You're All Out Of Order!

[Video Should Be Embedded Here. But since it's not working, here's the link.] Since I'm pretty much an expert on justice (little known fact), I got distracted by the crazy facts behind this Assault In The Courtroom '09 video. A girl is dead because she went out with friends, drank to the point of alcohol poisoning, and also froze in a parked car. And the two ladies that go out with her are being charged with a crime for that? Say what? All you take-personal-responsibility-right-wingers have got to be with me on this one, right? I mean, the family suing the bar, or the alcohol companies, or her clothing manufacturer would make perfect sense, but for the State to charge these girls criminally? Get out. (And, as the video points out, there are two defendants. The defendant that was not attacked by momma was the momma's other daughter.)

What The Heck Is That Thing For?

I don't understand all the utilities around the City of Decatur. The pic above is outside my office which is beginning to look like Beirut circa 1985. We have this Main Street renovation project come through which tore up the curbs and replaced them with nice new ones. And they also installed a couple of fancy light poles (background) although one is perilously close to a low hanging power line. But now a city crew comes in and installs the "High Voltage" box and also installs a short and stubby telephone pole to attach it upon. What the heck is it for? And is there any better place to install it then next to the street in a sidewalk?

Local Halloween Flavor

Above pic from Bridgeport. Taken by Joe Duty who also has a slideshow on his blog from the generic Halloween Ball at the Decatur Civic Center. (Which looks like quite a production but I'm not sure about attendance.)

There's A Naked Pumpkin Run?

Link. (Thanks, Lori.)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Foreigner (that's a band from the World War II era) was on Fox's 4 Good Day this morning. I saw them the only time I was outside of the Today Show studio one morning in New York. Amazingly, not that bad.
• The story from last week about the clerk who stole the $1 million lottery ticket from the man keeps getting stranger. But I didn't know the victim's name was "Willis Willis."
• I power down when I hear someone do a Forrest Gump impersonation.
• Update on the Florida player that was trying to gouge the other player's eyes out that I posted yesterday: He has been suspended by the coach for 1/2 of the next game against Vanderbilt.
• This is my favorite time of year to run outside. Great weather. Trees changing. Girlfriend in my closet.
• I'm told the World Series is going on, and I'm told the Phillies have won two games when they have started pitcher Cliff Lee. Do you know who the Rangers shelled in the first game of the year for seven runs in five innings? Yep, Cliff Lee. (h/t Richie Whitt)
• It'll be interesting to see if this actually turns into a controversy: A hawt Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader goes to a Halloween Party as Lil' Wayne complete with black face. (Although she looks more like she got stuck in a tanning bed.) Edit: Better pics.
• I always forget about The Comedy Channel.
• I represented someone yesterday who accepted a plea bargain for six years in the pen after he had been free while on bond. There's nothing worse than seeing a client taken into custody. (He wasn't eligible for probation and faced a maximum of 20 years).

Traffic Chaos

287 is at a standstill in Decatur. I interviewed with a witness who said, "It's the dangest thing I've ever seen." I'm launching the Liberally Lean Tele-Chopper to find out. Or someone could chime in and tell us.

It Looks Just Like Two Forklifts In A Warehouse

Wait. For. It.

Halloween Costume Pics . . . .

. . . are a litte slow so far this year. But Mariah Carey makes a strong initial appearance.

Just When The Upkeep Of The Blog Is Beating Me Down

We have a record month. Goldman Sachs has upgraded me to a "Strong Buy."

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The First Baptist of Dallas is building a new $130 million 3,000 seat sanctuary in downtown Dallas. Those fellowship churches are making it hard to keep up with the Jones'.
• Eye gouge the weekend in a college football game.
• I'm convinced Texas, after killing OSU, will be in the National Championship game, and TCU may be having their best season ever that no one cares about.
• Moonwalk fail. This made me laugh.
• Last night I dreamed I was at the White House and sat by Sarah Palin (???) who accused me of stealing her old Polaroid camera. The the dream evolved into my "got to get to class but don't know my schedule" dream.
• The ladies at my cleaners are now asking me questions regarding legal advice. Sheesh.
• Two motorcycle deaths over the weekend -- but that's the first time I've heard of any in a couple of months.
• NBA player swats a bat out of the air on Halloween. What?
• Odd pet peeve of mine: Those that end every blog post with "But what the hell do I know?" or "I could be wrong."
• My Halloween costume was a straight jacketed mental patient. It was a good look.
• The Cowboys Stadium had its huge end zone doors open but not the roof yesterday -- apparently Jerry didn't want the sun beating down on the crowd. (From The Ticket this morning: "It's kind of like ordering the sun roof option for your car that you never really use."

Kids Today

I mentioned this a couple of days ago -- I stumbled upon a high school football game on TV and came across the most awkward of halftime presentations.

Ron Burgundy

I may be the only person to find this funny, but I loved the Newy Scruggs layout while Mike Snider does his annoying Anchor Man Small Talk.

Sheriff's Report

The Messenger has started printing weekly call summaries for the Wise County Sheriff's Office. Good stuff.

Confusing Halloween Pic

One of my friends sent this to me. I have no idea.

There He Goes Again With That Silly Compassion Stuff

Link.

Halloween Pick Me Up

Do These Look Like A Couple Of Burglars Who Would Use A Permanent Marker To Make A Disguise?

Why, yes. Yes, it does. That's a poor effort there, fellas. I'm worried about this new generation of kids if this is the best they have to offer.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• When anyone is forced to submit to "diversity training", I don't have much hope that it will take.
• Chris Berman Applebee's commercial = Beating.
• My ranking of scariest movies: (1) The Exorcist, (2) Halloween, (3) The Blair Witch Project, (4) Rosemary's Baby.
• I don't get too excited about the NFL, but I'm interested in watching Brett Farvvvrrraaaa return to Green Bay on Sunday. I love tension.
• "Prominent" Houston plaintiff's attorney John O'Quinn died yesterday in a traffic accident. He made most of his money off of breast implant litigation (which one of my close lawyer friends involved in that litigation called "more like extortion than practicing law.")
• O'Quinn was also involved in the bizarre "what to do with Anna Nicole Smith's body" case before the goofy judge in Florida. I was so horrified by his performance at the time that I wrote about it here.
• And O'Quinn was one of five hand picked lawyers to split the $3.3 billion fee in Texas' litigation against tobacco companies. That whole thing was so seedy that former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales went to federal prison for his wrongdoing.
• But I have no idea if he was a good guy or not.
• Allen High School has 638 members in its high school band, and it takes 18 buses and three trucks to transport them?
• This is hard to explain, but I stumbled upon a metroplex high school game on TV last night (Channel 21 or 27?). It was halftime, they were promoting - on the sideline - some radio station at 93-point-something, and then they cut to a shocking dance competition of hot girls of a local club. Did I mention this was a high school game telecast?
• I wouldn't mind going to some church's "Hell House" because I'd like to see how Wheels Off it has become.
• I think Cowboys WR Roy Williams is a complete bust. And his attitude drives me insane.
• A 20 something Fort Worth teacher received probation from a jury for sex with an 18 year old student (an act that is only illegal because of the teacher-parent student relationship.) But the judge, who I've always thought was extremely uptight, gave the guy 180 days in jail as a condition of the probation.
• A baseball player gets killed when struck by a ball and his parents sue. Well, they just won almost a million dollars from the obvious culprit: The aluminum bat manufacturer.