After All, It Is Memorial Day.

Photo was taken today. I can't imagine. Background. Idea stolen from. (Edit: Oops. Link fixed.)

My Fox 4 News Night

Steve and Heather: The "blue screen" that the weather map is projected onto: The control room (you can see the teleprompter screen at the top): The weather center. Lot's of screens. Being a powerful member of the liberal media, I had a chance to visit the Fox 4 News set on Friday night. In a word, cool. In more words:

• The place is huge. I don't know why I thought it would be a small operation, but it was a pretty big building with tons of employees.
• Everyone I met was really nice and with a great sense of snarky humor.
• All the offices of the big time anchors are off to the side but are about the size of an office cubicle. They were all crammed packed with junk that I could have gone through for hours if no one were watching.
• The anchor desk and weather center are in two different rooms.
• Saw the girl who was responsible for taking phone calls from the public regarding news tips and monitoring the police scanner. I think there is the possibility that a lot of the public may make drunken news tips.
• I got to meet Heather Hays. Very sweet and a certifiable "Hey, now."
• I saw Steve Eager before the newscast sitting at a computer. He was actually working on his news script.
• The control room is incredible. Six people run show but I'm not sure what three of them did. The three main folks are the Producer (who I really didn't see do anything after the show had begun) and the Director who was telling the Technical Director (the man pushing the buttons) what to do at a rapid fire pace. That was impressive.
• You'd think that moments before they went on the air there would be increased intensity. Nope.
• In front of Steve Eager and Heather Hays during the newscast is only one guy despite there being three cameras. Two cameras are controlled by another guy in a different room by remote control.
• And those are the only people in the room of the anchor desk. No one else. That surprised me.
• Lots of talking in technical terms by the crew.
• I saw the script for the newscast. Everything is planned down to the second. Set up for throwing it to Emily on remote (9 seconds). Emily live. (27 seconds) Roll prepared video package (1:15) Back to Emily live (15 seconds). Back to anchor desk.
• Everyone reads from the teleprompter except the weather guy. He's on his own. I think that would be hard to do.
• And despite all the show being planned, no one tells the weather guy what to say or has the right to overrule his forecast.
• There are more computers there than at Microsoft

(Thanks, Alice!)

Picture Along 287 This Afternoon

A mushroom cloud can make a guy a little uncomfortable. (Thanks, Wayne.)

Snake On The Square!

We had a little excitement in downtown Decatur this afternoon. That baby was huge!

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

The lake: The beach:

• Three day weekends are a-good.
• I don't think most people understand the concept of "insurance" when it comes to medical/dental. It does not mean that every year you should receive more benefits than you pay for. That's not insurance at all.
• Eighty percent of the students at UT are admitted under the "Top Ten Percent" rule.
• In the South, "UT" refers to the University of Tennessee.
• I finished higher in my class at Baylor Law School than I did at Bridgeport High School.
• Huge power down feeling yesterday as I heard a ton of people talking about American Idol.
• The Cowboys might be getting rid of Greg Ellis. Good riddance. That guy has been whining about his contract(s) for 10 years.
• Hot tennis player to have breast reduction surgery. And just when my day was starting out OK.
• I've never been to a garage sale.
• There was a DWI trial in Wise County with some out of town defense lawyer. I heard the case involved a gal who left Bone Daddy's in Grapevine to go to her home in the same city but ended up in Wise County. Last I heard, the jury was deliberating yesterday evening.
• I keep my eyes shut for most of the time while getting a haircut.
• I think I should have kept my eyes open yesterday. She treated me like I was a sheep getting sheared.
• Why would anyone buy anything from a company that uses spam email with a misleading subject line?
• The high tone blogger Anobiter is in Ireland this week on one of her many vacations a year. She tweeted about five hours ago that she was "Going to have some great crack tonight at a group pub outing." I have no idea what that means.
• The uncertainty about the future of GM certainly can't be helping current car sales.
• I've got some friends that meet once a week for an early breakfast at a restaurant north of Decatur. I think that would be a beating.
• I've heard more out of Dick Cheney in the last month than I ever did during his 8 years as VP. Note to Cheney: You're not in office any more.
• Motorcycle wreck on LBJ in Dallas this morning at around 7:15 a.m. (Radio report.)
• I saw what looked like a pretty nice BMW on fire on the shoulder of I-30 yesterday in Fort Worth. And I mean it was flaming as the presumed owner watched from behind.
• Think that guy wants a do over?
• Then I looked up and had to avoid a metal stool bouncing on the highway that had just fallen out of a truck bed.
• My cat-like reflexes kept me out of danger.

Cross On Wheels

A faithful reader sent in this pic yesterday. A guy was bearing this cross (with wheels) between Denton and Decatur on 380. And he was headed our way. (Thanks, Chris.)

Britney Is Showing Up More And More

Uh......"Hey, now."

Taken From The Byron Nelson Golf Pavilion Today

But not by me. (Credit.)

The Newest Entry . . .

. . . from AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com That man needs to get control of his scene.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Sad news yesterday that Phil Mickelson's wife has breast cancer. It was certainly happier times last year when he won Colonial as a drunk guy jumped into the water hazard in the background.
• I fear the cancer.
• I've been reading a book on the religious aspect of suffering and if it really makes any sense.
• I haven't watched one second of American Idol. (Except for the girl in the bikini during the tryout stage), but you can't get away from hearing about the huge "upset" last night. My knee jerk reaction: AI fixed the results to generate publicity for its sagging ratings. Yep, I'm serious about that.
• And my brother believes that any sporting playoff event that goes to a Game 7 is fixed.
• We may both be crazy.
• There's a home in my neighborhood that has a temporary sign in its lawn that reads, "Voting Entrance In Back." I have no idea what that means.
• It's kind of fun to read police reports for the first time since you get to learn if the cop's version of the events matches what your client told you.
• I jumped back into an S&P 500 Mutual Fund yesterday. Obama, baby needs new shoes!
• Last night I dreamed/dreamt that I met my high school girlfriend for a date in Fort Worth and she surprised me by bringing her newborn baby. Then we tried to find a sitter by just walking around. Fail.
• Shameless plug: I'm slowly getting the bugs worked out of the Wise County Free Classifieds.
• The huge video screen at the new Cowboys' stadium will be fired up today for the media. Fox 4 showed it this morning with only a "test pattern" on it and it looks amazing.
• I'm no longer buying a daily copy of the Dallas Morning News. Quality down. Price up. Me apathetic.
• If I spend more that 30 minutes on the phone per month on non-business conversations, there's something wrong. I simply do not talk on the phone for fun.
• All the celebrity web sites have Hayden Panettiere bikini pictures over last two days as she vacations on a yacht. I just couldn't link to it because I knew you guys would barbecue me.
• Have you ever seen the fake Tiger Woods yacht?
• A Wise County elected official sent me an email yesterday and signed it "Double Fake . . . . "

High Speed Chase

Got reports last night of half of the county's law enforcement chasing a sports bike. Heard it went down 2123 out of Bridgeport and then onto 51 northbound back to Decatur. Last report I heard was "it didn't look good for the biker." Edit: Got a pic from an emailer. Bike looks fine.

I Have An Answer:

Because the guy is in a cold cell behind bars!!! That Q and A is is from the Texas District and County Attorney's Message Board and "JB" is John Bradley who is the DA of Williamson County --- easily the most conservative county in Texas. Yep, they would put Wise County to shame. I've dogged him on here for years but he's actually emailed me and seems like a nice guy. Last year he asked permission to use screen shots of The Blog for his presentation at the Texas Advanced Criminal Law Seminar where he was going to speak on lawyers, blogs, and legal ethics. I said "sure." I've still yet to hear what he said.

Wednesday Afternoon Pick Me Up

That's Kelly Brook in the Caribbean yesterday. And it would be even more interesting if I knew who Kelly Brook was.

Well, At Least Kenneth Copeland Is Hiring

And you have to love the disclaimer at the bottom. (Thanks, Chloe.)

Female Jim Thorpe Is At It Again

Last year, Bonnie Richardson of Rochelle won the Texas 1A Girls team track and field title by herself. Well, she's at it again winning the Regional Title all by herself last weekend. Results: Long Jump: 1st Discuss: 2nd (slacker!) High Jump: 1st 1oo Meters: 1st 200 Meters: 1st She won the team title with 48 points (the town of Hamlin came in second.) Source: A pdf file I printed but forgot to link to. (Thanks Tracie) Edit: And no, you can't say that.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I think I feel kind of sorry for Dirk's Nowitzki's ex-fiance.
• It's so difficult for me to remember my dreams. I'm aware of them when I wake up but within 15 minutes the memories vanish.
• "We are not going to try this case in the media," is sounding pretty old.
• It was uttered yesterday by a lawyer who represents a Parker County commissioner for DWI. He had two flat tires, called the cops for help, and then they arrest him. Thank you very much.
• The last I heard, former Tech quarterback Graham Harrell couldn't even get an invitation to try out as a free agent for an NFL team. (I think he got close, but it fell through.)
• I think the Texas legislature has moved so slowly this session that very few laws will be enacted. That's fine with me. I can't think of one new law we need.
• Michael Vick finally gets released from prison today, and the NFL is "considering" re-instating him. Sheesh. The man went to prison. He lost his house. Heck, he lost everything. How much more punishment do you want to dish out?
• Have we ever had a concealed handgun license holder in Texas actually stop a crime?
• Edit: A fast typing reader just sent me this great link about a CHL holder in Azle.
• I'm worried about myself when the story last week of "Dallas Twins Fathered By Different Men" didn't even get my attention.
• I got contacted by the Star-Telegram's Melody McDonald (love her work) about the "Assisted Suicide" case that was on our district court's docket. (I mentioned it the other day as a Random Thought.) Had to tell her that I had been infomed it was a computer error and that the charge should have read "Failure to Register as Sex Offender."
• I think I ran over something important to a couple of blue jays when I mowed last Friday. They were not happy.
• The Messenger reported in today's edition (which was released last night with "Thursday" in the masthead) that property tax valuations actually went up in Bridgeport. How is that possible?
• And Chief Appraiser Mickey Hand did not say, for the first time ever, "The Barnett Shale is still king."
• Joggers are like Harley owners when they meet each other -- There's always an acknowledgment.
• WBAP's Hal Jay this morning on how to solve the Dallas city budget crunch: Invoke a "Fair Park stabbing tax." Good lord, man.
• I had heard that the DA's office screwed up on a technicality when they tried to file an appeal of the ruling suppressing the blood test results in the DWI case of Tarrant County judge Elizabeth Berry. I noticed that her lawyer just filed a Motion to Dismiss the appeal and the appellate court wanted a response from the State. Something is about to happen.

Dale Hansen's Scholar Athlete Of The Week

This kid from Decatur made it on Channel 8 on Sunday, but I didn't catch his name. Edit: Mathew Huddleston?

Decatur Crime Report?

The jury is still out on whether this new experiment will work. Link. (You have to zoom in and mess around with it.)