Inside Jacket

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is getting a lot of attention these days, due to statements by Christine O’Donnell, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Delaware.

In a debate asponsored by Widener law school, the Republican asked, “Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?” She was correct in stating that those words don’t appear in the Constitution — and she may have been making a point about that fact. But watching the video of her appearance, she just seemed at a loss about the First Amendment’s scope.

That amendment is dear to every newspaper reporter and editor, because it also outlines freedom of the press. For the record, here’s what the amendment says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Tom Bosley, who died today at age 83, earned fame for his role as Howard Cunningham in the "Happy Days" TV show. But you may not realize that he was also a very talented voice actor, and was featured on many audiobooks.

Bosley’s distinctive, gravelly voice made him perfect for all sorts of voice roles. He was the host of CBS Radio’s "General Mills Radio Adventure Theater" in 1977, IMDb notes.

He also was the voice of such characters as Geppetto, David the Gnome and B.A.H. Humbug in cartoons. If you’d like to recall his voice, here’s a sample from "The Nightingale Collection." Enjoy.

Rest in peace, Mr. Cunningham

For those of us who enjoy reading in the comfy chairs at Starbucks, news about the company’s new look — which includes beer and wine — may come as a shock.

As this USA Today article notes, Starbucks is experimenting with a life beyond coffee, as a way to counter competition and to generate more evening business. A new store model, being tested in Seattle, "will serve regional wine and beer. It offers an expansive plate of locally made cheeses — served on china. The barista bar is rebuilt to seat customers up close to the coffee. Most conspicuously, the place looks less like a Starbucks and more like a cafe that’s been part of the neighborhood for years — yet that’s "green" in design and decor."

State and local laws that limit the sale of beer and wine could make such an expansion more problematic in Maryland. But I’d like to see the new-look cafes here. For non-coffee drinkers like me, they would be more alluring — even if plans to offer ice cream have been scrapped. That would have been even better — two scoops of Java Chip, please.

As the trial opens for the man accused of killing Chandra Levy, the bizarre circumstances surrounding that 2001 tragedy are back in the news.

As you may recall, the 24-year-old intern’s body was found in Rock Creek Park, and reports soon surfaced that she was having an affair with California Rep. Gary Condit, leading to conspiracy theories worthy of a crime novel. He was never named as a suspect, though media reports focused on the relationship and he lost his re-election bid in 2002.

Last year, authorites charged Ingmar Guandique, a Salvadoran immigrant who was serving prison time for assaulting women at knifepoint in the park. His trial opens today, more than nine years after Levy died.

If you want to read more about the Levy slaying and investigation, pick up "Finding Chandra," by Washington Post reporters Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz. Or read the Post’s remarkable 2008 series, which focused attention on Guandique. It was written by a team that included Horwitz and Higham, a former Baltimore Sun reporter.

Now that the adaptation of “The Lovely Bones” has hit television, a new audience is being exposed to Alice Sebold’s haunting best-seller. The 2002 novel describes the aftermath of a child’s grisly murder, told from a heavenly point of view. Here are some reviews of “The Lovely Bones” and the movie trailer. I’m reluctant to watch the movie, because I haven’t read the book, and I don’t like to have cinematic images substituted for my own. Then again, if I haven’t read the book by now, will I ever?

p.s. If you like Saoirse Ronan in the movie, here’s a New York magazine chat with the actress about her latest roles.