Just one more thing on heroes. Promise.

While we're on the topic of heroes, the plane that Captain Sullenberger landed in the Hudson River last year is up for auction. I considered making a bid, but I don't think it would fit on my coffee table.

This is a good example of a guy just out doing his job, staying trained, living prepared, never expecting to land an Airbus on a river in Manhattan. Lots of bush pilots around here land on water all the time, but their planes have the unfair advantage of a set of pontoons. Captain Sullenberger did what he knew how to do, and there are 155 people walking around today that are very grateful.

There was some discussion on That's Church about whether Virginia Montanez fits the strict criteria for "hero." She didn't land a plane on the Hudson, she didn't risk her life in the rubble in Haiti, and she didn't even get to accompany the BRESMA orphans to Pittsburgh. But she did what she knew how to do, and 54 Haitian orphans are very grateful.

Heroes aren't appreciated by everyone. The rescued party doesn't even always appreciate the heroic deed. Like this German Shepherd in California. If the poor, misguided dog had known and understood the facts, he probably wouldn't have tried to bite the firefighter's arm off. I guess we should give the same benefit of the doubt to Pittgirl's detractors.

On a completely different note, some friends gave us a Wii as a Christmas present. In December, I bemoaned sitting in front of a digital fireplace (you can read the post here if you missed it the first time). Now we play tennis and baseball and bowling and boxing with digitalized opponents. The good thing is that I can score 210 in bowling, as opposed to about 63 in a non-virtual bowling alley. You gotta wonder though . . . I'm getting in shape playing imaginary tennis and boxing against a computer . . . how will those virtual muscles stand up the next time I have to pull a real-life fire hose?

Digital fire places, digital sports . . . what will they think of next? Probably something dumb like a digital journal for fire chiefs to ramble about heroes and technology.

Wait a minute. Isn't that called a blog?