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The Illinois governor, who was accused three weeks ago of trying to sell the state's vacant U.S. Senate seat, calls to offer you the position. What do you do?

a) Give it some thought.

b) Say yes.

c) Lose all credibility.

Roland Burris picked d) All of the above.

Don't know Burris. Never met the man. Never heard of the man before Tuesday. But in the tragi-comedy known as Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's life, Burris has embraced the role as jester.

Who knows what backroom deals were cut or backs scratched. But no matter how blind my ambition, I would not play the fool for a political shyster -- and pariah -- like Blagojevich. Burris, the former state attorney general, stood at Blagojevich's side as the govenor said, "Don't smear him with my crap," or words to that effect.

Burris, who has run for a number of offices, obviously is no babe in the woods of politics. Willingly volunteering to enable Blagojevich to continue his shenanigans is another sad chapter in this whole sordid mess.

Bob Bird and Junius Gaither were strangers when they met last spring at Springwood Burial Park in Roanoke.

Since then, the two men have joined forces, spent their own money and inspired others to be a part of their effort to restore dignity to the abandoned cemetery next to Lincoln Terrace Elementary School. Read more »

While you were wading through your mailbox full of holiday cards bearing glad tidings and best wishes, I went through my mail. Some missives had the charitable tone of a holiday greeting.

Others decidedly did not.

 I would say that what you write is as useless as the teats on a boar hog.-- David McCormick, unimpressed with a response I gave a reader in an earlier mailbag. Read more »

The packages are unwrapped, and fewer bows and colorful paper litter the floor today. You didn't get the gift you wanted, and maybe not the one you really needed.

And you're OK with that.

Christmas 2008 -- and perhaps most of 2009 -- will be remembered as the time that brought America back to its center. Read more »

Dear readers:  I ran this last year, and it's worth repeating.  I don't know who wrote it. But the author doesn't matter. The message does. I trust you will gain as much inspiration from it as I did.--s

Peace begins within.

That message is particularly poignant this time of year.

In this season of peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, individuals have
within themselves the power to cultivate peace. Perhaps the most important
lesson given to us by a carpenter's son from Nazareth is that the power to
spread peace is not the sole domain of heads of state who can so easily wield a
major influence, for good or ill, over daily international affairs.

Everyday people - a teacher, a coach, a homemaker, a member of the clergy, a
shopkeeper - might not have the direct ability to solve great world crises.

Through patience, tolerance and understanding, however, they do have the power
to end conflicts in their families, in their neighborhoods and in their
workplaces.

Indeed, peace and goodwill are gifts that people can extend to each other
daily. The ability to do a good deed exists in everyone - by speaking an
encouraging word to a troubled child, running an errand for an elderly person,
or giving a fellow motorist a break in traffic.

The choice to exercise that ability, though, remains with the individual.

Peace and goodwill are the remnants of that first Christmas in Bethlehem. The
message that came forth from there was that much of the anger in the world could
be dispelled by following His example.

How important is it that Barack Obama has no Southerners in his Cabinet?

In the constant back and forth, mistrust and miscues between Roanoke officials and vendors over the future of the City Market Building, it's a little difficult this season to gauge who's been naughty and who's been nice.

So in the spirit of good will toward men, is it too much to ask the two sides to show a little compassion toward each other as Roanoke tries to hash out how to proceed with downtown's signature building? Read more »

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We live in perilous times.

Industries announce layoffs by the thousands every day. Last rites are being read for American automakers, and Christmas sales are on life support.

But as everything collapses around us, we can take comfort in one bright spot: America has some of the sexiest men in the world.

To hear them tell it.

A recent global marketing survey found that 57 percent of American men have the cojones to publicly proclaim themselves sexy. God bless America. Read more »