I'm Stealing From Denny Crane's Blog

He asked: Would you have shot this dog? (And go visit crazy Denny to make me feel better about this grand blog theft.)

Meet Rocket Scientist Drew Matthews

From today's Letters to the Editors in the Dallas Morning News.

Friday Afternoon Pick Me Up

"Now Joining Us On The Bob's Steak & Chop House Hotline . . . "

This story doesn't make since* sense. It sounds like a civil breach of contract instead of theft. But, as I say more and more, you can get indicted for anything these days. (I've never eaten at that restaurant, but I had a buddy who did late last year. He really didn't know what he was walking into until he saw the menu prices.) ___________ *One of these days, I'll stop doing stuff like this.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• It seems that the Red River threatening Fargo is not the same Red River that separates us from Oklahoma.
• Every time I hear about Fargo, I think about the movie Fargo.
• Amarillo weather forecast from the National Weather Service for today: "Snow. Blowing snow. Windy. Snow may be heavy at times. Visibility one quarter mile or less at times. Snow accumulation of 5 to 7 inches. Highs in the upper 20s. North winds 25 to 35 mph. Gusts up to 55 mph decreasing to 45 mph in the afternoon." And it gets worse tonight.
• I wish I was in Amarillo today.
• I just thought about "Amarillo by Morning."
• Being an assembly line worker at GM (which we see from stock footage on newscasts) looks like a tremendous beat down.
• Regarding that horrible Montana private plane crash a week ago that killed several persons of the same family. Well, it has been learned that the plane's owner and the individual that lost several family members in the crash provided abortion services. Some are suggesting the crash is God's revenge. A local blogger has referred to it as "karma". Incredible.
• Ok, Ok, enough about the Dallas cop who detained the NFL player for running a red light as his mother-in-law died. I get it.
• And Chief Kunkle sure will sacrifice one of his own officers to the Media Gods pretty quickly.
• 48 dead in Pakistan - the most dangerous place in the world.
• I watched The World's 21 Sexiest Beaches last night on the Travel Channel. Now I want to go to Patong Beach in Thailand. I'm certain I've never said that before.
• Not to be confused with the Travel Channel's Bridget's Sexiest Beaches which may be the best show ever. (I think part of its schtick is scantily clad women, but I'll need to watch more of it to be sure. It is very educational.)
• After watching rich people walk along pristine beaches, I like to switch over to the Natural Geographic Channel and see a war torn country like Darfur so I can rest assured that this is one crazy world.
• Can a guy use ":)" in an email or text? I hope so.
• I haven't read it but Texas House Bill 286 introduced by "M. Fischer" regarding "Creating a DWI Czar" made me roll my eyes.
• Most confusing bill introduced by our own state senator about a problem that I didn't know was a problem: "SB 257 [introduced by] Estes [concerning] Criminalizing the sale or delivery of salvia divinorum to a child." Huh?
• Had a defense lawyer tell me the other day that he had been to Collin, Denton and Tarrant Counties in the last week and his experience in those places was better than in the Wise County Courthouse. That could mean several different things.

Musical Flashbacks

Growing up, I remember Seals & Croft, and I'm 100% sure Dan Seals was the, uh, Seals part of the duet. I also remember a couple of his country hits. (Edit: Someone just posted that I might want to back off on the the 100% statement.) But in a different post, someone wrote that they remembered him as "England Dan." Holy cow, I checked out the Google and learned Dan Seals was England Dan of "England Dan and John Ford Coley." I had no idea. And you've got to be old to remember this hit of theirs. And 61 is too young to die. Edit: I'm going to admit I liked him with Marie Osmond in "Meet Me In Montana".

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Former Fox 4 Anchor Megan Henderson and some guy. (Click for super happy enlarging.)

Old Guys And High School Girls

George Dunham Bringing The Pain

This is of limited interest, but for you Ticket fans out there, here is a comprehensive look (including video) of last night's game of Ticket personalities vs. the Lake Highlands Thunder girls basketball teams. Off.

Local Blogger In Fort Worth Weekly And It Ain't Me

I don't think I know Sharon Wilson, but I do know she constantly rails against natural gas drilling in Wise County in her blog Bluedaze. Well, the Fort Worth Weekly has taken note and gives her a lot of press here. (That is, if you can read it without getting distracted by those goofy diamond symbols --- something that you think the FW Weekly would have learned to get rid of.) Be nice in the comments. I know this gal is a lightening rod so avoid the name calling for name calling's sake.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Baylor and Texas Tech will play in the new Cowboys stadium this fall. They'll be at the Cotton Bowl in 2010. Good times.
• The year "2010" seems very futuristic.
• There's a forecast for a foot (maybe two) of snow in the Panhandle today or tomorrow? I wish I was there.
• Other weather news: The Red River is expected to crest in Fargo, ND at over 40 feet. I can't do it justice, but I saw video of thousands of volunteers creating miles of sandbag walls. But I was more surprised to learn the Red River started that far north.
• I had another crazy dream last night but I can't remember it. I just remember waking up in the middle of the night exhausted right before something horrible almost happened. I'm a tormented soul.
• Had a new, young female client yesterday that used the term "homie" a lot. Made me laugh.
• I locked my bedroom door last night for the first time in months. I just had a bad feeling.
• It's not even fall, but I don't think I can stand another year of Wade Phillips.
• Hillary is in Mexico talking about drug cartel violence. I'm sure we'll have that problem fixed by the end of the summer.
• I really wasn't to interested in this cop-is-a-jerk story but it got my attention any way: "Shut your mouth." "You can cooperate and settle down, or I can just take you to jail for running a red light." "Your attitude says that you need one." "I can screw you over." Nice.
• We've got a new Assistant Wise County Attorney. Seems like a nice guy.
• I've met some prosecutors in the past that thought they were enforcing a Morality Code instead of a Penal Code. There's a huge difference.
• A must see: Lady faints during interview. One guy stands and watches. Reporter makes sure he throws it back to the studio.
• I downloaded A Confederacy of Dunces after two unrelated people suggested it.
• While you were sleeping: If you see a 5-feet-3-inch tall Hispanic that weighs about 130 pounds with a short haircut and is wearing blue jeans and no shirt AND he's coming from the direction of Parker County with a sense of urgency, you might want to call the POleeeece.

Misdemeanor Crime News

After deliberating all morning, breaking for lunch, and then most of the afternoon, a jury found a lady guilty of DWI today. They even sent a note out shortly before 3:00 that they were deadlocked 4-2. The jury consisted of four middle aged women and two guys in their twenties. I never understand how you can have a doubt all day about someone's guilt, and that doubt not be a reasonable one. Which, by definition, means a vote of not guilty. (Actual Wise County Courthouse pic by the way.)

I'll Move This Back To The Top

Told Ya

Last October I wrote that the Republicans are in big trouble of ever being the majority party again because of demographics. I was largely poo pooed. (That's a legal term.) I just noticed that the Star Telegram's Bud Kennedy wrote about the Tarrant County Republicans being told the same thing by . . . another Republican.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Odd eighth grade Bridgeport basketball memory: Our team went into a "four corners" routine at a tournament and the other team didn't come out to guard. I bet we ran off half a quarter in one possession by just standing in place and dribbling. But I have no idea if we won the game.
• I used Google Street View to look at the Katrina damaged Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans the other day. It's pretty much a ghost town. I wonder if it's safe to drive through it?
• I haven't been inside a Dairy Queen in years.
• I never heard back from the lawyer that told me the use of "Dairy Queen" in my graphic might be a trademark infringement and that I needed to remove it. So long as I never hear from him again, I want you folks to go buy a bunch of Hungr Busters and stuff.
• I didn't watch Obama last night. Baylor was playing in the NIT on ESPN.
• The Messenger has a story today of a five and half year old Intoxication Manslaughter case that was finally indicted last week. I'm not sure what is going on there with the long delay, but our new DA seems to be going back and digging up some old cases.
• And the default statute of limitations for felonies is three years. There's a specific provision allowing for no limitation for "murder and manslaughter" but the question will be whether that "manslaughter" includes "intoxication manslaughter." They are not the same thing. There's a specific "manslaughter" crime (reckless killing) under one section of the Penal Code and "intoxication manslaughter" under another. That may have already been decided, but I don't know it off the top of my head.
• That gave me early morning Tired Head.
• I don't know what I think about the Messenger running out to an accident scene, videoing it, and then throwing the video up on youtube. They did it yesterday.
• A city wide nighttime curfew has always bugged me. The concept of a daytime curfew seems downright unAmerican.
• My dream last night consisted of two hot girls, an intentional car crash that resulted in a fiery death at the Bridgeport Dairy Queen parking lot, and a guy with a knife.
• The previous bullet point was in no way meant to disparage the parking lots of Dairy Queen.
• Kay Bailey Hutchison was on WBAP this morning and was specifically asked whether our military should be used to help secure the border with Mexico. She answered that we needed to "do more to increase border security." In typical WBAP fashion, they didn't force her to answer the question.
• We can now all get drunk at Six Flags and Hurricane Harbor.
• Watched a little of a DWI trial in Wise County yesterday. It involved an out of county teacher -- I felt sorry for her. And she looked pretty good on tape. The jury begins deliberations this morning.
• Official Liberally Lean figure skater: Tanith Belbin
• About once every 18 months I get a new credit card from Citibank with a new number because my old one "may have been compromised" due to a security breach.

Teacher Must Like R. Kelly's "Bump N' Grind"

And you teachers out there that have never gotten drunk and dirty danced in front of you eighth grade class while in school, cast the first stone. Yeah, that's what I thought.

I've Noticed They've Been Getting A Little Bold

Tuesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Mind Burst

I just got distracted by this that someone placed on my desk: There are 7 girls in a bus. Each girl has 7 backpacks In each backpack, there are 7 big cats For every big cat there are 7 little cats There is no bus driver. How many legs are there on the bus? Answer in first comment.