We routinely get emails from the White House, especially about the big stuff, and President Obama considers the St. Louis Cardinals pretty big.

He’s a smart man. Honor the humble heroes of the 2011 World Series and you’ll catch the eye of most Americans, who love underdogs and good stories. The Cardinals were both last year.

Besides, when you’re trying to get re-elected, you don’t extend an invitation to, say, the Chicago Cubs.

Anyway, Tuesday’s email provided the fodder for this column. It contained a transcript of the remarks exchanged by Barack and Michelle Obama as they met with the team and its ownership during a brief time in the East Room.

I thought you would enjoy the session, which for local fans was very historic.

***

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY HONORING THE 2011 WORLD CHAMPION ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

East Room

3:33 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  Please be seated.  Hello, everyone.

AUDIENCE:  Happy birthday!

MRS. OBAMA:  Oh, thank you!

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s her birthday!

MRS. OBAMA:  It’s my birthday.

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s her birthday today.

MRS. OBAMA:  Thank you.  And this is a great way to spend — no, you don’t have to sing, that’s very sweet of you.  My husband is not used to me being at these events, because I usually don’t come, but I had to be here and welcome you all to the White House.

And I want to thank you all for being here as we celebrate another world championship for the St. Louis Cardinals.  (Applause.)

And that is not easy to say as a Cubs fan.  (Laughter.)  But I have to say, you all make it a lot easier to say with all of the good work that you do in the community, especially everything that you all do for military families — and that is why I’m here.  (Applause.)  And I got to see that firsthand when Jill Biden and I visited Game One of the World Series, which was very cool, which Major League Baseball dedicated to our nation’s military families.  And that was just amazing.  I mean, you all threw out all the stops.  It was a powerful experience for all of us, and we’re grateful.  It truly captured the strength, service and sacrifice of our troops, veterans and their families.  As an example, we have two special guests with us here today — Marine Lance Corporal James Sperry and Hannah.  Hey, Hannah!  Would you guys stand up?  (Applause.)

I had the pleasure of hanging out with these guys in the box, and Hannah stayed awake for most of the game.  (Laughter.)  She ate a lot of hot dogs.  She had a great time.  And it was a wonderful experience.  And I just have to tell you that Lance Corporal Sperry is a perfect illustration of what our troops and wounded warriors display every day throughout this country.  He’s a veteran of Iraq, and he sustained multiple wounds from a rocket-propelled grenade, and he still feels the effects today.  But since he’s returned home, that hasn’t stopped him.  And that’s what we see.  It hasn’t stopped him from being a first responder during last spring’s devastating tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri; it hasn’t stopped him from being a mentor to other wounded warriors; and it certainly hasn’t stopped him from being a phenomenal dad to a very beautiful, brave little girl — who I really like a lot.  (Laughter and applause.)

So I want to give a special thank you to the Cardinals for saving a couple of seats for these guys on the plane, and they’ve been able to be here today, and hopefully everybody treated you well here.  And I want to thank the Cardinals and Major League Baseball as a whole for supporting the “Joining Forces” initiative.  Together, we’re showing that it doesn’t matter who you are — whether you’re a Cardinal or a Cub fan, or even a White Sox guy — (laughter) — we all can find a way to give something back to our troops and families who’ve given us so much.

So with that, I want to thank you and congratulate you, and introduce your proud President, Commander-in-Chief, and sports-fan-in-chief, my husband, Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, everybody.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  It is wonderful to be here.  It is wonderful to be joined by my wife.  It is her birthday today.  When we first married, it was a little controversial that she was 20 years younger than me, but — (laughter) — now it seems to have worked out okay.  (Laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  I’m 48.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  And I want to join her in congratulating the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.  (Applause.)  I won’t lie, I’m a little disappointed I had to leave my White Sox jacket in the closet for another year.  (Laughter.)  But this is a special team, both because of what they do for our military and their families, but also what they did on the field last season.  And I know we’ve got Mayor Slay from St. Louis and some members of Congress who agree with me.  I see the delegation here; they’re beaming.  (Laughter.)  They are quite pleased.

Now, when we talk about baseball, we’re talking about a sport, obviously, with a long history.  Over 200,000 games have been played since Major League Baseball began.  Seventeen thousand players have gone through the league.  So this is a sport that has seen it all.

But every once in a while, something happens that we have never seen before — something unique.  And that’s why it is my pleasure to stand here with the greatest comeback team in the history of baseball.  (Applause.)

Last August, with just 31 games to play in the regular season, the Cardinals were 10 and a half games out of the playoff race.  At one point, they had a less than 4 percent mathematical chance of making the playoffs.  In Las Vegas, they were 500-to-1 longshots to win the World Series.  And when Chris Carpenter pulled the team together for a meeting, his message was simple:  Let’s not embarrass ourselves.  (Laughter.)  But through skills and guts, and I think the team would agree just a little bit of luck — just a touch — this team made the playoffs.  And even though they trailed in each of the series that followed, they somehow had the spirit and the determination and the resolve to survive.

Of course, the most memorable moment was Game Six of the World Series.  I’ve got to say, that has to be one of the best baseball games of all time.  Unbelievable game.  (Applause.)  I will tell you guys, I had a bunch of early-morning stuff the next day, and you kept me up.  (Laughter.)  It was painful waking up the next morning.  But what an incredible game.  Five times, the Cardinals found themselves trailing; twice, they were down to the last strike.  Then Mr. Freese here hits the first walk-off homer of his entire career, to send it into Game Seven.  Then the Cardinals put the Rangers away for good.

This team essentially played two months of elimination games, both to get into the playoffs, and then to win it all.  But in Tony La Russa’s words, “Sometimes you can’t be afraid to make a mistake.  Sometimes you just roll the dice and you let it go.”  That’s what the former teammate of these folks, Albert Pujols, did, when he joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only player to hit three home runs in a World Series game.  That’s what the outstanding ace, Chris Carpenter, did when he pitched the lights out against the Phillies, and then came back to put the nail in the coffin against the Rangers.  That’s what David Freese did in Game Six — not bad for a kid who grew up dreaming of playing for the Cardinals.  And even though he can’t be here today, that’s what Tony La Russa did, winning his third title and then stepping down with the third most wins of any manager in history.

I will point out that he began as a White Sock, so — (laughter.)

MRS. OBAMA:  Let it go.  (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Everyone on this team follows the Cardinals’ way:  They play all 27 outs; they never quit; they carry on the legacy of so many great Cardinals that have come before them.

Last year, I was honored to present Stan “The Man” Musial with one of the highest honors a President can bestow, the Medal of Freedom.  And you could see Stan coming from about a mile away, because he was wearing that bright red blazer.  There’s no question he will always be a Cardinal at heart.  And now this team is part of that long line of heroes.

So I want to congratulate not only the players, the owners, all the managers and team officials, but also the fans, for a historic year.  And I also want to thank them for visiting Walter Reed this morning, spending some time with our wounded warriors over there.  That’s what this organization is all about; it represents baseball at its best.  And I wish them all the best this season.

Congratulations.  (Applause.)  Fantastic.  Tell me what I got here.  Tell me what I got.

MR. DEWITT:  Thank you for those warm remarks and nice hospitality here.  We’ve got a couple of gifts for you and Mrs. Obama.

THE PRESIDENT:  There you go.

MR. DEWITT:  A World Series jersey with your name on the back, number 44.

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s nice right there.  (Laughter.)  There we go.

MR. DEWITT:  One for each.  One for each.  (Applause.)  And a bat for each.  And a World Series bat.

THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  I’m a little bit worried about giving my wife a bat, though.  (Laughter.)  If I mess up. –

MRS. OBAMA:  I’ll take my bat.  (Laughter and applause.)

END           3:43 P.M. EST

It snowed about an inch on Thursday, but it blew about 20.

I can’t remember the last time that weather contributed to two separate deaths in our coverage area, but the odd storm that swept us did indeed blow in tragedy. And it was all a massive inconvenience for thousands of motorists, many who got caught up in memorable traffic jams.

“I’ve never seen a 1-inch snowfall cause so many problems,” a local coroner told me. That, even as he was giving me information on the death of a New Baden, Ill., man killed in a cross-over crash during white-out conditions Thursday afternoon along Illinois Route 4 in eastern Madison County.

A second man, from Godfrey, was killed that same evening when his vehicle veered off the road and hit a bridge pier in Roxana. Weather conditions are suspected, but in fairness, the investigation is not yet complete.

Clearly, it’s not the depth of the snow you have to worry about. It’s the bigger picture, involving your actions behind the wheel and the actions of all the other drivers. People are prone to drive more routinely when there is just a trace of snow on the ground. They ramp it down when the snow piles on.

I got up that morning thinking it would be a piece of cake driving 13 miles to the office. Forty-five minutes later, I was rethinking that. My trip was more than double the normal commute.

Even the snowplow drivers couldn’t get their jobs done. Many were stuck in the same interstate traffic jams that plagued everyone else.

My wife’s family practices a comical little tradition each Christmas Eve, called “Rob Your Neighbor.” Now, I find out we’ve been guilty of bad judgment. Maybe even breaking the law.

Rob Your Neighbor is nothing more than a gift swap — with a twist. About 25 of us gather around the tree and pick a “cheapie” package. The twist comes when each of us is allowed to “steal” one of the chosen presents from another member of the family. The wisecracks, puns and gift wrap fly with ferocity until every package is open.

Much of it turns out to be gag gifts, since there’s only so much you can buy with $20, and several times through the years one of us has walked away with a giant, gala-wrapped box to find it full of nothing more than … lottery tickets. Happily, both the children and the adults scratch them off looking for a winner.

And therein lies the rub. According to a new public awareness campaign, you must be at least 18 to buy lottery tickets. And, for that matter, adults shouldn’t buy lottery tickets for minors because they could be encouraging them to gamble later.

Gee, these campaign types sure know how to rain on a family’s fun.

Growing concern about adolescent problem gambling prompted the Illinois Lottery, the National Council on Problem Gambling, and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University — and dozens of other lottery corporations worldwide — to collaborate on a holiday awareness project regarding the impact of giving lottery products as gifts to minors.

“Results from recent studies show that a growing number of high school students reportedly receive one or more lottery tickets as gifts,” the groups say. “There is strong evidence suggesting that 70 to 80 percent of adolescents have gambled for money in the past year, approximately 30 percent report gambling on a weekly basis, and current problem gamblers report beginning gambling during childhood, ages 9-10.”

The statement goes on: “Increasingly popular gifts and stocking stuffers include lottery tickets, both draw games and scratch games. As an affordable, colorful and potentially promising gift, they often find their way into the hands of underage youth, but lotteries are not child’s play.”

Whether you believe all this or not is up to you, but I’ll admit the statistics did make me stop and think. To me, the family gathering is more important than any concern about lottery tickets. A strong enough family can stand up to anything.

But if you’ve got any concerns about problem gambling, try checking out a couple of websites:

-          www.ncpgambling.org.

-          www.youthgambling.com

And have yourself a merry little Christmas.

I’ve known multiple people through the years who drove pizzas for a living. And I never fail to give a big tip when they come to my house because I know they work their tails off. Many of them are college kids. Some are people working a second job. Few of them, I imagine, cherish the drudgery.

Still, I don’t expect them to break the rules of the road, getting to my door. As a customer, I know traffic is sometimes a nightmare and that a pizza is often cold by the time it gets to me. I can’t fault anything other than an imperfect process. I value the convenience more than the temperature of the dough.

I feel even more that way after editing this week’s stories about the Bethalto pizza driver who crashed into a minivan back in 2009, injuring a passenger who took him to court and this week reaped a $2.3 million verdict.

Most of us feel sympathy for the victim, but I also feel sorry for the pizza guy. Sure, these guys occasionally blow through stop signs and exceed the speed limit, but it’s mostly because they feel the pressure to do so. Drive the speed limit, draw complaints from customers and suffer the wrath of the boss.

I know I wouldn’t want to have to drive for a living. It’s bad enough, simply commuting to the newspaper.

This is to all those drivers out there who make their living on the road. You face challenges that most people just don’t understand.

In a year that included floods and famines, world-wide revolutions and the end of a guy named Osama bin Laden, it would be tough picking the best story of the year.

Associated Press is asking editors to do just that.

Members of AP were asked this week to vote on the top stories of the year. Below is the list of nominations, and I thought readers would get a kick out of revisiting the past 12 months.

It was an incredible year. Feel free to share your opinion with me, and I’ll do a future column. You’ll have a tough time limiting this list to a top 10.

_____Japan hit by devastating earthquake and tsunami; nuclear plant crippled.

_____European Union fiscal crisis: riots and strikes in Greece, fears debt problems will spread.

_____Hurricane Irene rakes eastern US, kills more than 40, causes billions in damage.

_____Penn State sex abuse scandal: ex-assistant football coach charged; Joe Paterno fired.

_____Osama bin Laden killed in Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALS.

_____Arab Spring: uprisings spread through region, topple three longtime leaders.

_____Series of tornado outbreaks across Midwest and Southeastern U.S.

_____Libya: Moammar Gadhafi killed after eight-month rebellion backed by NATO.

_____GOP presidential campaign: several contenders rise and fall while Romney stays on track.

_____Showdowns in Congress over debt ceiling and deficit reduction; U.S. bond rating lowered.

_____Egypt: Hosni Mubarak ousted as president after massive protests against his regime.

_____Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs dies.

_____Michael Jackson’s doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter in pop star’s death.

_____Wildfires across Texas destroy more than 2,900 homes; Arizona and New Mexico also hit.

_____Syria: about 4,000 killed as Assad regime tries to crush opposition uprising.

_____Flooding in Thailand kills more than 560 people.

_____British phone hacking scandal: News of the World closes, numerous journalists arrested.

_____Rep. Gabrielle Giffords suffers severe brain injury in gunman’s attack that killed six.

_____Iraq: political uncertainty persists as US troops withdraw.

_____Royal wedding: Prince William marries Kate Middleton.

_____Disclosures of vast surveillance of Muslim community by New York Police Department.

_____Surprise pre-Halloween snowstorm in Northeast; millions lose power.

_____Pakistan: Friend or foe? Discord over US attacks, Pakistan’s ties to extremists.

_____Herman Cain suspends GOP presidential campaign after allegations of sex harassment, extramarital affair.

_____IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn accused of sexual assault by hotel maid.

_____Silvio Berlusconi resigns as Italy’s prime minister amid scandals and crises.

_____Iran: Nuclear program, assassination plot raise tension with Iran to new heights.

_____Anthony Weiner resigns from Congress after sending sexually suggestive photo over Twitter.

_____Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger captured after 16 years on the run.

_____Palestinians plot new paths to statehood as talks with Israel founder.

_____New York becomes largest state to legalize same-sex marriage.

_____Norway massacre: right-wing extremist kills 77 in bombing and shooting onslaught.

_____Burma’s new government vows to phase out military rule; pro-democracy party rejoins politics.

_____Afghanistan: “Good War” turns bad, violence rises as US plans withdrawal.

_____U.S. econony sputters; jobless rate hovers near 9 percent.

_____India’s anti-corruption protests attract massive public support.

_____Catholic leader in Philadelphia accused of transferring priests who abused more victims.

_____Somalia wracked by famine and warfare.

_____New Zealand earthquake kills 182, destroys much of downtown in city of Christchurch.

_____Occupy Wall Street protest movement spreads across US and abroad.

_____Earthquake in Turkey kills more than 600.

_____Mexico’s Drug War grows more brutal: mass graves, gunfights spreading to once-peaceful areas.

_____South Sudan becomes independent; conflicts with Sudan continue.

_____Repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” enables gays to serve openly in US military.

_____Fugitive Bosnian Serb war-crimes suspect Ratko Mladic captured, faces genocide trial.

_____Russia: Vladimir Putin says he’ll seek presidency again.

_____Alabama immigration law: Controversies arise after state enacts toughest-in-nation law.

_____Showdowns in Wisconsin, Ohio over GOP efforts to rein in public service unions.

_____Plane crashes into spectators at air races in Reno; 11 people killed.

_____Murder conviction of U.S. student Amanda Knox overturned by jurors in Italy.

_____Outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe blamed for the deaths of 29 people.

_____NASA retires the U.S. space shuttle fleet after three decades of flying.

When I went on vacation this month, Illinois only had one ex-governor making license plates, Herman Cain was the GOP front-runner and Albert Pujols was still a Cardinal.

Wow, how times change.

Technically, Rod Blagojevich’s not in the slammer just yet, barring his appeals process, but there he is destined after being sentenced last week to a 14-year prison term. As long as he remembers his Aqua Net Extra Hold, I’m sure he’ll make for a splendid representative in general population.

“The Herminator” is a goner, too, done in by his own sexual proclivities. (He was the subject of the best quip I heard throughout the week — “Cain is not Abel.”) I still marvel at his fall and the boldness of his ego. What presidential candidate in modern times would ever think he could get away with such monkey business? Besides Gary Hart sailing on the “Monkey Business,” I mean.

As for Albert, I hold only sadness. El Hombre’s home runs and heroics are all now a part of the past. All this time I thought he was going to be an angel and play his cards. Turns out I was right on both counts.

There was no dearth of real news during my extended vacation, and after reading a few of the spectacular headlines, I almost felt bad for leaving my colleagues behind. Almost.

What can this week possibly do to top the last?

In honor of the passing of Andy Rooney, here are 10 things I’ve been thinking about in The Telegraph newsroom. Please note this took less than 60 minutes.

1. Do I really need to wash out my coffee cup? Doesn’t coffee, you know, kill germs?

2. Why do they call them “floppy” disks? They look pretty stiff to me.

3. There is so much dust on my phone, I can’t even read the read-out.

4. You know, we have plaque after plaque of awards on these walls. Why don’t we frame some of our corrections? More people notice them.

5. I need to draft a note to all the reporters. It would say: “Don’t tell me what all you’ve got going on today. Just do it. I’ll consider it a surprise at day’s end.”

6. Was that Morley Safer or Mike Wallace who visited the Alton newsroom all those years ago? They both look the same.

7. We need fewer memos. I should send out a reminder to everybody.

8. Are the fax machine and email working today, or should I just advise everyone to walk their stuff to the newsroom?

9. Either somebody is sneaking in here at night and adding to the pile on my desk or I need to quit horsing around and get busy.

10. Is there really a Mrs. Smith at Mrs. Smith’s Pies?

From now through Monday night, the ghouls and goblins will be boppin’ about the neighborhood, scaring residents into giving up their candy.

After raising three of my own kids and now having two granddaughters, I know the routine pretty well. Open the door, throw up my hands in alarm, and run for the candy dish, one candy bar to a customer. (Unless I like them, then the little Munchkins can have the whole bowl full.)

As much fun as it is, I still worry about the safety of children after dark, especially at this time of year. Illinois State Police Trooper Doug Francis captured that concern quite well in a note he sent me about night-time pedestrian visibility.

“At night, pedestrians need to be aware that drivers might not see them until the vehicle is almost on them,” said Francis, the department’s safety education officer.  “Quite often when a pedestrian wearing dark clothing is struck by a vehicle, the driver did not know what they struck until they have stopped to check.”

Most headlights illuminate 100 to 150 feet down the road, he told me.

“At 40 mph, it requires 160 feet to get a vehicle stopped.  The brighter the clothing the greater the chances a driver will see a pedestrian.  Reflective clothing is the best protection allowing drivers to see the pedestrians at 300 to 500 feet,” he said.

Francis suggests that all people walking at night wear reflective clothing and carry a flashlight to be seen.

Let’s be careful out there.

In this World Series of a week, watch out for some of the world’s most serious scammers.

At least that’s the advice of the Better Business Bureau, which is telling fans to beware of potential scams by fake ticket sellers.

And the timing is right as the clock ticks down to the 7:30 p.m. Game 1 start Wednesday night in St. Louis between the Cardinals and the Texas Rangers.

Who would have thought there were such serious bucks to be made in baseball?

Here is the advisory I received this week from the BBB:

The opportunity for sports fans to be scammed by fake ticket sellers occurs most often when people buy tickets from individuals outside the stadium, on the street or through online auctions, classified ads and bulletin boards. During last year’s series, police arrested ticket sellers in Dallas and San Francisco, and fans reported losing $400 to $3,200 each.

“Sports fans can get burned by purchasing counterfeit tickets or paying in advance for tickets that never arrive,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB president and CEO.

The secondary market for sporting and entertainment tickets is a $10 billion a year industry. It includes tickets bought and sold by professional brokers as well as those purchased and resold by speculators and season ticket holders. Tickets purchased for sports and entertainment events are the source of hundreds of BBB complaints by consumers nationwide.

“The Internet has become the arena of choice for sports fans looking to buy or sell tickets,” Corey said. “Unfortunately, it also has become a breeding ground for scammers looking to take advantage of sports fans.”

The BBB’s database of BBB Business Reviews includes reputable, secondary market ticket firms that provide buyer protections, including money-back guarantees if tickets are fake. On some sites, sellers also must provide credit-card numbers so the site can charge a seller’s card for the cost of replacement tickets if they sell fake tickets. The Cardinals have their own website for reselling tickets held by season ticket holders.
The BBB offers the following advice for fans seeking tickets:

•    Be careful buying tickets from someone on the street. When you get to the gate and find out your tickets aren’t real, the seller will be long gone.

•    Before buying from an online ticket broker, look for the BBB logo on the website and click on it to make sure it is real. The BBB’s dynamic seal will take you directly to the BBB Business Review on the company, where you can read about the company’s record for responding to complaints. Make sure the website has a secure payment processing system, usually denoted by “https://” at the start of its website address or URL or a small closed lock icon at the bottom of the screen.

•    If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a seller with a long history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure the seller has recently sold other tickets.

•    Ticket buyers also should be wary of sellers who try to lure buyers from a legitimate site to another site for a “private” transaction.  Scammers often want to conduct their business on sites with names that mimic well-known companies but actually are fakes.

•    If you are buying tickets through an online classified ad site, never pay the seller by wire transfer. You will have no way to get your money back if the tickets do not arrive or are counterfeit.

Before you do business with a charity or company, check its BBB Business Review
by calling (314) 645-3300 or by visiting www.bbb.org.

My mom used to tell me that she had to walk 10 miles to and from school. Up hill. Both ways.

I never fully believed her, of course, but I always suspected that as a farm girl from Missouri she truly did have a long haul, certainly longer than I did growing up in the suburbs years later.

To be sure, neither her generation nor mine questioned whether we’d walk; we just did it — and were expected to.

Things have changed a lot since then. Now, many parents are fearful of letting their kids even go outside without supervision. They’ll drive youngsters to school themselves or let the school system do it for them. It’s all a manifestation of the times in which we live. Sometimes this fear of the unknown drives me crazy. Certainly, it keeps kids from being a little more independent.

All this occurs to me as I read a press release from the state of Illinois Department of Transportation, encouraging schools across the state to participate in International Walk to School Day on Oct. 5. The event started as a community demonstration in Chicago and grew into a worldwide effort, now in its 15th year.

How ironic it is that we have to have a single day to promote the very concept of walking to school. I remember doing so fondly, following a path much like the kids did in the Family Circus cartoons, which is to say a meandering trail that took twice as long as a straight line. Sure, I occasionally got into mischief, but I also had the responsibility to show up in a timely fashion — or fear the consequences.

I don’t really mind the state pushing a little exercise. God knows children could use it. But it seems a little over the top to promote something that for many of us was such a natural thing to do.

Any way, if you want to read more about the state campaign, you’ll find it here:
http://www.dot.il.gov/green/IWTSD.html.