Our radio news director, Joe Roddy, went to Brackenridge Hospital and read the names off the first list of casualties. As soon as he finished, Paul Bolton, who was back in the newsroom, grabbed the microphone and said, “Joe, hold it.” Bolton was the very first television news anchor in Austin, a good friend of LBJ’s. He was a gruff, hard-boiled newsman, but you could hear that his voice was wavering. He said, “I think you have my grandson on there. Go over that list of names again, please.” Well, his grandson was Paul Sonntag. His full name, we later found out, was Paul Bolton Sonntag—his namesake. Joe read through the list again, and Bolton pretty much broke down in the newsroom.

It’s three years old, but The Morning News directed me to a heartbreaking Texas Monthly story recounting the University of Texas tower massacre. Titled “96 Minutes,” it collects observations from a number of sources, including those who were shot and lived, those who attempted to rescue others and those who admitted they were too scared to do much of anything.

John Harris has an excellent breakdown of the evolution of RPGs at on the gaming site Gamasutra. “Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGS” explores the history of the genre, presenting gameplay mechanics, background info and plenty of fun, geeky memories.

When he awoke a short time later, Manuel discovered he was no longer alone. About 40 Japanese women had arrived for their postwork baths. No one in the room was wearing a stitch of clothing. “It was almost like I was dreaming,” he says. He quickly realized he wasn’t. The women, most of whom hadn’t seen an American up close, were intrigued—especially by the hair on his arms, which they insisted on touching. After they left, Repoz and Luigi returned to take Manuel back to his room, where Ol’ Cholly’s first day in Japan finally came to an end.

Sports Illustrated writer Mark Bechtel has a lively profile of Phillies manager Charlie Manuel in the June 22 issue of the magazine. It’s a great read, but I  have to wonder if there would be as much tacit approval of Charlie’s down-home, shit-kicking ways if he had cornrows and tats.

The Washington Post has a good primer on what it’s like to be poor. Even if the people profiled aren’t blameless, it’s galling to read about the hoops and hassles that are a constant presence in their lives.

“The poor pay more for a gallon of milk; they pay more on a capital basis for inferior housing,” says Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). “The poor and 100 million who are struggling for the middle class actually end up paying more for transportation, for housing, for health care, for mortgages. They get steered to subprime lending. . . . The poor pay more for things middle-class America takes for granted.”

Most frustrating are the cash-checking businesses and payday loan suppliers. Maybe banks can use some of the bailout money they received to set up instant checking accounts for poor customers.