Providing a tremendous morale boost for 40-something people throughout New England, long-time NFL and CFL quarterback Doug Flutie today signed a one-year contract to return to the Patriots as a veteran backup to Tom Brady. To place Flutie in the context of his new teammates, at the age of 42 he is almost 15 years older than Brady; 7 years older than the erstwhile old man of the team, defensive tackle Keith Traylor; and more than 21 years older than freshly drafted safety James Sanders.

You are reading the ramblings of one quarter of the championship team from the Literacy Volunteers of Greater Worcester's third annual Team Scrabble Tournament. This is our third consecutive win, which not only makes us the only champs in the short history of the tournament, but also officially makes us a dynasty. Ha ha!

Team Scrabble differs from regular Scrabble because each team works their own board in competition with other teams' boards. Rather than each person taking his/her turn and building a word off what is already there, all teams are given the same word to start in the middle of their boards, and from there each team populates the rest of the board with the intention of maximizing the total score. After the timed round ends, the team with the highest point total on its board wins.

The LVGW tournament has an additional charity element—teams are permitted to buy additional letters to increase their point total. My company, which is one of the main corporate sponsors of the event, gives us a $200 letter budget, so we buy lots of Zs and Qs and put words like "PUZZLE" and "ZIGZAG" and "QUARTZ" on the triple word spaces. No doubt our purchased extra letters give us the edge over other teams, but it's all for a good cause and it's lots of fun.

Adult illiteracy is an important issue because it affects not only a person's earning capacity but also his or her self-esteem. If you have an opportunity to help in some way in your own community, your time and/or money couldn't be more wisely spent.

Did you know that the Danish constitution does not permit a female to inherit the throne? I didn't, until just now when I read about an impending royal birth (OK, so I didn't know Denmark was still a monarchy either).

The constitution does not allow for female succession – although in 1953 an exception was made for the current queen, Margrethe, who had no brothers.

Danish Equal Rights Minister Eva Kjer Hansen told Danish media she felt the constitution needed to be changed.

"It would not be fair for a daughter to have to give up first place if the crown prince couple later has a son," she said.

Denmark is hardly the only one of Europe's ten monarchies that treats females as literally second-class citizens. Perhaps the world's most famous monarch, England's Queen Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne only because she had no brothers, and her daughter Anne's place in line was bumped upon the birth of her younger brothers and, later, the births of her nieces. Some basic research on my part shows that similar rules of succession infect the monarchies of Spain, Sweden, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Liechtenstein. Current constitutional laws of the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, and Norway provide for gender-equitable succession.

The prevalence the anachronistic practice of male primogeniture renders laughable claims of Europe as a world leader in promoting gender equality and women's rights.

There is a bureaucrat in Turin, Italy, who clearly has too much time on her/his hands. What other explanation could there be for the city's new compulsory dog-walking and appearance law?

The measure has nothing to do with animal cruelty, which is already punishable throughout Italy by a hefty fine and/or prison time. My favorite interpretation of the local ordinance:

"In Turin it will be illegal to turn one's dog into a ridiculous fluffy toy," the city's La Stampa daily reported.

I can think of another use for the word "ridiculous" in this case.

That collective gasp! you hear is all those who know me reacting to the stunning news that I, the Den Mother, have voluntarily agreed to participate in organized team sports for the first time in my life.

But why is that stunning, Den Mother? you may be asking. Don't you love sports? Why yes, I do. (I even skied competitively as a kid for several years, winning a medal on occasion because there weren't that many skiers in my age bracket.) And the sport I have volunteered to play, softball, is quite close to my favorite sport to watch, follow, and talk about—baseball. So it does seem like a natural fit.

Alas, things are not always as they seem. You see, as great as my love for sports is my lack of actual athletic talent. I made this disclosure freely and repeatedly to the organizer of the mini-league made up of women from the office where I work, but for some reason she wanted me to do it anyway. She can't say she wasn't warned.

Now all I need to do is find my glove, free up Wednesday evenings until Labor Day, and make advanced reservations in the Bad Athlete Protection Program so I can flee as soon as I really embarrass myself.

This was the suggestion put forth by my father when he called to tell me that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope.

There has been some snide commentary about Ratzinger's membership in his teen years in the so-called Hitler Youth. But such criticism appears to be mere laziness on the part of those who bring it up, as even they acknowledge that young Ratzinger's membership was legally compulsory, that he was not active, and that he even ended up deserting from the German Army during World War II.

Of much greater concern to me is the impression of Ratzinger as an ultra-traditionalist in areas such as the role of women in the church, ecumenism, personal/moral issues like birth control, and what more progressive Catholics call "a sub-culture of clericalism" and the concentration of power among the curia. He is known to have wielded tremendous influence during the later years of John Paul II's papacy, which also happens to be the time when the hierarchy fell down on the job on the issue of sexual abuse by priests. In short, he's been around long enough that his positions are very clear from his actions.

Sometimes his remarks have been bluntly critical, on such diverse topics as dissident theologians, liberation theology, "abuses" in lay ministry, homosexuality, women as priests, feminism among nuns, premarital sex, abortion, liturgical reform and rock music.

[ . . . ]

After review by Cardinal Ratzinger's congregation, U.S. Father Charles Curran, who questioned church teaching against artificial birth control, was removed from his teaching position at The Catholic University of America in 1987.

[ . . . ]

Cardinal Ratzinger also has focused on ordinary Catholics, saying there can be no compromise on dissent by lay faithful. The cardinal helped prepare a papal instruction on the subject in 1998 and accompanied it with his own commentary warning Catholics they would put themselves outside the communion of the church if they reject its teachings on eight specific issues.

See a 1999 article from the National Catholic Reporter for a more in-depth presentation of what bothers some of us about Ratzinger.

I am very sad.

Among the runners I followed, seeveral finished the race. In order of net time:

• Tommy – 4684 – 3:38:22
• Ann – 8750 – 3:43:29
• Jane – 12201 – 3:55:42
• David – 21505 – 4:08:10
• Dawn – 18194 – 4:09:42
• Shonda – 21278 – 5:08:30
• Mike – 16637 – 5:21:50

You can see their checkpoint times (and those of other runners) online.

Kudos to Tommy for leading the list. Ann and Jane are sisters and have both run Boston several times before. David...well, the only reason I followed David is because I read in a magazine that he ran last year and was disappointed with his time. Dawn probably gave some pointers to first-timer Shonda; both of them were running while their husbands were working over at Fenway Park. Mike's time is remarkable when you consider that he is 83 years old!

Not finishing but deserving props for attempting the marathon were Lisa, Stacey, Carlton, and Franklin (the latter two being 80-somethings).

The winners in all divisions have crossed the finish line; now the rest of the pack comes in. Here are current projected times, based on the most recent recorded checkpoint time, for those I'm following:

• Lisa – 6363 – 3:26:06
• David – 21505 – 3:56:40
• Tommy – 4684 – 3:18:41
• Mike – 16637 – 4:41:39
• Ann – 8750 – 3:32:13
• Jane – 12201 – 3:47:30
• Stacey – 17640 – 5:14:50
• Franklin – 16619 – 6:24:16
• Carlton – 16656 – 5:58:30
• Shonda – 21278 – 4:28:59
• Dawn – 18194 – 3:55:21

Sending good vibes, some passing clouds, and a cool sea breeze to them and all the remaining runners.

Just in case anyone is interested. The term "Yankee" refers to the original meaning of the word (a native or inhabitant of New England), not the sports team name adopted by New Yorkers (who are not real Yankees). The healthy chunk of "General American English" probably comes from living in among transplants in southern Calinfornia during the early years when I learned to talk. I think the sliver of "Dixie" comes from my inexplicable use of the term "y'all." I cannot account for the "Upper Midwestern."

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

If it's the third Monday in April, it must be time for the oldest and most famous annual marathon in the world. The 109th Boston Marathon has already begun with the mobility-impaired division taking off at 10:00am (Eastern). The wheelchair division begins in just a minute at 11:25, the "elite women" at 11:31, and the rest of the field at noon.

Individual runners can be tracked online by name or bib number. I'll be following several entrants, including some friends and neighbors, a few Red Sox wives, three octegenarians, and one actor you may have heard of.

• Lisa – 6363
• David – 21505
• Tommy – 4684
• Mike – 16637
• Ann – 8750
• Jane – 12201
• Stacey – 17640
• Franklin – 16619
• Carlton – 16656
• Shonda – 21278
• Dawn – 18194

Good luck to them and all the runners.

I've had a few random yet interesting experiences since my last entry. Sometimes life is like a pot-luck supper; you may get ten tuna casseroles, or you may end up with a nice variety. The last several days I've had variety.

Saturday night I went to a CD release concert by one of my favorite folk artists, Ellis Paul. I have heard him live twice before, but never with a band. Ellis is a tremendous performer but in a very understated way; his banter with the audience between songs makes you feel like he's sitting in your living room playing a few songs just for you. I highly recommend his new album, American Jukebox Fables. (A word of sympathy goes out to Keith, whose father died last week, making it impossible for him to attend the concert. His wife, my friend Monica, gave their tickets to me.)

Speaking of death, Sunday took me to Connecticut for a get-together with the family of my cousin Jeff who, as I mentioned on this blog recently, died of necrotizing fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating bacteria. Few of us outside his immediate family realized the extent of his involvement in the New York arts community. He was also a very active far-left liberal who was well-known on the Democratic Underground message boards. The gathering brought me together with Jeff's parents and youngest sister Jennifer, whom I hadn't seen in years. It turns out that one of Jen's daughters and I share the same name.

Monday was Opening Day at Fenway Park, and while I wasn't able to get tickets, I was there electronically. Yesterday morning, one of my online Red Sox friends told me that video of me kissing the World Series trophy was part of a jumbotron presentation of the Trophy Tour.

Looking ahead, Monday of next week marks Patriots Day in Massachusetts and Maine. The state holiday, which I point out every year has nothing to do with the football team, commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. (So why is it also a holiday in Maine? Because at the time of the Revolution, what is now the state of Maine was a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It become a separate state in 1820.) Patriots Day is also the date of Major League Baseball's only morning game of the season and the venerable Boston Marathon. Check here Monday to find out which runners, famous and not-so-famous, I will be following.

One more note. I am anxiously awaiting an update from Scott in Iraq, whose blog I manage. He hasn't sent an update in almost two weeks and I hope that's because he's busy and not wounded.

Foothills Theater, a local company, is in the final week of its production of the popular Miss Saigon, which I had never seen until last night. Without reviewing the performance, I'll just say that it was very well done and included lots of regional talent. The show in general is very Alain-Boublil-Claude-Michel-Schönberg-ish, and if you have seen Les Misérables you will know what I mean by that.

But, in the words of Arlo Guthrie, that isn't what I came her to talk about. I want to talk about the story itself. To someone old enough to have vivid memories of the fall of Saigon, the setting for the beginning of this story, the chaos and desperation of the evacuation scene rang true. To someone who has been passionately in love with a man who would later move on to someone else, Kim's heartache rang true. To someone whose limited experiences with musical theater were more or less happy endings, the conclusion was emotionally jarring.

It was the most depressing ending I have ever seen. There was no happy going off into the sunset (as in The Sound of Music), no redemption (Les Mis), no opportunity for reconciliation (West Side Story). Miss Saigon ends with tragedy and a wail of abject agony, with not so much as a hint that anything better might await the characters after the curtain falls.

Nonetheless, I liked it. I wouldn't mind seeing it the next time the tour comes around. Reality isn't always comfortable or happy; there is no reason why art should be.

The animals ordinarily associated with Washington, DC, are the elephant and the donkey. But the one getting all the attention at the moment is a duck.

The duck, a brown mallard with white markings, ... has built a nest in a mulch pile right at the main entrance to the Treasury Department on Pennsylvania Avenue.

[ . . . ]

The eggs are expected to hatch the last week of April at which time the duck will be relocated nearer water. But until then, the duck will occupy some of Washington's prime real estate.

"Foreign leaders, members of Congress, everybody who visits Treasury has to pass by the duck," [Treasury spokesman Rob] Nichols said.

This, from a couple days ago, is disturbing.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Departing from tradition, Pope John Paul II was not embalmed, only "prepared" for viewing by hundreds of thousands of mourners, the Vatican said Tuesday.

Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls did not elaborate on the procedure, but an embalmer in Rome said it appeared John Paul's remains were only touched up with cosmetics.

Meaning no disrespect, keep in mind that the Pope died five days ago and that his body has been on display and exposed to the air for more than three days already leading up to the funeral tomorrow. My understanding is that an unembalmed body begins to decompose (warning: graphic photos) fairly soon after death, and it isn't a pretty sight.

My curiosity may necessitate a call to my friends the funeral directors.

Dad just called with the shocking news that my cousin died in New York after being infected with the so-called flesh-eating bacteria. A friend who couldn't reach him called his sister in Connecticut, she called the Brooklyn police, and the police broke into his apartment to find him unconscious and in dire condition. After having his arm amputated in an effort to stop the spread of the infection, he died on Sunday.

Jeff, rest in peace.

The secretary of the Navy is on the verge of reclassifying missing Gulf War pilot Scott Speicher back to "killed in action, body not recovered."

[Secretary Gordon] England made the decision based on a new Defense Intelligence Agency report on the search for Speicher. The document contained no new information on Speicher's fate.

But as the same article points out, it was England who reclassified Speicher as "missing/captured" back in 2002. The decision followed by nearly two years the Clinton Administration's change of Speicher's status from KIA to MIA based on evidence that ejected from his damaged aircraft and survived. So if the DIA report prompting yet another change of classification has turned up no new evidence, then presumably there is no information to contradict the belief that he survived and, more importantly, the possibility that he may still be alive.

This is likely a bureaucratic move by a military establishment that doesn't like loose ends. The change of designation from MIA to KIA, which is common in wars where bodies cannot be recovered, is understandable only in the absence of some indication that the service member didn't actually die. If Capt. Speicher is dead, England's impending decision will have no impact on the pilot. But if he is alive, then he will have been abandoned by his government a second time. Once is a mistake. Twice is a travesty.

When I was growing up in central Massachusetts in the 70s, candlepin bowling was popular. Not only were our local bowling alley's candlepin lanes consistently busy while the tenpin lanes on the other side of the building sat mostly dark, but professional candlepin tournaments were on local television every weekend. Candlepins were perfect for us kids because of the smaller (4.5 inches), lighter (<2.5 pounds) balls. It never occurred to us that the pins looked funny because it was pretty much all we knew. And we had certainly never heard of anything as ridiculous as clearing the dead wood between balls. I wasn't a frequent or very good bowler, but it was fun.

There is no longer candlepin bowling at the lanes in my town. So when my son, his girlfriend, and I decided to take my nephew bowling last weekend, tenpin was our only option. Having done a little mediocre tenpin bowling in college (I don't think I ever bowled higher than 125) I knew enough to look for the lightest ball I could find. I ended up with a 10-pounder (that's four candlepin balls, for those keeping track) but would have gone for something less if I could have gotten my fingers into the holes. (The nephew, age 6, used a 7-pound ball, placed it at the top of the lane, and pushed.) We played two games, the better of which for me was a 92. So obviously, I wasn't over-exerting myself.

Nonetheless, by Sunday morning my thumb was starting to feel sore at the second joint. By yesterday morning, the whole hand hurt. The soreness moved up through my wrist, forearm, and elbow as the day wore on. Last evening I felt it in my neck and under my right shoulder blade.

As embarrassing as it is to admit, I have been hobbled by a 10-pound bowling ball. My son's girlfriend told me there are candlepin lanes not far from her house. I'll have to check them out, if for no other reason than to salvage a little of my dignity.

I didn't see this until today, but it's worth a link.

Suffering from a public relations debacle for fueling the deadly insurgency that has murdered hundreds of Iraqi citizens and for stonewalling the newly elected government in Iraq, the Sunni Muslims have decided to change their name to the Sunny Muslims, as part of a promotion for a "kinder, gentler Jihad."

Check out the rest. It isn't that long but it's loaded with chuckles.

Being prone to occasional anger toward my fellow motorist, I read this article with interest.

More than 250 police departments across the commonwealth [of Massachusetts] are teaming up with the State Police in an effort to crack down on aggressive drivers in the Bay State and they know where they're most likely to find them.

[ . . . ]

Public safety officials identified tailgating, switching lanes without signaling, rolling through stop signs, and excessive speeding as a few examples of aggressive driving.

I am more likely to slow down in response to an obnoxious driver than speed up, though I have been known to tailgate people who cut me off by switching lanes without signaling (especially in Connecticut where most drivers believe turn signals are illegal). Whether that would be an acceptable defense is uncertain. For the time being, I have decided to refrain from finding out.

I haven't travelled extensively, but I thought it would be fun to map the states I've been to and see how well (or poorly) I have covered the country. Some of the states in red I have only driven through on my way to somewhere else; one state, Colorado, is on the map only because I switched planes in Denver once.

Clearly I need to see the northern part of our great country.

Someday, I might also get around to seeing the western half of Canada.

And eventually, I'll see some of the rest of this great wide world.

Maps are generated at World66.com. For full-sized views, click on each map.

If you haven't already, you can add sobriety to that list. While the circumstances of the latest incident are not clear, it appears that Joan Bennett Kennedy's alcoholism is active once again. As she recuperates from a fall after which a neighbor found her lying in the street, her children continue their efforts to essentially take over control of her life. It seems clear that she is incapable of taking care of herself.

I have often maintained that those who believe money can solve problems need only look at the Kennedy family for proof to the contrary. Mental retardation, death by accident and war and two assassinations, infidelity, scandal, suicide, even addiction. It is probably a safe bet that the late Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy would have given everything she had—including her own long life—if she could bring back her dead children and grandchildren, and save the others from problems both unavoidable and self-inflicted.

Meanwhile, the Joan Kennedy story highlights the reality that addiction knows no social or economic boundaries. At the very root of it, there isn't much difference between the wealthy alcoholic senior citizen and the teenage crack addict from the ghetto. The grip of addiction is as strong for one as for the other. Ms. Kennedy is among the fortunate addicts who have loving, caring families and the means to get treatment. The first thing she needs to do is accept help.

It looks as if Pope John Paul II doesn't have much time left. I admit having had mixed feelings about this Pope. His personal and pastoral legacy is one of strenuous support for human rights in the world, but of silencing of dissent in the church. As the news coverage of his decline continues, I find myself thinking about—as inappropriate as this may seem—what direction the Catholic Church will go in under his successor.

I found an intriguing article in which a journalist with the National Catholic Reporter (not be confused with the traditionalist National Catholic Register) explains why he thinks the next Pope will be much different from JPII.

Although Pope John Paul II has appointed all but three of the cardinals who will elect his successor, Allen said it is a misconception that the next pope will be similar to the current one.

—It doesn't work like that," declared Allen before a rapt audience of hundreds. "Colleges of cardinals appointed entirely by one pope do not elect a reproduction of that pope as his successor."

This is borne out historically. For example, noted Allen, while Pope Pius XII appointed all but two of the 51 cardinals who elected his successor, the next pope elected was the "strikingly" different Pope John XXIII.

John XXIII turned out to be a mover and shaker, presiding over the second Vatican Council which modernized the Roman church and sought to expand participation by the laity. To this day, some ultra-traditionalists within the Catholic Church hold John XXIII in virtual contempt.

The process of electing a Pope, of course, is supposed to be directed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The cardinals are supposed to pray, discuss, pray, debate, pray, vote, pray... until they come to an agreement. Politics aren't supposed to drive the process, but people being people, it can't help but creep in. Where things can get interesting is in the effort to move toward unanimity and cardinals with differing worldviews (and churchviews) try to figure out who the right person is. Again from the article, Allen identifies the four points of view represented among the cardinals.

The first group within the College of Cardinals Allen identified represents the "Border Patrol." The core concern of cardinals in this group is the issue of maintaining Christian identity. Border Patrol cardinals ... fear cultural assimilation and would police religious/secular boundaries "with great vigilance."

The second group, Allen dubbed the "Reform Party." The main concern of cardinals within this party is moving forward with the reforms of Vatican II. They are interested in continuing liturgical reform, collegiality (giving more power to bishops' conferences), promoting the laity's role in the church and ecumenism ... Allen estimates that the Reform Party and the Border Patrol each represent about 20-25 percent of the electorate.

The third and largest group, according to Allen, encompasses the "Social Justice" contingent, which considers issues outside the church—such as globalization, economic justice, racial relations and the fight against AIDS—to be of main concern. Members from this party seek to promote understanding across cultural and ethnic divisions...

The fourth and final group Allen named "Integralists." Members of this "cultural warrior" group want to see the church's teaching on such issues as abortion, gay marriage and stem cell research incorporated into civil law...

I was surprised to find Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger placed among the "Border Patrol" rather than the "Integralists," being a long-time proponent of actions like refusing to give Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who are pro-abortion. Inexplicably, he is not on record as calling for similar treatment of politicians who support, say, capital punishment. He also seems to forget the role of grace in receiving the sacraments; just maybe, the very same people Ratzinger would wish to exclude are the ones most in need of God's Spirit.

But I digress. I have seen several "short lists" of possible successors, all lists different from the others, so they are clearly just someone's guess. None of the lists I have seen include an American, but some observers think an African pope is a possibility.

As I finish writing this, I have just heard a brief unconfirmed report (on sports radio, no less) that Reuters is reporting John Paul's death. May he rest in peace, and may the cardinals do the right thing in choosing his successor.

Update 4:51pm: Apparently the report I heard was inaccurate. It seems evident, however, that the Pope is in his final hours.