Now I'm Awake

The baby drowing Andrea Yates is on trial again (her first conviction was reversed after a government witness made up some crazy story about how Yates was pretty much following a plot she learned on Law and Order.). I can think of three women who have recently been successful using the insanity defense. Being too lazy at this moment to research their names, there was (1) the kill my kids in the rock garden lady in East Texas, (2) the cut off my baby's arms lady in Collin County, and (3) I'm pretty sure there was a young hispanic lady, also in Collin County, that killed her three year with a knife. Yates (before the conviction was reveresed), was the only high profile defendant I can think of to have that defense rejected. Her lawyer was George Parnham the first time. She's using him again. Let me begin a George Parnham rant . . . I think he is one odd (and full of himself) guy. Check out his web site - it has this touchy feely music in the background and when you first enter, up pops a quote from Abraham Lincoln, then one from the Magna Carta, and then one from . . . omg . . . George Parnham! Lincoln, the Magna Carta and Parnham? And then a second quote pops up from Parnham: "If we do our jobs correctly, an innocent person may be spared punishment he doesn't deserve." What the hell? You might be able to get an innocent person off? That's your selling point? And then click on his list of "clients". His first one is Andrea Yates (that's not going too well) and then the second one is Clara Harris! You might remember that Harris ran over her sorry husband with a vehicle in a hotel parking lot after she caught him having an affair. She got 20 years in prison! (Ok, I'm done. I think something took over my body for a second.)

Sleepy Thought

An Update item: "VOICE FOR CHOICE — Bridgeport residents will have a chance to sign the alcohol petition tomorrow and Friday at Bridgeport City Park from 6 to 8 p.m. The petition drive is being held to seek an election which would determine if alcoholic beverages should be sold in the city. For more information, call (940) 393-6392." Isn't that more like an ad than a news item?

Random Thoughts Not Worthy Of Individual Posts

- The country should have a one week holiday declared every year. We would all be on vacation at the same time without guilt. (Except hotel, food and entertainment employees would have to work.) - I started watching the Godfather for the first time ever. I had to put the subtitles on. But so far, so good. - I haven't been in the Decatur Lowe's yet - The headline in the Messenger today that read "Silence of the Stands" was very clever (it was about the fireworks ban) - Every morning I eat one low fat eggroll with skim milk - Jeff Crilley of Fox 4 News has the most dramatic silent voice in the history of ever - I have no idea who the girls in this photo to right are - I don't believe you can ever learn anything meaningful if you eat lunch with more than three people at one time - Tazers are a great idea. In a person to person stand off, no one has to die - At every Dallas City Council meeting, there is a sign interpreter for the deaf. I bet 99% of the time there is not a deaf person in the audience - The Supreme Court opinion today about Texas redistricting was over 100 pages long. - My favorite moment of the day is when I crawl into bed - I watch HBO's Entourage but that's about it (as far as regular entertainment programs are concerned) - I don't understand anyone who eats alone that doesn't have a magazine or newspaper to read - I know of three Dallas Morning News newstands in Decatur. (And the one across from the Messenger is oftentimes empty by noon). - I read the sports page first, the editorial/op-ed page next, then the metro section, and then the business section. (And I generally skim all of it in the matter of 15 minutes) - There should be a standardized concept to the "home menu" of every DVD. - I receive Newsweek and People at my home. - I never buy the USA Today but it is by far the best newspaper in America - The first time I saw the Internet was in 1996. A buddy of mine showed me a weather satellite photo that had been taken 15 minutes earlier. I couldn't believe that could be delivered on demand into your home. I rambled on and on about the Internet for the next couple of months and people looked at me like I was crazy. - I had a jonesin' for Elaine in the first three years of Seinfeld. After that, didn't care for her too much. - One of these days I'm just going to walk away from it all

I Never Watch "The View" But This Is Fairly Interesting

Star Jones tells the audience of "The View" yesterday that she won't be coming back in the fall. Behind the scenes, everyone knew it because the network had decided it didn't want Star on the show anymore. But Star surprised all her co-workers by announcing her upcoming departure to the world yesterday - something that she wasn't suppossed to do. Result: She is immediately thrown off the show and Barbara Walters lets the world know it. Never double-cross Barbara.

You Wanted A Picture Of The Sheriff . . .

. . . we got a picture of the Sheriff. (From this week's front page of the Messenger on a story regarding the banning of the use of fireworks.)

Tell Me She Didn't

Another one is here and here. (Rumor has it that she will not appear on the cover after the Dateline appearance didn't go as well as planned.)

"Our Little Girl's All Growns Up"

LeAnn Rimes has released a pop album in England that you can't hardly find in the U.S. For those interested, you can check out a video from the album at youtube.com. (Sounds pretty good, and she looks really hot).

Supreme Court Rules: Republicans Are God

The Supreme Court just ruled that the redrawn Congressional districts in Texas that were redrawn in 2003 are (mostly) constitutional. In other news, former Rep. Charles Stenholm just fell down.

What About Kissing Girls That Smoke?

The Surgeon General issued a report on second hand smoke yesterday that was over the top. Yeah, being locked in a room of smoke for a week might cause a problem, but the extremes to which the report went were silly: "There is no safe level of secondhand smoke, and even brief exposure can cause harm," the report concluded. He made it sound as if walking by someone who is smoking may make you fall dead of cancer within the next 10 steps. Somebody's got an agenda to ban smoking from every building, public or private, in the nation. Heaven forbid for the market place to decide where smoking is allowed.

Jessica Simpson Pops Into My Mind On Thursdays

Crime Stoppers Fees

Channel 5 just told me that Wise County Crime Stoppers would pay up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest (and conviction?) of anyone using fireworks over the July 4th holidays. Question: I know that every person who ends up on a misdemeanor probation (and that is a ton of people) pays $50 to the Crime Stoppers fund. I seriously doubt that the fund ever pays out many rewards. I wonder how much money is sitting in the Wise County Crime Stoppers Fund. (If anybody at the Treasurer's Office or Sheriff's Office emails me with the answer, I'll tell you.)

Israel Chaos

As I say time and time again, I'm an idiot on foreign relations. But the news today that an Israeli soldier was kidnapped by the Palestinians which prompted the Israelis to roll tanks into the Gaza Strip is big news. Make no mistake about it: If any Arab country ever attacks Israel, the U.S. will commit billions of dollars and every last soldier to protect them. Hold your breath. Iraq would look like High Tea.

"I Think I Love You, But What Am I So Afraid Of"

This is David Cassidy's daughter, Katie, who has beaten out Jessica Simpson and Kristin Cavallari for the role of Lucy Ewing in the big screen version of 'Dallas'. The movie will start production in October and star John Travolta as J.R. Ewing and Jennifer Lopez as Sue Ellen.

The Partridge Family seems like a long, long time ago.

I'm Glad This Wasn't Done For Publicity

President Bush jogs with Army Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge, 23, from Eugene, Ore., who lost both legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington Tuesday, June 27, 2006. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Eva Longoria Hits The Pool This Weekend

Whew. That Almost Ruined My Weekend.

Today the Senate failed, by one vote, to pass a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban flag burning. I fully expect the sun not to come up tomorrow and civilization to be over.

Missing Irving Boy

"Almost a week after a 2-year-old Irving boy disappeared from a city park, utility workers are monitoring sewer lines in case the toddler fell into a sinkhole, a police spokesman said Tuesday." Have you guys seen the news coverage of this? Mom is chit chatting (or whatever) with her boyfriend in a truck and the two year old wanders off in the park. The police, for some crazy reason, think he was abducted. Then yesterday the news shows us this HUGE sinkhole by the park. Uh. I'd check the sinkhole.

Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys

If you have the normal urge to avoid your family and wish it were football season, you can watch this on the NFL Channel on Sunday: 1:00 PM CT: In Their Own Words: Emmitt Smith 2:00 PM CT: NFL Network Game of the Week: 2005, Week 14 -- Chiefs/Cowboys 3:00 PM CT: NFL Network Game of the Week: 2005, Week 10 -- Cowboys/Eagles 4:00 PM CT: Greatest Moments in Dallas Cowboys History 5:00 PM CT: Wizard: The Jimmy Johnson Story 6:00 PM CT: Emmitt Smith: Run with History 7:00 PM CT: NFL Network Game of the Week: 2005, Week 14 -- Chiefs/Cowboys 8:00 PM CT: NFL Network Game of the Week: 2005, Week 10 -- Cowboys/Eagles 9:00 PM CT: 1971 Dallas Cowboys Team Highlight 9:30 PM CT: Super Bowl VI Highlight 10:00 PM CT: 1977 Dallas Cowboys Team Highlight 10:30 PM CT: Super Bowl XII Highlight 11:00 PM CT: 1992 Dallas Cowboys Team Highlight 11:30 PM CT: Super Bowl XXVII Highlight 12:00 AM CT: 1993 Dallas Cowboys Team Highlight 12:30 AM CT: Super Bowl XXVIII Highlight 1:00 AM CT: 1995 Dallas Cowboys Team Highlight 1:30 AM CT: Super Bowl XXX Highlight