Front Lines Alenline NOTEBOOK This Week www.JNonline.us It's In The Bag H ere is a Jeopardy answer for you: It can contain your worldly goods while describing a variety of everyday items. Question: What is a bag? Of course! Who has not had the experience of being offered the choice, "Paper or plastic"? The bag you choose could say a lot about you and think- ing green, saving the earth or just plain being able to tote all those groceries into your house without a loud rip pre- cluding a major spill of foodstuffs and naughty words. Then again, if you decide to brown bag it, you are taking lunch to work and, therefore, not wasting gas by driving to get a bite to eat. The ultimate effort would be in seeing how many weeks of use you can get from one brown bag. (What do you mean by "cheap"? I consider it a mark of frugality. Besides I have since switched to a cloth lunch bag with a freezer-pack insert.) As a side note: What is brown and hangs from a steeple? The lunch bag of Notre Dame! When you use a container, it is one thing; but you would be highly resentful if someone told you, "Bag it!" That, in effect, is a way to say, "Just stop!" Remember when going on a trip was fun? Well, these days the final destination may hold fun for you if you get through the torture that air travel has become. Not only are you restricted in the number of bags (suitcases) you can take, but you also are charged accordingly — even for the first one. Let us not even go into that area of what you can pack in a carry-on bag. I am happy with the careful scrutiny that we seem to get in the airport security Put Your Teen To Work areas, but there are some checks that really seem to be overdone. What, you may wonder, will the government find next to pull from its bag of tricks? Whatever it may be, be assured that we will be the ones left holding the bag — and maybe not making our flights. The next time you master something, you can probably congratulate yourself on doing so and think to yourself that it's in the bag! If you are an adventurer, you may wish to try your hand a bagging some game on a safari. If you are an animal lover, you can arrange for a picture safari; and, though you may get bags under your eyes from the tedious journey, you will find that photographing nature in the wild makes for an exciting trip. Some baseball fans are expert at telling major league players when to steal a bag (a base); in fact, they are usu- ally expert at all facets of the game and have no compunc- tion about letting you know. Actually, sports are not my bag so I evoke little sympathy or understanding in that realm. If you are into serious dieting, be careful not to go to extremes: You do not want to become a bag of bones! No, I do not believe that the fashion models are the way people should look — but that's a whole other bag. I am tempted at this juncture to introduce baguettes. Yes, I realize that neither the rolls nor the cut diamonds are really related to what we have been discussing, I just could not contain myself. E men were inspired to re-direct their energies toward raising both funds and awareness in support of autism-related organizations. TonerForAutism.com combines Pearlman and Dube's printing indus- try experience with their passion for promoting a cause that inspires them both personally and professionally. Image One is based in Oak Park. - Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor Joel Pearlman and his daughter, Danielle Toner For Autism Image One owners Joel Pearlman and Rob Dube have launched a Web site, TonerForAutism.com , dedicated to raising awareness and funding for autism. Through the sale of toner and ink, the site has a goal of raising $1 million by contributing 5 percent of each sale to organiza- tions that support autism-related research and issues. Much more than an online retail outlet, TonerForAutism.com gives people the opportunity to use their purchasing power to make a statement and to support education, research and build awareness of autism, a disorder that affects one in 150 individuals. The site offers options for purchasing virtually any brand of ink and toner such as HP, Canon and Epson. The site allows individuals to choose which charity they wish to support through their purchase, whether it is a national or local autism-related support organization. When TonerForAutism.com CEO Pearlman's daughter, Danielle, was first diagnosed with autism at just 20 months old, the two A10 August 7 e 2008 iN Turkish Observers Temple Israel hosted six Turkish religious leaders at its Shabbat Unplugged outdoor services Friday night on the Wasserman Pavilion. Gersh Cooper, president of the West Bloomfield synagogue, welcomed the guests. The visitors, including muftis, were among 12 American delegates of the Diyanet Isleri, or Religious Affairs Office, the highest Islamic authority in Turkey. The delegation came to America from July 27 to Aug. 6 as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program spon- sored by the U.S. Department of the State. The program gave the visi- tors a chance to meet U.S. religious leaders, scholars and practitioners in hopes of building formal exchanges; to better understand the role of religion in America; and to learn how American imams are trained and how mosques and Islamic centers focus on youth development, women's issues and outreach technologies. The full delegation visited Washington, D.C., then split into two groups; half went to Boston and half to Detroit. It reunited in New York. Detroit visitors included: muftis Sinan Cihan, Ibrahim Ocut and Mehmet Sonmezoglu; and Dr. Muhlis Akar, Tashin Olmez and Yuksel Salman, all part of the Religious Affairs Presidency in Turkey. A mufti is an Islamic scholar who interprets Islamic law (Sharia). A diyanet is a council of muftis, which can issues a fatwa, or religious ruling. - Robert A. Sklar, editor The JN is seeking teens inter- ested in writing and photog- raphy to help us cover two upcoming events: the JCC Maccabi Games Aug. 17-21 and "A Fair To Remember," a Federation-sponsored Israel at 60 celebration at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Aug. 21. Teen stories and photos will appear in print and on the JN Web sites. Teens will work with JN staff members. Teens also are encouraged to join the Teen2Teen staff for the coming year. T2T is featured each month in the JN. Interested teens should send an e-mail to Story Development Editor Keri Guten Cohen at kcohen®thejewish- news.com or call (248) 351- 5144. What Have I Got To Lose? Look for new blog entries from Story Development Editor Keri Guten Cohen as she gets fit and loses weight in a special program at Franklin Athletic Club. Go to JNonline.us and click on the box on the right labeled "What Have I Got To Lose?" Online Poll This week's poll question: Should the Israel Defense Forces seek to rescue Gilad Shalit, assuming the IDF knows where he is being held? Visit the JNonline.us home- page, below the left menu, to cast your vote. Last week's question: Has your job or business been affected by the downturn in the U.S. economy? Last week's poll results: Yes: 86% No: 14%