Miss New Jersey . . .

. . . is being blackmailed. Someone is threatening to release photos taken off of her private Facebook account. This is so weird. She said on The Today Show that the photos don't contain nudity or any illegal activity, and "the [photos] I do recall were meant to be private and could only be viewed by my close friend and family." Huh? Family?

I Just Keep Watching It

I hope you saw the video of the couple that went over the spillway at Lake Lewisville. They both survived (but were hurt), and the video is incredible. (Here.) But you don't get a good idea that they landed on concrete covered by very shallow water until the end of the video.

Edit: And I still find it very odd that someone just happened to be filming it.

Horrible Local News

The officer is a former Wise County Sheriff's Office deputy. His dad is currently an investigator with the Wise County Attorney's Office. (The news stories should appear here.)

Edit: Dallas Morning News story here. ("He was a good ol' country boy," said Officer David Tilley, a Plano police spokesman. "He had that country accent. You could tell he was from Wise County. Former Wise County patrolman Billy Hamilton, a friend of the younger Hardy, said the news of his death had hit the Decatur-area law enforcement community hard.")
Fox 4 News story here.

Blade Runner

If you want to read a very long article about the "Flying Motorcycle" inventor from Boyd, you can do so in the Dallas Observer.

A sample: "Neal, though, came to the town of Boyd, literally just south of Paradise, and never left."

Local Ties

A faithful reader tells me that Sheila Reed had moved to Killeen from Slidell. She leaves behind three daughters, one whom is severely handicapped. (Story.)

Hmmm

Not Much Going On Today

But it is only 56 days until:

Baylor at TCU
Arkansas State at The Evil Empire
North Texas at Oklahoma
Montana State at Texas A&M
Texas Tech at SMU (two days later)

Jennifer Garner and I . . .

. . . have the same tan.

It's Over

After studying the weather charts all morning, I have come to the conclusion that the rain is over. Yeah, we might have a brief shower over the next couple of days, but the Big Stuff is over.

And I wonder if we will remember the weather over the last two months in the same way we remember the Heat Wave of 1980 or the Freeze of 1983-1984?

Are You Going To Cooperate Now?

Story here. But as far as falls go after being hit with a Tazer, that was a 10 in my book.

Want To . . .

. . . see Scooter Libby's check for $250,400?

Janet Jackson Says,

"When I'm in Wise County looking for Ringo, I always stop by and get me some chicken fried steak at K-Bobs - with extra gravy."

(Yep, really her.)

Hey, Shorty, It''s Your Birfday

50 Cent (32) George W. Bush (61) Nancy Reagan (86)

They Might . . .

. . . want to find a better way of describing how to get there.

Who Says I Don't Have A Soft Spot?

An email I just received:

Hello Mr. Green,

My dog, Ringo, has been missing since 8 o'clock on July 3rd (old downtown Rhome area). Since so many people see your website, I thought maybe you would post his picture. I've had this dog for 10 years. His name is Ringo. He is a white Shih Tzu with brindle/grey ears. He has NEVER wandered off like this. I am offering a 250 dollar reward for anyone who finds and returns him to me. My cell number is [deleted - email me at my email address]. His photo is attached.
Thanks,

Diana

Legal Tired Head

The law had been that you couldn't have a license plate frame that so much as covered one letter of "Texas" or even one of those stars surrounding it.

So the legislature fixed it this session. But how a simple problem needs a simple solution did not happen. Look at this mess of the new law. (Strikeouts mean words deleted and underline means words added.) Uh, whenever a law makes it illegal to do something but only if you "significantly" do it, you've got a bad law.

I Got Your Contingency Fee

Security video of an unhappy personal injury claimant trying to throw a (his?) female lawyer over a balcony. It happens pretty fast here. But I love the other guy who, in his effort to "assist" her, never drops the folder/briefcase that he keeps under one arm.

Haltom City Is Cursed

I wish this picture was bigger. That house is going down sooner or later. What a nightmare. The nightmare that is Haltom City.

And did you guys catch the footage of the westbound lanes Loop 820 near Rufe Snow being shut down Tuesday evening due to flooding? Yep. Right by Haltom City.