Fox Anchor Arrested -- But It's The Tampa Affiliate

I'd post this regardless of what the story was behind it, but did the police really have to give him the What For? Well, Mr. Police People, it just so happens we've got a new sheriff in the Oval Office as of this morning. So you may have gotten away with last weekend, but no more. We've got some Change coming! (And you know they wouldn't have done that to Megan Henderson. Tim Ryan, yeah. But not Megan.)

"Senator Collapses At Lunch"

CNN is reporting that either Senator Ted Kennedy or Robert Byrd has "collapsed" at the Obama luncheon moments ago. Edit: Then they cut to the luncheon and it's going on just as normally as can be. Odd. Edit #2: Confirmed. It's Kennedy. Edit #3: Sheesh. Now it's reported that paramedics were called to help Byrd as well. Edit #4: Emailer sweet Alice (who works for Fox 4) writes to tell me that Byrd wasn't sick, just bored. An AP story will confirm this shortly.

Inauguration Observations

• President Bush didn't get much of an ovation when he was introduced.
• Rick Warren gave the invocation which sounded more like a speech than a prayer. There was even applause during it!
• Many wondered whether Warren would use Jesus' name in the prayer. He did but in a weird way -- he used about four different variations. I'm not sure I understood that.
• Edit: Warren called Jesus, "Yeshua, Isa, Jesus [pronounced hay-zeus], Jesus." And I found the explanation as being: He said Jesus' name in the language of the world's three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. (And also in Spanish.)
• Aretha Franklin then sang "My Country Tis Of Thee" (or whatever the name is). She had one crazy tricked up hat on.
• The number of people on the mall is absolutely amazing.
• Justice John Paul Stevens (a good one) then gave the oath of office to Joe Biden. (There was some guy about 10 feet back wearing a cowboy hat.) That, by the way, is one long oath. So I guess at that moment W was the President and Biden was the Vice President.
• Then there was a four piece ensemble that played a very reverent piece. Nice touch. It was called "Air and Simple Gifts" according to CNN.
• Odd: It 12:04 p.m. Eastern and NBC just said, "Barack Obama became the President four minutes ago even though he hasn't taken the oath."
• Time for the oath. Uh. Oh. We had a little bit of a stumble. Man, I've got to watch that again. I'm not sure Justice John Roberts didn't mess up.

Roberts: "I Barack Hussein Obama." Obama: "I Barack . . . " Roberts " do solemnly swear." Obama: "I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear." Roberts: "That I will execute the office of President to the United States faithfully." Obama: "That I will execute . . . [awkward pause]." Roberts: "the off . . . faithfully the Pres . . . the office of President of the United States faithfully." Obama: "The office of President of the United States faithfully." Roberts: "And will to the best of my ability." Obama: "And will to the best of my ability." ....[rest said correctly]

• I'll get a video of that. It'll be up in seconds I bet. Edit: Got it (it starts at the 33 second mark.)
• Edit: Woah!! Roberts did mess it up. He should have said: ""I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States"
• A commenter and I posted the error at exactly the same time.
• There goes the white man trying to keep the black man down again. :)
• Someone wants me to point out that Obama's sideburns are uneven.
• Now for speech. It's a firey tone!
• "With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations."
• Then there was a poem. Kind of like something you'd hear in a Beatnik bar on open mic night.
• Later .... Watching Obama escort Bush to the helicopter is just an amazing and moving sight.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• It's W's last day! It's W's last day!
• The content of The Dallas Morning News is shrinking at an alarming rate.
• I used a hand held blow dryer on my hair this morning for the first time in two years. It is so long in the back that it was officially proclaimed as Crazy Hair yesterday.
• T. Boone Pickens bankrolls Oklahoma State to such an extent that they've offered $700,000 a year for their defensive coordinator's job.
• Compare that to this paragraph from a 1982 Sport's Illustrated story about Texas A&M hiring head coach Jackie Sherrill: "Six days earlier, the 38-year-old Sherrill had stunned the college football world by signing a six-year contract with the Aggies for—hold on, folks—$267,000 a year, a total of $1,602,000. That makes him far and away the highest-paid college coach in the land."
• Craziest recall ever.
• I saw The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. Verdict: Not bad. My problem is that I over-think anything that requires a suspension of belief.
• I was reminded how much I like The Bluest Eyes In Texas last night after I heard a contemporary version of it at the end of a movie. Love it.
• I like standing in my driveway and looking at my house.
• The hatred for Obama before he has even taken office is unsettling and jaw dropping. It's like they want him and, as a result, the country to fail.
• WBAP's Hal Jay called the inauguration a "farce" this morning and asked Mark Davis "are you really moved by this?" Absolutely incredible. The average old white guy doesn't understand what is going on.
• Tony Romo's latest quote: "If I'm never going to win the Super Bowl, I'll be content in life." Is this guy a quarterback or some kind of New Age Zen Master?
• The Star Telegram's Bud Kennedy is in Washington covering the inauguration. He sent in this pic of the subway escalators this morning.
• 80 degrees on Thursday?
• When MLK was uttering the words "I have a dream", there was a guy right behind him looking up in the air like he wasn't paying attention.
• The seven year old from Boyd who got a heart transplant yesterday gets a story in the Star Telegram. If that ever happened to me, I would want to know who the donor was and then I would constantly visit their grave.
• Edit: And VP Dick Cheney will be on stage in a wheelchair today because he hurt his back moving?
• Edit: Jarhead sends along this approval rating chart.

We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration

I just watched it off TIVO, and it was really, really great. This old cynical heart of mine doesn't get moved much anymore, but it was truly inspirational. Maybe, just maybe, we can get back on track. Catch a replay of it if you can. Musical highlights:

• Garth singing "Shout" and "We Will Be Free" in front of a backdrop of black and white kids singing as happily as could be. Edit: And, yeah, he did whip me with his "look at me" stage antics.
• U2 being U2
• James Taylor singing "Shower The People" with John Legend backing him up.
• Usher, Shakira and Stevie Wonder singing "Superstition."
• Josh Groden Groben

Computer Simulation Of The Plane That Ended Up In The Hudson

Cool.

Border Guards Sentence Commuted

At the very last minute. Background on Wikipedia here. I really don't know much about it other than the right wing has been yelling about this case for years. (And I saw Texas Republican Representative Ted Poe -- a former hang em high judge -- claims on TV that he had read the entire transcript of the trial and say the convictions were a travesty. I remember that because I seriously doubted he read it.)

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Evil Empire Spawn Drops Ball

I saw Limus Sweed, former UT receiver, drop this ball yesterday. The fact he screwed up made the clip fairly noteworthy, but the icing on the cake was what came afterwards. It was the ol' "I Just Messed Up So I Better Act Hurt" routine. But, man, it got him no sympathy from the home crowd. When he finally walked off the field so slowly (to show he was really hurt), he was booed mercilessly. I remember a guy at Bridgeport who would do the same thing. If he ever fumbled you could bet the house he'd be rolling on the ground holding his knee or arm. It was a sure thing.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I think it's silly when any pro athlete says, "We shocked the world today!" after an upset victory. I don't think a couple of guys in Sudan really care that much.
• Double motorcycle death in Dallas last night.
• The Pittsburgh Steeler coach just looks cool. Now think about Wade Phillips.
• I'm a fan of Obama, but the man sure does like pomp and circumstance.
• I understand "pomp" but not so sure about "circumstance" in that phrase.
• My weekend was filled with turmoil.
• I had no idea that the celebration at the Lincoln Memorial was going on yesterday. But someone emailed so I was able to TIVO a replay of it on HBO. But what was it doing on HBO?
• If McCain had been elected, the Lincoln Memorial would have been very quiet yesterday.
• So how is Washington paying for the beefed up security for the inauguration? President Bush declared it an "emergency" so as to to tap into FEMA funds. That's kind of funny.
• Video on relationships.
• What the heck is Hannah Montana wearing?
• If you are hanging out at the ZaZaZa Sports Bar (Google street view) in Fort Worth, and a gal starts flirting with you: Be Careful.
• Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger has a pretty hot wife. (I saw her in an interview in her driveway but couldn't locate a picture of her this morning.)
• Too young to have really accomplished anything? The new coach at Tampa Bay is 32 years old.
• I feel stupid. American painter Andrew Wyeth died last week, and I heard several reports that his "Christina's World" painting was the second most recognizable painting (behind American Gothic.) I'll swear I had never seen it. Ever.
• I bought my nephew an autographed photo of Kurt Warner back when he (uh, Warner) was the quarterback of the St. Louis Rams who won the Super Bowl. Now that Warner is headed back to the championship game, I wonder if the photo is in a safe place or lost.
• The Wise County Courthouse is closed today for MLK day. I'm reasonably certain that no African American has officed in that building.
• There are a lot of people in this world that need to talk less and listen more.

Welcome To Idiocracy

And this week's box office winner is: I saw a mom holding a little baby last night at a restaurant. That, like many things do, stopped me down for a moment. Part of me was really jealous of that little baby. Think about it. With the Internet and the way the world is changing these days, what will that kid be able to experience? The mind boggles. And then I learned a second ago that Mall Cop is the most popular movie this weekend, and now I'm worried that sweet little baby may grow up in a world that I don't want to see. (Now I'm sure My Bloody Valentine is a kick arse movie, but Mall Cop?)

Random News Story

There's a long story today in the Star Telegram about the prosecution of cases involving mortgage fraud. And therein was this example:

Last year, Lobingier prosecuted Stephen B. Jones, 44, who falsified documents to inflate his income so he could purchase a $650,000 house. Jones, who was in training to be a mortgage broker, pulled other people’s financial records, whited out their names and typed in his own.

An astute underwriter discovered the scam. A jury later convicted Jones of making a false statement to obtain property and sentenced him to 45 years in prison.

Please tell me there's more to the story than that. 45 years? For that?

Ambrosia

A sign the Apocalypse is upon us. During halftime of one of the MANY flag football games I helped officiate yesterday in Bridgeport, my fellow refs got into a discussion of the meaning of the word "Ambrosia." Don't ask. The choices: 1. A fruity salad with whipped cream. 2. A 70s band (my choice) which led to a brief rendition of "That's how much I feel - feel for you, baby." 3. A drink of a Greek god (an elected official's choice) 4. Something to do with men's personal hygienic grooming.

Friday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Heeeeeello, Mrs. Green #8.

Things I Learned While Reading The Dallas Morning News At Lunch

Sports

• A Dallas pro golfer named Chad Campbell flew all the way to Hawaii to play in the Sony Open only to realize he forgot to sign up for it.
• Baseball player Andruw Jones was released by the Dodgers halfway through a $36 million contract. I'm pretty sure they still have to pay him.
• Columnist Jean Jacques Taylor is lucky to even have a job.
• Yahooty: The White Rock Marathon is unveiling a Half Marathon race for March 15th!!
• No team has ever played a Super Bowl in their home stadium. This could happen if Arizona wins over Philadelphia. Edit: I screwed that up. The actual sentence concerned a very boring trivial fact: ". . . . they would become the second team to play in a Super Bowl the year after hosting the game."

Section A

• The Taliban claims to have shot down an Afghan helicopter killing 12 soldiers. Afghanistan says it was due to poor weather.
• There are huge ads to buy your gold and jewelry.
• Trammel Crow, who died yesterday, was the fifth of eight children and grew up in a one bedroom house in Dallas.
• The water in the Hudson River was estimated to be 36 degrees (and there's a great photo of the plane with passengers standing on the wings.)

Metro

• Nothing

Business

• Victory Plaza is getting two new restaurants and one new bar. They won't be as hotty totty as their predecessors.
• Everyone likes the Windows 7 beta (after I just bought a new laptop with Vista on it.)
• The Friday tech advisor column, which is normally pretty good, made my eyes glaze over with a column about something called "Xtreme Tech XLink Bluetooth Gateway." (I have no idea.)
• Intel's profit dropped 90%. It's shares went up. (I have no idea.)
• 30 year mortgage rates fall to 4.96% - the lowest since April 1971 (when Freddie Mac started tracking the data.)

Life/Arts

• Didn't get around to it but there's a picture of a big black man in a pinstrip suit looking pretty mean on the front page.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Never again will I ignore, "Your seat cushion can also be used as a flotation device."
• Of all the amazing things about the plane crash yesterday, I think the fact that no one panicked may be at the top of the list. Even after the plane came to a peaceful rest on the water, I would think everyone would be of the belief the plane would sink within one minute.
• They had another capital murder acquittal in Tarrant County yesterday. Fifteen years ago that would have been unheard of. No more. (And attorney Jim Shaw was involved in it -- the same guy involved in the Wise County "head for the hills" case last week.)
• President Bush just kind of limps off into the sunset.
• People can't handle four way stops. It's not that hard people.
• And I hate the four way dance of "You go. No, you go. Ok, I'll go. Move forward. But he moves forward. Both hit brakes."
• Random Colorado high school basketball score: 94-1.
• Heard a traffic reporter refer to the "outerskirts" of the metroplex this morning. Is that a word?
• I haven't been to a high school basketball game since the Decatur and Bridgeport girls met in the playoffs in Denton in the mid 1990s. Decatur won.
• Whenever I hear someone spin their tires, I'm 100% sure there is a dumb person behind the wheel.
• All the sports shows/writers have been referring to the Rangers' Michael Young as the "Face of The Franchise." Sheesh. He's a face you couldn't pick out of a lineup.
• While you were sleeping: Bank of America gets $20 billion more of your money. (I'm still waiting for the whole system to collapse.)
• I jammed a chip into the roof of my mouth a couple of days ago and it still hurts like a sonofagun.
• I always forget about Channel 11 news.
• Anyone remember when Channel 4 was CBS and Channel 11 was a place where you could find Slam Bang Theater (which, uh, was a kid's show.)
• There was a stranded 18 wheeler sitting on the 51 exit ramp off of 287 this morning before sunrise. Dangerous. But the Decatur cops were there with their lights on.
• Edit: The Ticket just announced that it is becoming the home station of the Dallas Stars. Kill me. Hockey? They'll be using valuable air time for hockey?

U.S. Airways Plane Down In Hudson

You'll see news of this everywhere, but amazingly every passenger survived -- around 150 of them. For the Internet geeks, someone in New York took a picture of the plane shortly after it went down and uploaded it to Twitpic.com. Unfortunately, everyone is trying to look at it and it has killed the servers. Supposed to be here. Edit: A faithful reader was able to download it and email it to me. (And I have never seen a photo go quite as "viral" as this one. It first appeared on Twitpic.com and was everywhere within 60 minutes.) Edit #2: Finally saw some of the news coverage of this when I got home tonight. Incredible. Simply incredible.

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Yeah, this one is outside the "Hey, Now" age demographics for LLFDQ, but I've got to hand it to her. The boots. The knee socks. The tie. The attitude. And she's in a grocery store. That means there's hope that we can go down a random aisle at the Decatur Walmart and run into a gal like this.