Yes, I Love Technology

The race involving Michael Phelps was shown on a hi-def TV in a Mexican restaurant I was in tonight. The diners actually stopped and cheered. I'm not sure I've ever seen that in a non-sports bar atmosphere. But, man, it looked like Phelps came in second. But I'll trust technology. And this opening sentence from the AP story describes the race perfectly: BEIJING - With history hanging in the balance, Michael Phelps decided to take one more stroke. His long arms soared above the water, windmilled past his ears and slammed into the wall. In the next lane, Milorad Cavic was gliding to the finish, just inches from the gold, his arms no longer driving but just reaching for the end. (Actual photo of the ending above. Phelps on the right.) Edit: Better photo from Sports Illustrated.

From Comment To Post

Click to enlarge. Absolutely incredible.

Irony

I just saw this headline which seemed ironic to me since the city has become famous for trying to rid itself of illegal aliens.

Texas Flag Chaos

From the looks of it, it seems the Texas flag up at the courthouse has been caught on the top of the flag pole which apparently prevents it from being lowered by the use of cables. It's been that way for a couple of days. Why the locals aren't rioting is beyond me. At first I thought it was a distress signal and I almost stormed that place like Santa Anna. But I stopped halfway once I realized what was going on (but after I had already ripped the buttons of my dress shirt in preparation for battle.) Those colors don't run. But they can get all whopperjawed.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Stating the obvious: The rain and cool weather this morning was great.
• I've never understood the fascination with John Wayne as being the icon for a "tough guy." He was acting.
• This is a morning you should be glad you don't commute in the metroplex. Man, it's a mess out there.
• Propel bottled water is good. But I drink water straight from the tap about 99% of the time.
• Finally watch the second episode of Hard Knocks last night - training camp with the Dallas Cowboys. Man, I think that show is great.
• I had a cop admit to the prosecutor and me yesterday that he had no independent recollection of the facts of a misdemeanor case. It, in essence, gutted the prosecutor's case, but I'll believe anything that officer says in the future.
• Drove me nuts yesterday that almost every media outlet reported the Joel Osteen's wife had been found "not guilty" of assault. That's not right. It was a civil case so she was found "not liable" by the jury. "Not guilty" is reserved for criminal cases.
• And that Osteen woman is hawt. Probably extremely high maintenance, but good looking nonetheless.
• I normally allow racists comments on this here blog to go through to demonstrate how racism is rampant. But you wouldn't believe the number of them I get that are simply too offensive to post.
• Heard on The Ticket as they discussed whether it's fair that Michael Phelps has so many opportunities to win medals: Is there anyone who gets ripped off more than the winner of the Decathlon? Ten events. One medal.
• One of the Texas 7 was executed last night and I heard what his last meal was on the radio this morning. I'm trying to find it online, but I'm struggling.
• That guy also died as he began singing a Christian song. His voice, the story said, trailed off. Little creepy.
• I gave a dog I'm taking care of bath last night. I expected to get mauled, but the little fella liked it.
• I felt a little goofy taking that dog out for a walk since it might be a little small with a couple of bows in her hair.
• The Fort Worth Court of Appeals answered a question last night that has been a point of contention for years: "The question in this DWI case is whether a police officer has probable cause or reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop when the officer observes the the tires of the defendant's vehicle cross into an adjacent same-direction lane by a tire's width a single time when there is no other traffic in the area. We answer 'no' and reverse the trial court's judgment."
• I think Jon Stewart is very funny but I've never laughed at Stephen Colbert.
• So maybe the economy isn't bad: There's about to be a new subdivision in Southlake (right off 114) which will include 455 upscale homes ranging in size from 3,450 to 5,350 square feet.
• And those homes will be occupied by white people with blond hair. I think that's a requirement by ordinance. Maybe. Could be wrong.
• Obscure football note: Some cable channel was replaying a 1997 Tennessee v. Vanderbilt football game last night. Peyton Manning was the Tennessee quarterback but, get this, he had Jamal Lewis in the backfield and he was throwing to Peerless Price and Horace Copeland.
• Every incoming Abilene Christian freshman will get either an iPhone or iPod Touch. And I bet that is one strict school.
• I love the Firefox browser with multiple tabs.
• Over in Jack County, the Bryson girls' volleyball team would like to wear those little spandex shorts. But a trustee Clifford Smith calls them "immodest and immoral." Really.

Flashback Of Limited Interest To Most

I don't know why I thought about Falls Creek today - a church camp in the "mountains" of Davis, Oklahoma that I used to go to as a kid. The trips were sponsored by First Baptist of Bridgeport, and I think the cost for the entire week was $20. I haven't been there is 30 years - a fact that is both amazing and frightening at the same time. But I did some looking on The Google and came up with the above picture. I kind of gasped when I saw it due to the incoming flood of memories. (I also found pictures of a "new tabernacle" which made me laugh because somehow I thought it would be exactly the way I left it.) There are handful of people that visit this silly blog that will have instant flashbacks like I did. I think we all share a bond which, I now realize, will never go away. Good times. No, make that great times.

Britney Getting Back In The Swing Of Things.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

$405,000.00

That's how much the plaintiff's lawyer asked for today in closing arguments in the lawsuit against the wife of Joel Osteen - a lawsuit that we've been following with round the clock coverage on The Blog. I think the jury will deliberate this afternoon. Make it be quick people. If they give the plaintiff a dime, I'm gonna go Reginald Denny on somebody as we start rioting in the Brookhollow subdivision. Edit: Riot called off. Osteen victory. (Thanks emailer)

Chupacabra?

I saw this about three days ago on Fox 4. Some deputy in some Texas county videotaped this beast from his car. Everybody is getting pretty excited. I'm not. I don't understand chupacabra humor, and I can find humor in pretty much anything. Now if that were a spider monkey, I'd jump on a motorcycle with Chief Deputy Doug Whitehead in the sidecar to investigate.

Beer At Six Flags

WBAP's Mark Davis was discussing the proposal to have beer sold at Six Flags when he took a call from a guy who opposed the idea (although he had a redneck accent that would lead one to believe he would be very pro-Coors Light.) But this part was pretty funny. He said, "You know why they're doing it? They want all those drunks coming out of the new Cowboys' stadium after a game to come over and get drunk at Six Flags, too" Davis respectfully disagreed aptly pointing out that there would be no bigger beating than going to a Cowboy game and Six Flags in the same day. But the caller, who had said that "If you can't have fun at Six Flags without a beer then you probably need to go to AA", also want to add one more point. ("Go ahead, you're on a roll, said Davis"): "And if you are going to AA meetings, I've got some advice. You might not want to go to those that are held at Fantasy Ranch." Just kind of stopped me down. (But I think I ended up more entertained searching for old Six Flags photos. Anybody remember Skull Island (pic above)? More here -- And the "Execution Of A Yankee Spy" street show looks like great fun for the kids.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• There seems to be a lot of birds looking for food on the ground over the last 24 hours
• I continue to have serious questions about Wade Phillips getting it done. It's kind of like Hank Hill coaching the Cowboys.
• I don't watch much of the Olympics, but I'm looking forward to the track and field competition.
• I'm never eating at Taco Cabana again. One word: Bugs. (Bad experience last night.)
• With Georgia being invaded by Russia, the famous words of W about Vladimir Putin: "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul."
• When I was a kid in Bridgeport, in order to call a local number we just had to dial five numbers. And the first one was always "3".
• I bet I saw over 50 kids jogging out of the Decatur High School at around 7:00 this morning.
• Someone is already suing over the big bus crash in Sherman last week. I'm glad they were able to thoroughly investigate the facts so quickly before asking for a big bag of money to ease their pain.
• I'm not sure what I think about The Shack (about halfway through it.) It is, in essence, about a guy who gets to talk to (and question) the Holy Trinity that appear to him after the tragic death of his daughter. But the Trinity takes the form of a big black woman, an Arab, and an Asian.
• Little Cindy Brady of The Brady Bunch is 47 today. Oh, my.
• I watched, for some unknown reason, the documentary called Okie Noodling last night. A bunch of rednecks swimming around in murky water trying to catch catfish with their bare hands. That's not on my list of "to dos" before I die.
• One of the Texas 7 is scheduled to be executed tonight. If you recall, they were eventually captured in Colorado after escaping from a Texas prison and killing a police officer in Arlington Irving. I happened to drive through the small town in Colorado where they were captured about a year after the fact and they were selling souvenir T-shirts commemorating the event.
• I helped look for a lost dog last night - unsuccessfully. That, my friends, is not-a-good. But I kept thinking what it would be like if it were a lost child and how horrific that would be.
• (As reported on The Ticket): Brett Favre is a drama queen. He's making some strange statements and it wouldn't surprise some people if he quits the Jets before the season starts.
• I always reach and get a milk carton from the back of the rack in the grocery store.
• Yeah, I'm with ya about the quality of the pic above. I'll make it up to you later. (But it was taken by someone, not me, at Lake Lewisville.)
• The head of the Democratic Party in Arkansas was shot to death yesterday. The shooter certainly matched the expected profile: Disgruntled middle-aged white guy. Anybody seen Wordkyle?
• I think its insane that any local government can ever enact a curfew.
• Two headlines on the Star-Telegram web site where you know, just know, someone's life went terribly wrong somewhere: (1) "Arlington Police Shock Nude Man With Taser", and (2) "HIV-positive Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse dies in North Texas".

I've Also Heard He Was A Muslim

John McCain has a hot opinion about war today. The key line comes at the end of this 30 second clip. I could have sworn I heard about another invasion during this century. And if you don't want to listen to the clip, the line is: "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations."

Ouch

I hadn't heard about this happening yesterday. But a couple of thoughts: (1) I can't believe this doesn't happen more often, and (2) I want a bunch of Chinese kids following me around with little barricades all day so they can protect me from ridicule if anything embarrassing happens. Edit: Video removed. It was a weightlifter who had a barbell land on back during a clean and jerk or something like that.

An Early Power Down Moment

So I'm at a stop sign this morning with a car beside me going in the same direction. It pulls out a little too quickly not realizing that a car traveling left to right in front of us had the right of way. No big deal. The car that had the right of way probably had to slow down for two seconds (if that long) to make sure there was no collision. The car beside me hit its brakes (softly and safely) immediately upon realizing the mistake. All's good. Let's go take on the day. Then the car that had been delayed ever so slightly passed by in front of us with the rear passenger flashing the angriest obscene gesture I've seen in a while. And not just with one finger. He did the unfake double handed gesture for emphasis. Sheesh. At that moment I had the life force sucked out of me. And it was before 7:00 a.m. in the morning.

Meet Andrew Libby

A criminal mastermind. And a guy that knows how to save his pennies.

My Vote For Greatest Olympian: Misty May

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• There was some kind of wreck that had 287 just south of Decatur at a stand still this morning. I'm not sure what happened but I saw firefighters washing down the highway. Maybe it just needed a good cleaning
• I've got Michael Phelps burnout. And this point was made on The Ticket this morning: What other Olympic sport gives you the opportunity to win that many medals? Jason Kidd, who is on the basketball team, can win just one.
• Is "retarded" a bad word?
• Man, that silly civil assault trial involving Joel Osteen's wife is still going on. That jury is going to pour the Plaintiff out for Time Wasting alone.
• I meant to see "Pineapple Express" last weekend but didn't get around to it
• Meanest man alive's final words before he was executed last night: “I love all y’all, I forgive all y’all,” he said from his death bed, a white sheet pulled up to his chest. “See you when you get there. Do what you gonna do.”
• When you strip all the junk out of the big Sunday paper, it's not much larger than the weekday version
• Watched a crew put on a new roof on my neighbor's house this weekend. That has to be one of the worst job in the world. Behind movers.
• Don't ask me why, but I stuck my hand in a moving washing machine last night. Note to self: Don't do that ever again.
• That crazy Ranger game last night was some bad baseball. Get prepared for a Rangers free fall (that no one will notice.)
• Football thought: Superbowl ring or not, I think Eli Manning is a spare. Random college football thought: Baylor's freshman quarterback Robert Griffin, who has never played a down of college ball, is the best Baylor player in twenty years.
• Crickets are everywhere in the courthouse - it's like a horror movie. And this annual plague has just begun.
• I was in Ponder, Texas for the first time in my life two weekends ago.
• There are a ton of dead lawns on College Street in Decatur. Lots of Give Up Syndrome going on.
• The Update today announced funerals for these ages: 51, 40 and 45.
• Texas Tech has broken a school record for season tickets with 41,173, and has sold at least 43,000 tickets for each of its seven 2008 home games.
• There has to be at least one person in America that thinks our Georgia has been invaded by the Ruskies.

Fox 4 Uses A Sony Camcorder?

Kind of funny tonight as the words "Low Light" appeared across the chest of the always serious Emily Lopez.

I Can't Believe I'm Saying This

But you might want to check in on the Ranger v. Red Sox game because it is insane. The Rangers were behind 10-0 at the end of the first! Updated box score here.

Help A Man Out

I'm stumped. There used to a syndicated radio talk show on in Dallas where the host would amazingly serve as not only the host but also the guest by changing his voice. It was pretty amazing in that he would have a conversation with himself but you'd swear there were two people involved. I know that sounds confusing, but it was good stuff. His basic schtick was to have his "guest" make outrageous claims to get unknowing listeners to call in. Question: Anyone know who that guy was? For the life of me, I can't remember.

That A Bold Move

Is it just me, or is brazen crime seemingly on the rise? Stonebriar Mall is pretty nice. Frisco is pretty nice. And for a robbery to break out within the mall in broad daylight is not exactly something you see every day. I wonder if they stopped at the Cheesecake Factory afterwords?

Those Crazy Chinese Priorities

This is all over the Internets today, but I finally found a pic of both girls. It seems that there was a cute little China girl (pictured, left) singing in the opening ceremonies which wowed the world with her voice. Well, the news today is that she didn't sing it but lip synched (sp) to the voice of another little girl (pictured, right.) So why didn't the Chinese just have the good-voiced-little-girl-sing? Get this: She had jacked up teeth. What kind of country places superficial beauty at the top of its priority list? Oh. Wait.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Weird thing last night. Got up. Went to bathroom. Looked at self in mirror. Conclusion: Due to the way I slept on my hair, combined with some grey, I looked a little like Robert Tilton.
• Did you the Fox 4 interview with the "meth guy" who threw his baby out of an attic into some bushes? (Baby is fine, by the way.) I normally take the position that a lot of people blame drugs for their screw-ups when they would be a screw-up even if they weren't on drugs. He didn't make me change my mind.
• Michael Phelps is amazing. But isn't it odd, in all seriousness, that we wildly celebrate a guy whose contribution to this world is that he can swim fast?
• The Dallas Police Department has 700 patrol cars but last week 210 are out of service for repairs or upgrades. (Heard it on the radio.)
• I signed up for the NFL Season Ticket on DirecTV four years ago. Every year they automatically start billing me for it. Every year I don't stop them.
• I finished season one of The Wire. Great stuff. But every single loose end was all wrapped up. I guess it'll be like 24 which starts out with a completely new story line every season.
• I watched Open Water for the second time last weekend. Cheaply made, big time tension. and with an ending that didn't exactly make it the "feel good" movie of the year.
• The last three bullet points started with "I".
• The Ticket said that the Cowboy's preseason game on Saturday had a higher share of ratings in San Antonio than in Dallas.
• Had to listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd when I made a call to someone's cell phone yesterday.
• I wish we had "bullet trains" in the U.S.
• The U.S. Men's basketball team is playing Angola in the Olympics right now. Is there anyone reading this that could pick out Angola on a map? Really?
• Generic complaints about "those out of touch crooks in Congress" give me Tired Head.
• The Rangers have absolutely no chance of winning the wild card slot (6 1/2 games back with three teams in front of them.)
• Water polo looks hard. (But Yahoo apparently documented an incident where a female water polo player exposed a little too much. Deadspin covered it, so to speak, here. Careful.)
• The morning skies around here at dawn are really beautiful
• I always put my socks on before my pants. It creeps me out to put a bare foot through the inside of my pants leg.
• What people refer to as "the meanest man" on death row says he won't go quietly tonight when his execution is scheduled. (And one guy on the radio this morning raised the interesting question of why do we give a death row inmate an elaborate "last meal.")
• My last meal would be a Big Mac, Popcorn Shrimp, and Canadian Bacon pizza. But I'm pretty sure my stomach would be a tad bit too upset to eat it.
• Ozzfest was in Frisco last weekend. I was never, even for a moment, interested in heavy metal. And I can't think of a worse experience than going to an outdoor metal concert in August in Texas.
• My cruise control works for two weeks and then stops working for two weeks. Really weird.

This Evening

Emailer/Photographer Tony sends this pic along as Wise County caught a little bit of rain today.

Death Comes In Threes?

Be careful Samuel. (And that's a movie to be released later this year.)

Oh, By The Way, A Hurricane Is Headed Through This Afternoon

After I staggered into my living room this morning before the sun came up, I turned on the TV and saw Channel 5's weather gal "Jennifer Lopez." She was matter of factly telling us that we had a good chance for rain this afternoon and then, without the slightest bit of urgency, said, "And we could see winds as high as 50 to 60 miles per hour later today." Huh? First of all, that's not going to happen. Secondly, how can you possibly either believe that or, if you do, how can you not be excited about it? I mean, Pete Delkus will take us to DEFCON 1 at the chance of pea size hail. That man knows how to play up sensationalism. Because it's not enough to simply make those claims, you've got to put a little bit of panic in your voice. Maybe, just for grins, point at a part of the map and say "I expect a storm to develop here that might very well have a hook on the back side that that good destroy Camp Bowie Boulevard if the conditions become just right." Anyway, JLo, I've been looking at my Walmart barametric-pressue-reader-thingy and those winds aren't going to happen. Now watch it happen. I think I'll go reinforce my crank lab just to be safe.

I'm Pretty Sure . . .

. . . that a quinceanera (the celebration of a girl's fifteen birthday) is one of the most dangerous places in the country. There's always something breaking out at one of those things. Story. And since we are talking about young girls, don't you have to 16 to compete in the Olympics?

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I still can't get over the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Probably more impressive than the drum part (mentioned below) was what I can only describe as the bouncing-boxes-with-people-inside-them part. (You had to see it to believe it.)
• I fear a war with China. They look too disciplined.
• Every time you see people on TV having "fun" in the water they tend to be splashing one another when, in reality, being splashed is no fun at all.
• That Russian invasion of Georgia is a little unnerving. Other than that, I don't know much about it.
• I shave in the shower without a mirror.
• How in the world did John Edwards think he could keep his affair a secret in this day and time? And the National Enquirer, despite its reputation, breaks big stories all the time.
• And worse than Edwards, did you see that Dallas personal injury lawyer Fred Baron (who made his fortune in the very seedy world of asbestos litigation) paid to relocate the woman with whom Edwards was having an affair? (Another side note on Baron: He's suing his own son.)
• I jogged outside on Saturday morning and had to stop due to the heat. I don't recall every having to do that before.
• There is no bigger time waste than an NFL pre-season game
• President Bush getting his picture taken with the Olympic women's volleyball players was pretty funny.
• I feel guilty for liking America's Funniest Home Videos.
• I had my recurring "school dream" this weekend. Can't find my classes. Can't find schedule. When I do, I realize that I have final exams for the classes that I haven't been to all semester.
• I got lucky and saw the U.S. Men's incredible win in the 4 X 100 meters swimming even last night. It's being universally called "the best relay race ever." Edit: You can watch the incredible last leg here. (Thanks emailer.)
• Bernie Mack dead. I'm not sure I really watched much of his work.
• Issac Hayes dead. This fact that got my attention: "His wife found him unconscious next to a moving treadmill." As an avid treadmill user, let me say: "Eeeeeek."
• I feel kind of fat this morning.
• From a Letter to the Editor in a Star Telegram: "Jury duty is a formal procedure. Don’t come in shorts and a T-shirt. More appropriate is a shirt with a collar and slacks for men and a nice dress or pants and blouse for ladies. Proper attire shows respect for the law and respect when serving our legal system." Uh, is the person that would normally dress like a slob for jury duty truly going to change based upon this letter?
• Award for craziest picture alongside a random news story in Austin. (Credit.)
• I'm about six chapters in The Shack. Man, it's a tear jerker. Didn't expect that.

The Heartbreak Kid

Man, watched it tonight after TIVO'ing on Friday. It got mediocre reviews, but I'll say this: I thought it was great. Smart. Shocking. Funny. Extremely funny. Double extremely funny.