Happy Birthday Douglas

Brother number 3 is 41 years old today. That's him at the reins about 36 years ago. Even then he thought he was cool. As I remember that pony was the meanest thing on the farm.

Doobie Machines

Prescription vending machines are (PVM's) are like any other vending machine except they are within and maintained by the establishment responsible for selling the prescriptions.

Now the city of Los Angeles California has medical centers that offer marijuana in these vending machines. The intent is to make the pain inhibitor available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The police plan to pay close attention to the legality as pertains to the suppliers and the patrons.

An employee of a city medical center, named for the expansive philosopher-psychologist Timothy Leary said...

It helps a lot of patients who are in a lot of pain and don't want to wait around to get help, it's been working out great.

Leave it to California to further blur the line of drug control. The state's approach to drug policy has been a thinly veiled attack aimed at overall decriminalization. The Timothy Leary Medical Dispensary may be legitimate, but on its face that is doubtful, Leary was an advocate for the use of psychedelic drugs, and coined the phrase..

Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out

That marijuana is needed by patients I do not doubt, the infirmed should be able to obtain this but only with due diligence. Making marijuana available in vending machines is a method designed to help the dishonest from having to show their embarrassed lying faces to a doctor or pharmacist. Shame on legislatures of California for letting this happen.

Faat Baastid Endorses Obama

The election season is running full blast now.
I am not the biggest fan of Kevin Siers' art, but the Kennedy thing is too funny not to share.

Stranger Than Fiction

The envelope sat on the counter for almost a week. Then my wife and I decided to go ahead and watch the movie Stranger Than Fiction. We sailed through the first 24 scenes of the 28 scene movie and then because of damage to the disc, could go no further. A complaint at the website and viola two days later the bride and I get to see the last 4 scenes.
This is story Mr. Harold Crick, an IRS auditor with a life run by the precision and comfortable predictability of numbers. The story is being narrated by the author of the story, of whom Mr. Crick unbelievably becomes aware. In short time the narrator lets slip into the story, the agent's impending death. Hearing his life's narration in his mind is pretty upsetting to Harold.
The characters are:

• Harold Crick, the main character is played by Will Ferrell, he of Saturday Night Live fame and considerable physical comedic ability. Ferrell plays the part with a control that fits the character, who is pretty much a dullard that blooms.
• Karen Eiffel, the author is played by Emma Thompson, a woman that is struggling with her creative sanity. Thompson is good both in your ear and in person.
• Ana Pascal, this is a baker that Crick is auditing, she is a Harvard Law dropout and mother earth type woman. Harold falls in love with this character plaed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
• Professor Jules Hilbert is played Dustin Hoffman, a literature teacher at a local college. Hilbert become Crick's guide to finding the voice in his head, the narrator.
• Dr. Cayly, is with us briefly but I note here because he is played by one of my favorite actors, Tom Hulce. Dominick and Eugene which he did with Ray Liotta is the brother's movie of all time.
• Penny Escher is played by Queen Latifa, a kindhearted author's assistant, assigned to help Eiffel finish her book.

By learning his fate, Crick finds the author and pleads his case for life. They learn that actions only occur to Harold as they are being typed. Eiffel gives the rest of the story with the outline for the ending written. Harold reads the story learning that he dies saving a little boy from being hit by a bus. After deep consideration Harold accepts that this is his destiny and moves to complete his journey. Eiffel, having met her character, has painful misgivings about killing him. Harold does, as written, steps in front of the bus and saves the boy. Eiffel changes her mind, and Harold wakes up in the hospital, tended by his new love.

Score 32 of 50 A very sweet underlying thread about the goodness in people. I recommend watching.

Character Development 7 out of 10. The main character evolves from a robotic tax man to a man willing to give his live for a child, to serve what is right.

Acting 7 out of 10. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are both good. Will Ferrell is surprisingly controlled.

Photography, cinematography 5 of 10. Intentionally stark, there are some oddities with feet, if you pay attention. I suspect that the intention is to make clear that all of the story is in the personalities not the surroundings.

Writing, script 5 out of 10. Entertaining, and not at all what I expected. The writing in the beginning did not make clear if the movie was going to develop as an all out comedy or as something more intelligent.

Concept 8 out of 10. Farcical yes but true to the original premise.

I think the writer has some obsession with mathematics, when writing this I noticed that many of the character's names had coincidences in mathematical history:

• Blaise Pascal was a 17th century French philosopher, mathematician who created a geometric arrangement of the binomial coefficients in a triangle. It is for him that the metric unit of pressure equal to one newton per square meter was named.
• Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth was a Swiss scientist, civil engineer and politician and M.C. Escher was the artist that created those interesting pictures of misaligned stairwells.
• David Hilbert was a mathematician that developed the Hilbert Transform, which oddly enough is some that I use professionally in vibration analysis.
• Gustave Eiffel was the structural engineer that designed the Eiffel Tower.
• Gösta Mittag-Leffler was a famous Swedish mathematician.
• Arthur Cayley was a 19th century British mathematician. He proved that every square matrix is a root of its own characteristic polynomial, this is called the Cayley-Hamilton Theorem. This is close, I think the writer made a spelling mistake.

Valentine's Day Suggestion

Received this email today, pitching a pink iPod as a Valentines Day gift for my significant other.

Yes, nothing says love like a present that requires batteries and has to be put in to be enjoyed.

I do not buy anything electric for my wife unless she specifically asks and points at it. Even then its a risk.

When it comes to Apple products, I have to admit that last Christmas I received a Shuffle and have enjoyed it immensely. But, something about the company and Steve Jobs just makes me want to scream. When the Mcintosh came out it was a good product, ahead of its time really, but because it had a private operating system, there wasn't any decent software to to run on it in business. As an engineer, Apple products were a complete waste of money. Now I have to watch those godamned smug ass Apple commercials on television, with the guy from the last Die Hard movie, posing as intelligent and cool, while the PC fella is some kind of duffous. Well in real life, Steve Jobs you fucking asshole, the PC people were earning money for their businesses. All while the artistic Apple people were making pretty pictures and writing poems for their blue state villagers.

Boy that went left on me.

Dad is Home

Her mom waited until Dad got home so they could open the rest of Natalie's gifts.

I am glad this was saved for Ricky to share.

Dino Paul Crocetti

A tenth grade dropout who began his professional career as a boxer named "Kid Crocett" (playfully pronounced Kro-Shey). He started his entertainment career as a singer working for the Ernie McKay Orchestra, where he crooned in a style similar to Bing Crosby.
After serving domestically in the Army during WWII, Dino met Jerry Lewis while they were both performing at New York City's Glass Hat Club.
Yes, Dino Paul Crocetti was also known as Dean Martin.
The partnership between Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis started in 1946 and lasted ten years.
In 1957 Martin moved into his solo career as an actor, starting with "The Young Lions" which included Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift and Tony Randle. Many other memorable roles were in "The Sons of Katie Elder", and "Rio Bravo" both with John Wayne and in "Ocean's Eleven" with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Perter Lawford.
Martin's singing career continued throughout, this a sample of some of his best known work:

• Return To Me (Ritorna a Me)


• Everybody Loves Somebody


• Gentle On My


• Release Me


• In Napoli


• Standin On The Corner


• That's Amore

I have to admit, the work of this man is some of my favorite. The music is includes plenty of work that you would hear in any restaurant of Little Italy. This was the music of my parents and grandparents, it made a positive subconscious impression. Anyhow, my wife and I love it, it was made for Umberto's. The movies he did were best when he had the opportunity to play relaxed, if not devilish personalities, it fit the man.

Got Libertarian?

Go to this site if you would like get an appraisal

Let's Hope They Don't Succeed

Monday's Atlanta Urinal Constipation had this story title in the business section.

State officials travel to China to sell Georgia

My wife says.....

Our Georgia?

Of course this is just a poor choice of words. The state officials were attempting to Georgia products and skills. But the officials didn't help, Kenneth Stewart, commissioner of the state's Department of Economic Development, said:

Our goal is to sell Georgia

If they do succeed, let's hope the folks from Beijing put us near some fresh water.

Here Is My Card

Found this at the Jewish World Review.

Michael Ramirez won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994.

I like his work, first because of its artistic flair and second because his cartoons usually cut both ways. In this case, it could be looked at as the ACLU making a secretive proposition in a morally deficient situation, or with the absence of a person in the picture saying we, the ACLU, are here prepared to protect your privacy.

Years ago I sent a donation to the ACLU because their official goals are honorable. In 1999, I received requests for donations needed to promote the defeat of George W. Bush in his first race for President. Before Bush was elected, this was a clear indicator that the ACLU was aligned with the Democratic Party. Considering that their purported goal is to protect the civil rights of citizens, how could this organization take a position on a man that had not performed a single act as President. The ACLU was projecting its primary member's politics without regard for anything resembling civil rights. I am embarrassed that I ever gave money to these dishonest, deconstructionists. Now, every December, I send the the ACLU a Christmas card.

ACLU
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY
10004

The cards have not come back so the address must be correct.

There He Stood

Like a stone wall.
On 21-January-1824, Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born. Today he would be 184 years old.
The nickname Stonewall came from Confederate Brigadier General Barnard Elliot Bee, Jr., during an attempt to rally his troops.
A deeply religious man possessing many idiosyncrasies. He was a graduate of West Point and was Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Instructor of Artillery at VMI when the Civil War started. Proof of his conviction is in the following quotation:

My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.

On May 2, 1863 Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot in the and immediately had the left arm amputated. Eight days later he died of pneumonia. When he heard that Jackson had died Robert E. Lee told his cook:

William, I have lost my right arm and I'm bleeding at the heart.

• Besides being the holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama continue as the only states to honor the birthday of Robert E. Lee as a holiday.

Alfalfa Got Shot

As Buckwheat might have said.

This Monday, will be the 49th anniversary of the death of Carl Switzer. On January 21, 1959 the former child star of the "Our Gang" comedy films was killed in an argument over $50.00. He was 31 years old.

Switzer worked in entertainment after the Hal Roach classics, appearing in The Courage of Lassie, I Love You Again, It's a Wonderful Life, and Island in the Sky with John Wayne. His last work was for the television version of The Defiant Ones, just a year before his death.

Outside of acting Switzer bred hunting dogs and served as a guide for hunting expeditions. This, combined with his well known temper, led to his demise. The fight which cost him his life started over an argument about one of his dogs.

The Devil Wears Prada

Every now and then I pick a movie that my wife might like. The Devil Wears Prada seemed mike a good choice, but I should have asked she had already rented the same from Blockbuster months ago. In and effort to get my money's worth I went ahead and viewed this comedic fashion drama based on Lauren Weisberger's best selling book.

Meryl Streep plays the devil in the form of Miranda, tyrant of the fashion magazine Runway.
Anne Hathaway plays the small town girl Andrea, with good sense and moral values to boot.
Stanley Tucci plays Nigel the talented fashion editor for the magazine.

The plot is simple enough, Andrea comes to New York fresh from graduation at Northwestern University. The mid western girl obtains a job as an assistant to the notoriously demending Miranda. At firsts the job is overwhelming for the simple girl but Nigel convinces her to embrace the industry and Andrea is off to the races. Before long Andrea has undergone a transformation into a beautiful cosmopolitan and wins over the confidence of Miranda. Eventually the morally corrupt Miranda is seen as such by the self controlled Andrea, she chucks the career as an assistant and finally gets a job as the investigative journalist she always wanted to be.

Score 23 of 50
Surprising, I enjoyed this movie, soon enough it will be on TBS, scheduled right after Pretty Woman and Miss Congeniality. Surprising yes, but also forgettable.

• Character Development 5 out of 10. Miranda is is the same throughout, but that was really the point anyway. Andrea does transform for from simple country girl to cosmopolitan and returns to her sensible self.
• Acting 7 out of 10. Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are skilled actors that are always enjoyable to watch. Every time I even think of Kramer vs. Kramer I get pissed off at her. Anne Hathaway, can't make up my mind, have seen her in a couple of movies and she seem like the same girl, kind of a naive Sela Ward.
• Photography, cinematography 2 of 10. For a movie about fashion there wasn't even much of that.
• Writing, script 4 out of 10. Very entertaining, and predictable.
• Concept 5 out of 10. This is supposed to be based on real life, no special credit for that.

Songwriter Producer Passes

Clyde Otis was born in Prentice Mississippi in the year 1924.

Introduced to the music business by the writer of the famous song Route 66, Bobby Troup.

Otis joined the staff of Mercury Records in 1958, and amongst his earliest work produced and penned songs for Brook Benton. Later Mr. Otis worked Dinah Washington on "What a Difference a Day Makes", Sarah Vaughn on "Broken-Hearted Melody" and The Diamonds on "The Stroll".

After leaving Mercury and passing through a period with Liberty Records, Otis started his own label called the Clyde Otis Music Group, based in Nashville. With his own label Mr. Otis worked with and wrote for Bobby Darin, Charlie Rich, Sonny James, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis and Patti Page.

In 1994, Natalie Cole, whose recording of Otis's “Take a Look” won the Grammy Award for best jazz vocal.

For 40 years Mr. Otis lived in the East Hill section Englewood New, across the street from home of his friend, Dizzy Gillespie.

Clyde Otis died 10 days ago, at the age of 83.

Richard Zehringer

Best known as the lead guitarist that sang "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo".
Lesser known as the performer that sang the McCoys' number 1 hit "Hang on Sloopy".
Also known as Rick Derringer.
In his long and continuing career Derringer has played with the McCoys, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Cindi Lauper, Kiss and Steely Dan. The Steely Dan song "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", from the album Pretzel Logic, is about a conversation with Rick.

• In 1973, my grandmother Issie gave me three 45 records for my birthday. The singles were Zehringer's "Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo", "Top of the World" by the Carpenters and "Hooked on a Feeling" the ooka shaka version of the BJ Thomas song sung by Jonathan King. Those three records probably cost less than $3.00, and required a special trip for a woman that could barely dirve. It is nice to be able to remember this. Wish I still had the records.

Hillary Bobblehead

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Yankee Apology

On this January 3rd, New Jersey became the first state north of the Mason-Dixon line to proclaim its official regret for perpetuating the institution of slavery.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 270.
This concurrent resolution issues a formal apology on behalf of the State of New Jersey for its role in sustaining and perpetuating the institution of slavery, and expresses the State's deepest sympathies and profound regrets to the thousands of slaves and the descendants of those enslaved, who were denied life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness while in bondage.
In tracing the history of slavery and its legacy of inequality from the founding of the Republic to the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 60s, the concurrent resolution acknowledges the injustices, the broken promises and the blank checks that have never come to fruition. It calls upon the residents of this State to learn about and gain a deeper understanding of the history of slavery, the legacy of de facto and de jure segregation, and the existence of modern day slavery to ensure that these tragedies will not be forgotten and will not be repeated.

• The push is on again this year, the Georgia NAACP's list of 2008 goals includes the extraction of an official apology from the state for its participation in and defense of slavery.
• On this topic our governor has already spoken and proclaimed his resistance. The lack of an achievable goal will not deter the annual complaint that has no purpose other than to perpetuate the myth that blacks deserve pity from the citizens. Pity that takes form as government pandering and vote purchasing.
• New Jersey apologizing for slavery was well intentioned, possibly having an objective of increasing pressure on southern states to apologize.
• Through the period of creation of the Constitution, there were slave owners in the state of New Jersey. This is not mentioned in the apology, because it lacks a connection to historical fact. This is not an apology at all, it is a statement of empathy. At the creation of of our nation, New Jersey became part of the greater world community that rejected slavery. During the Civil War, thousands of the state's citizens died maintaining the union and in part, abolition of slavery. Where is the appreciation for those acts of sacrifice?
• What New Jersey should be apologizing for is for being the nastiest state on the east coast.
• February is coming, time to get ready for Black History Month.

An Old Favorite

Starting during my days at Georgia Tech and up to the time that my son started playing baseball, Moe's and Joe's was one of my favorite watering holes. This is where David Allen Coe and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer carved out their nostalgic place in my heart.

The waiter, Horace, wore a traditional red waiter's waist coat, and served pitchers of "The Finest". An old man then, I am sure that this gentleman has either retired or passed on. For the business's sake the owners might have liked it better if Horace could add.

Located at the intersection of Virginia and Highland, I am dismayed that the crappy little place, Taco Mac, across the intersection has franchised while Moe's and Joe's has remained virtually unchanged. That is probably a good thing.

Benin Republic Bucks

From: chrisolis100@zipmail.com.br
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: GOOD NEWS TO YOU
Date: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 9:58:53
Dear Friend,
I have been waiting for you since to come down here and pick your Bank Draft of $1,500.000 US Dollars but did not heard from you since that time. Then I went and deposited the Draft with KAJADI COURIER COMPANY here in Benin Republic, because travelled to Paraguay to see my boss and will not come back till next month end. I want You to contact the KAJADI COURIER COMPANY BENIN REPUBLIC to know when they will deliver your package and send your information to them such as;

Name: ============================
AGE:==============================
OCCUPATION: =====================
ADDRESS: =========================
MOBILE NO.:========================
SEX: ============================
COUNTRY=============

PICTURE=================================

I have paid for the delivery charges and insurance fee. The only money you have to send to them is their security keeping fee which is $106.00 US Dollars to received your package. This is their Contact Address,
CONTACT PERSON; DR, DON WILLIAMS.
DIRECTOR KAJADI COURIER COMPANY BENIN REPUBLIC.
EMAIL: (k_diplomaticcouriercompany01@yahoo.fr)
PHONE +229-930-85-220.
Try to contact them as soon as possible to avoid increasing the security keeping fee. I gave them your delivery information but you have to reconfirm it to them again to avoid any mistake on the transferring. In addition the Kajadi Courier Company doesn't know content of this package. So let me know immediately you receive your Draft.
Regards,
Mr. Chris Olis

• Good news for me, all these people want me to pick up easy money.
• After not so deep thought, I think that we can solve all of the starvation in Africa or South America, or where ever the hell it is. All they need to do clean out all of these screwed up banks and use the money to buy some food, maybe some clean clothes. So much money sitting around waiting for the needy to collect.
• As poor as my writing is, you would think that if you are trying to con someone into trusting you, you would make a lot of effort to create a polished and convincing hook. These thieving bastards are in such a hurry to steal that they do not even run spell check.

YA Hoo

There is no correct spelling. The first part is pronounced with a long A sound, like the word day. The second part is pronounced like the word who. This should not be confused with the universal expression "yeah hoo", an exclamation of happiness or excitement.

YA Hoo is a derogatory term used in southern speech to identify a dumb assed person. Here is a good example of a man that could safely be called a YA Hoo.

A Kansas man found out that giving a police officer a “wet willie” after his arrest for public intoxication was not such a good idea. 38-year-old Louis Perales picked up an additional charge of assault and battery on an officer after he put his finger in his mouth and then stuck it in the officer’s ear.

Not dissimilar, found that the word ya'hoo was used in Jonathan Swift's book "Gulliver's Travels" to describe a very ill-mannered person. The Yahoos have human forms and vicious tendencies. In this story the Yahoos are subject to the Houyhnhnms, horses that possess human reason.

Get Out and Push

After the Christmas pitch showing Hitlery wrapping up packages of every potential handout known to a liberal, this is a well timed cartoon. Must give credit to Gary Brookins of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Leathal Injection Inhumane?

The US Supreme Courts is about to consider whether or not lethal injection would be a humane way to speed the departure of convicted murderers.

On Monday the high court will begin deliberations on Kentucky planned executions. Ralph Baze shot a sheriff and his deputy in the back killing both for trying to serve a warrant. Thomas Bowling killed a married couple in front of their two year old child. These men are arguing that lethal injections cause "deceptively painful deaths", thus infringing on the the convicts 8th ammendment rights.

In the past the court has declared that the 8th ammendment prohibits unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain. This case could boil down to Justice Kennedy, who in 2005 wrote a 5-4 opinion banning the executions of juvenile offenders.

Capital punishment is applied in 36, all but one of which, Nebraska, use lethal injection. Seventeen states, including Texas, Florida and Idaho, have offered briefs supporting the Kentucky's position. The most commeon lethal injection method was first applied in Oklahoma in 1977. These include three shots applied in succession, the first is pancuronium bromide which eliminates convulsions and thus provides a dignified death to the inmate and execution, the next two complete the objective.

• The past decision by the Supreme Court, applying the 8th Ammendment, therefore judgement on manners of execution was incorrect and has led to what amounts to a continuous federal interference with states rights.


• There are problems with with convictions, as we have seen with where DNA has exonerated wrongly convicted persons. This is often an argument for avoiding capital punishment, but I do not see it. Captital punishment is not haphazardly applied, juries struggle with the guilt issue then judges are bound by rules set forth by their states.


• Punishment should be a reflection of the crime, and guilt is decided by a jury of citizens. Biblical passages suggest punishment that is proportional. If proportion is acheived, why is the amount of pain an issue? And, for the convicted, wouldn't fear of the execution have the most impact on the convicted?

Spencer's Mountain

This is a movie that I've seen a couple of times on network television. DVD viewing in the as-created movie screen format, shows the Jackson Hole region as breathtaking in its pristine condition. Created from the works Earl Hamner Jr., a writer who as the oldest of 8 children grew up in the small mountain town of Schuyler Virginia. The novel, Spencer's Mountain, is based largely on his own childhood, became a best seller in the 1950s.

The same story led to the creation of the novella "The Homecoming" which in turn was the source for a television movie and the long running television show, "The Waltons". The phrase, "John-Boy, John-Boy, shoot that turkey", captured the essence of strong parental leadership that is indicative of Hamner's work.

The movie is a Warner Brothers production, released in 1963, written, produced and drirect by Delmer Daves. The father, Clay Spencer, played by Henry Fonda, was perfect as the roughneck quarry man with guided by his own good sense and belief in his own form of god. The mother, Olivia, was played by Maureen O'Hara, a beautiful redhead god fearing woman who wished only for her families happiness and achievement. The oldest boy, known as Clayboy was played by James MacArthur, who was seen in the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" and "Hawaii Five-O" as Dan-O. Other actors included were Wally Cox as the new pastor, and Veronica Cartwright as the oldest daughter, and Kym Karath as Patti-Cake the youngest daughter. Both Cartwright and Karath were together in the 1965 classic the "The Sound of Music".

Score 42 of 50. The Christian Science Monitor, at the time described the movie as a "marshmallow version of Tobacco Road". That seems a cruel description but then I guess all poor family stories have similarities. If you like movies that make you smile and cry, rent it.

• Character Development 6 out of 10. The story is based in a short period, there is a good deal of activity but little development beyond the father's growth into the church and sacrifice of his own dreams for his son's future.
• Acting 7 out of 10. Henry Fonda Maureen O'Hara are always good, but the ensemble, with so many children has characters that are not so much acting as being themselves.
• Photography, cinematography 10 out of 10. The movie taken from Virginia and placed in the Jackson Hole region has incredible scenery.
• Writing, script 10 out of 10. A story that you quickly become emotionally involved.
• Concept 9 out of 10. At the time, original and fresh, centered on family unity and individual achievement.

Lawyer Scum

The site Grouchy Old Cripple latest installment of Asshole of the Week, aka AOTW, led me to to an interesting story about how an anti-war lawyer keyed the car of a Marine about to be deployed to Iraq. Please jump to BlackFive to read how callous the left can be.

Bleachers

As said last week, Christmas brought three book by Mississippian author, John Grisham. "Bleachers" is a short novel, or story, 181 pages long, published by Doubleday in 2003. The paperback was published in October 2007. Published before "Playing for Pizza", Bleachers" is the first departure by Grisham from his usual lawyers in danger stories. This is a story about former players haunted by a legendary high school football coach.

The main characters are Neely Crenshaw, Messina's high school All-American quarterback and his Coach Eddie Rake leader of 13 state championship teams in 34 years.

Neely's last heroics for the Messina Spartans was to win the state champion ship on the last play of the game. This in a game where a halftime fight caused the coaches to miss the entire second half. Crenshaw would be the first to admit he carried a good deal of baggage that had been stuffed by Eddie Rake, he left Messina with a college scholarship to a school Rake did not approve of. In his sophomore year Neely experienced a career ending knee injury, this added to the malaise of unresolved issues that the quarterback felt.

Coach Eddie Rake, whom we never meet, begins the book suffering the last stage of terminal cancer. His players have collected in town for vigil and expectant funeral. He started in the 50's and finished in the 90's after the heat stroke death of a player. His success was unsurpassed. Rake's effect on his players was to install a drive to excellence and a fear of failure. The man was both hated and revered. In the end Rake does pass, the players gather with expressions of true emotion. Neely is asked to speak at the ceremony following burial and comes to realize that he is able to let go of anger and retain to his love for Coach Rake.

This was a OK book, for Grisham readers, a change of pace, for sports fans n accurate rendition of how teens place importance on the leadership figures in their lives. On a scale of 1-10, "Bleachers" gets a 6. This is a fast reading simplistic story with a predictable result.

Homeless Man Found Dead in Santa Fe Cemetery

Associated Press offered this story with an unfortunate title.
The story is real enough, the Santa Fe police found a dead man that they believe to have been homeless. He was found under a thin blanket at city cemetery, having died of exposure.
AP did finish up by adding that the local homeless aid society estimates that up to 300 people are homeless on the streets of Santa on any day.

• No doubt that the AP felt it important to remind us of the homeless persons problem. Geronimo Garcia might argue that not having a heavier blanket or a sleeping bag was his biggest problem.
• The story makes no comment on whether or not the deceased was a legal resident. Santa Fe, being in the southwest must be a conduit for migrating illegal laborers.