Disorder in the American Courts by Charles Sevilla. The quotes are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down by court reporters.
This snapshot of the American legal system has been making the rounds by email and the internet for years, but I can't resist posting a few of the better ones...
Hope you get a laugh out of them, or at least a chuckle....

____________________________________________________
ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS: I forget.
ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
____________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?
WITNESS: We both do.
ATTORNEY: Voodoo?
WITNESS: We do.
ATTORNEY: You do?
WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep,
he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you serious?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Are you serious? Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Guess.
_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition
notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?
______________________________________
ATTORNE Y: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh....are you qualified to ask that question?
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

I got a letter in the mail yesterday that boldly, and graciously, proclaimed on the envelope: "You've been pre-forgiven!"
No, it wasn't sent from heaven. It was from an insurance company trying to get my business. But what a reassuring slogan that is... pre-forgiven. Very comforting.
I didn't bother to read the contents of the letter, despite the catchy presentation, but I am assuming it has to do with driving and accidents and the like.
The ad reminded me, however, of the Bible's promises that we have been forgiven. It's in the Word many times. It's why Jesus came to earth -- to die for our sins.
We are sinners by nature and only through divine intervention are we made whole. We all goof up, we all make mistakes. But there is a solution through Jesus Christ. He not only has forgiven us, he has "pre-forgiven" us.
And that's no sales pitch for insurance. It's the reality of the Christian worldview. It's God's enduring promise to his children.

* * *

I was reading a column by Gwynne Dyer, one of my favorite pundits, who is coming to Bowling Green Feb. 25, incidentally, and the column was about Europe and religion.
The British humanists paid for an ad campaign by having huge signs displayed on double-decker buses that said "There probably is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."
They paid $288,000 to have the ads placed on 800 buses.
It's funny because, first of all, it says "probably." You'd think they'd just say flat out that there is no God. That was the original intent, Dyer reports, but the billboard company wouldn't allow it because the firm felt it would be "misleading" Christians. So they watered it down by adding "probably."
But on a more serious note, Dyer, who is based in London, offers some alarming insights into religion in Britain today.
A recent poll showed that of the 49 million people in England, 37 million said they were Christian, 7 million had no religion, 1.5 million were Muslim, 500,000 were Hindu, 329,000 were Sikhs, 260,000 were Jewish, and 390,000 identified themselves as Jedi knights -- a concerted effort by British youths to mock the polling process, according to Dyer.
But the figures are misleading because three-quarters of the population do not go to church even once a year.
On an average Sunday, 6 percent attend church.
When asked in a separate poll whether "I know God exists and I have no doubt about it," only 23.8 percent of the British respondents said they agreed.
It seems the humanists' ads are a waste of money, really, because the signs are preaching to the choir, so to speak.
On this side of the pond, oft-cited Gallup Polls routinely report each year that 94 percent of Americans believe in God.
Yet when asked the more detailed question above, only 66 percent of Americans agreed.
Religion is much more integrated into the cultural fabric in the United States than in Europe today, but it's not as strong as it used to be.
Dyer pointed out that Barack Obama recognizes this and that's why, when he was speaking of religion and naming the traditional faiths, he added "and nonbelievers."
It seems we are slowly drifting toward the European way of life and religious thinking -- inch by inch, pew by pew.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Feb. 11, 2009

First of all, happy birthday, Abe & Charles!
As we all know by now, today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of two of the most influential men in modern history, Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. A few months ago, Newsweek looked into which one had a greater impact.
They picked Lincoln.
I beg to differ.
Lincoln was the leading American statesman of the 19th century and his work led to the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the Union. Pretty impressive resume.
But abolition was already a driving force in England, led by William Wilberforce, and its arrival on U.S. shores was imminent.
Darwin's theory of evolution rocked the foundations of science and religion and rewrote the lines between church and schools and government. It is still the source of contentious debate and some assert that a belief in evolution undermines belief in God -- after all, if one does not believe in the Book of Genesis, then one might as well toss the whole Bible away with it, they reason.
Whichever one had the bigger impact, it's pretty amazing that these two historic figures were born the same day, and the same year.
* * *
I received a wonderful surprise in the mail today -- a book from Elie Wiesel personally signed to me. I had interviewed Professor Wiesel before he came to Toledo last October, and covered his speech at the University of Toledo.
He asked me to send him copies of the articles for his archives, and I did. But I never expected such a considerate gesture on his part.
Elie Wiesel is one of my heroes -- a Holocaust survivor, a great writer, author of 50 books, and a man who has devoted his life to promoting peace in the world.
I got to meet him briefly in person when he was in town but didn't ask him for an autograph. It's always a bit awkward when you are a reporter and a fan as well... I opted not to blur the line.
So receiving the book today was a real honor. He sent his novel, "A Mad Desire To Dance," and signed it: "For David, who loves stories."
Thank you, Professor!
* * *
I got a kick out of a New York Times story that ran Sunday headlined "You Try To Live On 500K In This Town," by Alan Salkin.
It's a semi-serious look at the plight of corporate execs after President Obama put a $500,000 limit on compensation for executives whose firms received federal bailouts.
It's hard to image someone "suffering" when their salaries are "limited" to half a million, but Salkin details the expenses of the high life and they add up fast.
Especially housing. A $1.5 million condo in Manhattan, which is a moderate price for the market, costs $96,000 a year in mortgage and another $96,000 in condo fees ($16,000 per month).
Throw in the costs of income taxes, parking ($700/mo), chauffeur ($75,000-$125,000 a year), two children in private school ($64,000), wife's gowns for galas (four a year at $10,000 per dress), and that measly half a million goes fast.
It is almost, but not quite, ridiculous. The reality is that shareholders want their CEOs to exude success. They don't want their company to be led by some scruffy looking guy who commutes by bus from Hoboken.
You can read the whole story here.
* * *
My Duke Blue Devils got thrashed last night by the dreaded Carolina Tar Heels. I had expected as much, having seen Duke get blown out by Clemson last week. And I know how good UNC is this year, with Hansbrough and Lawson and the gang.
But the problem last night was that Duke really made a go of it in the first half, coming back from an 11 point deficit to lead by 8 at the half.
Alas, it was false hope, a dastardly ruse, a pipe dream.
Carolina showed its power and might and the Devils looked foolish at the end. I turned it off with 20 seconds left, Duke down by about 16. I couldn't bear to see Coach K shake Roy Williams' hand and watch the Carolina team get delierious inside Cameron.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
February 12, 2009

I trust you've all come down from Cloud 9, after your romantic Valentine's Day weekend. Janet and I enjoyed a quiet night at home. We've been so busy that it was a treat to not go anywhere, have a steak dinner at home and watch a movie.
We ended up watching "Nights in Rodanthe," a movie based on Nicholas Sparks' novel. It was a typical Sparks romantic tale with a twist, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Predictable, too. I'm not a big fan of his work but he's had 14 best sellers so who am I to criticize? I think that his books and stories are all sappy, but he's found his niche and developed a pseudo-formula that works for him, and he's turned it into a money train.
I watched a brief documentary bio about Sparks that came with the DVD as an extra. He founded a private school in New Bern, N.C., for grades 6-12, trying to provide quality education in an innovative system. He also coaches track and has won a number of state and national championships and has donated $1 million to track facilities.
I admire Sparks for giving back to the community.
* * *
I watched the first part of the Daytona 500 yesterday and then recorded the last half, skipping thorugh the boring stuff to watch the finish. Oh wait, the finish WAS the boring stuff.
They suspended the race becauase of rain, then ended up calling it. That gave the trophy to Matt Kenseth who had been sitting inside his car in pit row waiting to hear whether the race would resume.
It was kind of like a team winning the Super Bowl while they're sitting in the locker room.
I enjoy auto racing but NASCAR needs a better system for dealing with rain. Formula 1 cars race in the rain, and a big part of their preparation is whether to run on tires for wet, dry, or mixed conditions.
Grand Am racers race in the rain, also. They race at Daytona in the 24-hour Rolex race no matter what the conditions are. NASCAR could race in the rain, they would just have to make adjustments with the cars, tires, and speeds.
Anything would be better than calling it a race four-fifths of the way through and then naming a winner during the delay.
* * *
Last weekend, my daughter Dana and her husband Matt were in Mexico, Lisa was in Florida, and Cara was in Columbus.
We babysat two of their dogs and our own, so it was a bit crazy around the house. But we love all the dogs, they are so cute and so much fun.
Small world department: Lisa got back home to Illinois yesterday and sent me a text message -- she was eating at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Rockford and guess who walked in?
Tommy Lee, the ex-Motley Crue drummer.
He didn't trash any tables and Pamela Lee was nowhere to be seen ;-)
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Feb. 16, 2009

Abraham Lincoln was recently named the greatest president in U.S. history, based on a survey of 60 historians by the C-SPAN cable channel.

Here is a selection of President Lincoln's most inspiring quotes, compiled by the religious website beliefnet:

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

"There are no accidents in my philosophy. Every effect must have its cause. The past is the cause of the present, and the present will be the cause of the future. All these are links in the endless chain stretching from the finite to the infinite."

"I happen temporarily to occupy this big White House. I am living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father's child has."

“We can complain that rose bushes have thorns, or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses."

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time."

"The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me."

"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free--honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just--a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless."

"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm."

"Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today."

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition."

"...I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

"I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Feb. 17, 2009

I know times are tough for auto makers but GM yesterday said it will "sell or phase out production" of some of its less profitable divisions, including Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, and ... Saab!
No, please, don't quit making Saabs!
Saabs are my favorite cars in the world. They are beautiful machines, fun to drive and designed for safety and efficiency, without sacrificing performance and driveability.
I can only hope that Saab finds a buyer that is a better fit than General Motors, a company that for decades has depended more on image and marketing than on making a better product.
The sad thing about the auto makers' request for more federal billions is that even if they get the bailout it's just a temporary patch to get them through the short term.
In the long term, they need to make better cars -- cars that people want to buy. That's going to take a new mission and vision, not just billions in emergency aid.
* * *
I was talking to my daughter Lisa last night and she told me a great story: Her friend always watches TV on her TiVo or DVR -- in other words, only after the shows have been recorded, so that the family can skip the commercials (my Dish Network remote has a 30-second skip button, works perfectly for that purpose).
Anyway, her friend was watching live TV the other day with her young children and the little girl asked mommy what was wrong -- why is their show being interrupted all the time?
The little girl has never had to watch television with commercials, thanks to TiVo she has always fast-forwarded past the commercials. She thought something had gone horribly wrong!
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
Feb. 18, 2009

A few Monday morning musings ...
I found myself in the uncomfortable situation of being in the middle of a news story last weekend. It involves the latest court filings in the Gerald Robinson case.
Take a look at Erica Blake's article here.
The state is seeking a gag order. It contends that the defense is claiming pretrial publicity tainted the jury pool in the priest's 2006 trial, and if by chance there is another trial they don't want to have to deal with that same argument.
The article quotes prosecutors as saying that Robinson's defense attorney "hand-delivered" a copy of his latest court filing to a reporter.
Not exactly.
That term makes it sound like Mr. Donahue got in his car and drove to the newspaper and ran up the steps and handed me a copy of his filing.
What happened was that I drove to Donahue's office in Perrysburg, where he had a copy of the legal motion available, and we discussed the case for about 90 minutes late on a Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, our staff verified that the motion had been filed in the clerk's office.
It is quite common for reporters to be given copies of court documents. Once it is verified that the documents have been filed, then they are public record and suitable for news purposes.
There is nothing secretive or controversial about this.
In fact, many courts today make these documents available online so that everyone has access to them. (Isn't it about time that the Lucas County Common Pleas Court take this step, by the way?)

But I can see the point the prosecutor's office is trying to make. It's logical, albeit a bit of a stretch:

Defense attorney Donahue is claiming that his client, convicted murderer Father Gerald Robinson, was denied a fair trial in part because of unfavorable pretrial publicity.
Now the attorney meets with a reporter (and with a TV crew) on the day he files a court motion and discusses the case at length with the media, knowing that stories are going to be written or broadcast about the legal filing with his comments included.

The state is arguing that Robinson's attorney wants to have eat his cake and have it too: pretrial publicity could preclude a fair trial, yet he meets with reporters seeking to get stories that give his side of the case.
Rather than risk having to deal with that kind of argument, the prosecutor's office is seeking to shut the door and keep the media in the dark.

Here's a few of my thoughts on this matter:
1. Donahue trusts me to be fair and accurate, otherwise he would not give me the time of day.

Many Robinson supporters don't see things so objectively; they blame the messenger for the bad news. But Donahue, who is certain his client is innocent, has been able to look beyond the knee-jerk reaction of most of the priest's supporters and assess the situation objectively. I.e., his client was convicted of murder in a court of law by evidence that convinced a jury of 12 that Robinson was guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. The news media reports are based the trial and subsequent developments, which all point to findings that the priest's fans don't want to hear.

2. The documents exchanged are all public record and freely available to anyone who wants them.

3. Obviously enough, as a journalist and a proponent of free speech and the first amendment, I don't like gag orders. I do realize that they are necessary at times. I don't personally think this is one of those rare cases where a gag order would serve a viable purpose.

4. This may be the most intriguing aspect of the gag-order request: The prosecutors must be thinking that there is a chance, however slim it may be, that Father Robinson may get a new trial.

If not, why even consider a gag order? If granted, it would apply only to some potential common pleas court trial, and not to the priest's pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

It may be that the prosecutor's office is just being incredibly thorough and looking to prevent any possible wrinkle in all possible scenarios. The request for the gag may be just an extremely precautionary measure, the equivalent of someone in Toledo buying hurricane insurance.
All I can say for now is.... Stay tuned...

* * *
A few more Monday morning musings:

I wrote an article published today about the small rural St. James Parish of Kansas, Ohio, closed in 2005 and still fighting to own the property that is now owned by the Toledo diocese.
These ex-parishioners are literally taking their case as far as they can. I think the legal arguments are interesting and the outcome of this case could have widespread implications.
Here's a link.
* * *
I was very happy with the way my article turned out about Jackie Frisch, the woman who with her husband Aaron adopted 9 children and had their house rebuilt on Extreme Makeover.
I tried to focus on Jackie's strong Christian faith and the severity of her disease, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Here's a link to the article.
* * *
Nice to see an upbeat, "outsider" movie take home so much brass from the Oscars. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a very well written and acted film, and it's relatively wholesome and enjoyable. It makes you feel good about life to see- the underdog rise above his circumstances and achieve greatness (although his escape is based winning a game show, which is mostly luck, and not on the escapee's talent, skill or sweat equity.)
I didn't see all of the Academy Awards program last night but I did love the opening scene with Hugh Jackman -- the "low-budget" musical number. I didn't realize Jackman was such a talented singer and entertainer.
What I liked best about the skit was the enjoyment on his face, he really looked like he was having fun. My favorite line was when he introduced "the craigslist dancers" who were accompanying him.
* * *
Saturday we had a wedding shower for my daughter Cara and her fiance Dustin. We followed the format of a "southern style" shower that some good friends had last year, inviting both men and women to the shower instead of the standard women-only event filled with silly games.
It turned out to be a wonderful day. We saw so many people we don't usually see, and got to catch up and share some laughs and conversations with people we care about. It was kind of like a preview of the wedding and reception, during which we are so busy it is easy to miss your opportunities to visit.
The weather was dicey on Saturday -- predictions ranged for up to a foot of snow. We wound up with about 3 inches, making driving a bit slippery but not enough white stuff to keep most hearty Ohioans home.
About 80 people made it to the shower and everything worked out great.
Why do I worry about these things? I know the Bible says not to worry, I just have to do a better job of following that advice.
* * *
Duke beat Wake Forest yesterday in basketball, after losing to the team the first time they met this season. I didn't watch it but the reports say Coach K was really fired up, he even took off his jacket. I love it when he is really intense. There's no better college coach around.
It won't be long before March Madness begins... I don't think Duke will go very far this year, they don't have the height or the consistency. But if they get hot they could surprise me and make it to the sweet 16.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
February 23, 2009

This is a press release from The Institute on Religion and Democracy:

Bishop Elected in Episcopal Church Holds Buddhist Ordination

Washington, DC—An Episcopal priest who has received a Buddhist lay ordination has been elected bishop in the Diocese of Northern Michigan. The Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, who has served in the diocese since 2001, was elected on the first ballot and received 88 percent of the delegate votes.

The results of the election are now sent for consent to all bishops with jurisdiction and standing committees across the Episcopal Church, in what is usually viewed as a rubber-stamp procedure.

Forrester, who has been identified by his former bishop Jim Kelsey as ‘walking the path of Christianity and Zen Buddhism together,' is not the first Episcopal clergyman to practice dual faiths. In 2004, Pennsylvania priest Bill Melnyk was revealed to be a druid; while in 2007 Seattle priest Ann Holmes Redding declared that she was simultaneously an Episcopalian and a Muslim. Both Melnyk and Redding were eventually inhibited from priestly duties.

IRD President James Tonkowich commented,

“The issue is not whether meditation is good, it is what is being meditated on. Attempts by Christians to be syncretistic devalue other religions, as well as their own.

“If this kind of meditation is truly in the Christian monastic tradition, why do you need to go to Buddhism to find it? The reality is that this particular meditative practice is not in step with Christian doctrine.

“Buddhism is not merely a series of practices, saying so devalues it. Buddhism is an entire worldview.

“These interfaith innovations go far beyond witnessing and respecting other faith traditions. They seek to blend Christianity with other belief systems in a way that ultimately compromises the message of the Gospel.

“While church leaders may respect other faiths, their vow of Christian ordination has always meant an exclusive commitment to Jesus Christ and the Christian faith.”

from the Associated Press today:
Senator Kyl hosts anti-Islamic Dutch lawmaker

By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona is hosting a film screening at the Capitol on Thursday for a far-right Dutch lawmaker who claims that Islam inspires terrorism.
Kyl is sponsoring the event for Geert Wilders, who was denied entry to London earlier this month because British officials said he posed a threat to public order.
Wilders’ 15-minute film juxtaposes verses from the Qur'an with images of violence by Muslims. Wilders has called the Qur'an a “fascist book” and said it should be banned.
Kyl agreed to facilitate the event because “all too often, people who have the courage to point out the dangers of militant Islamists find themselves vilified and endangered,” said spokesman Ryan Patmintra.
Thursday’s event was being sponsored by the International Free Press Society, headed by Danish activist Lars Hedegaard, and the Center for Security Policy, a think tank in Washington led by Republican Frank Gaffney.
The event is closed to the public and the media, but the film is being shown to members of Congress and their staff in the ornate “LBJ room,” a Senate office once used by Lyndon B. Johnson as majority leader and later vice president.
Wilders’ film has sparked protests around the world, and it has inspired a debate on freedom of speech. Wilders had been invited to Britain by a member of Parliament’s upper house, the House of Lords, to show his film. But the British government refused his entry into the country, saying he posed a threat to “community harmony.”
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told the British Broadcasting Corp. that Wilders was guilty of “extreme anti-Muslim hate.” He said, “There is no freedom to stir up racial and religious hatred.”
Hedegaard, who helped sponsor Wilders’ visit to the Capitol, said Europe’s hate speech and blasphemy laws make no sense.
“The way to deal with controversial, offensive or even hateful statements — unless they are directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action — is to expose them to public debate and criticism,” Hedegaard said in a statement advertising Thursday’s event.
While it is unusual for U.S. lawmakers to grant Capitol access to such a controversial figure, it was unlikely Wilders’ appearance would produce the same outcry as it did in Britain.
Several leading senators, including Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., declined to comment.
AP-CS-02-23-09 1551EST

You can live in Phoenix, Arizona where.....
1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade.
2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in
the
toilet bowl.
3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town.
4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food.
5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face
when you open your oven door.
6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING
ME??!!


You can Live in California where...
1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house.
2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway.
3. You know how to eat an artichoke.
4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party.
5.. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it
will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is.
6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought.


You can Live in New York City where...
1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan.
2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus
Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map.
3. You think Central Park is "nature."
4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language
makes you multi-lingual.
5. You've worn out a car horn.(if you have a car)
6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression.


You can Live in Maine where... 1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco.
2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas.
3. You have more than one recipe for moose.
4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons.
5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and
construction.



You can Live in the Deep South where...
1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store.
2. "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural.
3. "He needed killin'" is a valid defense.
4. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty
Jean, Mary Beth, etc.
5. Everything is either "in yonder," "over yonder" or "out yonder." It's
important to know the difference, too.



You can live in Colorado where...
1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car.
2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and so he
stops at the day care center.
3. A pass does not involve a football or dating.
4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail.


You can live in the Midwest where...
1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name.
2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day.
4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?"
5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, "It was
different!"



AND You can live in Florida where...
1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon.
2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars.
3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist.
4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state.
5. Cars in front of you often appear to be driven by headless people.

This editorial cartoon about the future of newspapers is a little too true for comfort, but funny nonetheless... It ran in The Blade on Monday, Feb. 23
I'll try to post it another way but in the meantime here's a link to download it ... It's worth the trouble, IMO.

Download file

I went to see columnist and commentator Gwynne Dyer speak last night at Bowling Green State University on the topic of Climate Wars.
It was an alarming lecture on the status of global warming, energy use, world politics and economic interests.
Dyer spent two years traveling to the global climate change's "front lines," and interviewing more than 100 scientists.
Not one scientist believed that global warming is not an urgent issue.
Human beings are pumping so much CO2 into the atmosphere that we are headed for disaster, the only question in scientists' minds is whether the disaster will be on a small or major scale.
The main culprit is fossil fuels.
Over the last 200 years, especially the last 50, developed nations have "built the cliff that rest of the world is now standing on," Dyer said.
Countries that have not had mass auto ownership or major industrialization until the 21st century are of the mindset that the United States and Europe have been responsible for most of the problem and therefore should pay most of the costs for the world to reduce emissions and find alternative energies.
But try to get a U.S. politician to convince voters that we need to export clean energy technology to China and India and subsidize them with $50 billion a year. Politicians are aware of the scope of problem, Dyer said, but are afraid to rile up their constituencies.
As global temperatures rise, now-arable land will become too hot to produce staples such as rice, wheat and corn that cannot germinate in hotter climates.
Rivers, aquifers and water reserves will dry up as mountain snow packs disappear and are replaced by rain. Without the spring snow melt, there will be no melting cycle providing water that flows into rivers, streams, oceans and lakes.
When the ice fields north and south of the globe melt at ever-increasing rates, there will be less ice to reflect the sun's rays. The ice is replaced by more square miles of heat-absorbing ocean water, which thus accelerates the warming process and makes the problem even more severe.

Nations located around 45 degrees latitude north or south of the equator, including the United States, should be able to produce crops but only enough to feed themselves -- not enough to export to the world's impoverished countries, as is now the case. Some land speculators, he said, are buying up property in Canada that is now north of the growing regions, anticipating that global warming will soon make the land arable.

Nations that have money but not enough arable land will find no markets in which to buy food. With no surpluses, the money will be worthless when it comes to buying food.
It's a miracle that we have been able to feed everyone, or virtually everyone, in the world as the population tripled in 60 years from 2 billion to 6.5 billion, Dyer said.

What happens when nations are unable to feed their people? They either move, or they attack their neighbors.
Military strategists are looking at ways of protecting their nation's borders to keep invaders out in case of severe food shortages that could prompt desperate actions.

Dyer believes the technology and resources are available to turn things around now, but there is not enough political moxie to take quick action. Intergovernmental negotiations take time and the world doesn't have a lot of leeway in that area.

It will all work out in time, but not before lots of people around the world die, according to Dyer.
"Sorry," he said with a shrug that reminded me of Simon Cowell on American Idol.

This is all coming fast and furious, much more quickly than the experts predicted just a few years ago.

In a wry aside, Dyer said people are mistaken when they talk about "saving the planet." The planet's fine, he said. What we are trying to save is the climate we like. The planet will survive no matter what happens to humans.

In addition to cutting down our individual "carbon footprints," we need to start thinking about the big picture, looking beyond our borders and taking a long-term view. It's time for politicians to stop worrying about the next election or for business leaders to focus only on the next economic quarter.
* * *
Dyer's latest book is Climate Wars, not yet available in the U.S. but can be purchased at amazon.com's Canadian site. You can go to Dyer's website here.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
February 26, 2009

Two bumper stickers really caught my eye tonight:

"Still pissed at Yoko"

and

"Right-wing whacko clinging to guns and religion"

OK, I wasn't really looking for change and I didn't find anything under the cushions, but one of my favorite columnists from days gone by, Sidney Harris, used to use that phrase as a catch-all headline for odds and ends...
In this case, I was looking through some old newspaper archives and came across a riveting story and headline from 1931 that shows how much journalism has changed over the decades. We tend to think the rules and practices of today were always in force, and that only the details of the stories change. Not so.
Here is the first part of an article, verbatim, published Oct. 7, 1931. By today's standards, it would be considered as sensationalistic as the purple prose of a cheap detective novel:

CHARM FINALLY FAILS 'ABIE THE PUNK' LUBITSKY

---

Young Racketeer's Slaying Follows Many Close Calls of Violence

The phantom of Fate Wednesday had snuffed out with blood and bullets the life of Abie (The Punk) Lubitsky, kid Toledo gangster whose charmed life had brought him safely thru more than a score of dramatic episodes, shooting scrapes, street fights, auto accidents. The blast of gangster's revolvers which sent a stream of lead thru Abie's skull as he sat in his car in Franklin avenue at Bancroft street waiting for the traffic light was not new music to the ears of the 23-year-old booze-runner, policy game operator, racketeer and police character. He had heard it as a kid when he hustled newspapers in downtown Toledo; he heard it many times later as he drove his booze cars at reckless, breakneck speed to elude hijackers and pursuing dry agents. Nor was the sting of lead searing thru his body a new sensation, but this time it was different -- it dispelled the charm which the underworld superstitiously believed guarded him from being "rubbed out." Abie's status in the underworld was just a little bit hazy. Some cited him as a "game, square kid," others hinted that his shield bore the bar sinister of the squealer. Since 1923 he had been arrested by police 24 times, had served on federal sentence for liquor law violation and had another two-year term for liquor conspiracy hanging over his head.

* * *
The story continues for seven more paragraphs but the first half is the most colorful.
If a police reporter tried to submit a story like that today, he'd probably be fired.
And why, pray tell, did they use "thru" even back then? I thought it was a modern irritant and excuse for laziness. But here it was used several times... and there were other errors, such as "gangster's (singular) revolvers" instead of "gangsters' (plural) revolvers". I guess that shows that some things -- like typos and misspellings -- don't change.
* * *
I was scheduled to interview Catholic radio talk show host Al Kresta today but his producer goofed and the interview fell through. Fortunately, I wasn't on a tight deadline and we rescheduled it for Monday.
Story is scheduled to run 3/7.
This week, I'm writing about the Presbyterian Church (USA) vote on an amendment that may (or may not) allow the ordination of gays and lesbians; local Bahai's concerned about the fate of seven leaders facing trial in Iran, and a Lutheran pastor (Missouri Synod) who was ordained in the Antiochian Orthodox Church last Sunday.
An interesting mix of religious groups and issues, don't you think?
* * *
I voted for Adam Lambert and Megan Joy Corkrey for American Idol this week. Adam did an amazing job singing the Stones' "Satisfaction." It is a daunting task to put your own spin on a Mick Jagger/Stones classic but he rose to the occasion.
I thought Megan Corkrey did OK, nothing outstanding, but she's so cute and has a good enough voice I think she would do well if she continued.
I'm wondering how the "wild card" picks are going to be selected. That will be an interesting week.
Thus far, Danny Gokey and Adam Lambert are by far the best two singers and entertainers in the competition.

Matt Rach is one of the most skilled, talented and expressive guitarists I've ever seen, and that's all based on youtube videos of this French teenager playing guitar in his bedroom. He's got the nimble, swift, precision touch of a master like Joe Satriani and the gut-wrenching rock power of Jimmy Page. OK, maybe I'm jumping the gun a little but he's in that ballpark -- and he's just a kid. Believe me, I know guitar talent when I see it and hear it.
Click here to check out this version of Pachabel's Canon in D and you'll see what I mean.
He also does a monstrous medley of Jimi Hendrix tunes.
Check it out here.
You can find his stuff on iTunes but I don't think he's got any CDs out ... yet.
Gentlemen, start your air guitars.
This skinny little French teen who plays guitar in his attic bedroom is destined for stardom.
* * *
Sylvania, Ohio
Feb. 28, 2009