That's The Day That The Music Died

Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb's new album.

By the way . . .

I did not act like this (video clip) when I was awakened by the police as earlier described.

Where's Baylor?

The Top Ten Party Schools as Ranked By The Princeton Review: 1. University of Wisconsin-Madison (I noted it was 45 degrees in Green Bay this morning) 2. Ohio University-Athens (Couldn't find it if I had to) 3. Lehigh University (Ditto) 4. University of California-Santa Barbara (Liberals can party) 5. State University of New York at Albany (no idea) 6. Indiana University-Bloomington (Bobby Knight drove them to drink) 7. University of Mississippi (It gets boring in the deep South) 8. University of Iowa (It gets boring in the corn fields) 9. University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Liberals party on both coasts) 10. Loyola University New Orleans (get ready for Louisiana to make a big push on this list) 11. Tulane University (See, I told you) 12. University of Georgia (R.E.M. is from Athens - so let's dance) 13. Penn State University (They drink because Joe Paterno won't retire) 14. West Virginia University (I'm drawing a blank) 15. The University of Texas-Austin (Parents, I've been trying to warn you for years) 16. University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Moonshine is the beer of choice) 17. University of New Hampshire (What is up with all the partying in the northeast?) 18. University of Florida (Drinking because Steve Spurrier didn't come back) 19. Louisiana State University (I'm moving to Louisiana). 20. University of Maryland-College Park (I've run out of steam)

Sports Overload

Ok, I learn stuff all the time. The AP pre-season football poll came out last weekend. I immediately noticed that Texas was at #2 and Texas Tech was at #21. I didn't know this: This was the highest UT ranking in a preseason poll since 1970. I didn't know this: This was the first time Tech has cracked the preseason poll since 1977.

More Proof Of The Growing Hispanic Population

Remember radio station KEGL? It spent 12 years as hard-rock station "The Eagle" before Clear Channel switched it to "Sunny" in May 2004, with a format focusing on softer hits from the ‘60s through the ‘80s and a heavy emphasis on the ‘70s. All indications are that on Thursday it will change formats to a Hispanic music station.

Let Me Ask Her What She Thinks Once She Turns 60

"A woman with a Rolling Stones tattoo gets her bag checked as she enters Fenway Park, before the start of the Rolling Stones concert, in Boston, Massachusetts, August 21, 2005 ."

Random Sport Thought

I bet Texas Ranger's manager Buck Showalter's days are numbered. Can't say that would bother me: I listen to (way too much) sports talk radio and many a Showalter interview. No one comes across as more arrogant and less fan friendly than this guy. (And I noticed that he has his own website: http://www.buckshowalter.com . And it hasn't been updated since 11.10.04).

Random Thought

I still think the Sonic ads are funny....the two guys more than the couple.....unless the two guys are a couple.

Me And My Secretary

Ok, The Story

Ok, two weeks ago I'm half asleep on a Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. - upstairs - door shut. Suddenly I am shockingly awakened my a big booming voice that yelled "[inaudible word], anybody home?!". What woke me up so abruptly was that there was no doubt that the voice was coming from inside the house. (That's odd, because I'm a dead bolt lock kind of guy). So not having my wits about me to realize I should have been as scared as a school girl, I bolted out the doorway, hair going every which way, and in my underwear. Standing below me in the foyer were two uniformed police officers. I see cops all the time, just not uninvited into my home. At that moment, I couldn't say Fourth Amendment much less protest. But quickly one of the officer's said, "Sir, your front door was wide open and one of your neighbors called on us to check on you." I let out a sigh. At that point, one of the officers lets out a belly laugh, walks out the front door, and says (presumably to a neighbor), "Well, he's up now!!!" They excused themselves leaving me alone in the house with my heart still pounding. It then dawned on me that, with my front door open for who knows how long, that there could be someone in the house. (There wasn't. But I'm still trying to figure out how I went about leaving the front door unlocked that - I hope - managed to open itself due to air suction sometime during the night).

Talking Music

A really cool new song is "Gold Digger" by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx (yep, that Jamie Foxx). It's a the oddest combination of Cajun and Hip Hop but it's cool. A link to the clip of it should be here: http://www.musicremedy.com/audio/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowAudioPlayer&AudioId=3441&Quality=4

On Second Thought . . .

Maybe I was too tough on the Dukes of Hazzard movie. (Time Waste warning)

They Might Want To Put In A Provision Regarding The Right To Bear Arms

It's difficult to follow the drafting of the Iraqi Constitution (the deadline is midnight) but it looks like there are arguments over women's rights and whether Islam will be the official religon (we fought the war for that?). But this looks like a troublesome road: The proposed draft need only be approved by a majority of their National Assembly before it can go to the voters. Simple enough. However, it would then go to the voters on a referendum by October 15. If any three of Iraq's 18 provinces reject the referendum by two-thirds or more, the constitution will be rejected.

Sports Quick Hits

The AP initial high school football poll was released this weekend, and Bridgeport came in at #10. And the Texas Rangers just ended a 13 game road trip. They lost 12 of them. During the free agency period in the NFL, there were "only" six players that received signing bounuses of over $8 million. And the Cowboys signed three of them (Anthony Henry, Jason Ferguson, Marco Rivera). From the Morning News: "Frisco Centennial running back Aaron Jones has been eluding defenders all over the practice field. Jones is only 5-4 and 135 pounds but he runs the 40 yard dash in 4.45 seconds."

Well, That Weekend Wasn't That Much Fun...

but.... I noticed that an NFL player from Fort Worth died after an NFL preseason game. I didn't think about tort reform on the big Vioxx verdict (Hey, I'm a criminal defense lawyer): The verdict will likely be reduced from $253 million to $26 million because of a state limit on punitive damages. The Dallas Morning News had a huge story on how prosecutors routinely strike minorities from jury panels. (But also pointed out how defense lawyers tend to strike whites). I would tell you whether this happens in Wise County but who knows: almost every Wise County jury panel I've seen is 99% white (which is very odd in itself).

A Head's Up....

...for those that care. "The Blog" may be a little slow this weekend. (Fun will interfere with it a bit). And a second note about the "Comments". So far I've left it as a public forum where people can post anonymously. So far. So good. Some of the comments make me a little uncomfortable (not about me - I've got a thick skin after all these years) but nothing objectionable has been posted so far. (OK, one person did drop an "S Bomb" that I deleted). Bottom line: Play fair. Have fun. - Barry P.S. I promise to post a very funny story that happened to me last weekend - it involves waking up to strangers inside my house. Good stuff.

Let's Rethink That Strategy

The first lawsuit over the pain killer Vioxx came to an end this afternoon in the Plaintiff friendly confines of South Texas. A jury awarded the family of Robert Keene (not that Robert Earl Keene) over $250 million in finding that the drug caused his death by a heart attack. There are over 4,000 of such lawsuits pending. Up until now, Merck & Co., the maker of the drug, claimed it would fight every claim "one by one" all the way to a jury.

"Nothing Comes Between Me And My Calvins" Was A Long Time Ago

"A photo provided by Nike Inc. show's an ad featuring a woman's buttocks. It's no longer just rail-thin models who are showing up in fashion magazines and on billboards. Large women, or what are being called 'real people,' are now gracing ads of companies selling everything from tuna to cellulite cream. Nike Inc., the world's largest maker of athletic shoes, has jumped onto the bandwagon with a campaign featuring close-ups of 'Big Butts' and 'Thunder Thighs.' (AP Photo/HO) " The text of the ad, as well as other ads in this series, can be read here.