Keywords by David Yonke

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Madrid, 1933

I am in awe of Henri Cartier-Bresson, the French photographer who had such an eye for the moment. I watched a documentary recently that was filmed in 2003, the year before he died at age 96.
Cartier-Bresson took "simple" black and white photos, no special effects, no big studio productions, no special lenses. It was just a quick click and ... the magic happened. As he said in the documentary, "You either get it or you don't."
He had an eye for framing the photos, for being in the right place at the right time, anticipating the imminence of the photo, and was ready when the time came.
I once read a wonderful quote from Henri: "Photography is nothing. It's life that interests me."
Cartier-Bresson was the first photographer who really inspired me back in the 1970s when I started fiddling with an old Nikkormat camera. Even after all these years I still find his work to be astoundingly beautiful and moving.
I would love to have one of his original prints, but they sell for $10,000 and up.... well maybe someday. But in the meantime, I enjoy poring over books of his work and appreciating his incredible legacy.
Here is a link to his official website.

Toledo, Ohio
March 31, 2008

A few months ago I wrote a story about Aaron Shapiro, a young man from Perrysburg, Ohio, who had spent the better part of 2007 in Sudan, reporting on churches destroyed during the African country's 20-year civil war.
Yesterday I interviewed Dr. Glenn Geelhoed, a surgeon from Washington D.C., for an article I'm writing about the Medical Missions Hall of Fame. Dr. Geelhoed is a past inductee and was in town for the upcoming ceremony and to give a talk.
At the end of the interview, he was talking about his recent work in Sudan, in the Nuba Mountain area. I mentioned that I had written an article about a local guy who was working there for Samaritan's Purse. Dr. Geelhoed said: "I treated him."
I knew Aaron had a bout with malaria, and as it turns out the doctor from Washington whom I interviewed yesterday was the one who treated Aaron when he was sick.
Just an interesting little encounter that proves that the world is indeed a small place at times.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
April 2, 2008

I've been enjoying this season of American Idol thanks to Tivo. I've watched most of the shows with my family and we skip the commercials, cutting the viewing time in half, or so it seems.
It's a strong cast this time around and there are several people who have enough talent to be worthy winners. Last year, I picked Jordin Sparks to win from the first time I heard her sing during the early auditions.
This time around, my top choice is 17-year-old David Archuleta. The guy has an incredible natural talent as a singer and entertainer (once we get past the "golly gee, aw shucks" shy smile and head bobbing mode). His version of John Lennon's "Imagine" literally gave me goose bumps. I also liked the way he skipped the first verse that says, "Imagine there's no heaven..." I have problems with that verse myself and when Randy asked him why he skipped it David just said he liked the other verses better. Very smart of him. I think he had theological problems with it but didn't get into it with the judges, which was wise. If he doesn't win, it doesn't matter. He is a future star. You can bank on it.
Second, in my opinion, is Michael Johns, another gifted singer with charisma. The only question is whether he really should be considered an amateur since he was in a band that was signed for big bucks to a major label, then later was dropped. Other than that caveat, Johns has a soulful voice and plenty of star power.
Third is David Cook, a real musician who has come up with some innovative arrangements, in particular his total remake of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Bold and creative with a great ear, a decent voice, and genuine musical talent.
Fourth, in my rankings, is Brooke White. She has a limited vocal range but a lot of style and charm, and would make a good folk-pop singer along the lines of a Sarah McLachlan or Sheryl Crow or of course Carly Simon and Carole King.
One other thing of note is that I really think Simon Cowell is right 90% of the time, although he does not always deliver his comments with compassion. He can be brutally honest but I give him credit for telling it like it is.
I think one of society's problems is that everybody is raised to think they're all stars, above criticism, and at least Simon sets them straight.
Paula Abdul rambles and speaks so incoherently at times that I wonder if she is on some kind of medication. Randy is a pretty good judge of talent but sometimes gets sloppy and says the same thing over and over, "kind of pitchy" or "that was all right," making his comments so generic they are meaninguless.
That's my spin on this incredibly popular show. What a modern day phenomenon.
* * *
My other TV vice is "Survivor" (well "The Amazing Race" is my favorite but it's in between seasons right now). I don't really like the current cast of Survivor very much but Ozzy and James are definitely two of the most physically gifted and honest competitors ever to appear on the show. They just don't have a lot of personality. I honestly don't care who wins this season. I always liked Ami and was sad to see her go last week. She seemed like a genuinely nice woman and managed to look pretty even in the midst of those nonflattering camping-in-the-jungle conditions.
* * *
I love The Amazing Race the most. I've applied three times to be on the show and don't know what's wrong with their selection process but I've never even gotten a call back from them...
You can only apply one time with a specific partner and I am sure that each of my three co-applicants would have made a formidable team.
It really is the show's loss that they didn't pick me and my pastor -- the Holy Toledo team -- over the dingbats they wound up with last season. The only reason I can think of is that maybe we were just so good the producers are afraid we'd blow away the competition.

Toledo, Ohio
April 5, 2008

Couple of intersting articles from the Associated Press:

SIDNEY, Ohio — At its inaugural service, a new church in western Ohio offered a sermon and prayer — along with a mechanical bull-riding contest and beer on tap.
The Country Rock Church drew about 100 people to Sunday night’s first meeting at the Pub Lounge in Sidney, 35 miles north of Dayton.
The barroom church is an offshoot of Sidney United First Methodist Church, whose head pastor says he’s been looking for creative ways to reach people in unconventional places. Rev. Chris Heckaman says people really seemed to enjoy themselves during Sunday’s hourlong service, so he expects the Country Rock Church will meet weekly.
Heckaman’s first sermon was a sort of bull-riding lesson. He compared staying on the mechanical bull to learning how to get along in life.
Read more about it here.
* * *
LONDON — It’s no longer enough to live a greener life — now people are being encouraged to be environmentally friendly when they leave the Earth too.
Cardboard coffins, clothes sewn from natural fibers, a burial plot in a natural setting. Green funerals attempt to be eco-friendly at every stage.
"People are trying to think about what’s the best way to live and with that, what’s the best way to die," said Roslyn Cassidy, a funeral director for Green Endings, which provides eco-friendly funerals.
Britain has been a world leader in eco-friendly funerals for years and a source of green burial products and ideas for countries like the United States, where the trend is just starting to catch on. Over the weekend in London, those in the business showcased their products and services at the Natural Death Center’s Green Funeral Exhibition.
Some may expect green funerals to be as cheap as a do-it-yourself project, while others might brace for price hikes similar to those fair trade food.
But, funeral directors say green funerals — like any — run the gamut.
"It’s about choice, not price," said Fran Hall, marketing director for Epping Forest Burial Park.
For a concept aimed at saving the Earth by going back to basics, an eco-funeral can be more complicated than it sounds. The Natural Death Center provides a handbook that suggests environmental targets for cemeteries.
"You can take any funeral and make it greener," said Michael Jarvis, the center’s director.
In a green funeral, bodies are not embalmed and are dressed in pure fiber clothes. Green campaigners say refrigeration or dry ice is a good alternative to formaldehyde, which can seep into the water system.
Biodegradable coffins also differ from the traditional mahogany. Coffins on display included one made from wicker and decorated with flowers.
One visitor, Linda McDowall, admired another coffin bundled in a beige, leaf-adorned felt shroud, saying it looked comfortable.
"Cozy and warm are not words you associate with death," said McDowall, a 48-year-old German and French translator.
Cardboard coffins — which are as thick as their wooden counterparts — can be decorated by family and biodegrade within three months.
"The trouble is, they are a bit ungainly to use," said Oakfield Wood burial ground director Oliver Peacock. "They’re not terribly easy to handle and if it’s wet, they don’t look their best either."
Particular care is taken in how coffins are buried at eco-friendly graveyards like Oakfield Wood, Peacock said.
The cemetery was a pasture when it opened in 1995. It is now speckled with more than 1,600 trees that mark plots along with a wooden plaque.
Marble tombstones are frowned upon. Jeremy Smite, a funeral director at Green Endings, notes that shipping and mining produce carbon and that marble is not a renewable resource.
For cremations — which account for 70 percent of British funerals — a person’s ashes and the remains of the eco-friendly coffin are placed in bamboo, glass or ceramic urns.
New legislation in Britain requires reductions in the mercury content of plastics and treatments used in coffins starting in 2010. All biodegradable coffins meet the new standards.
Cassidy said small details are important for green funerals, such as using smaller cars instead of limousines in funeral processions.
"What people are wanting is to know that they’re doing the best they can both for their loved ones and for the environment," Cassidy said.

Toledo, Ohio
April 21, 2008

A small, largely overlooked article by the Associated Press was published this week that really should have gotten more attention. The headline said flatly:

ExxonMobil nets $10.9B

The world's largest publicly traded oil company announced that first-quarter profits for 2008 climbed 17 percent to $10.9 billion, "the second-biggest U.S. quarterly corporate profit ever".

According to my calculater, that is more than $121 million in profits EVERY DAY, or $5 million EVERY HOUR, or $84,000 in profits EVERY MINUTE.

The latest polls show that the No. 1 issue on Americans' minds is rising oil and gas prices, even ahead of the presidential race, war in Iraq, or global warming. Gas prices are affecting everyone, and those on fixed incomes or living in poverty are being hurt the most.

Meanwhile, ExxonMobil is basking in near-record profits. They must be laughing all the way to their Swiss bank accounts.

It's time to clamp down on the oil giants. How can people be forced to pay $3.60 or so per gallon -- up more than $1 a gallon in only a year -- while ExxonMobil is netting $10,900,000,000 in profits in just three months?

Average citizens are being forced to choose between buying gas or food; food prices are soaring, jobs are being cut, businesses are going bankrupt -- all of the economic strife that has been impacting our natino is now being exacerbated by soaring gas prices.
Our government ought to be ashamed of itself for letting ExxonMobil and other oil corporations rake in such obscene profits while the rest of the country is suffering and sacrificing. It's unconscionable and yet the situation continues. ExxonMobil's record quarter was the previous one, netting $11,700,000,000 at the end of 2007.
The higher the price at the pump, the higher the profits.
OK, I know economics are complicated and higher prices and profts are not a direct, simple, cause-and-effect relationship. But you can't deny the connection. It's time to stop making excuses and start taking action. If Bush won't do it, and I doubt Mr. Oilman will, hopefully the next president will do something. He or she will, but only if it's politically expedient.
* * *

Marc Dann is sworn in as Ohio Attorney General

More sad news, this time involving Ohio politics:
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is making a mockery of his office. He campaigned on a strong ethics and moral platform, blasting the corrupt Ohio Republican era and the Tom Noe scandal to help himself get elected.

Now the 46-year-old married man admits to having had an affair with a 28-year-old employee. In addition, his "roommate" and longtime pal, director of General Service Anthony Gutierrez, was found by investigators to have used his office to intimidate and a harass women employees and was fired by Dann.
It's pretty clear that Dann is doomed, despite asserting he won't resign. Elliot Spitzer also said at first that he wouldn't resign. Dann won't have a choice in the long run. His political career is kaput. It was notable that when he faced the press on Friday, his wife wasn't at his side as they are for most fallen politicians. He's really out there on his own now.
I think the Dann controversy proves that people in high positions, whether in government or religious office, are held to a higher standard. Even in this crazy mixed up world, most people expect reasonably high moral values from their leaders.
No one is perfect but those whose jobs are a public trust should know that they will be held accountable, and that with the internet and camera phones and video cell phones and text messages and email records, there are few secrets anymore.
Toledo, Ohio
May 4, 2008

I wrote a couple of stories about the Holocaust last week. It's almost beyond belief that such a thing could have happened in a so-called modern world. Here is a link to an article about the museum in suburban Detroit.
Most Americans are at least aware of what happened in the Holocaust. But many people may not be aware of the fact that the Nazis' campaign to exterminate the Jews was reported in the United States as it developed. Many newspapers and radio stations informed the U.S. public about the genocide as it was starting, but the horrors were essentially ignored in America for years. Maybe it was too bizarre to believe. I don't know exactly what changed the perception in the states but somewhere along the line the American people finally woke up and took action.
One lasting lesson from the Holocaust is to keep Edmund Burke's famous quote in mind: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
* * *
Feliz Cinco de Mayo, amigos y amigas!

Toledo, Ohio
May 5, 2008

Hope y'all had a happy Mother's Day. (What movie was it where the villain killed someone who had made a comment about his mom, and said with a sneer, "Even bad guys love their mothers"? I remember that terrific line but just can't place it.)
Here are a few random updates since we last talked:
1. We went to see Amy Grant and her band in concert in Tiffin, Ohio, last Wednesday. Loved the show. Janet thought it was too "old school" but for me, Amy is such an honest songwriter and talented singer that I don't think her music ever gets old.
I particularly enjoyed when she braved it and played some shouted-out requests even though the band had not rehearsed the songs.
One of the most memorable and entertaining moments of the night was when her six-person band "crashed and burned," as Amy put it, stumbling through "The Things You Do for Love." They didn't have to even try it, but they did. And when they faltered, they kept their chins up and kept slogging away and it all worked fine. Nobody minded that they missed some chords and Amy forgot some words.
The musicians in her group were truly awesome, by the way, and her bass player is from the Toledo suburb of Perrysburg, and had lots of family at the show that night.
It was only Grant's third concert since November, she said.
I had the pleasure of talking with Amy again backstage after the show. She is such a sweetheart and as honest and down to earth in person as any "star" I've ever met.
The Ritz Theatre in Tiffin is quite a nice old hall, ornate and well kept. Built in the 1920s as a movie theater, it seats about 1,200 and there were more than 1,100 people at Amy's concert.
It was a really nice evening.
2. We went to see "Iron Man" for Mother's Day. I think "Mom" picked that film to make me happy. It didn't seem like a movie she would have chosen. However, there wasn' t anything Janet really wanted to see at the theaters and as it turned out, she loved it and so did everyone. Janet even said it was one of the best movies she'd seen in a long time. Robert Downey Jr. was great as the zillionaire playboy whose world literally crashes down on him when he is blown up by the very rockets his company manufactures and which made him so wealthy.
3. I gave a talk to a group of local Muslims on Saturday night and it was a very interesting dialogue. They sincerely want to improve their relations with the community in general, other faith groups, and with the media.
4. I finally found my new Saab. I've been looking ever since the transmission blew out on my old "classic" Saab 900. I ended up buying a newer Saab 900, one that was built after General Motors bought into Saab. I'm hoping that parts will not be so ridiculously expensive anymore.
5. One of Toledo's real gems, trumpeter Jimmy Cook, passed away on Friday. He was not only a great musician but a wonderful man. His terrific trumpet playing reflected his personality. A very fun and giving man, he was a one-of-a-kind and I will miss him.

Toledo, Ohio
May 12, 2008

First Myanmar was pummeled by Typhoon Nargis, and the horrific damage left millions homeless and at least 43,000 dead.
Then China was struck by a major quake, with a death toll that could reach 50,000.
There have been more tornadoes in the United States this year than almost any other year since the storms were recorded.
Nature's fury is bound to cause havoc at unpredictable times and places. It's been that way since the dawn of time.
We don't know what the hurricane season will bring in 2008.
There's not much you can do about these things except donate to relief work and pray for the afflicted. Governments can install warning systems and get their emergency services teams prepared for any event.
And if you're looking for a place to live, try to find somewhere that's above sea level, away from tectonic fault lines, and not in the middle of Tornado Alley.
* * *
What did I tell you about Marc Dann? As I said last week, It was obvious he would have to resign as Ohio Attorney General after his affair with a younger employee became public knowledge. I don't know why he fought it so long but his resignation was inevitable.
* * *
The next Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, opened today and from people who have seen it and know C.S. Lewis' series, the film takes a lot of liberties with the novel and turns the religious allegories into an action movie and cgi slugfest crammed with battle scenes.
It's more Hollywood than Narnia. Which is not surprising considering that the first movie earned $740 million at the box office, which I am guessing meant that studio moguls got pretty excited about the potential for the sequel and could not leave well enough alone and let the director do his job.
Dr. Bruce Edwards, a C.S. Lewis scholar and BGSU professor, will be speaking about the movie from a spritual perspective in a free lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at Calvary Assembly of God, 5025 Glendale Ave.
Anyone who's interested in Lewis & Narnia should check out this free event. Dr. Edwards is a phenomenal speaker.
Here's his review of Prince Caspian.
* * *
I wrote a memorial story today about my friend and inspiration, Toledo jazz giant Jimmy Cook. He was one of the most joyful people to be around and I will miss him dearly.
Here's a link to the article.

Toledo, Ohio
May 16, 2008

I have been smiling like the Cheshire Cat since finding my new (to me) Saab last week. I didn't realize how miserable I felt, at least when it comes to personal transportation, ever since my beloved classic 900 blew its transmission and had to go the great Trollhatten in the Sky.
My wife spotted a very nice 1996 Saab 900S in the Akron area, and we went out and took a look and ended up driving 'er home last weekend.
This little black beauty has got a sunroof, a five-speed manual transmission, and a few nice bells and whistles. Best of all, it is a joy to drive. It has low miles and is overall in great shape, although like every Saab it's got a few "issues." Fortunately they are cosmetic and nothing too serious. I'll be tinkering with it forever.
It's a pleasure to drive this car and I hope I can keep it for many, many years. There's nothing like a Saab. This is my fourth model (I've had a 96, a 99, a classic 900, and now a New Generation 900), and each model has its pluses and minuses. This new one is a bit smoother to drive, with a more cushy, less racy suspension. It seems bigger and more Americanized, but that was expected since GM bought a big share of Saab in 1994. But it still has enough Swedish blood in it to separate it from the pack, in my opinion.
It sounds kind of weird but I guess I'm not genuinely happy driving anything else, at least not as my own car. I'll drive anything but when it comes to owning a car, Saabs seem to fit my personality perfectly. Maybe I have some Swedish blood in me that I'm unaware of. I've never driven a Ferrari, so I can't rule the Prancing Horse as another possible perfect fit for my driving personality. I don't expect to take that test anytime soon, however. Ha!
* * *
The photo above of a beautiful 1994 Saab 900S is similar in appearance to mine, but it belongs to a guy named Robert in Colorado who has a website devoted to Saabs.
Robert is incredibly skilled at working on cars and he details, in words and photos, all the restoration and mechanical work he has done on his car and on his wife's V-6 Saab.
His blue 900S is about as perfect as can be, inside and out. I've already emailed him for some advice and he is extremely knowledgable about every aspect of Saabs and glad to give advice.
If you're interested, you can read Robert's Saab stories here.

Toledo, Ohio
May 16, 2008

One of the little humor columns in the latest Reader's Digest reported this clever sign spotted in a church parking lot in Missouri at the pastor's spot:
"You Park, You Preach."

Steven Curtis Chapman is a Christian music star but one of the most genuine, down to earth people you'll ever meet. Every time I've talked to him, and when I've read interviews with him, it is always so clear that God and family are his two top priorities.
It was with shock and sadness that I read about the death of his 5-year-old daughter, Maria Sue Chapman, on May 21. And the circumstances made it an even greater family tragedy: Maria Sue was struck by an SUV being driven by one of his teenage sons in the family's driveway.
It was not reported which son was driving.
Steven has posted a notice on his website. You can read about Maria and post a comment online here.
Maria was one of three girls Steven and his wife MaryBeth adopted from a Chinese orphanage.
I often have Big Questions for God when things like this happen, but I really don't have any answers. All I can do is offer my condolences and prayers to the Chapmans in this difficult time.
Toledo, Ohio
June 2, 2008

I was talking to a friend yesterday who is in the construction industry and he said he's working on a new house in a suburb of Toledo that will have a roof costing $470,000. Yes, that's four hundred and seventy thousand dollars for the roof -- alone, not the entire house.

Definitely NOT the house I'm talking about

I've been pondering that number ever since. Here I was stressing out a few years ago when I had to fork over a few thousand to have new shingles put on my roof. This ultra-wealthy homeowner probably spends that much money on a mailbox. The guy's roof, by the way, will be made of hand-cut slate shingles.
Toledo housing prices are extremely low compared to, say, California or New York, and you literally can buy a whole mansion here for $470,000.
Or, you can buy a roof.
This kind of money-is-no-object spending rattles my brain.
While it's true that you could feed a lot of hungry people, or house a few homeless families for that kind of money and still have enough left over to put a regular shingle roof on your very impressive home, I'm not judging the guy.
Who knows, maybe he gives 90 percent of his money to charity. Or maybe he volunteers at the homeless shelter and donates to all kinds of charities. He could be the most giving person on earth, but has a pressing need to have slate over his head. I really don't know.
Still, the number keeps bouncing around in my head. Something just doesn't add up, so to speak.
Meanwhile, I hope my friend makes a hefty profit on the construction job.
* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 2, 2006

Yesterday was the day we all celebrate Father's Day. It's a bit odd to me that we have to set aside a day for that when it should be part of our everyday lives. Like many things, with our busy schedules and myriad distractions, it is easy to let things slide and forget to take a moment to honor the people we appreciate and love.
I had a wonderful time with the family. Two of my three daughters were home, my other daughter in Illinois called me at 1:05 a.m. Sunday. I think she forgot that she's an hour behind us... it was 12:05 there. She wanted to be the first one to wish me a happy father's day. Fortunately I was still up.
Family means everything to me, and I have done all I can to be the best father I can be.
You do what you can every day, one day at a time, and it's never to get any special honors or Hallmark cards for your efforts. You just love your children so much you want to do everything you can for them. It reminds me of the love God has for his children: I believe a father's love -- and a mother's love -- is modeled after God's divine and pure love, since the Bible says we were created in God's image.
You know my daughters must really love me because they watched the end of the U.S. Open with me. They're not golfers but they humored me. And what a great match it was -- with Tiger Woods tying Rocco Mediate on the last hole. They're having an 18-hole playoff today to decide the championship. Got to root for Rocco -- he hasn't won a PGA tournament in 6 years and would be the oldest U.S. Open champ ever. Meanwhile, what hasn't Tiger Woods won?
* * *
I've been getting calls about the Father Murd trial. Most callers feel it was a travesty that the priest was not convicted of sexual imposition. But even so, he confessed to fondling a strange man in a hot tub. It's on the record, it will not be swept under the rug.
I think it was commendable that shortly after the verdict, the Toledo diocese issued a press release re-stating the fact that the priest had resigned as pastor and is undergoing treatment, and it encouraged other victims of clerical sexual abuse to contact law-enforcement and diocesan officials.
Here's part of the diocesan statement: "Father Murd resigned as Pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, Maumee on April 8, 2008 and continues to be reassigned to a residential facility for appropriate spiritual remedies and for professional evaluation and counseling. He will return to that facility today.
To report any suspected or actual sexual abuse by Diocesan personnel, immediate contact should be made with local civil authorities, and with the Toledo Diocesan Case Manager, Mr. Frank DiLallo. He can be reached at 419-243-2150 (private line) or 419-244-6711, ext 632 in the Toledo calling area, or 1-800-926-8277, ext 632 (Outside Toledo, Within Ohio)."

Toledo, Ohio
June 16, 2008

I've got so many things in the air, my juggling skills are really getting good. They'd better be or I'll drop something on my foot and break a toe.
Here are a few quick notes in no particular order -- hope you don't mind this scattershot approach:
* As everyone knows, Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open playoff... but Woods played against doctor's orders. Now I just heard he's out for the rest of the season. Ideally, he should have withdrawn for health reasons and let Mediate win the Open. But you know that would be impossible for Woods, one of the most competitive athletes of all time.
* Have you heard of "The Shack"? This spiritual novel is causing quite a stir. I'm working on a story about it. Within the course of a year, it went from being a self-published book sold out of a guy's garage to being No. 1 on the N.Y. Times bestseller list. Truly an amazing story. Check it out online here.
* I'm going to meet a woman today who "channels" dead Catholic saint Padre Pio. Should be interesting. She said she can do some channeling for me.
* Tom Ferguson has withdrawn his lawsuit against former Toledo diocesan deacon Glenn Shrimplin, due to statutes of limitations concerns.
* The national "Pray at the Pumps" group is coming to Toledo on Friday to pray for lower gas prices.
* I've been wanting to fence in my back yard so my dog(s) (I have one dog and my daughter who is at home for a while also has one) can have room to run, but the yard is big and the price is so high. A friend of a friend knew I wanted to do that and called to say he knows someone who is giving away 1,600 feet of fence and all the accessories. I'm hoping this really works out -- it would be a wonderful blessing. People can be so kind and generous. And who else but God would hook me up with someone wanting to get rid of fencing?
(I tried using an invisible fence last year and it was a disaster... Scotty ran right through it, chasing a jogger down the road. The kindhearted jogger ended up picking Scotty up and carrying him back to our house.)
* My Saab is running so well, I just love that car. I am hoping to get some bodywork and paint done to it this summer. Funny though, I guess those flaws are not as obvious to others as they are to me. A friend who saw it Tuesday asked me if it was a new car -- and it's 14 years old!

(not my car but the same model)

Toledo, Ohio
June 18, 2007

Here are a few photos from the week I took off recently to hang out with my brother, Rick, and our longtime friend, Peter, who were visiting from Florida. I showed them some of the "best of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan" in this too-brief visit but we sure had lots of fun in a short time...

David, Rick & Peter: The three horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Ben Franklin and his protege, Rick Yonke.

David at the wheel of his sweet Swedish Saab.

A couple of real dummies...

Lookalikes: David and and his pet schnoodle Scotty.

Dwarfed by a steam locomotive -- made in Lima, Ohio -- at the Henry Ford Museum.

The view from the Perry Monument at Put-in-Bay, South Bass Island in Lake Erie.

Posing in front of a glass sculpture by the incomparable Dominick Labino.

* * *
Toledo, Ohio
June 22, 2008

Gas prices are holding steady at $3.80 or so at my bellwether intersection (see yesterday's blog, "Prayer Power"). Then again, the prime July 4 weekend driving time is still more than a week away.
I'm hoping Rocky Twyman's prayers will still hold sway for a long time to come.
Despite my hopes, I would advise filling up the tank before next Wednesday, July 2. (I know, O ye of little faith and all that.)
A year ago we were paying $2.84 a gallon.
Sigh. Wish we had better alternatives in the United States. I would ride a Vespa scooter or even a bicycle to work when the weather is OK if there were separate lanes. But it's far too dangerous out there on the main roads with all the crazy car, SUV, and pickup drivers distracted by cell phones, screaming babies and spilled coffee.
* * *
Christmas is six months from today. Just thought you'd want to know that.
* * *
In my "idle" time, here are some of my activities:
Listening to: "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay; "Don't Do Anything," by Sam Phillips; "Chase the Light" by Jimmy Eat World, and "Zappa Plays Zappa" by Dweezil Zappa. Have pre-ordered the new Beck CD, "Modern Guilt," due out July 8.
Reading: "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller; "The Shack" by William P. Young; "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson; the Pew Forum's new "Religious Landscape Survey" (you can click here), and the National Geographic article on Stonehenge.
Watching: Michael Clayton; Across the Universe; Springsteen in Dublin, and Alvin and the Chipmunks. (Really liked George Clooney in Michael Clayton, a good suspense thriller). Also catching up on old episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry David (not thrilled with some of the lax HBO standards but the show is hilarious nonetheless.)
Listening/Reading: Stocked up on audio books on disc for an upcoming trip by car, including "The Face" by Dean Koontz; "Beach House" by James Patterson, and "Cross Bones" by Kathy Reichs.
Online reading: Blogs by three compadres, Rebekah Scott, Paddy O'Gara, and John Rockwood, as well as a missionary in Scotland, David Schmidgall, whom I met last year and who writes a great blog.
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Toledo, Ohio
June 25, 2008

from the New Yorker ... the cartoonist is amazing in the ability to capture the tailor's enthusiasm for a sale mixed with a slyly snide attitude.

World Youth Day starts today in Sydney, Australia. I hope the Toledo-area youth who attend have a life-changing experience. I went to World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002 and although it was an assignment, not a pilgrimage, it was quite an honor to get to see Pope John Paul II in person. He was one of my heroes in life.
I was in Sydney in 2005 and it is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. The harbor there is phenomenal, kind of bow-tie shaped with the bridge and the opera house right at the narrowest point.
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So far most of the comments and emails I've gotten have been positive about coverage of the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals' ruling upholding the guilty verdict in Father Robinson's case.
Several of his supporters said my coverage was fair, although they still think he's innocent. One guy whined like a toddler who didn't get his way... of course it's not just me but the jury and the judge in the original trial and now the appeals court judges who are all wrong... God knows the truth, though. We'll all find out someday.
Here's a photograph to put the case in perspective... lest we forget.

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Of my two major Saturday stories, one on the Gerald Robinson verdict and the other on Dottie Zimmerman "channeling" Padre Pio, I was surprised to see that the channeling story received more hits on the internet. It was the No. 1 story on the newspaper's web site both Saturday and Sunday. Few articles stay at No.1 for more than one day.
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My poor Cleveland Indians are out of the running at the all-star break. At least they ended the first half by sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays, who were in first place. Did you notice that once Tampa Bay dropped the "Devil" from their name, they became contenders?

Sylvania, Ohio
July 14, 2008

What do you think?
This is the cover of the new issue of the New Yorker showing Barack Obama in Muslim garb “fist-bumping” wife Michelle, with an assault rifle and ammo belt, in the Oval Office, a picture of Bin Laden on the wall and an American flag burning in the fireplace.
The New Yorker said in a statement: “The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And that’s the spirit of this cover.”
Satire done right can be an effective tool and a powerful statement. I imagine the average New Yorker reader -- well educated, liberal, affluent, Democrat -- got a chuckle out of the cover. The magazine knows its audience.
But for many members of the general public, the image is inflammatory and insulting.
Knowing the way the world has shrunk and that anything one says or does in one niche or corner is going to be posted on the internet for the whole world to see, I’m shocked the esteemed editors of the New Yorker went ahead with this cover.
Seems to me that after lengthy discussions someone in authority and with some wisdom and sensitivity would have pulled the plug on this idea and opted for discretion and prudence; i.e., a totally different cover.
If they were going to push the envelope, they should have been equal-opportunity offenders and featured exaggerated caricatures of BOTH candidates -- Obama as a Muslim and, say, McCain in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank, AARP card, and a finger on the nuclear-war button.
However, this cover definitely has gotten the magazine a lot of attention, and maybe that was the real goal all along?

Toledo, Ohio
July 16, 2008

I just finished reading Neil Postman's book "Amusing Ourselves to Death," and it is an amazingly insightful look at our culture today -- and a bold warning.

Neil Postman

This prescient book was written in 1985, and Postman died in October, 2003, at age 72. But his son, Andrew, wrote a foreword that accurately points out how everything his father wrote about is still accurate, only more intense now as we've added a plethora of electronic toys and gadgets in our lives, from cell phones to playstations to the big one, the Internet.
The basic premise of Postman's book is that much of our American (and European) culture has changed tremendously over the last century, and that these changes have affected the way we think and process information.
On Aug. 21, 1854, when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held the first of their seven debates, Douglas opened with a three-hour talk and when it was Lincoln's turn, he suggested everyone go home and eat and freshen up because it was going to take him at least as long as that to respond.
The people went home and returned to hear Lincoln talk for four hours.
That was seven hours of political lectures in one day! And neither man was running for office at the time.
Can you imagine two current politicians engaging in a seven-hour debate? With no PowerPoint? How many people would attend? How many would stay to the end? Ha. You know there wouldn't be anyone there except fanatics and the lunatic fringe.
When our country was founded, the prevailing way of thinking involved the "typographical mind" in which people's frame of reference and thought processes were based on the printed word. Even the farm boy held a book while working the plow.
Today it is what Postman calls "The Peek-a-Boo World," where unrelated, disembodied information pops into our lives with no rhyme or reason. News anchors report genocide in Darfur and transition with a "Now this..." to show a clip of a waterskiiing squirrel in Orlando.
Postman traces this shift to the invention of the telegraph, which for the first time allowed the transmission of bits of information worldwide, instantaneously, and not tied to any physical messenger or linked to geographic context.
As technology evolved, it changed the way information was sent and consumed, and eventually it changed the way we think. Today, instead of a four-hour rebuttal from a politician in a debate, we get 60 seconds on TV -- if we're lucky.
Where Lincoln and Douglas spoke in eloquent, complex sentences, our political leaders today either purposefully keep sentences short and simple, or are unable to construct lengthy thoughts or expressions.
(Anyone who watches David Letterman's Late Show , which I enjoy, has seen the regular feature, "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches," which captures President Bush's most unintelligible public pronouncements. It's painfully funny. I feel sorry for George W but realize that, for one thing, the camera's on him constantly so he's bound to slip up, and second, he obviously is not the brightest president we've ever had.)
What does this mean for today's newspapers, journalists, and readers?
We are on the cusp of a new era in the use and misuse of media.
We are getting a firehose of information in multiple bits and pieces, instantaneously, not just on TV and radio but on our "smart phones" and PDAs and laptops. When we surf through our 500 satellite TV channels, we find some of them have three "crawls" of data moving across the the screen simultaneously.
We are media junkies and we're strung out on information. But we crave information on what celebrity is pregnant or in drug rehab as much as we do what Congress is debating or our local politicians are saying or how humanity is polluting the environment.
All the news is thrown into a hat, shaken up, and tossed willynilly onto the screen in no particular order or context.
As Postman points out repeatedly, our world today is much more like Aldous Huxley's vacuous Brave New World than it is George Orwell's ominous 1984.
We are not being oppressed by Big Brother; we are laughing and amusing ourselves so much that we've stopped thinking.
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Sylvania, Ohio
July 18, 2008

"Television does not ban books, it simply displaces them."
-- Neil Postman, "Amusing Ourselves to Death"

World Youth Day ended in Sydney, Australia, yesterday with a papal Mass attended by "only" 350,000 people -- far less than any of the other WYD papal Masses.
But Australia is such a long -- and expensive -- journey for most of the world's inhabitants it can't be a surprise that the numbers were down.
WYD had 225,000 registered participants and organizers said they expected an equal amount of Australian Catholics to attend the final Mass. But from my experience with Australia, only about 2 percent of the public goes to church. Like Europe, Australia is virtually a post-Christian continent.
* * *
I thought it was pretty hip of Pope Benedict XVI to send daily text messages to registered pilgrims. He signed them all "BXVI."
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The Lambeth Conference is taking place in England. This is a once-every-10-years conference for the Anglican Communion, which now is going through more visible turmoil than any other Protestant denomination.
It will be interesting to see what develops at the conference. Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth is there and blogging.
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The Cleveland Indians are playing so well lately, I wonder if there's any chance they could still make a run for it. It seems that they woke out of their slumber after the management gave up for the season and traded ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia.
The Tribe is sitll a long way out but stranger things have happened in baseball. I'm hoping the Indians work their way into a pennant race.
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Sylvania, Ohio
July 21, 2008

"For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known." -- Luke 12:2

A colleague called today and we had a nice long chat. He is the best investigative reporter I know and he cited the above Scripture, saying it is his mission statement. It was nice to be reminded of how we can apply the Good Book to daily life, even in the secular environment.
* * *
I listened to Buddy Guy's new disc, "Skin Deep," tonight and it's spot-on for electric blues. I was so taken by the music that I cranked up my Fender Strat and played along with the disc. I think Buddy and I make a good two-guitar team... but of course I was playing for an invisible audience -- sort of like singing in the shower -- so it's hard to be objective about my performance. But it sure was fun.
One thing about Guy's new disc: I think all 12 songs are in the key of E, which made it easy to jam along with. You'd think he would mix it up a little. But then again, he shreds that E key.
* * *
My funny story about Buddy Guy: I was backstage at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark., around 1997 or so, with fellow Toledoans Johnny Porkchop and Lonesome Bob when Buddy Guy's tour bus pulled up. Sitting next to me were 80-something-year-old blues legends Pinetop Perkins and Robert Lockwood Jr. (Robert Jr. passed away a few years ago, he was a great man and a blues original, but gruff at first and very tough to earn his respect. Once you did, though, you were golden. We got along great.)
Guy's manager said everyone had to move because we were between the bus and the stage. That meant Pinetop and Robert, too. We protested, saying these blues greats should be allowed to stay. No go, Guy's guy said, they must go too.
So these two old men, grumbling, got up and moved. Once the area was cleared, the great Buddy Guy strode out of the bus and onto the stage, where a snifter of brandy was waiting for him, covered by a handkerchief as per his contract rider.
He started playing like Jimi Hendrix and I was mesmerized, but the true blues aficionados I was with were disgusted with his rock and roll, sell out the blues stuff. So we left... as I grumbled to no avail.
* * *

Also listened to Donald Fagen's pop-jazz masterpiece, "The Nightfly," tonight. Fagen is the voice and keyboard genius behind Steely Dan. This solo disc is fantastic, everything flowing so smoothly and with great sound and style.
The back cover photo, a black and white shot of tract homes at night, stirs up fuzzy feelings of my childhood on Long Island, New York. Amazing how I can get that feeling from a small, indistinct slice-of-life photo.

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Sylvania, Ohio
July 22, 2008

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
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"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing."
--Elbert Hubbard

Cancer's Unexpected Blessings

When you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change.

NOTE: This testimony has been circulating on the internet. I received it in my email this week and found the original version on the Christianity Today website. Tony Snow died July 12 at age 53. -- David

Commentator and broadcaster Tony Snow announced that he had colon cancer in 2005. Following surgery and chemo-therapy, Snow joined the Bush administration in April 2006 as press secretary. Unfortunately, on March 23 Snow, 51, a husband and father of three, announced that the cancer had recurred, with tumors found in his abdomen—leading to surgery in April, followed by more chemotherapy. Snow went back to work in the White House Briefing Room on May 30, but resigned August 31. CT asked Snow what spiritual lessons he has been learning through the ordeal.

Blessings arrive in unexpected packages—in my case, cancer.

Those of us with potentially fatal diseases—and there are millions in America today—find ourselves in the odd position of coping with our mortality while trying to fathom God's will. Although it would be the height of presumption to declare with confidence What It All Means, Scripture provides powerful hints and consolations.

The first is that we shouldn't spend too much time trying to answer the why questions: Why me? Why must people suffer? Why can't someone else get sick? We can't answer such things, and the questions themselves often are designed more to express our anguish than to solicit an answer.

I don't know why I have cancer, and I don't much care. It is what it is—a plain and indisputable fact. Yet even while staring into a mirror darkly, great and stunning truths begin to take shape. Our maladies define a central feature of our existence: We are fallen. We are imperfect. Our bodies give out.

But despite this—because of it—God offers the possibility of salvation and grace. We don't know how the narrative of our lives will end, but we get to choose how to use the interval between now and the moment we meet our Creator face-to-face.

Second, we need to get past the anxiety. The mere thought of dying can send adrenaline flooding through your system. A dizzy, unfocused panic seizes you. Your heart thumps; your head swims. You think of nothingness and swoon. You fear partings; you worry about the impact on family and friends. You fidget and get nowhere.

To regain footing, remember that we were born not into death, but into life—and that the journey continues after we have finished our days on this earth. We accept this on faith, but that faith is nourished by a conviction that stirs even within many nonbelieving hearts—an intuition that the gift of life, once given, cannot be taken away. Those who have been stricken enjoy the special privilege of being able to fight with their might, main, and faith to live—fully, richly, exuberantly—no matter how their days may be numbered.

Third, we can open our eyes and hearts. God relishes surprise. We want lives of simple, predictable ease—smooth, even trails as far as the eye can see—but God likes to go off-road. He provokes us with twists and turns. He places us in predicaments that seem to defy our endurance and comprehension—and yet don't. By his love and grace, we persevere. The challenges that make our hearts leap and stomachs churn invariably strengthen our faith and grant measures of wisdom and joy we would not experience otherwise.

'You Have Been Called'

Picture yourself in a hospital bed. The fog of anesthesia has begun to wear away. A doctor stands at your feet; a loved one holds your hand at the side. "It's cancer," the healer announces.

The natural reaction is to turn to God and ask him to serve as a cosmic Santa. "Dear God, make it all go away. Make everything simpler." But another voice whispers: "You have been called." Your quandary has drawn you closer to God, closer to those you love, closer to the issues that matter—and has dragged into insignificance the banal concerns that occupy our "normal time."

There's another kind of response, although usually short-lived—an inexplicable shudder of excitement, as if a clarifying moment of calamity has swept away everything trivial and tinny, and placed before us the challenge of important questions.

The moment you enter the Valley of the Shadow of Death, things change. You discover that Christianity is not something doughy, passive, pious, and soft. Faith may be the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But it also draws you into a world shorn of fearful caution. The life of belief teems with thrills, boldness, danger, shocks, reversals, triumphs, and epiphanies. Think of Paul, traipsing though the known world and contemplating trips to what must have seemed the antipodes (Spain), shaking the dust from his sandals, worrying not about the morrow, but only about the moment.

There's nothing wilder than a life of humble virtue—for it is through selflessness and service that God wrings from our bodies and spirits the most we ever could give, the most we ever could offer, and the most we ever could do.

Finally, we can let love change everything. When Jesus was faced with the prospect of crucifixion, he grieved not for himself, but for us. He cried for Jerusalem before entering the holy city. From the Cross, he took on the cumulative burden of human sin and weakness, and begged for forgiveness on our behalf.

We get repeated chances to learn that life is not about us—that we acquire purpose and satisfaction by sharing in God's love for others. Sickness gets us partway there. It reminds us of our limitations and dependence. But it also gives us a chance to serve the healthy. A minister friend of mine observes that people suffering grave afflictions often acquire the faith of two people, while loved ones accept the burden of two people's worries and fears.

Learning How to Live

Most of us have watched friends as they drifted toward God's arms not with resignation, but with peace and hope. In so doing, they have taught us not how to die, but how to live. They have emulated Christ by transmitting the power and authority of love.

I sat by my best friend's bedside a few years ago as a wasting cancer took him away. He kept at his table a worn Bible and a 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer. A shattering grief disabled his family, many of his old friends, and at least one priest. Here was a humble and very good guy, someone who apologized when he winced with pain because he thought it made his guest uncomfortable. He retained his equanimity and good humor literally until his last conscious moment. "I'm going to try to beat [this cancer]," he told me several months before he died. "But if I don't, I'll see you on the other side."

His gift was to remind everyone around him that even though God doesn't promise us tomorrow, he does promise us eternity—filled with life and love we cannot comprehend—and that one can in the throes of sickness point the rest of us toward timeless truths that will help us weather future storms.

Through such trials, God bids us to choose: Do we believe, or do we not? Will we be bold enough to love, daring enough to serve, humble enough to submit, and strong enough to acknowledge our limitations? Can we surrender our concern in things that don't matter so that we might devote our remaining days to things that do?

When our faith flags, he throws reminders in our way. Think of the prayer warriors in our midst. They change things, and those of us who have been on the receiving end of their petitions and intercessions know it.

It is hard to describe, but there are times when suddenly the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and you feel a surge of the Spirit. Somehow you just know: Others have chosen, when talking to the Author of all creation, to lift us up—to speak of us!

This is love of a very special order. But so is the ability to sit back and appreciate the wonder of every created thing. The mere thought of death somehow makes every blessing vivid, every happiness more luminous and intense. We may not know how our contest with sickness will end, but we have felt the ineluctable touch of God.

What is man that Thou art mindful of him? We don't know much, but we know this: No matter where we are, no matter what we do, no matter how bleak or frightening our prospects, each and every one of us, each and every day, lies in the same safe and impregnable place—in the hollow of God's hand.

=========

NOTE: The following is a from a transcript from the White House website of a press briefing on May 6, 2006, given by Tony Snow in the James S. Brady Briefing Room. I've decided to just include his comments to the media about his cancer. Toward -- David

Q Second question, why did you choose to wear the yellow bracelet today? What's the importance to you?

MR. SNOW: I had cancer last year. And having cancer, it's one of these things -- thank Terry Hunt for having provided -- I lost my old one when I was in the hospital having my last cancer surgery. It's going to sound stupid, and I'll be personal here, but -- just having gone through this last year -- and I said this to Chris Wallace -- was the best thing that ever happened to me. It's my Ed Muskie moment. (Laughter.) I lost a mother to cancer when I was 17, same type -- same type, colon cancer. And what has happened in the field of cancer since then is a miracle.

I actually had a chance to talk today with Lance Anderson [sic -- he meant Armstrong] about this. You know, it's one of these things where America -- whatever we may say about a health care system, the technologies that were available to me that have me standing behind the podium today, where a doctor who said, you don't have to worry about getting cancer, just heartburn, talking to these people -- (laughter) -- that's a wonderful thing. And I feel every day is a blessing.

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

Yesterday was my birthday and after breakfast with Cara and Dustin (the rest of my children were out of state) Janet and I went to Cedar Point and rode some of the world's greatest roller coasters.
Funny how some of our entertainment is designed to scare the heck out of you. That "Top Thrill Dragster" coaster at Cedar Point is one monstrous ride: It goes zero to 120 mph in about 6 seconds, shoots you virtually straight up a 420-foot climb, then drops you almost straight down, with one scary twist midway down, and then coasts to a stop. The whole ride lasts 17 seconds, and even though it's an hour and a half wait nobody leaves complaining that the ride was too short. They're just too pumped with adrenaline.

I also spent part of the day reading "Night," Elie Wiesel's shocking Holocaust memoir. In this slim volume, Wiesel describes with a few quick strokes of the pen some of the most horrific atrocities ever conducted by humanity.
I cannot imagine what leads to such genocide except that it is proof that there is evil in this world. Some evil is on a small scale and some, like the Holocaust, on so large a scale it's almost unimaginable.

Birthdays seem less of a "personal celebration" to me as I get older. It's more of a day to reflect on your blessings and to appreciate everything positive in your life.
I have much to be thankful for and I am grateful all the time. I think it's a good thing for us to be aware of. Despite all the problems, there is so much good in this world.
When I read "Night" it makes me even more aware of the blessings and God's grace in my own life, although it baffles me how and why God did not intervene to stop the Nazis.
At church this morning, Pastor Chad Gilligan preached from Isaiah, Chapter 38, in which ailing King Hezekiah was told by the Prophet Isaiah to get his house in order, he is going to die. Hezekiah prays to God and reminds the Lord of his faithfulness and upright living. God then tells Isaiah to go back and tell Hezekiah that he's changed his mind, he is going to extend his life by 15 years.
Pastor Chad spoke of how great God is and how we should be grateful for what we've got. He then passed out cards titled "Think on it" with lines for everyone to write down 10 things we are thankful for.
I filled out my card in just a few seconds, then added a few more on the back.
What about you?
Here's a little interactive internet exercise for you: Think about 10 things you can be thankful for and mentally fill the in blanks below.
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
4. __________________________________________
5.___________________________________________
6. __________________________________________
7. __________________________________________
8. ___________________________________________
9. ___________________________________________
10. __________________________________________

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Sylvania, Ohio
August 3, 2008