Britney Goes Commando!!!!

The heck with the war on Iraq, we've got a story here! More pics here.

Google Needs To Work On Its Text Parsing

I have a google news alert sent up for several local officials in the county. It is supposed to send me fresh news stories, but I often get a bunch of old ones. The above screenshot s is what I received today about Sheriff David Walker. That first one made me do a double take. But, rest assured, our Sheriff is still above reproach. (Link to that first story is here.)

Edit: A couple of comments haven't made it through the very detailed screening process. First, you can't call him that in a family friendly forum. And, sir, those Channel 4 reporter rumors need to be documented with seedy photographs.

I Think We Can Have It Both Ways

Congress passed a non-binding resolution today, 246-182, telling the President that sending more troops to Iraq is not-a-good.

I spent 10 minutes trying to find out how our representative voted but had no luck. (What's up with this Internet thing?) The best I could find was the above quote. I'm guessing she sides with W.

Jesus Bumper Stickers Are Popular These Days

This Was Crazy

This little girl was on The Today Show this morning for this reason: She has had a violent case of the hiccups for three weeks and they won't go away. All I had time for was to see the "teases" to the segment and there she sat, hiccupping in the most painful of ways.

It was one of the saddest things I've ever seen. (Ok, maybe an overstatement, but it was pretty sad.)

NBC has the video up on its website (and is surprisingly fast loading.)

Man, I've Heard Good Things About This

And it's coming to a mailbox near me.

Any Bets . . .

. . .on whether this teen beats down her classmates with her sanctimonious attitude? "Declaring . . . unclean?" Sheesh.

(DMN Letters to the Editor.)

Two Things . . .

. . . people ask me about that I'm not particularly interested in:

The Daytona 500 (lots of cheatin' goin' on there, hoss)

and

Contaminated Peanut Butter (everyone I know has discovered a half eaten jar with the dreaded 2111 product code in their house - including my office - and not one of them has become ill.)

Shows That Made Me Laugh Last Night

The Sarah Silverman Show. (I'm not sure I've ever seen a comedy episode based upon the premise of "I have AIDS" before.)

The Gordon Keith Show. (The "man on the street" interviews with the people of Farmers Branch were priceless.)

Two Headlines From The Star-Telegram This Morning

All of those post-conviction DNA exonerations you hear about are having an impact with jurors - jurors who are now being a bit more hesitant to convict on marginal cases.

Stay Classy, San Diego

There's just something funny about KXAS's Mike Synder saying, "You want some of this?"

Wise County Data

Link.

Her Name Is . . .

. . . Irina Shaykhlislamova.

I gots me some global warming going on.

(Source.)

Good Grief

Historically, a candidate - at the earliest - will announce his candidacy for a local race after Labor Day. Did I miss summer?

Edit: I normally post almost any and all comments but I've got to be careful on this one. Yep, I've got double standards.

Edit #2: Other courthouse stuff I stumbled upon. PDF file.

There's No Kid Busting His Butt On A Sidewalk . . .

. . . or anything like that, but I think this clip is significant. First, it is the first time I ever recall any Texas legislative committee hearing ending up on YouTube.com. (The legislature's web site has hour and hours of footage but who wants to watch all that crap?). Maybe we'll finally get some insight into the fact the Jane Nelsons of the world don't know what they are doing. Secondly, this clip is pretty funny. The chairperson is Ric Williamson who is in charge of TxDOT. (He also used to represent Wise County in the House.) The guy speaking is Sen. John Carona who wants Ric to give him an appointment this week. He wants one really badly. Ric ain't so hospitable. Good times. Edit: Someone sent me this link as well.

1/2 Hour News Hour: ----- Another Clip

I'd rather be tied up and have hot candle wax poured onto my body than watch this.

Thursday Afternoon Pick-Me-Up

I Suppose Supply and Demand Sets The Price . . .

. . . but sheesh.

I'll Have . . .

. . . the jambalaya and that Yugoslavian assault rifle . . . to go, please. Story. (Somebody help me. Before that restaurant was a Razoo's it was named something else. Probably 10 years ago. I'm going crazy trying to remember. Crazy, I tell ya!!!)

Funny

Somebody sent me an email of less than correct answers to math/physics/whatever questions. Some of them can't be reproduced in this Family Friendly forum.

Oh, My

(Stolen from bagofnothing.com)

Self Cleaning Oven?

Oprah Winfrey is the richest woman in the world because of stuff like this? (Hey, I would put all sorts or warnings and disclaimers on this youtube.com clip but this is apparently what is on TV in the afternoon. So it must be safe. Right?) Triple shocking.

NBA Player Tim Hardaway To Become Honorary Wise County Citizen

Story. The Today Show reported this quote this morning and I had to smile at Ann Curry who started laughing because it was soooooo over the top.

Edit: The boys on The Ticket this morning were discussing this. It was fascinating to learn that the Black Man really, really doesn't like the Gay Man. At least that was apparent from the number of calls and emails they received.

Edit #2: YouTube has the audio here.

Check It Out

If you're interested in legal stuff and have a license plate cover that obscures even the slightest portion of your license plate, you should read this about a court decision handed down today. (And be sure to click on the link to Judge Cochran's concurring opinion - it's very short and brief - and it is the rarest of rare these days: A Republican judge that is concerned about potential police abuse.)

"To Catch A Predator" Soundboard

Genius. (And if you go exploring, you'll find a zillion more.)

Some Wondered Where The "L" Went Today

Apparently it is in the stem of the strawberry.

The Carpenters

I stumbled across a PBS documentary on the The Carpenters tonight. It occurred to me how many "young people" probably aren't familiar with the duo and Karen's death from anorexia at age 32. (An interesting scene showed a clip from the Grammy's where Shirley Jones and David Cassidy handed them an award in the early 70s.)

I have the strangest, yet distinct, memory of being at the Bridgeport Municipal Pool one summer and hearing the newly released "Rainy Days and Mondays" coming over the very cheap speaker system. After looking up the songs release date, that probably would have been the summer of 1971. Oh, my.

Kid Gets Launched

The Launcher apologized. Reporter is hot. All is well.

At Least Liberals Know Humor

Fox News, as if its real news wasn't funny enough, is forming its own little comedy show called "The 1/2 Hour News Hour". I think it's an effort to mimic Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

Three minutes of it have been pre-released on YouTube.com

It is bad. Really bad.

Happy Valentines To You

The Luckiest Unlucky Man In The History Of Ever

Shot in the face but not life threatening? The path of the bullet had to have been guided by cupid on this most sacred of days. (Story.)

Awwwww

I've hypothetically learned that a Wise County Third Grade teacher was proposed to today in front of her third grade class. Good times. We were talking up at the courthouse about how that scene had occurred in a few movies. Rick Moranis in "Parenthood" was the only one I could think of. And one courthouse worker proclaimed that no man should ever propose on Valentine's Day. I'm not sure I understood why.

If You Look Real Hard Outside . . .

. . . you can occasionally see a snowflake softly fall from the sky until it hits the ground and meets death. The End.

OK, Enough Of This Silliness

Made Me Giggle

A&M beat Kansas earlier this month IN KANSAS. So this is the scene back at A&M where a group of students were watching the game on the big screen. Sports Etiquette: Is proper to rush the court when there is no one on the court?

Beyonce . . .

. . . is on the cover of this years SI Swimsuit Issue which I will not buy because I'm pretty sure it's a sin to look at women in swimsuits. But I wonder if they can get all of her booty on one page?

Tony Romo Is Doomed

The quarterback coach is coming from where?

Edit: "Phillips spent last year as Baylor's quarterbacks coach after working at West Texas A&M. He played quarterback at UTEP from 1999-2001 and played two years with the San Diego Riptide in The Arena Football League." And this guy is gonna coach Romo?

"Wise County Night" At Rodeo Exchange?

Happy Valentines Day from Greenwood to Cottondale.

Matt Drudge Is An Idiot

This is an example of what I was beeyotching about a couple of weeks ago.

Boring Legal Junk

The Dallas Morning News did a series last year on 18-wheeler safety. I didn't know that the paper, on its web site, placed the full trial transcript (now called the "Reporter's Record") of a wrongful death trial that occurred in the district court in Wise County. It's not the most exciting reading in the world, but I'm certain its the first time such documentation has ever been published on the web. (Lots of local lawyers were involved in it.)

Go here and look on the right side if you are so inclined. (Lots of other good Wise County stuff on the page.)

But I'm not sure what court reporter Jeff Goodwyn thinks about all of this. If I were to call him up and ask for a transcript of a trial, he'd charge me a fee. (Heck, I paid a court reporter in Fort Worth for the transcript of an expert witness just the other day.) But now anyone can just log on to the DMN web site and download the transcript for free?

Hot Girls At Boston College?

And isn't there like 50 feet of snow up there? Don't tummies get cold?

Comment Purgatory

There is a strong possibility that some of the Comments that are sent in are going to cyber-purgatory. A buddy has mentioned to me at least two that he sent that I never received. I "upgraded" to a new version of this blogger software over the weekend and that might not be helping matters.

I Don't Care Much

. . . about the Dallas Mavericks (I haven't watched a game all year), but it's amazing they are 42-9 with 5 of those loses occurring in October of last year (the first month of the season.)

And I watched Mark Cuban on HBO's Real Sports last night. He is one strange guy. I don't know if he is brilliant or lucky or both. But I noticed that he has grown a goatee in an effort to mimic me.

Las Vegas

Hold down the mouse and drag (like with all Google maps) around the Las Vegas Strip - starting at the Bellagio here.

Edit: Click on the "hybrid" button and the casinos will be labeled.

Gwen Stefani Has Good Shoes

Theater of the Bizarre

February 12 - Perhaps looking to unwind in the post season, DALLAS COWBOY’S quarterback TONY ROMO stopped by Metal Skool at Key Club [in Los Angeles] and had quite a time! He requested all the greats and the heavy metal comedy act delivered, playing “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” for the QB. Eventually, Romo hopped up on stage with the band and DENNIS HASKINS, a.k.a. (Saved by the Bell’s) MR. BELDING, for a rocking rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”… Warning: F-Bomb at the very beginning

Ok, I'm Drawing A Line

You know who this hurts? Strippers! That's who this hurts. And to think this news breaks right before Valentine's Day which is a very special day for strippers. I think.

(Story.)

I Don't Know

Update

Today at lunch, I noticed that this sign has been corrected. (I was too lazy to take a new picture.) In a way, I guess I am affecting (or is it "effecting") local church doctrine. So let's discuss "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24. Or not.

"Get a good look, Costanza?"

Just stumbled across the pic and it made me laugh.

Let Me Position That Chair Just Right

Since The Wind Chill Is 75 Below . . .

. . . let's think about summer.

This is a real but "tricked up" photo of Lake Austin [Lake Travis?]. For those interested, the guy explains it here.

The 131st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show . . .

. . . is going on. This is a "Komondorok". I don't know what that means, but I wooont it.

Uh, Oh.

This isn't gonna help him with "my daughter will never have sex" crowd.

(Story - and even old Phil Gramm is involved in there somewhere)

Thinking About How Much Alex Rodriguez Makes

Decatur v. Clyde

I don't care about girl's basketball but I am curious what the score is. What?

Oh, faithful readers of The Blog, come to my aid.

(Picture stolen from one of the krillion of pictures here.)

And Now For Some Skater Carnage

Cluster . . .

Anyone planning to go to Vista Ridge Mall? Don't. I bet traffic is backed up all the way to Denton.

In the Wise County Traffic Center, sponsored by Allsup's Burritos, I'm BSG.

(Story.)

Britney At Frilly's

Or maybe it is somewhere other than Frilly's. But it was from last weekend.

Scramble The Sand Trucks

Punter Carnage

I didn't watch the Pro Bowl but, if I had, I would be talking about this play. (And wait to listen to the Japanese broadcast of the play near the end.)

Chicage Fans Are Still Mad At Rex Grossman

>Source.