Get 'Em Pops

Is the pen mightier than the revolver?

Well, actually, it depends on the circumstances. For an Indian and two British dads, the circumstances are that they will be equally ineffective.

Jnaneswar Mudiraj took gun in hand and marched through Kanakamamidi's K. S. Raju Institute of Engineering and Technology determined to teach a lesson to the mean boys bullying his son. (They had asked him question on a bus; he replied rudely; they pushed him around on campus; he told his dad; ... dad brought a gun to the college campus.)

A bit more passively, Essex's Ian McNicol and Redding, Falkirk's Michael Hamilton are sending nasty notes to the man who murdered their teen daughters. They are targeting serial killer Peter Tobin and being really, really, really, really mean. As McNicol told the BBC

"I really want to aggravate him into him losing his temper yet again, and again, and again - I will keep going just to grind under his skin. ...I'm going to say things that are wrong to him intentionally in the hope that he will correct me by saying to the police 'that's wrong', which he probably will."

 Yeah, gents all, that'll work.

Waving the Magic Wand

And they all (well, actually, "he and son all") lived happily ever after ...

That's the story Hallmark is peddling with its Freshman Father. Dad, "based on the life of" current Seton Hall professor John Wand, is an Idaho guy on his way to Harvard who brings his pregnant high school sweetheart with him. He's fab as a father and at school. She can't cut it and leaves the son with him. Ups, downs and eventually uplifting happiness. Just like real life ... as condensed and cleaned up and uplifted for a greeting card.

In case you'll miss it, the trailer that precedes it:

Pigskin Pigheadedness or Prospecting

On the face of it, it is appalling that a dad would sell his 13-year-old son to a college football coach. On the other hand, since coach of little conscience Lane Kiffin is not actually allowed to confirm or deny the report, it is possible David Sills IV is spending no money to get DS V a great deal of publicity and early endorsement deals. Since he's likely to burn out or be seriously injured well before he plays for USC or anyone else, it could be his father has snatched the brass ring for his son with the only chance he's got. It might look (and actually be) disgusting, but maybe father did know best when he ran his mouth?