Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The Swine Flu is a worldwide story, but only little Wise County, Texas has decided that every school needs to be closed today.
• My complaint with the school closures over the Swine Flu is that catching the disease appears to be only an inconvenience - and a minor one at that.
• And there are so many single moms and two parent working families that the closing of a school creates a true crisis.I think school officials are incentive insensitive to that. Edit: Ugh. It's Monday.
• Do teachers get paid for this off time? What about hourly support staff?
• My lawn has never been greener.
• My neighbor needs to understand that weeds are not his friend.
• Random movie thought: I watched a portion of the updated version of the The Hitcher last night and I noted the lead cop told the psycho killer, "In the great state of New Mexico, we do have the death penalty." Not anymore, I recalled.
• Also watched part of Dirty Dancing and thought about how bad Patrick Swayze is looking these days. (At least based upon some picture on a tabloid in the checkout line I saw the other day.)
• And in that movie, one spare character tells Baby that "Some people matter and some people don't" as he hands her a copy of The Fountainhead - a novel I declared last year to be one of the most ridiculous books ever written. (I had never noticed that scene until this time around.)
• Isn't it a little early to describe the injured Cowboys' coach from the roof collapse this weekend as being "permanently" paralyzed? Both the Morning News and Star Telegram used that term.
• In addition to my dream of being back in school, unprepared, with finals bearing down upon me, I also have a reoccurring dream of being on a high school sports team but can't find all my equipment while the team is taking the field/court.
• That Wolverine movie took in $87 million over the weekend? I've got no interest.
• America's Funniest home videos is edging closure to Idiocracy.
• Edit: And another.

The Pig: Decatur The Whole County Is No Longer Immune

Just got word that Rann Elementary will be closed Monday and Tuesday until two flu cases can be diagnosed. Developing.... Edit @ 2:55 p.m.: It may be all of the Decatur ISD but that's just a rumor. Edit @ 3:02 p.m.: Confirmed. All of Decatur ISD is closed Monday and Tuesday. (I still think it's silly.) Edit (from the DISD web site): Decatur ISD has several students who are classified as �suspect� H1N1(swine) Flu. At this time no Decatur ISD students have been identified as a highly probable case of the H1N1 (swine) Flu. Decatur ISD schools will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, May 4 and 5 as a precaution. Unless otherwise notified, schools will reopen on Wednesday, May 6. Edit: Bridgeport ISD goes down! Big time. Edit: Got an email that Paradise ISD is shut down. Edit: Confirmed. Edit: Boyd ISD is shut down Monday and Tuesday. I can't tell you how insane this makes me.

The Pig Will Not Be Denied: Wise County Hit

Northwest ISD closes two schools after confirmed case of Swine Flu. The entire Denton ISD is also shutting down. Every other open school district appears to still be sane.

Denton County Book In Photo Of The Day

And the charge means she has allegedly been convicted at least two times before of DWI.

Saturday Afternoon Pick Me Up. Wait. What?

Cowboys Practice Facility Collapses With Players Inside

I cannot tell you the number of emails and texts I got about this. I've got no pictures. Turn on the TV as of 4:00 p.m. Channel 11 appears to have the best coverage because they were "lucky" enough to have Sportscaster Steve Dennis out there with the camera crew. Edit: Channel 8 has video of of the bubble collapsing. Pretty amazing. Edit: I love Fox 4 but they keep speculating that the facility went down because of "rain buildup." No way. (They also have a video of the bubble collapsing but I'll give the nod to Channel 8 for the best footage for now.) Edit: Amazingly, KDAF Channel 33 had the best video footage. Channel 5 showed it at 10:00 p.m. More amazing is that no one was killed. Edit: Should have titled this "When The Walls . . . Come Tumbling Down"

Update From China

Channel 5 did a story last night on Jackie Murphree who is in China undergoing treatment. You can watch it here. So tragic but so hopeful.

Sacked: Channel 11's Kristine Kahanek

Sheesh. What a brutal business.

Aporkalypse News

- Lewisville ISD goes down - Ponder ISD as well (in above link) - Cisco Junior College cancels graduation - will mail diplomas - Decatur and Bridgeport ISDs proclaim they "won't be bullied by the Politics of Fear." One of those was made up. Edit: I spoke to soon. Alvord ISD goes down!!! Edit #2: A comment worthy of posting (click to enlarge)

From the Jack County bathroom

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The scandal ridden ex-Montague County Sheriff died yesterday. (Thanks emailer, I had missed this completely.)
• The more religious you are, the more you approve of torture. I'm so confused.
• Watched a little of a Boating While Intoxicated case being tried in the Wise County Court at Law yesterday. I can assure you that's the first BWI case ever tried here.
• The video in the case, which showed the Field Sobriety Tests, contained more F Bombs than any other video ever shown in a Wise County court.
• The jury is made up of 5 men and 1 women. And the men did not look like "bubbas" at all.
• Get this, the boater blew a .06 (the legal limit is .08), but the test was a couple of hours after he was seen driving without lights out of Blocker's Camp on Lake Bridgeport.
• I think they might convict him for dropping a bunch of F Bombs.
• Jumping out of his boat while being towed by the Game Warden to Wise County Park doesn't help.
• That's a pretty fun case.
• Oh, by the way, Chrysler announced it will declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday. A story which 10 years ago would have dominated the news for weeks is, in 2009, an afterthought.
• I really like watching Track and Field. Well, at least the "Track" part. And I'm not sure why it's not more popular than it is.
• The Bar Exam results (given twice a year) were just released. Baylor had the highest rating again.
• Flashback: Before I took the Bar Exam (a 2 1/2 day test), we were required to give a fingerprint so, as the proctor told us, "you don't have a real lawyer sneak in here and take the test for you." Note to clueless proctor: There is no lawyer, after one year removed from law school, that could pass the Bar Exam.
• I haven't used the word "proctor" in 20 years.
• Justice Souter is retiring fromthe Supreme Court. Uh, President Obama, let's just say there's a little country lawyer in Decatur that would be a tad bit interested in that gig. (And I promise I'd use spell check more often.)
• Notice how this has been Swine Flu Free? Can't let that happen. I still believe this "panic" is the silliest thing I've ever seen. In a nation of 300,000,000 people we have 114 confirmed cases. And all indications are those 114 will get sick and then get better.

The Wrath Of The Pig: Wise County!!!

Chico Elementary is now the first one to close. Slidell ISD has shut down completely. Source. (Thanks to commentors for pointing this out almost immediately.)

Collision Alert

We are so cautious as Americans that we will shut down the whole southwest proper just because somebody gets "flu like symptoms". But we are also the kind of people that will come up with a promotion where two kids race to home plate, in opposite directions, and without helmets. There's a collision. Wait for it.

Decatur ISD's Position On Pigdemic

April 30, 2009

Parents:

The Decatur Independent School District considers the health and safety of our students as our top priority. With the recent announcement of some confirmed cases of swine flu in North Texas school districts, DISD has been particularly watchful on all of our campuses.

No confirmed swine flu cases have been reported in Decatur ISD, however we have two suspected cases of Type A influenza in the district. We are communicating with local health authorities as well as the regional health department, and we are confident that we will be notified immediately if this case is confirmed as swine flu.

The custodial staff at all campuses are diligently cleaning and disinfecting, as is done every day, to make sure our schools are safe. As we remind our students and staff to take precautionary measures, we encourage parents to reinforce the same measures at home such as:

• Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

• Cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

At this time, all DISD campuses are open. Should we receive any information of a confirmed case of Swine Flu, we will consult with the appropriate officials to determine what needs to be done to protect our students.

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

The Pig Attacks Dallas ISD

Get ready (and you heard it here first): A student at Dallas ISD's Daniel Webster Elementary School has a confirmed case of the swine flu. As a result that school is closing until at least May 11th. So will the entire Dallas ISD shut down? Edit: Fox 4 first to report it. Edit: More silliness --- Fort Worth's Mayfest has been canceled. And shockingly: "The Tarrant County Health Department, in the interest of public health and safety, has declared that all outdoor public gatherings must be cancelled." Richard Zavala, Director of Parks and Community Department

Golden

A couple of people have pointed this out from the Update this morning. Somebody call Leno.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts - Special Pig Flu Edition

• The Swine Flu scare is one of the silliest things I've ever seen in my life. Absolutely one of the silliest.
• When Fort Worth ISD shut down "due to" the flu last night, some people consider it an official sanctioning of their need to panic. And many feel the situation must be much worse than we are being told. I don't believe that for a second. (Kind of fun to watch reactions here.)
• ABC News' Dr. Timothy Johnson greatly criticized the World Health Organization's statement of "All of humanity under threat." Preach on, bruther.
• I was more worried when I walked out of the old Outbreak movie a few years ago. (Hey females: Want to see a quick clip of Patrick Dempsey in the movie?)
• And the "Health Department" of the City of Fort Worth might consider hiring a spokesperson. That lady, pictured above, looks like she's ready to throw off the white jacket and head off to happy hour in that blouse.
• And she instilled no confidence whatsoever.
• And when she was asked if parents should keep their kids away from places "like Chuck E. Cheese" by a Fox 4 reporter, she said "absolutely." I could see Chuck E. Cheese officials across the metroplex spitting out their drinks at that moment.
• "Pigdemic" is a funny name.
• The Dallas Morning News web site has a "Swine Flu Survival Guide" link.
• If the Swine Flu could kill you in days like in the movie Outbreak, I'd be scared. But every "confirmed" case in the U.S. is just someone getting sick. Then better. (The death yesterday in Houston was some kid that had just came in from Mexico.)
• Is this true? The World Health Organization confirms only seven deaths in Mexico and not the 150+ their government is claiming?
• It's driving me crazy. Crazy, I tell ya!!!
• Sports Illustrated has come out with it's Top 25 for college football this fall. That's assuming we don't cancel the season this week.
• Edit: Stolen from the comments . . . "It's the Aporkalypse!"
• Ok, I wouldn't cheat you out of a Random Girl: