Thursday January 6th, 2011

There are some interesting headlines making news this morning. An eternal optimist who's always a sucker for happy endings, the story of Ted Williams is one of those rare breeds that really stood out. Williams who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York has been living on the streets of Ohio for the past ten years, homeless and with a penchant for drugs and completely estranged from his family and children. Williams' luck turned when a local newspaper video of the one-time radio announcer's striking vocal talent went viral three days ago. It produced a whirlwind of media attention and a pile of voice-over opportunities, including one to work for the Cleveland Cavaliers. (See video below, his voice is really spectacular)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN2bPy4NQAQ

This morning, when he appeared on NBC's Today show, Williams told Matt Lauer that he found a new-found voice directly to God which brought joy to his struggling life. Despite the crack, the alcohol and many years on the streets, Williams retains his golden voice, and gave thanks for it. "I always said, 'God, you've never seen fit to take my voice in spite of all the flames and everything that went down my throat.'

Will faith help him stay steady? Williams believes so: "The difference between my successes of years gone by is that I didn't acknowledge the Lord or thank him for anything before," he told them. "This time around, I have God in my life , acknowledging him on a daily basis. I've found a new sense of spirituality now."

It's rare that such straight up religious testimony receives the spotlight not to mention its two minutes of media attention. Often God is edited out of the remarks or minimized in order to prevent bias. However there is an exception to every rule, and in the case of Ted Williams, I'm glad it did.

Thursday Headlines

What The Huck? New Edition of Huckleberry Finn Without The 'N' Word
http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/01/06/huckleberry-finn-n-word-introduction/

What Did WNBC's Sue Simmons do during Back Surgery Recovery: 'I Watched TV Until My Eyeballs Were Raw'
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/what-did-wnbcs-sue-simmons-do-during-back-surgery-recovery-i-watched-television-until-my-eyeballs-were-raw_b4906

Justin Bieber Plans Collabos With Kanye West West, Drake, Chris Brown
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655402/justin-bieber-plans-collabos-with-kanye-west-drake-chris-brown.jhtml

Snooki Says Jersey Shore 'Could Go On Our Whole Lives'
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1655418/snooki-jersey-shore-could-go-on-our-whole-lives.jhtml

News Corp. Will Reorganize Fox Networks as TV Chief Vinciquerra Steps Down
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-06/news-corp-will-reorganize-fox-networks-as-tv-chief-vinciquerra-steps-down.html

Ted Williams: YouTube Gave Him Fame But God Saved His Life
 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/01/homeless-ted-williams-thanks-god-/1

Rock & Roll Circus Is  A Tight Squeeze
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/fashion/06scenecity.html


People's Choice Awards: America Loves Shit
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/remote-patrol/peoples-choice-awards-america-38991.aspx

Michelle Williams on Her New Film Blue Valentine
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-01-04/interview-michelle-williams-on-blue-valentine-oscars-and-heath-ledger?om_rid=NsfkaV&om_mid=_BNJNUIB8XCesg$