This Post . . .

Boise State Seeks To Slay Endanger Horned Frogs

. . . was created on a timer to fire off at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. At this moment, the TCU and Boise State game is starting. Odds are, I'm in some jungle hut and can't see it. But I'm not sure I'd be making a special trip into the nearby town just to find a TV, if possible, to see it. Now the National Championship game on the other hand, I will.

Very Quick Random Thoughts

• I'm typing this from a restaurant in a $5 hostel in Puerto Veijo. I'm surrounded by Bohemians. I'm almost jealous. Heck, I am jealous.
• I walked out to the water a second ago and took the above pic.
• Yesterday we did a rafting trip that took four hours. It may be one of the greatest four hours of my life. Imagine a beautiful river, sides that rise 500 feet or more on both sides of you, those sides are covered by jungle terrain, and waterfalls appear periodically.
• It was the closest I've felt to being a kid again in my life.
• I'll update this afternoon ....

• Didn't see the kid in the picture. That's funny.
• Money problem solved. I have never been so happy to have a cash machine spit out cash.
• There is only one ATM in this town. Incredible.
• Every restaurant and bar is the open air. Every one. They don't believe in walls around here.
• I swam in the ocean this morning at 6:30 a.m. And it was the closest thing to a deserted beach I've ever seen.
• The marijuana laws, if there are any, are loosely enforced.
• It's a long story as to where I'm staying. It's in a rented home, two story, no air conditioning, jungle nearby.
• I've seen a sloth but no monkeys. That must change. Soon.
• This place seems very "authentic".
• There are the happiest dogs in the world here and they are loose all over the place. Oddly, most have colors.
• The Cowboys won? I'm in a land where no one cares.

Greetings From Costa Rica

• What a beating. But how green and beautiful.
• Left on Friday. Everything went very well up until the moment I checked into the hotel. The problem? I lost my last credit/debit card at a restaurant in Terminal D in DFW. For about 10 seconds, I had a huge panic attack that I was stuck in a foreign country and $90 cash. My genius back up plan is in action. Fortunately, most of the trip is pre-paid.
• That plan better work. I'm down to $5.00.
• Am I losing stuff like nobody's business.
• Stayed the first two days in downtown San Jose. Nice? Not so much. The main street is shut off to pedestrian traffic to make it tourist friendly but it looks like a New York City street -- not a good one.
• The first night we tried to find dinner at 10:30 p.m. but the whole city is basically shut down. There was a taxi that was pretty much assigned to the hotel and the driver was very friendly as we spoke in the lobby. He said he would drop us off at nearby restaurant, talk to the owner about calling him when we were ready to come back, and refused payment for the trip saying we could pay him once he returned.
• One hour later he couldn't be reached by the phone.
• I learned that if you tip a Costa Rican waiter 25% he will go stand in the street for four minutes to hail a cab for you. Incredible.
• I woke up for Day Two, which was a Saturday, and hit that main street at 7:30 a.m. for my generic walking around. It was packed. But not with tourists -- folks going to work.
• Does it mean I look like a tourist if someone immediately offers me a map?
• The second day was a planned trip to the Arenal Volcano and Baldi Hot Springs. The driver showed up at the hotel at 8:00 although I thought he was to arrive at at 10:00. That was not-a-good. A mad scramble ensued.
• That trip which would eventually take two hours to return would take six hours to get there. The six hours included a great lunch and a wonderful stop at a church made out of steel (yep) but also included an hour stop at the cheapest souvenir shop in the history of ever. I almost didn't get out of the van in protest. I thought the stop would never end. Ever.
• The great outdoor restaurant for lunch had a TV going. It was showing Hannah Montana.
• Oddest moment: During that hour of tourist hell at the souvenir shop, three girls from our van got in a car with a guy I had not seen and then left for 15 minutes. What the heck was that about?
• I've heard Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For" twice. Once at the late night restaurant and once when our volcano tour guide started singing it.
• One hour into the tour (I know I'm jumping around but I'm typing this at 1:30 a.m.), the guide announces that "If the top of the volcano can't be seen due to the clouds, which is probable, we won't even try to see it." Say what? This is a volcano tour!
• We didn't get to see an erupting volcano.
• The "hot springs", which is allegedly heated by the volcano, was a tad too commercial. There were about six different pools, all beautifully designed, but shouldn't it be "natural" bodies of water?
• Our group was composed of four young girls from Argentina, two couples from Guatemala, and a couple from Mexico City. I felt very international (but also stupid since they were all bilingual).
• On the way back, someone in authority made a decision to play a stand up Spanish speaking comic routine over the vans speakers. Loudly. And with a bad laugh track.
• Strangest moment: As we got back to San Jose, I noticed the street seemed to have quite a few hookers on the corner. We drive by a hot one in a sparkling white dress, but the tour guide announces, "She's really a man." And he was serious. The van almost tumped over as everyone jumped back to take a second look.
• Off to Puerto Veijo tomorrow. This is gonna be different. Developing . . .

Wise County Nudists: Fort Worth Weekly Article I Missed

This pic has been painstakingly cropped. You'll thank me if you click on the story.

Link. (Thanks, Chris.)

The Wise County Messenger Wonders If There Is Racism In Wise County

Puuuhleeeze.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Do we say "twenty ten" or "two thousand and ten"?
• Ten years ago, with the big 2000 about to hit, at least one of the major networks went with 24 hour coverage as they watched the clock strike midnight, hour by hour, around the world. It was cool.
• In advising folks to put a gun lock on their weapon for tonight to avoid firing it in the air at midnight, Fox 4's Tim Ryan said, "Because if you're both drunk and stupid maybe you can't remember the combination . . . . " Pretty funny. His new co-host, instead of laughing, just went into anchorwoman mode and said, "It's always better to lock it up." Sheesh.
• If you struggle at life to such a point that you consider it a burden, why do you so readily bring another life into it?
• I feel bad for ignoring The Office for so long, but I did the same thing with Seinfeld. And, at this point, I don't think Seinfeld can hold a candle to The Office.
• We all use a bunch of phrases like "can't hold a candle to" where we understand the meaning but have no idea why those words have that meaning.
• I've never had a desire to be in Times Square at midnight on NYE.
• In 1982, I bought an oversized Prince tennis racket for $90 at the urging of a buddy who said "you gotta buy high quality crap." I was in Sports Academy the other day and the highest priced Prince tennis racket, 27 years later, was $49.99.
• Same train of thought: I bought a 31" TV in 1989 for $750.
• I got to thinking about the last item because the BagOfNothing.com guy has some great random thoughts about how much things have changed in 10 years. Good stuff.
• When they put out a list of "The 10 Best Movies of 2009" don't you get the feeling of (1) they like to pick obscure films so as to sound high tone, and (2) you don't get out enough.
• Heard the #1 New Year's resolution is to "spend more time with their loved ones." (WBAP @ 8:07 a.m.) Really?
• If we could fast forward one year into the future and were to watch a montage of Celebrities Who Died in 2010, wouldn't there be some names that shock us?
• Texas Tech's interim head coach is their defensive coordinator who has a huge belly. Never trust a fat coach.
• Watched part of Gran Torino again last night. Worst writing and acting ever?
• I'm still predicting Fox "won't go dark" on the Time Warner cable networks on January 1st, but the two sure are cutting it close.
• After years of never attending New Year's Eve parties, I tend to do it every year now.

To Beat The Mike Leach Thing To Death ...

Adam James, the spare player who was placed in a "storage shed", took this video while he was in there. And his family thought he'd get sympathy by releasing it today. You've got to be kidding. What a little baby. And Craig James, his father, has to regret ever bringing this silly thing to the attention of Tech. His son is forever labeled.

A Beautiful Waterfall on Woodall Rogers Freeway ..... Wait. What?

Story.

Texas Tech's Mike Leach Fired

Just heard this from a reliable source at 12:04 p.m. And I might be one of the first ones to report it. Edit: The University finally released a statement. They should have added, "We also encourage the students not to riot." Edit: Five possible replacements. Let me speak for the first name on the list, "Thank you for your interest, but go away." (Side note: That's a Dallas Morning News link. Does a video ad automatically play for everyone else? If so, they need to end that practice. Now.)

The Week: Proposal On The Weather Channel

You know, I was all prepared to make fun of this but it was actually kind of touching.

Marguerite Engle: Renaisannce Woman

That would be .708. Where's a book-in photo when you need one? (Edit: The Smoking Gun is all over it, and she doesn't look that bad. Double Edit: Oops, old photo. Triple Edit: And by not "that bad" I mean she doesn't look hammered.) .08 is the legal limit in most states although it's normally tough to tell if someone is obviously drunk at that level. Most DPS experts say that a person will, at .04, lose "the normal use of one's mental or physical faculties" but that's just crazy. I've been doing this criminal justice business a long time, and I don't ever recall someone being over .40. In fact, I've had less than a handful of cases that are greater than .30. Most DWI cases are between .10 and .19 if there is a sample, and seeing a case greater than .20 is pretty rare.

Year In Review

This has to be one of my favorite videos. This sorority pledge decided to "make it snow" with a fire extinguisher in the sorority house but apparently things went terribly wrong. "I thought is was going to a little . . . 'poof'." Edit: This video may be from last year, but it's still worthy of re-post.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• That was weird: It snows, it gets dark, and we wake up to warmer temperatures.
• Any votes on the Top Story of the Year that the Wise County Messenger always runs? I suspect it would be the death of Sgt. Randy White of the Bridgeport PD.
• The victim of a jewelry store robbery in Lewisville said on Fox 4 about the the crook, "He said a word in Yiddish that I won't repeat on TV but it wasn't good. But I'm still here." I have no idea what he means.
• Knee jerk reaction to the Tech vs. Mike Leach saga: Somebody in the administration wants him gone. Completely. But I doubt if he's breached his contract, he'll call their bluff and refuse to leave, and the only way to get rid of him will be to completely buy out the remainder of his contract.
• I remember when A&M wanted, and did, get rid of Coach R.C. Slocum. How'd that work out? This could be Texas Tech's Waterloo.
• WBAP's Mike Lamb on Leach seeking a temporary injunction this morning: "He should know his way around a courtroom." He was referring to Leach having a law degree. However, Leach was never licensed since he chose not to take the bar exam. (Which was a great career move, by the way.)
• You guys are crazy if you think the Bush Administration would have released those two guys from Gitmo (see yesterday's post) if they thought they were terrorists. They would have been hesitant to release Billy Graham from Gitmo.
• The Wise County courthouse seems to shut down pretty quickly at the fear of inclimate weather.
• The 2000s should be remembered as the Decade of the Flat Screen. Think how things have changed since 1999.
• I'm the biggest anti-government/personal privacy guy I know, but the x-ray like body scan at an airport seems like a good idea to me.
• I'll get to report on the hassle of international travel this weekend. I'm off to Costa Rica and I intend to bore you to death with daily posts.
• I dare anyone to watch "Fox and Friends" and tell me it is "fair and balanced." Their hatred of Obama is palpable. (But I remember watching it 10 years ago and it was a pretty funny and care free show.)
• Headline that was still on the Star Telegram's home page this morning: "Freezing Fog Could Make Morning Rush Hour Treacherous."
• The Today Show sure made a big deal about the kid in Brazil who was ordered by a court to be returned to his father. I'm not sure anyone really cared about a high tone child custody case.
• I eat a ton of microwavable low fat pizza.
• Mark Davis' column today: Even in the days after 9/11, there was a call to "bring those responsible to justice." Columnist Charles Krauthammer wrote that week: 'This is exactly wrong. Franklin Roosevelt did not respond to Pearl Harbor by pledging to bring the commander of Japanese naval aviation to justice. He pledged to bring Japan to its knees. You bring criminals to justice; you rain destruction on combatants."
• But the flaw in that statement is obvious: Japan was a country that could be found on a map.

Cute Kid Stuck

Slow Posting Day

But a faithful reader sent in this picture of his family's snowman created in Wise County on Christmas Day. You know, I was slow to realize that it's a really, really good snowman.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• For the weather folks to normally be pretty vague about snow, they have been dead certain about this one: Arriving around noon with 1 to 3 inches.
• Mike Leach is "strongly considering" taking legal action to try and be reinstated for the Alamo Bowl. Hot Sports Prediction: The marriage between Leach and Tech is headed for divorce court. Very soon.
• News that got almost no publicity yesterday: Nine people, including six children, died in an apartment fire in Mississippi.
• I would be stunned if Fox and Time Warner Cable don't work out their relationship issues.
• Isn't' this the hardest week of the year to stay motivated?
• Ticket Fans only: Here's an MP3 of the "Best of The Rant." (Fans of the old Gordon Keith Saturday morning show just passed out.) Edit: More Ticket News!: We found Greggo.
• I saw a guy being helped up after slipping on the ice on the south side of the Decatur square late yesterday afternoon. Note to merchants over there: If you have a sheet of ice on the sidewalk outside your store that won't melt, do something about it.
• If Dallas beats Philadelphia and the Giants beat the Vikings and Green Bay beats Arizona, Dallas gets a first round bye? Yep. Unlikely to happen, but still amazing.
• Two former Gitmo prisoners, released in 2007, are behind the plot to blow up Flight 253 on Christmas Day? Yeah, you hold a bunch of guys at Gitmo for years without sufficient evidence, decide to finally let them go because you've got nothing on them, and they then turn into pissed off terrorists? Who would have thought?
• Shocking words from a lawyer blog about a 45 year old colleague who had passed away and whose friends would remember him at a "local saloon" in Amarillo later that day: I’ll put this as adroitly and tactfully as I can. But honestly - and I address this to all of Joe’s dear friends - is this truly the appropriate thing to do when we all know what killed Joe? He drank himself to death.
• Hey, now.
• Without looking it up, I don't know what "adroitly" means.
• TCU played and beat five teams this season that went to bowl games. All five of those teams have won those bowl games. I may be coming around on TCU.
• Up until last year, the Wise County DA's office managed its cases with a database program I designed in Access in 1993. And it was fantastic.
• Post Christmas Depression anyone?
• Tell me I can leave the country with a passport and a birth certificate but no driver's license. (Lost wallet and vacation callback reference.)

There's Breaking News All Over The Place

Trouble in Raider Land. Edit: Inside story?

Drudge Tends To Be Overly Dramatic

But something is going on. (Drudge Report.) Edit: Sounds like a "child who is a friend of the family" was slightly injured by a surfboard. Yep, Drudge can be a little drama queen.