Howard Stern - Lighthouses in Dark Waters

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"I'm a little piece of leather, but I'm well put together."

And she was. My Grandma. Sassy and sacred in one incredibly charming package. When she wasn't watching the 700 Club, she snapped fresh string beans, or shucked Grandad-grown corn while watching the Price is Right or Family Feud.

Aside from Richard Dawson's commitment to kiss every guest, this was clean TV.

I didn't find it particularly entertaining, but I was happy to cuddle close to this wonder-woman, and help out with dinner while learning what was behind Door Number 2.

Fast forward several decades. Last night I was, again, watching a gameshow -- NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" From the second row of their live studio audience, I laughed deep from my belly as absurdity collided with very fine minds. The cast and guests of this show are as smart as they are funny. And they seem to genuinely love their fans. After the show I enjoyed speaking with several of them, but Carl Kasell ran away with my heart. He's got a unique way of being both distinguished and warm. And that voice... Not once did he use it to boast of his many achievements in broadcast journalism. He didn't even brag about beating out Howard Stern for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame last month. A class act trumped a shock jock, and that makes me rejoice.

In the mud of mainstream media, there are still people of elegance and grace. There are still public personalities that don't require you to cover the ears or eyes of young children. I'm not puritanical, but I am refreshed by my brief encounter with this extraordinary gentleman. Remember those? May God bless and prosper every celebrity who is brave enough to have bright standards.

The Tricky Ways of Trends

It seems these days that anything goes.
Maybe I'm just ancient because I appreciate relics
like courtesy and modesty. Maybe I'm not hip,
because I actually like being a lady You
would be proud to claim as Yours.
It doesn't matter to me what the surveys say
are "in." Unlike You, those surveys change
from one day to the next. As much as I love
my freedom, I only enjoy it when it's anchored
in You -- when I'm anchored in You.

-Erika Harris

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