The following are purportedly actual 9-1-1 calls captured from the Nashville, TN system:

Dispatcher:  9-1-1 What is your emergency?

Caller:  I heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the brown house on the corner.

Dispatcher:  Do you have an address?

Caller:  No, I have on a blouse and slacks.  Why?

~~~~~~~~~~

Dispatcher:  9-1-1 What is your emergency?

Caller:  Someone broke into my house and took a bite from my ham and cheese sandwich.

Dispatcher:  Excuse me?

Caller:  I made a ham and cheese sandwich and left it on the kitchen table, and when I came back from the bathroom, someone had taken a bite out of it.

Dispatcher:  Was anything else taken?

Caller:  No, but this has happened to me before and I'm sick and tired of it!

~~~~~~~~~~

Dispatcher:  9-1-1 What is your emergency?

Caller:  I'm trying to reach nine eleven but my phone doesn't have an eleven on it.

Dispatcher:  This is nine eleven.

Caller:  I thought you just said it was nine-one-one.

Dispatcher:  Yes ma'am, nine-one-one and nine-eleven are the same thing.

Caller:  Honey, I may be old, but I'm not stupid!

~~~~~~~~~~

Dispatcher:  9-1-1 What is the nature of your emergency?

Caller:  My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart.

Dispatcher:  Is this her first child?

Caller:  No, you idiot, this is her husband!

~~~~~~~~~~

Dispatcher: 9-1-1

Caller:  Yeah, I'm having trouble breathing.  I'm all out of breath.  Darn...I think I'm going to pass out.

Dispatcher:  Sir, where are you calling from?

Caller:  I'm at a pay phone.  North and Foster.

Dispatcher:  Sir, an ambulance is on the way.  Are you an asthmatic?

Caller:  No.

Dispatcher:  What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?

Caller:  Running from the police.

This is a very nice little slide show set to music that might give you a bit of an uplift for the day after the elections.

Click here.

Hope you enjoy it.

After the morning's comments, maybe this will help calm us a bit.

Recently I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests: 

I decide to water my garden.  As I turn on the hose in the driveway. I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.  As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.  I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.  I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.  So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.  I take my checkbook off the table, and I see that there is only one check left.  My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find a can of Coke I'd been drinking.  I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.  As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye-they need water.  I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.  I decided I'd better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.  Someone left it on the kitchen table.  I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water on the flowers but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.  So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.  Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

* * * * *

At the end of the day:

the car isn't washed; the bills aren't paid; there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter; the flowers don't have enough water; there is still only 1 check left in my check book; I can't find the remote; I can't find my glasses; and, I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I am really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail...

All this is courtesy of a very nice young lady who directs the choir in our church and who included this in an e-mail she sent to our home this morning.  Don't blame me!

The Journal Sentinel released its report for the latest period and the news was a continuation of the trend that has been apparent for many newspapers nationwide.

The Sunday edition dropped 3.8% and the weekday edition dropped 3.9%.  My family has become one of those that dropped the weekday edition at our renewal a week or so ago.  I now find my daily news using JSOnline during the day and settle in with a lap full of newspaper on Sundays.  I have had the tactile sensation of a newspaper in my hands for nearly so long as I can remember, and I confess that I miss that experience.  As stated in a much earlier Blog, I delivered the La Crosse Tribune for several years while growing up near that city so I'm accustomed to having smudged fingertips from the newsprint.

I was frankly surprised during a recent meeting of Bloggers when I asked the group nearest me about their subscriptions.  I was in the minority since most had already dropped their print editions.

The newest iteration of JSOnline is improved and more easily navigable from my perspective.  I suspect that more and more people will make the decision to discontinue their daily print edition.  The users of JSOnline continue to increase and the new version should assist that migration...if that is desired by the Journal Sentinel organization.  They find themselves in a bit of a fix.  On the one hand, they want to be in a leadership position as the shift continues.  On the other hand, they need to find ways to boost their revenue stream to offset the loss of subscription money and advertising dollars, and the advertising doesn't seem to have kept pace with the shift from print to electronic media.  Part of that is obviously about the economy, but to what effect may be hard to measure.  If GM and Ford and Chrysler continue to become shadows of themselves, and if their major dealers either go out of business or downsize, advertising dollars will get more and more scarce.

I believe that much of this movement has been driven by the rising prices caused in large part by the price of oil and all things related.  Newsprint is among the real cost increase issues for publishers.  That goes away when printed newspapers are no longer printed.  The leap from the historic "paper", though, is not assured to be successful; we see the struggles of the majority of publishers across our nation.  Those that have significantly diversified, as has the Journal Sentinel organization, should have a better outlook as this migration continues, but nothing is certain in today's economy.

People costs are also a significant factor and we've seen the staff cuts that have been made a couple of times so far.  I suspect there is little if any fat left, so that future cuts will be felt in the overall quality of the effort.  There are those who would claim that is already an issue and that this may be hastening the outflow of subscribers.

Milwaukee is by no means an isolated phenomenon in this regard.  The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times both saw continuing declines.  The old stalwart "Christian Science Monitor" has just announced that it is going to end publishing a print paper by next April.  There will be many more casualties before this storm has calmed.

Germantown Firm Featured...

Creative Lighting Design & Engineering has a string of important projects going.  The most recent project was done for Milwaukee County in the rehabilitation of the Domes.  The newly installed lighting will be unveiled in early-November when the Domes are rededicated.  Marty Peck is the force behind the firm that has also done recent work for Potawatomi Bingo Casino and the Wisconsin Club.

Congratulations!

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Mequon Road & Pilgrim Road Intersection Work...

A reader asked what was going on with this intersection and Dave Schornack, Village Administrator, advised that the village is having water main repairs done following the three major breaks that occurred in that area last year.  Interestingly, to me at least, is that they are working to bore through the area rather than to create an open ditch.  I don't recall ever seeing that approach used before unless I saw it and didn't know what was happening.

Schornack reports that another two to three weeks will probably be required for completion.  So the work should be done easily before the real snow begins to fly.

The intersection is a bit convoluted now but slower speeds and extra attentiveness should get us through this without major issues.

If you've watched the Fox News Channel chances are good that you've seen Judge Andrew Napolitano, the dapper and perpetually happy senior judicial analyst for Fox News.  He has written a piece titled "Most Presidents Ignore The Constitution" that appears on the Opinion page of today's Wall Street Journal.

He writes about the 2001 Public Radio interview of Barack Obama where Obama was lamenting that the civil rights movement had become too 'court centered' and therefore failed to cause 'reparations' for past abuses.  That, of course, serves as quite a bombshell so far as future implications if he is elected and presuming he has the same thoughts today that he held then.

I thought, however, that the balance of the opinion piece was quite interesting as Judge Napolitano discussed how the majority of presidents of our country have ignored the Constitution and forged ahead as they desired.  Roosevelt caused agriculture to be subjected to a "Soviet-style central planning" process and rejected arguments that this was unconstitutional.  Roosevelt said that the Constitution was "quaint" and that it was written in the "horse and buggy days" and predicted that the public and the courts would agree with him according to Napolitano's article.

Napolitano cites that Jefferson, Jackson and Cleveland were the exceptions he recalled who didn't ignore the Constitution.

As we move into the next presidency, regardless of who wins, I'll have to remind myself that most have ignored our Constitution whenever I feel the current President has crossed the line.  He probably will have crossed the line, and appears to have had a lot of company over the history of our country.

We have survived even with the intentional ignoring of our Constitution...but it doesn't seem right no matter who ignores that document.  Where will it end, if it ever will end?

I received an e-mail containing the following quotations and thought it simply had to be in front of as many readers as possible as we approach perhaps the most important election in my lifetime.  Much food for thought follows:

• Suppose you were an idiot.  And suppose you were a member of Congress, but then I repeat myself.---Mark Twain
• I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.---Winston Churchill
• A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.---George Bernard Shaw
• Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.---James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
• Foreign aid must be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.---Douglas Casey, classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown
• Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.---P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
• Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.---Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
• Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it.  If it keeps moving, regulate it.  And, if it stops moving, subsidize it.---Ronald Reagan (1986)
• I don't make jokes.  I just watch the government and report the facts!---Will Rogers, Humorist (1879-1935)
• If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it is free.---P.J. O'Rourke
• In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.---Voltaire (1764)
• The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings.  The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.---Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
• What this country needs are more unemployed politicians.---Edward Langley, Artist (1928-1995)
• A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.---Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Patriot (1743-1826)

 Some things, it seems, never change.

Conservatives are accustomed to being involved in 'come from behind' situations and many of those, I submit, are created by the media.

For those of you seeking a decent piece on media double standards, I invite you to read the Human Events opinion piece by Patrick J. Buchanan titled Camp Followers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Then we have the debate concerning experience over hope with hope appearing to be ahead at this point in the race.  Charles Krauthammer has done a good job on his Washington Post opinion piece, McCain for President.

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally a cute little item that you may've seen before:

A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost.  She loses altitude and spots a man fishing from a boat below.

She shouts to him, "Excuse me, can you help me?  I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man consulted his GPS unit and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above the ground at an elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level.  You are at 31 degrees 15 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees 49 minutes west longitude."

She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican".

"I am", replied the man.  "How did you know?"

"Well", she answered, "everything you tell me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost.  Frankly, you're not much help to me."

The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat".

"I am", replied the woman.  "How did you know?"

"Well", said the man, "You don't know where you are or where you're going.  You've risen to where you are, due in large part to hot air.  You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem.  You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it is my fault."

The following words are variously attributed to both Abraham Lincoln and to Rev. Wm. J.H. Boetcker (circa 1916).  Without debating from whom they flowed, I thought it very important that these be shared during this particularly important election season.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could, and should, do for themselves.

Powerful words and powerful thoughts, indeed!

I have long enjoyed my copy of a book called The Portable Curmudgeon and use its 'modern' definition in my Blog overview.  The book was compiled by a fellow by the name of Jon Winokur and is published by the New American Library.  Following are some curmudgeonly comments that struck me over the past few days:

On Politics and Politicians:

"Anybody that wants the presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office."     David Broder

"A politician is a person with whose politics you do not agree; if you agree with him he is a statesman."      David Lloyd George

"I once said cynically of a politician, 'He'll double- cross that bridge when he comes to it'."  Oscar Levant

"Being in politics is like being a football coach; you have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it's important."     Eugene McCarthy

"All politics are based on the indifference of the majority."     James Reston

"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."    John Kenneth Galbraith

"You can fool too many of the people too much of the time."     James Thurber

"When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I'm beginning to believe it."  Clarence Darrow

~~~~~~~~~~

My family reads quite a bit of fiction and really appreciates the Germantown Library and the folks who provide the service we receive.

One of the things I find I occasionally need is the name of additional authors since I tend to read a whole lot faster than my favorite authors can write.

You may have already found this if you, too, consume books like we do, but here is a great website that provides you with the names of authors most similar to the one you key in for the search.  The closer the name is to the name you've entered (that hovers in the middle of the screen), the more similarities you find in the works of each.

Here is that magic link!

I had a conversation earlier today with an associate on the subject of secure e-mails.  As we digressed he opined that he believes people born after a certain time have actually evolved to the point that they are more capable of absorbing technology.  I'm a bit of a skeptic on that count...but I can't quite put it out of my mind entirely.

I've been blessed with grandkids and marvel at their nearly immediate grasp of new technology.  And, they could do this even before they had the ability to read instructions.  It is as if they simply continue with a variety of key strokes and suddenly have learned how to navigate as they desire.  They have an uncanny ability to instantly recall these links even after they have not used this information for weeks and weeks.

There are those of us who, like me, have to use technology regularly or risk forgetting how to use it.  I have to pause every once in awhile to recall the password that permits me to post a Blog.  And, of course, every IT person in the world tells us we can't write the password down on a 'sticky' note, and glue it to the monitor.  That still seems an efficient, if not very secure, way for me to recall these things.

There is, I'm told, software that manages multiple passwords thus permitting the user to "remember".  Unfortunately, I forgot where I wrote the name of that software down...and probably would end up angry while trying to install it even if I could remember where the note was made.

This is all very frustrating and embarrassing for me since my business is Internet-based...and since I have become a Blogger.

On a more serious note, I marvel at where we've come so far as technology is concerned and I wonder where we'll go in my lifetime.  I remember reading a futuristic tome many years ago that referred to a human being 'hardwired' through implantation.  That doesn't seem at all "futuristic" any longer.  It probably has already occurred, in fact, and I'm simply unaware.

There...got that off my chest.  Now how do I make this magically appear on the GermantownNOW site?

Guest Blog - Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis

"I am currently a member of the Germantown Kiwanis group and we are in the process of investigating a community project.  As a Kiwanis organization, our primary goal is to support children through grants for activities and projects, scholarships, donations for children's programs and other miscellaneous children's activities.

Some of you may be familiar with Kiwanis as our primary fundraiser is the July 4th Festivities here in Germantown.

The project we are now investigating is to raise funds and finance the construction of a band shell at one of our fine parks.  Possibly at Fireman's Park to enhance the July 4th event and many other events in the park.

We do understand that there are other groups in the community who are working on projects like a Performing Arts Center and a Community Pool.  By Kiwanis choosing a band shell, that does not mean we feel these other projects are any less important.  We do feel however that the band shell project is much smaller in scale and could also be a great venue for the other groups to host fundraisers for the other fine community projects.

We are in the investigative stages of this project and would like to know how the community feels about a band shell.  For the interest of being brief for this blog, I'll refrain from listing all the benefits we have identified.  But to name just a few, the band shell could become a destination for music and other performing arts entertainment.  It will provide children an opportunity to share their talents and to entertain our community and its visitors.

While we are on the topic of the Germantown Kiwanis, we are always looking for new members.  The only requirement to become a member is the desire to help kids.  If you are interested in becoming a Kiwanis member, call the Kiwanis/July 4th phone at 262-424-4457 for more details.

Pete Hoell, Vice President, Germantown Kiwanis"

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks Pete.  I encourage readers to make comments to help the Kiwanis determine your feelings.  Obviously, their projects are funded without taxpayer dollars.

A friend, who shall mercifully go unnamed, has sent along some of the product of his over-active mind in light of the recent spate of mergers and take-overs.  He advised that he wanted me to be able to invest in these new entities so that I could reap a fortune:

The coming together of...

• Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush and the W.R. Grace Company would result in: Hale, Mary, Fuller, Grace.
• Polygram Records, Warner Bros. and Zesta Crackers would yield: Poly, Warner Cracker
• 3M merging with Goodyear results in:  MMMGood
• Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco and Dakota Mining will bring us: ZipAudiDoDa
• FedEx being expected to join with its competitor UPS would bring this:  FedUP
• Grey Poupon and Docker Pants are expected to become: PouponPants
• and, Knotts Berry Farm and the National Organization of Women would produce: Knott NOW!

He offered up another that I thought just a bit racy.  It had Victoria's Secret merging with Smith & Wesson.  I'll let you finish that one.

Computers...Male or Female?

An English teacher was explaining to his students the concept of gender association in the English language.  He stated how hurricanes at one time were given feminine names and how ships and planes were usually referred to as "she".

One of the students raised his hand and asked, "What gender is a computer?"  The teacher wasn't certain which it was, so he divided the class into two groups, males in one, females in the other.  He asked them to decide if a computer should be masculine or feminine.  Both groups were asked to give four reasons for their recommendation.

The group of women concluded that computers should be referred to in the masculine gender because:

1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data but are still clueless.
3. They are supposed to help you solve your problems, but half the time they ARE the problem.
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer, you could have had a better model.

The men, on the other hand, decided that computers should definitely be referred to in the feminine gender because:

1. No one but their creator understands their logic.
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
3. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in long-term memory for later retrieval.
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry.  I couldn't help myself!

Lincoln's 200th birthday will see new 2009 pennies issued.  That raises the question as to why we still have pennies.  Is it to weigh down a lady's purse or cause a man's pocket to bulge and jingle?  Is it to fill all those glass jars in which people collect their unused pennies?

A Cox News Service article by Chris Megerian discussed some of the facts regarding pennies.

In answer to the question posed in the headline, a penny minted in 2007 cost 1.7 cents but the U.S. Mint has gotten that cost down to about 1.4 cents today.

A penny in 1857 had the buying power that a quarter has today.  I've not seen anything in recent memory that could be purchased for a penny, and I probably wouldn't want it if it were only a penny.  On the other hand, I used to covet pennies because, as a kid, I could buy all kinds of candy at the corner grocery store with a few pennies!

It seems to me that we have outlived the usefulness of the penny.  It should be eliminated and we should simply re-price things and round up or down to the nearer nickel.  There used to be a half-penny but that was eliminated in 1857.  We really ought to 'get with it' and make this happen.

There have been attempts in Congress in both 2002 and in 2006 to eliminate the penny, but both attempts failed.  The U.S. Mint produced 7.4 billion pennies last year.  At a cost of 1.4 cents each, that comes to over $103 Million if my long-hand math hasn't been lost completely.

I know that doesn't sound like much to our members of Congress, but it sounds like a whole lot to me!  Especially for a coin that we simply don't have to have.

I am troubled as I have not been for some time.  I received word late this past week that a friend had chosen to end his life rather than to go on.  He was human, as are we all.  He had suffered some losses and enjoyed some victories in the course of his life, as have we all.  I had no idea that this news might ever be provided with his name attached to it.  Then, I suspect we seldom do have that thought until too late.

He was divorced, as are nearly half of the people in our country today.  He had four children.  He had engaged in faith-based initiatives to help others.  He played golf with a group of friends and acquaintances.  He traveled to visit other friends and acquaintances occasionally.  He seemed in good health having emerged from prostate surgery a few years earlier with no appearances of trouble, at least as we who knew him were aware.

I had listened to a most inspirational speaker this past week, as well.  And he told his audience that he had, at one point in his life, had a shotgun barrel in his mouth but decided to not take his life that day.  I must say that this is, today, a powerfully inspirational speaker who brings tears to the eyes of even the toughest audience members.

I cannot, in my small human mind, find the answers to why.  Why do some come to that precipice and jump, while others, at the last moment, turn away and find other solutions?

I hope and pray that I'll never have to learn that for myself.  And I pray that my friend has found the peace that must've eluded him on this earth.

Goodbye.

I recently picked up the copy of one of my favorite little books and re-read it.  It is "All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten"  written by Robert Fulghum.

Here is everything we need to know:

• Share everything
• Play fair
• Don't hit people
• Put things back where you found them
• Clean up your own mess
• Don't take things that aren't yours
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody
• Wash your hands before you eat
• Flush
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some
• Take a nap every afternoon
• When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together
• Be aware of wonder

The only thing I can think of that probably needs to be added is "put the seat down" after "flush" if you're of the male persuasion.

Perspective...

According to Webster's open dictionary, this word means "of sight, to look through, see clearly".  I marvel at the many differing perspectives represented in just this simple Blog when all the comments are factored in to the mix.

We have developed a small community of commenters and we have the occasional random commenter that was compelled to share his or her thoughts on this forum.  Each of us was formed by our many interactions through the course of our lives.  I wonder if there are not as many different perspectives as there are people?  We develop perspective and that perspective can change as we open ourselves to other thoughts, have additional experiences, mingle with new friends and the resulting exposure to their thoughts and perspectives.  Our personal perspectives can be altered by illness, accident, education, love, hate, age markers crossed, and so on.  Virtually everything to which we are exposed has the potential for causing some change in us whether or not perceived.

Most of the expressions are thoughtful; some are a little edgy; some are demeaning.  Most commenters remain anonymous as is their right.  I don't recall any really vicious comments and I hope that never happens within our little community.  That might attract more readers but it is a terrible tool if used for that purpose from my perspective.

I have grown from this experience and I hope that some of the readers may have had a similar experience.

Simple thoughts on a rainy Sunday morning. 

I opined a few weeks ago about the state of newspapers across our country.  Much has gone into causing the problems faced by most of the major newspapers in the United States.  Increased costs for much of what makes up a newspaper are largely the fault of this dilemma.

This morning the "new" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel debuted in its 'smaller' size.  The Business section has been reduced largely be eliminating the full financial report in favor of stocks of local interest.  The 'B' section that was formerly tailored to various locales has been changed to the "Local" section providing a little news about most of the outlying area.  Other changes have been made but these struck me as the most visible.

Marty Kaiser, Editor, was featured on the cover page explaining the changes and the reasons for those changes.  The essence is that revenues continue to decline while expenses continue to climb.  That combination obviously cannot be permitted to continue if the newspaper is to have any hope of survival.

My intent is not to "pick on" newspapers in general or the Journal Sentinel in particular.  I believe that Journal Sentinel leaders are doing that which they think will help stem the tide of red ink.  I'm not sure they have any other choices.  Two rounds of voluntary buy-outs and involuntary lay-offs have already come and gone.  I suspect that at least one more will come again before this has been finished.  Whether or not those actions will be good or bad ultimately remains to be seen.

Similarly, the reduction in size/content may or may not be part of the solution.  It could prove to have been part of the problem before all is said and done.

This effort is meant to recognize that much of the content has been available on websites for some time.  It recognizes that advertising dollars are moving to where the readers are and leaving those places where readers are frequenting less and less.

I wonder if the latest changes in content on the printed page will help stem the flow or if it will end up exacerbating the problem by moving more people to the Internet more quickly?

We'll not know that answer for sometime, but I suspect that we will ultimately learn the answer.  I am happy about one thing:  I do not have the responsibilities of trying to operate a newspaper on my shoulders.  I would not wish that on my enemy at this point in time.

I wrote a year ago about my friend John and his battle with cancer.  John and I had shared many cigars and many thoughts during that time.  Another mutual friend was also very attuned to John's battle in that his father had similar issues and had appeared to have won at least the first round with surgical removal of a small tumor near the pancreas.

I have just learned that Joel's father is now fighting what is most likely the last battle he will have in this life with the progression of that 'small' tumor.  Joel is with his father, also Joel, in Arizona as this is written.  He says that his Dad has lost some 70 pounds since Joel last saw him and is heavily medicated.

Joel is watching and waiting, helplessly, as his Dad wages a courageous struggle, as he lets his loved ones know that he loves them and as he acknowledges their love of him.  Joel is going through what so many of us either have gone through or will go through.  We watch as a loved one is slowly taken from us; we wish that it be quicker; and, we wish that it wouldn't.

We feel selfish; we feel helpless, we feel our need for faith; we pray that the suffering will end...but we wish this would all just go away and that everything would be as it once was.

And then, reality confronts us yet again and we realize that we should never go to bed angry with anyone we love for we have no guarantees that we'll ever have the opportunity to say we're sorry...at least in this life.  And, we reflect on the lessons we learned from our loved one, and we recognize that we are the teachers of our loved ones by our examples and our words and our deeds.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with you Joel and Joel Jr. and with your families.