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11.05.2005
And I Didn't Have A Desire To See The First One
This from the Dallas Morning News movie section:
"So why would any Hollywood [executive] ever greenlight anything but a cheapo horror sequel or remake? That's the lesson of Saw II. [It's] $31.7 million debut with a measly $4 million budget is a license to print money."
I Want That Kind Of Talent
Kevin Federline (that's Mr. Britney Spears to you and me) released his new rap song on the Internet last week.
It actually contains this line: "Back then they used to call me K-Fed but now you can call me Daddy instead."
11.04.2005
NBC's Dateline
I'm rarely shocked, but tonight's Dateline on NBC was incredible.
The show recruited an organization called Perverted-Justice.com (I can't get the link to work - probably from server overload) whose members pose as online underage boys and girls. The fake kids entered a chat room and suckered in adult guys to come over to a house to meet them. As they arrive (and, boy, do they arrive), the cameras caught each of them (about 20 guys in all) walking into the home's kitchen. (The fake online kids told them the door would be open). Then Dateline correspondent Chris Hansen would appear and ask them what they were doing.
Words cannot describe how amazing the show was.
A description by Hansen of the event is described here.
A Quiet Passing Into The Night
With little note, this appeared in the Update this week: "GRAVESIDE service for Claude Caraway, 55" .
Anyone who works around the courthouse square remembers Claude. He was the little guy that walked around (and I do mean walked around) the entire town handing out Messenger Updates every morning. I can't tell you the number of times he saw me and came walking across the street to hand me an Update. I always took one regardless of whether I had already read it or not.
I Need Them Around to Fix My Car
Dallas Morning News columnist Jacquielynn Floyd did a story today on Decatur High School's all girl tractor repair team
11.03.2005
Geraldo At Large?
What the heck is this show? And how long has it been on Channel 4 at 10:30?
I hate this guy.
The Guy Never Played Football
The local news tonight is all over a Royse City school bus carrying the JV team that turned over on its side on FM 1777. It looks like most of the injuries are minor.
In watching my most prized possession, TIVO, tonight, I caught Channel 8 breaking into ABC News at 5:30 to bring us the "breaking news"of the bus accident. This is what Roger Brown, the pilot of the WFAA helicopter, said as he was hovering over the crash scene:
"I think a lot of them were protected by their uniforms that they had on."
Uh......no.
Random Music Thought
Carlos Santana has a new album out featuring present day artists who can actually sing.
I'm tired of hearing Carlos Santana's guitar.
Random Music Chart Thoughts
In looking at the music charts today in the Dallas Morning News, I noticed:
- Depeche Mode has a new song on the charts called "Precious". I haven't heard it but I'm immediately taken back to a time when the hit "Personal Jesus" made me very uncomfortable.
- Bette Midler is on the charts with an album called "Bette Midler Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook". Midler is in my Top Five chart of most irritating women on the planet.
- Gretchen Wilson is back with "All Jacked Up". I think she might dip snuff.
- Oddest artist on the rap chart: "Three 6 Mafia featuring Young Buck and 8Ball and MJG."
In Cold Blood
I remember watching the end of In Cold Blood on TV late one night when I was a teenager. It was so shocking. I described the movie to my dad the following morning: "two guys with shotguns kill this family". He knew what I was talking about in a second.
And the fact that it stars Robert Blake makes it even creepier now.
(The true story, upon which the movie and book are based, is described here in Wikipedia).
Abercrombie & Fitch . . .
. . . is in hot water again for these new T-shirts.
But this is mild compared to the trouble the company normally gets into.
Random Book Thought
I read the Da Vinci Code in the last year (because there was so much hubbub about it). I'm not a big book reader (I'm not patient enough) and I was very underwhelmed by this bestseller.
Bill Maher
You know, I like the liberal comics (Al Franken is at the top of my list), but Bill Maher just irritates me. He seems so angry that there is nothing funny about him.
If This Is True, It's Huge
CNN's Lead Story Tonight:
"DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Days before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, Saddam Hussein agreed in principle to accept an offer of exile from the United Arab Emirates, but the deal fell through, a UAE government senior official told CNN."
Paris Hilton At Halloween Party Last Weekend
I'm pretty sure I didn't have a trick or treater dressed up like this.
Financing Love
For $600,000 you can have this lady's house and the lady as your wife.
(Dale Hanson, on Channel 8 last night, said "Why don't you just buy the house and give it to her since that's what she'll end up with after the divorce." )
Bio-Something
The head of technology for Wise County showed me what will soon be the employee entrance at the new jail. I was surprised to learn that it is already equipped with a thumb scanning device that prevents unauthorized entry. My thumb was rejected.
Halloween Prank
This is weird. The head coach of USC and a backup running back played a joke on the team during practice on Halloween. It sounds a little bizarre. (Keep reading until you at least get to the line that begins "Then a dummy with a No. 21 jersey was thrown . . . . ")
11.01.2005
A Follow-Up To The Death Of The Pastor During Baptism
The Star-Telegram has an article echoing my thoughts from a couple of days ago.
"WACO — There are times in this old world when life makes no sense at all. Ask a young widow, left to raise a daughter, 5, and twin 3-year-old sons." (Rest of it)
And let me disclose this: I posted the previous article on the same day that the tragedy occurred. Within 24 hours I learned that my brother and his entire family were in attendance in the congregation in Waco and witnessed the entire event. I cannot even imagine what it was like.
Talking Money
According to the Dallas Morning News today, here is the following breakdown for household incomes in the United States:
At least $295,495? Your family is in the top 1%
At least $130,000? Your family is in the top 5%
At least $94,891? Your family is in the top 10%
At least $57,343? Your family is in the top 25%
So 75% of all households earn less than $57,343
Do We Have Another $7.1 Billion?
"WASHINGTON - President Bush outlined a $7.1 billion strategy Tuesday to prepare for the danger of a pandemic influenza outbreak" . . . (more)
Stoners Mourn
"A mother and daughter have been sentenced to jail for transporting drugs and using the proceeds to buy a ranch near Springtown. The No Name Ranch sits on the Parker and Wise County line. Authorities say 60 year old Daryla Julian and her daughter Donelle Kvenild bought the property in 1998 and invested up to $1 million on improvements and equipment. They money they say came from selling over 11,000 lbs of Marijuana since 1997. Julian was sentenced Friday to nine years in federal prison for distribution and money laundering. Her 39 year old daughter was sentenced to six years on the same charges." (Source)
Observation: We are locking them up? It sounds like they were a boon to the local economy because of all the ranch improvements.
Now That Is One Odd Promotional Device
From the Update:
"DON’T FROWN, BE BROWN — Tomorrow is 'brown' day at the Decatur Public Library. Visitors are asked to wear brown."
10.31.2005
OK, You Wise Guys . . .
. . . will be in comment heaven on this pic (one from the Alabama game last weekend).
Click to enlarge.
Let's Not Cheapen This
I was surprised to learn that Oprah Winfrey was a speaker at Rosa Parks' memorial service today. Do you think Oprah's life and Rosa's life have anything in common?
Great Pic
"The family of Judge Samuel Alito, daughter Laura (L), son Philip (C) and wife Martha (R), stand underneath a portrait of former president Bill Clinton as they watch President Bush nominate Alito to the Supreme Court in the White House, October 31, 2005. (Mannie Garcia/Reuters) "
Considering that Alito has spent most of his years as a prosecutor (a federal prosecutor at that), things aren't looking good for civil rights and the Fourth Amendment.
Funniest Halloween Story
My good friend Kevin Clark tells the story of his first year of handing out candy in his Fort Worth neighborhood on Halloween. As the night wore down, a few stragglers were still knocking on doors. Kevin had run out of candy by the time his doorbell rang once more so he looked around for something to to give in lieu of candy. By his front door was a "change dish" with a variety of loose coins that had accumulated over time. Kevin grabs a handful of coins, opens the door, drops the coins in the kid's basket and tells him Happy Halloween.
To Kevin's horror the kid turned, ran to the edge of the front porch, and screamed for all potential trick or treaters to hear: "He's giving away mooooooooooney!!!!!"
The Cell Phone . . .
. . . has replaced the swaying cigarette lighter in concert arenas. (Or so I'm told since I haven't been to a concert since 1992).
10.30.2005
Things Like This Bother Me - Philosophically Speaking
"WACO - A pastor performing a baptism was electrocuted inside his church Sunday morning after grabbing a microphone while partially submerged, a worker at the church said. University Baptist Church Rev. Kyle Lake, 33, was standing in water in the baptistry when he was electrocuted, said Jamie Dudley, wife of UBC community pastor Ben Dudley and a business adminstrator at the church."
Rest of Star Telegram story
(Photo not directly related to story).
Edit: CNN has a photograph of this young guy.
Why "The Spin" Is Delayed
Ok, after visiting three stadiums in two days, I was off to Nashville International to come home. I was unavoidably delayed for a bit. See the front of my white (crappy) rent car above? See the back of the darker car above (license plate smeared in photo on purpose)? Well these photos were taken after the following . . .
I allegedly rear ended the dark car with my white car while leaving the football game in Nashville, Tennessee today. Ok, I admit to "bumping" her. That event (and I am not making this up), caused (1) the female driver of the darker car to call 911, (2) me waiting 30 minutes without anyone showing up and then politely giving the lady my name and DL number and explaining to her that I had to catch a plane because this didn't appear to be any big deal since there was no damage, (3) what I presume to be the very big husband of said lady arriving and telling me I didn't need to "run", (4) me deciding it might be a good idea not to leave, (5) after an hour of waiting then watching an ambulance, police officer, and a fire truck zoom past us (6) observing those same three vehicles to come back five minutes later once they realized they were called about this "collision" (7) the maybe teen-aged daughter of said lady, above, to be strapped to a backboard (once again, I am not making this up) and placed inside the ambulance (8) having the daughter scream bloody murder inside the ambulance because the neck collar was driving her crazy, (9) the daughter and parents deciding that it might not be a good idea to put the daughter in the ambulance after all, and (10) me to confirm with the cop that I wasn't receiving a citation to which he affirmed I would not because "there was no damage to the vehicles."
I expect to hear from the Tennessee equivalent of "The Texas Hammer". Thank God I had a digital camera with me.
Football Nirvana
I just spent a Saturday watching a portion of Utah State v. Alabama as well as South Carolina v. Tennessee......both games in person ..... I kinda miscalculated the amount of driving involved from my base point of Nashville, TN. I'm exhausted.
(The day game pic is from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The night game is from Knoxville, Tennessee).