ACCURACY IN MEDIA?

“Study to shew (show) thyself approved, ... a workman that needeth not to be ashamed...” (from 2 Timothy 2:15).

The MetroWest Daily News (Framingham, MA) for Saturday, December 9, 2006, was one of the sloppiest pieces of journalism that I’ve ever seen!  The front page headline reads “Man dies days after being stabbed” and the sub headline reads “20-year-old from Framingham was bouncer at Boston club”.  The story caught my attention because I couldn’t believe they’re employing 20-year-olds (who aren’t even at the legal drinking age) to be bouncers at bars.  Then I read the story.  And, I had to reread the story.  The truth is that a 32-year-old bouncer who lives in Framingham was stabbed by a 20-year-old guy from Natick, at a Boston nightclub.  Thirty-five years ago I was on the staff of the Canton High School newspaper.  I think Mrs. Murray, the faculty advisor, would have given me a chewing out if I’d have done such a sloppy job.

It doesn’t stop there!  On page 5 of Saturday’s MetroWest Daily News are two stories by Joseph Dwinnell.  One is entitled “Driver charged with vehicle homicide”.  The other is entitled “Dump truck driver charged in girl’s death”.  When you read the text of both stories, the text is EXACTLY THE SAME.  I guess the paper wanted to make sure we all read the story, one way or the other!  A week or so ago, there was a front page story about a crime committed by a young man who attended our church when he was a little boy.  The story was SO POORLY WRITTEN that I had to read it several times to make ANY sense of it, and I got the same feedback from some Members of our church.  My wife actually wants me to CANCEL having the paper delivered to our home!

On Monday morning, I picked up a Boston Herald to read over breakfast at McDonald’s.  At the bottom of page 7 is a story about John McCain addressing a Jewish group about Iran.  The story says, “McCain, who failed to gain the GOP presidential nomination in 1998,...”  Listen, you don’t need to read ANY more of that story!  If the writer doesn’t even know that McCain ran for the 2000 Presidential nomination and not the 1998 nomination; and if the writer doesn’t even know we elect a President every four years and 1998 wasn’t one of them, then why does that writer even have a job with a newspaper?!

Recently, my sister dug out a box of Boston Globes from the 1960s and 1970s that my mother had saved.  The front page story of one of them is about Bobby Kennedy’s funeral.  Another’s is about JFK’s funeral.  Still another’s is about Richard Nixon in the midst of his political problems. She even saved the Globe which had the story of artist Andy Warhol being shot.  I’m not a big Boston Globe fan, but I’d imagine that there’s a lot more accuracy in those newspapers than in the papers of today!

I know many of you say, “Well, I get MY news from the internet!”
If you think the internet is any more reliable, I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you!

THE iMac GRAY SCREEN OF DEATH (extra entry)

“And heal the sick that are therein...” (from Luke 10:9)

I usually post entries on this blog on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, but I just thought I’d share one “interesting” thing that happened this weekend.

I know that what I’m writing here may sound like a real “dis” of Apple computers.  I know that most P.C. users love to hear negative stories about Apple computers and to smugly let “Mac people” know that they’re among the 95% of computer users who DON’T use Apple products.  Before you get too smug, do be reminded that 98% of all computer viruses DO NOT affect Apple computers at all and that overall Macs are outstanding computers.

There IS one occasional annoyance (“crisis” is a better word) that can befall Apple computers.  It admittedly can make a lover of Mac computers feel as embarrassed as a New England Patriots fan feels this weekend over the loss to Miami.  (The Patriots could be a topic for another day...while I’m usually not a big athletic or sports person, an exception is the Patriots- I love the Patriots.)  Anyway, the annoyance is what some Mac geeks call “The gray screen of death”.  You go to turn on your Mac computer...all that appears on the screen for about two minutes is light gray...after about two minutes, the screen turns purple/blue. Then, in the center of the screen, a small icon appears flashing a question mark.  When that happens- be afraid- be very afraid.

Our home iMac computer was purchased in the Autumn of 2001.  When it was almost a year old,  “the gray screen of death” thing happened.  No matter what we did...even following all the steps in the manual...we could not get rid of the gray screen and subsequent purple/blue flashing question mark.  My wife put the computer in for service.  Thank God we were still under the warranty, but the word was bleak.  The hard drive was essentially fried.  We pretty much lost everything.  The computer was in the shop for around ten days.  At that time, we purchased an extended warranty.  In the Autumn of 2004, just three weeks shy of the extended warranty running out, “the gray screen of death” thing happened again.  Once again, the computer went in the shop for about ten days.  We pretty much lost everything.  It was VERY upsetting for our family.  My wife was told that had the repair NOT been under warranty, it would have cost over $500.

This past Saturday night around 7, I turned on the iMac, and what to my wondering eyes did appear?  Yes, “the gray screen of death” followed by the purple/blue screen and the flashing question mark.  If I had a weak heart, I may have had a heart attack.  I’m embarrassed to admit this, but when “the gray screen of death” appeared on Saturday night I was struck with incredible sadness.  I think I’d rather have had food poisoning and had the computer be O.K.  Holiday time for us is a very tight financial time.  There is no money to repair the computer right now, let alone buy a new one.  Going on-line at home and writing my blog is one of the most “fun” things I do.  On a more serious note, my son is a serious writer and has some important work stored on the iMac.  We’ve all built sizable pop music libraries on iTunes.

I got the iMac turned off.  I called for my 20-year-old daughter Rachel who was home for the weekend from college and the only other person home at the time.  She was certainly as sad as I was, but she had a whole lot more faith than I did.  Rachel prayed that God would work a miracle and that I could get the computer turned on.  I tried and IT CAME ON NORMALLY!  (In the past we would try and try and try and...nothing.)  I cannot tell you how happy I was to have the iMac back!

Well, we have not turned it off since!  It will sleep, but we ain’t turnin’ it off!  

P.S.   I just noticed that my AOL blog “counter” messed up for like the 4th time since last February.  It says this blog has only been logged onto 3 times since February!  It’s more like 3003 times, but, well, here we go again, computers, ya gotta love ‘em...

"'TIS THE SEASON..."

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."  (John 13:17)

Over thirty years ago, I attended a Bible Study at the home of a couple named Ed and Allison Bryan.  I have not seen either of them in about twenty years, but I do remember that Ed had kind of a sarcastic and poignant sense of humor.  One year at Christmas time a person accidentally smashed into his car at a supermarket parking lot.  Did it phase Ed?  No!  He literally turned to the person with a sarcastic and poignant smile and announced, "Oh, well, 'tis the season to be jolly!"

Not everyone handles driving situations in December as well as Ed Bryan did!  Yesterday, a particularly cold day in Boston's MetroWest suburbs, I noticed that whatever minimal driving etiquette usually exists had vanished!  (This also happens in the summer when it's really hot and humid.)  For some reason, when temperatures are at an extreme, people want to take it out on everybody on the road.

In the middle of Friday afternoon, I had to do an errand at Framingham's downtown post office.  I walked the half mile or so from the church to the post office.  The "wind chill factor" had to be about 6 degrees! It was cold!  At one intersection, the light turned to green as I was in the middle of the crosswalk.  A woman driver of at least 50 (and I'd say 60) who was sitting and waiting to proceed ahead absolutely went ballistic!  She began waving her arms and yelling, "It's GREEN!  The light is GREEN!"  She gave me a look of absolute HATE.  It was scary!  As soon as I passed her car, I turned and (hate to admit it) yelled to her, "Calm down, CALM DOWN!"  I guess I didn't sound very calm then, but it honestly makes me angry when people get so exorcised over something so ... stupid!

Early Friday morning as I was picking up a couple of items at Stop & Shop, the background music playing was Phil Collins singing, "Think Twice", you know, that song about a homeless woman who is rejected and ignored.  I think we all need to think twice!  I dread mall parking lots at this time of the year.  There are the VULTURES...those who circle and circle just WAITING to nab a parking space.  And you know how that goes... the parking lot situations can practically lead to fistfights.

I mentioned earlier that in some respects I'm not crazy about the Christmas holiday, and I'm not.  I just kind of try to get through this season.  I DO try to be sensitive to, well, bring a little  "Christmas cheer" to people...and I don't mean alcohol- I mean happiness.  It gets challenging on days like yesterday.

Everybody is in SUCH a hurry. Everybody takes everything SO personally.  People are SO on edge.  I remember that Three Dog Night once sang, "And if I was the king of the world, I'll tell you what I'd do, I'd throw away the guns and the bombs and the wars and I'd make sweet love to you."  Well, if I could have MY fantasy with Planet Earth, or even Massachusetts for even one day, I'd have everybody driving a LOT slower, being a LOT more courteous, AND ... there'd be no swearing or "attitudes" allowed...

After all, 'tis the season to be jolly!

WHERE'S MISS ENNIS?

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Miss Ennis was my 5th grade teacher.   This was during the 1964-1965 school year.  As most of you know, I grew up in Canton, Massachusetts.  At that time a new elementary school was under construction, but would not be ready until the Fall of 1965.  The elementary schools were overcrowded and the Town had to do something.  The “something” was that for the 1964-1965 year, all 5th Grades in the Canton Public Schools were on the lowest level floor of the 1963 addition to Canton High School. “The 5th Grade in the High School” was almost run like a private school (or a charter school) that year.  The one male teacher, Mr. Lynch, became the de facto “principal”.  I didn’t like Mr. Lynch at all, but his ‘64-’65 teaching assignment did wonders for his career.  He ended up becoming a highly respected elementary school principal in Canton (later becoming “Dr. Lynch”) and retiring just a few years ago.  None of this has anything to do with Miss Ennis; but it’s background...

Miss Ennis’ name was Ellen Ennis.  She was in her early 20s.  She actually shared a lot about herself with her class (usually teachers didn’t share much about their personal lives, but she did).  She was from Glen Road in the Wellesley Farms section of Wellesley.  She was a pretty serious Roman Catholic.  I think she had gone to either Boston College or Providence College.  She drove a brand new white Ford Mustang.  She had very high expectations for her students, particularly the boys.  She very much liked me, but it was obvious she feared for my future.  It bothered her that I was not athletic enough.  Looking back, I think she feared I would become gay.  

That was a tough year for me.  I hung around with a young man I shouldn’t have gotten involved with (in that class) and it led to a lot of problems.  I got into very serious trouble (for a 5th grader) in late September of that year.  Maybe I’ll write about that another time.  Did you ever watch “Leave it to Beaver”?  Well, I will say that as a kid I was a LOT like Beaver.  Remember how Richard, and Whitey, and Gilbert would manipulate him into things and he’d get in trouble?  In elementary school, that was me.  

December 1, 1964 was my father’s birthday.  He was 42 that year.  That’s interesting because in fact it was 42 years ago, and yes, if he were still living, he’d now be 84.  I got in very serious trouble with Miss Ennis that day; instigated by the kid I wrote about.  Miss Ennis did the unthinkable:  She wrote a long, handwritten letter to my father about it!  I had to bring it home and have it signed by him!

I wanted to DIE.  Remember the kid that was caned in Singapore about ten years ago?  I’d GLADLY have been caned rather than bring that letter home!  My father was very strict.  I had already been in serious trouble in September.  It was his birthday.   It was horrible.  I didn’t know what to do.  Twenty-two years before “Ferris Beuhler’s Day Off”, I put on an Oscar-level performance of faking being sick, and so I got out of going to school the next day.  I tried forging my father’s signature onto the letter.  It was a terrible job and I knew it.  Now, I’d only made matters worse!  Looking back, my father NEVER would have just signed a letter like that anyway.  He’d have contacted the school and met with the teacher, and I’d have been, well, “dead”...

You may not believe this but for the next week I faked sick day after day.  I knew I could not continue this forever.  Finally, I went back to school.  I hoped it would all just blow over.

“Did you show that letter to your father?”  Miss Ennis asked me.

“Yes,” I lied.

“What did he say?”

“He was mad.” I said.  It was an obvious lie.  It was one of those situations for which Bob Dole used to say, “You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.”  

To my shock she never brought up the matter again.  I think maybe she knew that the letter thing was just more than I could handle with my very strict father.  Of course, she did not know it was his birthday.  Well, now I’m 52-years-old and have been an Assemblies of God minister for over twenty-five years.  My own children are grown.  Miss Ennis married a man named Kane in June of 1965 at St. John’s Church in Wellesley.  I attended the ceremony.  I got my parents to drive me, and that was a “trip” because they considered it very inconvenient and almost refused to take me.  Mr. Kane was in the Air Force.  I never saw Miss Ennis/Mrs. Kane again.

As  silly as it may sound, the scenario I’ve just written about has kind of bothered me for forty-two years.  I know God has long ago forgiven me.  I’d love to contact Ellen Ennis Kane who would now be about 66-years-old and explain what happened.  I know it’s usually easy to locate people on the internet.  I’ve located all sorts of people from my past on the internet.  I found out that my high school biology teacher, for instance, is now a professor at U.Mass-Amherst.  A girl I liked in Bible College is now a missionary to Germany.  (It looks like she tripled in weight since the ‘70s ... she’s married with several kids....I’m kind of glad a relationship with her did not work out!)  But I can’t find Miss Ennis.  December 1 just went by a few days ago, and I’m dealing with those memories all over again...

A HOMEOWNER SAFETY TIP

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest:  for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire;  and the fire shall try every man’s work...” (I Corinthians 3:13).

For all of you theologians out there, that’s one of the references from which the Catholics get “Purgatory”, although I don’t believe in Purgatory, and this piece is NOT about theology, it’s about FIRE.

For most of you handyman/homeowner types, the tip I’m going to mention here will seem so foolish and so basic that you’ll be tempted to laugh and think that anyone who DOESN’T know what I’m about to share is a complete idiot.  Well, I once didn’t know it and I’m glad I learned about it.

IF your home has gas- especially a gas water heater, you need to be aware of being EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS lest you start a fire that will burn down your house and seriously injure or kill you.  Please don’t misunderstand.  I’m not at all against gas.  The residence I live in (church owned) has gas- stove, dryer, and water heater.  Many people believe food cooks better with gas.  Honestly, it does.  Many prefer gas heat because you don’t have to worry about filling up with home heating oil, running out of oil, having the tank leak, etc.  I agree.  I’m glad my residence was converted from oil heat to gas heat sometime before 1986.  (The church has oil heat- I hope my fuel oil dealer isn’t reading this- I hate oil heat!)  I’m not anti-gas but you’ve GOT to be much more cautious with gas.

ABC-TV’s 20/20 program featured an important piece over ten years ago, warning of the potential dangers of gas water heaters.  Did you know that if you open a can of oil based paint within 30 feet of a gas water heater, there could be a sudden, spontaneous combustion, badly burning you and setting the house on fire?  That also goes for even a small can of turpentine, mineral spirits, or paint thinner.  Horror stories of burn victims and fatalities from doing just what I’m mentioning here were presented.  You may ask why ANYONE would open a can of turpentine or oil based paint in a basement.  The answer is that in certain other types of homes, you can do that all the time.  The house I grew up in had NO gas.  My parents were dead against gas.  We had oil heat with a tankless water heating system, and we had an electric stove and electric dryer.  It was common for my Dad to have paint brushes soaking in turpentine on his cellar bench for days on end.  I thought nothing of opening up cans of oil based paint or containers of turpentine in the basement of the home in Canton.  It was perfectly safe.  Doing the same thing at my present residence would have brought disaster.  Being a pretty unhandy guy who ordinarily would never stop to think how a house is heated and whether stuff like I’ve just talked about would make a difference - it’s a MIRACLE I never did anything like that in my Framingham basement.

After watching the 20/20 story, I posted a big warning sign in the basement.  That may sound stupid, but I just thought that if I leave here someday, I’d like my replacement to be aware of it.

A few days ago, I was putting the garden hose away for the winter.  I noticed the warning sign, and I thought it would be a good item to mention on my blog.  Incidentally, my predecessor, the Rev. Tom Gurney used to store his gasoline lawn mower (tank emptied) and empty gas can in the cellar!  Even with the can and tank empty, there was a chance of fumes igniting the house on fire.  In fact, it was illegal for him to store the stuff in the cellar for that reason.  If there’s one wish I’d have for my residence, it’s a garage (separate building).  That would solve a lot of problems.  Since I don’t have a garage, about fifteen years ago, a family gave me their son’s old small wooden playhouse which I’ve been using for a shed, and that’s where I store the mower and gas can.  That fifteen year old little “shed” is badly rotting and should have been replaced this year.  (If any rich people are reading and want to donate a first-class wooden shed to the church next Spring, e-mail me!  Your gift would be tax deductible!)  

Anyway, that’s my safety tip.  You macho handyman types, stop laughing.  If this piece saved a life or a house, it’s worth it!

AMY ASKED ME TO WATCH IT (special posting!)

I'm not much for viewing movie or video clips on-line, but my daughter Amy who is in college in Missouri asked me to view this clip which was shown at the church she attends... check it out at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9r_Jo4N-aE

If you want, let me know what you thought of it.  Leave a comment on this blog, or e-mail me at RevRBaril@aol.com

DO YOU KNOW THE __?__ PARKING LAWS?

“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” (Romans 7:12)

Back in the 1970s, Campus Crusade for Christ put out a very popular mini-booklet entitled, “Do You Know the Four Spiritual Laws?”.  I’m assuming it’s still available.  Evangelicals have given out millions of those mini-booklets over the years.  Billy Graham’s organization also put out their version of that booklet entitled, “Steps to Peace With God”.  Am I about to launch into an evangelistic sermon?  Actually, no- but maybe another time.  I just thought the title, “Do You Know the Four Spiritual Laws?” would make a great title to “tinker with” for my title of this piece.  Thus, I’m calling it “Do You Know the __?__ Parking Laws?”  I wanted to call it, “Do You Know the Four Parking Laws?” but I didn’t think that would be right because I have no idea HOW many parking laws there are!

You’ll find this is almost a “Part 2” to my piece entitled “The Preevate”; and in a sense it is, because once again I’m dealing with the topic of parking.  Yesterday morning, one of our church members and I went to the church building to do a quick project to help prevent water from coming in during the forecasted heavy wind and rain storm.  We each noticed that all of the vehicles parked on the even numbered side of South Street and on the even numbered side of Taylor Street were ticketed.  The church member (a Natick resident) was quite surprised when I told him there is no parking allowed on the even numbered side of Framingham streets during the winter months.  (Some years it’s the odd numbered side.)  He was also surprised that Framingham does not allow you to park on any street for more than two hours.  The big exception to that is where it’s posted “Resident Parking Only”, and you’d better BE a resident!

In fact, on my own street, cars are parked all over the even numbered side all the time, and all over Town, cars violate the two hour limit.  Frankly, they’re just rolling the dice!  In Framingham  USUALLY you can get away with that stuff, but if Parking Enforcement just happens to decide to pick YOUR street to enforce the regulations on, then you’re in trouble.

My hometown of Canton also has a two hour limit that most people don’t know about.  Canton also has a “no all night” parking rule, as does Framingham.  Again, unless it’s posted “Resident Parking Only” you cannot park on a Framingham street all night.  In fact, again, you can’t park on it for more than two hours at a time.  The entire state of Massachusetts does not allow parking within 20 feet of an intersection.  I see that done ALL the time, but it’s not allowed.

Yesterday’s MetroWest Daily News featured a front-page story showing that most average MetroWest residents are frankly ill- informed when it comes to what they know (or don’t know) about the United States Government.  Most, for instance, have no idea how many U.S. Senators there are.  Do you?  It’s 100.  Each state gets 2.  I hate to THINK what would happen if they had to be tested on their knowledge of parking laws!  Speaking of “THINK” that reminds me:  The Town of Needham once made the Reader’s Digest for its “Don’t Even THINK of Parking Here” signs!