Dr. Dorothy Height (1912-2010)

Dorothy Height was born the year Woodrow Wilson was elected president and died having visited Barack Obama's White House 21 times in 15 months. She was a stalwart of the great Civil Rights Movement and a life-long soldier in the fight for women's equality. Her beautiful funeral was held today at the National Cathedral. We learn that she finished her autobiography--A Life of Purpose--just two months ago. Among the many lessons of this great woman's life is the knowledge that it is never too late to start your book.

It's Good To Be Mel

Last Friday Mel Brooks got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which shows that the planet is still in balance and sanity reigns in human affairs. Mel said once that the only way he had to fight the Nazis was to make people laugh at them. His masterpiece--or one of them--is The Producers but his life-long fight is apparent in all of his work. Fair Warning: Mel Brooks is now writing a musical version of Blazing Saddles--the campfire scene where the cowboys are eating beans should be particularly melodious.

In the Los Angeles Times recently Carl Reiner said that he and Mel were planning a new 2000 Year-old Man album. Who could ask for anything more?

The Brits Hold An Election

Watch out for Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party in the UK, he could be the next Prime Minister. The British Parliamentary election is held on May 6th, the current PM, Mr. Gordon Brown, was willed the job by Tony Blair--no doubt against his better judgment. Clegg leads a smaller third party--conventional wisdom says the Conservatives led by David Cameron should win in a walk, but in the debates between the three candidates held so far Nick Clegg has been excellent, more than a match for the other two. He can be very easily--and pleasantly--pictured as Prime Minister. Brown is done to a crisp, it's between Cameron and Clegg, and if Clegg can convince the voters that he is really Barack Obama he will win.

Next big change--the Vatican, or as Sinead O'Connor calls it, Central Command.

7.2

This afternoon we got a significant wave from the 7.2 earthquake that hit Baja, it was the strongest shaking I have felt in 13 years in California. I was at the computer and became aware of the desk lamp shaking and some noise from the living room. The shaking kept getting stronger and as it went on for 20 seconds or so I got up to go outside to protect myself from anything that might fall. That's when it stopped.
I felt a little dizzy and sickly for a while but that soon went away.

You talk about a shot across the bow! An Easter Sunday earthquake that has your entire house shaking will get you down to basics very quickly.
What did we do? We ate take-out chicken and turned on the Yankees-Red Sox game.

. . . Now about the pope and the cover-up artists at the Vatican . . . aren't they having their own earthquake these days? The house the high clergy has built will keep on quaking until all the termites and wood-rot are
removed, and this cleaning must not take too long. No doubt many Catholics are feeling dizzy and sickly and are thinking about leaving, but the sooner they make profound and lasting change happen in that house the sooner the illness will go away.

After-shocks continued all afternoon; there was at least one death and many were hurt, but all agreed that it could have been worse. Were we saved?