We've Hit The Big Time In A Bad Way

A faithful reader points out that Decatur was referenced in The New York Times yesterday. (Thanks Jake.)

That Sound You Heard Was The Death Star Exploding

Baylor 76 Evil Empire 70 The Bears hit 12 of their last 13 free throws.

Math Question

Just thought about this and need some help from The Big Brains on Brad out there. Baylor and Texas play tonight. Baylor has lost 24 straight times. Let's assume that in each of those games Texas entered the contest with a 90% chance of winning. With that being said: What were the odds that Texas would win 24 in a row? My guess is the equation would be 90/100 to the 24th power. But I have no idea what I'm saying. Edit: Thanks, guys. I chose the 90% assumption for each game in order to see how incredible it is to win 24 in a row (even if one team is an overwhelming favorite each time.)

Say What

From The Today Show this morning.

The last person to see a 5-year-old Florida girl before she went missing — who is also the new teenage bride of the child’s father — acknowledged that there are inconsistencies in the stories she’s told investigators, but was unable to say why her account has changed.

Link and video here.

This Made Me Laugh. Not Really Sure Why.

The Messenger's "Tree v. Jeep" Video From Yesterday

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Convenience stores in the metroplex seem to feel more dangerous these days.
• Had this discussion yesterday: Most, if not all, sin is based in selfishness.
• For some odd reason, it is the Chicago Tribune that reported on a story that is gaining legs: Cops in a small Texas town seizing a ton of property and money from motorists and then taking it, via the state's forfeiture laws, in exchange for not charging them with a crime.
• This happened to 140 people over a two year period which is a shocking number. I bet less than 10, maybe less than 5, forfeiture actions are filed in Wise County every year.
• The Dow is up three days in a row? Economy. Solved.
• Saw a lawyer in a driver's license hearing yesterday in Fort Worth that did not have a clue what he was doing. It's always uncomfortable when that happens because every lawyer in the audience starts looking at one other with cocked eyebrows.
• That Geico stack-of-bills-with-eyeballs is weird.
• I think I saw a story about Texas considering paying students for good grades. ($20 for an A, $10 for a B, etc.) Anybody else ready to give up?
• Update: Forgetting Sarah Marshal didn't do much for me.
• I always expect a convenience store clerk to become overly excited when I pay with exact change. Rarely happens.
• I'm not sure what I think about the overly pillowed bed.
• Lawyer news: A huge firm in Texas has canceled next summer's associate program. I've never heard of such a thing.
• I TIVO'd the Travel Channel's "Bridget's Sexiest Beaches" with Bridget Marquardt last night. It looked like a "Hey, Now" kind of show based upon the previews.
• NFL Draft thought: Everyone always says "Take the best player available." Um, ok. The tricky part is figuring out who that is.
• I really like today's pic.
• Drives me nuts: Driving down the highway in the rain and having someone pass me on the left only to immediately get right in front of me and spraying me with gunk.
• Finally heard a radio interview with the Dallas Mavericks' coach. Sheesh. That guy is a tremendous jerk.
• St. Patrick's Day is coming up. I hope I remember to post my favorite video of "I wanna know where da gold at!"

And You Know What This Means?

It means the Evil Empire is now in the cross-hairs of the Basketball Playing Baptists. Austin, you're on notice. Tomorrow evening in the Big 12 Semi-Finals, we're going to walk all over you like you're a pebble on the Road to Damascus. Get behind me, Satan, indeed! (And you think Baylor is intimidated by having lost 24 in a row to UT? Well, think agai.......woah........24?........Sheesh.....Nevermind.)

Random Golf Post

Rumor Mill

Someone just wrote that 36 people just got laid off at POCO in Decatur? Anybody confirm?

Dallas Morning News: March 11, 2009

Larger.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• "A Baghdad court has sentenced an Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush to three years in prison for assaulting a foreign leader." I hope they don't suffocate from all that new found freedom over there.
• A commenter is now furiously typing, "But Saddam Hussein would have put him to death!!!" I call that the, "Oh, yeah? What about you?" argument: The method of distracting criticism by comparing the criticized conduct to something worse. I bet there's a technical name for that.
• I made it halfway through Forgetting Sarah Marshall last night. Pretty funny, but it's no The Heartbreak Kid - a movie that I like 100% more than anyone else.
• Forbes has released it's list of World's Richest People. Hey, there's a drug lord on there.
• This obituary of a teenager goes with this shocking crime out of Graham. (Credit.)
• My junior high basketball coach once told our team, "If you can't beat a man one on one, you don't need to be on this court." That's always bugged me.
• An irate caller on KLIF this morning said our country is "fat, lazy and stupid" and it wouldn't hurt for us to have to learn what it is like to "sacrifice and suffer." Probably right.
• He also added that sometimes he thinks it would be a good idea to let the country implode in order to see if the current generation, when faced with the crisis, is "worthy of America." I think I agree with that, too.
• As a long time Baylor supporter who is a fan of Hall of Fame linebacker "Mike Singletary" it's weird to watch a Texas Tech basketball game who has a pretty good player named "Mike Singletary."
• For Ticket Fans only: The Fake Billy Tubbs and the Ed Carter Sports Reports may be my favorite bits.
• As I still consider my trip across the South, I found a tour of mansions in Natchez, Mississippi. Ten years ago I wouldn't have been remotely interested in such a thing.
• I've started watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart again. His monologue is always funny, but something has happened to his "chit chat with our correspondent" segment.
• Random thing heard on the news this morning: Do people still wear galoshes?
• There's a K&G commercial disguised as a news 911 call. I hate it.
• If I were in charge of commercial/ad design as my job, I'm pretty sure after my presentation to sell it to the client I would hear, "That's just weird" a lot.

That "Family Values" Thing Can Be Tricky

It's easy to say now, but when I saw her interview a couple of weeks ago it seemed like something was up with the boyfriend. Story. (Thanks for the quick tip, Steve.)

And Just When I Bad Mouthed MySpace

This playa gets national attention for his. (It's very wheels off and worth the click.)

Wednesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Paris and Britney have been swimming. Spring Break for everybody!

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Chalk drawings on a sidewalk can't help but make you smile.
• Channel 8 News covered the Jackie Murphree fundraiser yesterday in Decatur and there's footage of Jackie who made an appearance. You can watch it here. Keep a Kleenex handy.
• I had someone printout this pic of a news anchor and give it to me yesterday at the courthouse for no reason other than she thought I'd like it.
• How in the world did the ankle-monitor-for-truants story become such a big deal when not a single kid has ever been outfitted with the device?
• How could anyone possibly have a "Git R Done" sticker on their car?
• Everyone sure has become an economics expert all of a sudden.
• Triple death in North Richland Hills last night off Rufe Snow. The ages of the dead are 17, 38, and 55.
• The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders performed at Bass Hall? Pictures to prove it.
• So many people who have a problem waste time explaining that problem to someone who cannot help them.
• I'm almost at the end of 1776. I had thought it would be about the Revolutionary War and its people as a whole but it was only about the year 1776 (go figure). Sound boring? Not even close. It was riveting.
• I think the far right wing is getting nuttier.
• One of these years I'm going to the St. Patrick Day's parade on Greenville Avenue. But not this year: The forecast is for rain and temperatures in the 40s.
• "Woman Injured In Sex Toy Mishap." How can you not click on that?
• Every two years in the legislature, there's a bill to require all consents to search to be in writing. Every year it gets shot down despite there being no legitimate reason for it to die.
• I've spent exactly one night in a hospital. Well, two. One night was sitting in a chair beside a sick girlfriend. I felt pretty good about myself after that.

"First (!!!!!) On Fox 4 News"

This has to be the slowest news day in the history of ever.

AT&T's 1993 "You Will" Ads

They were pretty much dead on.