Unconfirmed Breaking News Via Email

Oh, my.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Channel 8 has a video on the Runaway Bay condo fire with an interview of victim/former Wise County Fire Marshal Mike Bement. His teeth burned up. Really.
• Is the girl above a repeat? I either posted it before or I was married to her. I lose track.
• I know a lot of people are beaten down by talk of Twitter, but it is always first with breaking news. I got a tweet about Brittany Murphy's death two hours before CNN reported it. And how can I live without knowing about stuff like that first?
• Avatar grossed $73 million over the weekend. I've read good reviews, and it's supposed to be a technical masterpiece, but the previews look like a beating.
• Something happened with the health care bill last night with some Nebraska senator getting "paid off." (That's the Fox News version. Check it out to find out what really happened.)
• Now I've lost my replacement bank card. I'm dying here.
• I caught Simon and Garfunkle's performance of The Boxer on cable for some recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert recently. I've underrated them.
• I'm two "chapters" into the Inglourious Nasterds DVD. Yeah, it's good, but I've seen this formula before. People sit around and talk about crazy crap (why do we love a squirrel but hate a rat when a rat is nothing but a squirrel without a tail) followed by over the top violence.
• Note to D.C. cop: Be careful admitting that you pulled a gun during a snowball fight when you are surrounded by guys with cellphones.
• I bought a leather jacket for myself over the weekend. Not a biker leather jacket, but a Macy's kind of leather jacket. I never buy stuff like that for myself.
• Somehow you won't see any changes, but the owner of WBAP and KCSC filed has filed for bankruptcy.
• Speaking of WBAP, they tried a Fake Wade Phillip's bit at 8:10 this morning. Fail.
• Saw a lady snap back curtly with "Merry Christmas!" after a security guard wished a crowd, "Happy Holidays." Sheesh.
• Saw the cutest little girl dressed up as Cindy Lou The Littlest Who yesterday. Working on a pic.
• I think www.wisecounty.com is down this morning. Ugh.
• Regarding my "no White Christmas in Wise County" post from Friday, I arbitrarily define "White Christmas" as snowing on Christmas morning or waking up on Christmas Day to a new blanket of snow. I don't think that's ever happened.

More Gold This Week

Wise County crime reports.

Developing

Apartment fire in Runaway Bay sounds like a big one. Several fire departments responding. Developing . . . Edit: Thanks emailer for the pics. Looks like the condos. Edit #2: You guys can stop dogging the Messenger, they've got some incredible pictures up of this fire.

Kinda Fun

With the major snowstorm going on in the northeast, it's kinda fun to see what pictures folks are uploading on twitter. You can go here, refresh often, and click on the twitpic links in each of the posts.

Double Hex: Home Burglarized Of Bridgeport Locker Injury Boy

Although it's a little confusing that the home is in Azle. Story.

Bush and Chaney Cheney Would Have Never Let That Happen

We would have had tanks rolling into Tehran by sundown. You can do lots of things, but don't take our oil. Story.

Breaking: Local Democratic Party Has Been Taken Off Life Support

Coming into next year's elections, there were only three Democrats holding office in Wise County. (This list doesn't include those not on next year's ballot who are also Republican: District Attorney, Commissioner #1 and Commissioner #3). Earlier this year, JP #1 Jan Morrow switched from Democrat to Republican. Since then, Mark Autry announced his retirement and only Republicans have filed to fill his position. That left District Clerk Christy Fuqua. But no longer. Today she filed as a Republican. In the comments, don't personally attack Christy because I like her. (Yeah, that's unfair, but it's Friday.) In her defense, it's the only way she could retain that office. The shocking number of straight ticket Republican voters - 1 out of every 4 voters - make it impossible to win as a Democrat in the land of Liberally Lean. Edit: I have confirmed, that as of today, there is not a single Democrat that has filed for any of the local races. Edit #2: Local Republican Chair Allen Williamson stands over the bloody battlefield and proclaims, "I am pleased."

News That Confuses Me

Mall "officials" can just seize my merchandise simply because they find it offensive? And what's up with this sentence: "[T]he kiosk owner could pick up the confiscated shirts later but probably would have to pay a fine." A fine? What the what?

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The locker-falls-on-kid-in-Bridgeport story was on Fox 4 News last night. (Video). I'm surprised school administrators talk to the press so freely about it. Edit: Whoever gave the hot legal opinion in the comments, you're wrong. There is limited immunity, but not in the way you state.
• I've never experienced a White Christmas. And I've never experienced a Christmas Day outside of Wise County.
• Did you see the guy named Kenneth Bain testifyduring his trial before a judge in his accidentally killing two cyclists with his car? I felt sorry for the guy. He received 2 years in a state jail in one case followed by 10 years of probation in the other.
• The case had some problems: Although the defendant had marijuana in his system, his blood alcohol level was only .05. Edit: A commentor tried to school me on retrograde extrapolation. Sorry, hoss, it ain't that easy.
• The judge did something interesting: Since he had the right to access 180 extra days in jail as a condition of the probation, he broke that down to 18 days a year to be served, in part, around the birthdays of the victims.
• A camera's megapixel capacity doesn't seem to be a big selling point anymore.
• I've got a female friend who traveled last night to Vail where she will spend three nights alone in a nice cabin until her family arrives. I'm envious.
• Heck of a tanker truck fire on the tollway last night. (Amateur video which always seems better than professional video).
• I've not seen one crazy and unstable Santa-giving-the-baby-Jesus a present yard display this year. That makes me sad.
• I've got a case that involves three Wise County DPS troopers, three arrests, and firetruck and ambulance personnel who were called out to check on one of the arrested folks when he became light headed. And what crime prompted this massive taxpayer expenditure: A misdemeanor amount of marijuana.
• The indictment referenced in today's Update happened a week ago.
• For Ticket fans only.
• Only nine death sentences in Texas this year. What? Are we no longer barbarians?
• Why can't wallets and purses come with cheap GPS tracking devices to locate them if lost? Note to self: Patent that.
• Bad Metroplex Police: Alleged-intoxicated-manslaughter-cop and provide-alcohol-to-minors-and-watch-porn cop.
• Update on my "not guilty" prediction in a Tarrant County murder trial: The jury has not reached a decision after nine hours. They reconvene today. Edit: Verdict reached. Prediction = Fail.
• This has been criminal news intensive.
• Is there a word that describes when-I-do-this-with-hyphens?

I'm Pretty Sure I've Not Seen This At Fit N WIse

This pic is all over the Internet ever since rapper/singer/artist/actor Ice T's girlfriend "CoCo" posted it on her Twitter feed yesterday. Let it be an inspiration to us all.

If You've Got A 5th Grader In Bridgeport

You might want to check this out.

Top 10 Quotes Of The Year

Do you remember them? (Answers) 1. "Keep your government hands off my Medicare." [I had no idea on this one.]

2. "We're going to be in the Hudson."

3. "There's an app for that."

4. "You lie!"

5. "The Cambridge police acted stupidly."

6. "I'm going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!"

7. "Um, you guys said that we, um, did this for the show."

8. "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel.'"

9. "The governor is hiking the Appalachian Trail."

10. "You give me a water board, Dick Cheney and one hour, and I'll have him confess to the Sharon Tate murders."

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Crazy Baylor student suicide attempt.
• Wallet missing: Day Five. I'm officially suspending the search.
• Random question: If a web site asks for a credit card, can you use your debit card if it has a Visa or Mastercard logo on it? Hotel reservations work the same way?
• I saw a movie advertised as the "the winner of three Golden Globe nominations." Can you "win" a "nomination"?
• My cheek twitch ratcheted up yesterday and then suddenly stopped. I almost got concerned.
• Westlake guys were fired for playing Fantasy Football? The official reason was "it's gambling." A better reason would have been: "Company time waste."
• Whenever I see a story like that I wonder if the company was just looking for an excuse to can someone.
• I don't think the jungle house that I'm staying in in Costa Rica has air conditioning. This will be interesting.
• I walked around the North Texas campus during a break in the seminar on Friday. I think finals were about to begin and everyone seemed tense. It made me tense.
• I really don't think I consider anyone my enemy. There may be people that really don't like me, but the feeling is not mutual.
• I got a little emotional near the end of the half marathon. It was a combination of "I can actually do this!" vs. "There will come a day when I won't be able to do this." It made me appreciate the moment.
• No one, and I mean no one, has any earthly idea as to the impact of the details of the health care reform bill.
• I'm surprised there aren't more "group societies" in America. You know, a group of folks that just say "screw it all", move into a group setting on private land, grow their own food, educate their own children, and are otherwise self-sufficient. Maybe the Amish have it right after all.
• There's a huge new Academy Sports store at 377 and North Tarrant Parkway.
• Hot jury prediction on a Fort Worth case that I haven't followed closely enough to make a prediction on: Not Guilty.

Who Is Running Scared Now?

What the heck? The Baylor Bear official site has Baylor going to TCU on September 4th to play the Horned Frogs. And that wasn't the only web site to say so. Yep, the only conclusion is that TCU is just a little nervous about the Big 12 Bears coming to town. I knew it.

Wise County Courthouse At Night

See, I'm feeling all Christmaseeeeeee. (Thanks, Tony.) Edit:

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• It's official: The new Fox 4 Good Day news girl has no personality.
• Not so exciting news: A bunch of kids were arrested for selling marijuana and Ritalin at TCU. Sheesh. Students use Ritalin in connection with studying. Really.
• My cheek began to twitch yesterday and is even doing so this morning. It's enough to make me want to Google it.
• Cute Decatur baby.
• Joe Lieberman is a drama queen and should be hated by Republicans and Democrats alike.
• Iran test fired another missile this morning. They may be drama queens as well.
• For the first time in Wise County history (I'm pretty sure), there is a chance for every county and local district office to be occupied by a Republican after next year's elections.
• Heard on The Ticket: Whatever happened to those pet stores in the mall?
• I would never watch The George Lopez Show (the guy is never, ever funny) and the commercials for the program are painful to watch. He's kind of like a guy who was born Hispanic, but has no ties to Hispanic culture, and now acts like he thinks Hispanics act. Does that make sense?
• Finally finished Season 3 of The Wire. Verdict: Disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high.
• Oral Roberts died yesterday, and I watched a heck a lot of the Oral Roberts Show on Sunday mornings as a kid. He had really throttled back his faith healing by then and came across as fairly normal. But his son Richard always creeped me out.
• Proof the Miley Cyrus's little sister will turn out more screwed up than she is.
• Time magazine announced it's Person of the Year this morning: Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke. He always comes across as not being near as smart as he thinks he is.
• Had someone next door to my office open up a wrongly delivered Christmas gift by UPS, and then sent it over with the note, "You almost didn't get this back." I presume that means it'll be a good gift.
• Most disturbing crime story of the season.
• Sports: There's a report that the Big Ten may seek to add Notre Dame as a member of the conference and, if that fails, go after Big 12 member Missouri. The latter would open up a spot in the Big 12 which leads to the obvious choice of TCU. I pray that happens.

Pictures of Wise County Republican Party Blowout

http://wiserepublican.org/Christmas/Party.html Edit: Some of you can't see the pictures, but they are there. I think they are so huge that if you have a slow connection it takes a while before any of them begin to appear.

Barry (from iPhone)