The truth of history usually takes decades to emerge from the overload of the present, but in 1876 Frederick Douglass made an assessment of Abraham Lincoln that remains succinct, elegant, and accurate: "From a genuine abolition point of view, Mr. Lincoln seemed tardy, cold, dull, and indifferent, but measuring him by the sentiment of his country - a sentiment he was bound as a statesman to discuss - he was swift, zealous, radical, and determined."

On April 29, the Iowa Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the appeal of a nine-year-old Davenport Civil Rights Commission (DCRC) case, Botsko v. Nabb. Finally, much-needed clarity was brought to bear by attorney Tom Waterman, who presented on David Botsko's behalf. (A link to the 28-minute video is available HERE .)

The Patriot Chopper, a custom motorcycle built in collaboration with the National Guard and Orange County Choppers, will be on display at this year's Sturgis on the River event held June 12 through 14. In July 2007, the National Guard encouraged soldiers from around the country to submit their ideas for the custom design of a National Guard-themed bike. For more information on the event, visit (http://www.sturgisontheriver.com).

For many musicians starting out, a day job is a means to support that which they love.

For Adam Shearer, the singer and songwriter for the Portland-based Weinland, his jobs in the mental-health field served that purpose, but they also held him back.

"When I was working as a mental-health counselor ... I could not write anything," Shearer said. "When you spend the day working with kids that have those experiences ... it would just take everything out of me." It was the type of job that provided a wealth of experiences and stories from which to draw songwriting material, but it was also draining.