Mena Suvari:What's Up With The "3"?

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I'm trying to track down the video, but you've got to see Mike Snyder's goodbye on Channel 5's 10:00 o'clock news last night. (He's been demoted to 5 and 6 p.m.). As a tearful Jane McGarry bids him farewell, they turn and exchange to each other a very passionate "I love you".
• Had a friend who had her nails done in Decatur in the last couple of days but, after the fact, discovered she left her wallet at home. She offered to leave her driver's license as proof that she would return to pay but, no dice. They wanted her to leave her iPhone.She did.
• There's the Hitler video which is constantly in circulation and spoofed with different subtitles. There's now one for the Michael Jackson death. (Language warning.)
• Am I recording coverage of the Michael Jackson funeral today? Yes, I am.
• And do you think Staples got more than their money's worth when they bought the naming rights to the "Staples Center" (the site of the funeral.)
• Another plug for wisecounty.com's Free Classifieds.
• Local sports talk news: The Fan (105.3) has a quick trigger finger in firing Ben and Skin.
• You had to see it to understand, but the purse snatching victim in North Richland Hills (as seen on Fox 4) was one irritating lady.
• And, after the purse theft, that lady called 911 followed by some prayer chain named the Power Tower. Gordon Keith on The Ticket this morning said, "If you're going to inject God into the phone calls, wouldn't you want to call the Power Tower first?"
• The Southern Poverty Law Center has compiled a list of terrorist plots in America, and the one listed for April 22, 1997 refers to Wise County. But (1) authorities saying that the planned explosion could have killed up to 30,000 couldn't be further from the truth, and (2) those involved weren't smart enough to set off two bottle rockets simultaneously. (Credit Bud Kennedy for finding the list.)
• The return of the Hard Rock Cafe to Dallas does nothing for me. (And if it failed on McKinney Avenue, how in the world will it survive in the nearly deserted Victory Park?)
• I read an article this weekend which referenced "smudge pots" having been used in the old days instead of flares to redirect traffic. I think I have a vague memory of them -- weren't they basically metal cannon balls that worked like a candle?

Michael Jackson Ghost?

I didn't believe it until the music and production value kicked in.

The Results

There were five search warrants for blood over the three day No Refusal Weekend in Wise County

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I like fireworks, but there seems to have been no improvements in them in the last 30 years. You think we could have tricked them up a little bit by now.
• "Two Mexican Midget Wrestlers Killed by Fake Prostitutes." Heck, my weekend was better than that.
• The Wimbledon Finals aren't the same since NBC booted announcer Bud Collins two years ago.
• Serena Williams, who won the women's title on Saturday, was photographed two years ago at the beach. Big girl.
• The Wimbledon final yesterday was great. But, as I've said for years, if they were forced to use wooden rackets, thereby increasing the number of volleys, the game would be better. (Or is it "racquet"?)
• And don't cry for runner-up Andy Roddick. He is married to her.
• Where's the best place to buy home grown tomatoes? I just don't see the roadside stands like I used to.
• Craziest Michael Jackson photo ever?
• And if you are sick of Michael Jackson coverage, get ready for tomorrow.
• The guy the suffered head injuries at the Rainbow Lounge, a gay bar in Fort Worth, was on Fox 4 last night to defend himself. Except he uttered the phrase, "I probably was drunk" which doesn't help his cause. (And then there was the weird whisper from his side that said, "But not to the point of alcohol poisoning.")
• ESPN did a show the other day about the "10 Greatest Dallas Cowboys" and the Star Telegram yesterday had an oddly themed column called "The Greatest Living Cowboys." Emmitt Smith never gets close to #1.
• Hadn't thought about this in a while: Of all those offices in the outfield at Ranger Stadium, how many are occupied? (I remember the Troy Aikman Foundation -- or something like that -- officed out there when the place first opened.)
• Sarah Palin can't stand the heat? How about another woman that has endured far more fire who never quit: Hillary.
• And I don't understand her constant whining about the press always picking on her.She loves attention but then complains when she gets it.
• After all the self inflicted wounds, Wordkyle may be the only Republican left for the 2012 election.
• Kinda hot black girl gets booked in Denton yesterday. Then again, I don't see people in colors.
• Simple graph of the unemployment rate over the years here. That should scare you to death. The economy and your job depends on people having money to spend.
• If you click on the "+" sign besides Texas in the above graph, you can see the unemployment rate for Wise County.
• OK Magazine reportedly paid $500,000 for the last photo of Michael Jackson? I promise I saw this photo on Fox News hours after his death.
• And Entertainment Tonight had the same photo shortly after the death.

Lake Bridgeport: 4th Of July

And I'm pretty sure that's the Messenger's Joe Duty in the bottom pic on the Sheriff's version of the Bat Boat.

Another Notable Death

Shot to death. It reminded of me when I was in an airport in September of 1994 and saw this cover of Sports Illustrated in a book store. I remember thinking "Who?" especially since the college football season had just begun. If memory serves me correctly, he didn't win the Heisman. Not that it matters now.

Why Do I Always Get Hooked On "16 and Pregnant"?

Recruiter asks her, "Have you ever used, possessed, sold, or transported any illegal drugs, including marijuana, even if upon an experimental basis?" Note to military: You can't be that picky.

Gone!

Not like in dead. Like in resigned. What a nut case. Her (what looks like) hastily called press conference, was a little bizarre. She seemed out of breath and went on a right-wing-agenda rant. But if she wants to run for president, she makes this announcement on a Friday afternoon of a holiday weekend? The absolute worst time to get your message out. Edit: The national media wasn't even there to broadcast the resignation speech. They had to rebroadcast the footage from a local Alaskan station. So odd.

Legal News You Can Use

A couple of folks under the post below asked whether, and I paraphrase, "The Man can jack with you by stopping your boat on Lake Bridgeport even if you are not doing anything wrong?" Shockingly and amazingly, our "free" country allows law enforcement to stop a boat without probable cause or reasonable suspicion that any crime has occurred. Translated: They can jack with you at their discretion. Game wardens with unfettered power. That's all we need.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I get a kick out of John Wiley Price needling Dallas County DA Craig Watkins who whines about having to cut his budget like everyone else. "OK. Whatever. If they haven't learned in all this time how to manage it, then maybe they are not the right people for the job."
• Bucket List Wish: Watching a couple of tennis matches at Wimbledon.
• Speaking of, I'm watching Roger Federer in the semi-finals right now. He's probably the greatest player ever and most people wouldn't recognize him on the streets.
• My Costa Rica trip, now planned for January, is coming closer to fruition.
• I never use the word "fruition."
• There's over 100 hours of Michael Jackson rehearsing for the upcoming tour? Hello, documentary. And the little footage released so far is great.
• And if the production company owns the rights to that footage, it'll make more off of it (once slickly produced) than the concert would have ever brought in.
• And the Jackson/Production Company contract had to be broad enough to cover the splitting of profits from "any and all reproductions, rebroadcasts, or use of video footage" of the concert or rehearsal. Right? Maybe.
• Good weather for Lake Bridgeport this weekend: Hot with little wind. (High winds can ruin a day on the lake quicker than anything else.)
• I finally found the Jacksons movie on VH1 -- it's five hours long!!
• Eleven horses die in Parker County because of no water.
• It's a holiday for me. I was jogging outside at 7:00 a.m. (It was a combination of I can't sleep late, and I wanted to get it over with. The heat, even at that time, is brutal.)
• After my home Internet nightmare from a couple of weeks ago, everything is fine now.
• Being good at Guitar Hero = Kinda Cool. Being World Champion of Guitar Hero = Spare.
• Ted Nugent is on the cover of Texas Monthly in connection with the magazine's lead article. Either he's got a Red Neck act going on or he's just a Red Neck. Either way, I'm not a big fan.
• The ol' U.S. turns 233 tomorrow. Anybody else remember celebrating the Bicentennial which seemed like yesterday?

Watch Out For Those In Car Cameras

The Chief of Police had to resign over this? You gotta be kidding. Did you see how hot the female cop was? I would let the local troopers stick a thousand needles in me on No Refusal Weekend if it meant I got to make out with that chick. What's this world coming to? Come on, people. Back the Blue.

Obama's Tweet At 1:10 P.M.

Well, this should solve that 9.5% unemployment rate. (Yep, even I think stuff like this is silly.)

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Jessica Simpson before singing the National Anthem yesterday at some pro-am golf tournament where her celebrity boyfriend, and part-time Cowboy QB, Tony Romo was playing with Tiger Woods.

Keeping Up With Our County Neighbor

In an exclusive interview with a Jacksboro ISD Board Member*, I learned that the new Tiger Stadium (which is behind the new school under construction in the above pic) will have artificial turf. _________________ * Meaning I saw my buddy David Spiller at the courthouse.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Fireworks = Celebration Of Liberty or Fireworks = Chance To Blow Up Stuff?
• As U.S. troops engage in a 4,000 person "major offensive" in Afghanistan, the Taliban has captured a U.S. soldier. This could get messy.
• The oldest Jonas brother is engaged? Let me be the first to say, "Kid, are you out of your freakin' mind?"
• And why do they call it a "proposal"? That sounds like the opening offer before extended negotiations. Then again, maybe that's the way it should really work.
• News released this morning: The U.S. unemployment rate is now at 9.5% -- the highest in 25 years. I still think we could be in for another economic implosion.
• Rhome PD appears to be picking on rock trucks lately.
• Speaking of Rhome, whatever happen to the wacky news that the mayor, city council, and police used to give us on a weekly basis? I hate stability.
• South Carolina still has an adultery criminal statute. (Or so said my radio.)
• "Two Fort Worth lawmakers seek independent inquiry into Rainbow Lounge incident." That's just grandstanding. They are lawmakers, not enforcers.
• (Note to Ticket fans: There's news about The Hammer)
• New book I downloaded: Assassination Vacation.
• They still haven't caught that "pervert" in Grapevine.

Want A Do Over?

What's More Bizarre?

The Cleavage Squirrel or the Wacky Anchors?