Getting Better

The Aggies are struggling. I remember being a senior in high school and going down to Waco with a group of friends and watching a Baylor win. And I sat in the in Kyle Field in the 1980s to watch a Baylor win in a rainstorm that would probably fill Lake Bridgeport. Since then, wins have been almost non-existent. But I'll be honest, the Aggies loss in stature is far more shocking than Baylor's minimal rise.

Reader Submitted From This Afternoon

Thanks, Tony

Caught Just A Part Of Bridgeport Bull Story On Channel 8

From The Wise County Jail List

Child support is one thing, but don't jack with the Tollway Authority.

In Honor of The Cold Front and The Current Deer Hunting Season

And I predict the cold front hitting at 12:20 p.m. Edit: Ya know, I think it actually came through before noon. But it's a weird one. Yep, winds out of the north, cooler temperatures, but no clouds with it.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I guess this will be the last year that high school playoff games will be played at Texas Stadium. I normally make it to one or two of those a year. (And I think my favorite moment was watching the Carter Cowboys enter the stadium for pre-game warm ups by walking down the sideline, single file, and all glaring at the other team over their right shoulders.)
• Man, never has so much been made of so little in connection with the Azle teacher and the 18 year old guy.
• I've never been a fan of the James Bond movies
• I made a Breakfast Club reference yesterday. That was a reference to a movie that is now 23 years old. I've turned into Chris Berman.
• Did you notice that the Dow surged over 800 points in the last three hours of yesterday's trading? I was watching ABC World News last night which explained the reason for it: They had no idea.
• Had a lady at the courthouse tell me yesterday tell me, "You shouldn't post those pictures of girls because it makes the thing load too slowly."
• After one week, I've already turned into a Hi-Def snob. I hardly watch any program unless it's broadcast in Hi-Def.
• That new TV show, My Own Worst Enemy, with Christian Slater has already been canceled. I never watched it, but you know Slater had to think he had a 24 on his hands.
• I always think of Christian Slater saying, "Greetings and salutations" from Heathers.
• The last year the Cowboys, Rangers, Stars, and Mavericks all failed to make the playoffs: Never. Until 2008-2009.
• Saw gas at $1.89 yesterday. Amazing.
• There are lots of people in this world that explain their problem to people that cannot help them. (For example, I always see some lady going up to the County Attorney's office looking for help with a child support problem. After a staff member directs her to the proper, but different, office that can help them, I'll see the lady go into a dissertation about her financial problems and what a sorry SOB her ex-husband is.)
• General Motors can't possibly go out of business, can it?
• I'd like to have something confusing written on my headstone.
• Anybody else got a feeling that the economy is about to implode? I mean really implode. I mean soup line implode.
• Any lady that herds a 100 cats and dogs (and, man, there seems like a lot of women out there like that) is a resident of Crazy Town. Edit: I saved you guys from a Comment by Jarhead where he reprinted the 1,000 line lyrics to "Crazy Town" - this version - which I kind of like.
• I don't think I've ever been in a Waffle House. (But I always think of a scene from the little appreciated movie Lady Killers when I hear the name.)

Wise Couny Fog

(Thanks emailer.)

And Another

Well, soon. Let's just say it involves a town relatively close by (but not Wise County) and a Christian school according to my sources. Expect something on the news tonight. Developing . . . Edit: Azle, Texas. Although the story is kind of odd.

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

I wouldn't wish failure on any of our young people today, but I don't mind kids like this requiring medical attention when they are trying to damage property that belongs to the red blooded American taxpayers. And I also don' t mind it because he looks just like a Decatur High School punk that glared me down on Tuesday like I had the wrong gang colors on. (Note to kid: Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns.) As fare as the video is concerned, and I can only think of the words of Uncle Ricco: "Grandma took a little spill at the sand dunes today. Broke her coccyx."

Pulling Back The Curtain

Me as young boy: Me at typical lunch:

Close Elections

• Convicted Felon Race: For the U.S. Senate seat in Alaska, the current difference is 814 votes after 263,578 counted. (That's the total number of votes cast in a statewide election in Alaska?)
• Funny Comedian Race: In the U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota, the current difference is 206 votes out of 2.9 million counted.
• Bubba Race: And I heard on the radio this morning, that the alcohol proposition for Roanoke, TX was tied 400-something to 400-something (but I can't find a link.) Edit: Tnanks reader. Story here. Actually it's 789-789.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I'm predicting Tony Romo's pinkie isn't healed and trouble is a-coming on Sunday night
• With the decision yesterday by newly crowned king Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson to take $250 billion of the bailout package and buy bank stock (instead of the bad mortgages), the U.S. Government is officially in the banking business.
• Isn't it a matter of time that a new cabinet position is created to manage all the new stuff that the government owns?
• Reminded of this by listening to the radio this morning: I once, about 20 years ago, drove away from a convenience store in east Fort Worth with the gas nozzle still connected to my car. Ripped it completely off. I sheepishly went in an told the clerk who had a very confused look on his face.
• The next day, a jokester in the law firm where I worked heard about what had happened. We were in the break room together when he turned to me and said, "Did you hear about the gas pump exploding last night at that convenience store? Something went wrong with it!" My heart sank for a second.
• I've decided it's harder to jog on a treadmill than it is outside but that outside jogging is a better workout. Odd.
• With oil falling to $56 a barrel yesterday, I wonder if the oil and gas bust that we've feared is around the corner.
• Great invention: Female 'boy shorts."
• Saw part of Top Gun last night. That movie may have more cheesy lines than any others.
• The Messenger printed a list of all of the scores of the Bridgeport/Decatur game over the years. For the lifelong county residents, it's weird how you can go back and find the score of the first game you can remember. But all games before that are just part of a murky history that you don't care that much about.
• Real history is the same way to me. I remember the Vietnam War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, and man walking on the moon. But the JFK assassination, Pearl Harbor, and the Cuban Missile Crisis are all part of a different kind of "history" to me.
• I didn't watch the CMA's last night but did Brooks & Dunn win best duo for the 30th year in a row?
• I'd be a little scared to buy something off Craig's List. Meet women, yes. Buy something, no.
• Saw gas for $1.89 yesterday in Fort Worth. I would have never believed it three months ago.
• I get sucked in every time I see the movie Desperado on HBO and Salma Hayek was smoking hot in it.
• Sarah Palin won't stop talking.

Edit: Two I thought about last night but forgot about this morning.

• Audio (mp3) of the oral arguments before the Texas Supreme Court two weeks ago in the Hughes wrongful death case out of Paradise. I can't say it's riveting but I did stick around long enough to hear the Supreme Court justice ask the lawyer what was the racial makeup of Wise County. The lawyer, who I don't know, said we were basically a "bedroom community" of the metroplex.
• Jacksboro "Teens In The Driver Seat". I have no idea what it means, but the person that emailed me the link referred to me as "Mr. Green" so I'm posting it.

Murder On The Big Screen In Runaway Bay

Remember that B-Movie that was being shot out at Runaway Bay last year called Fright Flick? Sure you do. If you're willing to suffer through the above trailer, you'll catch a couple of glimpses of kind-of-but-maybe-not great Wise County landscape. The movie debuted in Dallas a couple of weeks ago in the high tone Magnolia theater.

I'm No Joe Duty

The walls of first floor of the Wise County Courthouse are covered with old photographs of Wise County Judges. Most of them look like they weren't particularly pleasant individuals. As I walked by this one a second ago, I noticed the sun coming through the glass door (that was about 10 feet to the left) and striking it directly. It was odd because when the photo was taken, the flash left a shadow of this guy's head that can be seen in the right of picture. But the way the sun was hitting it today, it looked like his head was causing a shadow from the sun. The camera phone pic was the best I could do. (All of this sounded like a could idea for a post when I conceptualized --- now I'm not so sure.)

More Texas Tech Fun

If you were watching the Texas Tech / Oklahoma State game, you surely saw these crazy signs used by the OSU coaching staff. But it didn't take long for Tech fans to create a new one for OSU regarding Tech receiver Michael Crabtree. (Thanks Brock.)

"The Curse of the Titsworth Kiss"

I was in a bar fight at Rodeo Exchange last weekend and the guy tried that exact same kissing move. Fortunately, I was able to retaliate with my cat-like reflexes and Golden Gloves training. And remember the rules: It's a one point deduction for an inadvertent kiss. Two points for an intentional one. You'll probably get disqualified if you try to get a little handsy.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I think fog is cool. Dangerous, but cool.
• Could Judge Elizabeth Berry's mugshot have been posted in more places? Ugh. But ya got appreciate any lady over 40 who'll sport the pigtails.
• And the fact that Judge Berry was caught up in one of those "we're the government and we're going to take your blood by force" programs will just draw more attention to the arrest. (Just heard them discussing the case on The Ticket --- brutal.)
• And if I hear one more person say "it's illegal to drink and drive" it might drive myself to drink. No, that's not illegal. It's illegal to drink, become intoxicated, and then drive. Edit: Obviously not taking about Class C "open container" violations. Talking about DWI.
• The Dallas Mavericks are 2-5. Yeah, it's early but I think their window has closed.
• I bet I heard that Oklahoma State coach's rant of "I'm a man. I'm 40" ten times last weekend. And I laughed every time. (I even had a text message from an unrecognized number with that quote.)
• Another thing that drives me nuts. I get a message. I return the call. Voicemail picks up. I leave a message. And then as soon as I hang up that person has called me back without listening to the message.
• Yeah, I know the "fellowship churches" try to put forth the image of being "cutting edge" but that "Seven Days of Sex" promotion put on by the Grapevine [Mega] Fellowship Church" is a little much. Won't little Junior turn to mom and dad during the service and say, "What's sex?"
• Local Blogger News #1: One of our assistant DA's calls the Denton elected DA a "tool", "coward", and a "weasel."
• Local Blogger News #2: The House of R&R gives up blogging forever but brings it right back up. I think Anobiter did that once too. They can't follow a 10 Step Program.
• Local Blogger News #3: "R" Rated Silicone Alley has learned to take a pic and post it directly to Twitter. But she's tricked it up even more by drawing cartoons -- pretty funny cartoons. Here are examples of when she was about to have a snack and kill a fly.

Where Those Rock Trucks Go

There was news of a couple of injuries in a Wise County rock quarry yesterday which prompted faithful reader Tony to send in this pic of, uh, a Wise County Rock Quarry. I bet our landscape looks like a mess from the air.

More Texas Tech Humor

It takes a little sports double brain knowledge to catch it all, but it's pretty funny. And Texas' basketball coach Rick Barnes looks just like John Grisham. (Thanks emailer Dinah.)

You Know, 220. 221. Whatever It Takes.

I think I've got it figured it out now. If and iPod tries to go gay, it gets fried. Was that a sneaky metaphor?

And, No, I Haven't Forgotten This Day

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Yeah for the letter "W".
• Sarah Palin is on every channel giving interviews with everyone. (But I've seen her cooking in front of Matt Lauer and at another time in front of Greta Van Susteren. That's hokey and staged.)
• And she keeps referring to the "inside baseball" inner workings of a campaign.
• I can't imagine what it would be like for Obama to walk through the White House yesterday with President Bush. I don't care who you are, your anxiety level would have to peak.
• I have no idea where Southfork Ranch is other that it's in North Dallas.
• Al Roker is a beating.
• The older you get, the smarter you sound simply because of your age. Case in point yesterday, I talked to a kid around 22 who was trying to think about whether someone in their 40s would have served in Vietnam. But someone in their 40s can tell you that without even knowing a thing about the Vietnam War -- either he feared the draft or he didn't. Edit: Yep, poorly worded. I meant to say that being a man in his 40s that I automatically know I couldn't have served in Vietnam War. School didn't teach me that -- I learned it because I watched the war end as a kid. But for today's 22 year old, he has to know when the war ended and do the math. (Man, this got complicated.)
• Oh, my. Fort Worth district judge Elizabeth Berry was arrested for DWI on Saturday afternoon. I truly hope she escapes that legal mess - and, trust me, facts that will cause an officer to arrest you for DWI are the same facts that will have a jury roll their eyes. It does happen.
• I wrote about the funny time that Elizabeth and I first met.
• Just read that yesterday was the "first day for filing legislation that the Texas Legislature will consider in 2009." And 99% of them will be unnecessary.
• "Four Christmases" with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon doesn't look particularly funny. And I know funny.
• I can record up to four programs on my DVR at once and then watch them from any TV in the house. That's crazy.
• I know these thoughts are boring sometime.
• Good point by Tom Brokaw, with the U.S. now owning banks and insurance companies (and soon maybe an auto maker an airline) the new president isn't just the Commander-in-Chief of American, he is the CEO of America.
• I've now got political Tired Head.
• With #2 Texas Tech and #1 Alabama at the top of the polls, I remembered I went over to the Cotton Bowl in 2006 to watch two teams play. Alabama won on the ugliest field goal you ever saw in the last seconds.

Just Happened: I Normally Hear About This Beforehand

Rest, including the sentence, in Update. Comments off until I find out the back story.

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Fake Erin Andrews for Halloween (she went to Florida which explains the cap although we real reporters don't wear caps). Uh, nice wheels. And the non-fake Erin Andrews:

F Bomb Comedy

This happened this morning on MSNBC and if you don't want to hear the F Bomb then move along because there's nothing to see here. But if you want to see a great example of my over-used phrase "His wheels were off", this is it. Check out the guy who is in the split screen at the moment of impact. From there, you can almost feel the studio shake with uncomfortableness.

Good Grief

Link.

Even Puts Me Over The Edge

The "joke" that is going around of "What do Barack Obama and John Kennedy have in common?" is tasteless, shocking, and certainly not funny. If anything has come of this election is that the conservative base (the good ones) received a little bit of an eye-opener as to who they share that corner of the philosophical world with. And that should scare them. Edit: Just saw this. Makes it all very real.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• It took me a long time to get there, but I'm a believer in Tech. They beat the heck out of Oklahoma State, and I'm not sure QB Graham Harrell ever gets touched.
• Bridgeport product Phillip Daugherty was signed by Tech as a quarterback but Harrell came in the next year. Daugherty then transferred to Sam Houston State.
• A Wise County deputy blog?
• Verdict on hi-def TV: It really is great. Football games are incredibly different and the more you watch it, the more you realize the difference. (Did you know Sarah Palin had puffy lips?)
• I tipped the installation guy.
• He remarked about some of my home decorating: "That's a little crazy but it sure does work."
• A post you might have missed: AnObiter almost burned her house down.
• First Baptist of Dallas gets all preachy by having a sermon denouncing gaydom.
• Some NFL player's ankle went the wrong direction yesterday. I refuse to watch.
• Did you know you can wash those cheap plastic solo cups? For years I had just assumed they would melt in the dishwasher.
• While you were sleeping: Circuit City files for bankruptcy. I'm telling you, there's a ton of bad times ahead. Edit: Just saw that DHL will cut 9,500 U.S. jobs.
• Which has a greater chance: Bridgeport winning the 3A title or Tech winning the National Championship?
• One of the news channels did a quick piece on how the presidential candidates constantly used had sanitizers. Makes sense. They had some footage of McCain and his wife walking away from a crowd as a handler inconspicuously squirted some of the stuff in their hands.
• The Professor from Gilligan's Island turns 84 today. Somewhere he's fiddling with a transistor radio.

Always Loved This Photo

The gal, maybe, made an appearance this weekend. I've always been so fascinated with the two people that I've never noticed that it was obviously Times Square. (And a great Wikipedia entry about the photo.)