I'm Out Of Pocket . . .

. . . but I just got tipped off that Bud Kennedy of the Star Telegram will have a column publish tomorrow about newly elected constable Tom Bishop. It's not up yet, but when it is it should be here.

What's The World Coming To . . .

. . . when Britney looks like she could be the president of the Junior League? (And Madonna kind of looks like a female and blonde version of Slash from Guns N' Roses)

No November Surprise: A Couple Of Perfect Seasons

(Photo: John Bell © 2008. Used with permission.)

Decatur 7 Bridgeport 56

Paradise 37 Alvord 14

Millsap 26 Boyd 54

Jacksboro	61
Chico	14

287 Southbound @ Nrw Fairview

Random Pic

Lake Bridgeport was blue and completely still due to the lack of wind as I drove over it a second ago.

Bridgeport Citizens Hate Freedom?

I'm not sure what prompted this last night, but a group of Bridgeport citizens created a mock Eagle -- the symbol, I might add, of this great country where our colors don't run - and burned it. Yep, burned it plum up. Yeah, I know our liberal wienie filled Supreme Court has said it's OK for you commies out there to burn Old Glory, but this Eagle burning simply crosses the line. First we put a black man in the White House, and two days later the normally God fearing town of Bridgeport loses its collective mind. I've got a tear running down my cheek right now like that old Indian guy in the commercial after he witnessed a bunch of littering. Thanks emailer for sending this photo which certainly will win me all sorts of awards. (Or, this may be part of a pep rally in preparation for the annual Battle of the Big Sandy football game. I'll get back to you once the Texas Rangers complete their investigation.)

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• A Birdville ISD student (which has always confused me since I think the school is in North Richland Hills because there is no Birdville, TX) fires up a joint while in the cafeteria line and then slugs and administrator once he was asked to extinguish said joint. Man, I bet his parents really gave him the what-for once he got home. (Sarcasm.)
• I get Hi-Def installed today. That was one of my New Year's Resolutions.
• TCU lost last night. Two thoughts: (1) They need a field goal kicker, and (2) the Frogs are always good but always extremely overrated due to their conference -- they'd end up with three or four loses every year if they were in the Big 12.
• If I think a prosecutor is wrong on an aspect of criminal law and that mistake favors my client, and keep my mouth shut instead of trying to prove him wrong.
• Prediction: One of the Big Three automakers will declare bankruptcy in the next few months.
• A backup center for the Evil Empire got kicked off the team for putting this on his Facebook page: ""All the hunters gather up, we have a coon in the White House." I'm not a fan of goverment (and the UT Football team is, amazingly, a government product) sanctioning anyone for what they say, but they might have done him a favor: Does he really want to walk in that locker room now?
• In Wise County, Obama got only 21% of the vote. That makes us look like New York compared to Jack County where Obama managed only 15% of the vote. (Great interactive map here by the way.)
• There are worst ways to spend the day that getting neekid and climbing a cell phone tower.
• There are a lot of Big and Tall stores but no Short and Slim stores.
• The Feds have arrested 11 DFW folks in a "large scale ecstasy" distribution ring. A drug, by the way, which is non-addicting and arguably harmless. But, as always, the government had to come up with a fancy name for this investigation: Operation "Taste The Rainbow." Sheesh.
• My law partner plopped down a copy of the New York Times on my desk the other day. You know, that's a pretty cool paper. But who in the world would have time to read it every day?
• There's not enough time to read everything I want and watch everything I want. And I've got more free time than anyone I know.
• Update on the hypothetical bet I was holding between two people regarding the outcome of the presidential election: Unless someone does the right thing, someone else got screwed in a shocking manner. But I'm going to give the man the chance to make it right before I say more.
• I think I benefit through this so-called socialism that the right wing fear mongers have been yelling about. See, the government makes up crimes (i.e. ecstasy crime), arrests and then prosecutes people with your tax dollars, which causes those prosecuted to pay me to defend them. In a way, the government is using your tax dollars to force folks to redistribute their wealth to me.
• Lately I've caught myself acting like a shotgun quarterback: Arms extended and raising my knee to signal the make believe center to snap the ball. I may be losing it.

Now This Should Be A Constitutional Right

And the comments at the bottom of the story in the Morning News have a few gems.

Can We Stop This, Please

The Dallas Morning News published a feature today which has a variety of business leaders giving advice to President-Elect Obama. I don't want to dog Ms. Clements, who is very hot and probably makes a krillion dollars a year, but can we get off this "carry a copy of the Constitution" in your pocket crap? In her bio, I noted that she went to Baylor Law which means she probably had the same goofball professor that told us that he also carried the document in his pocket --- but I was pretty sure he hadn't read it in the last 80 years of his life. He, like others, carried a copy of the Constitution in his his pocket so he could tell people he carried a copy of the Constitution in his pocket. You see, that makes you sound both smart and reflective. I don't want to get all Ron Paul on you here, but the Constitution means almost nothing today. Its text very clearly explained what the federal government could do and not do, and then left all the rest of the law making power to the States. It was pretty simple. The First Amendment is a perfect example. "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech . . . ." Nothing is more clear. Nothing is more absolute. Congress has no authority to create the FCC whose very job is to regulate speech. Congress has no authority to regulate porn. Congress has no authority to ban billboards on interstate highways. And the list goes on. Now if Texas, or any other state, wants to enact laws regulating those areas, have at it. That's what the Constitution had in mind. Or it did. But these days, what the Constitution says means very little. But, according to Ms. Clements, you are somehow worthy of Supreme Court consideration simply by caring a copy of it in your pocket.

Local Boys?

Thanks emailer. Edit: I'm calling a moratorium on comments because you boys are brutal!!!!

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Got an email that said power had been out in north part of the county since shortly after midnight.
• When reviewing a criminal file the other day at the prosecutor's office, I came across a statement written by a Wise County high school student which began with the proclamation that he was an "A and B" student. His handwritten account to investigators included the words "apone", "scard", "amedetly", and "marriagal" and many, many other gems.
• A lot of my job involves explaining the same thing over and over but to people who are hearing it for the first time.
• I've never heard of Belk's but one is opening in north Fort Worth.
• That Best Buy in the same north Fort Worth shopping center never seems very busy.
• Had to get out my Makita drill last night. I love firing up the Makita drill.
• The new TV I bought doesn't have a standard headphone jack that I always use when I jog. I think I'm going to have to hook up a stereo receiver to it and use the headphone jack on it. Beating.
• Feel good story of the year, "A man stole more than 130 panties from a Victoria's Secret store on Monday afternoon in Dallas, authorities said . . . . A female accomplice held the door open as they both jumped into a green Ford F-150, the report states."
• One more link: It involves DWI, Decatur (not ours), a guy painted in silver, Halloween, and a mugshot.
• The hot vixen from Footloose turns 51 today.
• Calling someone a "vixen" is always fun. It's a compliment yet a complicated one.
• There were reports yesterday that Obama had begun receiving "sensitive" and "secret" information from U.S. officials in anticipation of his presidency. I've always wondered about that.
• Routinely, whenever a new administration from a different political party takes over the executive office, every single U.S. Attorney is replaced. If Obama would like to "change" the approach on the War on Drugs, I'm officially throwing in my name for consideration for U.S. Attorney for the Northern District Of Texas. Call me. We'll talk.
• Decatur beating Bridgeport on Friday would be the equivalent of Baylor beating Tech.
• All that campaigning had to be hard on McCain. If I'm him, I retire from the Senate and enjoy life.
• When I read about someone dying at a relatively young age, it immediately makes me want to to plan a trip.

This Girl . . .

. . . implores all Wise County residents, from the turning leaves of Greenwood to the meth labs of Newark, to come together in a spirit of unison after this trying election period.

Silly White Boys

Don't make me go down there and open up a can of Christian Love on your arses. Link.

Obama Will Change Injustice Like This

This chick . . . Takes part in a little tomfoolery . . . . . . and gets booted from the NFL Cheerleading Squad. I'm looking for a little change changey change in situations like this.

I Don't Understand My Fellow Man

According to the Messenger, there were 21,026 votes cast in Wise County with straight ticket voting accounting for 10,599 of those votes. That's 50.4%!!!!!!!!!!! (It was 39% two years ago.) The breakdown: Democrat: 2,454 straight ticket Republican: 8,145 straight ticket Edit: Yeah, I've got about five comments that I didn't post. I apologize but I really don't want to piss someone off.

In Non Political News

"Some brain child driver left his rock bed up and tore down the lines at the intersection of hwy 101 and 1810. Road closed--1810 till at least 1:00 pm" -- emailer

Random Post Election Day Thoughts

• Greg Lowery's landslide in Jack/Wise County DA's race was ridiculously predictable.
• Texas, as a whole, is leaning towards the Democrats but it may take eight more years. Or maybe more.
• Everyone told Precinct 1 constable Dennis Hudson that remaining a Democrat would one day catch up with him in his every-four-year-race against Tom Bishop. It finally did.
• And the JP for Precinct 1, Jan Morrow, remains a Democrat.
• Danny White (R) defeated Jim Popp (D) for county commissioner in precinct 1 despite those unstable NASCAR ads I've seen for the last three months.
• Want to see a shockingly close race: Look at Al Franken's attempt to win a Senate seat in Minnesota with 99% of the precincts reporting.
• Obama won and, as I look out my window, the sun came up in Wise County. How'd that happen?
• Man, a Republican can't win in Dallas County anymore. Sheriff Lupe Valdez's wheels have been flying all over the place for the last four years and she still won handily.
• Who says dirty politics doesn't work: Kim Brimer, who I will always picture with dark glasses on and smoking a one inch cigar, lost.
• I don't think you'll hear from Sarah Palin again.
• I still think I'm 100% right when I wrote last week that the hardline Republican party is gone. It's all demographics, people.
• I can't wait to listen to Sean "Stop the Obama Express" Hannity, Rush "Operation Chaos" Limbaugh, and Mark "Obama Is Unelectable" Davis today.
• If Republicans want to point fingers, George W. Bush is a good place to start. And I bet that huge Obama crowd that gathered outside the White House last night made him tense.
• At the end of teh McCain concession speech, the cameras caught a white, high tone chick throwing back a glass of white wine. That was funny.
• More, and I do mean more, of that hot girl above here.
• Elizabeth Dole lost her Senate seat. And she should have after this horrifyingly misleading ad.
• I think Wise County Fire Marshal Paul Cunningham won his bid for Sheriff in Montague County.
• I'm not excited about a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress. I'm absolutely happy with a stalemate.
• I saw an article the other day that McCain embracing "Joe The Plumber" incorrectly assumed that the average voter is like "Joe The Plumber."
• I love my readers, but some of the anti-Obama folks are absolutely nuts.

It's Official As Of 9:48 PM

What was the line? "There will never be a President of the United States named Barack Hussein Obama." And this is important, Wise County's voting results indicate it is far removed from the rest of America: McCain: 15,967 Obama: 4,469

Live Blog

After tens of thousands of requests (or maybe a couple of people), I'll fire up a live blog here at around 7:00ish. We'll try to stay on top of the national and local scene. Edit: Or maybe earlier. At 6:00 p.m Central, the polls will close in Georgia, Indiana and Virginia, new battlegrounds this year offering a combined 39 votes. (Kentucky and South Carolina will also close but will go for McCain as well as Vermont, which will go for Obama. Edit: We did it. That was insane.

But The News Goes On

That was yesterday but was just reported. This weekend there was a horrible one in McKinney when two out of three bikes (each occupied by two people) hit a railroad tie on the service road of Central Expressway leaving one dead. And I'm pretty sure there was a Wise County accident that, fortunately, did not result in a fatality.

These Girls . . .

. . . want to know if there are long voting lines in Wise County. Anyone? Do we have any precinct reports? Anyone feel disenfranchised?

Exactly Why I Don't Care About Pro Sports

Tony Romo yucks it up on the bench Sunday as a shell shocked Brooks Bollinger sits beside him.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Go vote. Unless you're not very bright.
• Will my car pass inspection if I have a small crack in my windshield?
• I love those "Most Interesting Man In The World" commercials from Dos Equis. Normally there's a narrator saying things like: "When it rains, it’s because he has thought of something sad." "He’s left-handed . . . and right-handed." "He once called a wrong number, but the person on the other end refused to admit he had done so." But I saw one the other day where the actor did the speaking himself: "Saying something, and having something to say are two very different things." Preach on, brother.
• There was the story over the last couple of days of the lady who was struck by a bullet at the Texas Motor Speedway. Funny bit on The Ticket this morning: They named race winner Carl Edwards as a suspect since he was seen holding the commemorative six shooters after the race.
• I've got to replace the TV in my bedroom. Probably going with a 26 inch, high def (although I think it's hard to buy a new TV without it being high def.) Anyway, I'm thinking about this one. But I'm open to suggestions.
• I'm going to try and go the entire Maverick season without intentionally watching a single game (I'll grant an excuse if I momentarily stop on a game while channel surfing.)
• One of the funniest moments of the campaign was Joe Biden's "Oh! God love ya! What am I talking about???" moment.
• If you're running for judge, it must be mandatory for you to say, "Judges should interpret the law, not make law."
• I learned my ancestors have been traced back to England. I'm guessing a King or something like that.
• Bad economic news yesterday. GM sales down 45% (as well as losses from all auto makers.) Circuit City closing 155 stores. Get ready for more of this. A lot more.
• I would think the local Weatherford College Campus proposition will pass without any organized opposition against it. I'll be opening up a fraternity house -- we'll be having a mixer with the Tri-Delts at Casa Torres later today.
• I'd rather vote on making FM 51 a ten lane toll road.

Wise County Colors

Email submitted. Thanks, Tony.

114 & 51 . . .

. . . has been the site of two major wrecks in the last couple of weeks. One happened late this afternoon and a faithful reader sent in this pic. Sounded pretty bad. Edit: Check out Comment #2

Daddy Of The Year

Matthew McConaughey walked the sidelines at the Tech game on Saturday. But I don't know if that's the BabyMama. And on a kinda related note, the DMN has a blurb today that 500 people who thought they had tickets to the game got turned away at the gate after a bar code scan revealed they were counterfeit. I'm surprised that doesn't happen more often.

That Western Center Blvd Intersection

Edit: Yeah, not the best picture. But there was a guy inside the car that was rear ended and two cops were already on the scene. No one seemed particularly excited. Then an ambulance comes screaming up -- ok, they guy's gonna claim neck injuries. Then, a couple of minutes later, a big ol' firetruck comes screaming up. Why do the firetrucks always show up?

I'm Running Out The Door . . .

. . . but kind of interesting link about former Bridgeport resident Allen Vaught and his fight to keep his state representative seat.

Hey, Now Alert: USC Song Girl Reunion

But she appears to be the best of the bunch.

Time Magazine Just Landed On My Desk

It's finally here. You know, if you look at any of those pundits (conservative and liberal) who break down the electoral college, it doesn't look like there's any way Obama can lose this thing. And that's the first time I've said that. And regarding that prayer time tonight at First Baptist, I suppose it's OK to pray that God's will be done. And I guess a person could pray for a McCain victory if it be God's will and still be on firm First Baptist ground. But can you just go in there and pray for a McCain victory because that's what you want? I mean, you can but is it theologically sound?

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Take a drive around Decatur -- the trees are amazingly beautiful. More so that usual, it seems.
• The commercial that has the two adult males in a stroller who start crying when they get hungry really creeps me out.
• I jogged yesterday morning at around 6:30 a.m. What a surreal run. The aforementioned trees. Fog that had a flat cap at three feet off the ground. Sun rising behind majestic but sparse clouds. It's one of those "it's good to be alive" moments.
• The Drudge Report as an interesting graphic/map on "how to watch the election" tomorrow night.
• I've had 15 minutes of fame this weekend. First a Letter to the Editor (my first one ever) was printed by the Dallas Morning News, and then I get a quick reference in a story in the Star Telegram. (Uh, "skimpy clothes?" What the heck is he talking about?)
• Went back and watched the Today Show to see what costumes they dressed up in. It was a Fairy Tale theme. It was incredibly lame.
• Yeah, the Texas championship game against USC was a greater game than Tech/Texas on Saturday night. But for a regular season game, you'd be hard pressed to find a greater one.
• Boy, the days of people ringing your doorbell to trick or treat are certainly dead.
• When I was in high school, I was chased by a trooper after allegedly throwing a water balloon at him. Thank goodness I new the trails in the woods behind my house.
• Someone emailed me a "Walmart Bingo Card."
• There's still a chance I'm going to get a picture of the Frozen Frankenmonkey.
• The Pussycat Dolls dressed up for Halloween. They are more shocking on stage.
• Went to a Halloween Party of Friday night. Some (very nice) gal was grilling me about this silly blog and peppering me with questions. The guy next to me, seeing the pressure mounting, asked me in a whispered voice, "Do you want a basketball timeout?"
• That bell ringer at the Texas Tech game always makes me uncomfortable.
• I'm looking at a canister of Chocolate Covered Malted Milk Balls on my desk that some girl scout made me buy from her - I think at gun point.
• People used to post on here that "racism doesn't exist anymore in America". Man, you don't see stuff like that anymore.

The Aftermath

Hot Sports Opinions:

• With one loss, you can still get to the National Championship Game, normally.
• What a great team Tech has, but what a beating of a remaining schedule: Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, a team in Waco, and then the Big 12 Championship Game.
• I wonder what the tie breaker is for the Big 12 South if Texas, OU, and Tech each end up with one loss?
• Penn State is ridiculously overrated -- TCU would beat them like a drum. But I don't see how they don't end up unbeaten since they don't have to play anyone of note.
• I bet Florida ends up in the National Championship game.