This time of year you'll sometimes see a story about how a town or people will come together and do something that warms the cockles of your heart. Is this one such story? Yes and no.
Snohomish, Washington is a football town, with a tradition that was "grandfathered in" that no other towns participate in: the firing of a cannon to kickoff their high school football games. Brett Karch, one of the ROTC, was in charge of firing it off. Unfortunately, on October 6th of this year, the cannon blew apart, causing deafening amongst those nearby and a serious leg injury in Karch. One that resulted in a metal rod to be inserted, bone transplants, and at least a year in physical therapy.
The townspeople responded...by threatening Karch with "breaking the other leg", and his family to not cooperate with the investigation or to talk to lawyers (one was hired, according to the article, to "help (them) understand legal forms the school district asked (them) to sign after the accident.") As they are more concerned with preventing the ending of the cannon shooting than Karch's welfare. Athough the cannon was built "in the school's metal shop...after a previous cannon gave out in the mid-1980s" and although the school "had the cannon X-rayed earlier this year.... those results showed a stress fracture in the metal, although it's not clear yet whether that had any bearing on the explosion." rumors circulated immediately "that Karch must have packed the cannon incorrectly, and some of the cards and comments have suggested that he deserved what happened to him".
And there is this article that tries to get a fuller story but between reading between the lines, and having went to a school that placed a high priority on sports, one can conclude that at best lip service was paid to Karch's welfare.
Thanks to Paul Harris for the heads up on this.

Yes, you. You didn't think you could do it, did you?

Word's getting out around the Internets that actor Peter Boyle passed away. Drew "Moriarty" McWeeny has written an excellent tribute.

The Comics Curmugeon posted this story about Mallard Fillmore creator Edward Bruce Tinsley being charged with a DUI, which is his second alcohol-related arrest.
No word on whether he replied that it wasn't as bad as Ted Kennedy or have a liberal defend his right to drink and drive, which is the punch lines on most of his comic strips.