Just Watched It

Pretty fascinating stuff. Pastor Ted Haggard (yep, that one) plays a prominent role as well as Jerry Falwell. I think I was most interested in the opening scene of Joel Olsteen's Lakewoood megachurch in Houston - housed in the former home of the Houston Rockets. Just the sheer numbers were amazing. HBO site is here. Caveat: The Alexandra Pelosi is the daughter of Nancy Pelosi. Edit: BagOfNothing.com uploaded a quick excerpt of Ted Haggard talking about how Christian's have better sex. It' gold.

"Take 'em to the bridge"

Me loves me some Ms. Ohio.

The Nazi Van!

Thanks to a loyal reader who snapped these pics of the mysterious van that is always near the Rhome Ticket Camera. Edit:

Our jail lobby . . .

. . . has an ice cream machine.

Edit: And I sooooo busted my butt in the "attorney/client" room. And I am soooooo talking to the Sheriff about those freakin' welded to the floor chairs they have in there (in addition to the phones that have a 12" cord coming from the wall.)

Crazy World

New England QB spent the night at his super-model girlfriend's apartment in New York and when he leaves, he is bombarded by video and still photographers.

McSad?

There was a blurb in the Messenger a couple of weeks ago that McDonald's is considering shutting down its Decatur site for about three months in order to bulldoze the current one and build a nice new shiny McDonald's in its place. I was trying to remember when that place opened. 1980-ish? Don't know what we'll do without one of the fanciest places in town.

PinkDome . . .

. . . is a pretty famous blog out of Austin. PinkDome is dogging our own Phil King today. Good.

It's Miss America Pageant Week in Las Vegas

And me loves me some Ms. Idaho. And Ms. Texas is a female that just happen to be African-American.

Very, Very Bad Grandchild

The top story out of the metroplex this morning:

Authorities were looking for a 21-year-old man early Friday in connection with an attack on his grandparents in their home south of Celina.

The Collin County Sheriff’s Department was called about 4:30 a.m. for what originally was reported as a stabbing. When deputies arrived at the home on County Road 90, they found the elderly victims had been struck “an unknown number of times with a wooden dowel,” Lt. John Norton said.

Fred Green, 74, was transported to Presbyterian Hospital of Plano with what Lt. Norton said were described as superficial wounds. Willie Green, 78, was flown by air ambulance to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas with more serious injuries. Her condition was not immediately known, Lt. Norton said.

Uh, a wooden dowel? And the kid kinda reminds me of Christian Slater.

The Rhome Nazi Cam . . .

. . . is out this morning. It's on the south end of town trying to catch speeders heading southbound into Fort Worth. (Admittedly, the swatstika is a little over the top. But this policy drives me insane.)

I'll Take You To Armondo's For $20

(Update to this story, with pics, is here.) This girl offered herself up on E-Bay yesterday on the condition that the winner take her to the Super Bowl. I am a fun, funny, smart girl looking for a date to the Super Bowl. I'm a HUGE Chicago Bears fan who grew up in Lake Forest, right where the Bears practice! I've already got my flights to Miami, I just need a ticket to the game!!!!! You won't find a more fun date for the game anywhere!! I LOVE football, LOVE the Bears, can drink with the best of them, and let's be honest, I'm darn cute. So come on, bring someone to the game who will REALLY appreciate it! I am NOT an escort. This is a good ol' fashioned date. I will however buck tradition and, as the lady, spring for the beer and food. But it didn't last long. It was removed after the bids went from $700 to $5.5 million in less than an hour. But it was genius for the moment: Have someone pay her to take her to the Super Bowl. (Source.)

Who Says A Ford Taurus Isn't Sexy?

Business news normally gives me Tired Head, but one tidbit got my attention yesterday. Ford Motor Company "lost a staggering $12.7 billion in 2006 — an average of $1,925 for every car and truck it sold."

The "Today Show" . . .

. . . is having a segment as to whether it is appropriate for moms to get together with their young kids and break out a bottle of hooch. (No, Little Junior gets juice - the moms get the alcohol.) A thought to ponder as I wait for Ann Curry Fake Concern to appear on my TV screen.

After Day Two Of The "Moderated" Comments

- I feel like I'm on crack - checking way tooooo often to see if a new Comment needs to be approved. (And I gave up crack as part of my New Year's resolution. It's been hard.) - I hate the word "approved." The word "moderated" is better. I pushed the "publish" button today for an extremely racist comment - not because I agreed with it but because I wanted everyone else to see it. - The "offensive" comments have, in essence, disappeared. The Band Of Monkeys don't even try to submit a comment for approval . . . er . . . moderation. - I've only had to review one "Shut up, MzChief" comment. I gave it the go-ahead only because she would want me to - Ed Winfrey called me when I dropped his name on a post. He told me I'd be receiving a call from Al Sharpton on his behalf. - C4u, Mary Mack, Kingfish have made a strong comeback since they know they won't get defamed while I'm out at Cassidy's on Wednesday night. - Which reminds me, where is Reagan RIP? It's safe now. (For those that don't remember, someone stole his identity on here and he got royally P.O.'d - I don't blame him). - Which reminds me again, BigCatDaddy? You there. -

Made Me Laugh

My favorite radio station, "The Ticket", holds an annual convention in Plano called "Ticket Stock." I went to it once a few years back - kinda fun. The station announced this week that Flavor Flav will be the celebrity guest star at next month's event. What does he have to do with sports? Nothing. Greatness.

The Belly Button Ring

Good? Notagood?

I Think I Saw This Defense In The Penal Code

"Conservative Republican Leader"

Let's see. Education is a problem. The government is the solver of all problems. So . . . . let's introduce legislation in Texas to make it a crime, punishable by a fine up to $500, for missing a Parent-Teacher conference. At least that guy did. Source.

I'm So Against Hiring . . .

. . . the over the hill Wade Phillips as the Cowboys coach. (He's in the mix.) I'm so in favor of hiring Wade Phillips' granddaughter for any job she wants.

After The New Stadium Is Completed . . .

. . . an Albertson's stock boy could land a Super Bowl in Arlington. (No offense to stock boys everywhere.)

Decatur Lunch Time Bumper Sticker

"Half Of My Heart Is In Iraq"

I Sooooo Want To Find the Found Photos

STEPHENVILLE - The president of the Tarleton State University chapter of the NAACP said Wednesday that he and other students are upset about a Martin Luther King Day party where students ate fried chicken, drank malt liquor and dressed in faux gang apparel. (Story.) Edit: Thanks to a commenter, the pics can be found here. Edit #2: The Morning News now links to the pictures but actually has this disclaimer. "Warning. Some may find offensive." Now that's some sensitive readers! Edit #3: After thinking about it for few hours, the most offensive aspect of the pictures is that it looked like a really bad party.

Check Out The Big Brain On Dave

And the crazed Self Appointed Savior of Texas Criminal Justice agrees: District Attorney John Bradley of Williamson County said he supports Dewhurst's call for more prison beds. "I completely, philosophically disagree with the premise that someone shouldn't be punished if they have a drug or alcohol problem," Bradley said. "It's very easy for a legislator who doesn't want to build prisons to say in broad strokes, 'There are too many people (in prison) who have drug or alcohol problems.'" Source.

I Can't Hear . . .

Warning: S-Bomb at the 34 second mark. (And it's not the best reproduction in the world as some guy has to point his video camera at his TV to capture the chaos. But, man, I love the look on the faces of the studio hosts.)

Penelope Cruz Went Swimming! Penelope Cruz Went Swimming!

Taboo

We had a suicide in the county yesterday but there is an unwritten rule that the media won't print a story about it (unless it involves some very public facts - like jumping off the High Five in Dallas.) I've always thought that was a little unusual. I mean, the lack of coverage is simply done out of respect. I suppose that makes sense in a goodness-and-mercy sort of way, but I don't know any other aspect of society which is treated with such deference by the media. The mainstream media is normally not concerned about privacy, hurt feelings, or compassion. (But the facts will likewise not be printed here.)

Former Dallas QB . . .

. . . and Ivy league grad Jason Garrett interviewed at Valley Ranch yesterday for either the head coaching position or the offensive coordinator position. (I really just wanted an excuse to post the pic.)

Rhome

Rhome PD had its silly little camera out on 287 this morning taking pictures of speeders. I'm telling you, this is going to be a disaster. It's a matter of time before WFAA, Fox 4, KXAS, etc. are all over this thing. Where does that lead? We'll see cops, city council members, and local Rhome residents being interviewed on camera and doing one thing: giving a bad impression. That's all Wise County needs, more bad press. And it's coming. I was also talking to a local law enforcement friend of mine yesterday and he described the camera as this: "Lazy police work." Amen, bruther.

freevacations_formoms

Pretty rough story in the Star-Telegram tonight about a former Denton County constable that was sentenced for solicitation of a minor in Colorado. And from the screen shot of the story above, he put some thought into it. His former government web page is archived here.

Nikki McKibbin

I really don't remember this girl from American Idol Season One (she came in third) but Fox 4 did a profile on her tonight. She says she turned down a record deal with a $375,000 signing bonus. Things have gone notagood since. (Top two pics are current day, bottom two or are from Season One.) And that's all I'm observing. Really.

Law? Blog About Law?

Since I now at least have some protection for the Lawyer Haterz out there, it dawned I me I can throw out a law topic every now and then. For example, did you know that for purposes of DWI (and, yep, Texas still calls it DWI and not DUI), the definition of "intoxicated" is:

(2) "Intoxicated" means:

(A) not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol . . . into the body; or

(B) having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.

On a related note: The billboards that say "Drink. Drive. Go to jail." are simply wrong. They should read "Drink. Drive while Intoxicated. Go to jail."

Insomnia Relief

I've never "gotten into" hockey and that hasn't changed. At this very moment, the NHL All Star game is going on at the AAC in Dallas. How spare can it get? It's on a Wednesday night. It's on the Versus Network (good luck finding it). And the Dallas Morning News thinks its a good idea to have a "live blog" covering the event. Pray for BELO (parent of the DMN). Those in charge are dazed and confused. In other news, I'll be live blogging from the Decatur Swap Meet in a couple of months.

World Trade Center

I finally saw Oliver Stone's World Trade Center and I'll give it a resounding "not bad." It has some very moving parts but I wasn't necessarily overwhelmed. I don't think anything can recreate what it would have been like to have been there that day. I still love United 93, however. (And I didn't know the 9/11 Commission determined that Todd Beamer probably never said, "Let's roll.)

I've Had Three People Send Me This

It's pretty funny. Gladys from Austin chats with Ellen. There's a tremendously funny line that comes at the halfway point - you'll know it when you hear it.

I Must Share

This is what I see when I get to "approve" a proposed comment. I just got this one in connection with the most recent State of the Union post. (Click to enlarge.) Now, see, if you would have just toned down the language a bit I would have approved the post without any trouble. I don't mind the attack, just drop the F Bomb, the S bomb, the A bomb (oh, that's probably ok), and the Dip-S Bomb then you would have gone right to the post. But, sir, I don't chase ambulances.

Strangest Moment At Last Night's State of the Union

Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo was pimped by President Bush as he stood by Laura and some Asian lady. That's like me standing next to Decatur Municipal Judge Ed Winfrey.

Lindsay. Presumably Before Rehab.

Lost Cause

Gabs?

As I'm back from Fort Worth (and having Decatur PD officer Delvon Campbell ruin my day by showing up at the hearing), I just had a strange conversation. A person whose identity I promised not to reveal, claimed that the new Decatur high school term for female . . . uh . . . breasts is "gabs." (As far as the multitude of questions that just formed over your head, don't ask). I questioned whether that was truly new slang since I had never heard of it. I am, after all, the King of Pop Culture. So I told him/her that I'd throw it out to the masses for confirmation or repudiation.

I'm Leaving A Note

I'll be in Fort Worth this early-afternoon so everybody don't get pissy if Comments don't appear promptly. (Sheesh, I hate this process.) But I did see a funny sight on Monday at one of these driver's license hearings that I am going to. The whole process, which isn't fair, is to have an Administrative Law Judge determine whether someone's license should be suspended after a DWI arrest. (Trust me, it's like watching paint dry.) Nevermind that this hearing occurs BEFORE the criminal case ever gets filed in Decatur, but I digress. Anyway, on Monday there was a guy down there who had been arrested and was now representing himself. I understand why he was doing it, but that place is a field of land mines if you don't know what your doing. Anyway, there he was waiting for his case to be called before the judge. I noticed that he seemed neatly dressed until I looked more closely at his button down shirt: On the front left were the words "Jack Daniels." I am not making this up. Sir!

Australian Open Update

Maria Sharapova has beaten fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze 7-6, 7-5. Seriously. You needed to know.

Little Hard On The Guy?

And I Had No Idea . . .

. . . the Messenger had shut down its forum.

Uggh . . .

. . . I'm probably going to move to the "Beat Me Down Policy" of approving comments before they are posted. The so-called Band of Monkeys is getting out of hand. (Take a look below. I've preserved it for archaeologists in the future.) Let's go with this very loose policy: - Try not to cuss like a sailor - Try not to be crude to such an extent that your average Wise County Resident would go dropped jaw - Try not to make reference to "Britney's S&^%$". (Buddy, I'll miss your Short Bus wit.) - I'll approve basically anything else - no matter how much I disagree with it. - I might change the policy later on. - That's about it

The Oak Ridge Boys . . .

. . . will be performing Wednesday night at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Tickets are $42 to $68 from Ticketmaster. I'll be having bamboo shoots inserted under my fingernails. It'll be more fun.

Another State Of The Union Thought

. . .why, on god's green earth, do the smartest political minds in America, whether they be Democrat or Republican, think this annual speech is inspiring? Why not talk directly to the people? To tell us to take care of our families. To love one another. To go to work tomorrow and do the best we can. To help at least one person every day who is less fortunate. To enjoy the freedom to simply go to the movies. To enjoy dinner with friends. To live each day like it is your last. To dance like no one is watching. To wake each day thankful that you are alive. To worship as you please, speak what you feel, and assemble without fear. And to remember those that have lost their lives in the past to give us these freedoms. Heck, Dale Hansen can do it once a year after the "Thank God For Kids" video. Can't a president? Just make it a 15 minute pep talk for the country. We could all use it.

I Finally Flipped Over To The State Of The Union . . .

. . . because it's an arse whip. But, man, the tension looks delicious. Cheney standing and applauding. Pelosi sitting on her hands. It's like a college mixer between the Crips and the Bloods.

Hey, Now

Hey, Now.....Oh, Wait.

Jessica Biel . . .

. . . at the beach.

Subway's Jared Is Money

Somebody took these screenshots of him and his date at a Pacer's game last night. They are low quality. She is high quality. (Source.)

The Triple Hot . . .

. . . Tiffani Thiessen is 33 years old today.