Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Jimmy Johnson was at the invitation only grand opening of the new Cowboys' Stadium? I didn't see that on TV at all.
• After four months of receiving Texas Monthly as a Christmas present, I'm hooked.
• A shocking reminder in last week's issue of Newsweek, covering our history with Iran, about a story I had completely forgotten about: "January 20, 1981: The Navy warship USS Vincennes shoots down an Iranian airliner it had mistaken for a fighter jet, killing 290 passenger." Edit: Someone pointed out the date is incorrect. That's probably my mistake and not Newsweek's.
• "Drag Me To Hell" may be the worst movie ever. After seeing some great reviews and learning the director had some street cred, I checked it out. I can't begin to tell you how much I hated it. Then I was also stunned to see it was rated PG-13.
• The Cowboy scout that was paralyzed in the pavilion collapse . . . . I wonder what this morning is like for him.
• Plaid shorts have made a comeback. I last owned some in the late 1980s.
• Jim Carey = Not Funny.
• Pink is now synonymous with breast cancer awareness. The color, not the singer.
• I walked out of a restaurant on Friday, got in the family truckster, turned the key, and .... nothing. Battery dead. After trying a variety of options, I ended up walking 1 1/2 miles. Nice night though.
• Kate, of Kate and My Beaten Down Husband Make 8, is in a bikini. Hey, now.
• Extreme Makeover, Home Edition is kind of a tear jerker, isn't it?
• The Rangers won 20 games in May. That's the most in team history.
• I think I've got a friend who is bipolar.
• The last survivor of the Titanic died this weekend. She was looking pretty old when she climbed up on that rail in the movie.
• I kid.
• The MTV Music Awards were last night and they had a bit on "Real mean walk away from explosions in slow motion without looking back." Funny.
• And, man, the crowd went completely bonkers over that Twilight guy. (Who, by the way, doesn't seem all that bright.)
• And the most awkward moment of the night: Miley Cyrus' acceptance speech: "I wanna thank God, helloooooo!" Wow.
• An Air France jet with 228 people on board is officially "missing" this morning after last being tracked over the Atlantic. World famous aviation expert Ann Curry speculates that it might be a lightening strike. Yep, that happens all the time.

I'm On The Shoulder Of Information Super Highway

So I've been having Internet issues at home and it takes A LOT before I'll call tech support. But I finally got frustrated enough to do so. Twenty-two minutes later, the really nice guy on the other end of the line told me he'd have to send someone out. And get this: He apologized because it would take until tomorrow (which was Sunday). Heck, I'm happy it would be within a month. But I had the dreaded window of 12 to 4 p.m. But my luck continued to roll when the guy shows up before 1:00 p.m. Meet "Dave" - the tech guy. He takes a look at the problem and decides that he's going to have to swap out the modem. No problem. Let's get after it. All is going well (with the exception of the awkward moment when Dave says, "It's awful quiet in here. Everyone run out on ya?") Buddy, do you have a minute? So I'm sitting in my favorite chair reading the paper expecting to have me some lightening fast Internet any second. And, then, a power down moment. Dave rounds the corner and says, "There's nothing I can do for you." Me: "What?" Dave: "They tell me it's a billing issue." Me: "What?" Dave: "They probably should have told you that when you called." Me: "But I've got it set up for automatic credit card billing." Dave: "Sorry, nothing I can do. Here's the number you need to call." Me: "Well, is that my tech problem? Is it cutting out because I'm behind on the payment? I would think they would cut it off completely. Will you have to come back?" Dave: "I really can't say." (And it was like he was following a manual that read, "If you find out you're in the house of a deadbeat, do NOT provide any assistance. Get out immediately. And fast.") As he drove off and a tear rolled down my cheek, I began to try and figure out what went wrong. Ah ha! It dawned on me that MasterCard had sent me a new card with a new number a couple of months ago because "my account, along with others, may have been compromised in a security breach." I had forgotten to update the new credit card number with the Internet company. OK, I'll just update it on the Internet. Uh....not so fast. So I dialed the number. Uh....not so fast since "Customer service is closed." Slumping in my chair. Oddly, my Internet fires back up and I'm able to make the change online. Then it died for a few hours. Now it's back up. Now if I can just get this posted befo

Ponder This

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Late-term abortion doctor George Tiller, a prominent advocate for abortion rights wounded by a protester more than a decade ago, was shot and killed Sunday at a church in Wichita where he was serving as an usher and his wife was in the choir, his attorney said.

Last Night's Leisurely Baseball Game: 7 Hours

(Above, Texas player is seen showing loyalty to the Devil by demonstrating some weird hand gesture.)

I like crazy things. This qualifies. Edit: And I just noticed the most shocking sentence of all: "Texas reliever Austin Wood pitched 13 innings, including 12 1-3 of no-hit ball before allowing a two-out single to Tony Sanchez in the 19th."

Wreck

This was sent to me last night and I would have posted it sooner but (1) I came out of a restaurant to find my car battery dead which prompted a 1 1/2 mile hike, and (2) once I got situated at midnight my home Internet was down. Good times. But things good be a 1000X worse which brings me to the picture. The note attached to the photo read, "at CR2224 and 51N - Decatur,..... Barry, I did not talk to any bystanders or Police, took photos while driving. The maroon car is stuck into the DRIVER side of the up-side down 4dr. Ford Ranger pick-up."

Friday Afternoon Pick Me Up

FOX 4's Natalie Solis.

Real News: Plane Crash

PLANE CRASH----BETWEEN COUNTY ROAD 3519 AND 3526... CONFIRMED Updated: Two people were on board -- both men. Both have been transported by air ambulance with one being described as being in "serious condition". And it was in fact an ultralight. Fox 4 News is sending a helicopter. Edit: At 12:04 p.m. you could go here and watch the helicopter's camera as it heads to the scene. Choose "Stream 2" Edit: Screen shot from the helicopter feed:

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I jogged this morning outside in the dark which is something I never do. That was kind of weird. And now I'm exhausted.
• Arrested Development > The Office
• Always be wary of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. First and foremost, he believes his primary official obligation is to get on TV.
• The National Spelling Bee would be fun to watch. At least the last 15 minutes of it.
• I still believe that local news broadcasts need to do more "where are they now?" segments.
• I would love to be able to freeze time and then walk around.
• During negotiations with a Wise County prosecutor yesterday in an impromptu public forum, I actually had to turn to another lawyer and say "you might want to butt out" because he/she kept making insane pro-State comments.
• I've said this before, but police are trained to identify themselves in a tense situation as "PO-leece" so as not to be confused with "please". That is, "Stop, PO-leece" will not be confused as "Stop, please."
• I'm rarely asked if I'm in a bad mood.
• Maybe that means I appear to always be in a bad mood.
• Isn't this HIV-Spreading criminal case a little weird? This one guy is able to infect what, eight women? Maybe more. When the news of AIDS first broke in the mid-1980s, the public was in panic because we believed it could be passed on as easily as the flu. Then we discovered that wasn't true. Now this guy makes us all rethink that.
• And if it's true, why aren't there thousands of criminal cases like this?
• The Wise County classifieds are beginning to fill up.
• Just had a guy call me and asked me if I wanted to play golf this morning. Uh, yeah but no.

Head Shaking In Private

This Letter to the Editor will appear in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram. (Click to enlarge.) (1) The defense has no right to present any evidence to a grand jury. The DA can prevent it. (2) The premise of the letter is wrong. The requirement of at least nine members of a grand jury choosing to indict a person is mandated by state law. It is not the "policy" of the DA. But that's OK, this guy was just the forman of a Tarrant County grand jury responsible for indicting thousands of individuals.

From the Weatherford Democrat

Link.

Decatur Beggar Spotted

It's been a while, but an emailer sends in this pic of the Decatur Beggar spotted today in Arlington at Collins and NE Green Oaks. in Arlington. History.

The New Liberally Lean Mascot

Isn't it the cutest little thi........Wait. What the????!!!!

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up: Softball Edition

Reese Witherspoon + Softball = Oddly Jazzing.

Pooch Alert

OK, I'm not turning this cutting edge news blog into a lost and found, but I'm trying to help a gal out. Does anybody recognize this mutt? It was found this morning off of Hlavek road out by Indian Trails in Decatur. He had a collar but no identifying information on it (which really doesn't make the collar particularly useful.) So if you think your pooch is in the backyard but you look at the photo and realize he's made a break for it, let me know in the comments. If not, that bleeding heart girl who found him will be the proud owner of your little Cujo. (And it may be a girl dog for all I know.) Edit/Update: This just in from the Finder Of The Dog -- "[I took him to the vet] hoping for one of those chips they could scan for his info. Turns out he had one of those, and 2 broken legs. They are fixing him, and calling his people."

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• The HIV spreading defendant who got convicted yesterday in Collin County is scary looking.
• And I think he had a horrible defense lawyer who uttered such things in closing yesterday as "no glove, no love" as well as telling the jury that the Swine Flu was more deadly that HIV. (As Gordon Keith on The Ticket said this morning, "Do you think the defendant slumped in his chair and thought to himself, 'Where's he going with this?'")
• And here's an oddity: Normally the defendant would face a maximum of 20 years for Aggravated Assault. But since the victim(s) was part of a "dating relationship" with him, the maximum becomes life in prison. The Texas Penal Code is tricked up.
• Why do we say "full blown" AIDS?
• I've got full blown Tired Head.
• I watched The 20 Most Horrifying Hollywood Murders on the E! Channel last night. I had never heard of the Black Dahlia case. Oh. My.
• You think they would design a gas cap that you didn't have to take off.
• Anyone who says gas prices are a function of supply and demand is nuts.
• People are crazy.
• We had a great pitcher meltdown yesterday. Stick around to the end when he commits Aggravated Assault on a Gatorade machine.
• Instantly loading audio of the soon to be Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor saying her own last name. Somebody needs to check and see if she is a red blooded 'merican.
• I saw a commercial this morning for Hawaiian Waters water park saying "there's one near you in the metroplex." Where did they come from?
• Decatur will have a Juneteenth parade?

From Monday: Chasing Cheese Down A Hill 2009

I really don't know what the object of this competition is, but why it's not an Olympic sport is beyond me. You can keep your rowing, archery, badminton, etc. -- give me guys chasing cheese down a hill that is guaranteed to turn the participants into floppy dolls. And if local charities would use this instead of silent auctions, fun runs, casino nights, and walkathons, I'd be the most generous donor in the county.

Snake Update

As you may recall, last Friday I single-handedly wrestled a King Cobra to the ground watched a Decatur Animal Control officer snag a big ol' snake on the courthouse square of Decatur. Many asked what type of snake it was. The answer is: I still don't know. Yesterday, a buddy told me, in all seriousness, that it was some type of python that had probably escaped its owner's home. I told him he was crazy and that was no longer my friend. But some of the mystery as to why there would be a snake under a sidewalk bench in Decatur was revealed this morning. As I was walking to the courthouse, a lady scared the crap out of me by screaming and pointing down. I looked down and saw a pretty good sized mouse run across my foot. I, in turn, screamed like a school girl. So we at least know where his food supply came from. (This message not sponsored by the Decatur Chamber of Commerce.)

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Those were some crazy clouds yesterday with crazy spurts of rain.
• Despite golf ball size hail (or larger), I'm not sure there was much damage last night in Decatur.
• Do people still think they are clever when the say "intestinal fortitude" instead of "guts"?
• Thought about that this morning when a caller to KLIF said "we don't have someone in the White House that has the intestinal fortitude to bomb North Korea." Good lord.
• I shake my head a lot in disbelief when I'm alone.
• Everyone seems to be optimistic about the economy (consumer confidence was up yesterday) but unemployment continues to rise and GM is headed to bankruptcy. I think we just got tired of being pessimistic. I call it Tired Head Economics Syndrome. That just might win me a Pulitzer right there.
• I should have made the TAKS/Graduation ceremony issue a completely independent post. I misjudged the emotions about that one.
• If I find a gas pump that is ridiculously slow, I'll stop it before I fill up. It makes me feel like I've taught the pump a lesson.
• The right wing is already going crazy over the clip of the new Supreme Court nominee having stated that courts "create policy." They fall back on "judges should interpret the law, and not create law."
• Oh yeah, and yesterday Supreme Court conservative majority overruled 23 years of precedent by holding that cops can initiate interrogation of a defendant without his lawyer present even though a court has appointed a lawyer for him. Unless that rule was buried in the Constitution (it's not), that is creating policy.
• When did $80 loud print T-shirts get popular? And why?
• I now use my debit card for almost everything and never go to the cash machine.
• But shouldn't the scanner know it's a debit card without it having to be asked?
• I've begun reading Outliers and it's great. It's basic premise is that hard work is certainly needed to get ahead, but circumstances and luck play just as an important role. I believe that.