t's rumored that Rush Limbaugh is ready to buy a professional, NFL, football team. Frankly, I couldn't care less, as long as it costs him a major part of his enormous fortune.

Reed Johnson, writing for the Los Angeles Times, produced a thoughtful piece about Roman Polanski. He began this way, "Should great artists be treated differently from ordinary mortals". Does a musician, painter, writer or filmmaker who creates soul-stirring and sublime works deserve a free pass, special dispensation, a get out of jail card, so to speak?. The French-Polish director, currently held in prison in Switzerland may soon be extradited back to Los Angeles to face the consequences of a crime he committed in 1977.

I hope he returns to Los Angeles and that he is treated fairly. He might get off with time -served. He might be imprisoned again. So many people who appear to have everything, end up making their own hells.

t appears that there is a growing and newly recognized problem with the ultra quiet and growing number of hybrid vehicles; they are too quiet. Not only are they greener and cleaner, they also help in lowering the decibel range of sound produced by their engines. So quiet in fact that they might well travel without being heard by pedestrians. That is a concern that very possibly will be resolved in the strangest of ways. It seems likely that phony "noise" will be produced to draw the attention of the unwitting jaywalker. I hope that it will come to the purchaser as optional equipment. I'd like my recorded and artificially produced ,under-the-hood noise, as a cross between a Ferrari and some good jazz music.

ost, I suppose, would disagree with me, but I must say I was surprised and delighted by the choice made by the five Nobel judges in their awarding the Peace Prize to President Obama. They have since let it be known that it was a unanimous selection that they felt was merited.

So many of the critics are patronizing claiming that he has done nothing. But if you hear what the late industrialist, philanthropist Alfred Nobel wrote, our chief executive seems appropriate. He said "The prize should go to the person who has contributed most to the development of peace in the previous year". To select one area of his achievement, his efforts to heal the divide between the West and the Muslim world and his determination to scale down the Bush-era proposal for a missile shield in Europe might be a sufficient reason. I think the man was taken aback at the announcement that he was the choice in Oslo and, as he stated, he didn't feel that he was deserving. I think some of the decision-making was based on much of the world's dislike of his predecessor in the White House.

his sounds like extremely good news coming from an unlikely source. The dateline is Dubai. Qatar Airways has just completed the world's first commercial passenger flight powered by kerosene made from natural gas. It is a single step in the industry's efforts to cut its dependence on oil-based fuel. It's the first step in making this alternative fuel available to airlines. It surely, if accepted, would make the aviation industry less vulnerable to fluctuating fuel prices. I know that other airlines (Virgin, Air New Zealand and Continental have been testing biofuels on some commercial flights.). Hey, it's a start.

ou've probably heard the time--honored concern that many have had that cell phones increase the risk of brain, head and neck tumors . I certainly don't wish to be a scare-monger and frankly the answer to the question of whether cell phones increase the risk or not depends on who you ask.

.An analysis published this week by the L. A. Times claimed that data from 23 epidemiological studies found that no connection existed between cell phone use and the development of cancerous or benign tumors.The bulk of all scientific studies reveals no risk of tumors but we surely need to conduct larger studies independently conducted before we can state with confidence that cell phone use does not point to a connection. A recent headline in The Times put it this way "Analysis links cell phone use to tumor risk". A scientific look at 8 of the most careful studies points to a connection. There are questions that remain to be answered.

OK, so next time we'll talk about health-care and Afghanistan.