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10.22.2005
A Huge Question Mark Has Formed Over My Head
I think the guy is throwing out some humor, but check out the dude in the Speedo holding the "Raider Pride" sign in the middle of the UT crowd.
Just Think What Would Have Happened . . .
. . . last night if Devin Godboldt still played for Decatur?
From the Morning News: "Devin Godboldt rushed for 319 yards and four touchdowns to lead Denton Liberty Christian over Dallas Christian . . . . Godboldt carried the ball just four times in the second half, but three of those were touchdowns - runs of 60, 67 and 80."
A Good Start To A Friday Evening
I had to replace the battery in my car in the Walmart parking lot last night. (Yeah, wise guys, I know where the battery is).
I did learn (1) it's not any fun to do in a white shirt and (2) that you can buy a 50 piece socket set for $5.49.
(Sidenote: Would you pay $1,600 for this painting?)
I'm So Confused About What "Limited Government" Means To Republicans
I've always detested former US Attorney General John Ashcroft. I learned the following today when reviewing a case before the Supreme Court:
"In 1994 and then again in 1997, Oregon voters passed the Death With Dignity Act, which allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of legal but regulated drugs to dying Oregonians who ask for them. John Ashcroft, who was then a senator, asked Janet Reno, who was then Clinton's attorney general, to stop the Oregon doctors. Reno declined. In 1998 and 1999, Ashcroft introduced two bills in Congress that would have explicitly scuttled Death With Dignity. Both bills failed. "
"Then Ashcroft became President Bush's attorney general. In 2001, he announced that the federal Controlled Substances Act—passed by Congress in 1970 to 'conquer drug abuse' and control the trafficking of legal and illegal drugs—gave him the power to revoke the licenses of doctors who assisted suicide with a prescription drug. The doctors could also be criminally prosecuted. When Ashcroft made his move, Oregon squawked its way to court. (That's why the name of today's case could be improved on a bit—it should really be called Ashcroft v. Oregon.) "
Footloose
Ok, I got suckered into the last 30 minutes of 1984's Footloose tonight.
Two observations:
(1) I had totally forgotten that Sarah Jessica Parker was in it, and
(2) How did we all accept that a bunch of country kids got together at a barn for their first dance ever and then miraculously broke out into professionally choregraphed dance steps?
Now I Can't Get The Song Out Of My Head
I think this happy couple just ruined my whole day. (Video) <--- Link fixed
(Rated PG for suggestiveness for you sensitive folks out there).
10.21.2005
Incredibly Random Thought
Do you think anyone under 40 knows "shorthand". (And I suspect many people have no idea what I'm talking about.)
Porky Has Died
And the Little Rascal's character was actually the one who uttered the word "Otay" instead of Buckwheat.
Practicing in Austin Sounds Fun
From the Delay court appearance this morning:
"In respectful tones, [Delay's lawyer] DeGuerin noted that [Judge] Perkins had donated money to MoveOn.org, a liberal organization that he said has been 'selling T-shirts with Mr. DeLay's mug shot on it. "
"'Let me just say I haven't ever seen that T-shirt, number one. Number two, I haven't bought it. Number three, the last time I contributed to MoveOn that I know of was prior to the November election last year, when they were primarily helping Sen. Kerry,' responded the judge."
"MoveOn.org denied it was selling any such shirts, and issued a statement that said, 'DeGuerin has either bad information or lied in court.'"
Let's Talk Strippers
"American Express is suing the CEO of a communications company for payment of $241,000 worth of disputed credit card charges at a Manhattan topless club.
"American Express says in papers filed in state court that Savvis Inc. chief executive officer Robert A. McCormick was in the club Scores in October 2003 with at least three other men.
After McCormick got the $241,000 corporate credit card bill, Savvis called American Express and complained that some of the charges were fraudulent, the lawsuit says. The communications company said its chief disputed all but about $20,000, according to the lawsuit. "
The Meth Book-In Photo Lady
Remember our meth girl? Well, here's a letter about her in todays Morning News:
Re: "Addict's photos make big picture hard to miss," by Steve Blow, Sunday Metro.
Mr. Blow's column misses the big picture. Scare tactics have never stopped kids from using drugs. Look at the studies on our most famous scare tactic program, DARE. The Roseanne Holland booking photos do not show a woman insufficiently frightened as a child. They show a woman arrested and imprisoned because of her addiction, instead of being treated for it. How would Roseanne Holland have looked after 10 years if she had been arrested and imprisoned for diabetes? Would she have lived that long?
Suzanne Wills, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Dallas
Am I Still In Texas?
Today the Dallas Morning News editorial board urges readers to reject next month's a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution banning gay marriage.
10.20.2005
Hey, I've Got $50
Now you can pay a woman an incredible amount of money (between $50 and $135 per hour) so that she will hang out with you in a bar and, ergo, make you look better to other chicks in the bar you want to meet.
Genius.
HotBarBuddy.com (Created by a North Texas grad)
Bridgeport Interest Only
You can catch Phillip Daugherty play QB for Sam Houston State tonight (right now, actually) on Fox Sports Southwest.
OK, So Maybe My Day In Court Wasn't So Hard
"BAGHDAD, Iraq - Ten masked gunmen kidnapped the lawyer for one of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants Thursday, police said."
I Know, I Know, You Don't Care
A judge, prosecutor and/or jury thought society would be safe with someone charged with a sexual offense being placed on probation.
But now Parker County officials decide that Halloween requires the probationers to be locked up in the probation office for about four hours in the evening?
(Note: People in the pic are not sex offenders - it was just a wacky Halloween pic).
Slow Posting Day
I was in a jury trial today involving, of all things, criminal trespass. In should have been simple but my blood pressure is still rising. We worked it out with a plea agreement at the end of the testimony but, before it was resolved, I don't think I've been that mad in a long time.
I think I need to find more things to get mad about.
[Edit: I detest doing it, but I've shut down the comments on this post. I like the prosecutors, I like the judges, I like my clients, so I really feel uncomfortable with people taking shots at all of them. But I don't mind shots at me: One of the posts indicated that one of my former clients wouldn't use me again because I didn't "show them the love."]
Glamour Shot?
In all my years of criminal practice, this is the finest book-in photo I have ever seen.
From The Update
"MASSIVE FIRE — About 300 acres north of County Road 3657 near Salt Creek were destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon . . . The cause of the fire isn’t clear, but a cigarette flicked from a moving car is thought to be the culprit."
Huh? It's not "clear" presumably means there were no eyewitnesses that could definitively tells us what happened, but a "cigarette flicked" from a car is "thought" to be the reason? Where does that come from?
10.19.2005
Bling A Bling Bling
The NBA has come up with some insane dress policy which will prevent players from throwing down a hip hop look. "Players must wear 'business casual' attire for team activities. If they are not in uniform but are seated on the bench, they are required to wear a sports jacket. No T-shirts, headgear or chains are permitted while on team business."
Amazingly, Charles Barkley appeared on the Tonight Show tonight and said the new policy was "fantastic" because young fans can be influenced negatively by NBA stars: "The problem is, when these young black [fans] go out dressed like that in the real world, they not gonna get jobs."
Say what? Let's not change white perceptions but instead change black culture?
Oh My Gosh, Saddam Has Escaped!
Actually, that's Mel Gibson shaking hands with Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Can He Please Have a Fair Trial Before They Hang Him?
I caught a glimpse of the Saddam Hussein's trial tonight.
I feel a bit uncomfortable about the fact that Judge Judy has more control over her courtroom than the judge does in Baghdad.
It was also odd that one of the very elderly co-defendants stood up and said that he had never met his lawyer. No one has disputed this.
A Purpose Driven Caffeine Fit
Remember my post about Starbucks placing catchy sayings on its cups? One that caused a great deal of outcry in the Bible Belt Of Wise County was one that said "life is too short . . . to hide being gay". It was a Comment Firestorm.
By the way, I didn't know that Baylor University had yanked those cups out of its campus Starbucks. Go figure.
Well, Starbucks, being no fool, has agreed to run a quote on its cups from the author of the "The Purpose Driven Life." No word yet on what it will be.
"Dang It, It Worked In The Video Game"
"ARMED ROBBERY — A juvenile remains in custody after being detained for the armed robbery of the Eastside Grocery Store in Bridgeport Sunday night. Bridgeport police chief Randy Singleton said police were called to the store at 9:50 p.m. where the clerk had been robbed at gunpoint of about $400. After canvassing the city, police received a tip that the suspect might strike again that night at the Allsup’s Convenience Store. The police staked out that store and apprehended the suspect when he arrived at the store. He was also in posesssion [sic] of 12.5 grams of cocaine. The 16-year-old Bridgeport boy was arraigned Monday and remains in custody while the investigation continues." - From the Update
As a consequence, Bridgeport High School was immediately stripped of its "Academically Acceptable" rating.
Battle of The Big Sandy
In today's Messenger, the paper reprints every score between the Bulls and Eagles since 1920 complete with a fancy smancy color coding system to quickly determine who won. Good stuff. I had forgotten how Decatur owned Bridgeport in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
In a shameless bit of self-promotion, I wrote this about the Big Sandy battle three years ago. I need to update it but I'm too lazy. (But from re-reading it, it is incredible how things have changed in three years).
If You Are Interested In This Sort Of Thing
A pretty good story in the Star Telegram about a lawyer whose son was allegedly molested by and employee of the Boys & Girls Club, makes a claim for $14 million against the organization, then raises hell when a plea bargain- for pen time - in the criminal case is accepted (despite the fact she concurred with the prosecutor that such an offer would be acceptable).
10.18.2005
Uh, Your Kids Aren't Smart And I Bet They Don't Read Dear Abby, Either
"DEAR ABBY: I am the mother of four children, ages 18 to 25. A 'practice' they discuss among their friends is the 'rite of turning 21,' which is to drink 21 shots of hard alcohol. I'd like to think my children are intelligent and informed enough to know how dangerous this could be, but when I mention it, I get the standby, 'Everyone does it' or 'It's fine.' I worry myself sick over this, not only for my own kids, but for all young adults. Please shed some light on this practice. Perhaps they will listen to you." . . . . more
I Missed . . .
. . . the big 9th inning in the Astros playoff game last night, but it sounds incredible. Here's a screen shot of the front page of the Houston Chronicle.
"I Thought You Looked Familiar"
A very funny (but long) Jon Stewart clip about the President's "impromptu" discussion with the troops by satellite last week.
10.17.2005
2:30 Saturday - ABC
The last chance for Texas to get beat and not end up in the National Championship comes this week against Texas Tech.
And that's not much of a chance: Texas is favored by 14 1/2.
(It pains me to say it, but this is the best Texas team I've seen in my lifetime. And Vince Young is the best player I've ever seen.)
Color Me Confused
It looks like White Settlement will vote on a name change in November. Probably a good idea.
It was interesting to learn, however, that this girl was Miss White Settlement 2005.
You Can't Be Fined That Much For A First Degree Felony
Sixteen year old golfer Michelle Wie played in her first professional tournament last weekend. She was good enough to finish fourth and win $53,126.
That is, until golf officials disqualified her for taking an "illegal drop" the day before that improved the position of her ball from 3 to 12 inches (depending on who you listen to).
The First BCS Poll
1. USC
2. Texas
3. Virginia Tech
4. Georgia
5. Alabama
6. LSU
7. Texas Tech <------Looky
8. Miami (FL)
9. UCLA
10. Penn State
Death Trap
I heard a report today that there was a pretty bad accident (Careflight needed) on 380 near the Sheriff's Office.
If you have seen the new road layout due to the 380 construction, you know the problem: If you want to leave eastbound 380 and take business 380 (that leads you up to McDonalds), you have to make a hard right hand turn off of the highway. You can't make that turn unless you slow down to less than 10 mph and there is no protected right turn lane. The result: You have to look in your rearview mirror to see if some 18 wheeler is coming up behind you at a high rate of speed.
It's a death trap. (Photo is not of the actual wreck).
And To Think I Just Ate
"This photo supplied by the Magazine Publishers Assn and American Society of Magazine Editors shows the Rolling Stone magazine cover from Jan. 22, 1981, depicting John Lennon and Yoko Ono, which was voted the number one cover from the last 40 years, as decided by judges in a contest by the American Society of Magazine Editors, the group announced Monday, Oct. 17, 2005. (AP Photo/Magazine Publishers Assn and American Society of Magazine Editors) "
10.16.2005
Update
A few weeks back I posted a series of book-in photographs showing a women who aged dramatically allegedly due to drug use.
I questioned whether the photos were authentic.
The Dallas Morning News' Steve Blow wrote about the same photos in his column today. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was skeptical. But....it looks like the photos are legit. Hollywood, FL police claim the photos belong to them. And the name seems to be "Roseanne Holland".
What Is Up?
I've been getting emails about the lack of media coverage over the "Homecoming King" in Decatur. I'm not quite sure what the hubbub is about.
(That's not him - just the funniest Homecoming King picture I could find).
Speechless
"HUTTO - A seventh-grade cheerleader died when she fell from a float and was run over during the Old Tyme Days festival parade this weekend, authorities said. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Melissa Swain, 12, stood up and fell forward off the flatbed trailer that served as the float. The trailer, which was being pulled by a pickup truck, ran over her."
Story in the Star-Telegram
(Photo from last year's parade).