Keywords by David Yonke

I may have pulled a little sleight-of-hand trick with that headline, but here's what it means:
We went to Rockford this weekend to see our precious daughter Lisa who celebrated her birthday today (Happy Birthday, Darling!). We had a great time, the whole family was there for part of the weekend.
Rockford, where Lisa is on staff at Rockford First church, is the hometown of Cheap Trick. When we got back home to Sylvania tonight, I decided to skip the Grammys and watch "It Might Get Loud." That guitar-centric documentary features three musicians including the Edge -- hence the headline -- along with Jack White and Jimmy Page.
It's sort of an odd, but interesting, trio of guitarists from three different eras each with his own distinctive style and voice.
The documentary is interesting especially for a guitar fan with an interest in rock and blues history like myself. I thought the film would feature more interplay among the three musicians but it basically consists of three separate stories woven together with a few brief moments of the three together. Still worthwhile for serious music fans.
(As a side note, I've never had the pleasure of interviewing Jimmy Page or Dave Evans aka the Edge, but I did get to ask Jack White a few questions by e-mail).
* * *
Here are two great quotes I scribbled down while watching the film:

"'Spinal Tap,' that's a movie that I watched. I didn't laugh, I wept. It was so close to the truth."

"Wanna figure out how you want to play guitar, what your niche would be, you just start digging deeper. When you're digging deeper into rock and roll, you're on a freight train headed straight for the blues."

I didn't write this one down but Page said music critics just never understood Led Zeppelin, and when Led Zep IV came out they (Rolling Stone? he didn't say) wrote a mere one paragraph review.
The album "had a lot on it," Page commented, citing "When the Levee Breaks," "Black Dog," and "Stairway to Heaven." That really IS quite a lot, deserving of some serious musical criticism.
He stopped reading reviews after that.
Page had a reputation as a real wildman when he was in Zeppelin, living life to the max and beyond. He rarely gave interviews and had this mysterious aura about him. There were all kinds of rumors about him and the occult, living in Alistair Crowley's house and writing "Stairway" through "automatic writing," which some would say is demonic possession.
I have no idea if there was any truth to any of those rumors, but Jimmy Page seems very normal and very sober in "It Might Get Loud."
And the former London session guitarist is an awesome musician. His sound and fury on "Whole Lotta Love" is one of the most primal and powerful guitar riffs in rock and roll history.

* * *
While in Schaumburg we went to a movie, which some say is a cute chick flick but as far as I'm concerned it was one of the worst movies I've ever seen: "When in Rome."
It ranged from predictable to ridiculous to pathetic. I think I almost laughed once and was constantly fighting the urge to get out my blackberry and surf the net.
Danny DeVito's role as "the sausage king" is destined for the Hall of Shame.
Don't be a fool with your hard-earned money and don't encourage Hollywood to make more drivel... Do your part and stay far away from "When In Rome."

Today's the anniversary of the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. Sad day in pop music history. Buddy Holly had an enormous impact on rock and roll in his all-too-brief time on this planet.
* * *
A few news stories that came up recently made me think again how suddenly someone can be thrown into the midst of difficult or impossible circumstances, without warning or preparation.
One woman was driving along a Toledo street last month when she witnessed a rape being committed in broad daylight. She called 911 and the alleged rapist was caught within a few hours. But the woman who saw the crime said she has been haunted by it and has had trouble sleeping. She wishes she had intervened. Police said she did the right thing, however. It's best for citizens to call police rather than put themselves at risk. Still, a tough situation for anyone. And who knows how many people drove by without doing anything at all.
Second, a Fremont man was in his yard near the semi-frozen Sandusky River when he saw some children go through the broken ice. The man tried to rescue them by throwing the kids a rope but it was to no avail.
The man talked to a reporter, crying the whole time, about how he tried to help but could not save the boys. He said he is not a good swimmer, wished he could have done more. One boy survived but three drowned.
What a pressure situation to be in. What would anyone do? At least the man tried.

Two different scenarios, two innocent bystanders find themselves thrust into emergency scenarios -- one a horrible crime and the other literally a life-or-death moment. The memories of those moments will stay with these people for the rest of their lives.

I have no answers, just the observation that life is full of surprises that you cannot prepare for, except to do whatever you can when the situations arise.
* * *
We're going to miss Kurt Warner on the football field. His story is unique and inspiring -- going from stocking shelves at a grocery store to throwing footballs for millions of dollars in the NFL and even winning the Super Bowl.
All the while, Warner was upfront and bold about his Christian faith, without being obnoxious. My wife Janet is one of his biggest fans, mainly because he's a fierce competitor, a good Christian man, and, as she points out often, he's good looking.

I deactivated my Facebook account. It was getting to be too much hassle for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is that people were sending me stuff related to my work and expecting me to act upon it. I only did FB for fun and want to separate my private life from my professional life.
I also was too lenient in letting people be my "friend". I didn't know everyone who signed on and figured some of them read my book or some article I had written. When one of them happened to be an attractive young lady it created some tensions at home and I didn't need that.
Besides, I rarely was on FB. I never look at people's profiles. I posted updates once in a while from my blackberry and the blog on davidyonke.com was linked to FB, so whenever I posted a blog it would pop up on Facebook and I'd often get comments about it.

Now people can just go to my website if they want to read my blog. Here is a link.

That will be better for me anyway, because it will give me a more accurate account of how many readers and hits the blog is getting. Last week my blog had more than 4,300 unique visits, and that doesn't count the people who read it on FB.
Anyway, if you were a FB "friend" and want to stay in touch you can read my blog and send me emails. My work email address can be found all over the internet. My personal email is davidyonke@hotmail.com.
Or you can follow me on Twitter. I might be using that more frequently now. My Twitter name is Whirlpeace.
Hasta la vista, amigos y amigas.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

______________________________________________________________________

February 4, 2010

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

AT THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

Washington Hilton
Washington, D.C.

9:08 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much. Please be seated.

Thank you so much. Heads of state, Cabinet members, my outstanding Vice President, members of Congress, religious leaders, distinguished guests, Admiral Mullen -- it's good to see all of you. Let me begin by acknowledging the co-chairs of this breakfast, Senators Isakson and Klobuchar, who embody the sense of fellowship at the heart of this gathering. They're two of my favorite senators. Let me also acknowledge the director of my faith-based office, Joshua DuBois, who is here. Where's Joshua? He's out there somewhere. He's doing great work. (Applause.)

I want to commend Secretary Hillary Clinton on her outstanding remarks, and her outstanding leadership at the State Department. She's doing good every day. (Applause.) I'm especially pleased to see my dear friend, Prime Minister Zapatero, and I want him to relay America's greetings to the people of Spain. And Johnny, you are right, I'm deeply blessed, and I thank God every day for being married to Michelle Obama. (Applause.)

I'm privileged to join you once again, as my predecessors have for over half a century. Like them, I come here to speak about the ways my faith informs who I am -- as a President, and as a person. But I'm also here for the same reason that all of you are, for we all share a recognition -- one as old as time -- that a willingness to believe, an openness to grace, a commitment to prayer can bring sustenance to our lives.

There is, of course, a need for prayer even in times of joy and peace and prosperity. Perhaps especially in such times prayer is needed -- to guard against pride and to guard against complacency. But rightly or wrongly, most of us are inclined to seek out the divine not in the moment when the Lord makes His face shine upon us, but in moments when God's grace can seem farthest away.

Last month, God's grace, God's mercy, seemed far away from our neighbors in Haiti. And yet I believe that grace was not absent in the midst of tragedy. It was heard in prayers and hymns that broke the silence of an earthquake's wake. It was witnessed among parishioners of churches that stood no more, a roadside congregation, holding bibles in their laps. It was felt in the presence of relief workers and medics; translators; servicemen and women, bringing water and food and aid to the injured.

One such translator was an American of Haitian descent, representative of the extraordinary work that our men and women in uniform do all around the world -- Navy Corpsman Christian [sic] Brossard. And lying on a gurney aboard the USNS Comfort, a woman asked Christopher: "Where do you come from? What country? After my operation," she said, "I will pray for that country." And in Creole, Corpsman Brossard responded, "Etazini." The United States of America.

God's grace, and the compassion and decency of the American people is expressed through the men and women like Corpsman Brossard. It's expressed through the efforts of our Armed Forces, through the efforts of our entire government, through similar efforts from Spain and other countries around the world. It's also, as Secretary Clinton said, expressed through multiple faith-based efforts. By evangelicals at World Relief. By the American Jewish World Service. By Hindu temples, and mainline Protestants, Catholic Relief Services, African American churches, the United Sikhs. By Americans of every faith, and no faith, uniting around a common purpose, a higher purpose.

It's inspiring. This is what we do, as Americans, in times of trouble. We unite, recognizing that such crises call on all of us to act, recognizing that there but for the grace of God go I, recognizing that life's most sacred responsibility -- one affirmed, as Hillary said, by all of the world's great religions -- is to sacrifice something of ourselves for a person in need.

Sadly, though, that spirit is too often absent when tackling the long-term, but no less profound issues facing our country and the world. Too often, that spirit is missing without the spectacular tragedy, the 9/11 or the Katrina, the earthquake or the tsunami, that can shake us out of complacency. We become numb to the day-to-day crises, the slow-moving tragedies of children without food and men without shelter and families without health care. We become absorbed with our abstract arguments, our ideological disputes, our contests for power. And in this Tower of Babel, we lose the sound of God's voice.

Now, for those of us here in Washington, let's acknowledge that democracy has always been messy. Let's not be overly nostalgic. (Laughter.) Divisions are hardly new in this country. Arguments about the proper role of government, the relationship between liberty and equality, our obligations to our fellow citizens -- these things have been with us since our founding. And I'm profoundly mindful that a loyal opposition, a vigorous back and forth, a skepticism of power, all of that is what makes our democracy work.

And we've seen actually some improvement in some circumstances. We haven't seen any canings on the floor of the Senate any time recently. (Laughter.) So we shouldn't over-romanticize the past. But there is a sense that something is different now; that something is broken; that those of us in Washington are not serving the people as well as we should. At times, it seems like we're unable to listen to one another; to have at once a serious and civil debate. And this erosion of civility in the public square sows division and distrust among our citizens. It poisons the well of public opinion. It leaves each side little room to negotiate with the other. It makes politics an all-or-nothing sport, where one side is either always right or always wrong when, in reality, neither side has a monopoly on truth. And then we lose sight of the children without food and the men without shelter and the families without health care.

Empowered by faith, consistently, prayerfully, we need to find our way back to civility. That begins with stepping out of our comfort zones in an effort to bridge divisions. We see that in many conservative pastors who are helping lead the way to fix our broken immigration system. It's not what would be expected from them, and yet they recognize, in those immigrant families, the face of God. We see that in the evangelical leaders who are rallying their congregations to protect our planet. We see it in the increasing recognition among progressives that government can't solve all of our problems, and that talking about values like responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage are integral to any anti-poverty agenda. Stretching out of our dogmas, our prescribed roles along the political spectrum, that can help us regain a sense of civility.

Civility also requires relearning how to disagree without being disagreeable; understanding, as President [Kennedy] said, that "civility is not a sign of weakness." Now, I am the first to confess I am not always right. Michelle will testify to that. (Laughter.) But surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith, or, for that matter, my citizenship. (Laughter and applause.)

Challenging each other's ideas can renew our democracy. But when we challenge each other's motives, it becomes harder to see what we hold in common. We forget that we share at some deep level the same dreams -- even when we don't share the same plans on how to fulfill them.

We may disagree about the best way to reform our health care system, but surely we can agree that no one ought to go broke when they get sick in the richest nation on Earth. We can take different approaches to ending inequality, but surely we can agree on the need to lift our children out of ignorance; to lift our neighbors from poverty. We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are -- whether it's here in the United States or, as Hillary mentioned, more extremely in odious laws that are being proposed most recently in Uganda.

Surely we can agree to find common ground when possible, parting ways when necessary. But in doing so, let us be guided by our faith, and by prayer. For while prayer can buck us up when we are down, keep us calm in a storm; while prayer can stiffen our spines to surmount an obstacle -- and I assure you I'm praying a lot these days -- (laughter) -- prayer can also do something else. It can touch our hearts with humility. It can fill us with a spirit of brotherhood. It can remind us that each of us are children of a awesome and loving God.

Through faith, but not through faith alone, we can unite people to serve the common good. And that's why my Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has been working so hard since I announced it here last year. We've slashed red tape and built effective partnerships on a range of uses, from promoting fatherhood here at home to spearheading interfaith cooperation abroad. And through that office we've turned the faith-based initiative around to find common ground among people of all beliefs, allowing them to make an impact in a way that's civil and respectful of difference and focused on what matters most.

It is this spirit of civility that we are called to take up when we leave here today. That's what I'm praying for. I know in difficult times like these -- when people are frustrated, when pundits start shouting and politicians start calling each other names -- it can seem like a return to civility is not possible, like the very idea is a relic of some bygone era. The word itself seems quaint -- civility.

But let us remember those who came before; those who believed in the brotherhood of man even when such a faith was tested. Remember Dr. Martin Luther King. Not long after an explosion ripped through his front porch, his wife and infant daughter inside, he rose to that pulpit in Montgomery and said, "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."

In the eyes of those who denied his humanity, he saw the face of God.

Remember Abraham Lincoln. On the eve of the Civil War, with states seceding and forces gathering, with a nation divided half slave and half free, he rose to deliver his first Inaugural and said, "We are not enemies, but friends… Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection."

Even in the eyes of confederate soldiers, he saw the face of God.

Remember William Wilberforce, whose Christian faith led him to seek slavery's abolition in Britain; he was vilified, derided, attacked; but he called for "lessening prejudices [and] conciliating good-will, and thereby making way for the less obstructed progress of truth."

In the eyes of those who sought to silence a nation's conscience, he saw the face of God.

Yes, there are crimes of conscience that call us to action. Yes, there are causes that move our hearts and offenses that stir our souls. But progress doesn't come when we demonize opponents. It's not born in righteous spite. Progress comes when we open our hearts, when we extend our hands, when we recognize our common humanity. Progress comes when we look into the eyes of another and see the face of God. That we might do so -- that we will do so all the time, not just some of the time -- is my fervent prayer for our nation and the world.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

(9:25 AM)

We had a little snow last night -- probably 2 or 3 inches. Nothing compared to the DC area. Strange how the biggest snowstorms so far have skated past northern Ohio and pummeled the more southern states like Virginia and Maryland.
I'm not complaining.
I shoveled the sidewalk and driveway this morning but it wasn't bad, especially since Dustin (my son-in-law) shoveled it last night.
* * *
Here's a word from today's Bible reading:

"Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." -- Exodus 23:19.

Just in case you were wondering.
* * *
I really enjoyed meeting and interviewing Leah Stern, a tv news anchor in Israel who was making a speaking tour of the United States. She was born in the United States (Detroit, actually) and grew up in Miami before moving to Israel at age 24. She's 29 now and is the news anchor of the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, an English-speaking government owned station.
She's a special person, funny and smart and very perceptive. She is someone who inspires others around her. I'm not surprised Leah moved up the ladder so quickly. I'm also not surprised she gets marriage proposals from around the world. She said one guy in Mexico proposes weekly and another guy in Jamaica always says how much he loves "the blonde blue-eyed Jew girl." Unfortunately for them, she got married a year ago.
Here is a link to the article I wrote that ran today.
* * *
Still adapting to life without facebook. I didn't use it that much but it did provide some kind of ethereal link to many old friends and relatives. Just knowing it was there was a comfort. On the other hand it was also a hassle. As you can see, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. I will keep pondering.
* * *
I'm now reading "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King, about the 14th century goldsmith-turned-architect who designed the huge and majestic dome of the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral that still graces the skyline today of Florence, Italy.
It was an architectural wonder of its day and Filippo Brunelleschi's innovative design and scientific insights were amazing. King is a clear, thorough and concise writer, very impressive.
* * *
I'm almost done listening to the audio book (while driving) "Soul Survivor" by Dean Koontz. This is another amazingly taut and intriguing tale that keeps you gripped from the start, although it does get a little heavyhanded at moments in its descriptions. The plot takes a few really fantastic turns but it all sounds logical in Koontz's masterful hands as he blends a real-world thriller with human suffering, mourning, and paranoia that leads to an unforgettable supernatural showdown.
* * *
I'm also going back over the lessons in "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess." Fischer was the most exciting chess player ever and it is a treat to read his thoughts on strategy and tactics.

Any excuse for a party, right?
I don't watch NFL football very much and only care about a few teams, particularly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because I was living in Tampa when the team was launched and lost its first 23 games. That kind of streak will separate the real fans from the posers.
So tonight the mighty New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts will square off in the Super Bowl.
A Nielsen survey showed that 51 percent of the estimated 98 million people who will be watching said they tune into the Super Bowl for the commercials while 49 percent said they watch it for the football.
(The commercials sell for $2 million to $3 million for 30 seconds. Kind of hard to fathom how that makes sense in this depression era.)
I think for most people it's a day when friends and family get together and have a good time.
At this point I think I will be rooting for the Saints because of what the city went through with Katrina and also because the team has never won a Super Bowl.
Also, how can a Christian root against a team whose nickname is the Saints?
Just kidding.
The Colts are a good team but since Tony Dungy retired as head coach there's nobody on the Colts I really care about. And I still think they should be in Baltimore... Showing my age here.
Dungy, incidentally, will be speaking in Toledo at Central Catholic High School in March. I might go see him.
So have a fun time tonight and don't eat too many nachos.
* * *
Watched a movie recently called "Serenity," and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the writing and the sci-fi action. It was written and directed by Joss Whedon and I was trying to place that name... thanks to IMDB.com, I found that Whedon was the guy who wrote Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I never really watched that show but I have some friends who love it and I know it was intelligently written. "Serenity" had some terrific dialogue and I loved the characters, who were witty and had depth, especially the ship's captain.

Summer Glau played a big part as a pschotic government research project who shows surprising powers. She was great as a terminator in the Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series.

This little amusing historical question is from my daily Car Talk desk calendar:

Question:
In 1415, English King Henry V invaded France. After months of battle without victory, Henry decided to pack his bags. His army was tired, ill, and desperate for a proper cup of Earl Grey.

The French had outnumbered the Brits four to one. They pledged to smash the invaders, then take the surviving Brits and remove certain body parts so they couldn't fight again. (Not those parts, sicko!).

Heavy rain fell, and the French got bogged down. The Brits wan! To celebrate, they displayed the parts that would have been cut off. What were they brandishing? (Hint: The gesture is now a popular symbol.)

Answer:
The English forces consisted primarily of longbow archers, while the French were bogged down in a valley. The English overwhelmed them with a rain of arrows from above.
Thye French had threatened to cut off the index and middle fingers of each bowman's right hand, which are used ot pull back the bowstring.
By holding up those two fingers, the English (not Richard Nixon) invented the "V" for Victory sign.

Sacre bleu!
After doing some quick research online, this piece of trivia is frequently cited as true, but there are some historians who express doubts. Good story, though.
My question:
How did the two fingers become a symbol for peace?

By Las Vegas standards, New Orleans' Super Bowl victory yesterday was an upset.
But from this religion journalist's point of view, how could anyone be surprised that a team named the Saints would be victorious?

Next year I'd like to see the Saints take on the New Jersey Devils in a caged battle royale.
We'll see who's side God is on and whether He really cares about trivial matters like the outcomes of sports matches.

* * *
Trivia for the day:

The word "plumber" comes from the Latin plumbum, for lead (the chemical). The danger of working with lead was known at least since the time of the Romans, when the architect Faventinus observed the "deformity" and "dreadful anemic pallor" of plumbers.

* * *

Got a press release today about a new band called the Cancer Bats. Brings up some bizarre images, in my mind.
Band names are often meaningless anyway.
What does a band name mean, anyway? As Paul McCartney once said, the Beatles is just a name, it could have been the Shoes, and the music would have been the same. Or as Shakespeare put it, A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

One time when I was covering the music beat there was a new band coming to town called the Ass Ponys (raise your hand if you ever heard of them... didn't think so.)
I was going to write about their upcoming concert in town but was concerned about whether my button-down editor would allow me to print the name in our newspaper.
After consulting with him about it, I could see he was very uncomfortable and struggling to find a way to accommodate my request without seeming either draconian or priggish.
On the spur of the moment, I came up with this crazy compromise: "How about if I just call them the Ponys?"
He let out an audible sigh of relief. "Can you do that? That would be great!"
So the Ass Ponys were renamed the Ponys just for one night, in one newspaper.
But their music was the same -- with or without the Ass.
(Hey, the word's in the Bible, don't be so judgmental!)

* * *
I got a phone call from someone today who went to seminary with Bishop Leonard Paul Blair of Toledo. He did not have very nice things to say about his classmate and future bishop. It was nothing scandalous, just very unflattering, and I won't repeat them in this space.
He did have something positive to say about Bishop Blair, however. He said he was "a real egghead" who got a 4.0 plus.
* * *
I received a separate phone call today from a reader complaining about the diocese's decision to rename some Fremont Catholic schools after the late Bishop James Hoffman. (Here is a link to the story).
I always liked Bishop Hoffman as a person, and he was good to the local news media. But he led the diocese during the worst crisis in modern memory for the Roman Catholic church, when the clerical sexual abuse scandal broke, and that crisis caused a lot of grief for a lot of people. The pain and suffering are still very real for many people, as I often hear while making my daily rounds.

It's amazing what a phenomenon 'American Idol' has become. I thought about that when I saw Carrie Underwood singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. The show's impact is widespread and for some individuals it was truly life-changing.
We always enjoy watching it as a family, from the amusing weirdos in the early rounds to comparing our judgment of the top singers to what the panel of experts has to say.

The Yonke family now has an indirect connection to one of the contestants. Actually we've had a few previous connections but they involved people you didn't see much on the show even though they made it to Hollywood.

This time it's Rose Flack, the barefoot hippie chick who was orphaned and lived in her car. You might remember her from a previous season.

Rose is competing again and made it to Hollywood although she didn't get much airtime so far. Last year, she was going to the Dream Center church in Los Angeles and the pastor thought she needed to get away from some bad influences in her life, so he asked for help from a friend of his, the Rev. Jeremy DeWerdt in Rockford, Illinois. Pastor Jer is the pastor of Rockford First, the church where my daughter, Lisa, is on staff.
Rev. DeWerdt wound up asking Lisa and her roommates to take Rose in. They did, and roomed together for half a year or so until Rose went to L.A. for Idol. She is a great girl, Lisa says, although she used to carry a gerbil around in her purse everywhere they went. It was a little awkward when Rose let the gerbil run on the table of a restaurant. But the gerbil has since died.
Anyway, Rose has gotten stronger in her Christian walk and we'll see how she does with Simon, Randy, Kara, and Ellen in trying to be the next American Idol. I think she's on tonight.

As Iran keeps moving ahead with its nuclear program, the nation's supreme leader threatened Monday that Iran will deliver a "punch" that will stun world powers on Feb. 11.

Meanwhile, President Obama is threatening a “significant regime of sanctions” against Iran because it spurned an offer to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Here's the comment from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameini:

"The Iranian nation, with its unity and God's grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned." Khamenei, who is also Iran's commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel.

I've got to wonder if the threat of sanctions is enough to deter a hostile maniac from striking. Reason does not always prevail when emotions are running wild and paranoia has set in. Throw in a spark of religious zealotry and you've got an explosive mix.

Stay tuned.

An atheist group has been cutting down roadside crosses that individuals have erected as a way of memorializing loved ones who died in traffic accidents.
The group is even recommending certain power tools capable of cutting through the metal crosses.

"Roadside memorials ... are macabre eyesores and dangerous distractions," according to the group, Atheist Activist. Here is a link.

The crosses run "afoul of the law" ... and "raise serious church-state constitutional concerns because they usually feature religious symbols and are placed on state property," according to Robert R. Tiernan of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

So these activist atheists are urging like-minded folks to take matters into their own angle-grinder-equipped hands and hack these crosses down.

Sounds a bit cruel and extreme to me. What do you think?

My little puppy Annie loves the snow so much she wears it on her face!

The license plate on our Civic.

Driving to work on Tuesday... just as the storm was getting started.

My daughter Lisa bought me these green Kit-Kats when she was in Thailand. They tasted great but I don't know why they were green.

Here's where I do my penance as religion editor.

In reading "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King, I came across a section describing a war between Florence and Milan -- two city states -- in 1424.
Here is King's description of the duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti:

"He was demented even by the standards of the Visconti family. Terrified of thunder, he would cower in a soundproof room during storms, while in better weather he enjoyed rolling naked in the grass. Gluttonous and obese, he was unable to mount a horse or even walk unaided, and so sensitive was he about his ugliness that he refused to have his portrait painted. His second wife was imprisoned after the duke, a superstitious man, heard a dog howl on their wedding night. Her fate was preferable, however, to that of his first bride, who had been beheaded."

I read this remarkable description of a man to a friend and colleague and asked, "How would you like to be remembered in history like that?"
To which he replied: "At least he's remembered."

We laughed, but it made me think.

Is it an accomplishment just to be remembered, even if it as a demented tyrant, or to be forgotten over time?

To me, and I am guessing for most people, it would be better to be "forgotten" in the history books than to "go down in history" as an infamous bloodthirsty maniac such as Hitler or Stalin or Pol Pot or the ugly, superstitious, rolling naked in the grass, wife-beheading Duke Filippo Maria.

It matters more that our families, friends, loved ones, and associates remember us fondly than to be known by the masses as a demented tyrant.

And of course, God remembers all of our thoughts and deeds, and he judges accordingly. We definitely want to be on his good side.

My daughter Lisa, who lives in Rockford, Illinois, was awakened by a jolt at 4 a.m. on Tuesday. It was an earthquake, of all things, registering 3.8 on the Richter scale.
Few people realize there are fault lines in the Midwest. I have felt two quakes in Toledo over the years. The first one was around 1988. I was sitting in the living room of our old house in West Toledo when I thought something hit the house. It was like a quick thud. I went outside, walked around the house, didn't see anything. Later I learned it was the exact time that a small earthquake registered on the Richter in Toledo, something around a 4.0.
The next time, more than a decade later, was when I was sitting in the newsroom. I felt the whole building shift. My first thought was that it was the start of the presses, those monstrous machines that print the paper. When they start up, there is a jolt that rumbles through the building. But it wasn't press time.
I said, "I think that was an earthquake," and my fellow reporters looked at me like I was crazy. The city editor, Jim Wilhelm, told a reporter to call the university of Toledo's geology department. Sure enough, the reporter said, it was a quake.
These are small blips in the movement of tectonic plates but it does show that there are more areas subject to tremors and quakes than the ones that first come to mind like California and Japan.
By the way, when we were in San Diego and admiring that city's beauty -- probably the most beautiful city in the US that I've seen, personally -- I remarked to a native that I loved it there but wouldn't want to go through an earthquake. Turns out San Diego is not on the San Andreas fault like L.A. and San Francisco. Although it's in Southern California, San Diego has only been thorugh one big earthquake in the last 100 years.
* * *
The big box office blockbuster this weekend is going to be "Valentine's Day." Doesn't matter what the critics say. What marketing and business geniuses put this film together?
It has such a long list of stars and it's about Valentine's Day and L-O-V-E and every girl in the world who can do it is going to drag her boyfriend or husband to the theaters.
It could be a critical bomb but it's going to rake in a ton of money in its opening weekend with such a starry lineup that includes Jennifer Garner, Ashton Kutcher, Patrick Dempsey, Anne Hathaway, Jessia Biel, George Lopez, Jessica Alba, and more.
Thanks be to God, I don't have to see it. My wife is going with my daughter tonight.
* * *
Yesterday was February 11, the day that Iran's Ayatollah Khameini threatened to deliver a "punch" to the western world. Looks like another empty threat. Nothing major happened yesterday. They ought to lock the ayatollah up and let the 7 imprisoned Baha'i leaders go free. Iran is a crazy and dangerous country and it poses much more of a threat than Iraq ever did.

* * *
It's snowing again this morning. We've had close to a foot of snow here, the most we've had in about 3 years. It's so beautiful when it's falling. Today the flakes were big and puffy and falling so softly, it looked like the dictionary definition of a snowy day.
I love the snow but don't like driving in it or shoveling it.
It's really another testimony to God's majesty, in my opinion. To think that everything works together so intricately, the way snow is created in the atmosphere, falls to earth, melts into the ground, and provides water and nutrients to flora and fauna just amazes me, plus it's so beautiful to watch.
Those who don't believe in God should at least acknowledge that there is an "intelligent designer" behind all of this, from our DNA to the stars in the universe to the falling snow. It's all too complicated to happen merely by chance.

We just got back from seeing "The Book of Eli" starring Denzel Washington. I knew very little about it but Denzel is one of only a handful of actors whom you can trust to make it worthwhile whenever he's in a film. I don't like all of his movies but at least he gives it his all and it's never boring (I strongly disliked "Training Day" and "Man on Fire," but those are the exceptions).

Anyway, "The Book of Eli" blew me away. When the film ended, I just sat there almost unable to move. My head was spinning from the film and its amazing message. In fact, my head is still reeling.

I feel like I should write something about it in the paper next week just to let spiritually minded people know what it's about, and to help them not miss something that they might find fascinating.

I won't reveal too much here, especially because I don't want to spoil any of the plot twists.

But at its heart, it's about a man on a mission. Eli lives in a bleak and violent post-nuclear-war world. Such a scenario has been played out countless times in Hollywood and is sometimes a mere cliche, but "Eli" is remarkably different. This man has been walking across the country for years with a Bible in his backpack.

The movie is about Eli and his mission, as well as the power of Scripture and the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

It is extremely violent in some scenes, and deserves its R rating. But the violence is integral to the story. I detest gratuitous violence and horror movies but felt the type and level of violence in "Eli" was appropriate and whenever it got close to the limit, the director pulled back.

Without saying or revealing anything more, if you don't mind some a little blood and guts and if you have a genuine reverence for, or just a keen interest in, God and scripture, go see "The Book of Eli" before it's gone from the theaters.

It's almost impossible to drive without some sort of distraction, whether it's the radio, CD, iPod, cassette tape, 8-track tape -- OK, not many 8 tracks on the road these days -- along with the most common kind of attention-diverter for today's drivers, cell phones. Then we have GPS devices, DVD players, laptops, Blackberrys and iPhones.
And if if it's silent inside your vehicle, there are external factors craving your attention such as billboards, people, animals, and goofy characters dressed as gorillas trying to get you to stop and buy a $5 large pizza with one topping.

Recently to my dismay, a semi-truck driver was indicted after a fatal accident and authorities alleged he had been watching pornography on his laptop while driving and plowed into the back of a car.

Last week, at the opposite end of the spiritual spectrum for diversions, a 66-year-old Toledo woman said she had been distracted by a message about Moses she was listening to on a Christian radio station (WPOS-FM) while driving to work.
That was the main reason, she said, that she drove past a school bus' flashing lights and stop sign, hitting and killing 15-year-old freshman, Morgan Duris, who was crossing the street to try to board the bus.

"I was listening to that and my mind was kind on that, and that's what did it," Cynthia Anderson told police of the radio program on Moses.

But Ms. Anderson had several other excuses, according to the police report:
* I was "looking at the school bus, I think, to see if that red thing was going to put out."
* "I was going to see the red thing and I was going to beat it."
* "I wasn't looking over there, I was looking at the school bus and the child darted out."
* "What anybody else says happened, it happened. To tell you the truth, I don't remember. I was looking at the school bus and I was trying to beat the school bus."

We'll see what the legal system decides about Ms. Anderson's culpability and what, if any, punishment she should face. But I don't think the courts will be banning Christian radio programs on Bible prophets.

Today, Feb. 15, is the birthday of Galileo Galilei, the Italian mathematician and astronomer. He was born in Pisa, the son of a musician, and was educated at the monastery of Vallombrosa near Florence, where his family moved in 1574.
He is best known for making improvements in the newly discovered telescope and using his observational and math skills to deduce that the earth rotated around the sun, and not vice versa.
For this, he was denounced by the Roman Catholic Church which claimed he was promoting anti-biblical views. This was particularly painful for Galileo, who was a devout Catholic.
The scientist spent the last 8 years of his life under house arrest, the sentence imposed by the Vatican.
As we all know today, time and science would prove him right.

I love to listen to "Car Talk" on NPR, with Tom and Ray Magliozzi, aka "Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers."

Although I don't listen to the show every week, which comes on at 10 a.m. Saturdays, I catch it as often as I can and always laugh along with these two fun-loving brothers who know so much about cars.
Recently, I watched their Nova documentary on "Future Cars" and thought they did a good job explaining the technology of such things as hydrogen fuel cells and electric cars.
They have a great website and one of the funniest things on it is when these two grown men try to imitate the sounds cars make when they are behaving badly.
Check it out for yourself right here.
For a guaranteed laugh, or at least a chuckle, click on #3 (rear), and then "Grandma."

I love the Winter Olympics but have not had much time to watch the events, until last night. I got caught up on the opening ceremony, women's alpine skiing, short track speed skating, and snowboarding.
So yes, I was something of a couch potato last night, but thanks to TiVo (actually its generic "DVR" equivalent through Dish Network), I was able to skip the commercials and the endless replays of every twist and turn seen from every angle, and the repetitive commentary from NBC's humongous lineup of experts, and just "cut to the chase".
* * *
I saw the Georgian luger's tragic accident for the first time on film. What a horror. Those guys go 90 mph on a tiny sled, feet first.
Imagine going down the highway at 90 just inches from the ground! It's a miracle more people don't die on the luge.
As one commentator said, the world's top lugers can handle such a high-speed track, it's the inexperienced athletes from smaller countries who don't get the chance to practive enough that face the greatest danger.
The relatively new Vancouver sliding track had pushed the sport to the limit -- and beyond -- and it's clear in retrospect that there should have been a barrier between the track and the metal poles the luger hit when he flew off the ice.
Very sad that the accident happened and a sad way to start the games.

* * *
Shaun White is simply amazing. The little guy with the long red curls, whom the Italian media dubbled "The Flying Tomato" at the 2006 games in Torino, Italy, sure can fly.
He won Gold last night in snowboarding and had it wrapped up after the first run. On his second and final run, he finished with a move that nobody else has ever done, which he calls a double mctwist 1260, that drove the crowd and commentators wild
I was amazed from the first move when he just went straight up in the air, no twists or turns, off the half pipe. The guy just flies on that snowboard, soaring five or six feet higher than his competitors who are also the world's greatest snowboarders. He makes it look easy, which is the sign of a great athlete.
* * *
NBC had a camera crew next to him before his last run when his coach, Bud Keene, used a vulgar word on live TV, telling Shaun to make sure he "stomped the s--t" out of his "double mick."
The NBC announcer apologized for the language. That was not a classy thing to say on White's coach's part, but it's a risk you take with live TV. It was more NBC's fault than Keene's, sticking its nose and ears in what should have been a private conversation.
* * *
I saw Shaun White on "60 Minutes" last week. He's just a kid, really. I think he's 23. I got the impression that he's not the friendliest guy in the world. He's driven and he's cocky and admitted he doesn't socialize with the other American snowboarders.
But there's no doubt about his mad skills.
And he's making a decent living at it.
White drives a Lamborghini Murcielago, probably the coolest car on the planet. He wrecked one and got a new one.
The snowboarder earns $10 million a year, so I suppose he can afford it.
* * *
I got choked up when Lindsey Vonn won Gold in the women's downhill skiing. I don't follow the sport much but I know how much it meant to her, as it does to all Olympians, to win a medal. She had so much pressure on her and was so focused and determined. Making it worse, her right shin was severely bruised. She was in great pain but competed through it. I watched three women skiiers crash on that slope, which was more bumpy and harder than most downhill courses. When Vonn won, her joy was so great it was touching. You know she worked for years to get there, and she achieved her goal. It's the Olympics at its best.
* * *
Short track speed skating is a weird sport. I just don't get into it, although I tried. Apollo Ono and the gang are all amazing athletes but I can't seem to generate much enthusiasm for the sport. The relay was particularly weird, with the way they tag off and give each other shoves.
I'd rather watch curling.

Roger Thurow, journalist and author of "Enough: Why the World's Poorest Starve in an Age of Plenty," is appealing to churches to help overcome hunger.
He argues that the means and the resources to achieve that goal exist, but they need a grassroots "clamor" to force the gatekeepers to act.
In an interview in the February 2010 issue of Christianity Today, Thurow makes a number of strong points about what could and should be done. One of the big problems is that farmers in the poor nations bear enormous risks on climate, rains, prices, and more. In developed countries, the farmers have government support backing them.

"In Africa, farmers bear 100 percent of the risk. There are very little profits. In the United States, when a crop fails, somebody's writing a check, usually the government. In Africa, the crop fails and people die."

According to Thurow, the number of people at risk of starvation worldwide jumped from 850 million in 2008 to more than a billion last year, or about 16 percent of the world's population.
Churches can make an impact, and there are many ways to help. World Vision and Bread for the World are two organizations that jump to mind, but there are countless others who are making a difference.
As Jesus says in Matthew 25: "What you did to the least of these my brethren, you did unto me."

Filming in 1978, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of aFerrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris early in the morning . The film was limited for technical reasons to 10 minutes; the course was from Porte Dauphine, through the Louvre, to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur.

No streets were closed, for Lelouch was unable to obtain a permit. The driver completed the course in 8 minutes, reaching nearly 140 MPH in some stretches. The footage reveals him running 19 real red lights, nearly hitting a myriad of actual pedestrians, and driving the
wrong way up two bonafide one-way streets.

Upon showing the film in public for the first time, Lelouch was arrested. He has never revealed the identity of the driver, and the film went underground.

Turn on your sound and enjoy!

N.B.: In trying to check the veracity of this report, I found the following information on Wikipedia, a site that is usually accurate but not as reliable as a real news source or authoritative publications:

Lelouch is known for making movies based heavily on improvised dialogue.[citation needed]
He was arrested after his 1976 film, C'était un rendez-vous, featuring a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 being illegally driven at high speed through the streets of Paris, was first shown publicly.
Recent claims made by the director himself, however, suggest he drove his own Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 in the film and dubbed the sound effects of a Ferrari 275GTB.
At any rate, the driving in this video is real -- made long before the use of computer generated graphics. Whatever the case, it's still interesting to watch.

We went to Detroit last night to see a band I've really been anxious to see: Paper Tongues.
If you haven't heard me talk about them before, this is an up and coming band from South Carolina whose rhythm guitarist is a friend of my daugther and son-in-law. They all went to college in Australia together and when I heard Joey was in a band I was glad for him but my usual skeptical prove-you're-any-good self. I've heard so many new bands that sounded like any other band. As a music critic for ten years I've heard way too much music in my life and have fairly high standards.

When Paper Tongues' EP arrived and I gave it a listen, I was blown away. This is a terrific band with a fresh new sound and I've never heard anything like them. They are now categorized as "modern rock" but they mix so many different elements together including rock, rap, reggae, jazz, pop, and blues. You can't pigeonhole them.
Best of all, in my mind, anyway, is that they are all strong Christian guys but are not in the Christian marketplace. In other words, they won't sing songs that are negative influences on kids but they also don't preach to them. I think this is the highest calling of an artist today, to pursue excellence and positivity and let your art and your words have an impact that glorifies God whether or not the viewer or listener or reader realizes the source of your inspiration.
The show was in a tiny little bar called Small's, in the Detroit suburb of Hamtramck. It used to a totally Polish neighborhood but now it's like the United Nations. There were storefronts displaying colorful saris, a pizza joint called Al-Qarama's, and a video store advertising videos in Polish, Albanian, Arabic, Indian, and a few other languages.
We got the chance to hang out with Joey for a few hours before the show and he's just a great young man. One hour before showtime, the seven band members all go into the bus for what they call "lockdown." They do voice exercises, get into their stage clothes, and pray, among other things.
Afterward, I spoke briefly with the other band members and the lead singer, Aswan, told me the band is on a mission like Esther in the Book of Esther. She earned favor with the king and defeated the evil enemies who plotted against her. In such a way, Paper Tongues is infiltrating the rock world and offering something different, something positive and inspiring.
And all of that would be moot if they weren't so talented. Did I mention that the guy who signed them to their record deal is Randy Jackson of American Idol?
Joey sort of apologized to us for playing such a dumpy little bar last night but I told him it's really cool because the next time we see them they'll be playing concert halls and probably arenas after that. We can say we saw them and knew them when.

First of all, let's get Tiger Woods' little mea culpa out of the way. The golf superstar looked genuinely humbled, to me, in his televised press conference on Friday. He said all the right things and looked as though he truly meant them.

I can't imagine how difficult it was for this super-proud individual to stand up in front of the camera and talk about his deepest, darkest secrets and his personal failures. His mother was sitting in the front row, how much more humbling could it have been? But his wife was glaringly absent. I don't blame her for not attending.

In his statement, Woods seemed as if he were reciting verbatim the company line drawn up by therapists and counselors. It was all a bit too perfectly written in terms of its verbiage and phraseology. And yet, maybe it was an indication that he really is listening to and paying attention to his therapists.

He got indignant a few times, particularly in the way the media have stalked his family. That comes with the territory when you are the world's most famous athlete who's actions have caused a media frenzy.

Woods also was indignant over reports that he used performance-enhancing drugs. When he said that, I wondered if he meant on the golf course or in the bedroom (viagra?).

I hope Woods can turn things around, at least in his personal life. Whether he ever gets back on the pro golf circuit, I don't really care. He has proved his place in golf history as one of the greatest ever. If he comes back it will only be to seek cumulative goals like the most majors ever.

I'm assuming Tiger will be back, but that it likely will take another year or so before the thousands of PGA fans will let him step on to the quiet golf course without heckling. Time does heal wounds.
And also, as Ann Landers used to say, time wounds all heels.
* * *
Now on to more pleasant athletic news... the 2010 Olympics. I've enjoyed almost every minute that I've had the chance to watch, including curling. The Canada-Great Britain match was really interesting. Those guys can curve the stones around like laser-guided missiles.
The only event I couldn't get into was the biathlon, when they ski and shoot. I know it's difficult or it wouldn't be an Olympic sport. They kept showing if the shooters hit their 4 targets but I couldn't tell how far they were or how big they were. They might have explained that before the race but I missed it, and my ignorance made the event all that more boring.

The Christian Science Monitor had some interesting Olympics stats in its Feb. 7 edition. Among them:

The first modern Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix, France, with 313 athletes competing in 17 events.
In 2006 in Torino, Italy, there were 2,494 athletes competing in 84 events.
There were 19 countries competing in the 1924 games, and 97 nations in 2010.
A 30-second ad on NBC during the 2006 Olympics telecast cost $350,000. In 1996 it was $250,000.
Viewership was 3.6 billion in 2000 at the Sydney games, 2.1 billion in 2002 at Salt Lake City, 4.4 billion in 2008 at Beijing, and an estimated 3.0 billion in Vancouver this year.

It's snowing again. This has been one of the whitest Februaries in memory. It's beautiful when the snow is falling and immediately after, but then you get tired of it pretty quickly.
* * *
I haven't blogged for a few days because my schedule has just been jammed. The main concern was a paper I had to write for a course I'm taking at the University of Toledo. It was on Brunelleschi's Dome, a book by Ross King about the building of the famous dome at Santa Maria del Fiori cathedral in Florence. This remarkable dome was built in the 1400s and it was only through
Filippo Brunelleschi's visionary design and construction that it was possible. Very interesting book, interesting piece of history, and I enjoyed working on the paper. The premise was whether Brunelleschi built the dome as a tribute to man or a tribute to God.
I got a 97 and the professor said he thought I did a wonderful job. I'm quite proud of that since I don't write many academic paper.
* * *
I attended a morning seminar yesterday led by Dan Rogers, a pastor and CEO of Cherry Street Mission Ministries, which helps the poor and homeless. Dan is a very wise man who is well grounded in the Bible and putting biblical truths to work in the real world.
His basic message yesteday was that the churches need to stop putting all of their efforts into fixing societal problems after they occur, and devote some energy and resources to preventing the problems. Head upstream and cut off the problem before it hits downstream.
As the head of Cherry Street, he has seen the devastation in people's lives personally. And the number of people being helped at the mission has soared exponentially since he went on staff in 2001. But he would prefer not to have so many people in desperate need, but rather do something to keep them from getting to that point. And he has some practical ideas of how churches can accomplish that. It was a good seminar and my article about it will run tomorrow (2/27).
* * *
Last night was my last meeting as a deacon of my church. I've served two terms and now the constitution requires me to be off the board at least a year. It's been a great experience and opportunity to have been on the board for five years.
I've learned a lot and hopefully contributed something to the church.
I'm very pleased with how much the church has accomplished in those five years. We've paid off our mortgage and become debt free, built a cafe in the atrium that has become a popular place for people to hang out and fellowship, hired a new worship pastor, and developed numerous outreach programs. Attendance has been gaining and last week we had more than 1,000 at our Sunday services.
I'll miss serving on the board but I will definitely still be involved in my church. And God willing, maybe I'll be back in a year. We shall see.
* * *
I wrote a column last week about the Book of Eli. Here is a link.
My pastor said his mother went to see an R rated movie because of my column. I am anxious to hear her thoughts! I hope she liked it.
When I wrote the column, I was a little nervous to recommend the film because I was afraid some conservative Christians would go and not like it and get mad at me. On the other hand, I didn't want this movie to slip through the cracks because most critics didn't like it.
So far I haven't heard any negatives feedback.
* * *
I have really enjoyed the Olympics when I've had the chance to watch the competition. These athletes are amazing and some of the backstories make it even more interesting. I've got a busy weekend but hope to catch the closing ceremonies.
Vancouver's opening ceremonies were OK but nothing could compare to the China games. And then when the fourth leg of the giant torch failed to rise up out of the floor, it really put a damper on things. I hope the closing ceremonies go a little better.

Tomorrow is the grand finale, the U.S.-Canada hockey game promises to be a highlight of the games. I am looking forward to the closing ceremonies as well, although I doubt any games in the future will match the China ceremonies in terms of sheer size and awe-inspiring performances. Who could ever forget those drummers?
* * *
I worked on a few interesting stories this week. One involved a workshop led by Dan Rogers, a minister and head of Cherry Street Mission Ministries, which helps the homeless and poor. I mentioned it in my blog yesterday.
I tried to sum up what Dan Rogers said in the 3 hour workshoip in a relatively short article that was published today.
You can read it here.

I also wrote an article about Brian McLaren's new book. He is a visionary thinker and a former pastor who is pushing for Christianity to adapt to the 21st century. He has a heart for the church but thinks it's getting out of sync with society.
McLaren believes the church can and should change, without compromising the Gospel. Again, like Dan Rogers goal of preventing homelessness, it's a tall order but with God's help nothing is impossible.
Here's a link to that article.
* * *
Nick Vujicic, a 27-year-old Australian man born without arms or legs, will be speaking in our area next Thursday night. His ministry is truly amazing. I don't know how he manages to be upbeat and to inspire others but that's what he does, God bless him.
Here is a link to the short item I put in the religion section today and here is a link to Nick's website.

* * *
We got even more snow yesterday.... Enough, already!
It's piled up higher than I've seen it in years. But today, it is beginning to melt as the temperatures range in the mid-30s.
I went to a men's retreat, called the "men's advance," at church last night and today. It's great to get 60 or more men of all ages together for an event. There were guys from all age groups there and we basically listened to two sermons by an Ohio evangelist named Cornell Jordan, and played some games like volleyball, cornhole to euchre. I mostly just talked to people during the game time.
I'm usually not into preachers who shout in your face, but I respect Cornell's ministry and his style. He is a good man and he reaches people even if his preaching is not my particular cup of tea.
There are all kinds of preachers, just as there are all kinds of foods and desserts and books and shoes. You don't have to like all of them, but that doesn't mean they aren't great, or just perfect for someone else.
* * *
I am working the soundboard at church tomorrow -- way too early, by the way -- and then going to the Styx and REO Speewagon concert downtown to see my friend, John Nittolo, the concert promoter. John and I met about 15 years ago and he lives in New Jersey and comes to town for his concerts. It's always a blast to see John and hang out with him for a while.