Sleepless in Midland

Unique Dream Houses (Photoshopped)

If you drop a penny from the roof it will cause a tsunami.

Check out the entrants in Bizarrchitecture 3.

Contest Rules: We've all dreamed of the perfect home - the unique and fabulous place we'd live if we ever won the lottery. In this contest, your task is to think of the most creative use possible for that endless home building budget- after all, money is no object when you've got Photoshop.

Via Bean Counter Daydreams.

World of Quotes

I've been looking for something like this off and on for quite a while. It's a database of quotes - 32,767, they claim. They are organized in almost 1,400 topics and are also searchable by author: World of Quotes.

Here's one of my favorites, from Mark Twain [paraphrased the way I remember it] :

A cat who sits down on a hot stove will never sit on a hot stove again. But, he will never sit down on a cold stove either.

Note: if you search by author be mindful that they are alphabetized by their first name, e.g., Mark Twain is found under "M". Go figure.

Via A Welsh View.

What was her motive?

Bob in Houston ran across an off topic question posted by febcomet at a stock market forum. Read the question, then determine what you think is the answer before reading the answer.

Here's the question:

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met this guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing, so much her dream guy she believed him to be just that! She fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister.

Question: What is her motive in killing her sister? Give this some thought and come up with an answer before you read any farther.

This was a test by a famous American Psychologist used to test if one has the same mentality as a killer. Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly.

Here's the answer:

She was hoping her dream guy would appear again at her sister's funeral.

Well, was that your answer? If so, please go turn yourself in at the nearest police station.

At Least They Cleared Out the Mice

Apparently, two cobras got loose in Dallas and were scaring residents at an condo complex. One was captured, but the other remains at large.

DALLAS -- Snake hunters have ramped up efforts to catch a sneaky cobra that's been hiding out and scaring some people at a North Dallas condominium complex.

Animal control officials two weeks ago captured a Suphan cobra at the Fleetwood Oaks Apartments in the 5200 block of Fleetwood Oaks Avenue. For more than a week, teams have been hunting for a second deadly snake believed to be living in the area.

Snake hunter Daryl Sprout says he will stay on the job until he finds the cobra.

Look first before reaching for the remote. Via Dave Barry's Blog.

Misplaced priorities in N. Korea

Apparently, it's a crime to deface a portrait of Kim Jong-il, even accidentally. So, while the trains were exploding last week, many of the victims were trying to rescue the portraits.

"Many people of the county evacuated portraits before searching after their family members or saving their household goods," [North Korea's official news agency] KCNA said in a report with a Ryongchon dateline.

"Upon hearing the sound of the heavy explosion on their way home for lunch, Choe Yong-il and Jon Tong-sik, workers of the county procurement shop, ran back to the shop," KCNA said.

"They were buried under the collapsing building to die a heroic death when they were trying to come out with portraits of President Kim Il-sung and leader Kim Jong-il," it said.

What a mess.

Women On Target - Enthusiastic Response!

The Women on Target program in Midland will have it's inaugural meeting on May 1, 2004 - this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. - at the Midland Shooters Association Rifle/Pistol Range club house.  Women represent the fastest growing demographic of new shooters, and the purpose of the Women on Target program is to help introduce women to the sport in an non-competitive setting with an emphasize on safety.

Yesterday, the organizers met to discuss it, and it's shaping up to be a pretty good program.  The main speaker will be Freddie Haltom who will be perfect for the job.  He's a great communicator, and he's a very experienced hand gun instructor.  The focus will be the safe handling of firearms.  And, following a lecture there will be some actual shooting of .22 caliber handguns.   Following the initial program on May 1 there will be one or two follow up sessions to use different types of firearms - the participants will assist in determining what the next session will entail. 

Jerry Moritz, a long time shooter, took the initiative to get the program started in Midland, arrange for a modest amount of publicity, and plan the event.  And, he reports that response so far has been tremendous.  He said that some of the women who have contacted him are experienced shooters who simply welcome the opportunity to meet other women who might be interested in the sport.  These programs have been very successful in other cities, and the participants usually go on to form their own groups to continue the sport. 

All equipment will be supplied.  However, participants may bring their own .22 caliber handgun, eye protection and hearing protection if they wish. 

If any area women wish to participate and haven't made contact yet they are encouraged to call Jerry Moritz at (432) 683-1814 as soon as possible.

Oh yeah, it's non-competitive.  No scores will be kept.  And, aside from the instructors and assistants, no men will be allowed.

Drum Role, please

Drummer Kirk Covington was in his hometown of Midland yesterday, and he gave an extraordinary demonstration and an insightful lecture to an audience of fans, music lovers, and young drummers.

When he played it was like watching a whirlwind of movement with both arms and both feet going at an astonishing speed. It takes a remarkable amount of coordination to do what he did with each limb doing something different. With just his feet he could probably out drum most people.

He had sticks with a pad on one end and a head on the other, and he'd just flip it over in a blink of an eye and drum with the other end. It was a remarkable demonstration. And the energy! You don't seem many large men expend that much energy and just keep going and going. He played hard for roughly 20 minutes, and by the time he had finished he had used just about every means of beating a drum that he had available to him, and about half of the sticks ended up on the floor.

Yamaha provided the drums, and he said the set he was using was a grade "B" set costing around between $600 and $700 and the type most likely used by a junior high school level player.

He appeared to be in his mid 40s, and he is currently working as a D. J. in L. A., which he said is "a good gig with full health benefits." He began drumming at the age of 12, and he attended the school formerly known as North Texas State University (now known as University of North Texas) and played in the acclaimed One O'Clock Lab Band. He said that he remained in Dallas for a while after graduating, but eventually moved to Los Angeles. You've either got to "go where it's at or be happy where you are" he advised the young ambitious drummers in the audience. Because, let's face it, people don't come to Midland for the music.

He also advised young drummers to tell prospective musical employers that they can sing as well as play drums. And if they can't sing, then tell them they sing backup, because anyone can sing backup.

He said this about a hypothetical musical career. "First, it's 'who's Kirk Covington?' Then it's 'get me Kirk Covington!' Then, it's 'get me a YOUNG Kirk Covington.' And, finally, it's 'who's Kirk Covington?'" Well, Mr. Covington, you'll certainly be remembered by the folks who saw you yesterday.

{Aside: That morning I was at the pistol range, and hearing protection is required equipment to prevent hearing loss. Mr. Covington's pounding of the skins produced almost as much sound as a pistol shot. Yet, no one was wearing hearing protection. I hate to sound like a ninny in the midst of so much enthusiasm, but any one who is a drummer and isn't deaf should probably consider some sort of hearing protection while playing.}

Here are some links for more information:

Click here for a biography of Kirk Covington.

Click here for additional info about Mr. Covington.

Click here for some photos of Mr. Covington.

To hear Mr. Covington and other well known drummers then you can find some individual sound files at Drummerworld.

"Friday Night Lights" needs extras for April 24 filming

The "Friday Night Lights" film crew is going to take some crowd shots Saturday night, April 24, 2004, and they still need extras at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa. The scheduled start time is 7:00 p.m. The contact person is Sally at (512) 845-3084, so if you want to participate and haven't called yet, then give her a call.

Participants need a social security number and an official picture ID or an I9 form certifying work eligibility. And they need to be at least 16 years of age, but their parents need not accompany them. And yes, you'll get paid!

This looks like it will be the last opportunity to work as an extra on the movie, so if you are the least bit interested then give it a shot.

Break a leg!

"The Simpsons" voice actors in salary dispute

Six actors who provide the voices for most of "The Simpsons" characters have failed to show up for work. They want more pay plus a profit participation. Eonline:

According to Yeardley Smith's agent, John Kelly, however, Fox's refusal to play ball with the actors is not just about money but is tantamount to a lack of acknowledgement of the actors' contributions to the wildly successful franchise.

No Yeardley, it's not the voices that made the show. It was the writers. Without good jokes, the show would have never seen a second season.

Chris Rock's cell phone number, update

The other day I wrote about the internet story by Laura who got a new cell phone, and the phone number happened to be Chris Rock's old number. Snopes.com still hasn't opined on it, so I'm assuming it's true.

Here's the first installment of the story telling how she got the phone and started getting calls from people, including Adam Sandler, who thought they were reaching Chris Rock.

Anyway, Laura has posted an update here where she tells of her experience of having been linked and talked about at Metafilter.com. And, she tells of some more calls from people looking for Chris Rock. It's a pretty good story, and it's told well. Check it out. Here's a sample:

I reached into my bag for my phone, and when I looked at the Caller ID, it displayed an area code I didn't recognize.

LAURA: Hello?

CALLER: Hi, is this Laura?

LAURA: [Surprised, didn't expect to hear this. Had assumed, as always lately with unrecognized numbers, that the caller was going to ask for "Chris," not "Laura."] Um, this is Laura....

CALLER: [Very enthusiastically] Hi! This is Gayle, Chris' mother-in-law. I read your story about getting Chris' old cell phone number, and I absolutely loved it! I thought it was one of the most hilarious things I'd ever read! I wanted to call you -- say hello, and tell you that -- and then I realized I already have your number!

LAURA: [Thrilled, amazed, so excited] Wow, that is so great! I am so glad you liked my story."

What a hoot! Check it out. And yes, there's finally a call from Chris Rock.

Drunk Goggles and Fatal Vision

Today at Midland High School a Midland police officer and a couple of volunteers conducted drunk driving experiments with around a hundred students. Except the students weren't really drunk, they just wore drunk goggles.

The goggles didn't make anyone drunk, they just distorted their vision so much that it made them walk and drive like drunks.

The "car" was a golf cart, and the course was a path lined with traffic cones. "My little orange children" is the way one of the volunteers referred to them. But, they were so resilient! You could run right over them and they just sprang back into shape. And, they did get run over!

The course consisted of a lane change, a couple of sharp turns, and a zig zag section and took just a few minutes to transit. But, slow and steady was the winning strategy.

The students seemed to have a pretty good time. In any group of a hundred people the full spectrum of personality types will be represented, and that was the case today. Some treated it as a game, and some took it very seriously. But, all of them tried to do well on the obstacle course. And, hopefully the lesson was learned that impaired driving can be very hazardous.

As for the volunteers, they were members of Citizens on Patrol, or COPS. And, anyone interested in becoming a COPS volunteer would need to attend a COPS class which is a six hour course over two days with the next one beginning on Tuesday, April 27. If interested, call 685-7582 for more details.

New Wal-Mart in Midland - One Step Closer

Midland Reporter-Telegram staff writer Mark Werpney reports that the Midland Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved zoning changes that would allow the building of a new Wal-Mart SuperCenter at the Northeast corner of I-20 and Rankin Highway in Midland, Texas. Link: MyWestTexas.com.

Assuming the City Council approves the project and construction proceeds as planned, the store could open in the first quarter of 2005. According to the report, the building will be 203,168 square feet which is roughly the same size as the existing Midland Wal-Mart SuperCenter which has square footage of 204,482.

This year Wal-Mart plans to open 50 new discount stores and more than 220 new SuperCenters, some of which will be existing stores moving to new locations, according to an April 17 article in The Economist titled "How Big Can It Grow?" Link: Economist Premium Content . Hopefully, the new Midland SuperCenter won't result in the closure of one somewhere else.

Sam Walton's business plan was based on the idea of getting savings from suppliers and passing it along to the customers thus gaining market share with prices lower than its competitors. So, the customers win, but the competitors have to adapt. It can cause some initial discomfort among the competitors, but in the long run, that's a good thing. Here's a very persuasive analogy from The Economist:

In the popular imagination, Wal-Mart ruthlessly exterminates the competition, especially local mom and pop retailers. Yet as [Darrell Rigby of Bain Consultancy] argues, Wal-mart is more than just a destructive force. "Wal-Mart is good for retailing in the same way that any good predator is good for an ecology," says Mr. Rigby. "Life works though struggle, and many retailers are better today because of Wal-Mart."

We all win. Here's more:

Shoppers make such big savings that economists credit Wal-Mart with driving down America's inflation rate.

Now, if only they could do something about those plastic bags blowing all over the place.

On the teevee

Thumbing through the Midland Reporter-Telegram's TV-Times for this week a few things of interest jump out. First up, today (Sunday) at 4:30 pm CDT on USA Network and again Monday at 1:30 pm is "Training Day" which is worth seeing if for no other reason than to see Denzel Washington portray the boss-from-Hell to beat all bosses-from-Hell.

Then at 7:00 pm tonight there's a new episode of "The Simpsons" on Fox in which Principal Skinner seeks Homer's help in winning back his fiance. Well, Homer is no Dear Abby, but I suspect his advice will be infinitely more entertaining.

Then at 8:00 tonight on PBS there's Masterpiece Theatre with part one of a two part feature of "Prime Suspect" with the always good Helen Mirren. Here's TV Times' sum-up: "Jane Tennison investigates the torture and murder of a Muslim Bosnian woman."

And also at 8:00 pm tonight is the next episode of "The Sopranos" on HBO. I no longer get HBO or any of the premium channels that require a cable box, and when I did, "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" were the only two programs I watched. But, the inconvenience of the cable converter box outweighed that enjoyment. Perhaps the new digital boxes are more convenient, I wouldn't know.

Skipping ahead to Thursday, "Tru Calling" is on at 7:00 pm on Fox. This is currently my favorite regular tv show. Tru works in a morgue, and the corpses come back to life just long enough to ask her for help. Her day rewinds, and she gets the opportunity to try to save their lives. I'm a sucker for these time travel type shows - don't ask me why, ask Dr. Freud, Phil, Brothers, I just don't know. Anyway, here's what TV Times says: "When Tru probes a male corpse with the same name as her female neighbor, she has trouble figuring out who is a victim and who is a criminal." Probes a male corpse? Sounds naughty, but I'm sure it isn't.

Also on Thursday Frontline on PBS is scheduled for 8:00 pm. Here's the write up:

The life of Abdurahman Khadr, who was raised to be an al-Qaida terrorist, but found himself working for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Is Frontline outing a CIA operative? If so, isn't that a crime? Some commentators said it was when Robert Novak outed Valarie Plame. But, somehow the media get let off the hook in these things.

And, finally we reach Saturday night. At 7:00 pm on ABC there's "Almost Famous", a delightful movie about a 15 year old boy who lands a gig writing about a band for Rolling Stone magazine. But, the kid himself is overshadowed by the women in the movie, particularly Kate Hudson as a cute, charming and very convincing band groupie with tons of street smarts and a soft heart, and Margaret McDormand who plays the kid's mom.

I'm not sure how well "Almost Famous" holds up for a second viewing, but "Dr. Strangelove", at 7:00 pm on TCM, holds up famously for a third or fourth viewing. What a wonderful satire. And what a cast of characters! There's George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson explaining that, well, yes, it was a mistake to develop a system which allowed one insane Air Force general to start a nuclear holocaust, but the whole program shouldn't be condemned just because of one mistake. A great movie!

By the way, all times are Central Daylight Time.

Halliburton - friend, not foe

Halliburton has become the favorite whipping boy of those who despise American corporations. Perhaps no other company has garnered as much unjustified negative attention in recent times. So the critics' silence lately is deafening. What shut them up? Six employees of a Halliburton subsidiary, Kellogg, Brown & Root, are missing and one is believed to have been kidnaped by hostiles near Baghdad. Four bodies were discovered near a shallow grave where the incident took place. CNN has a wrap-up and update of the hostage situation in Iraq.

The Sunday Herald says that Halliburton said "that about 30 staff and subcontractors working for its subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) have been killed in Iraq out of more than 24,000 staff and contractors who work for KBR in the Iraq-Kuwait region."

It's a tough and thankless job they do. The Houston Chronicle has a worthwhile article on the subject:

Those contracts to do billions of dollars worth of work to rebuild Iraq's energy sector and support the troops there no longer look like cozy arrangements, as the death toll stands at about 30 employees of Halliburton and its subcontractors, according to the company.

"The emphasis now is on the human tragedy, not any corporate tragedy," said Garth Jowett, a University of Houston communications professor. "People are just thinking that you can't make fun of Halliburton."

Coverage no longer plays up details like the company formerly being run by Vice President Dick Cheney, or the company's no-bid contract to rebuild oil production.

The change has been noticed inside the company.

In a show of support, more than 1,000 people have sent messages to the company Web site since Monday thanking and encouraging its employees in Iraq and Kuwait, spokeswoman Wendy Hall said.

"We have had plenty of equal-opportunity critics," she said in a prepared statement. "Our goal is to make sure that soldiers have food and everything they need to be more comfortable in a war zone."

Houston has had the advantage of being the staging area for employees headed to Iraq.

"We're the ones who see them as real people," Jowett said.

They are there trying to help the Iraqi people, so it's a tragedy if they can't all come back home.

"We are here to win."

Dr. Roberts at GruntDoc posts a letter home from some Marines in Iraq. Excerpt:

We are here to win.

The news looks grim from back in the States. We did take losses that, in our hearts, we will always live with. The men we lost were taken within the very opening minutes of the violence. They could not have foreseen the treachery of the enemy and they did not suffer. We can never replace these Marines and Sailors but they will fight on with us in spirit. We are not feeling sorry for ourselves nor do we fear what tomorrow will bring. The battalion has lived up to its reputation as Magnificent Bastards.

Yesterday made everyone here stronger and wiser; it will be a cold day in Hell before we are taken for granted again.

As John McCain says, "courage" is the willingness to sacrifice for a cause greater than yourself. We will be forever indebted to them.

Women on Target in Midland, coming up soon

A program for introducing women to the sport of shooting is on schedule for May 1, 2004, at 3:00 p.m.  An application was included in the Midland Shooters Association newsletter, and for a PDF form click Midland Shooters Association or  The Ready Line.  The form needs to be mailed by April 27.

Here's the official description of the program:

In only three hours you will receive a thorough introduction to firearm safety, handling, care and shooting skills with an emphasis on safety.  Beginning shooters are welcome.  Must be 18 years of age or older.

Where:  Midland Shooters Association Rifle/Pistol Range (click here for driving instructions)

When:  Saturday, May 1, 2004 at 3:00 pm

Cost:  Free to local residents

Equipment:  Pistols and ammunition will be provided free of charge or you can bring you own .22 caliber pistol or revolver.  Eye and ear protections will be provided, but you can bring your own.

Contact:  Jerry I. Moritz at 683-1814 (W) or 694-8390 (H)

It is said that women make up the fastest growing demographic of new shooters, so this is a program that will help women get started in the sport.  The National Rifle Association originally implemented the program, and here's what they say at their website:

Women On Target® is designed to create more hunting and shooting opportunities for women. There are currently about two million American women who hunt and an additional four million who enjoy target shooting. These numbers are steadily increasing.

Fulfilling its mission to "create opportunities, encourage, educate, and mentor women's responsible participation in the recreational shooting and hunting sports," Women On Target® is helping women learn shooting and hunting skills in a safe and supportive women-only atmosphere! In addition to exciting women-only hunts, Women On Target® also sponsors a series of instructional shoots.

It should be a very educational experience.  And, kudos to Jerry Moritz for getting this started!

Zucchi's, a restaurant review

The Odessa American said that Zucchi's was a popular hangout with the "Friday Night Lights" movie cast and crew. And, in most cases when a restaurant gets celebrity visits the proprietor mugs it up with the celebs, and the pictures get hung all over the walls.

I had lunch at Zucchi's Ristorante today to see what "Friday Night Lights" memorabilia might be on display. And, there was nothing. Maybe they're playing it safe and quietly waiting for the movie release to make sure they still want to be associated with it. But, as of today there is nothing on display. Oh well, I'll check back another time.

Hold on! Wait just a minute! Right there next to the door, you can see it just to the right of the exit. There's an autographed picture of Ernest Borgnine! Huh? Ernest Borgnine? Well, at least we know that they aren't completely immune to celebrity fever.

What does Ernest Borgnine have to do with Friday Night Lights? I don't know, but if you want to play the "six degrees of Keven Bacon" game, you can use Star Links to find a movie link between Mr. Borgnine and any of the cast member of FNL. (Hint: you can save some time by starting with Julius Tennon, who plays Coach James in FNL, to find the closest link.)

Oh yeah, the Chicken Carbonara with broccoli was quite good.

"Friday Night Lights" New Casting Call for Odessa shoot on 4/19/04

[UPDATE; 4-17-04 - The filming originally scheduled for April 19 has been rescheduled for April 24. ]

--------------
[Original post follows]

Friday Night Lights correspondent Teresa McMahan reports that the crew wants to shoot one more time in Odessa, on Monday, April 19. And, they need more extras! Here it is:

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!! Friday Night Lights filming crew is coming back!!!

Anyone who did not get a chance to be a part of the filming before the "Friday Night Lights" crew left Odessa has one more chance. They are in desperate need of extras on April 19th from 7:30 pm to sunrise. They are back in an attempt to capture more of the real west Texas football spirit. Evidently, they didn't feel that they had sufficiently captured that in earlier filmings.

"Friday Night Lights" casting requested for us to post the following information for all of the web readers: Anyone interested in working at Ratliff Stadium on the filming of "Friday Night Lights" is invited to call Sally at 512-220-6800. Filming will begin at 7:30 PM and continue until sunrise. If possible, please bring the following wardrobe changes: black and white/ maroon and white/ purple and gold/ and red, white and blue. Every attempt should be made to contact Sally before the end of the working day on Thursday to be sure that their name is put on the list. She will give you further instruction at that time. If you don't reach her by then, you can try to get on the list by calling 512-845-3084 from Friday on.

WARNING: Bring a very warm coat and blanket. It can get very cold and damp closer to sunrise. That comes from the voice of experience by someone who almost froze to death the first night!!!

Hope this helps. Y'all have fun...Teresa

Opportunity knocks TWICE! Thanks Teresa!

Tax Freedom Day

Today is Tax Freedom Day:

Tax Freedom Day Arrives April 11th in 2004, Earliest Since 1967

As reported on Fox News Channel and CNN, Tax Freedom Day® falls on April 11th in 2004, according to the Tax Foundation's annual calculation using the latest government data on income and taxes.

April 11th is the earliest Tax Freedom Day in 37 years. It is three days earlier than 2003's Tax Freedom Day of April 14 and an amazing 21 days earlier than in 2000, when the boom and bubble pushed tax burdens to a record high, and Tax Freedom Day was postponed until May 2.

Whew! Glad that's out of the way!

Are Glock handguns safe?

The local shooting range had a bookshelf loaded with old gun magazines (the paper kind), and it was interesting to look through them to see gun news from a couple of decades ago. 

One of the magazines addressed the transition of police departments from revolvers to semi-automatic handguns during the 1980s.  Today, I would guess that just about every police department in the U.S. has a semi-automatic as its official handgun.  And, I would also guess that Glock dominates as the manufacturer of police department handguns.  An aggressive marketing campaign probably had some effect.  "First they fired us, then they hired us"  reads an advertising poster drawing attention to Glock usage among police officers. 

Some Glock owners are very passionate about the brand, but I contend that there is something unsafe about them.  In particular, there is no manual safety, and there is no way to look at it and see whether there is a bullet in the chamber.  The Glock has a mechanism that prevents it from discharging unless the trigger is pulled, but with a very light trigger pull they are simply too easy to shoot.  As a handgun expert said at the local shooting range yesterday "Glocks are very good at what they were made for - shooting fast." 

In February 2002 there was an incident in Philadelphia in which a police officer took her handgun into her son's school during career day.  (Online article no longer available.)  Another child asked to see her handgun, so she removed the magazine and handed the gun to the child.  The child pulled the trigger and BAM!  There was a bullet in the chamber which discharged, but no one was seriously hurt.  And, yes it was a Glock.

By contrast, the Smith and Wesson semiautomatic handgun is supposed to have a built in safety mechanism that prevents it from shooting unless there is a magazine in place. 

And, right here in Midland, Texas, about a year ago a police officer accidentally discharged his handgun.  There was an article about it in the Midland Reporter-Telegram without the exact details of how it happened.  But, third hand reports indicated that the officer dropped the loaded gun, reached for it with both hands to try to catch it, and grabbing it with one hand he accidentally pulled the trigger discharging the bullet into his other hand.  Yes, it was a Glock.   

If you are a Glock user then you will no doubt point to something that each person could have done to prevent those accidents.  Well, yes.  Every accident is preventable.  As the handgun expert at the shooting range said that there are no "accidental discharges."  There are "negligent discharges." 

We all have a responsibility to use caution when handling a handgun,  But, with a Glock the user has to use EXTREME caution.   

So, as an exercise, just watch the news for items about accidental discharges of police officers' handguns.  They don't happen too often, but when they do you'll notice a trend.  Odds are it will have involved a Glock.

For more about Glocks and the safety issue see this article in the Detroit News which coins the phrase "Glock leg" referring to the injury resulting from a Glock fired before being fully withdrawn from a holster.  And, for a discussion of that article, see The Real Police Forum.

Updated 11/30/05.  See related items: Accidental police gun discharge - San Antonio and Glock handguns -- another accidental discharge.

"Friday Night Lights" filming in Houston

Billy Bob Thornton

There's an article in the Houston Chronicle about the movie that's worth a glance.

"He's like any coach," [Billy Bob] Thornton says while preparing in his trailer on a parking lot outside. "He's a nice guy but can be a hard guy. He cares about his players but is responsible for his family and can lose his job, so he's fighting for his life."

He's speaking of Gary Gaines who Thornton portrays in the movie. And the site has links to some audio clips of interviews with Peter Berg, Billy Bob Thornton and Jay Hernandez. Here's the actual quote from the audio clip of Billy Bob Thornton talking about Mr. Gaines' responsibilities as a high school football coach:

"This guy, like any of us, is responsible for his family, and he could lose his job any minute. So, winning becomes not only something you have a desire to try to do because you're a competitive person, but you're fighting for your life every day, 'cause in this town if you don't win they fire your a**. You know most people that I talked to say he was a real nice guy, so that's the way I'm playing him. I'm playing him as a guy who cares about his players, cares about the team, cares about his family, and uh, he's just out there to win. But, there's a part of this movie where, as much as he demanded from his players, there's a scene in this movie where he gives a speech at halftime of a championship game, that uh, it's sorta the equivalent of the Davy Crocket execution scene in 'The Alamo'. It kinda sews everything up pretty nicely."

Great link! Thanks to Bob in Houston for the heads-up.

What would we do without spell checkers?

I've become a dunce when it comes to spelling. I blame spell checkers. Here's a test that will answer the question How Well Can You Spell?

I have no idea how long it would have gone on - I quit at 30 (missed five). Good luck!

When Crocks Attack

Go for the eyes -

SYDNEY (Reuters) - A retired Australian crocodile hunter saved a young girl from the jaws of a 10-foot crocodile when he jumped on top of the man-eating reptile and gouged its eyes, local media said on Tuesday.

Eleven-year-old Hannah Thompson was swimming with other children in shallow water behind Ray Turner's charter boat in Margaret Bay in tropical Queensland state on Monday when the crocodile grabbed her by the arm.

In a scene to rival the cinematic drama of Paul Hogan's "Crocodile Dundee" or the antics of celebrity crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, Turner threw himself into the water the moment he heard screams and the shout "Crocodile!" from other passengers.

"I landed fair on its back and I got a finger in its left eye -- I missed the right eye -- but he got a fright and let go," Turner said.

"They will always let go when you go for an eye because it's their vulnerable point and their livelihood," he was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press.

/portions omitted/

"She received lacerations and puncture wounds to her arm, she was provided with medical assistance and then was medivaced to hospital," he told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.

Source: Rueters via Yahoo.

Product placement in Alabama statehouse

New law in Alabama- is it a law or is it a commercial?

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabamans now have something to toast: The state has an official whiskey.

The Alabama Senate voted 19-8 Tuesday to override Gov. Bob Riley's veto of a resolution making Conecuh Ridge Fine Alabama Whiskey the "official state spirit."

The Senate vote followed a similar override March 18 by the House. The two rare votes to reject the governor's veto make the designation of Conecuh Ridge official.

"It's going to be very good for us. It will give us publicity and bragging rights," said Kenny May, a Troy businessman who founded Conecuh Ridge, the "Alabama style" whiskey made with water from the state's Conecuh Ridge region.

The Republican governor vetoed the idea because he said Alabama has always reserved official designations for natural, historic or native items and has never given the designation to a commercial product.

/portions omitted/

The vote means the whiskey joins other official state symbols, including the yellowhammer state bird, the largemouth bass as official fresh water fish and the pecan as the nut.

Source: AP via Yahoo.

"Friday Night Light", film crew moving on...

"Friday Night Lights" correspondent Teresa McMahan checks in with a report about the final days of filming in Odessa:

Filming Moves On for Friday Night Lights
by TMcMahan
Copyright © 2004 Teresa McMahan

The filming crew of "Friday Night Lights" officially moved on to Houston on Saturday, March 27th to complete the filming of the movie. However, on Thursday March 25th, the drivers along Highway 18 between Monahans and Kermit might have thought they had seen the caravan leaving from Odessa to the Astrodome via Highway 18. Granted, Houston is east and this highway probably isn't the most direct path to Houston, but it looked good for the shots that the filming crew was taking.

The scene was supposed to be a caravan of the "Mojo," faithful following the football players' bus from Odessa to Houston.

We were supposed to report on the location at 1:30 pm, but as usual, we didn't start filming until after 5:30 pm. I was assured by casting that we would be finished by 6:30 pm, but fortunately, I had already learned my lesson about relying on their time table. Hollywood time and Texas time are in no way related. We finished a little before 10:00 pm. Of course, those times don't include the time spent driving to and from the location. If we had been told to take the Kermit Highway to Highway 18 and meet there, it wouldn't have been much of an effort to arrive safely and in one piece, but I decided that we were given the direction to the location of the shoot based on how the film crew had taken to find this location-Hollywood style. To truly appreciate these directions, you have to see them:

Take 42nd street to Hwy.. 302 and turn right; go 23.5 miles, then right past the Winkler County Line marker, turn left onto Hwy. 307 and go 8 miles (which, by the way, is a dirt road most of the way); then, when you hit Hwy. 404, go right (still a dirt road and, incidentally, right is the only way you can go, otherwise you end up in a pasture with a herd of cows) for 8.3 miles until you see a cattle guard on the right with the Friday Night Lights crew beside it.

I lost count of how many cattle guards I crossed over or went by, but thankfully, the crew was there and I didn't end up lost out in the middle of no where. Little did I know at that point, that Hwy. 18 was just a few more miles up the dirt road. I really thought that I was so far in the middle of nowhere that my cell phone would be useless when I got lost and ran out of gas. It was at that point that I understood why the casting folks told me to fill the car up with gas before I left Odessa. Silly me, I thought they were just being friendly. After miles and miles in a restored (once clean) Mustang, I arrived safely, and eventually, shooting began.

I must admit, they did capture the west Texas environment. This is the"parking lot" for this shoot:

And, of course, nothing but the best for the extras!! Here is the extras "housing":

But, in the end, I think it was all worth it. I discovered that the point of waiting so long to film was to get our west Texas sunsets and, I am pleased to say, the sights didn't let the film crew down:

So, that is how it all ended. I met so many great west Texas people and enjoyed getting to know several of them quite well. Sitting on the set for up to 16 hours per day gives people a great deal of time to get acquainted with each other. Meeting the stars was fun, but meeting many of my west Texas neighbors was much more interesting, rewarding and special than I could have ever guessed. So, even with all of the long, cold and wet hours, and the long, dusty and bumpy roads, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

So, no matter how the movie turns out, I know for me and many other people, it was a wonderful adventure.

Universal Logo

Friday Night Lights Logo

Lighting Truck (it really was brighter than normal at Ratliff)

Mock Practice sign made for Ratliff (no, they really practice at Permian, but for the movie, they had them practicing at Ratliff)

directions for all of us lost extras

directors'/actors' chairs

AND finally, my dogs, Lucy and Lacy, wondering if I had totally lost my mind coming in at daybreak!!

Thanks Teresa. This has been a wonderful experience. Don't forget all of us little people when they hand you the Oscar!

Road Notes

Texas is huge. A driver can make a thousand mile round trip without going anywhere near a state line. Anyway, I've just returned from a road trip, and I want to share a few things.

Texas hill country blue bonnets - The blue bonnet flowers bloom for a couple of weeks a year, and they are doing it right now. Some years are better than others, and a couple of years ago the conditions must have been absolutely perfect, because the flowers were so abundant that locals were saying it was the best they had seen in their life times. That year raised the bar, but an average year can still be quite spectacular.

Willow City is a tiny little community on Highway 16 about 20 miles Northeast of Fredricksburg. And, there's a private road that originates there called the "Willow City Loop" which has almost become a tourist attraction because it's always a nice place to see lots of blue bonnets. And, they were nice this year. However, at least along the highways I traveled, the roadside bluebonnets appeared to be most plentiful alongside Highway 71 on the stretch between Brady and Llano.

Thank you Lady Bird.

Movies in Austin - On screen one we have Mel Gibson's biblical rendition titled "The Passion of the Christ". And, on screen two we have another movie with a resurrection theme: "Dawn of the Dead." And on screen three we have a movie partly and loosely based on a religious reference: "Hellboy." Well, let me tell you about "Hellboy." The target audience seemed to be males aged 18 to 18-1/2. And the volume was so loud that it would make a rifle range seem like the inside of a public library. So, here's a prediction: Audiologists are going to make out like bandits in a few years when those kids start to experience the effects of all of that noise.

Traffic in Austin - Traffic in Austin is simply horrendous. Ranch Road 620 in Northwest Austin is a very busy roadway with speed limits ranging from 50 to 60 mph. But, what is so astonishing to me is to see bicyclists along the paved shoulder just a couple of feet from the traffic. There weren't as many there this time as there were last December - perhaps there's a high fatality rate.

Then there is I-35. That stretch between Austin and San Marcos is a driver's nightmare. That interstate is very popular with drivers of large trucks, and it isn't unusual to find yourself surrounded by 18 wheelers. It's a six lane road, and with three lanes going in one direction, the truckers seemed to like driving in the middle lane. I had to think about that a minute, but it actually makes a little bit of sense for them to do it that way.

Someone told me that there are more traffic deaths on I-35 between San Antonio and Austin - a distance of roughly 75 miles - than there are between Austin and Kansas City - a distance of roughly 700 miles.

I'm sure Nascar drivers have to devote more concentration to their driving in a race than the everyday drivers on I-35 do, but not by much.

South Texas - Off the Interstate and on the smaller highways from San Marcos to Beeville was a little less stressful. On the day we traversed that stretch of highway there were several cars going South each of which was towing two other cars. The cars in tow looked like clunkers, and one has to wonder what's going on. But they say dealers buy them at the car auctions in Dallas, tow them to the Rio Grande Valley, and sell them. Go figure.

the Greatest Generation - If you are still reading this, thanks for hanging in there, because we've finally reached our destination - a visit to relatives in Beeville. My aunt and uncle are of the World War II generation, the greatest generation, and it was a thrill to be able to visit with them. They regaled us with hilarious stories from the old days, including one about some old guy who simply would not use the indoor toilet - he had grown up using a privy, and by golly was going to keep on using it!

And, here's something I didn't realize. For a woman in the 1940s and 50s to have a well kept house she must iron the bed sheets. Huh? That's right. The sheets must be ironed.

And, the men's shirts needed starch, so what you did was cook up some starch, dunk the shirts in it while it's hot, wring the starch out of the shirts then roll all of the shirts up into a ball and let them sit awhile so that the starch will penetrate the entire shirt. That's gotta be good on the hands, right?

Anyway, it was a wonderful time. Thank you Uncle Marshall and Aunt Billie. It was a pleasure seeing you again, and I hope you've got many years ahead of you.