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5.12.2006
Last Thought For Friday
After USA Today broke the "government is watching what numbers you dial" story yesterday, the President walked in front of the cameras early in the morning to try and stop the firestorm that was about to erupt. (The text of his short remarks are here). The appearance had to be in response to someone saying, "You gotta get out there!!! We're gonna get killed on this thing!!!"
But he said this: "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates. "
Every time the Administration gets accused of spying on Americans, it always uses lines like that.
Question: If we know which calls are linked to al Qaeda, why don't we just go and pick those people up?
Good Football Man
Jimmy Smith of the Jacksonville Jaguars announced his retirement yesterday after 13 seasons in the NFL - five of which led to selections to the Pro Bowl.
You might remember that he spent his rookie year with the Dallas Cowboys that drafted him in the 2nd round in 1992.
Then Jimmy Johnson cut him after the end of the year.
Mark Cuban is a nut . . .
. . . but he can make you think. If you get a chance, read his short blog on "being a whiner."
Where Does Indiana Go?
Drag and drop a state to the correct place on the map.
It's amazingly entertaining.
Big Brother
With the news breaking yesterday that your federal government has been monitoring what phone numbers you have been dialing, a thought occurred to me: How can conservative Republicans, who value their privacy and hate big government, support this President?
And how am I supposed to call 1-800-HOT-ASIAN in peace?
Sports Nugget
Last night I learned that before the Atlanta Falcons gave up on quarterback Brett Favre and traded him to Green Bay, they brought in Boyd's Billy Joe Tolliver to be the second string quarterback thereby busting Favre down to third string.
(Fox Sports Channel).
5.11.2006
But They Won A National Title!!!
From the UT web site:
"The University of Texas at Austin enjoys the reputation of providing a very liberal and socially progressive environment for its students, faculty and staff. This welcoming environment was recognized in the September 2004 issue of 'Out Magazine' when the University of Texas at Austin was named the best place in the nation for gay men to find a husband."
Proof.
More Proof People Are Crazy
No guy would let two girls knee him in his most private of areas on video. Would he?
My Fifteen Minutes of Anonymous Fame Continues
Now the D Magazine Blog has found my Jane McGarry clip worthy of posting. (Although it did get described as "nothing spectacular.")
What Would Tyler Durden Do?
After all the crazy news reports about the "fight club" video tapes - the tapes showing young kids beating the hell out of each other in Arlington (oddly referred to as "Agg Town") - it is kinda surprising to learn that you can still buy them here.
I Don't Watch - But Even I Couldn't Avoid This News
"NEW YORK - Shock. Total shock. That was the reaction in the audience when "American Idol" finalist Chris Daughtry — predicted by many to be the last singer standing — was booted off in Wednesday's voting."
I saw the video on the news of the reaction to the voting. I think it's a bad sign when the girl that wasn't kicked off seemed incredibly surprised that she was still in the competition.
My Life Is Complete
After emailing my self-created 16 second video clip of Jane McGarry to various people at The Ticket yesterday, my life is now complete.
While naked in shower this morning at approximately 6:40 a.m., I got to hear Gordon Keith of The Ticket say "Did anyone hear Jane McGarry the other night?" followed by three, count em, three plays of the exact 16 second clip that I had created.
No other life accomplishment can match that moment. I'm headed to the airport never to be heard from again. Jamaica sounds good.
5.10.2006
For Computer Nerds Only
Here is a page from an advertising insert for an Apple Computer in 1984.
It looks amazingly modern.
The entire ad can be viewed here. (Yep, there is a pic of a very young Bill Gates included.)
How To Make A Sandwich
Ok, all you crazed women who love Matthew McConaughey, take a listen to him describe how he likes to make and eat a sandwich.
Link.
So confusing.
I'm Insane Now
As I was channel surfing, I just heard the following on PBS, Channel 13:
"To order The Natural History of the Chicken on video cassette, call PBS Home Video . . . . "
It can be yours for $19.98.
And As A Follow Up To The Post Below
A new hotel/condo project to be built near the American Airlines Center has been announced by Hillwood Development.
"Condominiums in the building will be priced from $850,000 to more than $6 million," according to the Dallas Morning News (which provided this pic on its web site).
God Must Be So Pleased With Us
Mark Cuban has been fined $200,000 for his reaction to the Mavs Game 1 loss to the Spurs.
In other news, people are starving to death in Darfur.
Channel 5 Jane McGarry Gold
In all the news coverage of the Collin County tornado last night, you have got to check out this 16 second youtube.com clip of Jane McGarry trying to ask a question. It's a sad day when Mike Synder has to bail you out.
She is speaking to a reporter on the phone who has just come upon a motorcycle accident.
Pure gold.
5.09.2006
10:30 PM TV Watching
If anyone watched TV at 10:30 last night, you would have thought World War III had broken out in northern Collin County. It seems as though a tornado was spotted near the metropolis of Anna, which prompted all four local affiliates to go to DEFCON 5.
I'll bet tomorrow morning we will learn that there was little to minimal damage.
Triple Sheesh.
Edit upon the following morning: When I'm wrong, I'm wrong. That was some pretty dramatic footage of at least 13 homes destroyed.
If You Ever . . .
. . . need to know how to perform surgery to remove a fishhook from an eye, watch this. Otherwise, look away. Seriously, look away.
Movie Review
Title: The Smartest Guys In The Room
About: An inside look at Enron before the fall
Learn a bunch why the company collapsed? Kinda. But the movie makers understand you can't spend more than 10 minutes on the accounting tricks without boring your audience
Best parts: Footage from the huge Enron company meetings and the Congressional hearings.
What I had forgotten: How the accounting firm Arthur Andersen disintegrated in the scandal.
What I had forgotten #2: All of the Enron commercials that ended with "Ask Why."
Rent it?: I'd pass. The only way you could appreciate what happens (and I don't) would be to spend a month with someone explaining it to you.
Moral: Greed is not good.
PS3
Thank goodness I'm not into "gaming" since I'd probably waste my life away more than I already do.
But I also won't have to shell out $499 for the soon to be released Playstation 3.
Baseball Gives Me Confused Head
Just last week I bragged about Ranger's pitcher Kevin Millwood pitching a complete game.
I looked up a second ago and saw that tonight Millwood went one and one-third innings and gave up nine hits and nine earned runs.
When is the first college football game?
Random High School Golf Thought
As I look at the state championship golf scores in the Dallas Morning News, a question occurred to me: Is there cheating in high school golf?
Those on top of the leaderboard shoot in the upper 60s and lower 70s. Sure, those kids are great, but is there ever any fudging?
Gettin' Liquored Up
It seems like in the blink of an eye Wise County has gone from relatively bone dry to very, very wet.
From the Update: LIQUOR PETITION — Folks in Bridgeport could soon be voting on the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption. Wise County Clerk Sherry Parker said Jennifer Walker picked up a petition from her office on Friday and will gather signatures to hold an election.
(Pic posted for comic value only)
Chicken Assault Vehicle - Day 2
It's still on the courthouse square. It's still kinda blocking traffic. I still don't understand it.
5.08.2006
David Blaine To Die . . . Or Not
I really haven't been following magic-man David Blaine as he has been submerged in a big sphere full of water at Rockefeller Center all week long, but he is on live TV tonight as he ends his ordeal by trying to hold his breath for 9 minutes while under water.
I think he'll be strapped in chains or something like that.
I notice that ABC has blocked out two hours for this. I'll check out the results after the hype is over.
Edit: As I watch him hold his breath at the 2:34 mark, I can't help but being irritated by his "coach" who is constantly talking. "Easy, David. Relax. Relax." I had a flashback to Caddyshack where Chevy Chase was helping Danny Noonan hit a golf ball while blindfolded. "I could if you'd stop talking."
Bomb Threat - Nothing Found
Those crazy Lake Dallas kids can't wait until the end of the school year.
Evolution of Dance
Kinda funny six minute bit of a white guy progressing through dance steps over the years.
YouTube.com video.
Stick with it - it'll make you smile.
5.07.2006
Random Kentucky Derby Thought
If I owned a race horse, I think I'd just name him "Bob."
And then we'd make fun of all the other horses' names.
Movie Review: Jarhead
Story: The film follows a group of marines as they travel to Saudi Arabia and eventually into Kuwait in the battle with Iraq named Desert Storm.
Notably starring: Jake Gyllenhaal (from Brokeback Mountain), Jamie Fox (from everything) and Lucas Black (the quarterback from Friday Night Lights)
Assessment: It seems more like and educational film than a drama - as we learn the boredom of sitting in the desert for two months and never getting to fire a shot.
Coolest scene: The marines walking at night through a field of oil wells that had been set afire.
What I Had Forgot: How fearful the troops where of a chemical gas attack by Iraq.
Check it Out?: Yeah. It's worth the rental.
John Mayer
One of my favorite songs of all time is John Mayer's "Comfortable."
Part of the lyrics:
I sleep with this new girl I’m still getting used to
my friends all approve, say “she’s gonna be good for you”
they throw me high fives
she says the Bible is all that she reads
and prefers that I not use profanity
[but] your mouth was so dirty - life of the party
and she swears that she’s artsy
but you could distinguish Miles from Coltrane
Being the country bumkin that I am, it took a while before I figured out the last line referred to jazz musicians Miles Davis and John Coltrane. So why do I bring this up? A liberal news blog for some reason just posted a video clip of both Davis and Coltrane performing together.
At least it means something to me.
Cell Phone Irritation
At least on Cingular, why does your cell phone prompt you that you have "missed a call" after you have already checked your voice mail and listened to it?