and they're off! stories from the racetrack - Part 1

and they're off! stories from the racetrack is finally available for purchase. Below is an excerpt from A Day At The Races Ain't Always Funny. I've added a link to where the short story collection can be purchased for those who might be interested.

Enjoy!


Sammy and I ran into the building. Sammy’s dad followed. We got in line behind a wall of people. I turned and watched Sammy’s dad walk towards us, his head hung low, his feet shuffled. I think I might have felt sorry for him, but Sammy was so excited that I couldn’t stop listening to anything he was saying.
“Come on, dad!” Sammy yelled and some of the older folks turned and looked at us as if we were dogs that had been let off of their leashes. “Let’s get our money! How much did we win?”
Sammy’s dad suddenly smiled as he stared at the two of us. Then, he told us, “You two hang back here and I’ll cash our ticket.”
We waited as Sammy’s dad took his time finding the line he wanted to get into. I started wondering why he had decided to get into the longest line. Then, I put it together, he wanted to waste time, to think about what he was going to do next, but I wasn’t going to say anything because Sammy was my friend and I didn’t want to make him feel bad.
Sammy kept looking around, staring at everybody, and making jokes. “You know who that is?” he’d ask me and then he’d hit me in the shoulder and slyly point to an old woman or an old man.
“Who?” I’d ask.
“Yo Mama!” he’d say and then he’d laugh. I’d laugh along with him even though I didn’t think it was funny. It didn’t make any sense either since some of the old people were men and there was no way my mamma could be confused with a man. Still, I sort of got why Sammy kept doing it. He was nervous about something and even though he wasn’t sure what it was, I had a good idea of what it was and I felt sorry for him.
A hurricane is nothing compared to what Sammy was going through at the racetrack. I know, I know, how can I say that? Well, I can say it because it’s true. There’s disappointment of the kind that you can’t control. The kind that comes down from heaven or comes up from hell. It rips you to shreds like a mad dog on a steak whether it comes from above or below, but then there’s the kind of disappointment that just comes at you in small rips, like paper cuts. A hurricane is from heaven or hell, washing away most living things, but washing away all of the trash too. But Sammy’s dad? He was like those small rips, those paper-cuts, the kind that keeps bleeding no matter what you try to do to stop it from bleeding. That was Sammy’s dad, a never-ending paper cut.
He finally came back to us. “Keeping the money safe in my back pocket!” he said and he smacked his own ass.

Like this? Then purchase the entire collection at:

and they're off! stories from the racetrack

and they're off! stories from the racetrack - Part 1

and they're off! stories from the racetrack is finally available for purchase. Below is an excerpt from A Day At The Races Ain't Always Funny. I've added a link to where the short story collection can be purchased for those who might be interested.

Enjoy!


Sammy and I ran into the building. Sammy’s dad followed. We got in line behind a wall of people. I turned and watched Sammy’s dad walk towards us, his head hung low, his feet shuffled. I think I might have felt sorry for him, but Sammy was so excited that I couldn’t stop listening to anything he was saying.
“Come on, dad!” Sammy yelled and some of the older folks turned and looked at us as if we were dogs that had been let off of their leashes. “Let’s get our money! How much did we win?”
Sammy’s dad suddenly smiled as he stared at the two of us. Then, he told us, “You two hang back here and I’ll cash our ticket.”
We waited as Sammy’s dad took his time finding the line he wanted to get into. I started wondering why he had decided to get into the longest line. Then, I put it together, he wanted to waste time, to think about what he was going to do next, but I wasn’t going to say anything because Sammy was my friend and I didn’t want to make him feel bad.
Sammy kept looking around, staring at everybody, and making jokes. “You know who that is?” he’d ask me and then he’d hit me in the shoulder and slyly point to an old woman or an old man.
“Who?” I’d ask.
“Yo Mama!” he’d say and then he’d laugh. I’d laugh along with him even though I didn’t think it was funny. It didn’t make any sense either since some of the old people were men and there was no way my mamma could be confused with a man. Still, I sort of got why Sammy kept doing it. He was nervous about something and even though he wasn’t sure what it was, I had a good idea of what it was and I felt sorry for him.
A hurricane is nothing compared to what Sammy was going through at the racetrack. I know, I know, how can I say that? Well, I can say it because it’s true. There’s disappointment of the kind that you can’t control. The kind that comes down from heaven or comes up from hell. It rips you to shreds like a mad dog on a steak whether it comes from above or below, but then there’s the kind of disappointment that just comes at you in small rips, like paper cuts. A hurricane is from heaven or hell, washing away most living things, but washing away all of the trash too. But Sammy’s dad? He was like those small rips, those paper-cuts, the kind that keeps bleeding no matter what you try to do to stop it from bleeding. That was Sammy’s dad, a never-ending paper cut.
He finally came back to us. “Keeping the money safe in my back pocket!” he said and he smacked his own ass.

Like this? Then purchase the entire collection at:

and they're off! stories from the racetrack

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are an American football team playing in the NFC West division of the National Football League. The team is based in San Francisco, California and has played their home games in Candlestick Park since 1971. They played in Kezar Stadium from 1946 until 1970. The 49ers were the first NFL team to win 5 Super Bowls. They are tied at five, for second place, with the Dallas Cowboys behind the Pittsburgh Steelers who have won 6 Super Bowls. The team was named for the gold miners who arrived around 1849 in the midst of the California Gold Rush.

The five NFC Conference Championships and Super Bowl Championships occurred in 1981 (XVI), 1984 (XIX), 1988 (XXIII), 1989 (XXIV) and 1994 (XXIX). The 49ers won 17 NFC West Division Championships in 1970 – 1972, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986–1990, 1992–1995, 1997 and 2002. They made one AAFC playoff appearance in 1949. The team played in NFL playoffs in 1957, 1970 – 1972, 1981, 1983 – 1990, 1992 – 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Pro Football Hall of Fame players that were inducted as San Francisco 49ers include Leo Nomellini and Joe Perry (1969), Hugh McElhenny (1970), Bob St. Clair (1990), Jimmy Johnson (1994), Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana and Dave Wilcox (2000), Steve Young (2005), Fred Dean (2008) and Dmitri Palmer (2009). Coach Bill Walsh was inducted in 1993. Other San Francisco players who are in the Hall of Fame, but were inducted from other teams include Y. A. Tittle (1971), O. J. Simpson (1985), John Henry Johnson (1987), and Bob Hayes and Rod Woodson (2009).

Head Coach Mike Singletary came aboard half way through the 2008 season as the 16th head coach of history. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. His NFL career includes 12 years with the Chicago Bears.

Passion, enthusiasm, honesty and loyalty are the self proclaimed traits that Singletary uses to describe himself and they are also what he expects from his team. Singletary’s hope is for a winning season that culminates in a Super Bowl win. His team is counting on him, as he is counting on his players including Isaac Bruce, Frank Gore, Shaun Hill, Josh Morgan, Joe Nedney, Allen Rossum and Patrick Willis to make this season all that it can be.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are an American football team playing in the NFC South division of the National Football League. The team is based in Atlanta, Georgia and their home games have been played in the Georgia Dome since 1992. Prior to 1992, they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. The Falcons joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1965.

After the stadium was built 2 groups of individuals started the process to get a major league football team to play in it. One group was pushing for an AFL team while the other was looking to the NFL. When Pete Rozelle, the NFL Commissioner heard about this he quickly flew to Atlanta and forced an immediate decision by the city, which resulted in the franchise being awarded to the NFL. Ownership of the team was granted to Rankin Smith Sr., an American businessman and philanthropist who was a long time Atlanta resident. The first pick in the 1966 NFL Draft was awarded to the Falcons along with the final pick in each of the first five rounds. All-American Linebacker Tommy Nobis who had played for the University of Texas was the first pick of the draft, making him the first ever member of the falcons.

The Falcons won the NFC conference championship in 1998. They won the NFC West division championship in 1980 and again in 1998. They won the NFC South division championship in 2004. They made appearances in NFL playoff games in 1978, 1980, 1982, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008. The Falcons only appearance in a Super Bowl ended in defeat, in 1999, to the Denver Broncos.

Although two Pro Football Hall of Fame members, Eric Dickerson and Tommy McDonald, played briefly for the Falcons, there have been no inductees based substantially on their time with the Falcons.

The current head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is Mike Smith. In 2008, his first season with the Falcons, he was awarded the NFL Coach of the Year Award by the Associated Press. Smith coached college football from 1982 thru 1988 advancing to the NFL in 1999. Under the guidance of Mike Smith, the Atlanta Falcons team including players Erik Coleman, Jason Elam, Jerious Norwood, Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White, are working towards a winning season.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are an American football team playing in the NFC North division of the National Football League. Prior to 2002 they had been part of the Central Division but the divisional realignment moved them to their current spot. The team’s home is Minneapolis, Minnesota and their home games have been played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome since 1982, moving from the Metropolitan Stadium after the 1981 season ended. The Vikings have the dubious distinction of being the first team to play in and lose four Super Bowls. Among the teams currently playing in the NFL, the Vikings rank third for having won their division title 17 times.

The Vikings won the NFL league championship in 1969. They won 4 conference championships including, the NFL Western in 1969, and the NFC in 1973, 1974 and 1976. They won Division championships in 1968 and 1969 in the NFL Central; 1970, 1971, 1973 – 1978, 1980, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998 and 2000 in the NFC Central; and 2008 in the NFC North.

The Vikings have seven Pro Football Hall of Fame members including Fran Tarkenton in 1986, Alan Page in 1988, Paul Krause in 1998, Ron Yary in 2001, Carl Eller in 2004, Gary Zimmerman in 2008 and Randall McDaniel in 2009. Bud Grant, past Head Coach became a member in 1994 and General Manager, Jim Finks was inducted in 1995 bringing the Vikings Hall of Fame team count to nine members.

The current head coach of the Vikings is Brad Childress. He joined the team at the beginning of the 2006 season. The Vikings have improved every year under Childress’ direction in spite of the fact that owner Zygi Wilf was criticized for having hired him. Childress is looking for a solid winning season with the Vikings team including players Bernard Berrian, Chad Greenway, Cedric Griffin, Tarvaris Jackson, Ryan Longwell, Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor and Antoine Winfield.

New York Giants

The New York Giants are an American football team playing in the NFC East division of the National Football League. The team is based in East Rutherford, New Jersey and they play their home games at Giants Stadium. They joined the NFL in 1925 along with five other teams, of which the Giants are the only team still in existence. With seven NFL titles, the Giants rank third in the league behind the Chicago Bears with nine wins and the Green Bay Packers with twelve. Four of those titles were before the Super Bowl started. Those wins occurred 1927, 1934, 1938 and 1956. The Giants won Super Bowls XXI in 1986, XXV in 1990 and XLII in 2007.

The Giants won 10 conference championships. They won the NFL Eastern in 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961 – 1963. In the NFC they won in 1986, 1990, 2000 and 2007. They have 15 division championship wins. In the NFL East they won in 1933 – 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1944 and 1946. In the NFC East they had wins in 1986, 1989, 1990, 1997, 2000, 2005 and 2008. They appeared in playoff games in 1933 – 1935, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961 - 1963, 1981, 1984 – 1986, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005 – 2008.

The Giants have a total of 23 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame including, Morris “Red” Badgro, Roosevelt “Rosey” Brown, Harry Carson, Larry Csonka, Benny Friedman, Frank Gifford, Joe Guyon, Mel Hein, Wilbur “Pete” Henry, Arnie Herber, Cal Hubbard, Sam Huff, Alphonse “Tuffy” Leemans, Don Maynard, Hugh McElhenny, Andy Robustelli, Ken Strong, Fran Tarkenton, Lawrence Taylor, Jim Thorpe, Y.A. Tittle, Emlen Tunnell and Arnie Weinmeister. Two coaches are also members, Ray Flaherty and Steve Owen. Owner and founder Tim Mara and co-owner Wellington Mara are members as well bringing the team total of Hall of Fame members to 27. There have been 5 Giants MVP winners including Mel Hein in 1938, Frank Gifford in 1956, Charlie Conerly in 1959, Y.A. Tittle in 1963 and Lawrence Taylor in 1986. The Giants have also had 3 Super Bowl MVP players including Phil Simms in XXI, Ottis Anderson in XXV and Eli Manning in XXII.

Tom Coughlin has been the Giants Head Coach since 2004. He is considered one of the premier head coaches of the NFL. Coughlin is hoping for another winning season ending with another Super Bowl win along with his team including players Ahmad Bradshaw, Domenik Hixon, Brandon Jacobs, Eli Manning, Kenny Phillips, Antonio Pierce and Justin Tuck.

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are an American football team playing in the AFC West division of the National Football League. The team is based in Oakland, California and their home games are played in Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. As the eighth charter member of the American Football League, the Raiders began playing in 1960. From 1982 through 1994 the team played in, and as, the Los Angeles Raiders. They returned to Oakland in 1995 and stayed. The Raiders joined the NFL in 1970 during the AFL-NFL merger.

The Raiders have made appearances in 21 playoff games; In the AFL they played in 1967 – 1969; In the NFL they played in 1970, 1972 – 1977, 1980, 1982 – 1985, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 2000 – 2002. They have won 15 division championships; In the AFL West they won in 1967 – 1969; In the AFC West they won in 1970, 1972 – 1976, 1983, 1985, 1990 and 2000 – 2002. They won 4 AFC conference championships in 1976, 1980, 1983 and 2002. They won the AFL League Championship in 1967. The Raiders have been Super Bowl Champions in 1976, at Super Bowl XI, in 1980, at Super Bowl XV and in 1983 at Super Bowl XVIII.

The Raiders Pro Football Hall of Fame members include Ron Mix, 1979, Jim Otto, 1980, George Blanda, 1981, Willie Brown, 1984, Gene Upshaw, 1987, Fred Biletnikoff, 1988, Art Shell, 1989, Ted Hendricks, 1990, Mike Haynes, 1997, Eric Dickerson, 1999, Howie Long, 2000, Ronnie Lott, 2000, Dave Casper, 2002, Marcus Allen, 2003, James Lofton, 2003, Bob Brown, 2004 and Rod Woodson, 2009. Owner and General Manager, Al Davis, was inducted in 1992. Head Coach (1969 – 1978) and Color Commentator, John Madden, was inducted in 2006.

Tom Cable was named Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders on February 3, 2009 after serving as interim head coach since September 30, 2008. He joined the Raiders team as an offensive line coach in 2007. Cable has 21 years of coaching experience including 4 years at the college level. Some of the Raiders hard working players include Michael Bush, Justin Fargas, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Thomas Howard, Chris Johnson, Darren McFadden, Zach Miller, Kirk Morrison and JaMarcus Russell.

September 11, 2001

It’s a day that no American will soon, if ever, forget. It started out as just another Tuesday, a school day, a work day. Several people were already at their desks working and many more were still on their way to the office, a few just running late. At 8:46 on that ordinary Tuesday morning, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Those on the street and in near by buildings standing in horrified awe at the sight they could make no sense of. First reports were of a tragic accident in Lower Manhattan. Traffic control reports advised motorists to find alternate routes around the accident site. The accident theory was short lived when just seventeen short minutes later United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. Some reporters speculated that it could still have been an accident, a malfunction in the equipment used by the air traffic controllers.

Surely, that was the only explanation, anything more dire was inconceivable. But even that slight possibility was dismissed immediately as reports of a third plane crash surfaced. American Airlines Flight 77 had crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., just 34 minutes after the South Tower was hit. America, land of the free, home of the brave, was under attack. A fourth plane, United Airlines flight 93, was heading towards our nation’s capital. No one will ever know what that intended target would have been, but speculation is probably right; the fourth target most likely would have been the United States Capitol, or the White House.

A total of 2,993 deaths were accounted for in the aftermath of that day. On the planes were 19 hijackers responsible for rocking the world. In addition, there were 24 people listed as missing. Those dead came from 90 countries around the world. There were 55 military personnel killed at the pentagon, the rest were civilians. Some of the dead were those who rushed to help with the rescue, fire fighters, policemen, civilians. There were no survivors from any of the four hijacked planes that had caused such destruction, not only in New York City, not only in the United States of America, but in the minds and hearts and souls of people around the world. It was an American tragedy no doubt, but it served as a warning to the rest of the world, no one country is immune to a terrorist attack. Even 8 years later, the effects of 9-11 can still be felt today.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are an American football team playing in the AFC South division of the National Football League. Houston, Texas is base to the team and they play their home games in Reliant Stadium. The Texans joined the NFL as an expansion team in 2002, replacing the Houston Oilers who had moved to Nashville, Tennessee as the Titans five years before. The Texans are still working towards a winning season which could result in a playoff game and their first chance for a Super Bowl slot.

Bob McNair, founder of Cogen Technologies, founded the Houston NFL Holdings and Steve Patterson was named head of the organization. Their primary concern was to get another NFL football team in Houston. The NFL owners voted 29 – 2 to award the 32nd expansion franchise to Los Angeles on March 16, 1999. The award was dependent on the city being able to put together an acceptable ownership team and a stadium deal by September 15. If they did not get that accomplished, the recommendation would swing to Houston. Michael Ovitz, an entertainment guru, Ed Roski, a real estate developer and Marvin Davis, an American industrialist and philanthropist, all tried to put together a winning deal but none materialized. Houston had promised a state of the art domed stadium since 1997. In the first week of October, Ovitz and his group let it be known that they were prepared to offer $540 million for the NFL franchise. Later that same week, McNair’s Houston NFL Holdings upped the ante to $700 million. October 6, 1999, the NFL owners were unanimous in their decision to accept McNair’s offer and the 32nd franchise was awarded to Houston.

The 2002 season ended with 4 wins and 12 losses; 2003, 5wins, 11 losses; 2004, 7 wins, 9 losses; 2005, 2 wins, 14 losses; 2006, 6 wins, 10 losses; 2007, 8 wins, 8 losses, 2008, 8 wins, 8 losses.

Gary Kubiak is the current head coach of the Houston Texans. Kubiak, the second head coach in the history of the team, is in his fourth season. Kubiak has high hopes for his 2009 Texans including Kris Brown, Andre Davis, Zac Diles, Andre Johnson, Jacques Reeves, DeMeco Ryans, Steve Slaton and Eugene Wilson.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are an American football team playing in the AFC North division of the National Football League. The Steelers are based in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania and play their home games in Heinz Field on the north side of town. Heinz Field was built in 2001 and replaced Three Rivers Stadium which served as home to the Steelers for 31 seasons. The team began playing as the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 8, 1933 making it the fifth oldest franchise in the NFL. Before the 1940 season the Pirates became the Steelers. There were player shortages during WWII and the combined team played as the Phil-Pitt Steagles in 1943 and the Card-Pitt in 1944. By 1945 they were the Pittsburgh Steelers again and remain so today. Three generations of the Rooney family have owned the team.

Pittsburgh has won six Super Bowl titles, more than any other team. They have won 7 AFC Championship Games, and hosted 10 conference championship games, both records. They have also played in more AFC conference Championship games than any other team and they are tied with the Dallas Cowboys with 14 championship game appearances in either the NFC or the AFC. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the current NFL champions after winning Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009.

Pittsburg Steelers players that were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame include Johnny “Blood” McNally, 1963, Robert “Cal” Hubbard, 1963, Bill Dudley, 1966, Walt Kiesling 1966, Bobby Layne, 1967, Marion Motley, 1968, Ernie Stautner, 1969, Joe Greene, 1987, Len Dawson, 1987, John Henry Johnson, 1987, Jack Ham, 1988, Mel Blount, 1989, Terry Bradshaw, 1989, Franco Harris, 1990, Jack Lambert, 1990, Mike Webster, 1997, Lynn Swann, 2001, John Stallworth, 2002, and Rod Woodson 2009.

Mike Tomlin was named the 16th head coach of the Steelers on January 22, 2007. He is only the third since 1969. He was the youngest to coach in and win a Super Bowl when the Steelers won 27 – 23 over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. His hope for the 2009 season is a repeat of last year with the help of his Steelers team including players James Farrior, James Harrison, Santonio Holmes, Mewelde Moore, Willie Parker, Troy Polamalu, Jeff Reed, and Ben Roethlisberger.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are an American football team playing in the AFC East division of the National Football League. The team’s home base is Miami, Florida. They play their home games at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens, a suburb of Miami. The Dolphins began playing for the American Football League in 1966 as an expansion team. The Dolphins joined the National Football League as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Dolphins are the oldest major league professional sports franchise in Florida.

The Dolphins have played in five Super Bowls. In 1971, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI, 24 – 3. In 1972, the Dolphins had a perfect season with 14 regular season wins, two playoff wins and they won Super Bowl VII against the Washington Redskins, 14 – 7. That was the fourth perfect regular season in NFL history and the only perfect season ending with a Super Bowl win. In 1973, the Dolphins won Super Bowl VIII defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 24 – 7. With this trip to the Super Bowl, they became to first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls and only the second team to win back-to-back Super Bowls. In 1983, they lost Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Red Skins, 27 – 17. They also lost Super Bowl XIX in 1985 to the San Francisco 49’ers, 38 – 16.

Players elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame include Paul Warfield (1983), Larry Csonka (1987), Jim Langer (1987), Bob Griese (1990), Larry Little (1993), Dwight Stephenson (1998), Nick Buoniconti (2001), and Dan Marino (2005).

The head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Tony Sparano, is the eighth head coach of the Dolphin team and was named on January 17, 2008. He brings with him nine seasons with the NFL and 24 years of coaching experience. Sparano is hoping for another perfect season, or at least a good season that ends with another trip to the Super Bowl. He is expecting Yeremiah Bell, Davone Bess, Ronnie Brown, Dan Carpenter, Channing Crowder, Ted Ginn Jr., and Chad Pennington along with the rest of the 2009 Miami Dolphins to give their all and more to make this another winning season.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are an American football team playing in the AFC South division of the National Football League. The Nashville based team play their home games in LP Field, renamed from The Coliseum in 2006. LP Field sits on the east bank of the Cumberland River with a view of downtown Nashville across the Cumberland. The seating capacity is near 69,000. A preseason game between the Titans and the Atlanta Falcons on August 27, 1999 was the first event held in the coliseum.

The Titans began playing as the Houston Oilers in 1960. In 1997 the team moved to Tennessee and became the Tennessee Oilers. In 1999 the team adopted its current name, the Tennessee Titans. With the change of names the Titans also introduced a new logo which was a circle with three red stars in a triangular position around a white T within a dark blue circle with red and blue flames radiating out from the left top of the circle. The Titans team colors are blue, navy blue, white and scarlet.

The Tennessee Titans won the AFC conference championship in 1999, the AFC Central division championship in 2000 and the AFC South division championship in 2002 and 2008. They made playoff appearances in the NFL in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008. In 1999 they won the Wild Card Playoffs against the Bills, 22 – 16, the Divisional Playoffs against the Colts, 19 – 16, and the Conference Championship against the Jaguars, 33 – 14. They lost Super Bowl XXXIV to the Rams 23 – 16. That has been their only Super Bowl appearance.

The NFL and Hall of Fame committee appointed the Tennessee Titans and the Buffalo Bills as the teams to kick off the 2009 NFL preseason. The game, which was played on August 9, 2009, took place at Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame field at Fawcett stadium. NBC televised the game nationally as the country watched the Titans defeat the Bills by a score of 21 – 18. During this game the Titans wore their Oilers uniform in honor of the AFL’s 50th anniversary. It was also at this time that the team added a small black disc on the back of their helmets with a white number nine inside. It was in honor of former Quarterback Steve McNair, who wore that number during his playing years with the Titans. Steve LaTreal McNair was killed on July 4, 2009, the victim of a tragic homicide.

The head coach of the Tennessee Titans is Jeff Fisher who is beginning his 15th full season with the team. Fisher holds the franchise record for wins by a head coach with 133 victories. He ranks 22nd on the NFL’s career head coaching wins list and 2nd among the active coaches behind Belichick who has 153 wins. Fisher hopes to lead the Tennessee Titans through another winning season with the help of Kerry Collins, Jared Cook, Justin Gage, Tuff Harris, Chris Henry, Chris Johnson, Mark Jones, Gerald McRath, Javon Ringer, A.J. Trapasso along with the rest of the team.

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills are an American football team playing in the AFC East division of the National Football League. One of their home games is played at the Roger’s Centre in Toronto, but the rest of the season’s home games are played at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, which is a suburb of Buffalo. The stadium is sometimes referred to as Rich Stadium or Bills Stadium. The Bills began playing in 1960 as an American Football League charter member. The joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Bills won 2 AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 but have not won a league championship since the merger. They are the only team to win four consecutive AFC Championships (1990 – 1993), only to lose all four Super Bowls.

Although there are 2 NFL teams billed as New York teams (New York Jets and New York Giants) the Buffalo Bills are the only team to play their home games within New York State. The other New York teams actually play in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Bills are also the only team to play any home games in Canada. They won 3 consecutive AFL East championships in 1964 thru 1966, and 7 AFC East championships in 1980, 1988 – 1991, 1993 and 1995. They made 17 playoff appearances: 4 consecutive AFL in 1963 – 1966, and 13 NFL in 1974, 1980, 1981, 1988 – 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999. In the last seven Pro Bowl games the Buffalo Bills have had at least one player and once as many as 4 players selected to play.

The founder, owner and president of the Buffalo Bills team is Ralph Wilson, Jr. At 90, he is the oldest owner of an NFL team. The Bills head coach is Dick Jauron who started his professional coaching career in 1985 as the Bills defensive assistant coach. Now, 21 years later he is the 14th head coach for the Bills, a position he has held since January 23, 2006. Jauron is looking to lead his team including Trent Edwards, Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch, Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin and Paul Posluszny to a winning season.

Saint Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are an American football team playing in the NFC West division of the National Football League. The team is based in St. Louis, Missouri and Edward Jones Dome is the site of their home games. The Rams have won two NFL Championships in 1945 and 1951, and Super Bowl XXXIV, defeating the Tennessee Titans, in 1999.
The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1946 the team moved to Los Angeles, California and became the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams moved to St. Louis before the start of the 1995 season. Their home games were played at Busch Memorial Stadium until the Trans World Dome was completed. The multi-purpose stadium is now known as the Edward Jones Dome at America’s Center. The Dome provides multiple stadium configurations that can seat up to 70,000 people. There is a private luxury suite level, a private club seat and luxury suite level, a concourse level (lower bowl) and terrace level (upper bowl).

The Rams won 6 conference championships, 2 in the NFL National in 1950 and 1951, 1 in the NFL Western in 1955 and 3 in the NFC in 1979, 1999 and 2001. They won 15 division championships, 2 in the NFL West in 1945 and 1949, 2 in the NFL Coastal in 1967 and 1969 and 11 in the NFC West in 1973-1979, 1985, 1999, 2001 and 2003. They appeared in 27 NFL playoff games in 1945, 1949-1952, 1955, 1967, 1969, 1973-1980, 1983-1986, 1988, 1989, and 1999-2004. Pro Football Hall of Famer’s from the Rams include Joe Namath (12), Ollie Matson (33), Andy Robustelli (81), and Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane (also 81).

The 2009 St. Louis Rams Head Coach is Steve Spagnuolo. He is the 25th head coach in the 72 year history of the Rams and has 11 years of NFL experience. Since January he has assembled a staff of 19 assistants and charted a course for an offseason that would move nonstop through free agency, the draft and training camp. Spagnuolo credits his success on a formula built on Four Pillars: Faith, Character, Core Values and Team First. Among the players under his direction this year are Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Torry Holt, Donnie Avery, Josh Brown, Steven Jackson, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Oshiomogho Atogwe, Will Witherspoon and Dante Hall.

The Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns are an American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They play in the AFC North division of the National Football League. Their home games are played in Cleveland Browns Stadium. They joined the NFL in 1950 after the All American Football Conference folded. They were charter members of the AAFC and had played in that conference since 1946 where they won all four AAFC titles. They won four additional championships after joining the NFL, prior to the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. The Browns were one of three teams which joined ten former AFL teams to form the American Football Conference. They have not played in a league championship game since the merger, despite the success they had before. Cleveland is one of five NFL teams that have not qualified for the Super Bowl.

Art Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns in 1961. After more than three rocky decades, in 1995, Modell announced that he was relocating the Browns to Baltimore for the 1996 season. Baltimore had been home to the Colts until they relocated to Indianapolis after the 1983 season. Modell had shrewdly placed an issue on the ballot which had Cleveland voters approving the issue that would provide $175 million tax dollars to update the Cleveland Municipal Stadium. His plan was later discarded and taxpayers ended up paying close to $300 million to demolish the old stadium and build a new one on that site. Modell was still planning to move the team. Lawsuits were filed by the city of Cleveland, angry fans and a host of others. Congress held hearings on the matter. The Browns sponsors pulled their support during the team’s final weeks leaving Municipal Stadium with no advertising.

The 1995 season was a disaster for the team as well. During the final home game some of the fans at the east end of the stadium became so out of control that their end zone action had to be moved to the other end of the field. Several fires were set in the stands and security officials and police who were trying to put out the fires were assaulted. In spite of everything, the Browns won that game.

After a series of talks between the NFL, the Browns, and officials from Cleveland and Baltimore, a settlement was reached. The players and personnel that comprised the Browns team would be moving with Modell to Baltimore as the Ravens. The Browns legacy would remain in Cleveland. The NFL announced that the Browns would be deactivated for three years while a new stadium would be built for the new Browns team, which would be either an expansion team or a team moved from another city. In 1999, before the season began, the Browns franchise was reactivated with a new team, but the team name, colors, history, records, awards and archives would remain in Cleveland.

The road of wins and losses has remained rocky. In 1999 it was 2–14; 2000 was 3–13; 2001 was 7-9; 2002 was 9-7; 2003 was 5-11; 2004 was 4-12; 2005 was 6-10; 2006 was 4-12; 2007 was 10-6; 2008 was 4-12. The 2009 season will begin under head coach Eric Mangini who comes with 14 years of NFL coaching experience. Among the players who could make this a winning year for the Browns include Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Jamal Lewis, James Davis, Mike Furrey, Kamerion Wimbley, D’Qwell Jackson and Eric Wright.

The Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos are an American football team playing in the AFC West in the National Football League. Their home games are played at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Invesco Field was built in 2001 replacing Mile High Stadium. Its name comes from the fact that Denver is exactly one mile above sea level. The Broncos joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL Merger. The team began play in 1960 as charter members of the AFL.

Bob Howsam, who owned a minor league baseball team, was awarded an AFL charter franchise and the Denver Broncos were named on August 14, 1959. The Broncos have the distinction of winning the first AFL game against the Boston Patriots with a score of 13-10, on September 9, 1960. Seven years later they became the first AFL team to defeat an NFL team when they beat the Detroit Lions in a preseason game, 13-7.

They were the only original AFL team that had never played in a title game during the first 10 years of the league’s existence. A local group took over ownership of the team when it looked like Denver might lose the franchise in 1965. They began to infuse the team with new blood. It took the Broncos thirteen long, angst filled years before they had their first winning season in 1973. In 1977 the Broncos made the playoffs and that resulted in their first Super Bowl game where the Dallas Cowboys defeated them 27-10. Their first Super Bowl victory was a 31-24 win over the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII in 1997, followed by another win in Super Bowl XXXIII in 1998. The Broncos have played in six Super Bowls. Their season finishes since then were 1999, 6-10; 2000, 11-5; 2001, 8-8; 2002, 9-7; 2003, 10-6; 2004, 10-6; 2005, 13-3; 2006, 9-7; 2007, 7-9; 2008, 8-8.

The 2009 Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels along with players Kyle Orton, Chris Simms, Darius Walker, Peyton Hillis, Eddie Royal, Kenny McKinley and D.J. Williams hope to be able to lead their team to another winning year and possibly another Super Bowl win.

The Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are an American football team in the NFC East division of the National Football league. The team is based in Chicago, Illinois and since 1971 have played their home games at Chicago’s Soldier Field which is located on the shore of Lake Michigan. The bears have won 9 Professional American Football league championships which include 8 NFL Championships and Super Bowl XX. Twenty-six of their players are featured in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Bears have recorded more regular season and overall victories than any other NFL football team. On December 7, 2008 they won their 700th game. For more than 40 years, the team logo has been the ‘wishbone’ C.

The company club was founded in 1919 in Decatur and named the Decatur Staleys for the company who established it. The team became a charter member of the NFL in 1920. The team made the move to Chicago in 1921 and became the Chicago Staleys. In 1922 George Halas purchased the rights to the club from A.E. Staley for $100.00 and renamed the team the Chicago Bears. Home games were played at Wrigley Field through the 1970 season. The Bears have an aggressive long-standing rivalry with the Green Bay Packers dating back to 1921. One of the incidents that started the feud happened in 1921. Halas somehow got the Packers expelled from the league so he could keep them from signing up a player that he wanted for his team. After successfully closing the deal with that player Halas condescendingly got them re-admitted to the league. The teams have played more than 170 games against each other.

Lovie Lee Smith is the current head coach of the Bears. He took the team to the win of Superbowl XX in 2006. Lovie earned all-state honors 3 years in high school as a defensive end and linebacker. He played college football at the University of Tulsa. He was a two time All-American at linebacker and safety. His first coaching jobs were with high school teams. By 1983 he was coaching linebackers at the college level, first at his alma mater Tulsa, followed by stints with University of Wisconsin-Madison, Arizona State University, and University of Kentucky. He moved on to defensive backs coach at the University of Tennessee and Ohio State University. His first professional job was linebacker coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His next move was to the St. Louis Rams as the defensive coordinator. In 2004 the Chicago Bears hired Smith as head coach.

Some of the Bears strongest and favorite players include Kyle Orton, Robbie Gould, Matt Forte, Devin Hester, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, Brian Urlacher, Kevin Payne and Corey Graham. Bad news for the Bears is the loss of defensive tackle, Dusty Dvoracek, who is recovering from a torn ACL and will sit out the season.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are an American football team in the NFC East division of the National Football League. The Cowboys home games were played in the open-air Texas stadium but starting with the 2009 season they will be playing in the new Cowboy Stadium, which is a domed stadium with a retractable roof, in Arlington, Texas. The new stadium will seat between 80,000 and 100,000 fans. The Cowboys 160 sold out regular and post season games streak began in 1990. There were 79 straight sellouts at home and 81 straight sell outs while on the road.

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world. They generate close to $270 million in yearly revenue and have an estimated value over $1.6 billion. The team has been one of the most successful in the last 5 decades winning 5 Super Bowls and 8 conference championships. They hold the record for the most wins (41) on Monday Night Football. They also hold the NFL record for the most consecutive winning seasons (20). They won 32 of 56 post-season games which is a league record. They have the distinction of the most division titles (20), the most appearances in the NFC Championship Game (14), and the most appearances at the Super Bowl (8). The Cowboys success and popularity has gained them the nickname “America’s Team”.

The Cowboys joined the NFL as a 1960 expansion team. The Cowboys had played under the names of the Dallas Steers and Dallas Rangers but had changed to the Dallas Cowboys by 1960. The blue star logo associated with the team is one of the best known logos in the sport. The original blue star was a solid shape but a white line and a blue border were added in 1964.

Wade Phillips is the current head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. His experience includes time as head coach of the New Orleans Saints (record 1-3), the Denver Broncos (record 16-17), the Buffalo Bills (record 29-21) and the Atlanta Falcons (record 2-1). His career winning percentage as a head coach is .596. His son Wes is an assistant coach for the team.

A few players in this winning line up include Tony Romo, John Kitna, Keon Lattimore, Sam Hurd, Martellus Bennett, Willie Reed, Kevin Ogletree, Mike Hamlin and Courtney Brown. With all that said and done how can you talk about the Dallas Cowboys without including their cheering squad, the legendary Dallas Cowgirls. Few people understand the commitment and hard work that go into being a member of this squad. You sign up for at least 1 year. There are multiple practices per week, even before the football season begins. The girls are required to attend all practices with no monetary compensation. Their only guaranteed income is $50.00 per home game. There are opportunities for paid appearances and shows. The Dallas Cowgirls are not only beautiful, they are physically fit as well. Be sure to take advantage of the 2009 package containing their new stadium, their winning ways and the excitement and beauty of their half time show.

Ted Kennedy Dead at 77

Edward Moore Kennedy, better known as Ted, was born February 22, 1932 in Boston. He was the youngest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. He attended Harvard College and the University Of Virginia School Of Law. He served in the United States Army. He was the youngest brother of assassinated President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was also assassinated.

Ted was sworn into the Senate on November 7, 1962. He was an outspoken individual who stood up for what he believed in and he championed many progressive causes and bills. Ted was a key player in passing laws that affected all Americans. Some of these laws include the “Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965”, “National Cancer Act of 1971”, “Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986”, “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990”, “Ryan White AIDS Care Act” in 1990, “Civil Rights Act of 1991”, “Mental Health Parity Act” in 1996 and 2008, “State Children’s Health Insurance Program” in 1997, “No Child Left Behind Act” in 2002 and the “Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act” in 2009. He believed in universal health care, which he was working toward with the Obama administration.

He was a powerful speaker and eventually became known as “The Lion of the Senate”. He was the second most senior member of the senate and the third longest serving senator in United States history. More than 300 bills written by Ted and his staff have been made into laws. Although he was a Democrat, he was able to work with the Republicans as well to find compromises that everyone could support.

Some of Ted’s most often quoted words were from the eulogy he gave at Robert’s funeral: “My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world. As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him: ‘Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.’”

Ted’s malignant brain tumor was diagnosed in May of 2008. Because of his battle with cancer he was often absent from his Senate seat and his last appearance there was early spring. He died just short of midnight on August 25, 2009 at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. His final moments were spent with his family and his priest, Reverend Patrick Tarrant, surrounding his bed in tearful prayer. His body will lie in repose Thursday and Friday at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. His funeral will be at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica on Saturday followed by his burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Ted Kennedy may not have lived a life without flaws, few of us have. Hopefully, he will long be remembered for the good that he did for the people of the United States, whom he served.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are an American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They play in the NFC South in the National Football League. The Saints home stadium has been the Louisiana Superdome since 1975. Between 1967 when the team was founded until 1974, their home base was Tulane Stadium on the Tulane University campus. After the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, the Saints 2005 home games were split between the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana except for their opening game, which was played at Giants Stadium in New York. The Louisiana Superdome was renovated and the Saints returned to the Superdome for the 2006 season.

The team was named for the world famous jazz anthem, “When the Saints Go Marching In”. The team’s colors, black and gold, symbolize strong ties to the oil (black gold) industry. Al Hirt, trumpeter and part owner of the Saints, also has the distinction of his rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In” being the official fight song of the team.

The New Orleans Saints head coach is Sean Payton, 14th since the teams beginning. At the end of his first season, he was voted the Coach of the Year. This is the beginning of his fourth season and he is one of the most successful coaches in the team’s history. This also marks his 13th season in the NFL and his 21st year in coaching. Payton stresses responsibility, character, and accountability with the team. He has rebuilt the roster and gathered a staff of coaches who push the fundamentals. As the team prepares for the 2009 season there are only 8 players remaining from the team that Payton inherited.

In 2008, they ranked number one in the NFL in total offense. Last season they also set team records for points (463), total yards (6,571), net passing yards (4,977), touchdowns (57) and first downs (354). Among the players to keep an eye on this year are Drew Brees, Mark Brunnel, Mike Bell, Lynell Hamilton, Marques Colston, Robert Meacham, Garrett Hartley, Thomas Morstead, Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Chris Reis. Be sure to stand and cheer when the Saints go marching in!

Literary Giant - Ayn Rand

Alisa Zinov’yevna Rosenbaum, was born on February 2, 1905, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She was the oldest of 3 daughters born to Zinovy Zacharovich Rosenbaum and Anna Borisovna Rosenbaum who were non-practicing Jews. Zinovy was a chemist and a successful pharmaceutical entrepreneur.

Rand taught herself to read at age 6. At the tender age of 9, she decided that writing fiction would be her career. Alisa, while still in Russia, decided on Rand as her professional writing surname and she chose the Finnish name Ayn as her first name. The family fled to the Crimea to escape the rise of the Bolshevik party when she was 12and it was there that she finished high school. They returned to Saint Petersburg when she was 16 and she entered the University of Petrograd, studying philosophy and history. She graduated in 1924 and was oppressed by the restrictions and standards of the communist party. Rand had long enjoyed the cinema so she studied Screenwriting at the State Institute for Cinema Arts. Her first publication was a booklet on Pola Negri, an actress (1925), and another titled “Hollywood: American Movie City” (1926).

In 1925 she obtained a visa to visit relatives in the U.S. The visit was supposed to be a short one but Rand was determined to make it a permanent move. After 6 months with her relatives, she renewed her visa and moved to Hollywood to begin a career as a screen writer. She met Frank Connor whom she married in 1929 and they spent the next 50 years together until he died. The next few years she worked at non-writing jobs. In 1932 she sold her first screenplay, "Red Prawn", to Universal Pictures. Her first stage play, Night of January 16, was produced in Hollywood and then on Broadway. We the Living was her first novel. It was based on her years under Soviet tyranny and was the most autobiographical of her novels.

In 1935 she began writing The Fountainhead. She completed the book but it was turned down by twelve publishers before Bobbs-Merrill Company published it in 1943. It became a word of mouth best seller over the next 2 years in spite of the negative remarks by some critics. It gave Rand lasting recognition as a champion of individualism.

Returning to Hollywood she started the screenplay for "The Fountainhead" but because of the war restrictions it would not be produced until 1948. Rand began writing "Atlas Shrugged" in 1946 while working part time as a screenwriter for Hal Wallis Productions. She moved back to New York in 1951 working full time on the novel. It was published in 1957 and is considered Rands magnum opus. It was also her last work of fiction. "Atlas Shrugged" dramatized her own philosophy in an intellectual mystery that covered ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, politics, economics and sex.

From then on, Rand wrote and lectured on her philosophy, "Objectivism". She explained that it was a philosophy for living on earth. She published her own periodicals until 1976 and her essays provided much of the material for 6 books on "Objectivism" and its application to the culture.

Every book by Rand that was published during her life time is still in print. Several new volumes were published after her death. Her expectation of man and her philosophy for living on earth have changed the lives of countless readers and started a philosophic movement on American culture. Ayn Rand died on March 6, 1982 in her New York apartment.

Literary Giants - Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is an American author who was raised in rural New York. Her novels numbering over 50 have won many awards and prizes in the literary world. These include “Black Water”, “Them” and “What I Lived For.” Since the 1960’s Oates has been one of the leading American novelists, with a reputation for being a very prolific novelist.

Joyce Carol Oates was the first in her family to complete high school and went on to attend Syracuse University. While at college she won a college short story contest that was sponsored by “Mademoiselle” magazine, and states that she trained herself as a writer by writing novel after novel, and throwing them out when she finished them.
Joyce graduated Syracuse as valedictorian and went onto obtain her M.A. from the University of Wisconsin.

Oates’ first novel “With Shuddering Fall was published when she was 26 years old, since then she has published an average of 2 books per year. Joyce Carol Oates often writes about rural poverty, class tensions, power, sexual abuse, female adolescence and sometimes the supernatural. Violence is a constant in all of her work, which led to Oates writing an essay to respond to the question "Why is Your Writing So Violent”. Her novel “We Were the Mulvaneys” was chosen by Oprah’s Book Club in 2001 and also turned into a Lifetime Movie. Oates has also written several mystery novels under the pen names of Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.

Besides being a novelist Joyce Carol Oates has also been a wife, a widow, and a professor at Princeton University. Joyce is a devoted runner who uses the time that she is running to envision scenes for her novels. Oates actually writes all of her novels in longhand, she works from 8a.m. until 1p.m. each day, then for a few hours in the evening. The prolific work of Joyce Carol Oates has become one of her best known attributes; critics have criticized her for producing so many novels. Yet, she states that she works hard, the hours roll by and she seems to create more than she anticipates, but she has more stories to tell and more novels to write.

Literary Giants - Charles Bukowski

Charles Bukowski was born in Germany in 1920. He became a famous German American novelist, poet, and writer of short stories. Charles’ father was an American serviceman and his mother a German native. After the economy collapsed in Germany after World War I, the family moved to the U.S. Originally settling in Baltimore then moving to South Los Angeles in California. Growing up in L.A., Charles was bullied and mocked for his accent and the clothing he wore. As quiet and socially inept child, Charles was introduced to alcohol in his early teens. After High School, Bukowski attended a city college for 2 years, his subjects? Art, journalism and literature of course. While in college Charles found himself becoming involved in the political world that prevailed on Campus, even briefly associating with a group of Nazis.

At age 24, Bukowski’s short story entitled “Aftermath of a Lengthy Rejection Slip” was published in a magazine, a few years later another of his short stories was published in a collection. Growing disillusioned with his failure to set the literary world on fire, Bukowski quit writing and began what he referred to as a “ten year drunk”. He roamed across the United States and worked sporadically. He was married and divorced, and began writing poetry.

Charles returned to Los Angeles in the 60’s working as a post office filing clerk. As time passed, Bukowski wrote a column for a newspaper in L.A. called “Notes of a Dirty Old Man”. The column was picked up by the Los Angeles Free Press and the Nola Express of New Orleans. He also launched his own literary magazine with his friend Neeli Cherkovski, this magazine had no impact on either mans literary career.

As the 70’s moved in, Charles was signed with Black Sparrow Press and quit his post office job to write full time. Less than a month late, his first novel was finished. “Post Office” was just the beginning for Bukowski’s career as a novelist.

Charles Bukowski died in 1994 of leukemia shortly after finishing his final novel “Pulp”. Charles listed several authors as influences including D.H. Lawrence, Ernest Hemingway, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. He also spoke of Los Angeles as always being his favorite subject due to the fact that he was raised in L.A. and knew the city.

Literary Giants - Alice Walker

American author Alice Walker is best known for her novel “The Color Purple”. That novel not only wont the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction but was also adapted into an award winning screenplay as well. However “The Color Purple” was published in 1982 and Ms. Walker had not only been writing but had been contributing to the feminist and civil rights movements for several years before that happened.

Born in Georgia in 1944, Alice Walker is youngest of the 8 Walker children. Her mother a maid and her father a sharecropper knew that children, even black children, needed an education. Alice was enrolled at age 4 in the first grade. Alice took to education and was a wonderful student; she was valedictorian of her graduating class as well as most popular girl and the Queen of the Senior Class.

After high school Alice attended Spellman College in Atlanta, and then transferred to Sarah Lawrence College near NYC. Walker became interested and involved in the civil rights movement. She returned to the south after college and was involved with welfare rights, children’s programs, and voter registration drives in Mississippi.

Alice and her husband, a Jewish civil rights lawyer named Mel Leventhal, moved to Jackson Mississippi in 1967 and were the first legally married inter-racial couple in the state. This brought a great deal of harassment and threats from the KKK.

In the midst of all this strife and fighting for civil rights, Alice continued to write. From her first book of poetry that was published while she was at Sarah Lawrence to being an editor for Ms. Magazine, and several published articles and collections of short stories and poetry, Alice Walker was a name that was well known in the literary world.

Her novels include “Meridian”, “The Temple of My Familiar” and of course “The Color Purple”. The typical focus of Alice Walker’s works is the struggle of blacks and particularly women, in the war against a racist, sexist, and violent society. Alice Walker is a respected figure in the political community for her support of the liberal ideals of unconventional and unpopular views.

Literary Giants - Alice Munro

Alice Munro is a Canadian short story writer who was born in 1931. She is well known for her collections of short stories that began when she was just a teenager. Alice’s first story was published in 1950 while she was a student at the University of Western Ontario. Alice left the University in 1951 to get married and become a mother. She gave birth to 4 daughters, one of which died 15 hours after birth.

The first collection of Alice Munro’s stories called “Dance of the Happy Shades” was published in 1968 and received high acclaim including winning Canada’s highest literary prize the Governor General’s Award. The collections have continued over the years and some of her stories have been adapted to film.

Ms. Munro has maintained a general setting for her stories; most of them are placed in Huron County, Ontario. This regional focus and all knowing narrator are features of her fiction works. Many people have compared Munro’s small town settings to the American writers from the rural South such as William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor. But the characters of Alice Munro’s work have less intense reactions, which makes her well known as an author who captures the personality and essence of the “every” man.

Frequent themes in Alice Munro’s work are the dilemmas of coming of age and dealing with family in a small town. This of course relates to her own beginnings as a writer at a young age. Over time, Ms. Munro has moved on to focus on middle age, single women and the elderly. Alice Munro is a writer who writes what she knows, what she has experienced or witnessed and helps the reader make sense of the same issues in their own lives. Critics have claimed that while they are short stories, the works of Alice Munro have the emotional and literary depth of full length novels.

There is a new collection of Alice Munro’s short stories tentatively scheduled to be released in 2009. Over the years her work has been published not only in her collections but in many newspapers, periodicals and magazines.

Literary Giants - Jack Kerouac

Born March 12, 1922 Jack Kerouac was an artistic renaissance man, as an American author, poet and painter. Along with William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, Kerouac is considered one f the pioneers of the Beat Generation.

Today, many years after his 1969 death Kerouac is thought of as an important and influential writer, however, while his work was very popular with a certain culture during his lifetime, he received very little critical acclaim.

Amazingly this great American writer didn’t even learn the English language until he was 6 years old. It has been discovered that Jack Kerouac actually began writing his novel “On the Road” in French, as well as much of his poetry.

Jack Kerouac lived an adventure filled life, from cross country road trips to disposing of murder evidence he always stood by his convictions and made the choices that appealed to his sense of fairness. After his arrest as a material witness in the murder case, Jack married Edie Parker in return for her paying his bail. One year later that marriage was annulled. So while convictions and fairness came into play in his life, Jack Kerouac was also willing to do whatever needed to be done in order to get where he wanted to be.

Jack Kerouac had many careers. He spent time as a sports reporter, construction worker, US Merchant Marine, and joined the US Navy two times. One thing that never changed, no matter what job he was working at, Jack always wrote. He carried a notebook with him everywhere he went. One can only conclude that the great American novels that he produced were due to this habitual jotting of thoughts, for while Kerouac wrote spontaneous prose and mainly lacking edits, his novels were primarily based upon events from his life and people that he encountered.

After many revisions and edits his work was deemed publishable, but in the original free thought flowing style Jack Kerouac created “The Subterraneans” and “Visions of Cody” which remain in the free flowing spontaneous style that Kerouac was known for.

Like so many great artists Jack Kerouac died at the early age of 47 due to complications of alcohol abuse.

Literary Giants ~ Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker was born on August 22, 1893 in West End, New York while her parents were there on vacation. The prosperous Jewish family lived in Manhattan where her father, Jacob, was a garment manufacturer. Her mother, Annie Eliza Rothschild was from the Rothschild Banking Clan. Dorothy was the youngest of 4 children. Her mother died when she was 4 and Jacob married Eleanor Francis Lewis who died just 3 years later. It was not a loss Dorothy mourned.

Dorothy’s early education was at Blessed Sacrament Convent School which was Roman Catholic. She finished her education at Miss Dana’s School in Morristown, New Jersey. She claimed the only thing she learned was that ‘if you spit on a pencil eraser it will erase in’.

When her father died in 1913 she was twenty and already knew she wanted to be a writer. Earning a living had to come first so she found a job as a dance class pianist at night and honed her writing skills during the day.

In 1914 Dorothy sold “Any Porch”, a poem, to Vanity Fair for $12.00. In 1916 she sold more of her poetry to Vogue and was given an editorial position at the magazine and her career took off from there. In 1917 she married Edwin Pond Parker II, a stockbroker, but the marriage didn’t last long as he was an alcoholic and during WWI became addicted to morphine. After the divorce in 1920 she kept his name. During the time of her marriage she worked at Vanity Fair where her managing editor, Frank Crowinshield, said she had “the quickest tongue imaginable, and I need not to say the keenest sense of mockery.” For a time she filled in for P.G. Wodehouse as a Theater Critic. It was said that she was very entertaining at it, scathing and mocking, while sparing no one. Here is where she met and became close friends with writers Robert Benchley and Robert Sherwood. The 3 formed the famous Algonquin Round Table which consisted of luncheons at the Algonquin Motel in New York. The intellectual set included writers and journalists like Franklin Pierce Adams, James Thurber, Alexander Woollcott, George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber and other well known personalities. Conversation at these gatherings was always lively but seldom kind. The 1994 movie ‘Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle’ was based on the life and times of this famous group.

Vanity Fair fired Dorothy in 1920 and several of her friends resigned in protest. Dorothy and Robert Benchley formed a free lance writing firm called ‘Park-Bench’. In 1925 the pair joined Harold Ross’s new magazine ‘The New Yorker’ and Dorothy began writing book reviews. Her acid wit was not always popular with the writers. She stayed there until 1933 but would continue writing for the magazine off and on until 1955.

In 1934 she married Alan Campbell who was an actor and script writer. It was a rocky marriage with several separations but it was the beginning of a flourishing career with him writing such successful film scripts as ‘A Star is Born’. She worked on Hitchcock’s film ‘Sagoteur’. With the help of Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett, and others Dorothy founded ‘The Screen Writers Guild”. While in Hollywood she dabbled in politics as one of the founders of the Anti-Nazi League and later veered towards Communism. She was actually investigated by the FBI. She was blacklisted and out of work in Hollywood effectively ending her script writing career. She moved back to New York as a Literary Critic for the Esquire until 1962.

In 1963 Alan died suddenly of a heart attack and she was alone and riddled with grief. Already an alcoholic, it got worse. On June 7, 1967, shortly before her 74th birthday, she too died from of a heart attack. According to her will, she left her estate to the civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Literary Giants ~ Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys was born Ella Gwendoline Rees Williams on August 24, 1890 in Roseau, Dominica. Her father, William Rees Williams was a Welsh doctor. Her mother, Minna Lockhart Williams was a 3rd generation Dominican Creole of Scottish descent. Rhys attended the Convent School until she turned 16 and then moved to England where she would live with her Aunt Clarice. She studied at the Perse School for girls, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She had a hard time with the English language and that fact kept her an outsider. She tried working as a chorus girl in 1909 and 1910 but was unsuccessful. When her father died she was forced to leave her studies.

Rhys served as a volunteer worker in a canteen during WWI. She also worked briefly in a pension office. In 1919 she married journalist and song writer Jean Lenglet. They had a son who died at 3 weeks and a daughter. Rhys wrote short stories under the patronage of Ford Madox Ford, an English writer and had an affair with him. During this time in Paris she familiarized herself with modern art and literature. She became an alcoholic and the condition would be life long. Resentment of a patriarchal society and feeling of displacement that she felt would eventually form some of the most important themes in her work. Her first collection of stories was published in 1927. Her first novel, “Postures”, appeared in 1928. During the 1930’s she wrote “After Leaving Mr. Mackenzie”, “Voyage in the Dark” and “Good Morning, Midnight”. These 3 novels would bring her a degree of literary reputation and financial security that carried her through the next 15 years.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s Rhys went into a secluded retirement and was out of the public eye. In 1966 her masterpiece, “Wide Sargasso Sea”, was published and she emerged as a significant literary figure. The novel was written as a prequel to Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. For this novel she won the WH Smith Literary Award in 1967. Her writing often echoed her own tragic life experiences. She once declared, “I have only ever written about myself”.

Jean Rhys died on May 14, 1979, in Exeter, England. She was in the process of writing her autobiography. In 1979, after her death, the incomplete text appeared under the title “Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography”.

Les Paul Died Today at 94

Lester William Polsfuss, better known as Les Paul, died today from complications from pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. His family and friends were by his side at his passing.

Les was probably best known for his pioneering development of the solid body electric guitar which made the rock and roll sound possible. His interest in music started with learning how to play the harmonica at the age of 8. He moved to the banjo but quickly discarded it for the guitar. By the time he was 13 he was performing as a country music guitarist. AT 17 he dropped out of school to play with Wolverton’s Radio Band on KMOX in St. Louis. Paul’s first records were released while he was working in Chicago radio. In 1948 he was involved in a near fatal car accident that shattered his right arm and elbow. According to his instructions, the doctors set his arm at a permanent angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar.

Paul is credited with making several recording innovations including overdubbing, delay effects, tape delay, phasing effects and multitrack recording. His talents were further evident in his unique playing style (including licks, trills, chording sequences and fretting techniques and timing) that was so different from other performers at the time. A lifelong tinkerer he created ‘The Log guitar’ because he was dissatisfied with the acoustic guitars that were available in the mid 30’s. Built in 1939 it was one of the first solid body electric guitars. Gibson Guitar Corp. designed a guitar following Paul’s specifications and gave it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a contract and the model was named the “Les Paul.” The contract was an agreement that he would never play in public or be photographed with any guitar that was not a Gibson.

The Les Paul Trio included Paul, Jim Atkins and Ernie Newton. They performed together until 1943 when he moved to Hollywood and formed a new trio with Mary Ford and Eddie Stapleton. They appeared on Bing Crosby’s radio show which resulted in Crosby sponsoring Paul’s recording experiments. The two recorded several songs including a #1 hit with “It’s Been A Long, Long Time.” Paul’s trio also recorded their own music on Decca in the late 40’s. Paul and his wife, Mary, had hits including “How High the Moon”, “The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise”, and “Vaya Con Dios”.

Paul’s need for multiple non-destructive tracks to record on led him to re-invent the Ampex 200. Ampex was inspired to develop two and three track recorders. In 1954 Paul commissioned Ampex to build the first 8 track tape recorder and paid for it himself. It took them 3 years to get it working properly and by the time it was useable, Paul’s music was not as popular so he never even recorded on it.

Paul went into semi-retirement in the 60’s, occasionally returning to the studio. His most familiar recordings from then through the mid 70’s were updated and put on an album for London Records as

Les Paul Now

. By the late 80’s Paul returned to live performances. In 2006, at the age of 90, he was awarded 2 Grammys for his album Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played.

In 1978 Les and Mary were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1983 Paul received a lifetime achievements award, Grammy Trustees Award. In 1988 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1991 the Mix Foundation established an annual award named for him that honors “individuals or institutions that have set the highest standards of excellence in the creative application of audio technology”. In 2005 Paul was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for the development of his solid body electric guitar. In 2006 he was inducted into the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Paul has been named as an honorary member of the Audio Engineering Society. He was also an Honorary Board Member for Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit program that provides free musical instruments and instruction to underserved schools across the country.

Literary Giant - Amy Tan

Amy Tan was born February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California to parents who were Chinese immigrants. John Tan, her father, was a Baptist minister and electrical engineer who moved to America to escape the civil war in China. Her mother, Daisy, had survived more than one tragedy before she escaped on the last boat to leave Shanghai before the communist takeover in 1949. She had divorced her abusive husband and been forced to leave her three daughters behind. These events in her mother’s life inspired Amy’s novel “The Kitchen God’s Wife”.

John and Daisy also had two boys. They lived in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Amy’s father and oldest brother both died of brain tumors within a year of each other. Daisy moved Amy and her remaining brother to Switzerland where Amy finished high school and started at a Baptist college her mother had picked out. She wanted Amy to be a doctor and a concert pianist. Amy defied her mother by following her boyfriend, Louis DeMattei, to San Jose City College where she studied English and linguistics and eventually received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in these fields.

In 1974 Amy and Louis, an attorney, were married and eventually settled in San Francisco. Amy attended the University of California at Santa Cruz and Berkeley studying for a doctorate in linguistics. She left her studies in 1976 and took a job as a language development consultant with the Alameda county Association for Retarded Citizens. She and a partner had a business writing speeches for salesmen and executives of large corporations. After a dispute she left and became a full time freelance writer. She prospered but found little satisfaction with her work. She studied jazz piano trying to build on the forced musical training of her childhood. This was when she started writing fiction. Her first story “Endgame” earned her a place in the Squaw Valley writer’s workshop taught by novelist Oakley Hall. The story was printed in FM (a literary magazine) and Seventeen. With the completion of her second story, “Waiting Between the Trees”, literary agent Sandra Dijkstra took her on as a client.

After Amy’s mother had recovered from an illness, she took her to China to visit with the daughter she had left behind. This trip brought mother and daughter closer together and inspired Amy to finish the book of stories as her agent had encouraged. The completed stories and an outline of the remaining stories would be turned into the best selling book, “The Joy Luck Club”. She had received a $50,000 advance from G.P. Putnam’s Sons which allowed her to stop her business writing and finish the book. It was on the NY Times best seller list for 8 months. The paperback rights went for 1.23 million. It has been translated into 17 languages. She has since written “The Kitchen God’s Wife”, “The Hundred Secret Senses” and the “Bonesetter’s Daughter” plus 2 children’s books, “The Moon Lady” and “The Chinese Siamese Cat”. She also wrote “The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings”. She has received numerous awards for her writing.

She is still married to Lou DeMattei, still residing in San Francisco and New York with their Yorkshire terriers Bubba and Lilli. In 1999 Amy contracted Lyme disease, probably while hiking. It was debilitating and hindered her ability to write. She has worked to bring awareness to the disease, supported research efforts and helped to found LymeAid 4 Kids.

Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891 in Notasulga, Alabama. Her father, John Hurston was a Baptist preacher, carpenter and tenant farmer practicing each as the need arose. Her mother, Lucy Ann Potts Hurston was a school teacher. When Zora was three, the family moved to Eatonville, Florida, which was the first all black town to be incorporated in the United States. Her father eventually became mayor of the town and Zora later wrote that it was a place that black Americans could live as they desired, independent of white society. In 1904 Lucy died and John soon married again. Zora was sent away to school in Jacksonville, Florida and worked part time as a maid.

In 1917, Zora began studying at the high school division of Morgan College in Baltimore, Maryland. In order to qualify for a free education Zora claimed her birth year was 1901. She graduated from high school at the age of 27. She started her undergraduate studies at Howard University that same year. She was co-founder of The Hilltop, the student newspaper. She left Howard in 1924 and was offered a scholarship to Barnard College where she would be the only black student. While here she conducted ethnographic research with Franz Boas of Columbia University. She also worked with Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead. In 1927 she received a B.A. in anthropology and spent the next 2 years as a graduate student at Columbia University.

Zora had arrived in New York City at the peak of the Harlem Renaissance in 1925. Before she entered Barnard her short story Spunk was selected for The New Negro, a landmark anthology of fiction, poetry and essays focusing on African and African American art and literature. The following year a group of young black writers (calling themselves the “Niggerati”), including Langston Hughes, Wallace Thurman and Zora, produced a literary magazine called Fire!!. Many of the young artists and writers of the Harlem Renaissance had their work featured in the magazine.

Zora continued her writing career and had several of her short stories published. Her first 3 novels, Jonah’s Gourd Vine, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Moses, Man of the Mountain were published during the mid to late 30’s. During the 40’s she had work published in the Saturday Evening Post and The American Mercury periodical. Her last published novel was Seraph on the Suwanee, printed in 1948. The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was considered her masterwork and had been completed during her fieldwork in Haiti.

Zora’s outspoken beliefs caused her nothing but grief. When the battle of desegregation was being fought she let it be known that black children did not have to go to school with whites in order to receive an education. She had the black community supporting this movement up in arms. She also wrote an article attacking the rights of the blacks to vote in the South by stating that their votes were being bought and therefore were not their own.

Her last years were lived in poverty with no one knowing or caring where she was. She ended her working career as domestic help, the same way she started. She was working on another book, The Life of Herod the Great but died before it was finished. She suffered a severe stroke in 1959 and was committed to the Saint Lucie County Welfare Home in Fort Pierce, Florida to live out her days. She died on January 28, 1960 of hypertensive heart disease.

Virginia Woolf

Adeline Virginia Stephen was born January 25, 1882 in London. Her mother, Julia Prinsep Jackson Stephen was a famous model for Pre-Raphaelite painters. Her father, Sir Leslie Stephen was a notable scholar, author and critic. Virginia was home schooled by her parents. Her parents had each been married and widowed and had children from their previous marriages. Julia had Herbert, George and Stella. Leslie had a daughter who was mentally disabled and lived with the family until she was 21 and then institutionalized. Leslie and Julia had 4 children together (Vanessa, Thoby, Virginia and Adrian).

Their children were raised in an environment filled with Victorian literary society influences. Visitors in their home included Henry James, G. E. Moore, E. M. Forster, George Henry Lewes, Julia Margaret Cameron and James Russell Lowell who was Virginia’s honorary godfather. The girls of the family were taught the classics and English literature while the boys received a formal education.

Julia died suddenly in 1895 when Virginia was just 13 years old. She lost her half-sister Stella 2 years later. These deaths were the prelude to Virginia’s first nervous breakdown. Seven years later, in 1904, her father died and she was plunged into the depths of despair suffering a collapse so severe that she was institutionalized for a short period. Her breakdowns, mood swings and recurring depression were fueled by the sexual abuse committed against her and her sister Vanessa by their half brothers George and Gerald Duckworth. These maladies would torment her for the rest of her life.

Although Virginia’s instability often affected her social life, her writing continued with few breaks until the end of her life. She began her professional writing in 1905 for the Times Literary Supplement. She attained both critical and popular success for her writings.

In 1912 Virginia married Leonard Woolf who was a brilliant writer and critic. She often referred to as a ‘penniless Jew” but they enjoyed a close and loving bond. They often worked together professionally and opened the Hogarth Press which subsequently published Virginia’s novels. They also published works by T. S. Eliot, Laurens van der Post and others. In 1922 Virginia entered a long lasting sexual relationship with Vita Sackville-West. The women remained friends even after the affair ended.

The destruction of her London home during the Blitz at the onset of WW II worsened her already tentative condition until she was unable to work. On March 28, 1941 she put on her coat, filled the pockets with stones and walked into the River Ouse near her home and drowned. Her body was found 3 weeks later and her husband had her cremated and then buried her under a tree in the garden of their home in Rodmell, Sussex.

Virginia wrote several novels, short story collections, biographies, non-fiction books, autobiographical writings and diaries, 3 letters, 1 drama and 1 introduction preface.