Wow: Tim Russert Dead

Just heard Sean Hannity say "I'm hearing some awful news in the in the industry that I'm trying to confirm." Checked over on Drudge and there's a link to the New York Post that had a one sentence story about this.

Fox News

. . . catching heat for this. I would join the dog pile if I understood it.

Today . . .

. . . the Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal of the Defendant in the wrongful death lawsuit in "TXI TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, ET AL. v. RANDY HUGHES, ET AL." That's the case out of Paradise discussed earlier here.

You can actually read some of the briefs filed in the case here.

Hey, Now - Friday Edition

"Kim Kardashian and her sister (who is older but looks younger) Kourtney pranced around in bikinis for a photoshoot by the pool at the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco."

Random Legal Stuff

In reviewing the opinions released this morning by the Fort Worth Court of Appeals, I saw one (pdf file) which involved the reversal of a DWI case. It wasn't particularly significant in that it reaffirmed the well settled proposition that a stop of a vehicle cannot be justified based solely upon an anonymous tip. Bottom line: The court held that there was not a reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle, therefore the stop was illegal, so any evidence found as a result of the illegal stop (DWI evidence) was suppressed. But get this obscure fact that didn't play any role in the court's decision: When the officer went back and viewed his videotape after the arrest, he saw that the Defendant had failed to stop at at a stop sign. He simply hadn't notice it before he stopped the vehicle based upon the anonymous tip. If he had seen it, the stop of the vehicle would have been justified because he had observed a criminal violation. Either we've got an honest cop (since he could have simply put in his report that "I observed the defendant fail to come to a complete stop at a stop sign" and no one would have questioned him because the video would back him up) or the report had already been completed by the time he viewed the video (which, amazingly, some "big city" police departments have the officers dictate the reports over the phone immediately after an arrest.)

Heck, I Don't Know What's Real Anymore

And I have no idea if this is.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

- Very interesting last meal of the guy the State Of Texas killed two days ago.
- I always like the Fort Worth Weekly alternative magazine but I can never remember to track it down.
- Stumbled upon David Letterman last night. Still not that funny.
- While listening to the radio last night, I heard on The Ticket that the Lakers were up by 20+ in the first quarter over the Celtics so "it looks like the series will end up tied 2-2." Uh, not so fast.
- Crazy pic from the floods in the midwest.
- Craziest dream the other night: Brad Pitt and I had to stand side by side in front of a crowd with our shirts off.
- Random South Korea baseball game pic.
- I've always been suspicious of the number of fat grams in those "guiltless" items on the menu at Chili's. But not enough to sue about it.
- Which reminds me of the "skinny enchiladas" at Don Pablo's. I could have sworn I heard the chain was going out of business, and I'm pretty sure the one in Grapevine has shut down. But I saw the one on Rufe Snow opened the other day.
- Not sure what the big controversy is about the new x-ray machine at DFW Airport that allows screeners to see, in essence, your body naked. If I went through it the only one offended would be the screener.
- How do they get the money out of that Currency Plant along 287 in North Fort Worth? Do they just load up a krillion dollars in a truck? Does it have armed escorts? Air support?
- And I took a tour of that place once and got to see the warehouse of what had to be millions of dollars of bills. Absolutely fascinating.
- Almost threw up last night watching Fox 4 story about the crane accident at the new Cowboys stadium. For some reason they interviewed a Plaintiff's lawyer who opined that the incident was probably due to "human error." (Note: Tell OSHA that the case has been solved.)
- Funny scene on Fox 4 this morning when Tim was dancing at the desk to that "Apple bottom jeans" song with Meagan (still hawt) looking at him like he was crazy.
- Baylor and SMU have agreed to a six year deal in football. They will probably all end in a scoreless tie.
- A couple days ago, Lockheed Martin test flew it's new "F-35 Lightning II". Being a fighter pilot would be cool. Being the first one to fly a newly designed plane would be stressful.
- Just realized it was Friday the 13th. Where did that superstition come from? And I don't remember anything bad every happening on the day.
- Funny sight in Fort Worth yesterday: Lady on the back of a Ninja motorcycle wearing one of those face covering cloths (like an Indian or Muslim or whatever). But get this: She was riding side saddle. Tried to get a pic but failed.

Hey, Now

"Don't let the terrorists win! You boys stop all that fighting about Obama and that place in Cuba that I can't remember and come join us on Lake Bridgeport. "

Oh, My

Assuming it's not photoshopped, and I would presume the LSU team is playing a northern team.

We Have Met The Enemy

I'll be the first one to admit that I don't understand everything that's going on, both factually and legally, in connection with the detainees and Guantanamo Bay. And I'm not exactly sure what will be the long term effect of today's Supreme Court decision which, I think, means that the detainees (who have been jailed for years without charges and without the benefit of a trial) can force the government to justify in federal court why they are being held. But I was shocked regarding the first couple of paragraphs of Justice Scalia's dissent. He sounds like Limbaugh or Hannity instead of a Supreme Court Justice:

Today, for the first time in our Nation’s history, the Court confers a constitutional right to habeas corpus on alien enemies detained abroad by our military forces in the course of an ongoing war . . . . . I shall devote most of what will be a lengthy opinion to the legal errors contained in the opinion of the Court. Contrary to my usual practice, however, I think it appropriate to begin with a description of the disastrous consequences of what the Court has done today . . . . America is at war with radical Islamists. The enemy began by killing Americans and American allies abroad: 241 at the Marine barracks in Lebanon, 19 at the Khobar Towers in Dhahran, 224 at our embassies in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, and 17 on the USS Cole in Yemen. See National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, The 9/11 Commission Report, pp. 60–61, 70, 190 (2004). On September 11, 2001, the enemy brought the battle to American soil, killing 2,749 at the Twin Towers in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon in Washington, D. C., and 40 in Pennsylvania. See id., at 552, n. 9. It has threatened further attacks against our homeland; one need only walk about buttressed and barricaded Washington, or board a plane anywhere in the country, to know that the threat is a serious one. Our Armed Forces are now in the field against the enemy, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Last week, 13 of our countrymen in arms were killed.

But I guess he believes that the government should not have to prove that those held in Guantanamo have anything at all to do with that list of tragedies. They look like Islamic Terrorists so let's keep them locked up without justification? Who does that sound like? Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men?: "You [deleted] people... you have no idea how to defend a nation. All you did was weaken a country today, Kaffee. That's all you did. You put people's lives in danger. Sweet dreams, son."

So Much Crap Out There

Got this in an email.

First, he wasn't sworn in with the "Quran." And the rest of all that blue print is silly. He has never been involved in any controversy regarding the Pledge of Allegiance. On one occasion, he was seen not placing his hand over his heart during the National Anthem (not the Pledge) which isn't a controversy at all since the vast majority of people don't do anything other than remove their hats.

Edit: My buddy Keith sent this link which is a compilation of all the lies about Obama.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

- I bet being a Storm Chaser is a boring job 99% of the time
- I don't remember this reporter at Channel 8 from years gone by but hubba hubba. (Scan to bottom - and thanks emailer.)
-Remember that Fort Worth church that had the controversy about whether to allow gays to have their pictures submitted as a couple for it's Directory? Well, first the pastor got kicked out and now the Southern Baptist Convention is considering booting the church from its membership.
- Three of the top five "Most Powerful Celebrities" as ranked by Forbes are African American: Oprah, Tiger, and Beyonce. Maybe the key to success is to have a tricked up first name.
- I finally began watering my lawn yesterday. Probably should have got on that a little quicker.
- Funny random pic of Florida Gator fans.
- Every time I see one of those pack of Skater Boys in Decatur, I expect to see a busted skull any second.
- The nut host on KLIF this morning was advocating the death penalty for those guilty of Intoxication Manslaughter. "Does intent really matter?" he asked. Sheesh. And his listening audience, based upon the callers, have to have the lowest IQ of any talk show. (Wait. Exclude me from that last statement.)
- I really haven't followed the R. Kelly trial which is apparently headed towards the jury. I think I tuned out after those crazy "in the closet" songs.
- I think I'm getting a pimple. That's not supposed to happen anymore.
- Sean Hannity blamed the high gas prices on the Democrat controlled Congress yesterday. My head almost blew up.
- People are crazy. I mean really crazy.
- Super Target is 20 times better that Super Walmart.
- In the Grand Scheme of Things, the accidental death of four Boy Scouts is simply wrong. (And I think there was an electrocution death(s) a couple of years ago at a similar Boy Scout gathering.)
- Seems like we'd be seeing more high-definition DVDs by now.
- The Wise County Jail is back in the business of housing out-of-county inmates. As of yesterday, we were holding 61 "visiting" inmates at a charge of $34 a day.
- Pat Tillman book update: That lady seems to think that all the questions should be easily answered about the cluster that caused the death of her son. As with all clusters, ain't gonna happen. Yesterday I read where she was angry that an army investigator suggested she'd never be satisfied because she's was an atheist and, thus, could not be at peace with death. That royally pissed her off, but that might have been an accurate assessment.
- Extra Tillman tidbit: Jon Krakauer, who authored Into Thin Air and Into The Wild, approached Ms. Tillman about writing a book about the incident. I guess that didn't pan out but it would have been great.
- Still haven't been to the new Best Buy in north Fort Worth. But I noticed there was a Cheddar's right by it. (And a Hobby Lobby but I've never been in a Hobby Lobby.)
- One of my favorite Bill Murray movie scenes.
- Edit: Forgot to mention that I had a few home grown tomatoes delivered to me yesterday. (Thanks, Beck.) Finally, I've turned this blog into a profit machine.

Carnage

I note that the R & R Blog has witnessed a Hwy 114 wreck.

Wednesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Random Post On Prosecutor's Forum

Link. I'm sure he'll get lots of sympathy from the prosecutors. And if you ever wonder why our jails are crowded, this might be an example. Some counties just give him the "yeah, sure kid" attitude and then lock him up.

And some interlock companies have an uncomfortably close relationship with government. Did you know that in Wise County when an Interlock is ordered (by JPs) as a condition of bond (for someone arrested for DWI-2nd or greater) that a private interlock company's name and address is already pre-printed at the bottom of the order?

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

- Man, horrible case involving an alleged DWI incident in Dallas at 8:20 in the morning on Sunday that killed two bicyclists. Take a look at the vehicle.
- Can home grown tomatoes be found yet? And, in all seriousness, anyone know where to get the best? Me loves me some home grown tomatoes.
- Uh, in a related item, is samonella fatal?
- You can't help but notice the new strip club in Fort Worth off I-35 as you head into downtown. (No, I have not been in it because of Lent. Wait, I may have that wrong.) Anyway, I drive by it all the time on the way to Driver's License hearings and that parking lot always looks vacant. The fact that you can see the parking lot from the freeway might have something to do with it.
- Still working on the Pat Tillman book written by his mom. She's over the top. At one point she ran out the theory that the Bush Administration might have had him killed to take the press off the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Sheesh. That's hard core.
- I've still got HBO's Recount on my TIVO but haven't watched it. Good thing I clicked on "Save Until Ever".
- I've arrived at work before 7:00 a.m. for the last three weeks. I kind of like it.
- Astronaut Jesus on Ebay?
- The Ex-Rockwall County DA's wheels are flying off everywhere. He received his second conviction yesterday for diverting $68,000 of DA office money to his personal checking account (before transferring it back once an audit caught him.) Instead of fessing up, his defense was that he was a bad bookkeeper. His lawyer even called the DA's first ex-wife in defense who testified,"When Ray and I were married, he was not allowed to keep our books," Ms. Sumrow said. "Ray cannot balance a checkbook. It's painful for him." I think I know what I'm doing in this criminal defense business because I never try to sell crap like that. He was convicted in 30 minutes.
- Decatur painted it's "no parking zones" with a Hooker Red color over the weekend.
- Update on the new free newspaper being published by the Dallas Morning News: "The plan is to distribute 200,000 copies in the core Dallas market to households with incomes of $75,000 or more by 6 a.m. The target demo is adults 25-49, skewing toward women." Heck, that's my target demo on a typical Saturday night.
-www.ImVotingRepublican.com I'm pretty sure that will cause WordKyle's head to blow up. (Thanks, Keith.)
- And for equal time, Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones have a new web site where they are trying to make money telling their lies stories about Bill Clinton. (Click on it to see Paula trying to look all "Hey, Now".) What did James Carville say about dragging a hundred dollar bill through a trailer park?
- The Sharper Image stores are all shutting down. I always thought that place was loaded with cheap stuff that was priced so high that you thought it had to be quality.
- When cable television came to Bridgeport decades ago, the first HBO movie ever to appear on the Green family television was Smokey and The Bandit. Then Jackie Gleason dropped an S Bomb within two minutes and the channel was changed.
- Not that I've seen either but: Why is there a new Hulk movie coming out when there was one that was released in 2003?
- I've got the picture of the guy standing in front of the tank in Tiananmen square in my office. Hardly anyone knows what it is. Had a guy who looked at it recently ask me, "Do you like tanks?"
- A Defendant who had a Wise County DWI trial scheduled for next week wanted a continuance because his brother was being executed in Huntsville on the same day. Not saying it's true, just saying that was his request.
- Watched, by accident, some of the local news on Channel 8 this morning. Verdict: Painful. In addition to Forced Happy Dialogue, I also got beaten down by back to back stories on How Eating Meat Increases Your Carbon Footprint and You Need A Wellness Coach.
- And that crazy News 8 traffic animation - where the cars look like they are 50 feet long - is just plain silly.
- Couldn't find a link, but the Dallas Police Department will start testing its officers for steroids. (Uh, steroids?). Does this mean DPD doesn't trust a Dallas police officer to be honest when he simply says he's not using steroids?
- Edit for Baylor fans only: There's hope.

Channel 8 Focused . . .

. . . on diesel fuel thefts in Wise County. It was kind of boring.

Celtic Girl From Last Year Turns Into Laker Girl

At least that's what everyone's saying.

Fashion Statement

Fat Man Almost Squashes Ranger Ball Girl

Came In Mail

So classy. Makes me so proud.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

- I have no explanation why people get so excited about Alvord ISD post yesterday, and it completely caught me off guard. Every time I think I know my audience, I learn something.
- Odd: In a dissenting opinion from a Texas Supreme Court case last Friday, a justice in a footnote cited a youtube movie clip of a Pink Panther movie. (Footnote 7.) What's next? A "hey, now?"
- Want to see a Celtic's fan get attacked while a huge crowd in Los Angeles gathered to watch game two of the NBA Championships?
- Fox 4 tells me McCain has a lead over Obama in Texas by a 52% to 39% margin (with a margin of error of +/- 4%). No real surprise there.
- Feel kind of stupid about my On The Border/NASCAR comment yesterday. Yep, there was a truck race at the Speedway that night.
- You can see the new hotel in Decatur (being built behind McDonald's) from a long way away. And I'm at a loss to figure out why Decatur is the Budget Hotel Capitol of Texas.
- If you saw Yolanda Munoz (who left her son at DFW Airport) on Fox 4 last night, you would diagnosis her with this very technical medical term: Bat Arse Crazy.
- The new Michael Myers movie has a preview showing him getting hit in the crotch. That's all I needed to see: I'm out. Edit: But in real life, it's funny.
- Dallas is trying to figure out what to do with Reunion Arena. Here's an idea: Sell it to some "fellowship" church.
- Sad story you probably didn't hear about: Two girls, 11 and 13, found shot to death in a ditch near a town in Oklahoma (a town with a population of less than a 1,000.)
- The Chicago Bears got rid of ex-Evil Empire star Cedric Benson after his second alcohol related arrest in the last month. I always thought he was incredibly overrated - and that's not just Evil Empire Hatin'. I still think Vince Young is the greatest college player ever.
- Saw most of I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry this weekend by accident. Marginal at best. But Jessica Biel is smokin'.
- And do I believe that Fox 4 replayed the Ron Washington "validify" comment last night - complete with Steve Egar specifically mentioning the word - simply because I pointed it out yesterday? Sure.
- The sole in one of my dress shoes is wearing out. That's a beating.
- Want to see what Charles Manson looks like at age 71? I remember watching Helter, Skelter at a friend's house when I was in high school and then had to walk the back way home after 10:00 p.m. in Bridgeport. One of the first times I was truly scared.
- I've been watching Empire of the Sun since one of my courthouse buddies told me it was "great." Uh, I'm still waiting for the great part.
- And why does it take me so long to watch a DVD? I watch it when I jog on a treadmill which means every other day in increments of 39 minutes.
- Described the last 20 years of my life last night in an email to an old college friend. That was depressing.
- "The Dallas Morning News plans to launch home delivery Aug. 27 of Briefing, a free newspaper aimed at nonsubscribers who want a 'quick-read' newspaper." This comes on the heels of the announcement that the "regular" paper will go to 75 cents a copy. They may be in panic mode trying to figure out how to survive.
- The Major League Baseball draft was last week. Made me wonder where the Ranger's #1 pick from last year was playing? Blake Beavan, a high school senior who received a $1.5 million signing bonus, is pitching for the minor league Clinton LumberJacks. That's in Iowa, I think.
- WBAP's Hal Jay this morning explaining why Big Brown didn't win the Triple Crown: "That mile and a half track is a long way." The more that guy talks . . . .
- I feel safe in saying that I'm cooler than every person on stage in this video.
- Other baseball thought: I was in the official Seattle Mariners gift shop (uh, in Seattle) in the mid-1990s when Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez were both playing for the team. I saw an autographed bat signed by both of them for sale for $60. Should have bought it. (I mention this only because Griffey hit his 600th home run last night.)

I've Fired Up The Liberally Lean Radar On Top Of The Courthouse

And I Spent $400 Two Months Ago

Complete screenshots of the Apple unveiling of the new iPhone as well as news on the new applications that can be purchased for old and new iPhones is here. (But it'll give you Tired Head.) And there's something new called "MobileMe". Not sure what it is yet.

Edit: And here's a stupid question. Does Wise County have access to this 3G stuff?

He Kind Of Looks Like . . .

. . . former Oakland Raider great Ken Stabler. Oh, wait.

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up

That's "Cora Skinner. AKA - Brody Jenner's girlfriend." Never heard of either one.

This Kid Will Mess You Up

Drives Me Nuts

From the Update.

Stories like this are pretty much: "Hey, something crazy is going on behind the scenes in Alvord. We've got a successful coach who has been relegated to coaching spare tennis. And that doesn't happen unless something big has happened."

Edit: Some submitters might note that their comment did not appear. Yep, some didn't make it through our Board Of Censorship Formerly Known As The USSR. But, sheesh people, you can't say some of those things!!!!!

Edit: Topic closed. Sorry. It's too much of a beating to go through them.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

- New report: "The Justice Department has released a new report showing the nation's prison and jail population reached a record 2.3 million people last year. The United States leads the industrialized world in incarceration . . . . In fact, the U.S. rate of incarceration (762 per 100,000) is five to eight times that of other highly developed countries, according to The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice think tank."
- The kid who played a young George Bailey and got slapped around by the drunken pharmacist in It's A Wonderful Life has died.
- Rangers manager Ron Washington said last night on Channel 4 that he wouldn't "validify" any rumors about why a pitcher was released.
- Read this somewhere: A District Attorney needs to be trusted but not necessarily loved. I'll buy that.
- The Cure was at American Airlines Center last week. And it's amazing how quickly video turns up on youtube. (Although a 50 year old Robert Smith dressed up all goth-like is a bit disconcerting.) But me loves me some Cure.
- Troy Aikman sounds mentally challenged when he appears in any commercial.
- You would think theft of gas by siphoning would become a problem
- Had "Special K With Cherries" for breakfast and the box had a ton on cherries in it.
- The Geico commercial with Mrs. Butterworth doing the speaking made me nervous the first time I saw it. I had her confused with Aunt Jemima.
- I ate at On The Border on Friday off Western Center Boulevard. When did your average dining crowd begin to look like it was headed to NASCAR?
- I don't know who Wayne Rooney of the soccer team Manchester United is, but this outdoor pic of his bachelor party makes me want to distance. He's the one wearing my bathing suit.
- Fox 4 weatherman Ron Jackson (who is filling in on the the morning show this week), just said he normally wakes up around 11:00 a.m.
- The two year old song, "85 Feet and Falling" by the Dallas band Sorta gets me every time. It's about a guy who killed his girlfriend by throwing her off a Dallas freewway and then jumping to his death as well ("It happened when they left their Knox/Henderson apartment . . . . Fifty miles away in roaring rush hour traffic, her body came to rest on Janet Durham's Crown Victoria." (That pick-me-up of a song is available in a free mp3 download here.)
- News about the new Apple iPhone as well as the software update news for the old one will be released today around 11:30 a.m.
- If it takes longer than 10 minutes to prepare, I won't cook it.
- Second gasoline thought: You would think that teleconferencing via webcams would finally come into its own.
- Third gasoline thought: How much is gas at a lake marina?
- Oddest article in this month's issue of the always horrible Texas Bar Journal: "Lawyer Marketing With Twitter." You think some question marks are going to be forming over some lawyer heads?
- After God ends poverty, I'd appreciate it if He'd work on the Texas wind.
- The Supreme Court opinion on the right to keep and bear arms should be released within the next two weeks and possibly today. I'm guessing you'll be able to keep your 12 gauge.
- D Magazine made a big mistake this month. And it does not involve pictures of high school seniors.
- WBAP's failed "The Reporter" bit was on this morning in an attempt to do comedy about the Governor Mansion fire. Bad idea. But, from a different source, I learned that Rick Perry was in Europe at the time of the fire. Best. Job. Ever.
- Not sure why five Aggies lost in the ocean for nine hours but being rescued is not a bigger story.
- Time lapse photos of Cowboys' new stadium.

Flashback: June 27, 2000

From the New York Times as pointed out by BagOfNothing.com.

Prepare for $4.00 gallon this week. And to think I posted this pic from Walmart on April 21st:

Governor's Mansion Fire

More here.