Keywords by David Yonke

The "pro-life movement" has been put in a difficult spot due to the shooting of one of the nation's most prominent abortion doctors on Sunday.
No matter what a person's beliefs and feelings are about abortion -- and this topic generates more emotion than almost any other single issue -- there is no justification for killing another human being.
The shooting of abortionist Dr. George Tiller, who was killed in his church lobby while serving as an usher, is indefensible by all accounts, and a terrible blow to the efforts of peace-loving pro-lifers who want to put an end abortion.
Jesus said to not only love your friends and family, but to love your enemies. Dr. Tiller, one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortions, was an enemy to many pro-lifers who blamed him for the deaths of so many unborn children.
Yet no matter how strongly one feels about such a person and his actions, Christians have no excuse for resorting to violence and murder to advance their beliefs. Killing the abortion doctor is the same kind of twisted logic as the Islamic terrorists used to fly jets into the Twin Towers.
People have every right to protest, write their congressmen and senators, petition the governor, hand out flyers, support their local pregnancy centers, and do all they can within the system to promote change and to seek new laws on abortion.
Taking a gun into a church and committing murder is anathema to everything Christ did, said, and represents.
Vigilante justice in the name the God is a twisted and tragic act that will only harm the valid and peaceful efforts of Christians and pro-lifer activists trying to save unborn children.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 2, 2009

What's going on, you ask? A lot of things but nothing worth twittering about...Here's a little roundup:

I am immersed in the new Dean Koontz book, "Relentless," due out June 9. It's an extremely well-written and taut thriller, as one would expect from such a master of fiction. It's a bit on the dark side, however. The protagonist is a successful novelist; his adversary is a book critic for the most influential newspaper in the nation (The NY Times, assumably). Kind of a funny setup for a story, but this critic slowly unfolds as one of the most devious and twisted killers who ever darkened a door. In fact, he's much better at torture and murder than he is with words. I am looking forward to the climax but had to grimace my way through some of the torture/murder scenarios. Overall, however, Koontz is a brilliant writer and one of my personal favorites. I like his light side much better than the deep darkness he plunges into at times.
* * *
Janet and I are going to visit Cara and Dustin in their new home in Gainesville, Georgia, soon. I can hardly wait. I miss my daughter so much, it's hard to describe. I'm proud of them, though. They are doing fine in their new environment and it's so good to have children you don't have to worry about, just knowing they're solid Christians with good heads on their shoulders.
We're planning to stop in Knoxville and visit with my sister Elaine and her family for a few days.
* * *
I dragged Janet to see "Up" last night and was really worried because she is not a fan of animated or cartoon movies. However, Pixar's latest won her over completely. By the end of the film she said, "I have to admit that I not only liked it, I loved it."
It was just a fun, entertaining, and uplifting story with a lot more human emotion than many non-animated films can deliver.
We watched the 3-D version and I thought that was the weakest part of the whole picture. You might as well go to the 2-D showing. But the graphics were brilliant nonetheless.
* * *
We had our pool taken down last weekend. We've had a pool for more than 20 years. It was sad to see it go, but the reality is that it wasn't worth the trouble anymore. The kids are all grown and flown the coop, it's just Janet and me in our empty nest. The pool takes a lot of work and got less and less use the last few years. I am glad I don't have to take care of it anymore but the memories abound. Lots of fun times on hot summer days, playing games or just floating on a raft.
Time marches on and things change, that's the way of the world -- the circle of life. It's not so bad, just different.
Besides, it's June 3 and it's in the 50s today -- people are still wearing sweaters and jackets. Not exactly pool weather!
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 3, 2009

The deaths of blues great Koko Taylor and 'Kung Fu' star David Carradine were announced today.
* * *
Koko was a sharecropper's daughter orphaned at age 11, and her amazing powerhouse voice earned her the title of "Queen of the Blues."
She won a Grammy in 1984 and I always loved her recording of "Wang Dang Doodle."
Taylor died at 80 of complications from surgery following gastrointestinal bleeding.
''Blues is my life,'' she once said. ''It's a true feeling that comes from the heart, not something that just comes out of my mouth. Blues is what I love, and blues is what I always do.''
* * *
David Carradine, who died at age 72, was the "grasshopper" who learned kung fu at the foot of the master in the hit 1970s TV show.
He apparently had a busy acting career, with 209 listings in the "partial filmography" on his website. I missed almost all of his films and TV shows, however, until the two "Kill Bill" movies came out in 2003 and '04. They were bizarre but compelling theater, weren't they? There was so much blood that it soon became sensory overload and a spoof on slasher/martial arts films.
Sad to hear he committed suicide in his hotel room in Bangkok.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 4, 2009

Thomas Kinkade, "Painter of Light," has a new one coming out of Las Vegas. I thought all he did was quaint little cottages?
Here's a link to the "sneak preview" online.

I once wrote about a mosque in the Toledo area and called it a "conservative" mosque. One of the members objected to that label, saying it is not conservative it is simply a mosque.
People generally don't like to be labeled. Musicians have always objected to being pigeonholed as jazz, R&B, smooth jazz, pop, etc. They just play music, they've told me. The business people are the ones that put it into pigeonholes and slap labels on it.
I can understand why people try to wriggle out of labels. They are often too broadly applied, they paint everyone with the same brush, they don't take individual diversities into account, they are not always accurate.
But we need labels, it's part of our culture and our thought process. It helps us cope with the world, keep things organized, help us understand. We also should realize that they are not 100% accurate or dependable and that they don't include the variations within that label.
Yesterday, I interviewed a woman at the mosque I had described as conservative. After the interview, I offered my hand to shake hands with her as we parted. She shook it but then said that, in the future, she will not shake my hand.
It was something of a faux pas for me, the veteran religion editor who should know better. But it also was an indication that this is a conservative mosque. The women at the other mosque in town will shake hands with a man, or at least I've never had one of them decline a handshake.
The unofficially "conservative" mosque has a balcony for women to worship separately from the men. The unofficially "liberal" mosque in this area has a low barrier dividing the floor into male and female sections, and these two group worship side by side.
We may not like labels, but that doesn't mean they are not appropriate.
* * *
June 9, 2009
Toledo, Ohio

I shadowed a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses today who were going door to door to invite people to their upcoming convention in Toledo.
When they make their rounds in the morning knocking on doors, most of the time nobody is home. Once out of every 10 houses or so, someone will answer. Usually they don't even open the door, or open it just a crack.
It's a tough sell for these people to try to win people over. But they go out and knock on doors relentlessly, convinced they are taking care of Jehovah's business.
I think a lot of people with strong religious beliefs could learn from the way the JW's are driven to reach people with their message.
While we're sitting home watching TV or hanging out with friends, the Jehovah's Witnesses are going through neighborhoods trying to "warn" people about the end of the world.
If only I had such determination, especially in light of the overwhelming number of rejections. Yet they shrug off the negatives, continue to think positively, and soldier on day in and day out. Month in and month out. Year in and year out.
There's a lesson to be learned for those who have an ear to hear.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 9, 2009

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release
June 6, 2009

President Obama's Speech to Muslim Communities around the World

Summary of Reactions

June 6, 2009

U.S. Embassies and Consulates and intelligence analysts submitted the following reactions to the President's speech in Cairo. The reactions are garnered from news reports in local new media and traditional media and from individual conversations.

Top Line

According to an online poll being conducted by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), reactions to US President Obama's 4 June speech in Cairo continue to be overwhelmingly positive, according to an ongoing online poll conducted by Maktoob Research. More than 75 percent of respondents in these countries who have taken part in the poll said they viewed the speech favorably. In addition, more than half thought⿿based on the President⿿s speech⿿that US policies toward the Arab world and toward their individual countries would improve. More than 40 percent agreed strongly that the US intends to promote the creation of an independent and viable Palestinian state, for example, while more than 50 percent strongly agreed that the US intends to promote a solution to the Iraq war that would benefit the Arab world.

Summary of Outreach

*Over 100 viewing parties, discussions, or other events were held by embassies and consulates from Bolivia to Uzbekistan.

*Posts (embassies or consulates) "tweeted" along with the speech in 7 countries. These twitter discussions continue with hundreds of people tweeting about their reactions to the speech.

*30+ posts used Facebook to enhance outreach either ahead of the event, to chat during and after the event, or to follow wall posts and status updates. The White House Facebook page has over 236,000 fans who left thousands of comments about the speech. We had over 1200 confirmed "guests" for the online event. About 1,500 people liked our video on Muslim Americans (see it here) with about 235 giving us a "thumbs down".

*An estimated more than 20,000 people received information about the speech or quotes from the speech through SMS text messages.

*On our YouTube site, the President⿿s speech has been viewed over 550,000 times. The Muslims in America clip received: Arabic 10k hits, Pashto 4k hits, Punjabi 25k hits, Persian 11k hits, other languages 45k. 7 posts linked posted YouTube videos on their websites or linked to the WH video of the event.

*In Sierra Leone, the Embassy funded viewing events through 11 cinema centers so that 1,000 people would be able to watch the event who would not have otherwise been able to.

*In India, approximately 200 million Indians listened to or watched the speech live.

*Many posts hand delivered copies of the speech to Imams, politicians, and other community leaders.

*5 Ambassadors chatted online with groups watching the event

Interesting Anecdotes:

"Obama spoke clearly about the universal values we share⿦People appreciated the phrases and lines taken from the Holy Quran. Hopefully, this is not lip service only, but will be followed up with concrete action. Unfortunately, as Obama knows, achieving his goals will be difficult, because there are but few saladins in this era who genuinely want to make Palestine a holy land for all human kind, instead of one religion only." -Dalail, head of Muhammadiyah in North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia (June 4)

The Consul-General in Sydney gathered 40 Muslim community leaders and national media to watch the speech at her residence. Sydney⿿s Muslim community is normally divided with little mixing across among the Turkish, Lebanese, and Indonesian majority groups, but President Obama⿿s speech brought them together, together with a Jewish leader the CG invited.

"I like that Obama emphasized that every nation has the right to pick its own system of government."-graduate student in China at speech-viewing program (June 4)

Manila: the day of the speech, during her trip Zamboanga in southwestern Mindanao, Ambassador Kenney talked about that evening⿿s speech to a group of 116 sixteen-to-nineteen-year-olds participating in the Cultures Across Mindanao (CAMP) youth camp, which builds understanding and peace advocacy among teenagers of different religions and cultures in Mindanao.

Eritrea: Students at an Embassy viewing were happy with the emphasis on democracy and the equality of all human beings. They were pleased with President Obama⿿s readiness to resolve disputes and differences peacefully and to engage in dialogue as opposed to violence. Some, however, felt that choosing the venue of Cairo was an endorsement of Egyptian⿿s human rights records and government. Some expressed that President Obama should have selected a venue that is in turmoil such as Somalia.

In Mexico, commentators echoed calls for actions to follow the good words of the speech, but even those could be surprisingly positive ⿿ left-wing Mexican La Jornada tempered its reaction in an editorial: "this reconciliation cannot be accomplished through a speech regardless how brilliant it was. But this change of tone makes it possible to imagine [a new era] where Bush⿿s catastrophic heritage is transcended.

In Afghanistan, we hosted events in Kabul, Herat, and Jalalabad featuring online post-speech discussion using Adobe Co.Nx. Another post-speech panel featuring fifty religious leaders and students focused on the responsibility of Afghans to respond to Obama⿿s message with responsible actions.

In Pakistan, three events in Karachi and Lahore produced positive post-speech discussion on major networks and newspapers. Commentary was very positive in recognition of the "new tone from Washington" but underscored the need for actions that match the rhetoric.

More details in key regions/countries

Afghanistan: U.S. missions hosted events in Kabul, Herat, and Jalalabad featuring online post-speech discussion using Adobe Co.Nx. A post-speech panel featuring fifty Afghan religious leaders and student focused on the responsibility of Afghans to respond to Obama⿿s message by outlining what they want for their society and a relationship with the West. The panel discussion was taped by national television carrier RTV and will air this weekend. The speech was carried live by BBC and RTV; Pasthun language Shamshad TV and Arianna-TV (Dari) will air the speech again this weekend.

*BBC Afghan Service carried the speech live with translation. VOA⿿s Radio Deewa and RFE/RL⿿s Radio Azadi both carried the speech audio live with subsequent discussion and call-in shows. Afghan reaction in those broadcasts was positive.

*State-owned RTA (national TV) aired the speech live and had exclusive coverage rights to film the subsequent panel discussion at the Government Media Information Center. It will broadcast the event in its entirety this weekend.

*Pashto language Shamshad TV and Dari language Arianna will both air the speech on Friday, both of which were made possible the timely delivery of translations.

*Advertised President Obama⿿s Speech through both Facebook (500+ fans) and Twitter (300+followers).

*New media updates and messages to national and international press included advertising and links for IIP⿿s SMS texting service, the CO.NX webchat, and Embassy Kabul⿿s webchat directly after speech.

*A post-speech webchat with Deputy Ambassador Ricciardone, Assistant Ambassador Mussomeli, and Political Chief Alan Yu answered over 40 questions from over 100 participants including those linked electronically at Lincoln Centers.

*Kabul⿿s MIST team sent SMS messages to 236 young Afghans who expressed interest in receiving information on feedback sheets from the McCurry exhibit and PD publications; invited audience to send their reactions via text message.

India: In India, home to 150 million Muslims, reaction was swift and effusive. Our missions in New Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai hosted viewing events, panel discussions, and conducted post-speech interviews with all the major Indian media. Our Public Affairs Officer in New Delhi hand-delivered a copy of the speech to the Sufi Imam, which became its own media event, featuring laudatory remarks for the President and a group of Qwaali singers praising God and the "righteous leader President Obama." It is estimated that more than 200 million Indians witnessed first-hand the speech or coverage of a discussion or event connected to the speech.

*All Indian TV channels and networks went live with President Obama⿿s speech, including the national broadcaster Doordarshan (viewership: 450 million), Aajtak (viewership: 31 million) NDTV 24X7 (viewership: 16 million), NDTV India (viewership: 26 million), Zee TV (viewership: 20 million), Star TV (viewership: 24 million), Sahara TV (viewership: 11 million), CNN-IBN (20 million) and TIMES NOW (20 million).

Lebanon: Media outlets covered the President⿿s speech extensively, despite intense attention on Sunday⿿s parliamentary election. Newspapers front-paged the speech with long segments printed in full. All outlets, excluding, as is to be expected, Hizballah⿿s Al Manar, were impressed with the skillful language and sensitivity to Muslims. Outlets highlighted the reference to Maronites in Lebanon, interpreting it as indicating Maronites are a minority, a sensitive issue here. Several commentators and editorialists raised concerns about achieving the aspirations discussed in the speech.

The speech dominated the mass media of the Middle East in a truly unprecedented manner. It was carried live by all major 24 hour Pan-Arab news networks, Israeli networks, Western-operated Persian networks, and even the Iranian-operated 24 hour Arab news network Al-Alam. Not surprisingly, Hizballah-operated Al-Manar TV, HAMAS-operated Al-Aqsa TV, Iranian national television, and Syrian national television failed to carry the speech live. However, Pro-HAMAS Al-Quds TV carried the speech live and translated in full. The full transcript of the speech was printed in dozens of newspapers throughout the region including the top two Pan-Arab newspapers out of London, Al-Hayat and Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.

Pakistan: Three events in Karachi and Lahore produced positive post-speech discussion on major networks and newspapers. Commentary was very positive in recognition of the "new tone from Washington" but underscored the need for actions that match the rhetoric.

*Consulate Lahore hosted twenty editors, religious leaders, political figures, academics, and businesspeople for viewing and discussion. Guests all agreed it was a good, sincere speech, but called for actions that reinforce the message. One 20-year old attendee called it "the most appropriate confidence-building measure America could give the world."

*American Consulate General Karachi hosted a group of 78 for a live presentation of the speech and post-speech discussion at the Consul General⿿s Residence, including students from Karachi University, members of Rotract (youth affiliate of the Rotary Club), religious clerics, journalists and media representatives, exchange alumni and members of the business community, with an emphasis on young people. The audience was encouraged to complete feedback forms and website link set up to share their thoughts and observations on the speech. PAS distributed the IIP publication, "Obama in His Own Words;" many requests for additional books.

*Karachi also organized a viewing and discussion at the Lincoln Corner in Karachi. Fifteen students and volunteers of Jinnah University for Women and the Young Social Reformers attended the program. The speech was well received by the students and their overall impression was positive. IIP publications "Freedom of Faith" (an e-Journal) and "Mosques of America 2009" calendars were distributed to the audience.

Palestinian Territories: Palestinians warmly welcomed President Obama⿿s June 4 Address, applauded his outreach to Muslims and praised his specific comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians felt the President used the "right language" and struck a blow at extremists, such as Al Qaeda. Palestinians applauded the President⿿s repeated use of "Palestine" and his recognition of Palestinian suffering since 1948, but want more specifics on the steps he will take to realize a Palestinian state. Young Palestinians expressed this frustration more strongly than did those of an older generation. Students said they will only be confident of U.S. support when they see new actions on the ground. Older Palestinians were more willing to be patient as the Obama administration tries to achieve results. Official Palestinian Authority and PLO reactions were positive, welcoming the President⿿s strong commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. HAMAS said !
the speech reflected a "tangible change in ⿦rhetoric and policies" but that it was "full of contradictions."

###

Adam Lambert Finally Confirms: "I'm Gay"Us Magazine - June 9, 2009 5:37 AM PDT

Matthew Rolston for Rolling Stone
Us Magazine

Adam Lambert finally confirms his sexuality in the new issue of Rolling Stone (on stands tomorrow).
============================================================

"I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay," the American Idol runner-up says.

Look back at the Season 8 Idol's finale most unforgettable moments.

"I'm proud of my sexuality," continues the rocker, who was photographed holding hands with interior designer Drake LaBry earlier this month. "I embrace it. It's just another part of me."

Check out photos of star couples who can't get enough of each other.

But Lambert, 27, from San Diego -- who performed Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" on the Idol finale -- says he's not the poster boy for gay rights.

"I'm trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader," he tells RS contributor Vanessa Grigoriadis.

Lambert admits that he was nervous about coming out while Idol was still on the air because contestants are under a media embargo, and he wanted to do it on his "own terms." (He also says producers were open to him handling it however he wanted to.)

"I was worried that [coming out] would be so sensationalized that it would overshadow what I was there to do, which was sing," Lambert tells the mag. "I'm an entertainer, and who I am and what I do in my personal life is a separate thing. It shouldn't matter. Except it does. It's really confusing."

Find out what an Idol stylist has to say about Lambert's look.

Lambert credits the FOX reality show with helping him gain self confidence.

"I finally checked into my self-worth for the first time in my life, and the fact that it coincided with Idol is so sweet," he says. "I mean, I still have moments where I think, 'Oh, my skin is terrible, and I'm a little fat -- I should really go to the gym more.' But for the most part, when I look in the mirror now, I finally see somebody who can do something cool."

For more details on which Idol Lambert is attracted to, how he came out to his family, and what was going through his head when those photos of him in drag hit the web mid-season, pick up the newest issue of Rolling Stone, on stands Wednesday.

This is a verbatim press release from Solid PR in New York for an event being held tonight in New York City... Unfortunately I won't be able to make it but maybe you can check it out. Fill me in if you go. -- David

LOUD FAST JEWS!
A Summit with Four Jewish Fathers of Punk
Featuring Tommy Ramone, Lenny Kaye, Chris Stein and Handsome Dick Manitoba!

Coming up, Tommy Ramone and Handsome Dick Manitoba, who will be at the birthday bash, are speaking with Lenny Kaye (of the Patti Smith Group and more) and Chris Stein (of Blondie) at "LOUD FAST JEWS! A Summit with Four Jewish Fathers of Punk" on Thursday, June 11th at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research - BrooklynVegan

For over thirty years New York's Bowery St. CBGB's was the cradle for the punk music and its' movements throughout the national and global sphere. When it closed in 2006, it was a sad day for punks everywhere as the black, sticker and graffiti-covered façade was replaced with that of an expensive clothing designer's brand. Many of the club's mainstay performers came from all over the city of New York in the early days- kids coming into Manhattan's East Village from any of the outer boroughs and beyond to help forge this new sound. What many don't know, though, is that a good portion of these early punk progenitors were Jewish. - FUEL TV

Like Sandy Koufax to baseball, these fine men will give you a better appreciation of the impact they had on their craft. - The Tripwire

To purchase tickets, visit:
www.smarttix.com or call 212-868-4444

For more information, visit:
www.yivo.org

I'm on vacation for a week, visiting relatives, and it's just so great to get away from work and recharge the batteries.
Like a lot of people, my job does not fit neatly into a 9-to-5 slot. It can follow you home and follow you around and there are times I lie in bed at night thinking about stories I want to write and people I've met and books I've read and books I need to read and classes I want to take and ... on and on.
This week, I'm just hanging out with family and having fun. It's so refreshing.
Yesterday, we went to Big Ridge State Park near Knoxville and had a picnic, played euchre and went swimming. Saw a red fox at the park and got a few terrific photos of him (or her). Played Marco Polo in the pool with my nephews. Went to Old Navy and bought a few shirts. Played cards late at night. Laughed a lot.
It was so nice to get away from work for a while.
But you never really get away from the world and its concerns completely. My brother Rick went for a physical yesterday and the doctor sent him to get numerous tests. So we've got Rick in our prayers this week as we wait for the results.
Today we get to see Cara and Dustin. And Roxy. Can't hardly wait!
* * *
Knoxville, Tenn.
June 17, 2009

I'm just about done with Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling 2000 book "The Tipping Point." He has a unique way of synthesizing sociological information into organized and logical theories explaining human and societal behavior. But while you have to read his books to understand the broader picture, some of his details are fascinating on their own.
Here are a few intriguing details from "The Tipping Point":
* Yawning is so contagious that just reading the word "yawn" can make some people yawn.
* If you take a large piece of paper and fold it over, then fold it again, then keep folding it over 50 times, how tall do you think the final result would be? The distance to the sun.
* Gaetan Dugas, a French-Canadian flight attendant, is the "Patient Zero" of AIDS. He claimed to have 2,500 sexual partners and was linked to 40 of the earliest cases of AIDS.
* The same night that Paul Revere made his famous midnight ride, another Bostonian rode a different route, riding 17 miles to Lexington, warning people that the British were coming. Few colonists heeded William Dawes's call and history barely remembers him. The reason? Paul Revere's personality. He was charismatic, gregarious and persuasive and knew scores of people before his historic ride. When they heard his warning, they responded.

I'm looking forward to reading Gladwell's latest book, "The Outliers," in the near future.
* * *
Gainesville, Georgia
June 19, 2009

Spiritual Profile of Homosexual Adults Provides Surprising Insights

The gay and lesbian population, which constitutes about 3% of adults, has garnered national attention in the past several years thanks to issues like gay marriage, gay adoption, and other gay rights conflicts. In the wake of those controversies and the spotlight aimed at gays, Americans have developed numerous assumptions about the lives of the homosexual population. A new survey by the Barna Group explores the spiritual life of gay and lesbian individuals, providing some surprising results.

Spiritual Similarities

Out of the 20 faith-oriented attributes examined in the Barna study, there were just a few in which there were no significant differences between the heterosexual and homosexual populations. The areas of similarity included the facts that a small minority of people in both groups believe that Satan is real; equivalent percentages of these groups feel they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with others who believe differently; similar numbers of people from each group contend that good people can earn their way into Heaven through their goodness; and rates of participation in house churches is about the same for both groups.

Spiritual Distinctions

A majority of the spiritual measures studied revealed statistically significant differences between “straights” and “gays.”

Although most adults affirm the importance of faith in their life, regardless of their sexual orientation, straight adults (72%) were more likely than gay adults (60%) to describe their faith as “very important” in their life. And even though most Americans consider themselves to be Christian, there is a noticeable gap between heterosexuals who self-identify that way (85%) compared to homosexuals (70%). Another gap was then noted among those who say they are Christian: about six out of ten heterosexuals say they are absolutely committed to the Christian faith, compared to about four out of ten among homosexuals.

And even though a majority of adults have made “a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today,” such a relationship was more common among non-gays (75%) than among gay adults (58%). The research also revealed that straight adults were nearly twice as likely as gays to qualify as born again Christians (47% compared to 27%, respectively).

There were substantial differences in some core religious beliefs, too. Heterosexuals were twice as likely as homosexuals to strongly agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; two-thirds of heterosexuals believe the single, most important purpose in life is to love God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul, significantly higher than the half of all homosexuals who embrace the idea; and about half of straight adults and one-third of gay adults contend that their life has been greatly transformed by their faith.

One of the most basic beliefs has to do with one’s understanding of God. This proved to be one of the biggest differences noted in the study. While seven out of every ten heterosexuals (71%) have an orthodox, biblical perception of God, just 43% of homosexuals do. In fact, an equal percentage possesses a pantheistic view about deity – i.e., that “God” refers to any of a variety of perspectives, such as personally achieving a state of higher consciousness or maximized personal potential, or that there are multiple gods that exist, or even that everyone is god.

For insights into the different faith tribes that populate the U.S. – such as Pantheists – get a copy of George Barna’s groundbreaking research contained in The Seven Faith Tribes. Read about this book by clicking here.

Religious behavior differs significantly. In any given week the research discovered that heterosexuals are the more likely of the two groups to attend a church service, attend a Sunday school class, pray to God, or read the Bible. Gay adults are 50% more likely than straight adults to be unchurched (42% versus 28%). Overall, heterosexuals are twice as likely as homosexuals to attend a church service, read the Bible and pray to God during a typical week (31% vs. 15%).

Other Measures
The research also explored some attitudinal and demographic elements. Those measures produced a mixture of the expected and unexpected results.

Most gay adults are male (60%) and few are married (19%). Gay adults are considerably younger than average: half are under age 40 compared to just three out of ten heterosexuals are under 40. Gays are less likely than heterosexuals to be white and are also much more likely to earn less than $30,000 annually. (That can be partially explained by being younger and thus less experienced in the marketplace.)

Politically, gays are less frequently registered to vote than are heterosexuals (76% vs. 88%). Among those registered, gays are far more likely to align with the Democratic Party (53% of gays are registered Democrats) than the Republican Party (18% of gays are registered Republicans). The gap in party alignment among heterosexuals is only ten percentage points (41% are registered Democrats vs. 31% who are registered Republicans). Perhaps the most significant difference, though, is the ideology gap. Homosexuals are three times more likely to describe themselves as “mostly liberal” on social and political matters as to say they are “mostly conservative.” In contrast, heterosexuals are twice as likely to define themselves as “mostly conservative” as to select the label “mostly liberal.”

In terms of life priorities, heterosexuals consider faith and family to be among their highest life priorities. Homosexuals assign a lower priority to family (30% said family is their top priority in life, compared to 48% among other adults) and placed a higher emphasis upon the importance of their lifestyle (32% placed this on top, versus 16% of other adults).

Comments about the Findings

George Barna, whose company conducted the research, pointed out that some popular stereotypes about the spiritual life of gays and lesbians are simply wrong.

“People who portray gay adults as godless, hedonistic, Christian bashers are not working with the facts,” declared the best-selling author of numerous books about faith and culture. “A substantial majority of gays cite their faith as a central facet of their life, consider themselves to be Christian, and claim to have some type of meaningful personal commitment to Jesus Christ active in their life today.

“The data indicate that millions of gay people are interested in faith but not in the local church and do not appear to be focused on the traditional tools and traditions that represent the comfort zone of most churched Christians. Gay adults clearly have a different way of interpreting the Bible on a number of central theological matters, such as perspectives about God. Homosexuals appreciate their faith but they do not prioritize it, and they tend to consider faith to be individual and private rather than communal.

“It is interesting to see that most homosexuals, who have some history within the Christian Church, have rejected orthodox biblical teachings and principles – but, in many cases, to nearly the same degree that the heterosexual Christian population has rejected those same teachings and principles. Although there are clearly some substantial differences in the religious beliefs and practices of the straight and gay populations, there may be less of a spiritual gap between straights and gays than many Americans would assume.”

About the Research
This report is based upon telephone interviews conducted by The Barna Group among nine nationwide random samples of adults. In the course of the 9,232 interviews conducted, each respondent was asked if they considered themselves to be “heterosexual, lesbian, gay, or bisexual.” These surveys were conducted between January 2007 and November 2008. In total, there were 8,548 adults in the heterosexual category and 280 adults in the homosexual category. An additional 404 people said they did not know what category they fit or declined to identify their sexual orientation. The range of sampling error associated with the total sample of adults is between ±0.2 and ±1.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The range of sampling error associated with the sub-sample of 280 homosexual adults is between ±2.5 and ±5.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

“Born again Christians” were defined as people who said they had made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that was still important in their life today and who also indicated they believed that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as “born again.”

The Barna Group, Ltd. (which includes its research division, The Barna Research Group) is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization that conducts primary research on a wide range of issues and products, produces resources pertaining to cultural change, leadership and spiritual development, and facilitates the healthy spiritual growth of leaders, children, families and Christian ministries. Located in Ventura, California, Barna has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984. If you would like to receive free e-mail notification of the release of each new, bi-monthly update on the latest research findings from The Barna Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna website (www.barna.org). Additional research-based resources, both free and at discounted prices, are also available through that website.

© The Barna Group, Ltd, 2009

Ed McMahon died this morning at age 86. When I was a kid, staying up to watch "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson was a special treat. Later on in life it became a regular end-of-the-day ritual to watch the show in bed -- long before TiVo or even VHS tapes.
I always got a kick out of Carson and have to say he had a terrific sideman in Ed McMahon, someone who helped him at times and was a great foil for his sharp wit.
Away from The Tonight Show set, however, I don't think I ever saw McMahon do a single thing of interest.
He hosted Star Search and was a pitch man for Publisher's Clearinghouse and a bunch of infomercials, but nothing notable. Apparently all those side jobs didn't provide enough income for the high-living second banana because he was threatened with eviction from his Beverly Hills home last year.
McMahon's belly laugh and his "He-e-e-e-e-e-re's Johnny" introduction were signatures of the classic talk show and his repartee with the witty Carson -- especially in the famous Carnac the mystic skits -- were part of the daily lives of so many loyal fans, myself included, which ran on NBC for a whopping 30 years -- from 1962 to 1992.
I and many others still consider Johnny Carson the all-time king of late night TV and nobody else has ever matched his humorous monlogues, his on-the-spot quips, and his ability to interview people from celebrities to average joes.
Johnny died in 2005 and today's passing of Ed McMahon marks the end of a golden era of television.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 23, 2009

It's hard to believe that Michael Jackson, King of Pop, is dead at 50, isn't it?
He has been part of our pop culture world since he was just 5 years old.
Reports are surfacing today that he had a daily injection of demerol, a synthetic version of heroin, and that an overdose might have caused his death.
Poor Michael, he didn't really have a childhood and now he won't get to have an old age.
He was a brilliant singer and entertainer, but he also was a bizarre and troubled individual. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be MJ.
Here is a collection of newspaper front pages from today, almost all of which featured Jackson. I'm surprised that any paper chose not to put Jackson's death at the top of A-1.
This tragedy follows the death of Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon and came on the same day as Farrah Fawcett's death. A sad week for American pop culture.
* * *
I never met Michael Jackson but came close. In 1997, the Jackson 5 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the ceremony was held in Cleveland at the Rock Hall. Inductees met the press in a separate room for group interviews. That year's class featured Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell, Parliament-Funkadelic, The (Young) Rascals, The Bee Gees, and the Jackson Five.
When it came time for the Jacksons to meet the press, I was in the front row of this rather small room. I saw them walking behind a curtain. Just before they stepped out, I heard Michael whispering. "Nooooo, I can't do it." His brothers tried to encourage him to come out onto the stage with them and answer questions, saying it was about the music. There were, of course, some allegations of child abuse surrounding Michael at the time.
He never did come out. I could see his sparkly silver shoes through the opening between the curtain and the floor. After a few awkward minutes, the four other Jackson brothers walked out but Michael stayed behind the curtain. He then scooted away, never coming out to talk to reporters.
* * *
I was at a bookstore in Tower City, downtown Cleveland, during the festivities and the clerk said I just missed Michael. He had been dressed up like an old man as a disguise, the clerk said. But of course everyone knew who he was. Nobody and nothing could disguise that unique face, whatever stage of plastic surgery he was in at the time.
* * *
To me, one of the funniest Jackson stories occurred in 2001 when he was performing at Madison Square Garden. I was watching the show on TV when he seemed to suddenly put his hand to his face and went offstage for a moment.
Rumors flew that his weird plastic-surgeried-to-the-max nose had fallen off and landed in the second row. Next thing you know, the rumors said his nose was for sale on eBay.
Never really knew what happened to Michael during the concert, but there was no truth to the nose-for-sale rumors.
* * *
June 26, 2009
Toledo, Ohio

This story first ran on Beliefnet in December, 2000.

My Childhood, My Sabbath, My Freedom

What I wanted more than anything was to be ordinary. The Sabbath was when I could be.

By Michael Jackson

In one of our conversations together, my friend Rabbi Shmuley told me that he had asked some of his colleagues–-writers, thinkers, and artists-–to pen their reflections on the Sabbath. He then suggested that I write down my own thoughts on the subject, a project I found intriguing and timely due to the recent death of Rose Fine, a Jewish woman who was my beloved childhood tutor and who traveled with me and my brothers when we were all in the Jackson Five.

Last Friday night I joined Rabbi Shmuley, his family, and their guests for the Sabbath dinner at their home. What I found especially moving was when Shmuley and his wife placed their hands on the heads of their young children, and blessed them to grow to be like Abraham and Sarah, which I understand is an ancient Jewish tradition. This led me to reminisce about my own childhood, and what the Sabbath meant to me growing up.

When people see the television appearances I made when I was a little boy--8 or 9 years old and just starting off my lifelong music career--they see a little boy with a big smile. They assume that this little boy is smiling because he is joyous, that he is singing his heart out because he is happy, and that he is dancing with an energy that never quits because he is carefree.

But while singing and dancing were, and undoubtedly remain, some of my greatest joys, at that time what I wanted more than anything else were the two things that make childhood the most wondrous years of life, namely, playtime and a feeling of freedom. The public at large has yet to really understand the pressures of childhood celebrity, which, while exciting, always exacts a very heavy price.

More than anything, I wished to be a normal little boy. I wanted to build tree houses and go to roller-skating parties. But very early on, this became impossible. I had to accept that my childhood would be different than most others. But that's what always made me wonder what an ordinary childhood would be like.

There was one day a week, however, that I was able to escape the stages of Hollywood and the crowds of the concert hall. That day was the Sabbath. In all religions, the Sabbath is a day that allows and requires the faithful to step away from the everyday and focus on the exceptional. I learned something about the Jewish Sabbath in particular early on from Rose, and my friend Shmuley further clarified for me how, on the Jewish Sabbath, the everyday life tasks of cooking dinner, grocery shopping, and mowing the lawn are forbidden so that humanity may make the ordinary extraordinary and the natural miraculous. Even things like shopping or turning on lights are forbidden. On this day, the Sabbath, everyone in the world gets to stop being ordinary.

But what I wanted more than anything was to be ordinary. So, in my world, the Sabbath was the day I was able to step away from my unique life and glimpse the everyday.

Sundays were my day for "Pioneering," the term used for the missionary work that Jehovah's Witnesses do. We would spend the day in the suburbs of Southern California, going door to door or making the rounds of a shopping mall, distributing our Watchtower magazine. I continued my pioneering work for years and years after my career had been launched.

Up to 1991, the time of my Dangerous tour, I would don my disguise of fat suit, wig, beard, and glasses and head off to live in the land of everyday America, visiting shopping plazas and tract homes in the suburbs. I loved to set foot in all those houses and catch sight of the shag rugs and La-Z-Boy armchairs with kids playing Monopoly and grandmas baby-sitting and all those wonderfully ordinary and, to me, magical scenes of life. Many, I know, would argue that these things seem like no big deal. But to me they were positively fascinating.

The funny thing is, no adults ever suspected who this strange bearded man was. But the children, with their extra intuition, knew right away. Like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, I would find myself trailed by eight or nine children by my second round of the shopping mall. They would follow and whisper and giggle, but they wouldn't reveal my secret to their parents. They were my little aides. Hey, maybe you bought a magazine from me. Now you're wondering, right?

Sundays were sacred for two other reasons as I was growing up. They were both the day that I attended church and the day that I spent rehearsing my hardest. This may seem against the idea of "rest on the Sabbath," but it was the most sacred way I could spend my time: developing the talents that God gave me. The best way I can imagine to show my thanks is to make the very most of the gift that God gave me.

Church was a treat in its own right. It was again a chance for me to be "normal." The church elders treated me the same as they treated everyone else. And they never became annoyed on the days that the back of the church filled with reporters who had discovered my whereabouts. They tried to welcome them in. After all, even reporters are the children of God.

When I was young, my whole family attended church together in Indiana. As we grew older, this became difficult, and my remarkable and truly saintly mother would sometimes end up there on her own. When circumstances made it increasingly complex for me to attend, I was comforted by the belief that God exists in my heart, and in music and in beauty, not only in a building. But I still miss the sense of community that I felt there--I miss the friends and the people who treated me like I was simply one of them. Simply human. Sharing a day with God.

When I became a father, my whole sense of God and the Sabbath was redefined. When I look into the eyes of my son, Prince, and daughter, Paris, I see miracles and I see beauty. Every single day becomes the Sabbath. Having children allows me to enter this magical and holy world every moment of every day. I see God through my children. I speak to God through my children. I am humbled for the blessings He has given me.

There have been times in my life when I, like everyone, has had to wonder about God's existence. When Prince smiles, when Paris giggles, I have no doubts. Children are God's gift to us. No--they are more than that--they are the very form of God's energy and creativity and love. He is to be found in their innocence, experienced in their playfulness.

My most precious days as a child were those Sundays when I was able to be free. That is what the Sabbath has always been for me. A day of freedom. Now I find this freedom and magic every day in my role as a father. The amazing thing is, we all have the ability to make every day the precious day that is the Sabbath. And we do this by rededicating ourselves to the wonders of childhood. We do this by giving over our entire heart and mind to the little people we call son and daughter. The time we spend with them is the Sabbath. The place we spend it is called Paradise.

I would probably have to tighten my belt a little if I had to hand over $171 billion... BILLION! ... wouldn't you? -- David

Madoff ordered to forfeit $171 billion

By TOM McELROY

Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Bernard Madoff would be stripped of all his possessions under a $171 billion forfeiture order handed down only days before prosecutors seek to put the disgraced financier away in prison for the rest of his life.
U.S. District Judge Denny Chin entered the preliminary order Friday, ruling that Madoff must give up his interests in all property, including real estate, investments, cars and boats.
The forfeiture represents the total amount that could be connected to Madoff’s fraud, not the amount stolen or lost, and the order made clear that nothing prevents other departments or entities from seeking to recover additional funds.
A call to Madoff’s lawyer, Ira Sorkin, after hours Friday was not immediately returned. In a court filing in March, Sorkin said the government’s forfeiture demand of $177 billion was “grossly overstated — and misleading — even for a case of this magnitude.”
The 71-year-old Madoff pleaded guilty in March to charges that his exclusive investment advisory business was actually a massive Ponzi scheme. Federal prosecutors say Madoff orchestrated perhaps the largest financial swindle in history.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lev Dassin, who released a copy of the order Friday night, plans to seek a 150-year prison term at Madoff’s sentencing Monday. Sorkin has argued in court papers for a 12-year term.
According to Friday’s order, the government also settled claims against Madoff’s wife. Under the arrangement, the government obtained Ruth Madoff’s interest in all property, including more than $80 million-worth that she had claimed was hers, prosecutors said. The order left her $2.5 million in assets.
The agreements strip the Madoffs of all their interest in properties belonging to them, including homes in Manhattan, Montauk, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., worth a total of nearly $22 million. The Madoff’s must also forfeit all insured or salable personal property contained in the homes.
Other seized assets include accounts at Cohmad Securities Corp., valued at almost $50 million, and at Wachovia Bank, valued at just over $13 million, and tens of millions of dollars in loans extended by Madoff to family, employees and friends.
The judge’s order also authorized the U.S. Marshals Service to sell the Manhattan co-op, properties in Montauk and Palm Beach and certain cars and boats.
At the time of Madoff’s arrest, fictitious account statements showed thousands of clients had $65 billion. But investigators say he never traded securities, and instead used money from new investors to pay returns to existing clients.
Prosecutors said the total losses, which span decades, haven’t been calculated. But 1,341 accounts opened since December 1995 alone suffered loses of $13.2 billion, they said.
“The sheer scale of the fraud calls for severe punishment,” the prosecutors wrote in response to the defense motion seeking lighter punishment.
Prosecutors said federal sentencing guidelines allow for the 150-year term, and any lesser sentence should still be long enough to send a forceful message and “assure that Madoff will remain in prison for life.”
The government’s papers quoted from letters to Chin written by victims of the scheme who are suffering severe hardships. Madoff “ruined lives,” one letter said. “He deserves no mercy.”
But Sorkin argued in filings that his client deserved credit for his voluntary surrender, full acceptance of responsibility and meaningful cooperation efforts.
“We seek neither mercy nor sympathy,” Sorkin wrote.
He urged the judge to “set aside the emotion and hysteria attendant to this case” as he determines the sentence.
————
Associated Press writer Tom Hays in New York also contributed to this report.
/AP-CS-06-27-09 0332EDT

Here is a good example of how NOT to launch your boat.

A week ago tonight, one of the most unique individuals I've ever met was attacked in one of the most senseless acts of violence you'll ever hear about.
Dr. Robert Brundage, 66, was riding his bicycle from a meeting in Toledo's Old West End neighborhood when a 15-year-old boy punched him in the head and stole his bicycle.
Dr. Brundage had his helmet knocked off by the blow and fell onto a grassy strip, unconscious.
He has been in critical condition in a local hospital's ICU wing, basically unresponsive ever since.
A Toledo native, Dr. Brundage earned a PhD in biophysics from Brandeis and lived in the Boston area for years before returning to Toledo in 1998.
Since then, he has worked tirelessly to improve the community and to make this world a better place in many ways for many people -- including troubled inner-city teens like his assailant, Dailahntae Jemison, who confessed to the attack.
That a man who worked selflessly for the betterment of society was punched and sent into a coma by a bicycle thief is tragic enough.
But compounding the irony is the fact that just a few blocks from where Dr. Brundage was hit, the Toledo Bicycle Co-Operative was open and giving away bikes to anyone willing to do a little work to earn it. Dailahntae Jemison could have gotten a free bike, there was no need to slug a defenseless, kind-hearted and gentle man like Dr. Brundage.
* * *
Dr. Bob was taken off a respirator last weekend and is now breathing on his own, a positive sign. Some visitors have said he responds with blinks but others have said there are no such visible signs of consciousness.
He has a broken jawbone, cranial bleeding and heart complications.
* * *
Nobody really knows all the groups and organizations Dr. Brundage is involved in, but he attended almost every Toledo school board meeting and most of the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio events (where I met him years ago), Community Shares, Collingwood Arts Center, Toledo Poetry Foundation, Citizens for Buckeye Basin Parks, the Metroparks, the Urban Coalition, Toledo Area Jobs with Justice, Toledo Grows, Toledo Metropolitan Council of Governments, and Toledo Central City Neighborhoods Community Development.
He rides his bike to all these meetings, preferring to be involved with the world while saving energy rather than shielded from society inside a moving steel and glass gas-burning vehicle.
He also is a classically trained cellist.
* * *
One of his friends I interviewed had a great quote about Bob that didn't make it into print:
"

Bob’s a perfect example of a guy or a situation where you do not judge a book by the cover. He dresses rather scraggly, has a scraggly beard, he wears suspenders, the whole bit. I don't think he really cares about what people think, but at the same time he cares a lot about people."