Get Your Paddles Up

Just got this pic sent to me from a cell phone. I had heard there was a ton of rain out in West Texas but I didn't know it was that much. Tech plays SMU there tomorrow. Edit: And another one (Thanks Meagan)

Updated Hurricane Ike Projected Path

Edit: If you want sensory overload for real hurricane coverage AND you have a high speed connection, click here.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Well, at least that Galveston sea wall will finally be put to good use
• Baylor was to have a rare televised football game tomorrow, but it's been moved to tonight. According to the Waco Tribune, the Bear's opponent from Washington State will make the "1,490-mile flight to Waco before playing later Friday night."
• Isn't the "Obammy" reference just a tad bit racist?
• Other football note: The Houston Cougars moved their home game against Air Force to SMU for tomorrow at 2:30. It won't exactly be a hurricane at that time, but that wasn't exactly moving the game out of the path of the storm either.
• I actually watched a full episode of Hannity and Colmes two days ago. How you guys can stand that nonsense is beyond me. And that Colmes guy is the equivalent of a battered spouse in a room full of guys wearing wife beater T-shirts.
• Watched the oddest movie the other Day: Sex and Death 101. Two of the main stars were the even odder combination of Winona Ryder (who was smoking hot) and Mindy Cohn (Natalie from The Facts of Life.)
• Someone said to me yesterday, "It's kind of hard to judge how popular Obama is nationwide when living around here, isn't it?" True that.
• Two TV shows I liked that no one has ever heard of: Dream On and Herman's Head.
• Remember to "get behind" the Barnett Shale.
• Saw a couple of people using this cool site to track Hurricane Ike yesterday
• I wouldn't mind living in a high rise condo in Houston this weekend.
• Caught most of Sarah Palin with Charlie Gibson last night. Some of her answers were wheels off, but she held up pretty well. And what else could she have said when asked if she was ready to be President of the United States?
• I don't think I've ever used the acronyms POTUS or SCOTUS. Seems a little pretentious.
• I really don't know how strong Hurricane Ike will be, but I have to admit the thing is big.
• Gas prices have risen in the metroplex by 15 cents in one day. I heard it on two radio stations and then witnessed it late yesterday with my own pair of eyeballs in my own head.
• Of all the pictures taken these days, I wonder how many actually end up getting printed?
• The 9/11 conspiracy nuts, some who apparently post here, are . . . well . . . nuts. And they all worship the documentary Loose Change (which I learned through that Wikipedia entry has been "re- released" in an "installment [which] is a completely new film; using almost none of the same content appearing in the previous Loose Change versions." I watched the first one.
• I still can't say enough about the iPhone
• The "garage door" comment from yesterday was a repeat. That's a bad sign.
• I used to use "[sic]" in some of my entries when I quoted material that had an inaccuracy. It, in essence, means "the error you see appeared in the original text and I'm smart enough to know it's an error." I actually saw the Messenger use it a couple of times but not lately.
• Based upon the courthouse and visitor center American flags being at half staff this morning, September 12th must be a day that will live in infamy that I was not aware of.

Statues In Paradise, TX Near Poolville

Just got this emailed into me. Not sure what the back story is. But . . . what's Marilyn Monroe doing in there (bottom pic, far left)? Click to really enlarge. Edit: Sorry for the location screw up. Exact location: "at the corner of FM 920 and East Dry Creek Road. About 4 miles north of Peaster, about 5 miles south of Poolville."

Edit: Where Were You?

Got a couple of comments coming in below regarding where you were when you first heard of what was happening on 9/11. Pretty good stuff. I'll allocate this post to those comments only. Edit: I lived out at the lake at the time and had a 30 minute drive into work. I had The Ticket on (big surprise) and they were talking, casually, about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. For about five minutes I thought they were talking about the building off Stemmons Freeway in Dallas that has "World Trade Center" on it. When I was about three miles from work the boys on The Ticket were completely enthralled with the television coverage of the burning building and were describing the scene when the second plane hit. There was confusion as they tried to comprehend what the just saw, and then I remember host George Dunham say, "This has just turned into a military operation." My first terrified thought was truly, "Get those military fighter jets in the air. Now."

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• 

• Yeah, I've been following the Vince Young saga in Tennessee. I just don't think it's that big of a deal.
• Did you see the bridge collapse in Kaufman County? I read that the bridge had been scheduled for demolition since it was unsafe - I think that project been expedited a bit.
• My yard looks good.
• I see inmates up at the courthouse all the time (in jumpsuits and shackles). But it's always kind of funny to see the shock on the faces of the casual courthouse visitor when they come cross them.
• Still loving the Ron Paul book.
• I'm suspicious of anyone who claims "I carry a copy of the constitution in my pocket."
• Heard two callers fire off the very tired, "If you don't like this country, get out!" mantra this morning on KLIF.
• Heard a very angry caller on the same station complaining how we make such a big deal about the victims of 9/11 but rarely remember veteran's - even on Veteran's Day. He's got a point.
• Matt Damon has a hot sports opinion about Sarah Palin. Conversely, last night I saw Chuck Norris on CNN with an opposing view. That pretty much covers it.
• I called my then girlfriend immediately after the second plane hit the second tower on 9/11. After explaining what was happening, I told her to find a TV in her office if she could. She followed that up with, "So what else is going on." I refer to that as the "defining moment" in the relationship.
• I just thought about googling my college girlfriend's name but it took me a couple of minutes to remember it. And that name-change-with-probable-marriage thing doesn't help once I recalled it.
• I was in Manhattan for three days a decade ago and went up to the top of the Empire State Building but not the World Trade Center. Big regret there.
• I never leave my driveway until I see the garage door go down and stay down.
• Sometimes I leave my engine running when I fill up with gas.
• Every Hurricane Ike story has the phrase "possibly even a Category 4" in it some where.

My Generation's Pearl Harbor

A fascinating collection of newspaper front pages from that day are here. I remember walking into the office that day and saying, in a tone of voice I'm not sure I've uttered since then, "I think we are under attack!" And, for today, a replaying of a commercial:

Interesting

Heck, I'm getting suckered into "Hurricane Talk." Yeah, we won't be hit by high winds but we might actually get a lot of rain. Good times.

Obama's "Lipstiick On A Pig" . . .

. . . is driving me nuts. At least the Republican reaction to it is. Rush has ranted about it all day. Sean Hannity the same. And McCain, in a disgraceful act, is trying to capitalize on it with a "web ad". It had been on youtube.com but it was taken down due to a copyright violation of Katie Couric's image. It can be seen on his web site if you root around just a little bit. Boys, it was a figure of speech. McCain might want to worry about Iraq, high gas prices, a staggering budget deficit and national debt, and the average American struggling to make ends meet. Edit: What's most shocking is that Obama's comments are prefaced by the graphic that reads, "Barak Obama on Sarah Palin." I can't believe McCain approved that lie. I thought he was better than that. Edit: CBS has released a statement: "CBS News does not endorse any candidate in the Presidential race. Any use of CBS personnel in political advertising that suggests the contrary is misleading."

Bull Retaliates Before Being Ridden

Refuses to cooperate with rodeo. Demands better conditions or violence will continue.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Online typing test: I clocked in at 72 words a minute with one error. (I took a typing class in high school using the old IBM Selectric. Still one of the most useful courses I've ever taken.)
• Although Hurricane Talk gives me Tired Head, it is interesting that Ike might actually come up I-35 (after taking a bathroom break in Hillsboro) and hit DFW as a tropical storm. I don't ever recall that happening.
• And that would make for some interesting football games at Baylor (11:30 kickoff) and at UT (2:30 kickoff). TCU has one as well.
• Anyone remember the Super Conducting Super Collider?
• "Why don't you tell us what you really think" is a saying that powers me down.
• I didn't post a comment the other day because someone cut and pasted a book. Hey, create a link next time.
• I agree with some of the comments, there's something about that Sarah Palin voice that is beginning to get really annoying.
• The Ron Paul book, after a couple of chapters, is great. Our current system of government (with increaing centralized power in the federal government with states being an afterthought) is exactly what the constitution was designed to prevent. But no one really cares.
• Stopped by 7-11 on Western Center Boulevard yesterday to pick up a paper to read at lunch. Morning News? Out. Star-Telegram? Out. Had to settle for a USA Today which, actually, never disappoints.
• Man, I continue to think Hal Jay on WBAP doesn't have a comedic bone in his body.
• If you and I had been born in the Middle East to Islamic parents, we'd both bow towards Mecca this afternoon.
• Decatur is repaving some of its streets. Stage one: Rip up one inch of pavement and leave it that way for a few days. It gives you the feeling that your tires are being shredded underneath it.
• I've turned on WFAA's Pete Delkus. The man is just too dramatic.
• Robert Morgan in today's Messenger suggests that the Decatur Eagles opponent this week should throw the ball because the secondary is the weakest link on the Eagles' defense. He then goes on to say that the weakness is not due to a lack of talent. That, my friends, is the fine line that a small town sports reporter must walk.
• McCain adopting a "change" theme for his campaign is simply confusing. (And I can't believe the Republicans got upset over Obama's "lipstick on a pig" remark yesterday. It's what's called an "old saying". Is everyone just sitting around looking for a way to be offended? Sheesh, McCain used the saying last year. Edit: Emailer Keith just pointed out that Dick Cheney has used the expression as well.)
• I always see a lawyer at the driver's license hearing who is married to one of my ex-girlfriends.
• From the You Know Your Life Has Gone Terribly Wrong Department: " Pornographic pictures, a sword, and a bloody backpack helped police link a 29-year-old homeless man to the murder of a Dallas resident whose body still remains missing . . . . According to an arrest warrant affidavit, police found blood on the walls, floor and couch, along with what appeared to be human intestines in the bathtub." (From Fox 4 ...................News.)

Political Hot Topic #2: America First

As I mentioned, I've started Ron Paul's book, Revolution. In the second chapter he argues against "nation building" and military intervention to impose our governmental philosophy on foreign countries. After Bush had to abandon the WMD justification for invading Iraq, he's fallen back on "establish a free democracy" as the reason we're spending billions of dollars and losing thousands of lives. But check out these quotes by W during the 2000 presidential debates: "I think what we need to do is convince people who live in the lands they live in to build the nations. Maybe I'm missing something here. I mean, we're going to have kind of a nation building core from America? Absolutely not. Our military is meant to fight and win war. That's what it's meant to do. And when it gets overextended, morale drops . . . . "I'm not so sure the role of the United States is to go around the world and say this is the way it's got to be. We can help. And maybe it's just our difference in government, the way we view government. I want to empower the people. I want to help people help themselves, not have government tell people what to do. I just don't think it's the role of the United States to walk into a country and say, we do it this way, so should you." Source.

Political Hot Topic #1: Abortion Talk

Interesting article concerning how McCain/Palin would eliminate the abortion option if they could thereby leaving women with no "choice" at all. Excerpts: (1) In announcing that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant this week, GOP vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin used this puzzling locution: "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby." (2) John McCain led us through this same hall of mirrors in 2000 when asked what he would do if his then-15-year-old daughter, Meghan, were pregnant. "The final decision would be made by Meghan with our advice and counsel," he said at the time. The point being that a constitutional amendment banning abortion would have left their daughters with no choice at all. Edit: I cannot begin to tell you how this clip from the Daily Show (beginning at about the 1:00 minute mark) completely makes this point. Watch it. Now. Watch it hard. (Thanks emailer Keith). And a backup link in case youtube takes it down.

$375

Retail price for the eyeglass frames. (Prescription lenses not included.)

Tuesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Man, this girl is coming on strong the last couple of days.

Spaghetti Cat Explained

Two thoughts: (1) Man, those hosts are a huge Power Down, and (2) I had no idea Spaghetti Cat was real.

And Another

Story.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Man, watching Dale Hansen and former Cowboys special teams coach Joe Avezzano on Sunday night is painful. It's two old guys who think their clever trying to one up each other.
• I'm through most of the second season of The Wire. Still a huge thumbs up. And I'm convinced the only way to watch a television series is on DVD.
• Is trot line fishing really fishing?
• Football quick hit: Trying to draw the defense offside on third and short with a long count is a dumb idea.
• Football quick hit #2: The Ticket's Norm Hitzges went an incredible 30-9 against the spread this weekend. But, remember kids, the government says gambling is illegal in Texas.
• I sometimes get César Chávez and Che Guevara confused
• I got a flyer saying they had opened a Rosa's Mexican Restuaruant on Western Center Boulevard west of I-35. Me loves me some Rosa's.
• I hate it when someone is in the passing lane, right beside you, who has the cruise control set to the exact same speed.
• I think most people hold strangers in contempt.
• I remember when my pee wee football team lost the championship game (our only loss of the season.) Our old school coach simply told us, "This leaves a different taste in your mouth, doesn't it?" No "great job." No "you're all winners."
• After I said I've got Sarah Palin overload yesterday, I had the new Time magazine plopped down on my desk with, uh, Sarah Palin on the cover. (And on page 26 she just happens to be feeding her baby with a bottle as she talks to John McCain on the campaign bus. How in the world could such a candid picture be taken? [insert sarcasm])
• Isn't it amazing that President Bush didn't make a personal appearance at the convention last week? He got nine minutes by satellite.
• Female bicyclist face plant.
• There's talk of moving the North Texas/LSU game to Texas Stadium this weekend due to the incoming hurricane. If so, there will more carnage in Irving than in New Orleans.
• I think it would difficult for a high school football star to adjust once high school graduation comes and goes.
• I'm still stuck with a passage from Pat Buchanan's State of Emergency when he discusses just exactly, "What is a nation?" We were a "nation", he argues, because our Founding Fathers "were loyal to a particular nation and to kinfolk with whom they shared ties of blood, soil, and memory."
• "Photos that changed the world." Here. [Edit: fixed] I spent quite a bit of time on that this weekend.
• Obama stopped smiling around six weeks ago. Seriously.
• Attending a criminal docket continues to fascinate me. Some people are scared to death. Others look like they want it to be over because they've got a beer waiting for them in the truck.
• I'll take a rainy week in September over a hot week in September