Wise County Nudists: Fort Worth Weekly Article I Missed

This pic has been painstakingly cropped. You'll thank me if you click on the story.

Link. (Thanks, Chris.)

The Wise County Messenger Wonders If There Is Racism In Wise County

Puuuhleeeze.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Do we say "twenty ten" or "two thousand and ten"?
• Ten years ago, with the big 2000 about to hit, at least one of the major networks went with 24 hour coverage as they watched the clock strike midnight, hour by hour, around the world. It was cool.
• In advising folks to put a gun lock on their weapon for tonight to avoid firing it in the air at midnight, Fox 4's Tim Ryan said, "Because if you're both drunk and stupid maybe you can't remember the combination . . . . " Pretty funny. His new co-host, instead of laughing, just went into anchorwoman mode and said, "It's always better to lock it up." Sheesh.
• If you struggle at life to such a point that you consider it a burden, why do you so readily bring another life into it?
• I feel bad for ignoring The Office for so long, but I did the same thing with Seinfeld. And, at this point, I don't think Seinfeld can hold a candle to The Office.
• We all use a bunch of phrases like "can't hold a candle to" where we understand the meaning but have no idea why those words have that meaning.
• I've never had a desire to be in Times Square at midnight on NYE.
• In 1982, I bought an oversized Prince tennis racket for $90 at the urging of a buddy who said "you gotta buy high quality crap." I was in Sports Academy the other day and the highest priced Prince tennis racket, 27 years later, was $49.99.
• Same train of thought: I bought a 31" TV in 1989 for $750.
• I got to thinking about the last item because the BagOfNothing.com guy has some great random thoughts about how much things have changed in 10 years. Good stuff.
• When they put out a list of "The 10 Best Movies of 2009" don't you get the feeling of (1) they like to pick obscure films so as to sound high tone, and (2) you don't get out enough.
• Heard the #1 New Year's resolution is to "spend more time with their loved ones." (WBAP @ 8:07 a.m.) Really?
• If we could fast forward one year into the future and were to watch a montage of Celebrities Who Died in 2010, wouldn't there be some names that shock us?
• Texas Tech's interim head coach is their defensive coordinator who has a huge belly. Never trust a fat coach.
• Watched part of Gran Torino again last night. Worst writing and acting ever?
• I'm still predicting Fox "won't go dark" on the Time Warner cable networks on January 1st, but the two sure are cutting it close.
• After years of never attending New Year's Eve parties, I tend to do it every year now.

To Beat The Mike Leach Thing To Death ...

Adam James, the spare player who was placed in a "storage shed", took this video while he was in there. And his family thought he'd get sympathy by releasing it today. You've got to be kidding. What a little baby. And Craig James, his father, has to regret ever bringing this silly thing to the attention of Tech. His son is forever labeled.

A Beautiful Waterfall on Woodall Rogers Freeway ..... Wait. What?

Story.

Texas Tech's Mike Leach Fired

Just heard this from a reliable source at 12:04 p.m. And I might be one of the first ones to report it. Edit: The University finally released a statement. They should have added, "We also encourage the students not to riot." Edit: Five possible replacements. Let me speak for the first name on the list, "Thank you for your interest, but go away." (Side note: That's a Dallas Morning News link. Does a video ad automatically play for everyone else? If so, they need to end that practice. Now.)

The Week: Proposal On The Weather Channel

You know, I was all prepared to make fun of this but it was actually kind of touching.

Marguerite Engle: Renaisannce Woman

That would be .708. Where's a book-in photo when you need one? (Edit: The Smoking Gun is all over it, and she doesn't look that bad. Double Edit: Oops, old photo. Triple Edit: And by not "that bad" I mean she doesn't look hammered.) .08 is the legal limit in most states although it's normally tough to tell if someone is obviously drunk at that level. Most DPS experts say that a person will, at .04, lose "the normal use of one's mental or physical faculties" but that's just crazy. I've been doing this criminal justice business a long time, and I don't ever recall someone being over .40. In fact, I've had less than a handful of cases that are greater than .30. Most DWI cases are between .10 and .19 if there is a sample, and seeing a case greater than .20 is pretty rare.

Year In Review

This has to be one of my favorite videos. This sorority pledge decided to "make it snow" with a fire extinguisher in the sorority house but apparently things went terribly wrong. "I thought is was going to a little . . . 'poof'." Edit: This video may be from last year, but it's still worthy of re-post.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• That was weird: It snows, it gets dark, and we wake up to warmer temperatures.
• Any votes on the Top Story of the Year that the Wise County Messenger always runs? I suspect it would be the death of Sgt. Randy White of the Bridgeport PD.
• The victim of a jewelry store robbery in Lewisville said on Fox 4 about the the crook, "He said a word in Yiddish that I won't repeat on TV but it wasn't good. But I'm still here." I have no idea what he means.
• Knee jerk reaction to the Tech vs. Mike Leach saga: Somebody in the administration wants him gone. Completely. But I doubt if he's breached his contract, he'll call their bluff and refuse to leave, and the only way to get rid of him will be to completely buy out the remainder of his contract.
• I remember when A&M wanted, and did, get rid of Coach R.C. Slocum. How'd that work out? This could be Texas Tech's Waterloo.
• WBAP's Mike Lamb on Leach seeking a temporary injunction this morning: "He should know his way around a courtroom." He was referring to Leach having a law degree. However, Leach was never licensed since he chose not to take the bar exam. (Which was a great career move, by the way.)
• You guys are crazy if you think the Bush Administration would have released those two guys from Gitmo (see yesterday's post) if they thought they were terrorists. They would have been hesitant to release Billy Graham from Gitmo.
• The Wise County courthouse seems to shut down pretty quickly at the fear of inclimate weather.
• The 2000s should be remembered as the Decade of the Flat Screen. Think how things have changed since 1999.
• I'm the biggest anti-government/personal privacy guy I know, but the x-ray like body scan at an airport seems like a good idea to me.
• I'll get to report on the hassle of international travel this weekend. I'm off to Costa Rica and I intend to bore you to death with daily posts.
• I dare anyone to watch "Fox and Friends" and tell me it is "fair and balanced." Their hatred of Obama is palpable. (But I remember watching it 10 years ago and it was a pretty funny and care free show.)
• Headline that was still on the Star Telegram's home page this morning: "Freezing Fog Could Make Morning Rush Hour Treacherous."
• The Today Show sure made a big deal about the kid in Brazil who was ordered by a court to be returned to his father. I'm not sure anyone really cared about a high tone child custody case.
• I eat a ton of microwavable low fat pizza.
• Mark Davis' column today: Even in the days after 9/11, there was a call to "bring those responsible to justice." Columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote that week: 'This is exactly wrong. Franklin Roosevelt did not respond to Pearl Harbor by pledging to bring the commander of Japanese naval aviation to justice. He pledged to bring Japan to its knees. You bring criminals to justice; you rain destruction on combatants."
• But the flaw in that statement is obvious: Japan was a country that could be found on a map.

Cute Kid Stuck

Slow Posting Day

But a faithful reader sent in this picture of his family's snowman created in Wise County on Christmas Day. You know, I was slow to realize that it's a really, really good snowman.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• For the weather folks to normally be pretty vague about snow, they have been dead certain about this one: Arriving around noon with 1 to 3 inches.
• Mike Leach is "strongly considering" taking legal action to try and be reinstated for the Alamo Bowl. Hot Sports Prediction: The marriage between Leach and Tech is headed for divorce court. Very soon.
• News that got almost no publicity yesterday: Nine people, including six children, died in an apartment fire in Mississippi.
• I would be stunned if Fox and Time Warner Cable don't work out their relationship issues.
• Isn't' this the hardest week of the year to stay motivated?
• Ticket Fans only: Here's an MP3 of the "Best of The Rant." (Fans of the old Gordon Keith Saturday morning show just passed out.) Edit: More Ticket News!: We found Greggo.
• I saw a guy being helped up after slipping on the ice on the south side of the Decatur square late yesterday afternoon. Note to merchants over there: If you have a sheet of ice on the sidewalk outside your store that won't melt, do something about it.
• If Dallas beats Philadelphia and the Giants beat the Vikings and Green Bay beats Arizona, Dallas gets a first round bye? Yep. Unlikely to happen, but still amazing.
• Two former Gitmo prisoners, released in 2007, are behind the plot to blow up Flight 253 on Christmas Day? Yeah, you hold a bunch of guys at Gitmo for years without sufficient evidence, decide to finally let them go because you've got nothing on them, and they then turn into pissed off terrorists? Who would have thought?
• Shocking words from a lawyer blog about a 45 year old colleague who had passed away and whose friends would remember him at a "local saloon" in Amarillo later that day: I’ll put this as adroitly and tactfully as I can. But honestly - and I address this to all of Joe’s dear friends - is this truly the appropriate thing to do when we all know what killed Joe? He drank himself to death.
• Hey, now.
• Without looking it up, I don't know what "adroitly" means.
• TCU played and beat five teams this season that went to bowl games. All five of those teams have won those bowl games. I may be coming around on TCU.
• Up until last year, the Wise County DA's office managed its cases with a database program I designed in Access in 1993. And it was fantastic.
• Post Christmas Depression anyone?
• Tell me I can leave the country with a passport and a birth certificate but no driver's license. (Lost wallet and vacation callback reference.)

There's Breaking News All Over The Place

Trouble in Raider Land. Edit: Inside story?

Drudge Tends To Be Overly Dramatic

But something is going on. (Drudge Report.) Edit: Sounds like a "child who is a friend of the family" was slightly injured by a surfboard. Yep, Drudge can be a little drama queen.

I Wonder If There Was Any Other Reason

I'm not sure who the United States Sports Academy is but they've made this gal its Female Athlete of the Year. Who would have thought that the public, who voted on the award through the web sites of NBC and USA Today, would give it to a Russian pole vaulter named Yelena Isinbaeva.

Sheesh - 8 Years In The Hoosegow For Graffiti and Weed?

Judge having a bad day? Good grief. And the ADA is right: That kid will serve 8 real years with absolutely no possibility of parole. Edit: Someone cited the "stacking rule" (Penal Code 3.03) and an article that said the kid will only have to serve 2 years because the judge was not authorized to stack the sentences as she proclaimed from the bench. That is true if all four cases were "tried" at the same time --- I assumed that had not occurred since the judge and the ADA seemed adamant about it and the defense lawyer didn't object to the stacking order. But I should have caught that. And it's still shocking to know that the kid would have received eight real years if the judge got to do what she wanted to do.

They Actually Did This

The National Weather Service has actually prepared a Powerpoint presentation about tomorrow's predicted snowfall and emailed it to various government offices. As the person that forwarded it to me said, "It took longer to make the powerpoint that what the powerpoint has to offer." And the weather service also prepared a long email predicting the snow. But it had these paragraphs as well: TIMING Timing continues to be critical. A rain/snow mix will likely develop late tonight/early Tuesday morning, especially in areas west of a line from Cisco…to Stephenville…to Temple. This rain/snow mix will turn to snow relatively quickly. By Tuesday morning, snow is anticipated for most areas, with most of the precipitation occurring area wide between 10 AM and 6 PM Tuesday. FORECAST CONFIDENCE / UNCERTAINTY Low to moderate confidence in this forecast due to numerous uncertainties in the strength, timing, and available moisture with this system. FORECAST POSSIBILITIES [Comment: Here comes the most obvious observation ever.] If the system becomes slower and stronger, we would have the possibility of higher snowfall than we are currently forecasting. If the moisture does not return as anticipated, snowfall amounts would be less.

Sheriff Announces (Alleged) Church Thieves Arrest

And on Christmas day I watched an episode of Dragnet where Friday and Gannon were hunting down a guy who had (allegedly) stolen the baby Jesus from a nativity scene. I don't think the stories are related.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I now sneeze into my sleeve.
• If the local news stations had been fully staffed on Christmas Eve, the Blizzard Of 2009 would have given rise to around-the-clock coverage like we've never seen
• There are still abandoned cars littering 287 above Wichita Falls.
• I walked my jogging trail during the "blizzard." Uh, snow blowing sideways can hurt you. But I'd do it again in a New York minute.
• 40 degrees, sunny, with no wind feels 40 degrees different that 32, cloudy, with high winds.
• Snow and ice should melt when the temperature gets above 32 but it doesn't. At least not in the shade. I don't know why.
• Craziness: You can broadcast live video and audio from your cell phone on Ustream.
• I want the Cowboy's Roy Williams to do the "hook 'em horns" sign every time he drops a pass.
• There's a round bale of hay at a gas station on FM 407 with a big sign above it that says, "I Got My Obama Bale Out."
• I recorded the monologue for Lopez Tonight (with George Lopez.) Worst. Show. Ever. (When you make Kirstie Alley fat jokes and Bill Clinton jokes in 2009, you are not familiar with the term "topical.")
• With all the cash in the U.S. being transferred electronically, I wonder if that currency printing plant in north Fort Worth is slowing down.
• Strangers are nicer on Christmas Eve. (I had a lady start talking to me in a Target parking lot.)
• Verdict on Inglorious Basterds: Very good but not great. But Brad Pitt's Tennessee accent is pretty funny: "We have a word for that in English. It's called suspicious."
• The death of four people that ended up in a pond in Southlake on Saturday is simply tragic and weird.
• College football note: That Urban Meyer retire-unretire story over the weekend smells fishy.
• Dallas Cowboy Keith Brooking is a great football player and looks as dumb as a box of rocks.
• Speaking of dumb, my prediction of the Cowboys going 1-4 down the stretch is now officially wrong.
• Snow tomorrow?
• Channel 8 has video of a mobile home fire in Wise County from this morning?

Well I Should Say So

The weekly Wise County Crime Report.

Breaking

Ambulance helicopter crashed at Wise Regional hospital in Decatur. No life threatening injuries.

Barry (from iPhone)

Edit: Star-Telegram story.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

There's no way I'm doing this on Christmas Day. And, after all, what says "Merry Christmas" more than some crazy lady knocking the pope down.

Christmas Eve Pick Me Up

How my kids would probably have turned out.

Alternatively, enjoy Christmas Cheerleaders. Merry Christmas to all you cRaZEee people!

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Christmas on Friday is a good thing. Most of us are off on Thursday and then the weekend comes right after. Good times.
• I think the "holiday airport rush" is a hoax. (Stay with me here.) One time before 9/11, I was by the DFW airport on Christmas Eve and heard a radio report of how busy it was. With nothing really to do, I thought I'd go inside one of the terminals to watch family reunions. I promise the place was a ghost land.
• My favorite sad Christmas song.
• That American Airlines jet came within feet of going into the ocean in Jamaica yesterday. (New pictures out this morning.) And the thing actually broke in half.
• Unfortunate new Brittany Murphy movie poster.
• People always dog the Messenger, but can you imagine how hard it would be to produce a newspaper twice a week?
• The Senate passed the health care bill this morning. What does that mean for us? I don't know.
• I made a donation to This American Life the other day. (They had a brief "donation ad" on their podcast which basically said, "You know if you don't donate, we'll still be here next week." I appreciated the honesty.)
• This Denton book-in photo kind of looks like a chunky Paul McCartney.
• Whenever I have a new client come to visit, I normally ask them "How you been doing?" as we walk back to the office. Most of the time they reply, "I've been better." (I do 100% criminal defense.)
• TCU's Gary Patterson was voted "AP Coach of the Year" yesterday. Two years ago it was Kansas' Mike Mangino who won the honor -- he was fired this year.
• Last football note: TCU's "big wins" were over BYU and Utah this year. I saw where Utah has already beaten California in one bowl game and BYU beat a good Oregon State team in another.
• When the police announce they need help in locating someone (like the donut shop owner's killer), you know they are having trouble.
• I like Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.

Snow? Edit 8 hours later: Holy, Cow!

When did this forcast happen? We've got us a blizzard predicted. Edit: And I spent the last two days referencing a White Christmas? Coincidence? Don't doubt my magical Christmas powers.

I Call It . . .

"Trooper Holds Phone While Man Smokes and Talks" Explanation in the Update. (Where you can learn that even non life threatening injuries can get you a helicopter ride to a metroplex hospital.)

Somewhere Along I-35 By Alliance Airport

Credit: Tony

In Case That Name Sounds Familiar

Flashback.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I power down whenever I hear the background singers in Elvis' "Blue Christmas." You know, that "waawaawhoo" stuff.
• It's on a loop on the courthouse speakers so it's been tough on me, pal.
• SMU goes to a bowl for the first time in twenty five years but only sells 500 tickets. Then again, the bowl is in Hawaii on Christmas Eve.
• Obscure college football note: A&M was 0-6 when its games were televised but 6-0 when no one got to watch.
• I'm glad it's getting cold for Christmas. It's downright balmy this morning.
• Whenever you hear, "We don't want to speculate" from a TV announcer, you're about to hear some speculation.
• Here's the picture of Cindy Lou The Littlest Who I saw this weekend: Cute.
• While you were sleeping: An American Airlines jet coming from Miami overshot the runway in Jamaica injuring over 40, none seriously. Sheesh, that could have been bad. And I've taken that flight before.
• I've seen lots of women walk into the prosecutor's office on the third floor of the courthouse and say, "I need a protective order." I always wonder if they are in fear of their safety or someone looking for revenge.
• I struggle and hate writing "The Spin" every weekend but pretty much throw "Random Thoughts" together everyday without much effort. (Obviously.)
• I love the year end "Biggest News Stories" list but I hate it when things like "the economy" make it on there. I want a list of stories that required a national "breaking news" interruption of programming.
• Everyone that has seen Avatar tells me that it's great.
• Punk kid flips camera the bird. Punk kid's dad slaps his hand.
• Saw an angry lady on a sidewalk on Decatur yesterday complaining (loudly) into a cell phone, "Why can't she control her mouth!"
• Inappropriate deceased NFL player Chris Henry memorial pics?
• Edit: There's a supposedly gruesome video all over the place of an Aggie basketball player breaking his leg last night. I say "supposedly" because I cannot bring myself to look at stuff like that.

The Generation Gap: In Comments

A comment I received about the officer-shooting-himself post from a couple of days ago. (Sorry, click to enlarge - but it's worth it.) To answer the confused youngster, I'll site Wikipedia about Barney Fife from the (great) Andy Griffith Show:

One major comedic source is Barney's lack of ability with a firearm. After numerous misfires (usually a Colt or Smith & Wesson M&P .38 caliber revolver), Sheriff Andy Taylor restricts Barney to carrying only a single bullet in his shirt pocket, "in case of an emergency."

Lordy, I feel old.

Sheriff's Email To The Entire Wise County Sheriff's Office

From: Walker, David Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 9:31 PM To: WCSO All Personnel Subject: Christmas

19 years ago, Tricia Armstrong called me and said, "you should watch Channel 8 Dale Hansen........he has a segment called THANK GOD FOR KIDS."19 years ago I started watching the segment every Christmas without fail. Each year, the THANK GOD FOR KIDS segment put a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. This year has been extremely tough for my family beginning in June, as my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Shortly there after, my father's health begin declining and I sat with him at the hospital for a month. He passed away July 26, 2009. My best friend, my go to on decisions I thought were good or not, and more importantly the best dad anyone could ever ask for. Supportive in every possible way, a father that I want to be. I can remember telling my dad I wanted to run for Sheriff...he said "hell David, politics is a tough game.." He was right, but he and my Mom jumped right in and here we are. With the help of all of you!

As we were working on getting my Mom situated and ready for chemotherapy, it was all of you, which I call my friends that helped me push through all the heartbreaks. August 8, 2009 my Grandmother passed away. This was my Dad's mother. Twelve days to be exact from the death of my Dad. Again, all of you pushed me and my family through yet another tough time.

Things started to change for all of us with the birth of my beautiful daughter Addison DeAnn Walker. Some of you know that for years I have wanted my own child, and a family to go home to at night. I dreamed of raising a child, just as my Dad raised me. When Addison was born on November 4th, I had my fathers picture with me, my mother was close by, as was the in-laws and other family and friends. I looked at the clock at 1:52p.m. that November day and the second hand had stopped on the clock! A true meaning that my life had changed forever, and my Dad watching on from above. There is no other feeling than the instant love that boils over, as I held Addy for the first time ever. Some of you can relate I am sure, and can say "thank god for kids." I am very fortunate for have a loving wife as Christi is a part of me. She has brought me everything I have ever wanted. Having a son that has a heart of gold, and a nephew which I call my brother, and a daughter that smiles and loves her daddy already. Even though she can't say it yet, her daddy will tell her a thousand times a week. It was very important to me to be thankful for my parents and make sure they knew I loved them. I told them all the time. When my father was in the hospital, the last thing I said to him was "rest good Dad, I will see you tomorrow, and I love you!"

Addison has been a breath of fresh air to my mother, as she is now cancer free, a breath of fresh air to push me forward and raise her like my Dad raised me. She is just perfect! As we as a family go through the first Christmas without my Dad, I do so with the vision down the road. Not only the vision of my family at home, but the vision of the department. Being extremely happy with where we are as a department and happy that we have the crew that we do, which looks forward. We are definitely the best department around. It is not a result of me, its not a result of Doug, its not a result of any single person, it is a result of all of us working together. For all you do, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am a better man because of all of you, I am a better Sheriff because of all of you.

I have attached the link to Thank God For Kids 2009. This year it is especially meaningful, with all we have been through. Dad would be proud of baby Addy! Listen to the message that Dale ends with, hug your kids, kiss your loved ones (as I just did), and remember that message he ends with. Live life for today!

Thank you all for everything on and off duty!

Have a very Merry Christmas

http://www.wfaa.com/sports/Dale-Hansen-Thank-God-For-Kids-79781147.html **************************** (Comments off. Let's all just get along.)

Wise County Last Minute Gift Idea

Yet another idea I should have thought of first. What could possibly go wrong? (By the way, and unrelated, did I ever tell you I dreamed up anti-lock brakes in my teenage brain when I was sixteen?)

Santa Lindsay Pick Me Up

Texas Monthly 2009 Bum Steer Award

This was mentioned in the Update today. (Which is a little ironic since the news story originally appeared in the Update.) I tried to find it in the archives, but couldn't. Edit: Found it. Sixth entry down. Edit: Faithful reader Allen W. points out that Wise County had two entries this year: Edit: Joe Duty remembers the guy

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Attending a criminal docket call will suck the Christmas spirit out of you.
• NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson has been named "AP Athlete of the Year." I think the voters forgot that the word "athlete" was in the title.
• Fox News this morning dedicated a segment to a "shocking case" of a man beating a DWI case because of the defense that he was "too fat to perform the field sobriety tests." That's nothing shocking. The official manual that all of the cops use specifically says the tests may not be reliable for people 50 pounds or more overweight.
• I suppose former Cowboy kicker Nick Folk, who lost his job yesterday, woke up this morning and asked, "How did that happen?"
• Stay classy Philadelphia: Eagle fans pelt 49er fans with snowballs this past weekend, and the security guard didn't get much respect.
• And I'll say it again, Fox and Friend's Gretchen Carlson is horrible. Judgmental, not very smart, and a horrible journalist (as she opined yesterday that Brittany Murphy's death was "probably drug related.") Edit: I want to apologize for calling her "not very smart". My buddy Keith directed me to this.
• I watched the ESPN documentary "The U" over the weekend about the rise of the University of Miami football program. It was fantastic. And the 1991 Cotton Bowl where the 'Canes figuratively mugged the University of Texas was a big player in the film.
• My source of the "officer shooting self" rumor yesterday (hey, I said unconfirmed) is actually a pretty good one. And they still believe something happened that isn't being reported.
• I found my bank card. Yay me.
• A Houston judge was found guilty of "official oppression" for trying to get a pretty hawt DWI defendant to enter into a relationship with him in exchange for getting her a different court appointed attorney.
• Impersonator Frank Caliendo not as funny as he used to be?
• The footage of the owner of the donut shop in Dallas who was shot a couple of days is chilling. That was senseless.
• Holy cow. Personal injury lawyer Brian Loncar has a commercial showing him arriving in a helicopter at the scene of a fake accident. Shockingly disgusting.
• Santa and Baby Jesus instability.
• My 1-4 prediction for the Cowboys to end their season is still possible but looking dicey.
• I was wrong when I predicted the lady accused of killing her husband in the Fort Worth case would be found not guilty. But the jury did give her probation yesterday.
• But they deliberated over 15 hours before returning the guilty verdict. I never understand that. How can 12 people debate it for that long and then walk out of the room and say, "We don't have any doubts that are reasonable about her guilt."
• Obscure sports note: Baylor's new female basketball star Brittney Griner is an absolute beast. (That's all I've got to cheer for.)

I've Never Been More Confused

Jessica Simpson. A candle. Reference to ear wax. A guy who might be gay singing a Christmas song. A Pappa John's pizza box as a protective device. Tony Romo, how could you leave this girl?

Texas Parents Battle For The Constitutional Right To Have A Hippie Child

It's kinda hard to argue with dad on this one. How is he supposed to cut his kid's hair against the kid's will?

Look What My Office Gave Me

Yep, an autographed copy.

Odd Comment From District Court In Decatur This Morning

In a hearing before the judge: Attorney: Ma'am, are you the mother of [baby's name]? Lady: (In all seriousness) Yep. No epidural or no nothing.

Update on below post. Oops.

From the Sheriff's Office: NO trooper was shot. At 7:02 we responded with Rhome to a elderly mental subject at the Valero. No trooper made scene and no officers / Deputies were injured. The mental subject was placed into custody and taken to WRHS….. Barry (from iPhone)

Unconfirmed Breaking News Via Email

Oh, my.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Channel 8 has a video on the Runaway Bay condo fire with an interview of victim/former Wise County Fire Marshal Mike Bement. His teeth burned up. Really.
• Is the girl above a repeat? I either posted it before or I was married to her. I lose track.
• I know a lot of people are beaten down by talk of Twitter, but it is always first with breaking news. I got a tweet about Brittany Murphy's death two hours before CNN reported it. And how can I live without knowing about stuff like that first?
• Avatar grossed $73 million over the weekend. I've read good reviews, and it's supposed to be a technical masterpiece, but the previews look like a beating.
• Something happened with the health care bill last night with some Nebraska senator getting "paid off." (That's the Fox News version. Check it out to find out what really happened.)
• Now I've lost my replacement bank card. I'm dying here.
• I caught Simon and Garfunkle's performance of The Boxer on cable for some recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert recently. I've underrated them.
• I'm two "chapters" into the Inglourious Nasterds DVD. Yeah, it's good, but I've seen this formula before. People sit around and talk about crazy crap (why do we love a squirrel but hate a rat when a rat is nothing but a squirrel without a tail) followed by over the top violence.
• Note to D.C. cop: Be careful admitting that you pulled a gun during a snowball fight when you are surrounded by guys with cellphones.
• I bought a leather jacket for myself over the weekend. Not a biker leather jacket, but a Macy's kind of leather jacket. I never buy stuff like that for myself.
• Somehow you won't see any changes, but the owner of WBAP and KCSC filed has filed for bankruptcy.
• Speaking of WBAP, they tried a Fake Wade Phillip's bit at 8:10 this morning. Fail.
• Saw a lady snap back curtly with "Merry Christmas!" after a security guard wished a crowd, "Happy Holidays." Sheesh.
• Saw the cutest little girl dressed up as Cindy Lou The Littlest Who yesterday. Working on a pic.
• I think www.wisecounty.com is down this morning. Ugh.
• Regarding my "no White Christmas in Wise County" post from Friday, I arbitrarily define "White Christmas" as snowing on Christmas morning or waking up on Christmas Day to a new blanket of snow. I don't think that's ever happened.

More Gold This Week

Wise County crime reports.

Developing

Apartment fire in Runaway Bay sounds like a big one. Several fire departments responding. Developing . . . Edit: Thanks emailer for the pics. Looks like the condos. Edit #2: You guys can stop dogging the Messenger, they've got some incredible pictures up of this fire.

Kinda Fun

With the major snowstorm going on in the northeast, it's kinda fun to see what pictures folks are uploading on twitter. You can go here, refresh often, and click on the twitpic links in each of the posts.

Double Hex: Home Burglarized Of Bridgeport Locker Injury Boy

Although it's a little confusing that the home is in Azle. Story.

Bush and Chaney Cheney Would Have Never Let That Happen

We would have had tanks rolling into Tehran by sundown. You can do lots of things, but don't take our oil. Story.

Breaking: Local Democratic Party Has Been Taken Off Life Support

Coming into next year's elections, there were only three Democrats holding office in Wise County. (This list doesn't include those not on next year's ballot who are also Republican: District Attorney, Commissioner #1 and Commissioner #3). Earlier this year, JP #1 Jan Morrow switched from Democrat to Republican. Since then, Mark Autry announced his retirement and only Republicans have filed to fill his position. That left District Clerk Christy Fuqua. But no longer. Today she filed as a Republican. In the comments, don't personally attack Christy because I like her. (Yeah, that's unfair, but it's Friday.) In her defense, it's the only way she could retain that office. The shocking number of straight ticket Republican voters - 1 out of every 4 voters - make it impossible to win as a Democrat in the land of Liberally Lean. Edit: I have confirmed, that as of today, there is not a single Democrat that has filed for any of the local races. Edit #2: Local Republican Chair Allen Williamson stands over the bloody battlefield and proclaims, "I am pleased."

News That Confuses Me

Mall "officials" can just seize my merchandise simply because they find it offensive? And what's up with this sentence: "[T]he kiosk owner could pick up the confiscated shirts later but probably would have to pay a fine." A fine? What the what?

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The locker-falls-on-kid-in-Bridgeport story was on Fox 4 News last night. (Video). I'm surprised school administrators talk to the press so freely about it. Edit: Whoever gave the hot legal opinion in the comments, you're wrong. There is limited immunity, but not in the way you state.
• I've never experienced a White Christmas. And I've never experienced a Christmas Day outside of Wise County.
• Did you see the guy named Kenneth Bain testifyduring his trial before a judge in his accidentally killing two cyclists with his car? I felt sorry for the guy. He received 2 years in a state jail in one case followed by 10 years of probation in the other.
• The case had some problems: Although the defendant had marijuana in his system, his blood alcohol level was only .05. Edit: A commentor tried to school me on retrograde extrapolation. Sorry, hoss, it ain't that easy.
• The judge did something interesting: Since he had the right to access 180 extra days in jail as a condition of the probation, he broke that down to 18 days a year to be served, in part, around the birthdays of the victims.
• A camera's megapixel capacity doesn't seem to be a big selling point anymore.
• I've got a female friend who traveled last night to Vail where she will spend three nights alone in a nice cabin until her family arrives. I'm envious.
• Heck of a tanker truck fire on the tollway last night. (Amateur video which always seems better than professional video).
• I've not seen one crazy and unstable Santa-giving-the-baby-Jesus a present yard display this year. That makes me sad.
• I've got a case that involves three Wise County DPS troopers, three arrests, and firetruck and ambulance personnel who were called out to check on one of the arrested folks when he became light headed. And what crime prompted this massive taxpayer expenditure: A misdemeanor amount of marijuana.
• The indictment referenced in today's Update happened a week ago.
• For Ticket fans only.
• Only nine death sentences in Texas this year. What? Are we no longer barbarians?
• Why can't wallets and purses come with cheap GPS tracking devices to locate them if lost? Note to self: Patent that.
• Bad Metroplex Police: Alleged-intoxicated-manslaughter-cop and provide-alcohol-to-minors-and-watch-porn cop.
• Update on my "not guilty" prediction in a Tarrant County murder trial: The jury has not reached a decision after nine hours. They reconvene today. Edit: Verdict reached. Prediction = Fail.
• This has been criminal news intensive.
• Is there a word that describes when-I-do-this-with-hyphens?

I'm Pretty Sure I've Not Seen This At Fit N WIse

This pic is all over the Internet ever since rapper/singer/artist/actor Ice T's girlfriend "CoCo" posted it on her Twitter feed yesterday. Let it be an inspiration to us all.

If You've Got A 5th Grader In Bridgeport

You might want to check this out.

Top 10 Quotes Of The Year

Do you remember them? (Answers) 1. "Keep your government hands off my Medicare." [I had no idea on this one.]

2. "We're going to be in the Hudson."

3. "There's an app for that."

4. "You lie!"

5. "The Cambridge police acted stupidly."

6. "I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!"

7. "Um, you guys said that we, um, did this for the show."

8. "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel.'"

9. "The governor is hiking the Appalachian Trail."

10. "You give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders."