Sleepless in Midland

Light Blogging

Blogging here will be very light until the weekend. See ya later.

"Friday Night Lights" in Houston

Bob in Houston reports that the local media in Houston haven't yet reported anything of interest about "Friday Night Light" which is supposed to have begun filming at the Astrodome today. And, he emails a link to Southwest Casting Associates which is handling the extra casting for the movie.

The last update at that site was dated March 5, so it's a little bit dated. And, it details their needs for a March 6 casting call. I thought this line was interesting:

DO NOT BRING CAMERAS OR ANY RECORDING DEVICES TO THE SET! DO NOT ASK FOR AUTOGRAPHS!

Hmmmmm. If that was a rule at the shooting in Odessa I'm sure glad they didn't enforce it. Teresa McMahan took some really nice pictures there. If you haven't seen them already, click here to see them.

And, to see the other items here about the making of the movie, click "Friday Night Lights".

A New Walmart in Midland?

One of the new projects planned for the city of Midland, Texas, is a Wal-Mart at the corner of I-20 and Rankin Highway. Super!

Also, there's a plan for an Academy Sports store at Loop 250 and Wadley. That's great news, too. They've got some nice sporting goods stores in other cities, so it's good that they're finally coming out here.

Yeah, I know. Those low priced chain stores are bad news for their local competitors, but the greater the choice the better it is for the consumer.

Update, 4/7/04: The city hasn't yet issued a permit for the proposed new Wal-Mart store in Midland. There have been some meetings, but nothing has been finalized. If it develops, the new unit will be a Wal-Mart SuperCenter which is basically a supersized Wal-Mart. The proposed location is at the Northeast corner of I-20 and Rankin Highway offset from the Rankin Highway.

Taxes. UGH!

It's that time of year again. The grass has turned green, the plants are blossoming, pollen fills the air, and April 15 is rapidly approaching. One of the many problems with our present tax system is that the do-it-yourselfers like me are exposed to it only once a year, so everything I learned the year before is forgotten by the time it comes around again. No, I'm not saying we should do it more frequently. The solution is the flat tax. But, with an entire industry of lawyers and accountants whose livelihood is dependent on a complicated tax system and who are likely to fight tooth and nail to keep it complicated it's unlikely we'll see a flat tax anytime soon.

Hmmm. Dave Barry has an interesting approach:

April 15 is lurking around the corner, so if you haven't yet filed your federal tax return, it's time to set aside a few hours, gather together your financial records and flee the country.

Heh, heh. That's a good one. Better to laugh than cry. Well, here I go, taking the plunge into a pile of paper. I'll come up for air later.

Update. A day later: DONE! What a relief!

Redman commented about the benefits of Turbotax. Yeah, I agree. Those tax prep software programs are great time savers. I've used Turbotax in the past, but for the last few years I've used TaxCut. I think that I originally bought TaxCut because it was dollar or two cheaper than Turbotax, and now I like the way TaxCut handles one of the schedules. But, the two programs are probably very similar.

"Friday Night Lights", film crew moves on

It was fun while it lasted. But, they are moving on. Cliff Hamilton in the Odessa American:

Odessa's stint as the movie-making hub of the Permian Basin ended this weekend.

Local filming for "Friday Night Lights" ended Saturday morning as the production's second unit wrapped its last night of all-night shooting at Ratliff Stadium.

The first unit, which films the stars and principal scenes, wrapped Thursday. The crew now moves to Houston where on Monday it will begin shooting the movie's climax in the Astrodome.

Publicist Ernie Malik said the first unit will shoot for about a week and the second for about two weeks. Shooting is scheduled to wrap April 15.

Malik said the film would then go to Los Angeles for post-production. The movie is slated for release Oct. 15.

I think they might have had a good time while they were here.

Nancy Massey, who owns the Oasis Bar and Grill, said the cast and crew frequented her place. She said the bar was a little lighter when the crew left, too. "They drank more Petrona (tequila) than I've seen in a year," Massey said. "They went through almost a year's worth of tequila in three weeks."

/cut/

[Zucchi's Ristorante owner Larry] Burdette said. "I hope they make a 'Friday Night Lights 2.' "

Hey! That's brilliant! A sequel! Bring it on!

"Friday Night Lights" - Coach Gary Gaines speaks out

He's currently the football coach at Abilene Christian University, but in 1988 he was the coach of the Odessa Permian Panthers, and he appeared prominently in the book version of "Friday Night Lights". And, portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton in the movie, he will probably have a prominent role there too. And, he's nervous. Here's what sports writer Noell Barnidge said in the Abilene Reporter News Online:

"I'm certainly apprehensive about it," Gaines said. "You just never know what light you're going to be held in."

A number of Permian coaches, Gaines' friends, are on location now during the filming.

"I haven't had any warning calls," Gaines said, "and I think it's a good sign."

Still, Gaines is bracing himself for the worst.

"There's going to be something in the movie that is going to be controversial," Gaines predicted. "That's probably a given."

"You've got to have drama. I hope it's not win-at-all-costs and play-while-you're-hurt."

/cut/

[H.G. "Buzz"] Bissinger's book put Gaines, who also coached two seasons at Abilene High School (1994-95), in the middle of a firestorm of controversy in 1990 because of its sweeping accusations of racial bias among Permian football coaches. The book's focus became Boobie Miles, a star running back who faded into the background after he was sidelined because of an injury.

Bissinger portrayed Miles, who is black, as a victim of the coaching staff's alleged racism.

/cut/

"He [Bissinger] came there and told us so many times he wanted to come and write a book about how football bound the community together, and he made the comparison to 'Hoosiers,'" Gaines said.

/cut/

Gaines last spoke with Bissinger in 1990, just before the book was published.

"He called and said, 'Man, you're really going to like the book,'" Gaines said.

Bissinger called back twice after the book came out and left messages, but Gaines never returned his calls.

"I didn't return his call because I didn't want anything else to do with him at that point," Gaines said.

/cut/

"I feel 100 percent confident that we always played the best players, regardless of color. When you play a kid just solely because of the color of his skin, that doesn't make any sense as a coach whose job is to win, whose job is on the line.

"I knew Boobie was upset about it (playing time), but it didn't affect the remainder of the team, black or white or Hispanic.

"There was never a racial issue. We played the best players we thought gave us the best chance to win. I'm sure there's some fact in there (the book), and I'm sure there's some things I would call fiction."

If the movie script calls for Thornton to use a racial slur, "That would just break my heart," Gaines said. "It really would."

No representatives of the movie have contacted Gaines. Last week, a reporter from the New York Times called him and attempted to interview him but Gaines has not returned the reporter's call.

"When the book came out, I really worried about what people would think about our program and what people would think about me, personally," Gaines said. "Coaching colleagues and people from all over the state have been really supportive about the whole deal.

Gee. Mr. Gaines is in a tough situation. How does a person prove that he isn't a racist? A charge of racism is so easy to make, but there's no way to defend oneself once a charge is made. But, I think it's significant that Boobie Miles is still living in Odessa. We're a mobile society, and he could have easily moved elsewhere if it was so bad. So, let's revisit yesterday's AP article in the Star-Telegram which quotes Mr. Miles:

James "Boobie" Miles, a black running back featured in the book, said it was realistic in its descriptions of racism. But he said Odessa is much different now.

"At that point in time that's the way it was," said Miles, now working in the home renovation business. "Since then, this town has changed a lot because you live and you learn. You hear what I'm saying? I'm talking everyone. Blacks, Hispanics, whites."

Time advances. Things change. People change. It's an attitudinal evolutionary process, and each day we're a little bit smarter and we're a little bit better people than we were the day before.

AP wire: "Odessans hopeful movie won't be like book"

If you do a Google News search today for "Friday Night Lights" the result shows a long list of online news outlets reproducing an AP article about the movie with the headline: "Odessans hopeful movie won't be like book". Sample: Star-Telegram -

ODESSA, Texas - The 1990 book about Permian High School's storied football program stirred angry emotions in this West Texas city with its allegations of racism and a win-at-all-costs mindset.

People were so mad that a local bookstore canceled a book signing by author H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger, and "Buzz off, Bissinger" T-shirts popped up all over town. /cut/

Bissinger said his book is larger than Permian.

"The book is about the greatness, exuberance, pageantry and also the real darkness that can be high school football in Texas," he said. "The question is, how faithful will they be to the book? And I can't know that until I see it."

The book is still a point of discussion among former players.

James "Boobie" Miles, a black running back featured in the book, said it was realistic in its descriptions of racism. But he said Odessa is much different now.

"At that point in time that's the way it was," said Miles, now working in the home renovation business. "Since then, this town has changed a lot because you live and you learn. You hear what I'm saying? I'm talking everyone. Blacks, Hispanics, whites."

And, there was also this little nugget:

Actors and crew members occupied 200 hotel rooms, ate hundreds of meals and bought plenty of goods. City officials estimate the three-week shoot brought $3.4 million into the economy.

Holy cow! That's a nice little chunk of change!

Oh, one more thing. Filming is supposed to start at the Astrodome in Houston Monday, March 29, 2004.

A "Thank You" from "FNL" Construction Dept.

Randy Severs, General Foreman of the "Friday Night Lights" Construction Department left a "Thank You" comment to the people of the Midland/Odessa:

I am the Gen.Forman in the Construction Department. I would just like to thank everyone in the Midland-Odessa area. It was a pleasure to work with all of you. We met a lot of nice people and felt welcome. Thank you again from the constuction Dept of "Friday Night Lights".

Find it following this entry.

Mr. Severs, thank you for your kind words. It has been a thrill for all of us. Come back soon and build a set for another movie!

He'll guess which Dictator or Television Sit-Com Character you are

Pick a dictator or tv sit-com character, and this neat little online detective will Guess the Dictator or Television Sit-Com Character if you will simply answer a few questions.

I guess that you are Montgomery c Burns from simpsons! Am I right?

Yes, you are.

I win again! You are player number 104 to have chosen Montgomery c Burns from simpsons. I knew you were Montgomery c Burns from simpsons from the start, but I strung you along for a while to make it seem more sporting. I hope that one day you will overcome the powerful sense of humiliation that you now feel. Until then, good luck.

Close enough. Actually, it's C. Montgomery Burns, not Montgomery C. Burns, but that's a minor quibble.

Via Extreme Web Surfs!.

John Kerry on 1971 "Dick Cavett Show" - rerun Sunday on C-SPAN

Where were you on June 30, 1971? John Kerry was a guest on the Dick Cavett Show. And, that show will be rerun Sunday, March 28, 2004, on C-SPAN at 6:30 p.m. EST. Link: C-SPAN schedule.

Here's the program description:

Road to the White House first features a brief interview with Dick Cavett and John O'Neill, now a Houston lawyer, regarding the program to be shown.

Next is featured ABC's June 30, 1971, "The Dick Cavett Show," during which John Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran turned war protestor, and a fellow Navy veteran, John O'Neill, debated the Vietnam War and America's policy towards Southeast Asia. Kerry represented Vietnam veterans opposed to the war, while O'Neill supported the U.S. policy in Vietnam.

Disclosure: I was against the Vietnam war at that time, and I didn't realize it until much later, but I was on the wrong side. By pulling out of Vietnam we condemned to death countless numbers of South Vietnamese. Is anyone else who opposed the Vietnam war haunted by that? And, just look at that country now. A country that was victorious against the U.S., and look where it got them.

So, here are some questions for Senator Kerry: "You were instrumental in the outcome of the Vietnam war. Are you satisfied with what happened in Vietnam following the U.S. withdrawal? Is the current state of Vietnam what you had envisioned? And, is that the same vision you have for Iraq?"

UPDATE 5/30/04: Here's a link to a transcript of that show.

Update - 8/14/04: An announcement on C-SPAN said that they are going to show it again today (8/14/04) at 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM Eastern.

"Friday Night Lights" - Newspaper roundup March 25, 2004

The Odessa American has been providing pretty good coverage of the making of the movie, and here's a roundup of some of their recent articles:

March 25 - Cliff Hamilton writes a profile of South Carolina native Lee Thompson Young, star of the Disney Channel's "The Famous Jett Jackson," who plays running back Chris Comer.

March 24 - Cliff Hamilton reports that actors Lee Thompson Young, Garrett Hedlund, Lucas Black and director Peter Berg participated with the present day Permian Panthers in an exhausting 59 minute off-season workout.

March 23 - David J. Lee provides a career review of photographer Robert Clark, a contract photographer for National Geographic, who took the photographs for the book and is taking photos for a "Friday Night Lights" movie poster.

March 20 - Cliff Hamilton writes about all of the media coverage of the making of the movie.

March 20 - Cliff Hamilton provides a profile of Jay Hernandez who plays tight end Brian Chavez. Mr. Hernandez has been in "The Rookie," "Torque", "Crazy/Beautiful" and "Joy Ride."

March 19 - Cliff Hamilton provides a profile of Roxie Rodriguez Norman, former Odessa High School mascot, who returned to Odessa to serve as a hairdresser for the movie. She has worked in "The Newton Boys," "Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams," "Bruce Almighty" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico."

March 19 - Cliff Hamilton produced a profile of "Friday Night Light" set paramedic Raigen Thornton who is a former Odessa Police Department officer and who has worked as a set paramedic on 29 big screen films and 24 tv movies.

Slow to load, but worth the wait

I understand that this webpage is loading much slower because of the new "Friday Night Lights" photos. Sorry. But, please be patient. It's worth the wait!

"Friday Night Lights" - First Hand Report!

This just in from "Friday Night Lights" on the scene correspondent, Teresa McMahan:

Friday Night Lights: Behind the Scenes
by TMcMahan
Copyright © 2004 Teresa McMahan

Filming "Friday Night Lights" last week was grueling. On the first day, arrival time was 2:30pm for those of us who had to do driving scenes. We filmed out by the "Cotton Patch Lounge" off of 61st and Golder for a few hours, then we moved to 1st and Hancock until near dark. The following picture is at the second location.

Derek Luke

Then, we had to move to Ratliff Stadium to film football scenes. We had to stay through the night until 6:30-7:00 am for all of the stadium scenes to be completed. Last week, the schedule ran from 4:30pm until 7:00am or longer. During the day, it was very warm, but at night and early in the morning, it got extremely cold, damp and windy. It is a good thing that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity because I think my life would be shortened considerably if I had to bear this schedule more than once in a lifetime. Nonetheless, it was worth it because I managed to have the opportunity to visit with some of the cast and crew and to see how movies are made.

It was interesting to see how they set up all the "dummies" for the stadium scenes. No, I don't mean those of us who were crazy enough to sit out at Ratliff through the cold, wet and windy nights! They had REAL blow up dummies. They were the same dummies used in filming the horse racing scenes in "Seabiscuit".

Dummies in the stands

Watching Peter Berg was also interesting. Being a director really does take a great deal of multi-tasking ability, concentration and lots of coffee!!

Peter Berg

Peter Berg

Just as in the general population, there seems to be good and bad individuals in the movie business also. Generally, however, there were not nearly as many ego-maniacs as I had expected.

Billy Bob Thornton still ranks at the top of the "good guy" list. Actually, the word "good" sincerely does not do him justice. He deserves top honors in every category. Besides being a terrific actor, he is genuinely a nice person. He is completely approachable and friendly. If he has an over-inflated ego, it certainly was never apparent to me or anyone else at the shoot. Between takes, he signed autographs, played football with the kids and took pictures with the fans. He genuinely seemed to appreciate his fans.

Billy Bob Thornton

It is really too bad that some of the other actors haven't mastered Billy Bob's style. They would certainly benefit from it in the long run.

Though none of the actors were out-right snobs, several were either obviously egotistical or very standoffish. Yet, others were fun and out-going.

Though Garrett Hedlund was not an extremely outgoing young man, he was always very pleasant and polite. When someone brought up the subject of hunting to him, it was easy to see him slip into his element. He was no longer the next Brad Pitt or Ben Affleck, but simply a kid who loves the outdoors and hunting.

Garrett Hedlund

He becomes much more laid back and likable. The transformation was nice to see. Hold on to that, Garrett, and you will go far!!

Nick Travis (Billy Bob's body double) with Garrett Hedlund

Jay Hernandez does not talk much to the older generations, but he is very open, fun-loving and friendly with the teenagers. During one break, Jay was attempting to learn how to balance one of the cheerleaders over his head. The other male cheerleader had made it look so easy that Jay didn't think he would have any problem with the maneuver. Unfortunately, Jay found out that it was much harder than it looked and almost dropped cheerleader Jaime Morris on her back.

Jay Hernandez and Jamie Morris

Jay Hernandez

Good thing for good spotters! By the way, Jay, just don't forget us "old" folks. We buy movie tickets too!!

Jay, Lee and Garrett all had great fun with the antics and it was entertaining for those in the stand as well. I feel sure Jay and Lee won over many new young fans.

Lee Thompson Young

Then there is Lee Thomas Young who played Jett Jackson on the Disney Channel. He is a great young man. He is openly friendly with all of the fans-young and old alike. He doesn't seem to be bogged down by an overactive ego either. He does a terrific acting job on camera and is very easy to talk to off camera. Hopefully, his career will go far.

Derek Luke has dropped off a great deal of weigh and spent countless hours buffing up for the lead role of Boobie Miles. He really looks terrific, but unfortunately, he apparently knows it. Unless you happen to get a picture of him that he likes the pose, the makeup and the hair, he isn't going to sign an autograph. He does have a couple of saving graces though. His wife, Sophia, is a true find, and he is lucky to have such a great person by his side. Second, the kid can act really well. When he doesn't want to sign autographs or let fans take pictures of him, she steps in and gently encourages him to cooperate. She is never pushy, but instead she leads him towards being a better person. They have been married since before he had his big break with "Antwone Fisher".

Derek Luke and Sophia

Derek Luke

Derek Luke and Peter Berg

Derek Luke

Connie Britton plays Gary Gaines' wife. She seems very sweet and is easy to talk to. She seemed so "normal" that many people did not realize that she was one of the stars until the cameras started rolling. The little girl, Morgan Farris, next to her in these pictures plays Gaines' daughter.

Connie Britton and Morgan Farris

Grover Coulson in the photo below plays L. V. Miles in the movie, but I didn't get much of an opportunity to visit with him. He was friendly when he passed us in the stands and didn't mind being asked for pictures or autographs.

Grover Coulson plays L. V. Miles

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw stayed on location quite a bit last week. They parked their bus and then let their girls ride their bikes around the bus. They seem like really good, doting parents.

Hill/McGraw Bus

Faith was very kind and obliging. She even said hello to my little brother on my cell phone. Nonetheless, she stayed pretty low key presumably because it was Tim's first movie and she didn't want to over-shadow him. Faith spent some time watching the filming of the movie with Tim, but spent most of her time with their girls.

Faith Hill

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw

Tim McGraw

Tim allowed pictures to be taken, but was reticent about giving out too many autographs. Faith was genuine, classy, kind and thoughtful. Tim, on the other hand, proceeded to tell dirty jokes in mixed company which shocked some of the ladies in the area. Of course, Faith and the girls weren't around, so I guess he thought it was okay to be disrespectful to all the other women around. Having been a long time fan of Tim's, his behavior was disappointing.

Peter Berg is still an enigma. One minute he can be so intense, and the next minute, he is tossing a football with his son. He strongly discourages people from approaching him by staying surrounded by law enforcement officials or studio executives.

Most of the crew was really great. My favorite was a young man named Jeremy. He directed all of the driving scenes. He was genuinely kind and patient. I enjoyed working with him. THANKS JEREMY!

Jeremy

Taylor was what I would have called "the master organizer". That was a huge job with all of the extras they were using. When things did begin to get disorganized, Taylor managed to pull it all back together.

Good Job TAYLOR!!

Another crew member who was great was a gentleman named Marvin. He was kind, considerate, polite and respectful. He was always helping extras figure out where they were supposed to be.

Thanks for your kindness MARVIN

The main cinematographer was Tobias Schliessler, a native of Germany. He was also very friendly. He didn't mind answering questions about his craft and he was very interesting.

Tobias Schliessler

The only person who was a real let down was one of the main assistant directors named David. He usually bordered on rude, but one time he jumped WAY over the line. Over the P.A. system, he asked all the extras to pick up their trash. That was fine, but what he said was "it is imperative that you pick up your own trash-that means IMPORTANT". (As if we didn't have a clue what imperative meant since we are all west Texas hillbillies.) Everyone was offended by his condescending tone and remark. It was clear that he thought all west Texans are completely illiterate. I guess there has to be one in every crowd.

David

In conclusion I would like to make a list of the best of the cast and crew. Billy Bob Thornton and his body double, Nick, were my favorites. Sophia (Derek Luke's wife) and Crystal (Billy Bob's secretary) rated right up there also. Sarah Aubrey was an executive producer and she was absolutely terrific. Many of us would like to have seen a more friendly side to Peter Berg, Tim McGraw, Derek Luke and the public relations director, Ernest. Oh well, it was still a wonderful experience. I do hope the movie turns out great!

Yes. We all hope it turns out great. Thanks for your input, Teresa. If you get tired of acting, you would do all right as a movie publicist!

Update. I've taken the liberty of making a few corrections in Ms. McMahan's text based on some comments that were left here. Specifically, Morgan Farris was identified as the young woman who plays coach Gaines' daughter. Nick Travis, Billy Bob Thornton's body double, was correctly identified. And Grover Coulson, who plays L. V. Miles, was identified by Mr. Travis. Thanks to everyone who helped out. And, if anyone else spots any errors please get in touch - we want to get it right!

Update, 4/5/04: A better picture of Jay Hernandez was substituted in place of the old one.

"Friday Night Lights" - Incoming!

On the scene correspondent Teresa McMahan has logged in with an article and a ton of photos. They'll be posted here as soon as some technical issues get worked out. So, check back later.

MHS Band and "Friday Night Lights"

Billy Bob Thornton meets the Dawg Band

The opposition fans were subdued.

Last week the Midland High School Bulldog Band performed for the filming of "Friday Night Light" at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa. And, they actually did some real acting - they portrayed the Marshall High School band. "MHS", nice fit!

David Taylor, the webmaster for the Midland High School Band, has posted roughly 80 photos taken at the set while they were there. Check it out, there are some other good ones there; the two above came from there. And, here's what Mr. Taylor said at the band website:

From the set of Friday Night Lights the Midland High School Band learns what it takes to be an extra in a major motion picture. From bright lights, 1000's of dummies and lots of waiting the MHS Band performs for the cameras and receives accolades from the director of Friday Night Lights Mr. Peter Berg. The band also was visited by Mr. Billy Bob Thornton. Several of the students got autographs from Mr. Thornton. This experience will be one not soon forgotten. It's not everyday you get to participate in the making of a movie and provide the music that goes with it.

Can't wait for the movie!

Filling the web page gap for "Friday Night Lights"

For many people blogs provide a means to rant. Or they might just be a way to make a private journal public. And, a few, like Sleepless in Midland, actually try to provide a service. Okay, I'll admit that just about everything I write about is something I'm interested in anyway. So, when others find something useful here then I feel like I've accomplished something.

As just about everyone knows, the movie "Friday Night Lights" is currently being filmed in Odessa, Texas. It has been very exiting for us locals, and it has been profitable for those local people who have been involved. The production staff has paid out a lot of money to various people and groups around town, and I've heard that some of those people whose real names were being used in the movie either have or will have received $10,000 payments. And, I've heard that a local high school band also received $10,000.

But, here's an area they neglected - a web page. I've used the search engines to try to find the official "Friday Night Lights" movie web page, and unless I overlooked it, it doesn't exist. So, with all of that money they had to spend, they neglected to buy a web page to use as a hub for information and contacts. And, there are some local page makers who could have handled the job quite nicely.

I've written quite a few items about the filming of the movie - click Friday Night Lights to see them. And, a lot of search engine users have landed on these pages looking for information about the movie. In fact, the other day I received an email from someone with an email suffix of a major Hollywood studio asking if this was the way to reach a named person who is instrumental with the movie. No, sorry. It isn't.

Like the seat fillers at the Academy Awards show, Sleepless in Midland has become a "Friday Night Lights" web page gap filler. A unofficial gap filler at least until an official site is up, but it's a gap filler glad to have the job. Hey, where's my $10,000? Just kidding. There's no pay in it for me - this is a labor of love.

Citizens on Patrol (COPs)

They patrol in their own vehicles. They buy their own gasoline. They can't carry weapons even if they have concealed handgun licenses. And yet, they patrol the streets of Midland assisting the Midland Police Department in watching for law breakers and searching for lost children and disoriented adults. They are Citizens on Patrol. They are COPS.

Among this group of stalwart volunteers in Midland is the legendary mother and daughter team of [names removed]. And, early Thursday morning, March 18, 2004, they added another credit to their reputation by helping to apprehend two burglars.

It was around 3:00 that morning near Treemont and Mark Lane on the west side of Midland they spotted three suspicious looking men on foot who got into a vehicle. The COPs team reported the license plate number to a dispatcher, and police officers were sent to try to locate the vehicle. And, while the police were looking the COPs team spotted the vehicle again and notified the police. When the police arrived at the vehicle the three men fled on foot, and two of the three were captured and arrested on various charges. The vehicle was searched and stolen property was found. Furthermore, property was recovered from approximately ten vehicle burglaries.

They're helping to keep the streets safe for the rest of us - what an accomplishment for those volunteers! Thanks! And get some sleep!

"Friday Night Lights" - A Lee Cheerleader reports

Rebel left a comment at the October 10, 2003, post titled "Friday Night Lights" the movie which I want to reproduce here and give it a post all of its own. These first hand observations really do give a taste of what it must be like on the set.

I couldn't help but find a hint of amusement upon reading "here we go again permian getting all the glory as usual"... being a student at their biggest rival school, Lee High, I can't help but relate to the underlying bitterness between the Rebels and the Panthers. In fact, the Rebs defeat the Panthers in the movie I believe... Just thought I would comment on that! As far as casting goes, my friends and I are in the movie! Peter Berg wanted "authentic" rivals to have an "authentic" scene. So when Peter asked UIL and our sponsor if he could use the actual lee varsity cheerleaders they happily obliged! We get to be the LHS cheerleaders from back in the day:-P, our football players don't get to run around on the feild and stuff, but they do get to suit-out and stand on the side lines. Our band's halftime show was recorded, as was MHS' band, and a lot of my other friends get to be in the stands! My sister's boyfriend is one of the players for Permian. It's so funny how in the stands, because Peter Berg didn't want to cast so many extras, there were blow-up dolls being used. TONS of fun being on-set but last Monday was fUh-REEEZING and nobody was prepared for that. I was on the set last night too till 2 in the morning *GAH*! but I know I would probably never get this chance again so Im totally trying to make the most of it. Lee Thompson Young is so SEXY he walked over to us on the track and started talking to all the girls on the squad haha. So did J.H. and Billy BoB! Tim McGraw and his kids are so cute!! They were telling us about how they were going to Music City Mall in Odessa the next day to go Ice skating haha. I was so nervous meeting them loll. Well I'm *OuT*! Peace Ya'LL;)

Can't wait for the movie! Thanks Rebel!

Spring break, Islam style.

Crowd Storms Restaurant Over Alcohol -

MANAMA (Reuters) - Some 100 Bahraini Islamists shouting "God is Greatest" stormed a French restaurant serving alcohol in the pro-Western Gulf Arab state and threatened diners with knives, witnesses said on Thursday.

One diner managed to wrest a knife away from the Islamists and stabbed one with it, causing him severe injuries, a witness said.

They said the assailants, opposed to the consumption of alcohol banned by Islam, also threw gasoline bombs at customers' cars parked outside the restaurant near the capital Manama late on Wednesday, damaging nine vehicles.

"Abound 100 young men, shouting Allahu Akbar (God is greatest), came to the restaurant carrying knives and shouted at the customers: Why do you drink?," Jahanshah Bakhtiar, owner of La Terrasse Restaurant, told Reuters.

"They were acting as if they had the right ideas and people should obey them," he said, adding that there were about 40 customers in the restaurant. [Source: Reuters via Yahoo News]

Kids these days. What are ya gonna do?

Sleaze Marketing - product placement in blogs

Anyone who has ever watched a "Seinfeld" episode was been bombarded with exposure to dozens of products strategically placed on the scene as a form of product placement advertising.

And there was another type of advertising I read about a few years ago which involved hiring people to mingle with strangers and somehow expose them to a new product. For example, a person at a crowded bar might say to someone about to place an order, "Would you order me a Zima?" Product exposure complete. (Of course, we can look around now for a Zima and suspect that the tactic didn't work all that well.)

So, now we find out that some people want to try to exploit blogs:

But we belong to this community because of our substantial knowledge in the field, our love of the ideas or genre, and our beliefs of ourselves as amateur experts. In any case, we're in good – albeit possibly annoying – company. It's become fun to find folks we would never have met, who we can immediately bond with.

But, others are using the blogging world for fame and gain – and we have no way of knowing the difference between opinions and sleaze.

SLEAZE MARKETING

I've just learned of a company that markets itself as an internet marketing company. It hires people who have expertise in a specific area – say, video games – and hires them out as net-based stealth marketers. Here is what they do: they insinuate themselves into a blogging or chat community. They hang out in the community until they become /trusted contributors and likeable personalities with some expertise. And then they 'mention' a product they've just 'tried'. They don't pitch it – oh no, that would be too obvious – they just mention it kindly with a bit of excitement. Just a bit. [Source: webpronews.com]

Well, I going on record right now saying I certainly won't engage in this practice. And, it's depressing to think that we now have to wonder whether another blogger is being paid to wax eloquently about some new product he/she has just used. So, if any blogger who sees this wants to try it, just remember that your credibility is your most important asset. And, if you do decide to try it then full disclosure is a MUST! But, after all, you are probably so eloquent that you can make a full disclosure and make the sale.

Via techdirt.

Firearm Safety Rules

Yesterday I wrote about the "Women on Target" program starting at Midland Shooters Association, and this may be a good excuse to repeat a set of gun safety rules - no matter how long we've been shooting, it never hurts to review the rules. 

Always keep the barrel pointed in a safe direction.
Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
When handling any firearm, always check to see whether it is loaded, and
If you don't know how to do that, ask the person who gave it to you, and
If they don't know how to do that, put it down.
Never point a firearm at anything you wouldn't want to shoot.
Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
"Gun control" should mean "hitting your target".

From the delightfully named WomanWithGuns.

Women on Target. Introductory shooting course for women.

The introductory shooting program for area women 18 years of age and older is on track for a session at the Midland Shooters Association Rifle/Pistol range Southeast of Midland, Texas.  It will be a three hour course beginning at 3:00 pm on Saturday, May 1, 2004.  And the objective will be to provide a thorough introduction to firearm safety, handling, care and shooting, with an emphasis on safety. 

There will probably be a second session, but the first one will involve shooting of .22 caliber handguns.   That low caliber was selected because it is light weight and has a very low recoil - ideal for beginning shooters. 

Anyone who wants to bring her own equipment is free to do so, but pistols and ammunition as well as eye and hearing protection will be provided.

Anyone interested should call Jerry Moritz at 683-1814 (W) or 694-8390 (H) on or before April 27.  And, an application form will be posted at the Midland Shooters Association web site, although it isn't up yet.  I'll update here when it becomes available there.  Instant update:  The Ready Line has a link to a PDF form, here.

Participants will meet on the day of the class in the club house at the Rifle/Pistol Range.  It's located Southeast of Midland just off of FM 1213 approximately four miles South of Highway 158 - call Jerry Moritz for details if you don't know where it is.

This looks like it will be a great program, and any woman interesting in learning how to shoot should definitely look into it.

On the scene: "Friday Night Lights"

Our on the scene movie corespondent and "Friday Night Lights" star Teresa McMahan has another role in the movie: STUNT DRIVER!

Her report:

"They did a driving scene where I drove a very large pick-up between 2 groups of people about 30 times. My brother was standing behind Peter Berg, so when I was finished I asked my brother what I was doing wrong--I couldn't figure out why they had me redo it so many times.

"Okay, a little background here. I drive a sports car and am terrified of driving "big" vehicles. The fact they had me driving that huge truck was bad enough, but driving it BETWEEN groups of people terrified me. They kept telling me to go faster and faster. I began to think maybe these people were a bit suicidal, but there again, they didn't know how utterly HORRIBLE I am at driving big vehicles.

"At one point my brother said they told everyone to move back a couple of inches so I could make it through them (remember, going about 40 miles per hour in a parking lot). His thought was "guys, that's my sister driving--I don't think a couple of inches is nearly enough". He moved back several feet for good measure...he's a smart man!! Good news though, I didn't kill anyone!! Anyway, my brother said that the reason they reshot the scene so many times was because they moved the camera a few feet each time they had me go by."

What a hoot! Thank goodness no-one was hurt! (Heh heh)

But wait. It isn't all fun. There's more:

"As for the last day of shooting (Wed), most of us spent from sunrise to sunset in the bleachers of Ratliff Stadium. My face now looks like I tried to play slip-n-slide on the bare asphalt thanks to a tremendous sunburn-ouch!!"

Ouch is right!

"I went yesterday to Midland where they had "wardrobe" fittings. That was pretty interesting too. I am supposed to even visit "hair and makeup" Monday after I pick up my "wardrobe". That just seems so absolutely strange to me!!! I am a pharmacist for goodness sake, so this is all so foreign (but great fun) for me."

Well okay, maybe it really is fun. Thanks Teresa! Keep 'em coming, we love it!

"Friday Night Lights" newspaper roundup 3/15/04

The Midland Reporter-Telegram's Georgia Temple reported on March 13 in the print addition and on March 15 in Mywesttexas.com that the film crew redecorated a locker room at Scharbauer Sports Complex to look like an Astrodome locker room:

"They moved in on March 1st, and they've transformed the home locker room at Grande Communications to be similar to the locker rooms at the Astrodome," said Nancy Swallow, facility manager for the Scharbauer Sports Complex. "They've laid carpet, put linoleum in the bathrooms. They've added paint.

"Every detail in my locker room has Astrodome on it," Swallow said. " And if you have ever been in the locker rooms, they're in a hallway. And they've put up a wall facade that makes it look like when they shoot out our double doors that they are in a hallway."

In reality, the Permian Panthers played Dallas Carter in the Class 5A state semifinal game at Austin's Texas Memorial Stadium, now called the Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. The Panthers lost 14 to 9. In the film, this game -- between Permian and Carter -- becomes the state championship played at the Astrodome. /cut/

"The Universal staff that I have been dealing with have been so wonderful to work with," Swallow said. "And this being our first movie shoot out there, they have set the standard pretty high."

When the filming is over at the Midland complex, everything will be put back as it was, Swallow said. "Everything they put in has got to come out. They have to return it to the city of Midland in the same fashion they received it."

The March 9 Odessa American provided some background on Boobie Miles:

It's been 10 years since James "Boobie" Miles stepped foot in Ratliff Stadium, "since little John Williams graduated," but being on the field still holds a powerful emotional sway for him.

"It still feels the same," Miles said. "It feels like magic. It gives you goose bumps.
"I'm thinking about all those 80-yarders and 60-yarders I used to run," he said. "Every time I come here, it brings back memories."

As long-time Mojo fans and readers of "Friday Night Lights" know, Miles' football career was effectively ended when his left knee was injured in a 1988 preseason scrimmage.
Miles had been the team's star player but was sent to the sidelines before the season even started.

After the injury, according to H.G. Bissinger's account of the 1988 Permian football season, Miles had become useless.

After graduation, Miles cut off his ties with Permian and the Mojo institution, but any resentment Miles had for his former team has faded.

It certainly was apparent Monday as he stood behind director Peter Berg's chair, watching his son, James III, give the "action" and "cut" commands through Berg's megaphone.

"You leave the past in the past," Miles said. "It doesn't bother me. You live and you learn."

Miles also said having a movie made about his high school exploits was exciting.
"It's every high school athlete's dream," he said. "We (the former players) never thought it would ever, ever come to something like this."

[Gossip: Passing along a little gossip, those people whose real names are being used in the movie are said to be receiving $10,000 each for that privilege!]

Various things around Odessa have been changed to reflect a 1988 look for the filming. The set director Carla Curry, formerly of Hobbs, NM, has tried to make everything in the movie look as realistic for the period as possible. Odessa American's OA Online of March 12 has more:

Set director Carla Curry said the changed gas signs at the 7-Eleven caused some confusion. "We did have one woman come in and ask why the price on the pumps [99 cents per gallon!] was different from the price on the sign," Curry said. As the film's set decorator, it's Curry's task to make sure the scenes are as authentic as possible.

For Curry, that meant sifting through period magazines and catalogs, Permian High School records and scrounging in area thrift shops for 1980s paraphernalia.

"We're trying to keep it as real as possible," Curry said. "Fortunately, Permian is pretty well documented. Their record keeping is pretty dead-on.

"Fortunately it's 1988, so things are still available," she said. Curry, a Hobbs, N.M. native, said her background helped as well.

"I grew up out in this part of the country so I wasn't totally ignorant," Curry said.

To make the film look authentic, the crew had to revamp local sets. At the 7-Eleven, that meant changing the gas prices, putting up 20-year-old cigarette ads and adding an old phone booth.

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

Basin Film Society & Desert Reel Film Festival

Here's a link to the new website of Basin Film Society, a local organization dedicated to encouraging film making in the Texas Permian Basin and Eastern New Mexico. Here's their stated purpose:

To Encourage Local (Permian Basin/Eastern New Mexico Area) Film making by providing the following:

1. A way to build the local Film making community,

2. A creative outlet for completed and work-in-progress films and screenplays, and

3. To support local film makers with contacts and other services facilitating the making of an independent film or television program.

We meet on the first Monday of each month at 6:00 pm at AV Workshop 1909 West Florida in Midland.

And, the organization is a co-sponsor of the upcoming Desert Reel Film Festival which will kick off on Thursday, April 29, 2004, with a panel discussion at the Advanced Technology Center in Midland with guests Kelley Baker ("Good Will Hunting", "Finding Forrester" and "To Die For"), Andrew Bowen ("The Haven," "Mad TV," and "JAG"), Sarah Bell (ABC News line producer) and John Alsavord.

And, the festival will continue with a showing at 7:15 p.m. April 30 of The Woman Chaser, which they say is for sophisticated filmgoers only, at the Ector Theatre. And, on May 1 at 7:00 p.m. there will be a showing of The Haven.

Well, it's a small step, but there has been a lot of excitement generated by the filming of Friday Night Lights in Odessa, and it's easy to get caught up in it. See you at the movies!

Fire from below

There was a well blowout near Carlsbad, NM, the other day. They are very rare, but when they do happen there's something both scary and fascinating about them - perhaps it's the similarity to volcanic eruptions.

About 3:45 p.m. Saturday, experts in capping wells burned off dangerous gas that has been emitting into the air from an oil drilling site in south Carlsbad since Thursday.

The red flare shone like a beacon as darkness set in, and local emergency services personnel prayed it would remain that way throughout the night.

"As long as it keeps burning, we know that the natural gas is burning off," said Liz Baggs, the city's emergency preparedness coordinator. "We are guardedly optimistic that people will be able to start returning to their homes sometime Sunday afternoon."

David Thompson, a well control specialist for the Houston-based company Cudd Well Control, said he was pleased with the flaring operation.

"It went perfect," he said. Source: Carlsbad Current-Argus

That picture above is the only one I could find through the search engines. I know, I know, you're saying "why didn't you just get off your comfy chair, drive to Carlsbad, and take the darn picture yourself?" Well, that's a reasonable suggestion. I really should move up into the 21st century, buy a digital camera and do a little bit more first hand reporting.

"Friday Night Lights" - 3/13/04 update

"Friday Night Lights" on-the-scenes movie correspondent Teresa McMahan has logged in with another report. She reports that Billy Bob Thornton gets rave reviews from the cast and crew, and everyone says he is a really nice guy. And, the younger actors seem to be approachable and nice, too.

She pointed out a few instances where the movie appears to deviate from the book. For example, in the book, and in real life, the Permian Panthers 1st string practice squad would wear black jerseys. And, the 2nd string on down would wear white. However, in the movie version the offensive practice squad wore the white jerseys, and the defense wore black.

The real life Permian player Boobie Miles sustained a knee injury in a practice scrimmage, and apparently upon his return he learned he was bumped down to the second string when he was issued a white jersey. So, we don't yet know how he will get the bad news in the movie version. Ms. McMahan reports that the real Boobie Miles has been on the set as well as the real Brian Chavez.

And she said that most of the era cars they plan to use are not in the greatest of shape when in reality the Permian players usually tooled around town in nice sets of wheels. So, we'll see how this comes across in the movie.

Anyway, thanks for the update Teresa. Keep 'em coming!

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

Computer Dirt

According to a University of Arizona study, there are more germs on our computer keyboards than on toilet seats.

The study recommends that office workstations be regularly disinfected since they can on average contain 400 times as many germs as a toilet seat, said Charles Gerba, a University of Arizona microbiologist.

According to the study, telephones harbored up to 25,127 germs per square inch, keyboards 3295 and computer mice 1676. The average office contains 20,961 germs per square inch. Source: The Mercury.

Ah CHOO!

Via Techdirt.

Today's Front Pages

Check out the front pages of 267 newspapers from 36 countries at the Newseum.

Chris Rock's former cell phone number given to new customer

I don't know whether this is real or a hoax - snopes.com is silent about it. But it certainly makes an amusing story. The writer relays how she got a new cell phone, and when it rang, people kept asking to speak to Chris Rock. And, she determined that the number she had been given was once actor/comedian Chris Rock's old phone number.

Here's a sample:

I went over to my phone, and saw a number starting with "310." Hmm... California... 10 p.m. my time/7 p.m. theirs... this could be another (you know what):

LAURA: Hello?

CALLER: Hi, is this Mallack?

LAURA: No, it's not... Who's this? [Note: I later did a Google search, and found out, not surprisingly, that "Malaak" is Chris' wife]

CALLER: It's Adam.

LAURA: Adam?

CALLER: [In a jovial manner] It's Adam Sandler!

LAURA: [Realizes instantly it was indeed Adam Sandler -- there's no mistaking that distinctive voice of his] Oh, hi!

ADAM: Hi!

LAURA: Hi! ...

You can read the whole thing at Laura's site.

Via Best Week Ever.