Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• That was a bizarre storm in Decatur last night with quite a few downed branches around town. And a lot of people are still without electricity. (Well, at least one of our staff members is without electricity so I consider that to be an adequate sample of the population.)
• Mark Cuban at a urinal holding the trophy. What?
• Journalism? WBAP does a quick story on the value of Mavericks memorabilia so they get a sound bite from an owner of a Dallas memorabilia store. Hmmmm. I wonder what he will possibly say?
• My wheels were completely off this weekend. It doesn't happen very often, and I hate it when it happens.
• Decatur's quarterback has a recruitment video.
• A guy in Fort Worth allegedly got drunk at a topless club and then killed four teenagers in a wreck way  back in 2005. So the bar gets sued and finally gets to trial last week. Responsibility? 35% bar/65% driver.  Really?
• Lawyers quote that jumped out at me: "These guys are so cheap and so greedy, they don't even buy insurance to protect the public."  Translated: "I may never collect on this verdict."
• Quote #2: "[My clients are happy] the jury said, 'Alcohol dealers -- drug dealers -- you're partly responsible for this.'" Drug dealers? 
• The WBAP traffic gal actually said this morning, "A family truckster is broken down on  . . . . " I wonder if that was mine that I sold? 
• A lot of people on criminal court dockets seem to have unexpected car trouble on the morning they are supposed to appear.
• Hey, I'm happy to see Michelle Bachmann enter the GOP presidential race. I need material.
• Pretty funny picture of the guns being recovered by the diver at Lake Bridgeport yesterday. 
• There's still a safe out in the lake they found which is 50 yards off shore and 20 feet deep. Highway 380 will probably be shut down for a bit today so they can fish it out. 
• DPS has been awfully quiet since its "shootout with the cartel" last week.  Turns out the whole thing was over marijuana that some guys were trying to get to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande by a raft. Edit: To the commentor who question me about the marijuana going into Mexico, use something called "Google". 
• I kept seeing the reference to an Australian reporter telling a joke to the Dalai Lama so I finally watched it. It was pretty funny (the interviewer reminds me of Andy Bernard from The Office.)
• Edit: Most offensive political ad in the history of ever.

Exclusive Picture Of Part Of Tin Roof Stuck In Tree Due To Last Night's Storm

Hello, Pulitzer.

She Looks Talented

This former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Erica Perry, will be singing as the opening act at Bono's in Decatur on Friday night.

Images

During the 1993 Cowboys Parade, that's current Dallas Police Chief David Brown on

 top of WFAA's Brett Shipp. Story

Soon to be part of a parade.

Very Few Cases Go To Trial . . .

. . . it's even rarer for one to be retried after a reversal on appeal. I think that's whats going on today in Decatur.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Still no official news story about it, but it appears a couple got into an argument and a man jumped to his death off the balcony of the Love Shack in the stockyards in Fort Worth yesterday. (Photo of balcony.) Now that's irony. 
• On a lighter note, I heard that's a good place to eat. 
• The Aggies and Longhorns both make the college world series. Dallas Baptist, which had a good story going, got knocked out by California. 
• There is a Tarrant County trial that started yesterday which deals with some gruesome facts concerning alleged murders in Kennedale. Nevertheless, I'm not sure why the prosecutor needed an hour for an opening statement. I'm not sure I've ever seen a judge that would allow it. 
• The Older Kid in the House was delivered at band camp yesterday. I think mom is realizing the goodbyes from a 13 year old aren't the same as they used to be. Uh oh. 
• Add "Hard 8 BBQ" to the following restaurants in Roanoke: Babe's Chicken Dinner House, Twisted Root Burger Co., Classic Cafe, Prairie House, Tortilla Flats and Gerhard's.
• There is a bizarre case going on where the sheriff of Winkler County, Texas is facing criminal charges for retaliation against a couple of whistleblower nurses. If you are in the legal or medical profession, you'd probably be fascinated by it. It was also the subject of last week's radio show, This American Life. Good stuff.
• If you want to beat on me for my Mavs prediction, you should really jump on Morning News columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor. Check out what he had written here (about 75% of the way down.)
• At a Tea Party rally in Austin on Saturday, one speaker said that Texas won't pass illegal immigration legislation because there are "too many Hispanics" in the legislature and that needs to change. Oh, my. I wonder how the Hispanic leader of the Bridgeport Tea Party feels about that? (But, man, that audio is horrible.)
• A north Fort Worth strip club, a stabbing, a bouncer, and a dead patron does not sound like a good scene. And the place looks seedy.
• Dale Hansen went off last night on how it's a little silly to call the Mavericks the "world" champions. 

Anyone?

From the email bag:

Guy Didn't Make It To Plea This Afternoon

Not Actual Arrest Team But I Hope It's Close

I've seen a photograph of it (I'm trying to get a copy) of a guy arrested on the courthouse square in Decatur around noon today after he was seen sprawled out on the sidewalk with a 40 ounce nearby.

Turns out he was (allegedly) drunk and arrested for Public Intoxication.  The same man was set to plead guilty in court at 1:00 p.m. and was to receive an eight year prison sentence. I don't think he made it.

Jennifer Aniston Is Huge In Dallas

Taken today.

Here's the photo of the ad for a closer look. You know, for research.

Mindboggling

We hear about government waste all the time and normally it just gives us Tired Head. But today's story in the Los Angeles Times is shocking: $6.6 billion in cash intended for Iraq is not only missing -- it may have been stolen.

Random History I Didn't Know About

The reprinted news story has a few local names of the day.

My Funny Feeling Wasn't All That Funny

Updates should be here.

It turns out being found guilty of Murder instead of Capital Murder was only a small victory for the defendant. (Or I guess a big victory if life in prison over death sounds good to him.)

He'll be eligible for parole in 40 years -- another small victory. (If he had been found guilty of Capital Murder and given Life instead of death, there would be no parole.)  He's 29 years old.

From Moments Ago

Twitpic.

"When It's All Said And Done, We're Just Cheering For Laundry" - Jerry Seinfeld

Source.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• In case you missed it, more pics came out of Rep. Wiener over the weekend (in the Congressional Gym, no less), and now he's headed to "rehab." He's done.
• Also, Bruce Springsteen's saxophone playing band member Clarence Clemons suffered a stroke last night.
• I don't dislike the Mavs. I dislike their coach. And if you listen carefully to every one of his post-game press conference, his underlying and subtle theme is that the the Mavs are well coached. I have to admit that's true. I just don't need to hear it from him. 
• It sounds like Mark Cuban's vow of silence during the playoffs was more about not wanting to field the same old irritating questions than not trying to jinx the playoff run. After a couple of S bombs last night, I wish he'd make it a year round policy. And has that guy gained a little weight?
• Weird/Funny Cuban tweet this morning.
• LeBron James to those who wished failure upon him: "[A]t the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today."
• There was some reporter on Channel 8 last night that was sticking her mic into the crowd at Victory Plaza. That was a dicey proposition, and I think I heard at least one F bomb.
• Power Down: Queen's "We Are The Champions" after any sports final.
• Caught a short documentary late Saturday on HBO about the John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg rivalry called "Fire and Ice."  It game me Good Ol' Days Syndrome. 
• Every speck of dirt from my driveway was moved over this weekend. (Changes in the backyard landscape took most of it.) I got so serious that I even put baseball bat grip tape on the handles of the wheelbarrow.
• McDonald's fought an African American surcharge hoax over the last few days.
• The media went through tons of Sarah Palin's emails over the last couple of days. Biggest revelation: We both use the word, "Sheesh."
• I think a regular season Cowboys game would win hands down compared to last night's Mavs game, but I can't back that up yet.
• I went outside during halftime of last night's game to water and piddle in the yard only to come back in to see the Disney Channel on the big screen. 

Just Like I Predicted

Ok, kidding.

But where did Dirk go right after the buzzer sounded? He was back out for the trophy presentation but he sure made a beeline for the locker room.

Channel 5 Math

Rhome's Drug Policy Gets Some Metroplex Pub

Link.