Paul Herlinger Passes

Paul Herlinger, the second voice actor for Whit in Adventures in Odyssey, passed away on February 2.

Paul Herlinger, who played the voice of Whit for more than thirteen years, had been taking the train from Seattle to Los Angeles to work on the show. That was a two-day journey each way, sometimes longer. But Paul did it—delayed his retirement and even came when he was having some health problems—out of his love for the show and the fans.

In the new Adventures in Odyssey shows, Mr. Whittaker is played by Andre Stojka. Andre has a similar vocal personality to both Hal Smith and Paul Herlinger. Interestingly, Andre took over several voice parts from Hal Smith, including the Owl on Winnie the Pooh.

If you'd like more information about the "Whit transition," feel free to check out this Adventures in Odyssey podcast.

Duggar boys help save little girl's life

Josh Duggar, the first of 19 children born to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, assisted six-year-old Maddye Plascensia who was brought by her grandmother from a 3 car wreck into Josh's nearby used car dealership.

Josh immediately called 911 and kept the dispatcher informed as his brother, John, 20, did CPR on the unresponsive child. Both young men have experience as volunteer firefighters in their hometown.

Josh said that he believes he and John were there to help. "I don't believe in coincidences," Josh said. "I think we were in the right place at the right time because God has a plan for Maddye's life. I'm glad we were there."

For full article, go to PEOPLE.com

Music's lost decade

If you watched the Grammy Awards Sunday night, it would appear all is well in the recording industry. But at the end of last year, the music business was worth half of what it was ten years ago and the decline doesn't look like it will be slowing anytime soon.

Total revenue from U.S. music sales and licensing plunged to $6.3 billion in 2009, according to Forrester Research. In 1999, that revenue figure topped $14.6 billion.

"The digital music business has been a war of attrition that nobody seems to be winning," said David Goldberg, the former head of Yahoo music. "The CD is still disappearing, and nothing is replacing it in entirety as a revenue generator."

Now just 44% of U.S. Internet users and 64% of Americans who buy digital music think that that music is worth paying for, according to Forrester. The volume of unauthorized downloads continues to represent about 90% of the market, according to online download tracker BigChampagne Media Measurement.

The full insightful article can be found on CNN Money.

'Redefined' NFL Quarterback Michael Vick to Star in Reality TV Series

For those who have been unconvinced by the turnaround of pro football player Michael Vick and his professed return to Christ since his arrest for an illegal dog-fighting operation, the upcoming BET reality series should illuminate the topic.

"Life is about choices, making good judgments, good decisions," says Vick in the promo for the documentary series.

Since the bust, Vick has apologized for initially lying about his involvement in illegal dogfighting and expressed regret for being a poor example to all his young fans. He’s also said he found Jesus – a claim that was, not surprisingly, met with skepticism.

"I'm upset with myself and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God," Vick had said in a public apology on Aug. 27, 2007. "I think that's the right thing to do as of right now."

Following Vick’s remarks, some – including conservative radio talk show host the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson – accused the disgraced quarterback of evoking Jesus' name to stop the criticism and gain public sympathy.

"'Jesus' is the most abused name in black America and Vick is following a long line of abusers," commented Peterson, who is himself African American.

"We can no longer allow celebrities and politicians to break laws and then use 'Jesus' as a get-out-of-jail free card,” he added. “Most of these people go right back into their bad behavior and criminal activities as soon as the storm passes."

But Vick’s supporters say the former Atlanta Falcons star quarterback (and now back-up for the Philadelphia Eagles) has changed and that he has been making good on his pledge to commit himself to long-term participation in outreach programs to steer inner-city youth away from dog-fighting.

His character has also been vouched for by former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, one of the most respected figures in the NFL and the man whom Vick credited for his turnaround.

Dungy "helped redefine me as an individual," Vick said.

What that definition looks like today will be clear to the public when “The Michael Vick Project” makes its debut.

rest of the article here

The Blind Side Nominated for Two Oscars

The Blind Side has been nominated for two Academy Awards: Best picture and Sandra Bullock for Performance by an actress in a leading role.

This comes on the heels of Bullock's win at the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes for Lead Actress in a Film.