Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Gene Upshaw, the widely criticised head of the NFL player's union, has died this morning at the age of 63. I only had a handful of football playing cards when I was a kid but his was my favorite since it was so intimidating (and I found it here.)
• The Dallas Morning News has an article today that almost half of all Texas school districts are considered "property rich" and therefore must send funds to the state to be redistributed to "poor" school districts. I'm pretty sure that Decatur, Bridgeport, and even Boyd are considered "property rich." (Someone might want to check that out.)
• We don't say "therefore" in regular conversation very often. That's a good thing.
• Both of my across-the-street-neighbors have bought new cars in the last month. I'm watching a regular arms race going on as they try to keep up with each other.
• My annual run in the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is three months away.
• I've got a buddy who doesn't wear headphones when he jogs because he "wants to be closer to God." I understand that.
• Watching Usain Bolt run the 100 and 200 meters (setting world records in both) is absolutely amazing. As Craig Miller of The Ticket said this morning, in light of all the steroid use in Olympic history, "Please let this be real." It looks like it is.
• Bolt is also 6'5" which makes him freakish wonder.
• And did you see the female Muslim sprinter from Bahrain run the 200 meters last night with the historic Muslim head dress? Pic here from a different event. Before you laugh, realize she looks absolutely "normal" to millions of people in this world.
• One of my close friends swears that Muslim women wear thongs underneath all that garb. I pretend that's true.
• Man, where did all these skimpy outfits come from for female athletes in the Olympics? I don't remember them being this way at all. And, as an example for educational purposes only, I bring you a Russian pole vaulter.
• In one of the comments last night, someone pointed out that Channel 8's Dale Hansen said this about the women's final volleyball game that was played in the rain: "They should have had a $5 cover charge with a two drink minimum."
• I mentioned last week that the Texas Flag was stuck on top of the flagpole at the courthouse. It was fixed within 24 hours.
• You'll hear a lot about the execution of Jeffrey Lee Wood by our fine state tonight because he was found guilty not as a triggerman, but as an accomplice. Everyone is calling that unusual (and it may be) but weren't all of the Texas Seven sentenced to death for the killing of one officer? Certainly most of them were accomplices to the killing instead of the actual killer.
• I always hit the snooze button twice. And I always fall back asleep both times.
• I'd be all for Joe Biden as Obama's running mate. Not that I know all that much about him, but he's the only one who has ever impressed me during the hearings of the judiciary committee whenever a Supreme Court nominee is grilled.
• One of my buddies (who is older than I am) told me that he just got his first tattoo. He jokingly said that it gave him "instant bad boy credibility."
• We certainly have tricked up ages of "majority" in the United States. 18 years old to go to war (and die), 18 to vote, 21 to drink a beer, and (in Texas) 17 when you are considered an adult for criminal prosecution purposes. I'll quote former Minnesota Governor Jessie Ventura who said ten years ago, "I don't care what age you pick, just make the rules the same for that one age."
• There are newspaper vending machines in Dallas that take debit and credit cards. We need that around here.
• When I saw the newlyweds get out of the limo last weekend at the Gaylord Texan, I tried (briefly) to start the "slow clap." But the person I was with gave me the evil eye.
• Funny: Michael Phelps T-shirt.
• Edit: Men's 400 Meter results (which includes Baylor's Jeremy Wariner) that was just completed are here.