Liberally Lean From The Land Of Dairy Queen

3.13.2007

Mark Cuban Predicted This

He said that Google would never buy YouTube.com because once they did (thereby creating a deep pocket)they would be sue into oblivion. As goofy as he is, he might be right.

Story.

Wreck this morning per the Update.

Edit: I used to drive down that road every day a few years back, and it was incredibly dangerous. But at least the whole thing has been rebuilt to provide shoulders and a couple of turn lanes. The intersection where the accident happened is normally pretty open with a great line of sight - the fog must have messed with it this morning. Possibly.

3.12.2007

Random Bundle Of Joy

This Is Frighteningly True

See full political cartoon here.

It's Kind Of Hard To Tell Who A Republican Is Anymore

Rudy Giuliani, the Republican front runner for president, firing off some extremely pro-choice (with your money) positions in 1989. Regardless of the comments, I think this guy is a complete spare. He walked down the streets of Manhattan on 9/11 and was somehow transformed into a "leader." He's got a big bag of nothing.

Crazy Gas Fire In Parker County.

Star-Telegram story is here. WBAP is reporting that three workers are "missing" but I haven't heard the name of their employer. KXAS has some pretty dramatic photos accessible from its home page.

Edit: Star Telegram now reporting that all employees are accounted for.

Hey, Now

The Smoking Gun has posted this book-in pic (for DWI) of a Memphis girl that was arrested last night. (And that's all hair.)

Rose McGowan

Never heard of her? Her next project is Quentin Tarantino's "Grindhouse," where she plays a biker chick with a machine gun for a leg. And if that doesn't turn you on, what will?

That Would Put A Damper On Spring Break

Story.

Oddest Email I Received Over The Weekend

-------------------------- Subject: Just my opinion Wesley Miller Time: Saturday 3/10/07 10:15 pm

You need to release Miller.. How do you really know he is at fault for all the crimes those bitches keep saying he is accused of?

Bring on the bitches stories... ----------------------------------------------- The Welsey Miller story is here. And, for the record, I'm not holding Mr. Miller, therefore, I cannot release him.

From The Update

FRIDAY FATALITY — A 75-year-old Weatherford woman late Friday afternoon was killed when she crashed her van in the yard of a Decatur residence on Farm Road 51 . . . . Justice of the Peace Terry Johnson pronounced the woman dead at the scene.

Why in the world does Texas still allow JPs to perform the very awkward "pronouncement of death"?

3.11.2007

Baylor Will,Once Again, Not Dance

The NCAA Tournament starts this week, and Baylor will stay home for the 20th straight year (by my count). The Bears led Texas by 20 on Friday night but wilted under the heat of The Evil Empire.

And I am disturbed by the overly-close hug in the background.

Random Justice Thoughts

Let me summarize what happens to this guy: He was involved in an "armed robbery" when he was 17 where the victim was robbed of $2 and no one was hurt. He was given deferred adjudication probation for the offense. One danger of deferred adjudication is that a violation of probation can lead to a sentence from a judge (a jury is not an option) of anywhere within the range of punishment. The range of punishment for this guy's offense is that of a first degree felony meaning no less than 5 years and up to life in prison. In his case, he tested positive for smoking marijuana while on probation and the judge, for whatever reason, sentences him to the maximum: life in prison. This weekend, after spending 17 years in prison, he gets a very unusual pardon simply because his sentence was unfair.

Hey, man, get in line.

Our system is really weird when it comes to probation violations and revocations. For instance, every probation order I've ever seen (and I bet I've seen over a thousand), requires a defendant to "abstain from the use of illegal narcotics or drugs." But:

- There is no law that requires a probation officer to test a probationer for marijuana. Some guys get tested, others don't.
- If a person tests positive for marijuana, there is no law that says a probation officer must tell the prosecutor about the violation (if the prosecutor never knows, the probation can never be revoked.)
- If the probation officer tells the prosecutor about the positive test for marijuana, there is no law that says the prosecutor must try to revoke the probation. The prosecutor can simply determine, based upon his or her own standard of justice, whether the violation is "serious enough."
- If the prosecutor files a Motion to Revoke the probation for a marijuana violation, there is no law that says a judge must revoke a probation. A hearing could be held where the prosecutor "proves up" the violation, the judge can find that the defendant violated his probation, but the judge at that point can do everything from nothing to the maximum sentence.

Like I said, a weird system.

"300"

I saw 300 on an IMAX screen yesterday. First, an IMAX thought: In an IMAX theater, the screen is huge and slightly curved. The seating is steeper than what you're used to and you are very close to the screen. And the sound system is incredible. It's much different than a regular theater but not what I was expecting: I thought it would be like the IMAX at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History which, I learned, is called an IMAX dome. That, it ain't.

"300" is completely different than anything I've seen before. It's basically 90% computer graphics and, man, those graphics are great. The slow motion fight scenes are mesmerizing.

The movie was great. Part Sin City, part Gladiator, part Braveheart. But be prepared: It is the bloodiest mess you've ever seen. And, for the ladies, the warriors pretty much run around in their underwear, all sport abdominal "six packs", and are badasses.