Team 88

As a high school kid, I hated to watch Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Lynn Swann catch passes against my beloved Cowboys in the Super Bowl. A heck of a receiver. So that makes him qualified to be . . . uh . . . oh, no.

Say Hello To The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss

Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced yesterday that she will run for Governor as an independent. Say hello to your next Governor (pictured). Maybe getting Kinky is a good idea.

Looking Bad

Not to be a pessimist (which I am), the situation of those miners trapped in West Virginia does not look good.

Want To Feel Old?

The top grossing movies . . .

• 10 years ago are listed here
• 20 years ago are here
• and 30 years ago are here

Cotton Bowl Rehash

Random thoughts about yesterday:

• Parking cost $15
• The face value of the ticket was $80
• I bought a ticket off of a nice Alabama guy for $60
• The kickoff time was 10:00 a.m.
• Beer sales started at 9:00 a.m.
• The Cotton Bowl is old but the worst stadium I've ever been to is Neyland Stadium in Tennessee
• Tech has come very far in a short period of time
• Tech coach Mike Leach is one weird guy (random thought only - I didn't talk to him yesterday)
• In 1981, I saw Baylor play Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. Baylor lost and has never been back

Orange Bowl

The halftime show at the Orange Bowl tonight featured Ciara. Me likes me some Ciara.

Hey, All You Conservatives . . .

. . . that claim you are "to the right of Ronald Reagan", I've found your candidate for Texas Governor. His biography sounds like a good old Wise County kind of guy. But then read his position on the issues. You support his positions, right?

Cool

New Year in lights : Bianca Sinchongco, writes 2006 with sparklers during New Year celebrations in Manila. (AFP/Jose Lapu)

I Know I'm Right

The Star Telegram is running a story about the death of an ex-stripper who was associated with Jack Ruby, the killer of Lee Harvey Oswald. Her name was "Candy Barr" (good name) and this is an actual photo. That aside, I was stuck by this sentence in the story: "Her career was derailed in 1959 when she was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a Dallas judge for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana." That was 47 years ago. Today, Possession of Marijuana under 2 ounces is a Class B misdemeanor and 99% of the time results in a probation and a fine. I wonder if 47 years from today the public will be equally shocked by reading a sentence of "Her career was derailed in 2006 when she was sentenced to 15 years in prison for possessing less than an ounce of methamphetamine." I bet they will.

So I Decided To Go To The Cotton Bowl

And took a few pictures: Elderly Alabama Fan Cody Hodges Short Pass Alabama RB on the Run Funny Tech T-Shirt Blocked Field Goal By Tech in First Quarter Incoming Almost TD Catch By Tech in First Quarter Tech Block of 'Bama kick (split second after the block) Right Before Big Collision (on 'Bama's game winning drive) Game Winning Field Goal Gutsy Guy Wearing Inflamatory T-Shirt If Bear Bryant Were A Girl Wonder What the Sky Cam Looks Like? Think She Knows I Took Her Pic? And some artsy ones: Cotton Bowl Deterioration Empty Seats And A Tuba Rangerettes Victory

Gone

Gettin' Silly

I went to "Pete's Dueling Piano Bar" in downtown Fort Worth on Friday night. It was really fun. But oddly, the crowd seemed more "into it" earlier in the evening when the dueling piano guys simple sang 70s and 80s crowd pleasers with the audience joining in with glee. I had a good time.

Cowboy Thought

Today the Panthers won and the Redskins won which means the Cowboys have no chance of making the playoffs. As I watch the Cowboys game tonight on ESPN, the atmosphere is equivalant to the "dance of the living dead".

Scott Sams

From Steve Blow's column in the Morning News today: Former Channel 8 anchor Scott Sams, who was fired over a year ago, is still unemployed.

Heck Of A Job

How would you like to have a job that simply involved photographing Lindsey Lohan at the beach in Miami over the last few days. See his handy work on this day, or this one, or this one. Is that Joe Duty I hear crying?

NYE

I went to a New Year's Eve party last night in a home in Trophy Club. The hostess was a gal I went out with, get this, fourteen years ago. She's now married, has three gorgeous kids, and lives in a wonderful house. She should thank me we broke up with one another. I could have screwed all that up for her.

Texan Of The Year

I had been following the Dallas Morning News' countdown to Texan Of The Year. Well, we finally have a winner and it was . . . "Houston". Yep, Houston. Houston is a "Texan". Sheesh.

Wheels Are Off

College football fans will remember former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett. After a sensational freshman year, he was suspended for a year for criminal conduct. He then fought to enter the NFL draft as a sophomore - an attempt that led to protracted litigation. He was finally drafted last spring by the Denver Broncos only to be cut before the season began. And things haven't gotten any better.