DAN RODRICKS

In 2000, Ron Tanner discovered the house of his dreams, a condemned and abandoned 4,500-square-foot rowhouse in Charles Village. He bought the one-time frat house, and with his girlfriend Jill, embarked on an adventure in home renovation, one that many warned would lead to financial and emotional ruin. Ron Tanner teaches writing at Loyola University. He is the author of “From Animal House to Our House: A Love Story," and our guest this hour.

Last year, the U.S. television audience for the Super Bowl reached a record 111 million. How did it come to this? As this Sunday’s game approaches, Midday’s culture commentator Sheri Parks takes a look at professional football's dominance and wide appeal -- across class, race, generational and gender lines -- and the powerful emotional attachments fans develop with teams such as the Baltimore Ravens.

Are you born a musician? Can you learn to be musical? New York University professor Gary Marcus investigates the most effective way to train your body and brain to learn how to play an instrument, drawing from his own experience of picking up the guitar for the first time at the age of 40. Gary Marcus, a Baltimore native, is the author of “Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning."

John Davis, the creator, executive producer and host of PBS’ (MPT) MotorWeek, returns to Midday for a talk about the latest and greatest in the world of automobiles, including highlights from the Detroit Auto Show, and the comeback of U.S. automakers.

Former NPR reporter Eric Weiner had a near-death experience and set out to find God. He came close – and had a great time doing it. Weiner shares his epic journey this hour and in a thoughtful and entertaining new book called "Man Seeks God."

A day ahead of Governor O’Malley’s State of the State address, a discussion of the fiscal policy behind his controversial budget and tax increase proposals. With Neil Bergsman, director of the Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute, and Ron Wineholt, vice-president for government affairs for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.

A follow-up to Dan Rodricks' Baltimore Sun columns about Terry Reed, the homeless panhandler with prosthetic arms and legs who, on top of being homeless and having no family support, has an addiction to heroin. Plus, what it takes to break the cycle of homelessness, with Kevin Lindamood, president and CEO of Healthcare for the Homeless, and Mary Stewart, coordinator of community outreach for HCH.

In the first hour of our two-hour Midday special on homelessness, Matt Bjonerud tells some of the stories at the core of his new e-book memoir, “From Riches to Rags: My Direct Approach to Solving Homelessness and How I Got My Ass Kicked.” He is a member of the advisory board of The Journey Home, Baltimore's 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

A review of the Republican presidential primary debates with Sheri Parks, Midday contributor and associate professor of American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. How did Newt Gingrich use the debates to trip up Mitt Romney, and will Romney's response to Gingrich's in-your-face style be enough to turn the race around again? We'll size up Thursday night's final debate before the Florida primary and listen to key moments in the exchanges that made the difference for Gingrich in South Carolina.

Our twice-monthly look at legal affairs with Julie Rubin and Jim Astrachan takes on family law. Jim is away today, so Julie will be joined by attorney Stacy LeBow Siegel, an expert in family and domestic law. We'll talk about the legal ramifications of same-sex marriage in Maryland, state law with regard to separation and divorce, prenuptial agreements, child custody and the rights of domestic partners. Stacey LeBow Siegel has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Law since 1994; she teaches family/domestic law.