Names. We all have one. I've been thinking a lot about names and their origins. Some names are unique, some are long, and some never get used, as we come up with a nickname for someone when they are a child, and that name sometimes sticks. I guess the common names like Jennifer, Michael, James, Matthew, John, Anna (if you went to a Polish high school like me, then this is a name you saw often), and Kathy will always be around. We even try to change things with the spelling sometimes. Look at how many ways Kathy can be spelled: It's usually a nick name form of Kathryn, Cathryn, Kathleen, Catherine, Katherine, etc. I've even seen Gennifer and Jenifer. And how about Karen? It could be Caryn, Karin, or Caren. Same with Mark or Marc. I've seen traditional boys names that end up going to a girl, like Drew. And I've seen a different version of that too. A girl from the West was part of the news, involved in a kidnapping. Her name was Dru. The name Robin (or Robyn) can go for boys and girls as well. I like exotic names like Angelina, Demi, or Sophia (or Sofia). For the men, Rick, Tony, and Al seem like macho and tough names to have. You see Sergei at the ice rinks (a popular name for men in Russia), as there are two on the Boston Bruins hockey team. And I've noticed Jiri, as a name for men from The Czech Republic. I love on "The Bachelor" when they have women with the same first names, and they have to refer to them with their last initial (two Jessicas, for example, and the guy has to specify Jessica B. to let the girls know which girl he wants to talk to at the time!). But we were all given a name, and that makes us who we are. So enjoy it, and treasure those differences from the other people who share your name.

A California group that formed in the early 1960's, is the Turtles (so speaking of some different names, I could go on and on about the abundance of unique names for bands!). They were considered a pop group who wanted more than just hit singles. So where did they get their name? It came from the record company, White Whale. Before the group was signed, the L.A. based boys were known as The Nightriders, and then as The Crossfires. Locally, their singles did not attract attention. Once they were signed to the label (noting that the surf craze was lessening, and moving the group towards a folk rock sound), they could ease into the Bob Dylan and Byrds style music that was popular. The debut single for the group was Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe", which started a string of hits such as "Let Me Be", "You Baby", and "Can I Get to Know You Better". These all showed the sound of the group, with the distinct vocals of Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The Turtles were not happy, even admist the hits, and were going to break up when they released "Happy Together", their biggest hit. "She'd Rather Be With Me", "You Know What I Mean", and "She's My Girl" were hits that followed that top ten record. The increasing dissatisfaction was apparent when the group released The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands. The record was how they wanted to be more than radio filler. Each song on the album was purposely made to sound different from the next. Turtle Soup was the follow-up and was produced by Ray Davies of the Kinks. The group was invited to play at the White House in 1969. A breakup for good came in 1970. The most successful records were Happy Together, and The Turtles! Golden Hits. The band members changed often, but Al Nichol, a guitarist, was with Kaylan and Volman until the end. Some of these members included bassist Jim Pons and drummer John Barbata (who later worked with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and Jefferson Starship). Jim Pons stayed with Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan into their later projects, such as Flo and Eddie, and joining Frank Zappa as The Monsters of Invention. They chose the names (Mark is Flo, and Howard is Eddie), when they were forced by White Whale into litigation (seems to happen a lot, record labels and artists not getting along, or in dispute about one thing or another! Seems the label forced sugary pop songs and drained most of the money the band made). After working with Frank Zappa, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan left and worked as The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie, working with Jim Pons and drummer Aynsley Dunbar. As this group, they combined songs with spoofs of personalities, genres, and events. It seemed no one was safe from these spoofs (The Village People, Kiss, Joni Mitchell, the Beastie Boys, and Fleetwood Mac, to name a few). The group gave up touring in 1976, after some tragic deaths (guitarist Philip Reed, and Marc Bolan, a close friend). They produced more records, as well as wrote columns for Teen Beat, Creem, and the L.A. Free Press. This was in addition to hosting a radio show in the mid seventies and a brief stint in television, with a late night talk show in 1982. The duo of Volman and Kaylan have provided the background vocals for such people as John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Keith Moon, David Cassidy, Alice Cooper, The Knack, Sammy Hagar, Roger McGuinn, the Psychedelic Furs, and Mr. Bruce Springsteen. This shows the diverse range of music they are involved with, and an eclectic group of musicians. In 1980, Flo and Eddie went on to produce a series of records for children, with the soundtracks to Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears. Howard appeared in the movie Get Crazy. In 1989, the duo hosted a radio show in the afternoon in New York. Since the Seventies, an annual New Year's Eve show in New York City was a tradition. The duo was also part of the Happy Together Tour, which had other acts from the Sixties. To best talk about the Turtles, you must see that they were a close knit bunch, like brothers. On the many bus rides they endured for touring, the group would talk philosophy, harmonize and bond. In 2004, The Turtles, featuring Flo & Eddie, are touring in the United States (places like Ohio, Utah, California, and New York). Look for them on an Oldies Cruise in November!

Ms. Roberta Joan Anderson (known as Joni Mitchell) was born in Canada, in 1943. She is a well respected singer and songwriter who is daring and creative in rock. She started out in the late Sixties and Seventies as folk- pop, then had a jazz quality to her work, which began the musical style of works that Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, and Sting have used. One of a few artists who could influence all sorts of musicians, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page are said to be very big fans. Her works become more famous when sung by others, and her voice and guitar work have inspired others. A jazz influenced singer like Rickie Lee Jones, has the "Joni Mitchell" style. Joni was an only child who grew up in Saskatoon, Canada. Stricken with Polio at a young age, she recovered (despite odds) in a children's ward, singing to find comfort. She was always involved in art and music, and she then taught herself to play guitar. She went to a college for Art and began playing folk music. After moving to Toronto and playing the local folk scene, she married Chuck Mitchell, a folk singer. The couple soon separated and divorced (after moving to Detroit). It was here in Detroit that Joni became a sensation, which led to a series of gigs in New York City that worked out well. She was signed by Reprise Records in the late Sixties, and Judy Collins had a hit with Joni's song "Both Sides Now". Those lyrics to the song also became a children's book by Carly Simon. It was hits like this for other people ("Michael from Mountains" was on Judy's Wildflowers album, "Eastern Rain" was recorded by Fairport Convention, a British folk/rock band, and Tom Rush recorded "The Circle Game") that helped Joni gain success. Joni's second record, Clouds, sold even better than her debut. Ladies of the Canyon went platinum, with the hit single "Big Yellow Taxi" (Amy Grant did a cool version of this song later on, as well as the more recent version from The Counting Crows, with backing from Vanessa Carlton). Blue, Joni's next album, also went platinum, with songs like "Carey", "My Old Man", and "The Last Time I Saw Richard". James Taylor helped on this album, and was reportedly the subject of the song "Blue", and another song, "See You Sometime", from For The Roses. "You Turn Me On (I'm a Radio)" was another hit for Joni, and a high charting album in her career is Court and Spark. This produced the hit "Help Me", and now Joni's sound had grown into a kind of sophisticated pop blend. This album had Joni's first cover, Annie Ross's "Twisted", with jazz sounds. The Hissing of Summer Lawns, a bold work that did not cater to the masses, was an experiment that was not reviewed favorably (Rolling Stone named it the worst album of the year). However, it was a hit, years later, despite this, and opinion was turned to accept its boldness (it was the first time Burundi drums were used on a pop record). So the next album, Hejira, did well commercially, but still mystified the critics. Joni dug more into the issues of commitment and freedom, from a woman's point of view on this one. She was at The Band's farewell concert in San Francisco, as well as in the documentary for the event, The Last Waltz. Joni charted new musical territory with the double album Don Juan's Reckless Daughter. Jazz musicians Larry Carlton and Wayne Shorter were paired with some Latin percussionists (Airto was one) for "The Tenth World", and "Paprika Plains". The next most daring step was her follow-up project. Charles Mingus, a jazz bassist and composer, asked Joni to work with him. He was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, and Joni set lyrics to the last melodies he wrote, and she then composed the rest of the material herself, and released Mingus, shortly after his death. More mixed reviews came, but the album charted high for a jazz album, which proved Joni had enduring fans who came and listened to her style. Shadows and Light, also had mixed reviews, and featured jazz rock guitarist Pat Metheny and the group The Persuasions (an a cappella vocal group). In 1982, Wild Things Run Fast was a more pop oriented album, and had a cover of Elvis Presley's "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care". This was Joni's first record for the Geffen label. It had been her first charting single since 1974. Joni also got married, to her bassist Larry Klein (they later separated). Dog Eat Dog was a social commentary work for Joni, and not on such a personal level. It was coproduced by Thomas Dolby and had help from Michael McDonald, as well as actor Rod Steiger (he was the evangelist on "Tax Free"). The next album, Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm was hailed as a Joni comeback of sorts, but others saw it as bland. It had Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Billy Idol, and Peter Gabriel on it. Throughout the Eighties, Joni did not appear on stage much, if at all. In 1986, she had an acoustic set that was quickly arranged because she was a last minute fill in for Pete Townshend at the Amnesty International, and the performance was cut short, due to the crowd booing her (they must not have known her eclectic work). Night Ride Home won Joni great acclaim, with its jazz tinged pop. A few years later, in the mid Nineties, Joni promoted Turbulent Indigo, to glowing reviews and her telling the world she was suffering from post polio syndrome (related to her childhood dealings with the disease). Say what you want, but you can't take away the fact that Joni has produced or coproduced each of her albums since the first one, which was produced by David Crosby. Joni is also a painter and photographer, and the works on each of her album covers was created by her. Court and Spark, is one of the 33 albums added by the Recording Academy to the Grammy Hall of Fame list. This will be the second from Joni. Blue, from 1971, was added to the Hall of Fame list four years ago. This was started in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting historical significance that are at least 25 years old. With the 33 albums or singles added this year, the total is now 639. Joni MITCHELL IS A songwriter, singer, musician, poet, and painter. The 22 albums over more than 30 years is seen as the most significant and steady collection of work by an artist of her time. The unique style she has makes for an interesting (yet often hard to classify) class of music that keeps people guessing, and fans devoted. In addition to her music, her artwork has been shown throughout the world.

Mr. $

A Brooklyn, New York born man went to the Police Academy (coming from a long line of police officers), and decided to pursue rock and roll, which he did at night with a band, Grapes of Wrath, on the side. Then he made the choice to move to California and do the rock and roll thing for good. Thank god he did! He is Edward Mahoney, better known as Eddie Money, a voice of the 1980's. My favorite songs of his are: "Two Tickets to Paradise", "Think I'm in Love", "I Wanna Go Back", and a duet with Ronnie Spector called "Take Me Home Tonight". This straight up rock and roll icon has been wowing fans for ages, and should be considered one of the hardest working men in rock and roll, as he consistently does at least 150 shows every year. What makes that nice is that he is always touring, and most likely at a place near you (Mohegan Sun, in Connecticut, and The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in New Hampshire are places he is known to be at). I think Eddie's take on it is that he has loyal fans and he won't let them down, and he loves what he does for a living. The one and only Cyndi Lauper ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is still a cool anthem) was a warm up act for Eddie on his 1986- 1987 tour, and Ms. Marcia Brady herself, Maureen McCormick, is known to have sang backup vocals on his 1980 Playing For Keeps album. Eddie has recorded over a dozen albums, and had had numerous projects in television and film as part of his long career. Eddie was Joe Dirt's rock and roll idol in the David Spade film Joe Dirt, and he played Mimi's ex-husband in an episode of "The Drew Carey Show". He likes to be involved in different things so it is no surprise he has worked on theme songs for Arena Football and Major League Baseball. Not bad for a student of vocal coach Judy Davis and then had manager Bill Graham as his mentor (he helped Eddie by negotiating a contract with Columbia Records). It also was great for Eddie due to the fact that this was the early days of MTV and music videos, so he then became a full star. What is neat about Eddie is that he is down to earth, he plays the saxophone, harmonica, and piano, and has five kids. Those kids probably have some musical talent to work with in their futures! Eddie has a cop-thriller writer brother, Dan (I guess he had some inspiration to work with!). Eddie is a huge baseball fan, and notes the LA Dodgers as his favorite. He and some friends even helped Mr. GARTH BROOKS with his baseball swing. Bret Farve is a great quarterback, as far as Eddie is concerned in the football arena. The avid sports fan was even said to have been watching The OAKLAND RAIDERS vs. The New England Patriots at the time of John Lennon's death (the famous question: Where were you when such and such an event happened?). The Foo Fighters did a cover of "Baby, Hold on To Me", and "Two Tickets To Paradise" was used in the television show "Paradise Hotel". Mr. Money is the type of artist that can tour every year and use the old material and it still gets the fans on their feet! He doesn't have to promote a new CD, and he is one of the few artists where you have to have the "collection album" that has songs through the years to catch all the good tunes. I actually have the cassette tape (no jokes now) of Eddie's Greatest Hits Sound of Money, and it still is one to play in my tape player (hey, it was bought before CD's were all the rage). And besides, I have a tape player in my car! It sits among the huge collection of tapes I have, before I bought CD's. So Eddie, keep on rocking us!

Audrey Faith Perry has come a long way since 1993. She was born in Mississippi in 1967. From the early Nineties (remember the single "Piece of My Heart"?) until 1999, for example, Ms. Faith Hill, as we know her, had sold more than 11 million records and had eight Number One singles. She has received numerous nominations and awards from the Country Music Association, the Grammy Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards, to name a few. She had crossover success with "This Kiss", much like Shania Twain. It proved these two women could hit both the fans of country music and pop, so to speak. To prove this, she had an appearance on "VH1 Divas Live", in 1999. The people she shared the stage with on that show were Tina Turner, Cher, and Whitney Houston. And if that wasn't enough, she's the face for CoverGirl Cosmetics, and has been on the cover of magazines like Country Weekly, People, TV Guide and Glamour. From 1994's album Take Me As I Am, then 1995's It Matters to Me, to 1998's Faith (which was multiplatinum) she was on a roll. After completing a 50 city tour, she found herself back in the studio quickly (with barely six weeks to spare) to finish Breathe, the follow up to Faith. Even though that year was a whirlwind, Faith had a few songs already recorded, and felt the time was right for another record. Breathe was a diverse and soulful recording (it was produced by Faith and producers Byron Gallimore and Dann Huff). The album is an autobiographical collection, which focuses on things very close to her heart. Faith feels she sings from the heart, and wants to be honest with her fans, so each time she sings, she is inside of that song. The album has the title track, as well as "I Got My Baby" and "If My Heart Had Wings". There is a passionate ballad, "Let's Make Love" (a duet with husband Tim McGraw), and an uplifting message with "There Will Come A Day." Follow that with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind". After meeting Bruce, she felt she had to record this song. With crossover success, the artist needs to feel like they are recording for different fans each time. Faith is also popular with her peers in the industry, as she has done background vocals for Vince Gill, and of course, she has sang with handsome country superstar husband Tim McGraw (They have beautiful daughters together: Gracie, Maggie and Audrey). It's such a nice story about these two lovebirds. They met on tour together, and had a whirlwind romance. When Tim proposed to her in one of the trailers on tour, he then had to go perform before she could respond. So Faith wrote her response on the mirror! How cool is that? Some projects Faith has been involved in are the soundtracks to Maverick, Practical Magic, Prince of Egypt The Grinch (the 2000 version), and "There You'll Be", from Pearl Harbor. She had the role, and was set to play the wife of Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers, but left the film and was replaced by actress Madeleine Stowe. Faith has also made her debut as a musical guest on "Saturday Night Live". So it looks like Faith is a singing sensation, and wants to act as well. Her latest project is reprising Tina Louise's role of Charmaine in a remake of The Stepford Wives, with Nicole Kidman. This will be her film debut, and look for Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close, Jon Lovitz, Bette Midler, and Christopher Walken in this remake with a darker side to it. It will be directed by Frank Oz (muppet voices fame), and is in post production, so lots of editing and work are being done to get this movie released this year sometime. Speaking of Nicole, this movie conflicted with a lot of projects she wanted to do. Nicole has many, many projects in the works, and her hectic schedule does not seem to be ending any time soon. Some movies she wanted to do, but The Wives movie got in the way, are Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Aviator, and the sequel to Dogville. So dare another blonde become an actress? We could never hate Faith because she's beautiful, talented and down to earth. The last album Faith had was released in 2002, and called Cry. Each album has sold better than the previous one. Cry draws upon her musical roots, and has a fresh union between country, rock, R & B, and pop. It was Co-produced by Faith, and there are tracks done with Byron Gallimore, Dann Huff and Marti Frederiksen. "Cry", the first single, has made a mark by being the highest chart debut of her career, and the most added single at country radio for that year. The LP, which has fourteen tracks, are on a one hour recording that Ms. Hill has been preparing for since the release of Breathe.
Charities and Benefits are important to Faith too. She took part in "America: A Tribute To Heroes", which was an ambitious effort in which the networks aired performances to raise money to benefit the rescue workers and victims of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.
While tracks like "Free" and "One" are more liberating, there are passionate vocal performances on songs like "When The Lights Go Down" and "Stronger". So in a nutshell, Faith Hill has based her career on dedication, passion and commitment. It's nice to see that in an artist. She has the ability to stay on top for a while!

The band Coldplay is a British band that has been a profound musical act in today's generation. We have talented Chris Martin on vocals (he does piano and guitar as well, phew!). He was born in 1977, and played piano at an early age. His mother was a teacher, and his dad was an accountant. Chris remembers Michael Jackson as among one of the first albums he bought. Moving on to guitars, he has been in bands since the age of 15. Chris is the oldest of 5 children, and has been known to be an over achiever and a nervous, "worrier" type of person. His writing is passionate, and he strives for perfection. The pain stricken lyrics and melodies drive the Coldplay sound, and the songs would not be as strong without that edge. We have Guy Berryman on bass. He was born in Scotland, but the family moved to Kent. Guy loved funk music, and played bass at 13 years of age. In 1998, he joined the band (he then made the decision to drop out of engineering school in London). He is seen as the dark, soft spoken one in the group (but Chris fits that bill as well!). Guy likes diverse music such as James Brown, The Beatles (of course), Kool & The Gang, as well as Pink Floyd. We have lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, who was born in London. Another youngster to pick up a musical instrument, he liked the guitar. Jonny and his brother grew up listening to Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton records. Another one seen to be quiet and shy (see the pattern in this group?), he is content to be who he is. We have Will Champion on drums. He learned a variety of musical instruments when he was young (guitar, bass, and the piano). He actually never drummed before he joined Coldplay, but the gift he has for instruments and music made it a natural for him to catch on to the drums quickly. He's been described as calm and reliable. So these college friends have become a genre of "emotional" music for the nation. The British group has grown because they write simple songs that gear toward the heart of people. The main theme is sad, or melancholy, in their songs, but also show optimism. An old school friend of Chris, Phil Harvey, became the band's manager and he financed their first recording, Safety,

with a 500 copy limit. The strength of that helped get Coldplay a job in a Cuban cafe in Manchester (it was part of a festival for unsigned bands called In The City). A talent scout happened to be in the audience and told Dan Keeling of Parlophone records to check them out. Another job at The Falcon in Camden got a glowing review and an offer to record a single, "Brothers and Sisters" for the Fierce Panda label. In May of 1999, the band signed with Parlophone Records, and in June of that year, they signed with BMG Publishing. In the fall of 1999, they released the CD The Blue Room, with the 5000 limited edition with video. The lead song "Bigger Stronger" got a lot of airplay, and by October Coldplay was co-headlining their first national tour with Bellatrix. So the buzz was on, and the group was praised in the press. Soon after early 2000, they worked on recording their debut album for that summer. Engineer and Co-producer Ken Nelson went into the studio with the guys, and it was determined that nothing would go on the album that the four guys did not all agree on. This, as you could tell, led to a hard recording session, trying to please everyone. But in May, the album was finished. The single "Yellow" rose high on the charts, and the album Parachutes went to number one in the UK. Another single did well, "Shiver". It had the emotion that by now made the band's sound. The next album, A Rush of Blood To The Head, was meant to be even more melodic, sad, moving and uplifting. So the band had to write from the heart again, but in a new way so it didn't sound just like the first album. It was said that the band had moved forward and has the creativity and emotional range that overshadows other bands. Such songs as the moving rock of "Politik", and the hushed tones of "Green Eyes", proved the album could move between rhythms without missing a beat, or the chance to put you under a spell. This is in part to Chris's vocals, that range in sound from low to high. After a week of sales, the album went to number one in several countries (Australia, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, and Italy, for example), and did well in France, Portugal and the United States as well. Several celebrity fans have praised the band. Brad and Jennifer (yes, the Brad and Jen), Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Keri Russell, and others). Evidence of the commercial impact the band has had can be seen in the fact that several shows have incorporated Coldplay songs into their themes or in an episode. On "Boston Public", Coldplay's "The Scientist" played in the background as teacher Ronnie Cook weighed the benefits of being a teacher compared to being in the administration, and where she would be able to make a difference the most. That song was also used in an episode of the show "Smallville". It had the former Superman himself, Christopher Reeve, starring as a scientist that the young Clark Kent goes to New York to meet. The show also had used "In My Place" earlier in the season. "Six Feet Under" featured the band's title track to A Rush Of Blood To The Head in their season promos on the major networks. On the hit "Alias", the song "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" played as Sydney and Vaughn got together for the first time. An episode of "ER" featured the rhythmic beat-driven "Clocks", as a score to the disturbing episode finale. So time and time again, a popular television show drives home its story with the emotional back drop of Coldplay. The song I like a lot is "Yellow" (Look at the stars, look how they shine for you.........
Yeah, they were all Yellow). The people who like this band probably like Radiohead and similar bands. It may seem like mellow music to some, but it has struck a chord with listeners. And did I mention that Chris's wife is the one and only Gwyneth Paltrow (who just gave birth to their baby)? The couple plan to raise the child in London or Spain, and it should be a very artistic child, with those two as parents. Gwyneth has been laying low in acting for a while anyway, as she could be seen everywhere Chris was, singing to his songs in the audience. So I assume she'll adjust to motherhood and not do films at the very moment anyway, but you never know. So, good luck to these two and when you want to listen to talent, put a CD by Coldplay in, and you'll love it!

Sports News

Well, my friends, there is bad news in the sports world. The Bruins did not make it past the first round of playoffs, and The Celtics did not either. Both had a chance to advance, but did not make it in the end. It's early in the season, but after a great start, the Red Sox have blown some games. I don't know what happened in Texas (it is speculation that a new crowd of younger guys on the team, minus A-Rod, and some veteran players showing the young ones the ropes, will make Texas a team to watch this year) and Cleveland (where they still boo at Manny for coming our way!), but our pitching is fine. It's that we can't get the guys home to get some runs. It does take time, and the offense will pick up soon, with a good bunch of guys. They will get into it later on. These latest May games have been proving that now! So for the Boston/New England fans, we have the beloved Patriots to keep our hearts a flutter, for the moment. That's how it goes, I guess. All I know is, we have Fenway Park filled up this time of year, while I see empty seats at some of these ball parks this time of year. So we do still believe! Speaking of The Green team, The Celtics, they have named their coach. Doc Rivers took over and is planning for next year, let's hope it goes well then! Former coach Jim O'Brien had left amidst not getting along with Basketball Director of Operations Danny Ainge (A former Celtic). He is now with Philadelphia, so good luck there, people have said he was a good coach, and you have to work with management you can agree with, in regard to team philosophies Now on to the current NBA picture. It's been a while since their bad start to the season, but the Miami Heat n now appear to be unbeatable at home, and headed for the second round of the NBA playoffs. This is coming from a team that had a bad November, as well as December, but had a late season comeback, if you will. Miami has a home winning streak of 16 games, thanks to beating the Hornets in 7 games with a score of 85-77. People then wrote them off, when your record isn't great, as if to say, "Maybe Next Year" (where have I heard that before, I wonder?) So it is now Miami against the Indiana Pacers (we don't want to talk about what they did to our Celtics - need a broom anyone?). The first game of this semifinal was in Indianapolis on May 6th. The Hornets are even quick to suggest that Indiana should be worried about this team, as they are young and talented. Great defense gave a record crowd of Heat fans a treat. Thanks to Caron Butler and Rafer Alston, that helped seal the deal for Miami. What didn't help the Hornets is that Baron Davis hurt his tailbone when he took a tumble late in the second quarter. It was then determined he was going to have to sit the rest of the game out. The Heat's defense made for multiple turnovers that created many opportunities for them. Heat coach Stan Van Gundy must have enjoyed the lack of offense on the Hornets side (as well as the fact that the team was winless this year when playing the Heat in Miami). However, New Orleans would not leave without a fight, and kept things close near the end, after Miami had a 10+ point lead. It is interesting to note that Stan Van Gundy has become the first rookie coach to win a Game 7 since 1993, and The Heat are winless against the Pacers during the regular season. So the lineup looks like this: Pacers vs. The Heat will go against the winner of the NJ Nets and Detroit Pistons for the Eastern conference title. The winner of that final matchup will face the winner of The Timberwolves/ Kings game, who will face The Lakers/Spurs winner for the Western conference. This just in: It is now Minnesota and The Lakers for the west, and The Pistons and Pacers for the East. Then the final all around matchup. Two players for the Pacers that stand out are Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest. Mr. O'Neal (who is not as tall as Shaq, but has the same last name, so that can't be that bad), was born in 1978, in South Carolina. He was drafted in 1996 to the Portland Trail Blazers and has been with Indiana since the 2000-2001 season. Jermaine is a leader in playoff scoring and rebounding. Some notes on Jermaine: He was one of the youngest NBA players in 1996, and he owns a recording studio in Atlanta. Ron Artest, born in New York, is also a playoff leader in scoring, as well as in assists. Ron started out in windy Chicago, with the Bulls, but has been with Indiana since 2002. He is a father, and played basketball with NBA players Lamar Odom and Etton Brand as a teenager. Ron is seen as a very strong defensive player. In fact, he was named the defensive player of the year! That has been decided due to the fact that the Pacers now have two players on the All-NBA teams for the first time. Jermaine O'Neal was named to the second team, while Ron Artest was named to the third team. Jermaine had been a third-team selection the previous two seasons, while it was a first for Ron. To show you that this is a cool honor, consider that San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan earned his seventh straight selection to the All-NBA First Team. Tim is only the sixth player in NBA history to make the All-NBA First Team in each of those first seven seasons, joining Hall of Famers such as Larry Bird, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, and Oscar Robertson. And speaking of Larry Bird, that is probably why I like Indiana. Even though they creamed the Celtics, to have Larry Bird (a famous former Celtic himself) behind a team, means a lot. In July of 2003, Donnie Walsh announced that Larry Bird would be the new President of Basketball Operations (So Danny and Larry have the same type of job!). Donnie, who had been the franchise President, then assumed the title of CEO. This new job basically means negotiating all contracts and being responsible for the day to day operations for the Pacers, such as coaching, administration, players, scouting and training. After retiring from the Celtics in 1992, Larry served as a consultant for the Green and then joined the Pacers as head coach in 1996. Larry earned Coach of the Year in 1997/98. The growth of the team soon appeared, and it had its first chance in the NBA Finals in 2000. Larry then turned down the opportunity to move into the front office, deciding to pursue franchise ownership with the expansion Charlotte franchise (which a group headed by Robert Johnson was then awarded that franchise by the NBA). So Larry reconsidered the offer, while noting that he had to have treatment for a heart arrhythmia before he could resume any kind of career.

So Donnie called Larry and persuaded him to come back to Indiana, noting that he would not be in a favor of this move if Larry weren't involved. Starting out in French Lick, Indiana, Larry was an Indiana High School All-Star. Then came college level ball at Indiana State, where he was the College Player of the Year and led the team to the NCAA championship game. So suffice it is to say that Larry had accomplished a lot in his Celtic career by helping the Celtics to gain three World Championships, he was the league's MVP three straight years, as well as being the Rookie of the Year in 1980. And let's not forget that he was a member of the 1992 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Basketball so named "Dream Team." What is neat to consider is that Larry and his old Celtic teammate Kevin McHale may face off with each other. Kevin is the General Manager of the Minnesota team. The Timberwolves do not have a good playoff history so the Lakers may have an edge on them, but it would be cool to wipe out the Lakers in an upset, and have Indiana and Minnesota play against each other for the title! We'll see. On the Western side, two most noticeable players would be Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, of the Los Angeles Lakers. "Shaq", as Mr. O'Neal is called, is a big man, and busy. He has made rap albums, has a clothing line, owns a record label, and has acted in some movies. He also has a lot of endorsements, so we see him on television, hawking something or other, all the time. I do like the Radio Shack commercials, where he puts his name into it: "I have to talk to the folks at Radio Shack... Shouldn't it be called 'Radio Shaq?' ". Since his rookie season with the Orlando Magic in 1993, Shaq has come a long way. He's been selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, in 1996. Since going to the Lakers in 1996, he has become the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player three times after leading the LA. Lakers to straight NBA Finals victories in 2000, 2001 and 2002. And if that isn't quite enough (I could go on all day), he was voted by the media as the Most Valuable Player in the 1999-2000

regular season. Kobe Bryant is another star on the LA team that is well known due to endorsements. Since being with the Lakers since 1996, he has been in several NBA playoff games, ranks high in many things, such as free throws, free throw attempts, and points per game (24). Kobe was selected by USA Today and Parade Magazine as the National High School Player of the Year at Lower Merion High School, Pennsylvania way back when (he's not that old, folks!). Some other notes on Kobe are: He was named after a type of steak his parents saw on a restaurant menu, and is fluent in Italian, after spending eight years of his childhood in Italy! As you know, Kobe is involved in a legal dispute right now. He is accused of raping a girl in the state of Colorado. His lawyers do not want the accuser to be called a victim, because it implies Kobe is guilty, and he will be vindicated. The lawyer is saying this because there was alleged consensual sex between Kobe and the accuser, and the main issue is if there had been a crime committed, and if she is a victim. It's hard to believe these rich basketball stars, as they seem to get away with everything, but in this day and age, there are women who would try to hurt their reputation. I don't know why any girl would want all this delicate information to be public, if it wasn't a serious offense, so who knows? Kobe could face four years to life in prison, or 20 years to life on probation if convicted of felony sexual assault. He has a lot of support from his family and friends, so we'll have to see the final verdict on this one. Some basketball stars are the sons of former NBA players. Kobe is the son of Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, and newcomer Luke Walton (who joined the Lakers last year) is the son of Bill Walton. And let's not forget another Laker, Rick Fox (Full name is Ulrich Alexander Fox). He is married to the beautiful actress/former beauty pageant winner Vanessa Williams. He has many interests, and would like to open a sports bar one day. He enjoys martial arts, golfing, and cheering on the New England Patriots! (now he has to be a great guy, just for that!) Rick is also a movie fan, and he majored in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures at school, and noted he would be in the movies if he were not playing in the NBA. Well, he has some acting to his credit though, so that must be good enough to satisfy that dream (He had a brief appearance in the movie He Got Game, and has one of those recurring roles in the HBO show "Oz"). So, the latest in Lakerland is that they will be against the "wolves" in the West Semi finals quest. This west coast team does get attention, and is well known, so I give them credit, and may the best team win in the end! Some other sports news involves a very heroic man. Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals player, died in an ambush on April 22, in Afghanistan. Pat was a local high school football star with a bright future ahead of him, before going on to the NFL. Pat attended San Jose's Leland High School, and was drafted by the Cardinals after going to Arizona State University. He then became the Cardinals' starting safety, and broke the franchise record for tackles in 2000. Now this isn't any old player. What makes Pat so unique is that after the September 11th terrorist attacks, he became so moved and wanted to do something, so he turned down his multimillion-dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and joined the U.S. Army. And he was only 27! It's amazing someone so young had those type of priorities, when faced with a job that will give him a very comfortable lifestyle, or a chance to fight for your country (much higher stakes). NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Hall of Famer Gene Upshaw were among those who attended a public memorial for Pat. So much could be said about him, but the most prominent thing would be his courage and unselfishness in all aspects of life, from the athletic field to his community, and as a soldier. It is safe to say many celebrities, coaches, and politicians admired Pat. He was even admired by the "govinator", Arnold Schwarzenegger! So, to honor Pat, the military promoted him from specialist to corporal (he had been a member of the Army's Ranger unit since 2002). A Purple Heart and Silver Star were also awarded to him. Some other NFL players have been killed in combat. The last was Buffalo offensive tackle Bob Kalsu, during the Vietnam War, and nineteen players were killed in World War II. So even though it's a sad story, it's one that is uplifting to know we do have people who care about others, and our country first. In other football news, Quarterback Kerry Collins was released by the New York Giants, after the team got rookie Eli Manning (yes, Peyton's bro!) in the 2004 draft. I don't know how that sits with the NY fans, as it's always good to get young guys in (look at Tom Brady), but it's at the expense of the veteran guys (sorry Drew and Kerry!). I guess the strategy of The Giants is that they will sign a veteran quarterback to start the season to pave the way for Eli. The young Mr. Manning was taken by the San Diego Chargers with the first pick in the draft and then scooted off to New York. Giants General manager Ernie Accorsi recognizes Kerry's efforts, and the fact he took the team to the Super Bowl. Mr. Collins signed with the Giants in 1999, and became the starter halfway through that season, upon which New York went to its third Super Bowl the following season. Phil Simms and Kerry are high on the team's career list. Kerry has 1,447 completions, and is third in pass attempts, with 2,473. I guess Kerry wanted to avoid a quarterback controversy, so he refused to renegotiate his contact, and that gives him time to find a new team for next season, so we'll see what develops there. Many New Yorkers will want to know, I'm sure! It is a while away, but the NFL draft showed that the teams are not afraid to get ready now for the upcoming season. The Patriots are happy with their rookies, and will show them the ropes, and all teams know the new guys are rusty, and have a lot to learn. But the opening of mini camps for the rookies proves to be beneficial because the teams get to look at the new players, and start working again. Even though teams have been conducting conditioning programs for weeks, mini camp brings the first real taste of football. I suppose it is exciting and new for the new coaches that start every year as well. It seems to be that at the beginning of every training period, the focus is on getting the boys geared up and ready to win! And finally, I wanted to say good luck to Manny Ramirez, who became a United Sates citizen recently! Go Manny! I like to see that. It means something to him to play for a free country.

Politics

There is a lot going on in the world today. We have more and more bad news from Iraq, and everyone has an opinion on the candidates. You have to feel that both of these guys have good intentions for the country's future. So let's see what each candidate is about, as we will one day pick a man for the job, once and for all. Kerry: Even though Senator John Kerry favors working with other countries on most international issues, he feels the Bush administration is not confrontational enough, on the subject of trade. John vows he will take a tough stand (while he says Mr. Bush has not done so) against "manipulation" of currency practices by China and Japan. Mr. Kerry notes that China and Japan are allowed to keep their currencies "undervalued", and that puts U.S. exporters at a price disadvantage. This is because China has kept a fixed rate for its currency since 1994, while Japan and other Asian countries have bought large amounts of dollars recently so that their currencies do not rise too much (to keep from losing a competitive edge to the Chinese). People have advised the administration to bring a complaint against China on this currency issue, but it has been resisted because Beijing's current exports and imports are roughly in balance, and it is seen that the United States could very well lose that case. Mr. Kerry doesn't have an immediate plan to make a case against China, until he looks into it further. A big piece of John's trade policy involves the reinstatement of an expired legal tool that gives the White House authority to go after individual countries that maintain very high barriers to U.S. goods, called "Super 301". John feels we should not look away at these trade violations, when jobs are on the line, in the U.S. This is a tough one for Mr. Kerry because he has been dangling on the trade issue. As a supporter of NAFTA (free trade), he has rejected proposals to limit imports, but has slated himself as more zealous in the fighting of rules and practices that supposedly give foreigners an unfair advantage in the marketplace (this is due to the worry about losing jobs to foreign competition). Our own President is also someone who strongly enforces U.S. trade laws (he put tariffs on imported steel in 2002). So John is saying he'd be more effective and push more on this issue, and he offers simple ideas, such as a pledge to order a 120 day review of all the current trade agreements to ensure that our partners are following up on their obligations. People are saying Kerry does not have anything different to say on this issue, and he flips back and forth. John counters this by noting that under George, the United States has filed only 10 cases (an average of about three a year) against some other countries with the WTO (World Trade Organization), which compared to the Clinton era, when there was an average of 11 cases a year since 1995, when the WTO was founded. The two most specific things John has pledged are to double the enforcement budget of the trade representative's office, and reinstate the Super 301 process that some say Mr. Bush let expire (which requires the trade representative's office to publish a review annually of the trade barriers of foreign countries). This report names the worst offenders, and then Washington would impose legal action against those countries' goods, if the problems are not resolved within a certain time frame. However, it is seen that WTO rules would most likely limit the ability of Washington to use Super 301 today because it became much less of an important trade weapon when the WTO made rules concerning many trade practices, and it established a process for resolving disputes which allowed the winning country to impose sanctions on another country that was found to be in violation of these rules. John Kerry's other big issue is on Education. He has pledged to push for a million more high school graduates within five years. Kerry did vote for the administration's No Child Left Behind education policy, but feels our President has not enforced some key graduation provisions of the law, while not focusing on increasing graduation rates. John notes that there is a 40 and 50 percent dropout rate in some cities, and lower achieving students can be pushed out of school to boost test scores. It is going to be hard to see how successful the graduation pledge will be because education officials estimate 1 million to 1.25 million kids drop out each year. A good point that John makes is that more students would graduate if the government encouraged smaller schools, while requiring them to improve graduation rates. I like this idea, only because I went to a small high school and it seemed easier for me to learn there, but others from bigger schools may not agree with that. In some parts of the country, there are laws that allow states to withhold a driver's license for those who drop out. Now that is a big incentive for a young student (leave school, and I can't get a license?). It seems crazy that at age 16 you can decide to leave school. You should at least have to graduate high school. College is not for everyone, and it is not affordable for everyone, so that should be an option to work on after high school, but at least get the High School diploma. Now how do you pay for these so called education initiatives? Well, John states that he will repeal Bush's tax cuts for people making more than $200,000 a year (It would cost 100 billion over 10 years to fully fund the No Child Left Behind act), while John's other ideas to curb school drop outs would probably cost 4.5 billion over 10 years. Speaking of school education, Mr. Kerry is also pledging thirty Billion (over 10 years) to raise teacher pay. Many people would be in favor of this, as teachers work hard, have a tough job, and deserve decent money for what they do. John is in support of this pledge, as he wants to raise teaching standards by giving bonuses of up to $5,000 for those who teach math and science, or for those who work in a school that has high needs (what school doesn't need help today? I suppose he means the "rich" schools that have money, won't need the bonus). As we look at John Kerry, it is good to look back at what he said about running for office, and why he's doing it. He states that jobs are an important issue, due to the number of jobs lost in the last couple of years. Mr. Kerry also states he has the experience and vision to make this country safer, stronger, and more secure, and how important it is to have friends and allies on our side. Working together for a cause will ensure America is free, and no one is left behind.

Bush: In the Pacific Northwest, there was some news. The Bush administration has abruptly changed the rules on protecting wild salmon. It appears that the administration would count hatchery salmon (which are bred in concrete tanks and then pumped into rivers) when deciding whether endangered wild salmon do indeed deserve federal protection. It makes it seem like this is a way to move around the Endangered Species Act, and we now have to deal with an environmental issue in Oregon and Washington, which are important states in the presidential race because the polls are tight there. I don't think it will make a huge difference for our President, or swing votes in Kerry's favor due to this issue. It is probably more important to a class of people, rather than each and every voter. It appears that war and the current economy are higher issues, as Portland, Oregon, has a high unemployment rate. I think some serious environmental rights people will argue on that one though. That is a different thinking from a decade ago, when polls found that a larger amount of people thought that if wild salmon were lost, it would mean that an important part of the identity of the Pacific Northwest would also disappear. It comes down to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. That's when most of the people in all parts of our country started thinking safety and other things were more of a priority for President Bush. So I guess environmental issues become important in a good economy, without the threat of war. But we will see this summer, when the courts have ordered federal officials to decide by then, as to whether they will remove a dozen or so salmon species from protection. That is because genetically similar hatchery fish will be counted when assessing the survival chances of wild fish. Some people hope that the environmental community will come out more to vote this year (about 10 percent of this already strong pro- environment electorate does not vote in normal election years). The most recent thing our Mr. Bush is dealing with is the Iraqi prisoner abuse by our troops. It is an awful thing to see, as we would not want to be treated like that ourselves. And prisoner of war situations are clearly defined: You can use intimidation and yelling, but no physical, or degrading mental atrocities should occur. Of course, George said he was sorry and that this was not a reflection of American values. That is true, and the question remains: Did they have orders to do this to the Iraqis? I guess it is defined as following orders when in a reasonable situation you would not be degrading or hurting someone. How can these soldiers not have seen that, or can you not follow an order, and risk getting in trouble with the higher ups?

So here we go again. The criticism of George (he must be sick of this by now) is now a daily thing, and he was blasted for not being quick enough to apologize, and that he could be damaging his campaign. It all comes down to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who many say should be kicked out of a job for allowing this to happen at all. It is said that Donald knew about this early on, and George was never informed until he saw the pictures of abuse on TV. George has scolded Donald about not knowing this was going on, but says he should stay and still be an important part of his Cabinet. So it is like 9/11: How much did the President actually know about this, and when did he know it? It became very important for George to show the Arab world we are for them, and want them to be free. These pictures are sure to fuel anti Americanism and make them think we are like Saddam, and want to take over their lives. So like everything else, things are being looked at now. Mr. Bush will be looking at the military prison system in Iraq, and operations beyond, such as the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the ship's jail at the Charleston naval base in South Carolina. That brings on more debate, and some believe either we bring at least 200,000 troops to stabilize Iraq, or get out. Poor planning, and an unclear plan to get out of this mess, only worsens things, and nothing will change. So of course, the Republicans argue that we should not pull out at all, and stay the course (those are George's words himself). Those house members later voted 365 to 50 for a resolution against U.S. mistreatment of Iraqi detainees. The Democrats voted against the resolution because it did not call for both parties in congress to look at, or

investigate the alleged abuses. They also wondered why some items are classified in regard to prison abuses. The only time things are classified is if it risks national security, and no one knows why some of these things were kept secret. On to the jobs outlook. Things have improved, but there are still some areas hit. Take Ohio, for example. There had been a time when people without college degrees could earn a good living in the cities of Cleveland and Cincinnati, as well as in the small towns along the Ohio River. Things have changed, as is most often the case. The small towns are now trying to keep up with the big cities in transistioning into the new high-tech economy. We now sell a lot of ideas and services, rather than goods and products. That explains the manufacturing drop off of late. Some northeast areas of the state of Ohio have adjusted, and a new Cleveland downtown is a testament of that success. Akron, Ohio, was the former rubber capital of the world, and suffered hard times, as the bigwigs like Goodyear and Firestone shipped jobs overseas. It is now seen as very innovative as a center of technology. Ohio's smaller towns, like others, have had a more difficult time. The focus is on southeastern Ohio, and two counties that are facing high unemployment (the mostly Republican Morgan County, and the mostly Democratic Monroe County). It has always been difficult to predict how Ohio will vote, so that is why there is the focus from both parties on this state. It is interesting to note that Ohio has voted for the eventual winner in just about every election in the past 100 years, and a Republican has not been elected President without carrying Ohio. Even with the idea that the economy is getting better for the state, there is anxiety, and Ohio residents are not happy with President Bush's job on the economy. It is no surprise, however that the Ohio Democrats will believe the economy is doing poorly, and be harsher on Bush for that. It is safe to say that a high percentage of Republicans will say that things are good and the future is bright, so it comes down to the votes of the independents, and how they feel about the future of business and the economy. Let's talk about the two counties in Ohio that Kerry and Bush should focus on. Monroe County: Ohio is a place where some parts of the state are doing well, and others are faltering, while some suburban areas are doing better than others. So examining two particular counties will give a good picture of the interests and opinions that could have an effect on the presidential election this year. Monroe County is on the eastern edge of the state along the Ohio River. The major employers here have been large steel and aluminum companies (which are either having financial troubles, or just emerging from them). The Unemployment rate here for March was 12.8 percent (a high number, more than double the state and national rates). This county is largely Democratic and has almost always voted Democratic in a Presidential election. A major employer in the southern part of the county is Ormet Aluminum (where they recently announced layoffs of 300 employees). It was blamed on market pricing, and the workers say that federal legislation has liberalized trade with China, and that allows China to drive up the price of alumina (a part of aluminum) by purchasing it in large amounts on the open market and then using cheap labor to produce huge quantities of aluminum, which it puts back in the United States at prices too low for American firms to compete fairly against. This is why there is anxiety. This part of the county relies on Ormet, and the company's troubles have already hurt the tax base of the county (officials are struggling to find ways to fully fund the school system). It is said that will leave workers no other options for that type of work, but to leave and go somewhere else. In this county, the question is how motivated voters will be to turn out at the polls, and most likely they will vote Democratic. It comes down to voting for Kerry and holding him to his promises to help with Jobs.

Morgan County: This county is widely seen as Republican, and has ended up voting for a Republican Presidential candidate in nine of the last 10 elections. It appears to be the opposite of Monroe County. This rural region of farms and small towns is conservative and proud. This county has the highest rate of unemployment in the state. A good reason for that is the recent closings of Malta Wood Windows, Gould Electronics, and Taylor Woodworks (three major employers). It is the same type of situation as with Ormet: Malta Windows struggled to compete against the cheaper mass produced window makers (many of them foreign based, to no one's surprise). So people that have lost jobs there, and have to decide about moving out of state, will be the ones who may vote for Kerry, just to vote against Mr. Bush. However, there are plenty of Republicans who plan on staying with Bush. This is because they are content with the Bush tax cuts, and don't want to have a Democratic president because they see him as bringing back an environment of regulation that has slowed down business in the past. And things have changed, but some people are not bearing down to bad news. About a year and a half ago, a group called the Morgan County Comm. (community) Improvement Corporation purchased the old Malta facilities to lure new companies with a mix of tax breaks and other incentives (such as low rent). There were five former Malta employees, and they were able to reopen the Malta plant, upon raising the sum of about $140,000 and taking out a line of credit. The comm. corporation also helped secure a $200k+ grant from the Ohio Agricultural & Community Devel. Foundation. These former workers say they understand what Malta's problems were (more competition from big companies making not only wood windows, but the less expensive vinyl windows that have become the industry standard), and don't blame Washington, the current government, or politicians for what happens in a competitive, free market style of doing business. What is interesting about counties like Morgan and Monroe, is that jobs continue to disappear, and when new ones appear, they often are not the kinds of jobs where a family is able to support themselves, never mind saving for a vacation. What is happening is that the young people who go to college, do not come back to the county, and that leaves an aging of the population in these communities, making it hard to bring employers of the information age around. Our President is painting a picture for his potential voters. He has accused John Kerry of isolationism, and there have been questions about John's record in the Senate being a turn against what he is saying on the campaign trail. At this point, both candidates have toured the state of Ohio, and the candidate who is more convincing in the jobs and unemployment debate will most likely win the election. And in places like Monroe and Morgan County, the outcome of the 2004 Presidential election could be decided. Another issue that is important to George Bush is the matter of national security, and he is urging Congress to go ahead and pass a permanent version of the USA Patriot Act. This Act has been criticized by some liberals and some conservatives for giving the government too much power in the name of fighting terrorism. George is saying the Act is needed in this day and age, and we cannot assume we are safe from terrorism, in any form. George states that it defends our freedom, and makes it possible for those of us in positions of responsibility to defend the liberty of the American people. The Act was enacted after the Sept. 11th attacks, and some portions are scheduled to expire in 2005. Mr. Bush plans to make the Patriot Act a central theme of his campaign because it shows he had a plan to combat terrorism, and he took specific action after the attacks. Most lawmakers were in favor of the Act and passed an expiration provision in order to ensure that the administration did not abuse its new power. That is what people are afraid of: How much power would be used, and what about privacy rights? George is pushing for this because he feels that the expiration date means that Congress was not serious in fighting terrorism and didn't feel the war on terror would last long. Basically, under the law, the government has an expanded ability to monitor and search the belongings of people who are targeted in terrorism investigations (this includes secret searches, seizing records from banks, libraries, and other businesses without disclosing that it has done so). For our President, it appeared at one time that he had a very strong following, and he would have an easy edge over the Democrats. The reason for this is that since 1952, an incumbent president has never lost a reelection bid, when he didn't face significant opposition in the primaries. His numbers have dropped, and this may not be the case this year. We need to look at a third piece of the puzzle: the fact that people don't want to vote for either candidate. Bush's higher numbers earlier in the year have made way to the reality that the escalating death toll in Iraq and the frustration that there may be no alternative but to stay the course, is a major concern. People are wondering why we are spending so much time and effort over there, never mind the monetary figure, when we clearly have issues here. The anxiety is basically over war and the economy, which represents a big obstacle for George in his quest to be in the White House again. You would see this as a clear opening for Mr. John Kerry, but he has problems of his own. As time goes on, we are becoming more aware of John, but many voters know little about Kerry, and what he would do exactly to fix the economy, or Iraq. George is making an effort to paint Kerry as a man who has few firm convictions and not good at making a positive first impression. It comes down to a large group of undecided people who have not made a commitment to vote for either candidate. In 2000, Bush narrowly won Missouri over Al Gore in that election, which continued the state's near perfect record of voting for the winner in these Presidential elections. Both parties see another tough campaign for that state's 11 electoral votes. Most people feel that it was great to get Saddam out of power, and we can't just "up and leave" during this transition, but we need a clear plan to give Iraq its freedom and let the people be. George has gotten mixed reviews on his first term, and the job thing is on the rise, albeit slowly. So if we vote for George, it is most likely to not vote for John Kerry, because he is seen as saying what we want to hear, and he won't have a clear plan for America, any more than George does. I guess the mid western people don't know how to take Kerry's New England tough style, it may be seen as arrogant to them. Another interesting thing in this campaign is the rise of the small donor, the person who gives $100, or organizes a small $50 a head dinner to support a candidate. The number of individuals who are giving and raising money, and most often for the first time, is unheard of. This is nice to see, so that people get a chance to donate, and the money does not have to come from the large donors who shell out a lot of money. This was helped by the 2002 McCain-Feingold law, which banned large direct contributions to the political parties. This has helped Mr. Bush, as he has received a lot from this small party of people. What is encouraging is that it is these first time donators who must feel so strongly to give money. And that is what Democracy is all about: Feeling emotional enough to try to make a difference. Even if George got a lot from this group, Mr. Kerry is not doing too bad when it comes to getting small checks from donors. From January to March, Kerry raised nearly $55 million (a first for a Presidential candidate to raise in one quarter). It could be that people feel that even a small donation makes a statement. Think of all these charities that want your money. They ask for small amounts like $25, $50, $75, and know that it adds up if a lot of people join in. And it is not just the two major parties that get donations. There have been thousands of individual contributions that have covered a wide group of independent political groups. People who contribute to political campaigns are most likely to vote and participate in the process, so they are very much involved. That can only be good for a country that praises freedom and the right to vote. To get people to donate, the old fashioned way of sending out letters and calling on the phone works, and now the internet gets an instant donation so that appeals to some people. The donor list for the parties ranges in at least 2 million for the Democrats, and about 6 million names on an e-mail list for the Republicans. Now that's a lot of people!! And a final note: Model Carmen Kass, who hails from Estonia, has been nominated to run for the European Parliament as a representative of her native country. So you never know who can get involved in politics (just remember the California election, and the group of people who came out to run for governor!).

OGossip

Well, I guess the word right now is babies, babies, and babies! An upcoming event of motherhood is coming for Courteney Cox and Gwyneth Paltrow just had her baby (I kid you not, the baby was named Apple!). "Will & Grace" star Debra Messing has given birth to a boy. Eva Ruth and Kathleen Emilie were born in late April. Who are these two girls, you ask? They are none other than the twin daughters of Ms. Martie Maguire, the fiddle and mandolin player for the Dixie Chicks. She and her spouse Gareth, a teacher, are very overjoyed with the new babies. The country group is based in Texas, and the two other members, or chicks, are Natalie Maines and Emily Robison (Martie and Emily are sisters). So now all the women have children. Do I suspect a large gathering of kids at each other's houses soon? There has been some quickie marriages lately, for singer Beck and actress- writer Marissa Ribisi (who happens to be a twin sister to the actor Giovanni, who played on "Friends", and has been in some movies), as well as Holly Marie Combs (from "Charmed") and her guy, David Donoho, a key grip for the show. Why do I mention this? Well all the women were pregnant, and the place they chose to say their vows was the San Ysidro Ranch in California. It's a place that you can have a last minute wedding in a quiet setting that is private. It's also the place where Gwyneth and Chris Martin got married. I guess it is a place for moms to be to have the ceremony before the birth of their child. A lot of people are wondering when Brad and Jen are going to have a baby, now that "Friends" is over, but Jen has many projects in the works, so we'll see about that! Billy Bob Thornton, who has had 5 wives, and has also said he feels bad about his split with Angelina Jolie (I think he will always have a deep bond with her), has moved forward, in one way I guess. He and his girlfriend, Connie Angland, are expecting a baby this fall. Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards had a baby girl this past March, so it seems like Mr. former party boy has settled down into fatherhood (even Jon Cryer, his costar on "Two and a half Men" has said that Charlie is now so very "ordinary", and he has a family and a child now to take care of). Movie actress Cate Blanchett has given birth to a second child, with husband Andrew Upton, a screenwriter. Another couple who had their second child is "ER"'s Sherry Stringfield and her husband Larry Joseph. They also have a three year old daughter. So with the baby boom in Hollywood, I think that there will be a lot of play dates going on! Things still are good for the star of 13 Going On 30, Mark Ruffalo. He and his French actress wife, Sunrise Coigney (I don't make up these names!) have been happily married for about 4 years and have a son. Mark has been known to give her flowers, just because! That sounds like a keeper to me! Some hookups to keep an eye on: Matt Damon and Luciana (talk about an exotic name) Barroso are a happy pair, attending baseball games (it is known that Matt and Ben Affleck are very big Red Sox fans). Matt and his girl went to a Chicago Cubs game while in Chicago, and shook hands with former Red Sox second baseman, Todd Walker, who plays for the Cubs now. It seems that avid Laker basketball fans Leonardo DiCaprio and model Gisele Bundchen have a fan themselves in Kobe Bryant's young daughter, Natalia. She loves to see them at their season seats behind them, where Kobe's wife Vanessa and the baby sit. And Gisele gets along good with Leo's mom Irmelin, so that is good. The ever mysterious actor Keanu Reeves has a girl, Autumn Macintosh (wow, is that a name for someone who should be living in New England and picking apples at the orchard, or what?). And they seem to be close, as they share many lunches together. I hope it goes well for them. Keanu is a soft quiet guy who needs a good girl. Miss Jennifer Love Hewitt (singer and former "Party Of Five" star) is in a new romance with Will Estes, from "American Dreams". That is making me think: when will we see Ms. Hewitt in a new film? She's been off the radar for a while. One of the three members of the Charlie's Angels movie scene and also seen in the Kill Bill movies, Ms. Lucy Liu, has been with playwright Zach Helm for almost a year. He seems like a quiet, nice guy, so I hope it works for them. I love Lucy! A romance has also blossomed for Drea de Matteo of "The Sopranos". She has been with rocker Shooter Jennings (the son of country legend Waylon Jennings) for a while. We'll have to see what develops there as Drea prepares to shoot for the role of Gina in "Joey", a "Friends" spin-off. Of course, we have to keep an eye on the J-Lo and Marc Anthony hookup. She wants to play it low (I wonder why? her other relationships were tabloid fodder). He seems like a rebound guy for Jen, someone she has a strong connection with, so we'll see. Former "Sex and The City" star Kristin Davis has been linked to British actor Damian Lewis (he was in Band of Brothers and he is costarring with Ms. Jennifer Lopez in an upcoming film called An Unfinished Life). Kristin has publicly said she's happy being single and is not serious, but Damian hopes she take roles on the London stage, so they can be together more often. Let's talk about Reality Television romances. We have Jen Schefft (formerly engaged to ex "Bachelor" Andrew Firestone before they ended their union about 10 months after the show ended) and "The Apprentice" winner Bill Rancic. They both are living in Chicago, so they've been out to dinner and casual dates, but they've been getting along and things could grow out of this. Jen's friends wonder how she could go from one guy who is in the spotlight to another, when she wanted to get away from that after Andrew. But that is where the couple has a lot in common. Bill and Jen both know what it's like around these shows, so that may keep them in an understanding with each other that other people can't relate to. On the "Survivor" front, there are two couples to look for. The latest winner of "Survivor: All Stars" was Amber. She and fellow contestant "Boston" Rob (so called due to his local ties and the Boston Red Sox hat that was constantly on his head) developed a relationship while on the show, and professed they are still together in the finale that aired on May 9th. The funny thing is that Rob and Amber were the two finalists to be in the running for the million dollars. I guess it didn't matter who won, these two lovebirds are going to share the winnings! In the meantime, Ethan Zohn (the winner from the Africa series) and Jenna Morasca (the winner from the Amazon series) have been hot and heavy since last May, but kept things private and low key when they starred together in "All Stars". I wish these couples luck, as they've been through a lot on that physical show. And who knows about Adam Mesh and Samantha Trenk? She was the woman Adam chose in the third installment of "Average Joe", called "Average Joe: Adam Returns". They are having fun for the moment. We have the Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz coupling, which is still going strong. They've even been hanging out with Justin's good friend Trace Ayala and his girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert of "24" fame. Love that show! And Mr. Donald Trump is taking another stab at marriage. He is engaged to his long time girl, Melania (an exotic beauty, but we can't expect anything less from the Donald). We'll see if the third time is really the charm for him, and I wonder what his previous wives Ivana and Marla think? Now let's turn to some juicy stories. We have British stars Victoria Beckham (formerly "Posh" Spice from the Spice Girls group) and her soccer star mate, David Beckham. They are the tabloid stars in England, and they are referred to as "Posh and Becks". It is safe to say they are always in the news back home. The latest is that a former assistant has gone public with allegations that she and David were having an affair. In the lines of Kobe Bryant, who gave wife Vanessa a huge ring in the wake of his scandal, David has given his wife some major bling bling. He has not admitted to anything as Kobe did, but David feels he should stay good with the missus. Things must be tense in that household in London! I guess Ethan Hawke is moving on after his split with actress Uma Thurman. He's been cozying up to several women and not taking things seriously at this point. Hope it works out for the once former couple in the long run, they appear to be friends and are civil to each other, so that's good. What would a story be without Britney Spears? It seems she's been at it again (we could write a book on her activities alone!). The latest news has her dating a man who has a pregnant girlfriend! Britney was involved with a dancer, Columbus Short, last year. He had a wife who was 8 months pregnant at the time. That affair quickly ended, but Britney did not appear to know that this latest man, dancer Kevin Federline, was involved with actress Shar Jackson, who is pregnant with their second child. Shar and Kevin don't even live together, so that may be a shaky relationship as it is anyway. But Britney seems to be moving away from Kevin now that this is in the open. In the land of Britney Spears, anything can happen! Another triangle of sorts to speak about is the rumors around Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. People have said that the pair seem very cozy (they costar in a movie coming out, Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Should Mrs. Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, be worried? I don't think so, it's pure rumor at this point. It happens when couples are away from each other (these two are both actors so they are always off filming, and Jen's got some films in the works). It must be hard being apart, but Brad and Angelina are getting along as friends, and that's probably it, no need to make a huge deal out of it right now. Even though Kid Rock likes the blonde busty types, I guess actress Jaime Pressly was not enough for him, as the couple have decided to be friends and move on. I'm waiting for the next blonde, Kid! Who will she be? Another split to report is Rocco DiSpirito and his fiancee Yvonne Scio. The star of "The Restaurant" has been so busy promoting his show that he probably has little time for the actress. On the show, Rocco is getting pushed aside from the restaurant in New York that he opened up because a large investor in the project noticed that the eatery is not making money, and Rocco has been gone all the time on book tours and has made many television appearances, and he is hardly involved with his place any more. It does seem weird that Rocco has time for all this other stuff, and he is said to be in talks to do a cooking show as well. He does have charm and is good with the women fans who come to the restaurant to see him, but someone had to step in, so we'll see what happens there. Talk about being quiet: The runner up in "The Apprentice" was Kwame Jackson. He played it cool, calm and collected. He didn't speak much, just went along with things. He is a smart guy (being a former investment banker), and that's what Trump liked about him on the show. He didn't mention that he has been separated from his college sweetheart (who he married in 2000) for about a year. He won't say the cause for the divorce proceedings, and just says he is single and dating at the moment. He has been flooded with many job opportunities since the show ended, and has the brains to do something good. And how about Ashton Kutcher? It seems he has totally changed his wild party boy ways and is so deeply devoted to his mate, Demi Moore, that he is a Kabbalah convert, and is always with her and her daughters. I can't see it being long before these two are married (rumors are flying that they are already secretly married, engaged, whatever). Only they know the truth at this point. Demi's girls love Ashton, so who knows? MTV has a series, "The Real World", which features seven strangers that live together for a period of time and how they get along. The latest one is based in San Diego, and the fighting and hookups have been a part of the show. What is interesting is the unique group of people that are put together. We have Cameron and Brad flirting with each other, as Brad tells his girlfriend Andrea back home he needs space, and we have Robin, a drama queen who gets in fights with strangers when the group goes out (you have to know that alcohol is always involved, hence the drama we see). Then you have Frankie, an eccentric girl who does not feel like she fits in with the group, has drunken blackouts and constantly says she is in love with her boyfriend back home, Dave, despite being wild. She revealed that she has Cystic Fibrosis, but continues to smoke and ignores taking care of herself. She's the type of girl you want to route for, and hope she can be happy. The show has actually had her go to a psychologist, and that may help Frankie vent her feelings and stop using such self destructive behavior. There are some legal woes for "7th Heaven" star Jeremy London. He plays a holy deacon/reverend type on the show, but he is apparently not that holy in real life. He has been accused of driving with a suspended license, and in possession of pot. It involves a case of vandalism as well, as he is being charged with throwing a girlfriend's cell phone out the car window in early April. Sounds like enough drama to me. The funny George Lopez had a movie star on his "George Lopez" show recently. The funny Sandra Bullock, who is the executive producer of the sitcom, played the part of Amy, a klutzy factory worker still in love with the character Randy, who happens to be engaged to George's mom, Benny, on the show. The jokes between George and his mom on the show are classic one liners! He mentions in one episode how he thought he went to Disneyland as a kid, but his mom took him to a carnival in the west side. Benny was making the point how she didn't have a lot of money, and she wanted George to have a good time, so she lied about where they went to make him happy. There are reasons for everything I guess! Another interesting new reality show has sprung (how many of these will be aired before we declare enough is enough?). This one is set in a family funeral home, and how the workers get along with each other (it's like any family business where you work with sisters and your father). Tensions run high, and it is neat to see that this is an actual business and they do this for a living. In the time of a funeral, you are not thinking what the people are doing behind the scenes, but it takes a lot of compassion and work to make your family member look really nice, as it's your last chance to see this person to say goodbye in a physical sense. The show can be seen on the A & E channel, and is called "Family Plots". It shows the insider activity, from the mortician (who is Shonna), rushing to complete a body in time, to her father, who has to remove the bodies and bring them in to the home. It just brings a human element to the dark side of death. There are people responsible for making sure a funeral goes smoothly and there is respect for the families involved. Hope you enjoyed the series finales of some shows, as we said goodbye to "Frazier", "Friends", and "The Practice". Television will be different without you! Thank god for reruns! We'll never forget "I'll Be There For You" as the theme song for the one and only show: "Friends".

Movie Update:

Some movies that are out now are: Mean Girls, Godsend, and Laws Of Attraction. In Mean Girls, we have a girl named Cady Heron (played by an actress who seems to be everywhere these days, Lindsay Lohan). Cady changes her culture when she moves to a small town outside of Chicago, after living in Africa. Once in high school in Chicago, she doesn't know what she is in for. It appears Cady must find out the hard way, and she gets to see that the popular girls at school are also the mean ones. What happens is, Cady falls for an ex-boyfriend of Regina (who it seems runs the school, being one of the school leaders). But Regina is set to hurt Cady by pretending to still like the boy (then he most likely won't go out with Cady) and then also pretending to be a friend to her. It is a story of how teens get catty with each other, back-stab, and have ulterior motives when being "nice" to someone. In the tradition of teen movies like Heathers, Clueless, and Jawbreaker, we have Mean Girls. It appeals to teens at that age, who can relate to the school cliques, and fitting in. We see the stereotypes, and even have a male gay character, as well as a Goth character. The girls who play the popular ones in the school are: Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried. Rachel, as Regina, makes a splash as the most funny and mean girl we've seen in a while. Lacey was in "Party of Five", as the youngest daughter. Boy has she grown up! What is good about this is the comedy. It comes from "Saturday Night Live" regulars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Tina is a producer, along with "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels. Tina wrote the script, and proves why she is a head writer on "SNL". Two other "SNL" alums make their appearances here, as well. Tim Meadows plays the Principal, and Ana Gasteyer fills in with a role as Cady's mom. As Regina's alcoholic mother, Amy Poehler is funny. She tries to be the "cool" mom. So for a laugh and a look at school life, watch this movie. For a different type of movie, we have a creepy horror style film called Godsend. It deals with a controversial topic: cloning. It tries to show that we are in a different age, and what if you could clone a loved one? It's a bizarre concept, and this turns out to be a horror film in a way. The story is about Paul and Jessie Duncan (played by Greg Kinnear and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) who have had the ultimate horrible thing happen to them. The devoted parents lose their eight year old son Adam in a tragic accident. Here's where it gets weird. Not much time after this awful event (try at the funeral!) an old Professor from Jessie's college days (played by Mr. Robert De Niro!) then approaches the couple with an incredible offer to clone Adam! Think about this one folks: You are grieving, and someone comes up and says that your child's cells will only be usable for another 72 hours, so you must make the decision to clone in that amount of time! Of course the couple thinks of the incredible opportunity to have their son back and have a family again, despite the many legal, ethical and moral issues that are raised. The Dr. demands secrecy and the couple then moves to a small Vermont town, where his Godsend Fertility Clinic is. Adam's DNA stem cells are then implanted into Jessie, and she essentially gives birth again, and the boy is raised for a second time. Things are predictable after that, as Adam's life goes into a familiar pattern. However, Adam then reaches his eighth birthday and now it becomes a question of what will happen now, as that is the age when he was in the accident, and what kind of future does he have? The parents realize that they have put their complete faith in this Dr. Wells, and the horrific truth will come out. It is the classic question: What are the consequences of our actions? This couple must come to terms with their decision and what it will do in the future. It's like finding something out after the fact. They didn't know that the cloned boy would become a little crazy. I think it's another way to say "Don't mess with Mother Nature!", and don't try to change time and the events that happen. This film just takes things to a horrific level to show drama and scariness, but that's just for the movies! It just seems weird that things change so much and then the boy becomes violent. Maybe the movie makers should have worked another angle, and not do a horror film. There are other angles to work on in this type of sci-fi genre. In this day and age, it seems possible what can happen with cloning, but exploring how the cloned boy deals with issues, and maybe finding out who he is, much like finding out you are adopted, for example, would have made an interesting story. And there have been many of these "mad scientist" type movies, and people who are playing God, so we need another story idea. In Laws of Attraction, we have two high powered divorce attorneys, played by Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan. Their characters are Audrey and Daniel, and prove to be opposites. She practices law strictly by the book, and he wins cases by winging it! The pair, of course, meet when they are on opposite sides of a nasty public divorce. Daniel is infatuated with Audrey, and she plays it cool, and then denies the attraction. This case they are on involves a famous dress designer, played by Parker Posey, who Audrey wanted to represent, but the designer goes with Daniel, so now Audrey will represent the designer's rock star husband, in the divorce. The case involves an Irish castle that each party wants. In the midst of a romantic Irish festival, the divorce attorneys get a little tipsy, shall we say, and wake up the next morning as husband and wife! The film tries to be funny, but a dramatic actress like Ms. Julianne has a hard time with comedy. I didn't see the connection with her and Pierce. He was funny in Mrs. Doubtfire, and can easily play a likable sleazy guy, because he has the charms to do it, and get away with it. Her funny thing in the film comes down to her obsession with junk food (don't we all have that?), and a hip mom, played by Frances Fisher (who had a fling with Clint Eastwood for several years, and they have a daughter together. She started out on an old Soap Opera, "The Edge Of Night" and went on to other films, but remembered for her role in Titanic, as Kate Winslet's snobbish mother). I can see the red hair comes into play, as Frances and Julianne both have red hair. The theory is that Julianne Moore has played dark characters, and she probably was itching to do comedy and show a different aspect to herself, but that is easier said than done. The casting for the neurotic female attorney could have gone to someone else. Let me think of who. Julia Roberts maybe? I only say that because she was funny in Erin Brockovich, where she delivered one liners that got a chuckle. Look for Nora Dunn to play a judge in this one. The former "Saturday Night Live" star, had a few memorable characters on that show. She is most noted for not liking when "SNL" had the comic Andrew Dice Clay on the show. She boycotted the show, and people booed her. Hey, you have the right to not like something and say you don't, so she probably got a bad rap for that one. Being a comedian herself, she just disagreed with Andrew's harsh statements about women, and his obnoxious behavior. She has had bit parts in movies, and she's been a character type actress on television as well, as she had a recurring role on the show "Sisters" for a few seasons. Some movies to look for in the very near future are: Stateside, Shrek 2, and Raising Helen. In Stateside, we have a teenage love story. We follow the two main characters, Dori and Mark (played by Rachael Leigh Cook, and Jonathan Tucker). Rachael has been acting since she was in her early teens, and is best known as the lead in She's All That, where she is changed from a plain duckling type to a gorgeous girl. These two teens in this story are from different worlds (Mark is rebellious, and Dori is a wild singer and actress who has the unlucky disease of schizophrenia). The pair are somewhat forced to straighten up, so to speak (Mark joins the Marines and Dori gets admitted into a mental hospital). The couple realize they need each other, because they both crave lots of love and understanding. It's the classic rebel story, as their friends and family warm them to stay away from each other. It's how they need each other, and how each person can help the other with their own problem. Look for Carrie Fisher, Val Kilmer, and Ed Begley Jr. to be in this one. And a popular movie's sequel is coming: Shrek 2! The first one was funny, with Eddie Murphy getting the laughs as the voice of the Donkey. So what to expect from this one? This movie focuses on Shrek and his dealing with his love, Fiona, and her family! Her parents are the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Far, Far Away. The people of the country are anxious to see Fiona and her new "Prince". The country, however, is not prepared for Shrek and how much Fiona has changed. It seems that the King had plans for a real Prince Charming to be with his daughter, so he wants to get rid of Shrek and "right" this wrong that he sees. So the King gets help from a powerful Fairy Godmother, a real handsome Prince Charming, and a famous ogre killer, named Puss In Boots. It should be funny, with the returning voices of Mike Myers as Shrek, and the lovely Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona. Of course, Eddie Murphy is back to have more funny adventures with the couple. We have the Latin guy, Antonio Banderas, doing the voice of Puss in Boots. Rupert Everett does the voice of Prince Charming, and the funny British star of "Absolutely Fabulous", Jennifer Saunders, is the voice of The Fairy Godmother. Add in Larry King (yes, that Mr. King from CNN) as the voice of the Ugly Stepsister, and you have a well rounded cast. It is nice to see all ages and races represented in the voices. Talk about casting: The donkey just oozes Eddie when he makes those funny expressions, and Mike Myers has the ogre's accent down good! We have a movie that deals with the theme of a young woman who has a great job, and is living a very carefree lifestyle, when she finds herself responsible for a relative's children. In Raising Helen, we have the Goldie Hawn look alike herself, Kate Hudson, playing the role of Helen Harris. Helen has a career with a top modeling agency, she gets to spend her days at fashion shows, and parties at the hottest clubs at night. Things change after that though. Helen is soon responsible for her sister's three children: A 15 year old girl, A 10 year old boy, and a young 5 year old girl. We see the fun this "cool" aunt has when she becomes a mom, and has to get the kids to school. We see some interesting characters in this one. John Corbett plays the Pastor and Principal of the school the kids attend. John is best known from playing Aidan on "Sex And The City" and he was on "Northern Exposure". And we should not forget that he was the main (non greek) squeeze for Nia Vardalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. He may be more well known because of who he is dating: Bo Derek! (known for her role in "10" as the object of Dudley Moore's attraction). People wouldn't even know that John had a show about a former gambling addict that was not picked up for a second season, because everyone wants to know about this relationship! He's with a beautiful older woman (she's actually not that much older than him), and that is juicy news for some. In the film Raising Helen, we also see Joan Cusack as Helen's older sister (who Helen claims should get the kids because she has the "mom" haircut!). It's all a lesson about what is important in your life, and handling the curves life brings you. The director of this movie is the one and only Garry Marshall. He was born and raised in the Bronx, and has become a famous Hollywood producer, director, writer and actor. He is known for television and movie work. How about the long running sitcom "The Odd Couple" (where Garry gave little sister Penny her first acting job in a recurring role on the series as a secretary for Oscar, played by Jack Klugman). Garry saw ahead to the 50's nostalgia craze, and developed a highly rated television series called "Happy Days". This show became popular due to the character of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (simply known as "The Fonz"). The success was apparent when Garry spun off not one, but two sitcoms from "Happy Days". We had "Laverne and Shirley" (there we saw Penny again, this time in a lead role as one half of two zany roommates who also live in the same town of Milwaukee as the "Days" clan). And let us not forget "Mork and Mindy", which made a star out of Robin Williams, when he played Mork, a space alien who arrives on Earth to study life on Earth. It was clear that America was looking for some laughs, and not about to dig for any deep messages from these shows. In the week of January 18, 1979, there were four of the Neilsen's top five series on the air, which Garry created. They were "Laverne and Shirley", "Happy Days", "Mork & Mindy" and "Angie", from NBC. Let's look at some movies that Mr. Marshall has directed. They include a fave movie of mine, called Overboard, with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. The tear jerker movie Beaches (with the lovely Bette Midler), and of course, Pretty Woman, which revived Richard Gere's career and made Julia Roberts a star. As I mentioned, Garry did acting as well, with little parts. He had a recurring role on the funny sitcom "Murphy Brown", was in sister Penny's A League of Their Own (she has become quite the director herself), and executive produced and starred in the Showtime movie The Twilight of the Golds. So, in conclusion, Garry is a guy who has had many movies under his belt. The Flamingo Kid, Nothing In Common, and The Other Sister, are a few more that he directed. After Raising Helen, his next project is the sequel to his Princess Diaries, from 2001. It should be good. We'll see you at the movies!

See the following answers to the Apr04 puzzles/trivia and then the new puzzles/trivia for this month in the pages ahead!

Jumbles 4/04

1. Frighten

2. Share, Shear, or Hears

3. Harshly

4. Probable

5. Caterpillar

6. Centennial

7. Helps

8. Shirts

9. Pickle

10. Whistle

11. Domino

12. Honey

13. Worries

14. Cow

The bold letters were rearranged to form the answer to the RADIO'S DILEMMA clue:

THE FCC, WHO IS CENSORING THE CONTENT OF SHOWS LIKE THE HOWARD STERN SHOW.

TRIVIA: 4/04

1. Longfellow

2. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

3. Vanilla Sky

4. Caspian Sea in Asia

5. Girolamo Savonarola

6. 1970

7. 1972

8. Gary Dahl

9. Germany & Brazil

10. Gene Hackman

11. Chris O'Donnell

12. Out of work hairdresser

13. Brasilia

14. Jimmy Sebring (1903)

15. Bo Jackson

16. Al Capp

17. Leonardo Da Vinci

18. Albert I

19. Moscow

20. 119

21. 18

22. King David (Spades)

Alexander The Great (Clubs), Charlemagne (Hearts), Julius Caesar (Diamonds).

23. Thornfield Hall

24. Iceland

25. Aethenoth

26. Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde

27. Fear of having to cook

28. Agatha May Clarissa Miller Christie Mallowan

29. Benedict IX

30. Abraham Lincoln

31. George Burns

32. Mr. T

33. David Soul

34. Bobby McFerrin

35. Fear of cats

36. Person w/black eye

37. Massachusetts

38. Maryland

39. St. Anthony

40. A Kit

Finish these lines:

1. "Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow"

2. "Misery Loves Company"

3. "Don't Bite The Hand That Feeds

You "
4. "Aah, To Be Young Again!"

5. "I Love New York!"

6. "Take Me Out To The Ballgame"

7. "Star Light Star Bright"

ARE THESE PEOPLE HAPPY ABOUT THE WARMER WEATHER?

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE: THERE ARE ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS WE SHOULD PROTECT!

Answer to

1. I

2. D

3. O

4. L

5. W

6. H

7. I

8. M

9. S

10. Y

11. G

12. R

I

S

E

13. N

14. O

N

S

E

T

A

S

15. T

O

N

16. T

F

T

17. A

L

18. U

R

N

19. P

E

R

T

20. X

L

21. B

A

A

22. O

L

I

V

E

23. I

I

24. P

25. C

R

A

G

N

E

26. O

V

I

27. I

D

28. R

29. A

G

30. E

31. L

M

A

N

Z

32. T

O

. T

E

M

33. E

S

N

34. T

35. H

E

36. N

M

37. B

A

T

38. O

X

39. O

S

S

I

F

I

E

D

ACROSS: DOWN:

1. Idol 28. Rage 1. Internal Revenue Service 30. Esai Morales

5. Whimsy 31. Louisa May Alcott 2. Di 31. Lead

12. Risen 32. Totem 3. Ostracize 35. HX = Pepper Heat Scale

14. Onset 33. Electronic Serial Number 4. Leonard 36. No

15. Ton 34. Then 6. Hotel 37. Bobby Eaton

16. Terry Farrell 37. Bud Abbott 7. Infringe

17. Ali Landry 38. Ox 8. Multiple Sclerosis

18. Urn 39. Ossified 9. Settee

19. Per 10. Yukon Territory

20. Xtra Large 11. Gallivant

21. Baa 13. Noah Nelson

22. Olive 17. Axioms

23. Ira Israel 18. University at Buffalo

25. Crag 19. Pogroms

26. Olga Vilner 24. Pinto

27. ID 29. Andrea Thompson

25. Crag 21. Rory

Apr04 puzzle

PUZZLES!!!!!

1.	2.	3.	4.	5.		.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.
11.						12.
13.						14.						15.
16.			17.		18.		19.			20.	21.
22.			23.				24.
25.							26.			27.
28.					29.	30.
	31.	32.			33.			34.	35.		36.
37.					38.			39.		40.
41.						42.			43.

ACROSS:

1. The Milky Way, is one 25. Pink hair 2004 "American Idol" contestant 42. Samantha on "Bewitched" (initials)

6. Tired, irritable person 26. Cooling system, for short 43. Cats do this

11. Marry secretly 27. Racing League (abbr.) DOWN:

12. Smart person 28. Judas Priest drummer (initials) 1. Japanese girl entertainers

13. Not well 29. Small songbird 2. Type of Crocodile (plural)

14. Boring speeches seem ..... to some 31. Heating - - - 3. Laugh out loud, e-mail style

16. Sports mag, for short 33. Pro Wrestler star of Escape From NY (initials) 4. "A Golfer's Life" author/legend (initials)

17. Gladness 34. "Untouchables" author (initials) 5. Heavy gas element

19. Willer of Gigantic Skatepark specials (initials) 36. A Soldier's Girl/"Wonderalls" tv. Actor (initials) 6. Iron tool used to open things

20. The cow says " . . . " 37. Melody 7. Searched thoroughly

22. Mr. September of NASCAR fame (initials) 38. "Livin' Large" host (initials) 8. Large insurance group

23. Single 39. A - - - in the pool 9. Plays Chris Ramsey (Gen. Hospital/Port Charles)(initials)

24. A . . . . . . of monkeys 41. Name of the dog on "The Jetsons" 10. Bluegrass state (abbr.) !

Down: Continued

12. From Here To Eternity and Tough Guys star (Initials)

15. "On The Good Ship ........"

17. To be joking

18. The color of lemons

20. Body scans

21. Poetic, for over

30. Willing and - - - -

32. Chicago tech school (abbr.)

35. Dog's bite

40. "Life Goes On", "OZ" actress and Broadway star

(initials)

Jumbles

Unscramble the following words and arrange the bold, larger letters to form the answer to the clue: FUNNY COMEDIC LINE:

1. PLOPTE

2. LTBAUSOF

3. FEDOANBI

4. NSEWTIS

5. YRIFFLE

6. DYRATSEEY

7. BLUALLY

8. NRICAAMO

9. MOKHACM

10. LHNDEA

11. PGUYP

12. LRUATNA

- - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - ! - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - .

TRIVIA

1. What is the Capital of S. Dakota?

2. Who was the second-ever host of
"Saturday Night Live"?

3. Who played Bobby Briggs on "Twin Peaks"?

4. Can you name the five Nobel awards that were given in its first year?

5. Who wrote
"Schindler's List"?

6. What planet is closest to Earth?

7. Which breed of dog was named the top breed dog, by the American Kennel Club?

8. What city is the most populous in Ohio?

9. Who played Cheyenne in the same named Tv series?

10. What did the Romans call Zeus (the Greek God)?

11. How big is an ostrich's brain?

12. What team, in 1970, became The Milwaukee Brewers?

13. What sport did Geena Davis qualify for in the Olympics?

14. Who coined "virtual reality", and the equipment used for it, in 1989?

15. Who became President in 1990, of Nicaragua?

16. Who wrote "Keeping Secrets"?

17. What Olympics did Table Tennis make its debut at?

18. Where was Bob Seger born?

19. What was jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton's first name?

20. Who is Orville Richard Burrell?

21. Who got a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in April of 2003?

22. Who hosted "Joker's Wild" for the first 12 years?

23. Who has been regarded as the first Prime Minister of England?

24. Who is the creator of the cubicle life style "Dilbert" comic strip?

25. What are the first names of the Pitchers "Dizzy" and "Daffy" Dean?

26. What was Gopher's real name on "The Love Boat"?
27. What title did Bjorn Borg not win, upon his retirement, in 1983?

28. Who is the mystery author that has horse racing in the background of most of his books?

29. Where is Chief Justice William Rehnquist from?

30. Who played Rhoda's mom on that same named show?

31. What film had a character named Carl, who said he was in town for just a little of the ol' in-and-out?

32. In which film was Nick Nolte known as "Lucky"?

33. Who played Regan MacNeil?

34. What was the school nickname for the teams in the movie Election?

35. Who played Sabrina in the remake of the same name, in 1995?

36. Who directed Top Gun?

37. Who is Harris Glenn Milstead better known as?

38. Who played Martin Brundle in The Fly II?

39. Who sings "Come Dancing"?

40. What is the real name of rapper Flavor Flav ?

Finish these lines:

" - - - ' - nothing - - - -

the - - - - - - - - - baby!"

" - - - - smokes!"

" - - - - - - - - - - - Doo, where - - - - - - ?"

"Is - - - - - in - - - -, or is

- - - - ?"

" - - - - - blanket - - - - -"

" - - - - - - - - - Dude!"

" - - - - you - - - - enough - - send - - - - - - - best "

LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS IN NEXT MONTH'S NEWSLETTER!

Questions/comments?

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I encourage this as a "Letter to the Editor" section. Email your good, bad (and even the ugly) comments to share with fellow subscribers, or write to P.O. Box 2131

Fitchburg, MA 01420

What do you think of the decision to not place ads on the bases at Major League Baseball games, for the movie Spider-Man 2? I guess their was a deal to place promotions for the upcoming movie to be put on the bases, on-deck circle and all over the ballparks. There was an outcry from fans, saying things are getting too commercial, so I think the advertising will be around the park and stressed at pre-game ceremonies (there's already a lot of advertising on the walls of ballparks, so that is fine, but it will not be on the bases as the game is played). It does seem like a distraction. I mean, we just want to see a game!

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Answ

Table of Contents

Music News Pages 1-7

The Turtles Pages 1-2

Joni Mitchell Pages 2-4

Eddie Money Page 4

Faith Hill Page 5 - 6

ColdPlay Page 6 - 7

Sports News Pages 7 - 10

Political News Pages 11- 16

Gossip Pages 16 - 19

Movie Update Pages 19 - 22

Answer to Apr04 JUMBLES/TRIVIA Pages 22 - 23

Answer to Apr04 Puzzle Page 24

May04 Puzzle Page 25

May04 JUMBLES/TRIVIA Pages 26

Letters to the Editor Pages 27

Contact Information/Incentives Page 27

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