Is The Messenger Update Not Working?

I'm missing my Mineral Club fix. Edit: Never mind. All is right with the world again. Except for the fact that Decatur is becoming the Hotel Capitol of Places That Have A Lot of Hotels But No Really Nice Hotels.

They Just Keep Coming

Story. And the rebel flag is a nice southern touch.

Brooke Hogan Says

"In Slidell, they like my pants!"

I'm Not Sure Where Christina Has Been Hiding

I don't care what she wears, I'd make her wife #8 in a heart beat. And I'm not sure who she's with, but I think I could compete with that. Maybe. Maybe not.

Can You Imagine?

This man was killed in Iraq one week ago. His wife, who lives in Burleson, was promptly notified.

Yesterday, while she was still grieving, her doorbell rang. She opened it to find a delivery person holding flowers and a card. The Star-Telegram tells you what happens next.

Oh, My

Someone directed my attention to The Ticket's bit of "Disgruntled Bikini Girl." Oh, my, indeed.

Marky Mark . . .

. . . who I swear could be my twin brother, is 35 today.

What's Up With SMU?

In the last five months, three students have died of drugs and/or alcohol.

• Meaghan Bosch, 21 - overdosed on mixture of cocaine, meth, and oxycodone
• Jacob Stiles, 20 - overdosed on a mixture or cocaine, alcohol and something called fentanyl
• Jordan Crist, 19 - alcohol poisoning

And SMU is small with only 11,000 students (and, of that, 6,000 are undergraduates.)

You never hear about deaths like that at TCU, UTA, or North Texas.

Unstable?

Looks like, John Ramsey, the dad of murder victim Jon Benet Ramsey is dating Beth Twitty, the mother of missing Natalee Holloway (last seen in Aruba.)

Ramsey's wife died last June. Twitty was divorced from her husband, "Jug" Twitty, in December.

Brook Burke Says . . .

. . . "Good morning, Alvord."

Edit: Good news. She has a back side.

Baby, Baby

I don't "do" many CPS (Child Protective Services) hearings. The only way I get involved is if the judge appoints me to represent a parent (the person the child has been removed from) or the child itself (herself? his self?) I've told the judges that I don't mind doing my part of community service (lord knows I have too many criminal court appointments), but keep me away from CPS cases. Normally, that happens.

But today I spent about 30 minutes in a hearing on whether CPS should be able to temporarily keep a baby that was removed from the mother just days after the mother gave birth. It's not quite this simple, but, in essence, CPS wanted the judge to authorize their continued possession of the child due to the mother's drug use during the pregnancy. Interestingly, the mother quit using meth two months before the birth and has been clean (as evidenced by a few drug tests) ever since. On the day of birth, mom was negative for any drugs as was the baby. Nevertheless, CPS came in and took the baby.

Tough calls.

For now, the judge said that CPS could keep the child (she's actually in the possession of her grandparents) but everyone agrees that if mom can stay on the straight and narrow, she can have her baby back.

Life is hard. I hate these cases.

Edit: After some very kind "Nice job, Barry" posts, let me clarify: I didn't have a lot to do with the hearing other than to monitor it on behalf of the child. The CPS lawyer, Regina Anderson, did all the hard work. And CPS investigators did all the pre-hearing leg work.

[Insert The Theme From "Jaws"]

Anybody know Susan Dornquast of Fort Worth? She was standing around in knee deep water in the ocean off of South Carolina when a shark came in and used her leg as Dairy Queen corn dog. She was actually striking a pose as her husband was taking her picture.

I've always thought swimming the ocean was weird. It's like you're in a place you don't belong, and you have no idea what lies underneath that might object to your presence.

Fox 4 ......Pause........News

I received a report from a faithful and beloved reader that Fox 4 News will be doing a story on the "no indigent health care for illegal aliens" tonight at 9:00 p.m. I didn't see the news van up at the courthouse, but I didn't get to stick my head out of there between 1 and 4 today.

Edit: Yep, the story showed up. No new information, however. Although Paradise legend Greg Lowery did make a TV appearance.

Akon . . .

. . . throws a kid off the stage after kid threw something on the stage. Best clip here but here's an angle which shows the kid flying at the camera. Good times.

Note To Self

Don't send questionable emails over school computers. (Florida story.)

Grizzly Discovery . . .

. . . in Eagle Mountain Lake in Azle. (I presume it's Eagle Mountain Lake.)

"Turn To Your Right!"

I'm Not Posting This of Britney