Sleepless in Midland

Who owns what in the media biz?

Let's see, Viacom owns MTV, VH1, BET, Comedy Central, and much more.

GE owns NBC, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, and much more.

Disney owns ABC, Disney Channel, 80% of ESPN, Inc., and much more.

Whew! It's hard to keep track of it all. Thankfully, there's an easy way to find out Who Owns What provided by Columbia Journalism Review.

Thanks to the incomparable Tammy Bruce who provided this link on C-SPAN this morning.

Midland's new Skate Park - pro demo and competition

This should be fun to watch - a skating demonstration by the Axion Pro Team as well as competitive events have been planned for this Sunday at the new William-Sam Memorial Skate Park at Beal Park, 5200 W. Wall Street.

It's scheduled to begin at noon on Sunday, February 29, 2004.

I haven't seen the new skate park yet, and I doubt if many others have either. So, here's an excellent way to experience it.

Report - 3/1/04: There were perhaps 100 to 150 people, including participants and spectators, in attendance at the skate board competition. It was a windy day, but that didn't seem to dampen the enthusiasm. I visited the site twice during the afternoon, and at around 5:00 p.m. the announcer said that he had received word that the professional team was still 40 minutes away. I didn't wait for them, but hopefully enough people did to give them a warm reception on a cool day.

The park itself is basically a couple of paved pits with a few bumps, but it looked like a challenging arena. However, those young amateurs on their skate boards looked quite professional.

How dumb am I? Well, how dumb are you?

Here's another neat quiz. This one asks How dumb are you?

It is brought to us by the same Quizmaster who gave us the Lesser Known Simpson Characters quiz.

BTW, I scored 0% dumb on this one - I'm still trying to live down that Cledus score on the Lesser Known Simpson Characters quiz. Live it down, or live up to it? - ed. Whatever!

Typepad is Great!

How's this for service? Typepad has been experiencing some hardware problems for the past 24 hours which caused sluggishness in loading the weblogs they service. And, they are working to remedy the problem. But check this out, they are going to credit all Typepad customers with three free days of service! It's not going to be much money for any one customer, but it probably adds up to a pretty big sum.

Anyway, it's just one more reason why I really appreciate Typepad and the service they provide.

3rd Update on the Making of "Friday Night Lights"

The February 22 Houston Chronicle reported on an interview with Texas Film Commission Director Tom Copeland:

The movie, based on a best-selling 1999 book about Texas high school football powerhouse Odessa Permian, began filming in Austin earlier this month and later moves the action to locations in Odessa, said Texas Film Commission Director Tom Copeland.

When filming is completed in West Texas in about six weeks, the film's Austin-based crew will relocate the production to the Astrodome to film climactic state championship game scenes, Copeland said.

And, there was this:

He added that the state film agency has been assisting the slow-blooming film project, based on a book by H.G. Bissinger, for about 10 years.

"It has gone through several different turnarounds," he said.

One obstacle was resentment in Odessa to the city's portrayal as being overzealous about football. But that sentiment has faded over the years, Copeland said.

"Around 1993, the overall feeling in Odessa was, `Hey, we weren't fond of the book, so we're not going to be fond of the movie, either.' So there was some difficulty at that time," Copeland said. "But since that time, after two or three different forays into this, Odessa pretty much got all their ducks in order and realized if somebody was going to do this picture, they wanted to make sure that it got done there."

The city's full cooperation was essential in bringing the film project to Texas, he said.

About three weeks of filming were planned in both Austin and Odessa, Copeland said. [Emphasis mine.]

"And then they move down to Houston for about two weeks. The championship game was played in Memorial Stadium in Austin, and of course it does not look the same. But there were numerous championship games that were also played in the Astrodome, so they're going to do this one in the Astrodome," Copeland said.

I understand that calls are being made to those people who were selected in the Odessa area to act as extras. Elmo Hockman left a comment here telling us that he received a call on February 24. Congratulations Elmo!

[Note: To see each of the items at this weblog about the making of this movie click on the category "Friday Night Lights"].

Fun With Photos

Barney makes a collar

Do you wonder how they transport Saddam?  Check out this JPG photo.  [Hint:  It involves a deputy from a town called Mayberry.]

Link posted by JerryMouse at Google Group tx.guns.

[Update:  Sorry the link didn't work - it worked for me, so I don't know what the problem was.  Anyway, you should be able to see the image above.]

Which lesser-known Simpsons character are you?

Here's a quiz that will identify which of the supporting cast members of the Simpsons you are. Quiz.

I almost didn't post this because my character description was so unflattering. But I had to, it's the Law of the Blogosphere. And, be forewarned that there really isn't any ideal character you would want to identify with. But, what the heck. It's so much fun!

Via Clareified.

Update - 2/25/04: Here is another Simpsons quiz that utilizes a longer list of Simpson characters.

And, here's a quiz that tells you which character from King of the Hill you are.

Thanks Bob.

The Price of an Ambulance Ride

The Midland city council will be considering an increase in the cost of an ambulance ride at the February 24 meeting. Here's what the press release said:

As part of the regular meeting, the City Council will consider amending ambulance fees to reflect a comparable rate to surrounding cities. The Managed Competition Committee has investigated a modification of the EMS rate of $225 per carry. The committee is recommending an increase to $365 and the addition of a mileage charge of $8 per transport mile. As a comparison, surrounding cities include Lubbock at $659 and the low end in San Angelo at $310. Midland's rates have not been changed since October 1998. The new rate structure is estimate to generate $437,288 in addition net revenue.

If the patient wouldn't mind making a transfer or two, an EZ Rider trip to the hospital would only cost a buck.

Update: This measure was passed by the City Council.

Hmmmmm, Chocolate!

This has got to be some of the best news to come along in a long time. Chocolate is good for you!

Actually, it's the antioxidant flavonoids in the raw cocoa which are supposed to decrease blood pressure and improve circulation.

Of course, when they load it up with sugar that probably isn't such a good thing. But, it tastes sooooo good.

Dark chocolate -- but not milk chocolate or dark chocolate eaten with milk -- is a potent antioxidant, report Mauro Serafini, PhD, of Italy's National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research in Rome, and colleagues. Their report appears in the Aug. 28 [2003] issue of Nature. Antioxidants gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments.

"Our findings indicate that milk may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants from chocolate ... and may therefore negate the potential health benefits that can be derived from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate."

Translation: Say "Dark, please," when ordering at the chocolate counter. Don't even think of washing it down with milk. And if health is your excuse for eating chocolate, remember the word "moderate" as you nibble. WebMD.

Moderate? Dang! Why'd they have to go and ruin it!

Texas Facts

Lightning Whelk - Texas state sea shell

Don in Houston sends these delightful little factoids. Thanks Don.

Nobody asked for them, but here are some little known Texas facts. I know ya'll just can't wait to read them!

• Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles

• Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles

• World's first rodeo was in Pecos... July 4, 1883.

• The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

• The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full time coach for Rice University, Houston.

• Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

• Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining
  flock of whooping cranes.

• Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

• The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

• The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was "Houston."

• El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.

• Laredo is the world's largest inland port.

• Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden with over 38,000 bushes with 500 varieties on 22 acres.

• The State shell is Lightning Whelk.

• King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island.

• Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979.

• Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, instead of by annexation. (This allows the Texas flag to fly at the same height as the US flag.)

• A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

• Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

• Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

• Texas has had six capital cities:

  1. Washington-on-the-Brazos
  

  2. Harrisburg
  

  3. Galveston
  

  4. Velasco
  

  5. West Columbia
  

  6. Austin

• The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (by 7 feet).

• The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends.

• Tejas is not Mexican for Texas.

• The State animal is the Armadillo. **

• The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

**An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies! They have one egg which splits into four and they either have four males or four females.

This appears to be the source: Texas Facts and Trivia.

Are You Yankee or Dixie?

Here's a fun little quiz that will answer the question of whether you are Yankee or Dixie by the words you use and the way you say them.

Sample question: What is spread onto the tops of cakes? Frosting or Icing?

Via Dustbowl Blues.

(BTW, my score was 70% Dixie.)

Women Shooters in Midland, getting started

The annual meeting of Midland Shooters Association took place last night, and the most intriguing bit of new business was the approval of a program for new women shooters.  After all, women represent the fastest growing demographic group of new shooters, and there are women right here in Midland who would like to get started in the activity.  And, by the way, the NRA is promoting it as well with it's Women on Target program. 

The goal is to have the first clinic during the second half of April.  And, with only word of mouth advertising so far, it looks like there has already been enough initial interest that it will probably be necessary to have at least two groups. 

At this stage of the planning, it is anticipated that each group will attend two classes, the first of which will be oriented toward firearm safety and familiarization with the range and facilities.  But, there may not be any actual shooting until the second class.  [see correction below]  Everything an attendee will need will be furnished, i.e., hearing protection, eye protection, firearms and ammo.  And, the current plan is to start off new shooters with .22 caliber handguns. 

This type of program has really taken off in Virginia, and a group in Dallas is starting or has already started one.  And, in areas where those programs have occurred the women have gone on to organize their own non-competitive shooting sessions. 

All in all, it sounds like a great program, and it should be loads of fun for those who participate.  I really enjoy recreational shooting, but it's not just a "guy thing."  And, of course, there's that added benefit of knowing that it's a darn good defense in a sticky situation.

Update - 2/19/04: Correction:  Participants will be able to shoot in the first session.
Contact information:  If you are interested please call Jerry Moritz at (432) 683-1814.

More Missile Boxes for Sale

There's yet another batch of empty missile containers for sale at the Rene Bates online auction. This time the seller is Lockheed Martin.

On January 2 of this year I mentioned that Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was selling empty missile containers. I'm guessing that the reason there are so many of them on the market is because these are the boxes that contained all of those missiles there were fired in Iraq last year. It's a shame they aren't being reused for their original purpose. Seems like such a waste to be auctioning them off like this - I'm sure we, as taxpayers, paid a pretty penny for them the first time around.

Get them while they're hot!

Is it "Real" or is it just "Reality"?

A diamond ring used by a reality show couple in a televised marriage proposal is for sale on ebay.

She's a school psychologist and author from New Jersey – he's a successful Senior VP of a chain of family-owned banks and the owner of Trolley's Grille restaurant in Missouri. You know them as America's favorite bachelor Aaron Buerge and his #1 bachelorette Helene Eksterowicz. Aaron and Helene are now offering the opportunity to own the ring that was used for the proposal on the show, and was worn by Helene for a short amount of time. This is your chance to own a piece of memorabilia from one of America's most popular reality tv dating shows watched by over 30 million viewers! There's more! In addition to the ring, Aaron and Helene are offering you a chance to meet them in person plus receive personalized and signed items.

Only two days left to bid!

Via Best Week Ever who says "Nothing says 'I Love You' like the ring used in a sham reality show engagement."

Midland Shooters Association annual meeting on 2/17/04

This is just a reminder that the Midland Shooters Association annual meeting is scheduled for February 17, 2004, at 7:30 p.m. at the shotgun range.

Tony Snow on the Radio - Update

In December I wrote a short item expressing the hope that Tony Snow's radio show will be available here in Midland. And, that post has received a lot of visits and comments from people no doubt disappointed that it didn't contain some scheduling and access information. I've looked for that information, but it just hasn't been readily available.

However, today I received some great news. KWEL Radio - AM 1070 - serving the Midland/Odessa, Texas, area will be airing Tony Snow's radio show starting March 1. So, apparently agreements are being flanged up with radio stations around the country, and the show appears to be on tract for its premier. I don't have scheduling information yet, but hopefully it will be available soon.

And, people with access to XM Radio will be able to hear it as well.

Update - 3/5/04: Tony Snow's website is up and running. And, his Station Finder will help locate stations carrying the show.

A Cold Day at the Gun Range

Yesterday, Valentine's Day, Midland's first IDPA pistol match was held at the Midland Shooters Association pistol range.   As I left my house that morning the back yard thermometer had a reading slightly below 20 degrees, but the much advertised one to three inches of show was in reality only about 0.1 inch to 0.3 inch.  But, it was definitely cold!

Nonetheless, a dozen hardy souls showed up for the match which consisted of five practical pistol scenarios and a couple of rifle scenarios.  And a good time was had by all in spite of the cold. 

I used a 9 mm Beretta model 92FS handgun.  I really like that particular handgun because it's got a hefty weight, a long barrel, and a very good manual safety.  And, it functions flawlessly,  uh,  except yesterday it didn't work so well.  I had installed a recoil buffer which consisted of a small rubber tube which cushions the impact between the slide and the frame as it goes though the recoil motion.  But, yesterday the auto loading mechanism just didn't function properly, and I have just about decided that the problem was that rubber tube.  It's shape could have been changed due to usage.   But, there's a good chance that the cold temperature wouldn't allow it to snap back into shape the way it might have on a warm day.  Remember the frozen O-rings that brought down the space shuttle Challenger in 1986?   Same thing.

While I was tinkering with the darn thing I cut my thumb on a sharp metal edge.  So, I ended up with stubborn gun and a bloody thumb.  It bled like a stuck pig - I had blood all over my hand by the time I got it taped up.  Times being what they are, exposure to someone's blood is as scary as a loaded gun, so needless to say there were no hand shakes or high fives. 

Anyway, the malfunction really set me back behind the rest of the competition.  Actually, I'm just making excuses.  I haven't seen the scores for the match yet, but there's a good chance I'll come in last place, and I just have to keep telling myself that I'm really not that bad.  Okay, I did shoot one of the targets out of sequence which resulted in a scoring penalty.  But, hey, I'm really not that bad.  Really.  Please believe me, I'm begging you.  All right, I confess, I do need more speed, better aim, stronger hands, quicker reflexes, and who the heck am I kidding, I need more practice!

Update - 2/16/04: Ready Line has the match results.  Click the link for a list of links to PDF pages containing match results for all of the matches held in the last few months.

Real or Hoax?

How good are you at determining whether a photo is real or a hoax? Take the Museum of Hoaxes Photo Test and find out.

Via Nealz Nuze.

Cell Phone Pictures of Credit Card Numbers - A Little Skepticism

We're being warned to watch out for people with cell phone cameras who might try to take a picture of our credit cards to steal the numbers. Could that really happen? How close would the cell phone camera have to be to get a readable shot of the numbers?

I've never used one of those phone/cameras, but it would seem to me that a camera that could do that would have to have a pretty good sized lens.

And anyone trying to take a picture of someone's credit card would seem to be pretty darn obvious.

Anyway, Reiter's Camera Phone Report shares that skepticism and asks the logical question "Where's the evidence?"

Via Beancounter Daydreams.

Tim Russert's Good Idea

Tim Russert's "get" was the story a while back. He had an hour interview, less commercial time, with President George W. Bush. And, Russert suggested a good idea, even if it was self serving. His suggestion was that some time prior to the 2004 presidential election there be separate three hour interviews with each of the Republican and Democrat presidential nominees. Russert proposed that he be the interviewer. (What, you thought he would suggest Dan Rather?) An hour would be devoted to international affairs, an hour devoted to domestic affairs, and an hour devoted to cultural matters.

That sounded like a good idea to me. And it would probably give voters a better opportunity to evaluate the candidates than those programs they call "debates."

Voting Machine for Florida

Specialized technology at work. A picture of the new voting machine designed specifically for Florida voters. [Thanks Betty.]

2nd UPDATE on the Making of "Friday Night Lights"

Mr. Jim Walker, a retired businessman of Austin, has emailed to report that he has landed a job as an extra at the filming of the Austin portion of Friday Night Lights. Here's some of what he said. [Note, I've edited his remarks a bit by eliminating abbreviations, etc.]

Yesterday [2/9/04], I was on the set of filming here in Austin. I found there will be 3 weeks here, then 3 weeks Odessa and 2 weeks in Houston. We had approximately 135 extras and of course film at night. Please advise your readers that the hours are long and the pay short, but the experience will be something that they can tell grandkids.

He said the old Mueller airport has been closed and the hangers have been converted into movie sound stages, and he said that there are from three to five feature film crews currently working out of Austin. He had this advice for anyone who gets on:

It's big business, so one needs to come to the set with no different of an attitude than one they would have for a real job. Most sets will not permit alcohol, loud talking while shooting, or interfering with the crew and their job.

He said he has been an extra in several films: Ms. Congeniality; American Outlaws; Cheer Up; The Ringer and Friday Night Lights as well as an extra in one episode of Walker Texas Ranger. He had this to say about the experience.

To me the interesting aspect is watching the total operation. It is amazing the activity all happening at once. (Let me know what you feel about this after they leave.) The characters of extras -can be crazy.

Jim, thanks for the input!

[Note: To see each of the items at this weblog about the making of this movie click on the category "Friday Night Lights"].

Is Fox News Channel fair and balanced?

Is Fox News Channel biased toward conservatism? Roger Ailes is said to have responded that people were so accustomed to getting a liberal bias from the networks that a balanced approach seemed biased to them.

Fox News Channel has commentators from each end of the spectrum on the opinion shows, but the news programs don't seem to be skewed. As for the complaint of conservative bias, outspoken libertarian Neal Boortz has issued a challenge to viewers to report examples from the Fox program Special Report with Brit Hume. Here's what he said:

THE CHALLENGE GOES UNANSWERED

It has now been almost two weeks since I issued my challenge for you to prove the conservative bias of Fox News Channel. The challenge is simple. Watch Special Report with Brit Hume in the evening. Note any instances of conservative bias in reporting the news that you see and give us a call or send us an email. Now those panel discussions at the end of the show don't count. There are liberals, moderates and conservatives on those panels. That's not news, that's opinion. Just find me the instances of bias in the actual reporting of the news.

This challenge is now two weeks old ... actually months old ... and do you know how many notes I've received stating specific instances of conservative bias? None. Not one. Nunca. Nada. Nyet. Not any.

Come on folks. Isn't it commonly accepted that Fox News Channel is just loaded with right wing fanatics and bias? Can't you come up with one tiny example?

By the way, it probably isn't very hard to locate on the internet, but Boortz has the famous picture at his website of John Kerry in a crowd standing behind Jane Fonda - see link, above.

Islamic head scarves and public religious monuments

France has been undergoing a gastric spasm over the desires of Muslims for their children to wear Islamic head scarves in school. And, Reuters is reporting that France's National Assembly has just voted to ban religious emblems in state schools.

Deputies voted 494 to 36 on Tuesday to ban Muslim head scarves, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses from state schools and threaten pupils who insisted on wearing them with expulsion.

The government insists the ban does not single out any religion, but cabinet ministers admit its main targets are the Islamic headscarves and anti-Semitic remarks from Muslim pupils that teachers say have become more frequent in recent years. [skipping forward]

Teachers have complained in recent years of problems with Muslim pupils who interrupt history classes to deny the Nazis slaughtered Jews; boycott classes on human reproduction, saying they are immodest; or refuse to attend physical education.

They have also reported that Muslim pupils sometimes repeat anti-Semitic themes they see on Arabic satellite television. Jewish families are increasingly switching their children from state schools to private Jewish schools to avoid harassment. [skipping forward]

In Kuala Lumpur, about 40 supporters of the fundamentalist Islamic PAS, the biggest opposition party in mainly Muslim Malaysia, protested against the law outside the French embassy chanting "Long live Islam" and "Crush the infidels.""

And, from the "lets-stick-our-noses-in-their-business" department, there's this:

In Washington, 47 members of the United States Congress protested to the French ambassador on Monday in a letter saying: "The proposed law threatens the religious rights of French children by forcing them to choose between school and religious practices that are central to their core values."

I suppose that if Kirk Edwards is elected to the Texas Senate in the upcoming election then he will be pressing for some sort of religious displays in schools. His tv commercials show a Ten Commandments stone monument for a couple of seconds. And, on his website he says "I will oppose any effort to remove the Ten Commandments from public display in Texas."

One pictures Mr. Edwards pulling a Judge Roy Moore stunt in which Moore fought to maintain a monument displaying the Ten Commandments on court house grounds in the state of Alabama, and lost.

What we really need are some new employers who'll hire a bunch of the hard working folks who live in the Midland/Odessa area. If we need a display at the court house then the Bill of Rights would seem to be more appropriate. But, once momentum builds for religious symbols at public places, and at schools in particular, then we are going to end up with the same problem with radical Islam in the U.S. that the French are having.

Lubbock Plague trial - update

Thomas Butler, who was convicted of 47 counts in Federal Court related to his handling of the bubonic plague bacteria as well as his illegal financial dealings, has voluntarily relinquished his medical license, according to an article in Lubbockonline.com. He was scheduled to have had a hearing before the Texas Board of Medical Examiners on January 20, but it isn't clear whether the hearing actually took place. At any rate, a forfeiture of his license was probably a foregone conclusion, and perhaps he and his attorney wanted to save some time and expense.

Finally, Texas Tech will discontinue paying him his $130,467 annual salary. Butler and Tech appear to have reached a settlement in which Butler has agreed to pay Texas Tech an undisclosed sum of money, and he was allowed to resign from employment with the school. Link.

"With this settlement, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center considers all internal matters with Dr. Butler resolved and will pursue no further actions. We wish Dr. Butler well," the statement says.

I reported on the trial as it progressed, and for a review and chronology, go here.

Thanks to Dr. Roberts at Gruntdoc.com for the heads-up. And, it's useful to remember Dr. Roberts' insightful observation that the authorities would be well advised to keep close tabs on Dr. Butler's communications while he's in prison as he would be the go-to guy for anyone wanting to learn the tricks of the bubonic plague trade.

Afterthought: 2/10/04: Just what does it take to fire a college professor? Dr. Butler was allowed to continue drawing his salary for roughly a year after the problem became apparent. I suppose the school wanted to wait until after the trial so they could take advantage of the prosecutors evidence. But, what if an O.J. type jury had acquitted him? Would he have been able to keep his job? Just wondering.

Dog 1, Squirrels 0

The squirrels may have hitch hiked into the area inside those burlap wrapped trees that get shipped in from somewhere. That's one theory, anyway. But however they got here, the squirrel population has increased many times over in the past two or three years. Anyone with a pecan tree can readily testify to that.

And, anyone with a tree and a dog can tell you how the squirrels will drive a dog absolutely nuts. When there is a squirrel in the back yard tree my dog dances around the tree in a helpless rage, and the squirrel just munches away in total disregard. But, sometimes the table gets turned.

Yesterday, I got home to find the dog prancing around the back yard with a squirrel carcass in his mouth. I don't know how it happened. Maybe the squirrel had a heart attack and fell dead out of the tree - the dog won't tell me. But, you would have thought he had won first prize at doggie Olympics the way he strutted around with his trophy. What a sight! And he guarded that thing for at least 24 hours apparently thinking someone was going to steal it. Nah, no one wants it. Good boy, just keep it out of the house.

But, it just goes to show that their canine ancestors passed along a lot of killer instincts to them. And, no matter how we treat them, they are still dogs.

Fan letter to Ashleigh Banfield

Ashleigh Banfield - only her hairdresser knows

Dear Ashleigh,

May I call you Ashleigh? I feel as if I know you, after all, you and the other cable news presenters always seem to be on my tv screen.

Anyway, I recall how you famously dyed your blonde hair brown after 9/11 so that you could go to Pakistan and blend in. How did that work out? Did you blend in okay?

So, now that you're back in the U.S., I wonder if you are going to quit dying your hair brown and let the blonde come out again. Or, and I hate to bring this up, perhaps you are really a natural brown.

Well, we all want to look good. John Kerry may or may not use botox, and if he does who cares? He wants to show up on our tv screens regularly too, and one of the requirements for that job is to look good. Sure, that's unfair, but that's the way it is.

I've heard that middle aged blondes in New York dye their roots brown so that it looks like their hair is growing back some color other than gray. So, here's an idea. You could dye your roots blonde so that it looks like you are fighting to keep it brown. It may not fool everyone, but it would fool me.

Sincerely,

A Fan

UPDATE on the making of "Friday Night Lights"

Raechal Leone in the 1/25/04 Odessa American has an amusing article about her efforts to get on as an extra. [Link.]

Who knows? If everything went extremely well, I could even end up as something like "girl No. 3 in store" in the credits. {cut}

She immediately asked where I was a reporter. "So if we called and asked you to play a reporter on the sidelines, would you want to do that?" she asked.

I said "Yes, of course" — even though I know that doesn't mean they will call.
We chatted for a few more seconds before she told me I was done — at least for the day.

On our way out, everyone picked up a sheet labeled "Hints for Working on a Movie Set" that instructed us not to ask for autographs, to be quiet and to expect 12-hour days if we were chosen as extras.

Now, all that's left to do is hope for a phone call.

Meanwhile, I've set my sights on a new role: "reporter No. 3 on sidelines."

And the 1/23/04 Odessa American [Link] has an item with interviews with some of the people who were portrayed in the book, specifically, former Permian coach Gary Gaines, former quarterback Mike Winchell, and former tight end Brian Chavez. Here's a segment from the interview with Brian Chavez:

Former Permian tight end Brian Chavez, however, looks forward to seeing the 1988 Panthers' story on the big screen. "I like the idea of the movie because it'll give the book more exposure, and it's a great book," Chavez said. Chavez, now a partner in his family's law firm, said he wonders if the film will tell a different story. "I'm curious how true the movie is going to be to the book. I think the book was an excellent portrayal of that year," he said.

Here's the tentative cast for the movie:

Billy Bob Thornton as coach Gary Gaines;
Lucas Black as quarterback Mike Winchell;
Derek Luke as running back James "Boobie" Miles;
Jay Hernandez as tight end Brian Chavez;
Lee Thompson Young as linebacker Chris Comer;
Tim McGraw as Charlie Billingsley;
Garrett Hedlund as Don Billingsley;
Gavin Grazer as trainer Tim "Trapper" O'Connell [Link];
and THOUSANDS OF EXTRAS!

If you applied for a part in the movie, as an extra or otherwise, we would love to hear your story. Please leave a comment!

[Note: To see all of the items at this weblog about the making of this movie click on the category "Friday Night Lights"].

How to catch a bank robber, Virginia style

We've got our own serial bank robber out here, and he has plagued area banks for the last several months. The folks in Roanoke, Virginia, had one too. And, here's how that problem got solved.

Some men working in the neighborhood of a Wachovia bank, which had been robbed two weeks before, saw a guy loitering outside the bank. He matched the image of the robber which had been caught on surveillance tape and shown on television and in print. So, the guy robbed the bank again, and the men took off after him. Here's how Roanoke.com tells it:

When Landsdown and McGlennon saw the man go inside the bank and come out, crossing the street with a bag in his hand, they began to follow him.

"I was acting like I was just walking. I think the plan at first was to keep a safe distance," Landsdown said. "I didn't know if he had a gun or not. I was kind of checking him out from a distance."

Landsdown said his plan was to see if the man got in a car nearby, to take down the license number, then call the police back.

Paris was shoveling snow in front of a store near Reid's when the suspect walked past him, turned a corner and headed down the alley beside Grace's Pizza. When Landsdown got to Paris, he said, "That man just robbed the bank!"

"I dropped my shovel and took off after him," Paris said. "I don't mind jumping in."

All three men ran after the suspect, followed by Tarpley, who had also figured out what happened. The suspect broke into a run when he realized he was being chased, stripping off a wig as he ran.

Paris reached the man first on a hill behind Spike's. He and Landsdown piled on top of the suspected robber and pinned his arms down.

"Well, was it worth it?" Paris asked the man.

"No," he replied.

Seconds later, "cops came from every direction," Landsdown said. Police spokeswoman Shelly Alley said police received the suspicious person call at 10:51 a.m., about five minutes before they knew the bank had been robbed. At 10:57 a.m., the man was in custody.

Hats off to those guys for pitching in, taking a chance, and catching a bank robber.

And, another noteworthy aspect of this story is that there had been an image of the bank robber captured by surveillance cameras shown on television and in print. I've complained before about the lack of a video image of El Banco Bandido, and I believe the reason for that is the poor quality of the video equipment used in the banks out here. But, he'll eventually get caught, and perhaps we'll have a story as exiting to tell as the one from Roanoke.

Thanks to Ken Lammers of Crimlaw for the link.

Primary dates

Here's a list of the 2004 political party primary, caucus, and convention dates (guiltily ripped off from Coffee Grounds):

January:
13 District of Columbia, non-binding presidential primary
19 Iowa caucuses
27 New Hampshire presidential primary

February:
3 Arizona presidential primary
Delaware presidential primary
Missouri presidential primary
New Mexico Democratic caucuses
Oklahoma presidential primary
South Carolina Democratic presidential primary
North Dakota caucuses

7 Michigan Democratic caucuses
Washington Democratic caucuses

8 Maine Democratic caucuses

10 Tennessee presidential primary
Virginia presidential primary

14 District of Columbia Democratic caucuses
Nevada Democratic caucuses

17 Wisconsin presidential primary

24 Hawaii Democratic caucuses
Idaho Democratic caucuses
Utah Democratic presidential primary

27 Utah Democratic caucuses

29 Hawaii GOP caucuses (starting Jan. 1)

March:
2 (Super Tuesday) California presidential/state primary

Connecticut presidential primary

Georgia presidential primary

Maryland presidential/state primary

Massachusetts presidential primary

Minnesota caucuses

New York presidential primary

Ohio presidential/state primary

Rhode Island presidential primary

Vermont presidential primary

9 Florida presidential primary
Louisiana presidential primary
Mississippi presidential/state primary
Texas presidential/state primary

13 Kansas Democratic caucuses

16 Illinois presidential/state primary

19 Maine GOP caucuses (starting Jan. 1)

20 Wyoming Democratic caucuses
Alaska Democratic caucuses

April:
27 Pennsylvania presidential/state primary

May:
4 Indiana presidential/state primary
North Carolina presidential/state primary

11 Nebraska presidential/state primary
West Virginia presidential/state primary

18 Arkansas presidential/state primary
Kentucky presidential/state primary
Oregon presidential/state primary

25 Idaho presidential/state primary

June:
1 Alabama presidential/state primary
New Mexico presidential/state primary
South Dakota presidential/state primary

8 Montana presidential/state primary
New Jersey presidential/state primary

July 26-29 - Democratic National Convention — Boston

Aug. 30- Sept. 2 - GOP - National Convention — New York