Let's hear it for Dad

I've been reading a lot of good tributes to dads lately -- seems like a great day to share some of them! (I know, it never rains but it pours around here. You might want to set aside a half-hour or so if you want to read every one of these.)

-- First, if you haven't been following this story of a husband and father who's losing his wife but fighting for his child, please do. And say a prayer for them.

-- Second, read Jonah Goldberg's moving words about his father, who recently passed away: "He was, and will always be, what my entire world stands on."

-- Third, for some long overdue words of praise for my favorite TV dad, go here and here and here (one of mine). John Schneider, incidentally, is a Christian who's long been advocating better portrayals of fathers on televsion. Nice to see him finally getting some recognition for his own portrayal.

-- Last but far from least, a few words of my own: There's no better, wiser, or funnier dad out there, real or fictional, than The Blog Dad. He transcends Lileks's categories like no other: He can handle the mushy stuff just fine, yet he really did bench-press a Rottweiler for me once. True story. (Though if asked, he'll clarify that he didn't bench-press it, he body-slammed it.) A very happy Father's Day to him above all.