How You Bury A Baptist Deacon Who Loved Fishing

Funeral was yesterday in Knox City, Texas. The hearse stopped on the way to the cemetery and the coffin was transferred to the deceased's favorite boat for the remainder of the journey. Pictures were encouraged by this family who obviously subscribes to the belief of celebrating one's life and not grieving one's death. Thanks: Mark And published with the family's permission. Comments off. Edit: Comments on but I'm going to censor them like nobody's business. For once, I demand some "positivity."

Decatur Massive Traffic Jam

Well, not really. But something happened which required traffic cones at 730 and 287. And if they are breaking out the cones, you know something big is going on. Edit: Oops. 51 and 287

Just In: Decatur ISD

Heads back to school tomorrow. The closing will not be extended.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• The CDC now says that closing schools is not necessary (so reports the New York Times this morning) and that the swine flu is no more severe than seasonal flu. Bottom line: The next time the CDC says the sky is falling, we'll tend not to believe them.
• Decatur ISD officials will meet at 10:00 a.m. this morning to decide whether to extend the school closings. I bet they open them back up --- Decatur ISD has been the most sensible district in this time of double fake crisis.
• How Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin, who is the most ridiculous of conservative talk show hosts (hard at 5:00 p.m. on KLIF), is #1 on the New York Times best seller list is beyond me.
• Someone asked me yesterday why I follow/listen to public figures that irritate me to no end (i.e. Sean Hannity, Ann Curry, etc.) I don't know why, but I enjoy getting irritated.
• In the first sentence above, does the period go inside the ")" or out? Or did I need an extra period outside the closing parenthesis?
• The Fox 4 videographer who was inside the collapsing Cowboys' training facility is the same guy (Larry Rodriguez) that sued former Ranger's pitcher Kenny Rogers for "attacking" him before a game. He also sued the Rangers over the incident.
• I had no idea that the Cowboys' staff member had a "severed spine" before I made a comment yesterday that it was premature to say he was "permanently paralyzed." I felt bad about that all day.
• When I look at wedding announcements in the paper, I tend to study the picture and predict whether or not I think they will last.
• I keep hearing rumors of a Wise County school scandal -- but that's all I know.
• I wouldn't watch it anyway, but the NBA is doing itself no favors by starting the Denver/Dallas playoff game at 9:30 p.m. Central Time.
• The S&P 500 is now up for the year. I told you Obama would bring changey change change.
• This opening sentence doesn't make you feel too confident about the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office: "FORT WORTH — A 66-year-old Houston area man whose death had been ruled the result of a Fort Worth auto accident was determined to be a homicide victim after a Houston funeral home found part of a bullet jacket lodged in the man’s cheek, the Tarrant County medical examiner said."
• Fox 4's Chip Wagner might want to reconsider the sweater vest look.
• Drives me insane: The U.S. Army will pay Stewart-Haas Racing $11.6 million to sponsor Ryan Newman's car for 23 races this season

DPS Morale: Very Down On Early Trading

Story. (Although there are very little details in a story that is screaming for details.)

Reason # 4,123 . . .

. . . that Ann Curry drives me insane: Her Twitter posts.

Et Tu, Chico?

Just got an email that all of Chico ISD will close (instead of just the elementary school). Trying to confirm it. With that, every single school in Wise County will be closed. Edit: Finally confirmed. School will resume for Chico on the 14th.

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up: Kelly Ripa

Oh, my. She must use 8 Minute Abs.

Not Sure How You Pull Off That Second Bullet Point

Source. And I just came from the district court felony docket in Decatur: 59 defendants (some with multiple cases.) And number of defendants there for dope or alcohol offenses: 39.

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)