The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Indiana

Once in a while, a truly irreplaceable actor dies. "Irreplaceable" in the sense that there is no other actor like him. Never has been, never will be. He has carved out his own place in the world, and it will be forever empty.

And so it is with the death of James Whitmore, an 87-year-old powerhouse of an actor who softened his demeanor with a genial, effacing personality.

Whitmore died in Los Angeles Friday, according to his son.

Yeah, yeah, the economy, recession, blah blah blahh.

But now I'm worrying.

According to a story on the newsarama.com Web site, Mad Magazine is scaling back its publication from monthly to quarterly.

Mad Magazine was a key contributor of culture and refinement in my young life. In a very real sense, it made me what I am today. This is just terrible news.

Furshlugginer economy!

A lot of serious issues face the General Assembly this year, but the one that, in my heart, is most urgent is this:

State Sen. Allen Paul, R-Richmond, is the driving force behind an effort to make sugar cream pie the "Official State Pie."

Uh, I'm sorry ... I made a mistake ...

SUGAR CREAM PIE!!

Family and friends know that this particular East Central Indiana delicacy is one of my weaknesses. (The complete 457-page list of my weaknesses is available upon request.) It is a sweet, soothing yet elusive slice of divinity that calms the nerves and enriches the soul.

I've been amiss in keeping this blog current, but that stops now.

AP reports today that Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, who is more popularly known as "Joe the Plumber," has joined a conservative Web site, pjtv.com, as a war correspondent.

Let me repeat that: Joe the Plumber has been hired to be a reporter. On war.

Oh, heck, why not? Let's let him do pieces on Thai ballet and ancient cave paintings, too!

What perspective could Joe the Plumber possibly bring to this job? How many wars has he covered? How many stories has he written? Can he even hold a pen or work a computer keyboard?

Your kindly old Uncle Rod wishes everyone a very Happy New Year. We all deserve it.

This may mean nothing to some of you, but a voice from my youth has gone quiet. Majel Barrett Roddenberry has died at 76 from leukemia. She was the wife, the muse, for Gene Roddenberry, the creator of "Star Trek" and one of the principal navigators of our actual journey into the future.

She also played Nurse Chapel on the original series and the mother of Troi in "The Next Generation." She was the earth mother of Trekkies and Trekkers everywhere. She embraced her late husband's creation fully and deeply. And she encouraged and nourished the imaginations of those he inspired.

(The writer limbered up with some stretching, some deep knee bends and some power sarcasm. Finally, he was ready for his performance ...)

President Bush was greeted at an Iraqi news conference over the weekend with a pair of shoes launched, one at a time, at his head, apparently a sign of disrespect in Iraq. As a result, some called by attack by shoe fitting.

So, Jay Leno, whose show I personally don't favor, has been tapped by NBC to serve his post-"Tonight Show" career as a host in the 10 p.m. slot ... five nights a week.

This is a catastrophe waiting to happen. At least I think so. And here's why.

NBC did this for several reasons, the major ones being that Leno draws big ratings and the network wants to bring down the costs of prime-time programming, that is, those big, expensive shows that pop up between 8 and 11 p.m. on the big three networks.

As an alum of Ball State, home of the Cardinals, the fiercest robin-sized bird in the world, I can only say that, in addition to being thankful for all the blessings in my life -- family, friends, home, God, forgiveness -- I can now add a bright red cherry on top.

In the grand scheme of things, Ball State's perfect season -- which it sewed up Tuesday night with an emphatic defeat of Western Michigan -- doesn't mean a lot. We all have things in our lives that are much more important to us than that.

Let's not belabor this point: "Quantum of Solace," the new James Bond film, pistol whips its audience. Grinding yet elegant action dominates the movie. Daniel Craig delivers his comedic lines with the toss-away aplomb of Sean Connery.

And that's saying something.

The opening is tough, brutal and thrilling, yet it ends with a laugh that is not only appropriate but dead-on.