Texas/OU Game Day

I was up at the crack of dawn to run a 5K for charity --- and now I'm plopped down in front of a TV for some good time. After one quarter, Texas better wake up or my genius OU win prediction might come true. Edit: Any chance a teenage female intern was in charge of the KRLD twitter feed?

Friday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Rumor Alert

"I just heard that a pickup ran into Casa Torres." - Anonymous (@ 1:05 p.m.) Edit: Confirmed. Minor damage. Scared patrons. No injuries.

Luckiest Baby In History Of Ever

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

Definitely Racing For The Cure

• Did you see the story on Fox 4 of the lady who lost her eye when hit by a dart at a State Fair game booth?
• A JP in Louisiana refuses to issue a marriage license to interracial couples. But he doesn't have anything against black people because he even "let's them use my bathroom."
• I bet the crazy daddy was behind the Balloon Kid story yesterday. And there was some awkward moment when the kid said "we did it for the show" on on Larry King Live last night. Edit: Video. And this morning, when he was asked what he meant by that comment, he threw up twice. Edit: Video.
• I hope OU/Texas never move out of the Cotton Bowl.
• Mrs. Green #9?
• I have a female friend on Facebook that always updates about food. Now I'm obsessed with keeping track of her food posts.
• My Boss' Day gifts yesterday: Homemade salsa, chips, a coffee cup, Gummy Brains (yep), and a bag of miniature Snickers (because I complained that our free Halloween candy in the reception area was the cheapest looking stuff I had ever seen.)
• This is my favorite college football weekend of the year.
• Decatur won a football game last night beating a horrible Wichita Falls team.
• Worst "fake laughers": Sean Hannity and WBAP's traffic girl Laura Houston.
• Listening to Tony Romo talk is a Power Down.
• Garth Brooks is apparently going to have a gig at t
• The Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. Man, what a great job.
• But why does everyone hate Garth? For comments like this: "I told him he couldn't afford me," Brooks said. "I was wrong."
• Anyone who ever wanted to be a lawyer should have hung out with me yesterday. I would have cured you. It's been a while since I sat alone in a room staring at a wall for 15 minutes.
• The comments on here are always from Crazy Town but they seem a lot meaner lately.

My Thoughts Exactly

This is a crazy story but you can ignore all of it and go to 1:10 for a three second interview with the neighbor. I'm making that my ringtone. (Thanks emailer.)

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Taken this afternoon in some airport hanger in Dallas. Don't mind that guy in the middle, he's just the bagofnothing.com guy. Life isn't fair to me. (Click to enlarge - big time.)

What Type Of Information Meeting?

Wow: A Boy Is Floating Over Colorado In A Homemade Contraption!!!

That dot is some kind of balloon or something like that. Developing . . . Go to cnn.com for a live feed (or dang near anywhere else). Edit: Youtube video of that thing in flight. (Thanks emailer) Edit: At 2:30 it landed but there is no boy! Either he was never in there or he jumped somewhere along the way. We gove the Great 2009 Mystery of the Balloon Boy!

I Can Tell You How The First Song Ends

He lowers his head dramatically as the music fades, the bill of his hat covering his face. The crowd roars its appreciation. He looks up, perplexed. He takes a look around the arena as he removes his hat. His eyes widen, and a smile forms. For that moment, he reacts as if he has just realized for the first time that the venue is full of people that like him. Bank on it.

You Guys Are Right. McCain Should Be President.

And the fact that his daughter fired off this twitpic last night has nothing to do with it.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• For Gov. Perry to declare Cameon Willingham guilty of murder yesterday is crazy. How does he know? He's doing damage control (he can't have an innocent man executed under his watch, can he?) and looks bad doing it.
• The Dow closed above 10,000 yesterday and has increased an amazing 53% since March. Blame Obama.
• There was a guy from Nigeria yesterday represent himself in a traffic ticket case in the courthouse who told the jury that it was a racial issue. That ended with a "guilty" by the way.
• I would have enjoyed being a computer programmer and, oddly for my current gig, that was my major in college.
• I swear I saw an AWACS plane heading towards the old Carswell Air Force Base yesterday.
• Our County Attorney got tasered at the Sheriff's Office (voluntarily) with his shirt off. There are pictures. He has them. I've seen them. I'm begging him to let me post a couple of them. You guys would like to see that, right?
• Motorcycle death in Dallas last night (no link yet.)
• SMU is offering holders of a Texas/OU ticket stub the chance to see its night game against Navy for $10. Good luck with all that.
• When I posted the Stephen Wren story two days ago, I decided I wouldn't post any negative comments. I only had to reject one which was a generic negative comment about lawyers.
• I don't understand the obese football coach. You preach discipline, dedication, and hard work but you can't control your own appetite? Especially when you are surrounded by athletes?
• Somebody reported this ad in the Wise County Classifieds as offensive. I don't think so.
• The previews for "Where The Wild Things Are" creep me out.
• Random number: One year tuition for ivy league Columbia Law School is $48,004. I thought that was outrageous, but a full time student at Texas Wesleyan Law School in Fort Worth is $26,000.

Obama Hates Christmas, Too?

Email: Or not. (Credit: Keith)

Rare Footage . . .

. . . of one of my ex-wives doing the Stanky Leg as a toddler. Man, I miss her.

More Werid Weird Ways To Win A Game

Basically, defense blocks kick, doesn't cover ball, kicking team runs in the ball for a touchdown. It took a while for me to see it but the holder picks up the ball almost instantaneously after the kick is blocked. But being the Rule Genius that I am, wasn't the holder's knee on the ground when he picked it up? And, this being a high school game, shouldn't he be called down at that point? Edit: Somebody pointed out that the holder always has his knee down when he places the ball on the ground so there's an exception for him. But does that exception apply after the ball is kicked?

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Weather gal Tammy Dombeck wears some bright outfits. And I think she's getting hotter.
• Fog is cool.
• Sully was a lot cooler when he wasn't hawking his book.
• I dreamed I bumped an older lady in a beat up van. She then explained the concepts of lawsuits to me. It went on for at least an hour, and I was saved only by my alarm.
• I once had a discussion with a hardline Baptist who disagreed with me when I told her, "If your parents had been devout Catholics, you would be Catholic."
• I'm not sure how this works, but I think I heard that the health care "bill" that was voted out of committee hasn't even been written -- it's just a series of concepts that were approved and now it will "be written up by the lawyers." (But I was only half listening to Sean Hannity when I heard this.)
• I became interested in Jeffrey Dahmer yesterday.
• I was watching a 1989 replay of Texas/OU last night and the color man said someone should invent a comfortable device that would somehow prevent ACL injuries. I'm surprised that doesn't exist.
• And the replay was fun to watch because I had no idea who won. It was like watching a real Texas/OU game.
• Life is incredibly monotonous.
• My greatest flaw: I cannot remember faces. At all. It's a serious problem.
• There's not enough time to watch and read everything I want. And I watch and read a a lot of things.
• Did you see the Dale Hansen/Oprah Winfrey interaction? Awkward.
• He's been retired for so long the right wing may not hate him anymore, but Judge William Wayne Justice is dead.

A Little Stop Down Moment

Stephen Wren is an attorney here in Decatur. I guess he can best be described as a good guy, straight arrow, or any other similar term. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have a heck of a sense of humor or wry wit. I've known him for years and even tried an incredibly emotional case with him about four years ago. That being said, I heard that he was having a bout with cancer a couple of months back. Shortly thereafter he began showing up in court with less hair certainly due to that battle. Other than that difference, you would never know he was having a struggle. His spirits were high. His attitude good. His mind on his work. One thing I don't do is pry. I'm never going to ask an intrusive question because I'm a big fan of the concept of being left alone. But tonight, in his effort to alert others to the dangers of male breast cancer (yes, male breast cancer), he appeared on Fox 4 News. It's a message for all those who would have never have asked "what happened?"

Health Care Rising: The Next Step Is The Senate Floor

Story.

This Isn't Your Daddy's Northside

More info for all of you that want to run by there before heading off to Rodeo Exchange.

And On A Personal Note

While searching through the new Time magazine at lunch (which has an article on the new Google Wave by the way), I learned that the greatest comic strip in the history of ever is being reproduced in a five volume set. It's a little hard to explain how a penguin, sleazy lawyer, and an occasional appearance of a near catatonic cat who utters "ack" and "pbthhh" can be cutting edge humor, but it was. And the author was discovered while a student at the University of Texas. Volume I is available now.

Afternoon Pick Me Up

I call it, "Tara Reid, Coke Zero, and Sandwich On A Sidewalk."

As Terry Bradshaw Would Say, "Not Funny."

Barry Horn of the Morning News had this yesterday and Richie Whitt of the Observer was all over it today, and I can't help from posting it to*. This was created by Fox Sports. And it has to be the worst thing ever. _______ * Should be "too." Man, the grammar/spelling boys are grumpy today.

Traffic Report: 380 Shut Down East Of Decatur

Barry (from iPhone)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I'm not a scary movie fan, but I've heard a lot of good buzz about Paranormal Activity.
• Another reason baseball whips me: I watched the end of the Yankees/Twins game on Sunday night and the Twins changed pitchers four times in the top of the 9th before a run was even scored in the inning. Pitching change = commercial = channel change.
• Cowboy thought: Bobby Carpenter is the sparest of the spares.
• A Wise County man was indicted for cock fighting earlier this year. Whatever happened to that case?
• Sports commentator that beats me down: Joe Avezzano.
• After spending more than two years in jail, this guy was sentenced in Wise County to 19 years in prison last week by agreement.
• There's going to be a Saw VI? How many ways can you torture someone?
• BagOfNothing grabbed some pretty neat pics from U2 last night.
• There's a new "Tim Cole Panel" forming to suggest judicial reform to prevent the conviction of the innocent? That's easy: (1) Don't believe anything the prosecutor says - make him prove it; (2) If you have a doubt about someone's guilt, and that doubt is reasonable to you, don't vote to convict.
• It was Hispanic Week (or something like that) in the NFL this week. To celebrate, the first penalty in last night's game was announced by the ref in Spanish. The crowd booed in response.
• Texas A&M vs Texas Tech will not be on TV next week. Incredible.
• It looks like something is seriously brewing in health care reform. How do I know? The medical insurance companies came out against it yesterday. They've been mysteriously silent up to know now --- they must be worried.
• "Texas Highway Patrol troopers seize 5,408 pounds of marijuana in fake school bus near Laredo." LaTeeDa. (Pic, by the way.)
• Speaking of, at about 6:00 p.m. yesterday I saw three troopers furiously searching a truck on 287 outside of Decatur. It was a beaten down pickup -- you don't see them search nice cars very often.
• I love the backlash that Rush Limbaugh is receiving in his bid to by the St. Louis Rams. You can't be a shock jock and then expect everyone to ignore the idiotic things you have said.
• Funny moment in the district court yesterday when, after his name was called for docket, an inmate wasn't with his cellmates in the seats. "We'll find him," a jailer said. "We probably accidentally took him back." The Judge Fostel responded, "I hope that's what happened."
• Can someone hook me up with these Yankee tickets? I'm good for it. Promise. Maybe.

And A Camera Phone Pic From U2 Pre-Show

Is that general admission standing room only on the floor? (Credit Keith over at BagOfNothing.com)

Oprah On Big Screen At Victory Park Today. World Stopped Moving.

She's actually inside the WFAA studios now.

Not The Smartest Guy On The Planet Yesterday

I'm a little late on this one, but this gal pled guilty last Thursday in Wise County and received 25 years in prison by agreement. Background.

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up: Ladies Edition

The reaction from Meredith is the same reaction I get every time I walk through Bill's Dollar Store.

Did You See This On Friday?

I know no one watches baseball in DFW and I wouldn't have either if not for the krillion high-def screens at Flips on Friday night. Because of that, I just happened to see this play although the ump with the best view in the world did not. Even a random guy just walked up to my table and, noticing I was looking at the screen, asked, "Did they call that foul?"

Random Monday Morning Thought

• I had my school dream last night. This time I was desperately running from Bridgeport to Decatur to get to class.
• The Cowboys, despite the win, are simply bad. Really bad.
• Texas is only a 1 1/2 point favorite over Oklahoma. Hot Sports Prediction: Oklahoma wins.
• I'm still a fan of Fox 4's Fiona Gorostiza. And I would have made her the co-anchor of the morning show.
• The White House Communications Director said on Sunday that Fox News "is not a news organization like CNN."
• Noticed this morning at the Shell Station across from James Wood: A trooper, a Denton County Sheriff, and Decatur police officer all getting gas.
• I've heard the phrase "off the snide" about 20 times in the last month. I know what it means (to get on the right track) but I really don't know what "snide" means.
• I like watching TV football more when it's cold where I am.
• Great new PeopleOfWalmart page.
• Anytime someone in the news "is here with his lawyer" on a morning show, I power down.
• U2 is at Cowboys Stadium tonight and Channel 8 said there were still $30 "party passes" available.
• Miss Pregnant Contest.
• There was a story over the last few days about a golfer who had his arm bit off by an alligator. All I can think about is Carl Weathers character in Happy Gilmore.
• Oprah is at the State Fair -- I bet she has an entourage like nobody's business. (Photo that kind of proves it.)
• I can't stand "throw back" uniforms. It's simply unstable to see the Kansas City coach wearing a "Dallas Texans" jacket while playing Dallas.
• I finally made it to Flip's over the weekend. That place is huge. That place is packed.
• I bought a lottery ticket on Saturday -- first time in about a year.
• Heard a couple of people that have said Obama should accept the Noble Peace Prize "on behalf of the U.S. military." That doesn't make any sense to me.