Some Saturday Wanderings

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Shades of Pete Rose: The story of gambling and Gretzky is sad. I am not a hockey fan, but have always admired The Great One- Wayne Gretzky. The BIG name of the past few decades and one of the greatest of all time. Big money, big bets. I guess we all have clay feet. But it is a world that I have no awareness of...betting $5,000 on a Super Bowl coin toss. That's more than a month's salary for me.

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Some Good News: Here's something that is worth celebrating, no matter how small it may be. It is a move in the right direction:

Cancer Deaths Fall, Ending 70-Year Trend
By MIKE STOBBE Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- The war on cancer may have reached a dramatic turning point: For the first time in more than 70 years, annual cancer deaths in the United States have fallen.

It's the first annual decrease in total cancer deaths since 1930, when nationwide data began to be compiled.
--Associated Press

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A Touch of Taste at the Grammys: Everyone seems surprised that U2 outshined Mariah and Kenye at the Grammy awards. Which is totally beyond me- that they were surprised, I mean. Last week we saw the world's oldest living rock and roll band make us all wish for a mandatory retirement age for rolling stones. But U2 is arguably the world's greatest living rock and roll band. And Green Day is the group that saved rock and roll for a new generation. You just can't beat greatness!

Grammy Voters Lavish U2, Green Day Again
By JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Grammy voters needed two years to lavish all of their love on U2 and Green Day, handing the bands big awards a year after doing the same last February - for much the same music.
--Associated Press

Of course, with Bono as a world-class diplomat, doesn't hurt the image either.

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Who's Number 1? I don't know what to make of this in light of what I said about U2 and Green Day:

Barry Manilow album Hits the Charts at #1
-Link at Associated Press

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THIS is also Good News: As if I was worried. But at least someone has a bit of sense.

Judge Tosses Case of Atheist Vs. Priest
By MARTA FALCONI Associated Press Writer
ROME (AP) -- An Italian judge has dismissed an atheist's petition that a small-town priest should stand trial for asserting that Jesus Christ existed, both sides said on Friday.

Luigi Cascioli, a 72-year-old retired agronomist, had accused the Rev. Enrico Righi of violating two laws with the assertion, which he called a deceptive fable propagated by the Roman Catholic Church.
--Associated Press

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