tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915Sat, 21 Feb 2009 04:27:51 +0000An online supplement to "The Strange Tales of Eli McMorn and Claiborne's Nights" as well as a home for Lee Peacock's other writings, including his poems, his newspaper columns and his short stories.http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)Blogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-117004810198253781Mon, 29 Jan 2007 05:21:00 +00002007-01-28T23:21:41.986-06:00"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over." - Hunter S. Thompson When it comes to hot food, the 1999 Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans will always stand out in my memory.On the spur of the moment, two friends and I decided to drive from Monroeville, Ala. to New Orleans after work on a Friday night.http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/hot-sauce-of-death-sparks-column.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-117004805973097508Mon, 29 Jan 2007 05:20:00 +00002007-01-28T23:20:59.743-06:00I admit it. I enjoy listening to the radio – sports talk radio to be exact. While I think it’s nice and those who have it make me green with envy, I’m much too cheap to spring for anything fancy like XM or Sirius satellite radio. That’s why, if you’d been able to peer into my office on Monday night, you would have seen me hunched over my Sony radio, slowly moving the tuner along the AM dial, http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/am-radio-reminds-me-of-sports-memories.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-116915876648796608Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:18:00 +00002007-01-18T16:19:26.490-06:00"Ghost Hunters: William James and the Search for Scientific Proof of Life After Death" by Deborah Blum is the most interesting book that I’ve read in a long time. In this 370-page book, published by Penguin Press earlier this year, Blum details the effort by James and a number of other turn-of-the-century scientists who tried to find proof of life after death. James (1842-1910) was one of the http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-ghost-hunter-book-might-not-be.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-116915869856942366Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:17:00 +00002007-01-18T16:18:18.590-06:00How ‘bout them Saints?I hate to jinx them, but I’ve never been more excited about the Saints that I am this week. Growing up in Southwest Alabama, it was natural for me to be a Saints fan. Before the Tennessee Titans came along, it was either the Saints or the Atlanta Falcons. Why be a Saints fan? Maybe it was the desire to pull for the underdog week after week and year after year? Maybe it was http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-bout-them-saints.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-116890102391354078Mon, 15 Jan 2007 22:43:00 +00002007-01-15T16:43:43.916-06:00Within the pages of this week’s edition of The Wayne County News, readers will find a story that’s a little out of the ordinary, a story about Melissa Bowen, a woman who loved her pet dog, Rocke, so much that she decided to have him freeze-dried. While having a pet freeze-dried is uncommon, I can totally sympathize with Mrs. Bowen. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a "dog person." When I http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/peacock-sympathizes-with-woman-and-her.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-116890097967019937Mon, 15 Jan 2007 22:42:00 +00002007-01-15T16:42:59.686-06:00I’m no Auburn fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I watched AU’s 17-14 Cotton Bowl win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers with more than a little interest. I was especially interested in the game because it was the final game for Auburn wide receiver Courtney Taylor. Although I’m just 30 years old, watching Taylor play his final game really made me feel old.Even though he probably doesn’t http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/peacock-remembers-brush-with-taylor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-116794366966658076Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:47:00 +00002007-01-04T14:47:49.670-06:00It’s the first Thursday of the month, so let’s take a trip down memory lane and review all of interesting things that took place in Wayne County 75 years ago, way back in January 1932.From the Jan. 14, 1932 edition of The News:Readers learned that during the Jan. 4, 1932 meeting of Wayne County’s board of supervisors, the board elected John L. Sullivan, who represented District One, as their http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/wayne-county-has-changed-much-since.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-116794361905505636Thu, 04 Jan 2007 20:45:00 +00002007-01-04T14:46:59.073-06:00Their very presence is a total mystery and leave nothing but questions. Who do they belong to? What are they doing here? When will their rightful owner come forward? Where did they even come from and why are they even here to begin with? Before I go into the meat of this column, let me give you a little back story. Rewind with me back to a night a few months ago when I found myself digging aroundhttp://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2007/01/who-do-they-belong-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115764053875040625Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:48:00 +00002006-09-07T09:48:58.753-05:00It’s the first Thursday of the month, so you know what that means. It’s time to take a trip down memory lane and review all of interesting things that took place in Monroe County 100 years ago, way back in September 1906. From the Sept. 6, 1906 edition of The Journal:Monroe Journal Editor, Q. Salter, wrote that "Mr. A.F. Howington, one of Excel’s enterprising merchants, was in to see us Monday. http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/09/repton-once-like-nyc.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115764047722200654Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:46:00 +00002006-09-07T09:47:57.226-05:00Last week's slate of football games for our local teams proved to be more than a little interesting, especially J.U. Blacksher's win over McKenzie, Frisco City’s win over Excel and Monroe County High School’s win over J.F. Shields.Blacksher’s 18-14 win over McKenzie on Friday night was Blacksher’s 23rd win over the Tigers since the end of World War II, leaving the Bulldogs with a 23-21 edge in http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/09/games-were-good.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115764038787487011Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:45:00 +00002006-09-07T09:46:27.876-05:00The year is over half way over, so this week I figured that I’d give you, the reading audience, a run-down of my 10 favorite books from the first half of 2006. 1. "The Last Coach: A Life of Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant" by Allen Barra: I think you will be hard-pressed to find a more detailed biography of former University of Alabama football coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant. This rich, full-scale 600-page http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/09/top-10-books-writer-has-read-so-far-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115764032460875718Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:44:00 +00002006-09-07T09:45:24.613-05:00The first full week of the high school football season is upon us, and local fans will get the chance to watch two great in-county rivalry games this week. Excel will travel to Frisco City for their annual meeting with the Whippets tonight (Thursday), and J.F. Shields will travel to Monroeville to face Monroe County High School tomorrow (Friday) night. Both games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/09/excel-frisco-countys-biggest-prep.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115764023638767484Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:43:00 +00002006-09-07T09:43:56.390-05:00"Blackbeard: America’s Most Notorious Pirate" by Angus Konstam is one of the coolest books that I’ve read this year. Published in June, this 336-page book details the pirate career of Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard the Pirate. Blackbeard was the most feared pirate of his day, a rouge who terrorized the Caribbean and the islands of the Spanish Main. One of the most colorful cutthroats fromhttp://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/09/blackbeard-biography-one-of-best-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115764017237230972Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:41:00 +00002006-09-07T09:42:52.386-05:00Do you think you've got what it takes to match wits with arguably the best football minds in Monroe County? Have you always wanted to go head to head with local college football fans and put your pigskin knowledge to the test over an entire season? If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, then I encourage you to sign up for ESPN.com's College Pick 'Em Contest. A group of my friends http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/09/join-espn-contest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115582230935868768Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:44:00 +00002006-08-17T08:45:09.360-05:00Gordon Gerick’s book, "The Bungling Angel," is one of the most interesting books that I’ve read this year. Published in May, the 200-page book is about Mary Hatfield, a recently widowed and retired IRS agent, who moves to Shell Cove to be close to her sister Martha Robinson. Ki, an angel on her first assignment from the big man upstairs, is sent to Earth to guide Mary’s spirit into the afterlife.http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/08/bungling-angel-interesting-new-work.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115582224609297576Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:42:00 +00002006-08-17T08:44:06.146-05:00Sometimes you just hit a wall. This is especially true when you’re doing research. In almost all cases, when you hit a wall, it’s OK to ask for a little help. That’s the purpose of this sports column. Your friendly neighborhood sportswriter, Lee Peacock, needs a helping hand from his reading audience. Before we get into the meat of this thing, let me give you a little background. About three http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/08/writer-stumped-please-respond-asap.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115514737420511482Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:13:00 +00002006-08-09T13:16:14.223-05:00I’ll admit it. Up until a week ago, I really didn’t know much about the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans or about how these events effected the course of American History. That all changed when I got the chance to read Winston Groom’s new book, "Patriotic Fire: Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans." Many of you will remember Groom as the author of "Forrest Gump," a http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/08/grooms-patriotic-fire-doesnt.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115514722282638396Wed, 09 Aug 2006 18:09:00 +00002006-08-09T13:17:02.060-05:00The upcoming 2006 football season, set to start in a matter of weeks, looks to be a landmark season for more than a few reasons. What follows is a school-by-school breakdown of some of the historic moments that our local coaches and teams will (or could) pass this season.Frisco City: Frisco City head coach Troy Quinn needs just five wins this season to become the school’s winningest modern era (http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/08/coming-season-could-be-landmark-year.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115471039554593481Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:52:00 +00002006-08-04T11:53:15.550-05:00It’s the first Thursday of the month, so you know what that means. It’s time to take a trip down memory lane and review all of interesting things that took place in Monroe County 100 years ago, way back in August 1906. From the August 2, 1906 edition of The Journal:Monroe Journal Editor, Q. Salter, wrote that "Mr. John I. Watson, our efficient city [Monroeville] superintendent of streets and http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/08/turkey-hunter-shot-bushes-man-in-1906.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115471029728143884Fri, 04 Aug 2006 16:50:00 +00002006-08-04T11:51:37.296-05:00Only 22 days remain until high school football kicks off in Monroe County. Local fans will get their first taste of football action on Aug. 25, when Monroe Academy squares off against Wilcox Academy in Monroeville. The county’s five public schools will begin play the following week. A glance at the schedules of our six local teams offers more than a few interesting matchups this season. Here are http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/08/season-will-open-with-two-rival-games.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115393299246462992Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:55:00 +00002006-07-26T11:56:32.466-05:00It’s official. From this day forward, I am a fan of Joe Hilley. Hilley, an attorney turned author, lives in Fairhope and has drawn on his legal experiences and many years in Mobile to write "Electric Beach," the best mystery novels that I’ve read in a long time. "Electric Beach," published in May by RiverOak Publishing, is a very slick mystery novel and was a lot of fun to read. The novel centershttp://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/07/joe-hilleys-electric-beach-smacks-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115393292884515246Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:54:00 +00002006-07-26T11:55:28.846-05:00We’re one week closer to the official start of the 2006 high school football season, just 10 days from the start of practice and 35 days from the first football game. With that in mind, let's get into the football mood with a little local high school football trivia. This week, the questions all come from the late 1990s. See if you can answer the following questions about high school football in http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/07/try-these-late-90s-football-questions.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115393287120700201Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:53:00 +00002006-07-26T11:54:31.210-05:00"Rick & Bubba’s Expert Guide to God, Country, Family and Anything Else We Can Think Of" by Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey with Martha Bolton is the funniest book that I’ve read this year. Published in February by W Publishing Group, the 224-page book details the adventures of Rick and Bubba, two morning radio hosts who have built a cult following with their unique brand of Southern humor http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/07/rick-and-bubba-book-offers-great-humor.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115393281065936179Wed, 26 Jul 2006 16:52:00 +00002006-07-26T11:53:30.673-05:00We’re one week closer to the official start of the 2006 high school football season, just 17 days from the start of practice and 42 days from the first football game. With that in mind, let's get into the football mood with a little local high school football trivia. This week, the questions all come from the early 1990s. See if you can answer the following questions about high school football inhttp://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/07/only-17-days-to-go-before-practice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13805915.post-115272867913198487Wed, 12 Jul 2006 18:23:00 +00002006-07-12T13:24:39.133-05:00Everyone thinks that they know the story of the Pilgrims, their trip to America on the Mayflower and the First Thanksgiving. From elementary school on, we’ve learned the story about how the buckle-shoed Pilgrims fled religious persecution in England to land at Plymouth Rock, befriended the natives and sat down in the end for a big meal of turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce. It’s too bad that http://leepeacock2002.blogspot.com/2006/07/mayflower-gives-you-straight-story-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lee Peacock)0