GO DAHL, IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY! It's Roald Dahl Day!

Dahl, the author of the first book I adored, was a great talent who did a lot of good and took some hard knocks, but he could also be terribly nasty.

So remember, kids: Great writers aren't necessarily great in every respect. The same goes for athletes...and, of course, lots of other potential role models.

Photo: David Marc Fischer