Monday's Meanderings

Oprah Winfrey's new show, "The Big Give," has been getting horrible reviews. The camera jerks around like Katherine Hepburn on a Tilt-a-Whirl. Horrible Coldplay-style music swirls up out of nowhere to underscore particularly moving moments. And it seems more than a little ironic that they take ten people who want to help others and one by one declare them losers.

Me, I think they're ignoring the point. Sure, the show has its problems, but it also carries a very important lesson, something that I've known for years.

People are basically good at heart, and they will totally give you money if you tell them Oprah's involved.


A man was arrested after making a threat on the president's life last week during a phone conversation with a former girlfriend who called 911.

A bail hearing was scheduled Monday for Charles Madrid, a 50-year-old radio technician. A police spokesman said that when questioned Madrid admitted he wanted to kill the president.

When reporters asked if he was insane, the spokesman said, "We believe he is, but that's still no reason to want to kill him."


An Australian man had to be rescued after he got stuck 200 feet up a tree while paragliding with his pet chihuahua.

Paul Hansen, 42, became entangled in a giant mountain ash tree shortly after take-off near Melbourne. He was left dangling, with chihuahua Emma strapped to his chest, for five hours, reports the Melbourne Age.

The man is okay. The chihuahua is okay. The tree is very, very wet.