The Boss speaks

The best news from this Backstreets magazine interview: No farewell tours! The Boss will just keep playing. Let's rock it!

Media Relations, Annoying edition

I have a hard time understanding how this helps NHTSA or the overall mission of highway safety. And normally I'd side with the Administration. The only way you build trust is to have trustworthy people speak forthrightly. The New York Times isn't likely to be sympathetic anyway, but that doesn't mean you invite ridicule by declaring all your in-house experts off limits.

Mike Deaver, R.I.P.

Wherever God leads me in the rest of my life, I'll be glad that my path over the past 18 months or so has been in the same office as Mike Deaver. And it's hard to believe he's gone.

His story AFTER he left the Reagan White House is as inspiring as his tale of life with President and Mrs. Reagan: legal troubles, admission of his own addiction, dedication to helping others overcome those addictions, and building his own private sector success from what to many would have been terribly debilitating difficulties.

And in the office, he was a calming, genial presence. He was a tremendously smart man, but he acted every day like the humble son of a Bakersfield oil distributor. He mentored people every day. I was expected to learn from him and feel his presence for years to come. I'm sad that won't happen. I'm sad for his wife, his two children and his grandchildren, who will no doubt miss their companion, father and grandfather even more. But I think in part they are today celebrating his life, because it was a life well-lived, and ultimately, lived as honestly as possible. We should all aspire to have such a life, and to be as loved as Mike Deaver was by those around him.

I hope he is now having a laughingly good time with Ronald Reagan, telling old stories about their travels together and bragging about their wives.

As my wise father-in-law often says, tomorrow is not promised to any of us. But I'm thankful that at least a few of my yesterdays were spent in the presence of Michael K. Deaver.

A painful obit

I can't imagine being Nick Dunn's father ... but I'm amazed at his honesty and I hope his message gets to people who might follow down Nick's path. (Hat tip: Romnesko)

Update on O.C. Register 'incident'

It appears that that editor at the Orange County Register was just happening by the camera, rather than purposely causing problems. At least that's what the Register's top editor says.

Tough times lead to childish behavior

It's tough in my former profession, but that's no excuse for acting like a six-year-old boy. At least that's what it looks like at least one person is doing at the Orange County Register, based on this from Kevin Roderick, one of my favorite bloggers.

She's a Maneater

Her name: Jane Austen.