Mike Leach Haunts Lubbock

"The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!" - Nathan R. Johnson in The Jerk. (Edit: A horrendous error on my part. It's Navin R. Johnson.) Now on with the post . . . Leach on the front cover: And if that's not bad enough here is Leach's lawyer, who is suing Tech, on the back. (With the worst ad in history.)

More Defense Lawyer Bashing -- By Defense Lawyers

I've always remembered this picture because it seemed like a bit of grandstanding. That's Guy James Gray who was the DA in charge of prosecuting the guys that drug James Byrd, Jr. to death behind a pickup truck in Jasper, Texas in 1998. That's the chain they used. (On second thought, maybe it was the bolo tie and belt buckle that burnt the photo into my brain.) And I always remembered the name as well. "Guy James Gray." That's just cool. And I immediately recognized it last week when he was defending the Waco pastor ultimately convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to 65 years. (Gray had left the DA's office years ago.) But I was a little disturbed by his comments after the trial. Now someone else chimes in today with similar thoughts. Some prosecutors will always be prosecutors.

Breaking: Pigeon attacks Decatur courtroom

Little fellow is above the door. Edit: And its ultimate escape:

Random Tuesday Morning Thought

• I'd like it if President Obama said in his State of the Union speech that "the State of our Union is strong to ... uh ... quite strong."
• That's a Meet The Parents reference.
• There is a very rare case going on in the Wise County Court at Law where a defendant is pleading guilty to a series of motor vehicle burglaries and is "going to" the jury for punishment. I'll try to get an update this morning.
• Watched a little of The Bachelor last night. That's good TV?
• Although it's lost some of it's popularity, the game show Deal Or No Deal is the closest thing to brain dead competition there is. Isn't it simply "pick a number?"
• If the economy recovers, and it will, President Obama will be re-elected with flying colors. (Haters need to bookmark this entry for future reference.)
• Look at the top grossing films of the 2000s. They are really not movies, in the traditional sense, at all.
• Hey, the National Socialists Movement has "adopted a highway" in Colorado. The group believes "interracial relationships and homosexuality should be crimes, and they want to start a separate all-white country." Man, that sounds familiar.
• I love the anticipation of bad weather coming in even if it never happens as predicted.
• Hey, the new teenage pregnancy ratings are out. Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona make the Top Four. Hmmm. What do all those states have in common?
• The week after I got back from Costa Rica, the country had torrential rains for five days straight. I'm never that lucky.
• The Star Telegram reports that the LBJ Grasslands in Wise County will become part of a "climate change" study. I suspect we will respond with a "Hippies: Go Home" protest.
• Funny moment last week when attorney Jim Shaw was conducting jury selection and discussing the legal definition of marijuana: He threw in "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme."
• Mark Cuban says the upcoming NBA "All-Star Weekend will make the Super Bowl look like a bar mitzvah" as far as "attendance and partying" is concerned. The man is delusional.

Remember This Gal?

Her family is in the news again. Big time.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The trailer for "Cop Out" with Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis looks hoooorible. (We were bombarded with a commercial for it this weekend.)
• I was watching some documentary this weekend about the Tsunami from a couple of years ago -- It's one of the world's greatest disasters that we still don't fully appreciate.
• Caught most of "Role Models" on a movie channel this weekend (starring Stifler and Paul Rudd.) Verdict: Kind of funny.
• The Rangers were sold. The chances of us now seeing a playoff win in my lifetime: Pretty Slim.
• Speaking of, Tom Hicks also just sold a ski home in Aspen for $18 million (which he bought for $1 million in 1995.)
• This is normally when I start my post Christmas depression (it's delayed.)
• Avatar has is reached $552 million based upon this weekend's figures? And why do I still not have a desire to see it?
• Lady Gaga was on MTV's "Boiling Point" before she was a tricked up Lady Gaga? Why, yes, she was.
• Insignificant play that impressed me yesterday: Vikings' Adrian Peterson getting up to recover his own fumble. (Although he had lots of opportunities to recover his own fumble.)
• Wasn't the Fox yellow first down line waaaaaay off near the end of the game yesterday?
• NASCAR's Denny Hamlin tears his ACL after a basketball game but will have surgery AFTER the season. And tell me again how NASCAR is a sport?
• While you were sleeping: 24 dead/ 41 hurt in Baghdad explosion. Can we officially call that war George W's "Waterloo"?
• I think most people direct their stress at folks which had nothing to do with it.
• Was that a two minutes commercial for a video game near the end of the Minnesota/New Orleans game yesterday?
• I watched the "Date From Hell" episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive" on Animal Planet that I wrote about on Friday. Good stuff.
• An Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed overnight presumably killing 90 people. I had no idea there was an Ethiopian Airlines.
• I always suspect that people posting inspirational messages on Facebook are actually in a lot of pain.
• The cover of Texas Monthly suggests that Rick Perry may make a legitimate run for President. He's as viable candidate as anything else the Republicans have.

Bowling Thoughts

I went bowling, yep, bowling Saturday afternoon at Main Event in Grapevine. Not sure what prompted that desire other than no football coupled with rainy weather, but I acted up on it (which is what I do). Thoughts:

• It ain't the Pro Bowlers Tour on Saturday afternoon. There are more kids there than Romper Room.
• And that means we've got kids launching balls like shot puts and then screaming in anguish when they don't get the intended results.
• The alley has "guidelines" or makers (I'm struggling for the right word) on the lane that are created by some weird light projected from the ceiling.
• And then the oddest moment: Out of nowhere, the music cranks up, the lights go down, and a lazer light show is flashing all over the lanes. It was like Disco Bowling and it went on for a good ten minutes.
• Our "waiter" was a young kid whose level of service didn't satisfy my competitor. Not sure what went wrong there. But things went horribly wrong.
• I was reminded that I am an awful bowler despite receiving college credit in that very sport. It looks easy on TV.
• You'd think a little wrist trick would cause the ball to break right to left at the very end. It didn't work.
• We ate at the new Tilted Kilt before the glorious sporting events. It's kind of like Twin Peaks or Bone Daddy's with the waitresses sporting a modified school girl look. Who knew there was such a huge market? The Ticket will be there Tuesday, I think.

Friday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Uh, girls, the pastor would like a word with you.

Pet Peeve

I get a weekly email of recent legal Case Updates from the Texas District and County Attorney Association because I'm a famous former prosecutor I pay them an annual fee. The updates are always informative, but I especially love the prosecutor oriented "Commentary" after each one -- it let's me know when they are really scared about a particular case. But this one got my attention this morning. Prosecutors, by their very nature, are right wing law and order types that, amazingly, oftentimes want to do their brand of justice so badly that they forget about silly things like the Constitution -- a Constitution that most right wingers will tell you they hold sacred. At least when it serves their purpose. In this case we have a clear violation of a valuable Constitutional right: The right to a public jury trial (which prevents the government from operating a secret Star Chamber.) So what is the "official" response from the organization that represents all DAs and CAs from around the state: "Come on!! So what if it's a violation? It didn't hurt the Defendant so who cares!!" Amazing. If there are no consequences for violating the Constitution, we might as well not have a Constitution at all.

From A Faithful Reader

Edit: At first I thought Fox 4 stole my photo, but they used a different one.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I'm not informed enough to understand the consequences of the Supreme Court decision yesterday which struck down limits on corporate donations to candidates. But some people sure were screaming "the sky is falling yesterday" proclaiming that we will have the equivalent of a congressman "sponsored by AT&T."
• Heck, that might be true.
• Something happened late yesterday during a DWI trial in Decatur but I've got to go check it out this morning.
• Those Brink Home Security commercials sure depict some violent home invasions.
• You don't hear much about MySpace anymore.
• Someone emailed me and said, "Barry you need to get a picture of the sign at the Bridgeport Vet office for the blog. It reads 'Chupacabra Vaccinated Here"" Anyone?
• When I walked into a driver's license hearing room in Fort Worth two days ago everone wanted to talk about the chupacabra. Even the judge.
• Fox 4 had a story about tuition hikes at the University of Texas this morning while the University of Tennessee logo was in the background.
• D Magazine named a restaurant in Forest Hill the best BBQ in the metroplex. I honestly had no idea where Forest Hill was.
• Greatest New Orleans Saints fan "Hey, Now" in the history of ever. Really. Triple really.
• Yesterday I was asked to look at a transcript of a case I prosecuted in 1993. Good grief.
• Bobby Bragan died yesterday. Honestly, I don't know much about the man other than he was the only guy I got an autograph from as a child. I was at some baseball clinic in the metroplex and. after someone told me he was famous, I went up to him and handed him a baseball. It's still in my parents house somewhere.
• Good grief: A nine year old commits suicide at an elementary school in The Colony?

If You've Got A Little Time

Stolen from the D Magazine Blog: Loyal readers of the “print product” will remember Brandon Day as the cover boy for our December 2006 issue. He and his then girlfriend, Gina Allen, after dating for only about a month, took a trip together to Palm Springs. Then they rode a tram to the top of Mount San Jacinto to get some drinks at a bar — and wound up lost, spending three nights in the wilderness without shelter. Read their story. It’s truly amazing. And when they told it in the pages of D, I figured it would only be a matter of time before it became the subject of a made-for-TV movie. (Do they still make made-for-TV movies?) Well, that hasn’t happened yet. But this Friday, the story will be told from Day’s perspective on the Discovery Channel show I Shouldn’t Be Alive. The episode is titled “Date From Hell” and will air at 8 p.m. Set your TIVOs now. (Seriously. This cable TV thing is here to stay?) I just read their story over lunch. It is amazing. Check it out if you can.

Even I Can Appreciate This

Two Issues Of Race

(1) A DWI trial just started in Wise County where the defendant is African American and, not surprisingly, there was not a single African American on the jury panel. (2) Former Jacksboro mayor Jerry Craft has just written a book about his experience being the only white player in the West Texas Colored League. Kind of a "reverse Jackie Robinson situation." (Thanks, Allen.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• They were taking down Christmas street decorations on the courthouse square this morning. They are never in a rush about that.
• Do they still sell those "contact" capsules where you can see the little balls inside? Haven't seen a commercial for them in 20 years.
• Tech news: With Apple set to announce a tablet computer (maybe), Amazon will fire back with an announcement that it will all allow developers to create apps for the Kindle. The desktop computer may become a thing of the past very soon.
• There has been a sensational murder trial of a pastor's wife in Waco going on with her husband being found guilty last night. The local Waco paper had a live blog of the trial which is better than any news article would be.
• A congressional panel was upset yesterday because the "underwear bomber" was arrested, read his Miranda rights, and then requested a lawyer. This is still America, right?
• It's weird that when television was just getting started, sitcoms had the most bizarre premises. Gilligan's Island, Hogan's Heros, The Munsters, Mr. Ed, and My Favorite Martian are bizarre by even today's standards.
• An occupied Decatur police car sat alone in the bank parking lot across from my office the other morning. Kind of creeped me out.
• Do local folks still go to Shreveport since the Oklahoma casinos are now available?
• Conan O'Brien will be getting $45 million from NBC. Holy, cow.
• That 6.0 earthquake in Haiti yesterday didn't do any damage after all. But I appreciate all the advice from all you structural engineers out there.
• If I'm on Decatur's Planning and Zoning Committee, I do whatever it takes to please CVS Pharmacy.
• Rudy Giuliana is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
• NFL Fraud: A krillion players are named to the Pro Bowl yet when a ton of them decline the opportunity to play their replacements also receive the label "pro bowler".
• Wow: I didn't know spare Cowboys receiver Roy Williams is owed $9 million in March even if the Cowboys were to cut him right now.
• More evidence Fox's Glenn Beck is crazy: He said he thought Massachusetts Golden Boy Republican Scott Brown could end up with a "dead intern" during his congressional term. What?

I'm Calling For An End To Chupacabra Talk

Edit: The Messenger explains itself.

Wednesday Morning Pick Me Up

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Crazy pileup on 287 southbound out of Decatur this morning - - traffic backed up for a couple of miles. My expertise in accident reconstruction says fog has something to do with it.
• Haiti had a 6.0 earthquake this morning. It would seem that not much damage was caused since if a building can withstand a 7.0, a 6.0 isn't going to bring it down.
• I've mentioned Kayak.com before as a great travel site, but I'll do it again. If you fiddle with it, you can set up an email alert for a specific flight in the future so you'll know if the prices drop on it.
• Got an email about a Decatur teacher's home being burglarized in the last few days. A couple of flat screen TV's taken among other things. (And it wasn't far from the courthouse.)
• The Bridgeport Bulls basketball team is 2-17? Eeek.
• The concept of raising money by text messaging is brillant since it is so easy. As of last night, $24 million had been raised for Haiti relief via that method.
• And it's stunning to think there are folks who believe Haiti should "handle their own problems and we need to focus on helping Americans."
• You won't believe the front page of the Messenger today. Never has a fake chupacabra received so much attention. I'm talking a huge photo above the fold.
• Republican Scott "Aw Shucks" Brown won the Massachusetts Senate race last night. My predictions lately have been awful. Completely awful.
• I wonder if everyone has been taking their mood controlling drugs lately?
• Standing next to Brown last night was a hawt gal who, I learned, was his daughter, Ayla. I also learned Ayla was a Top 24 finalist for American Idol.
• Ladies: ESPN is after you.
• And he didn't mind using both daughters to get votes.
• I hope Fox and Friends urging people to vote for Brown by suggesting that their 401Ks would benefit by a Republican victory didn't have anything to do with it.
• It takes a second to load, but the Worst Album Covers ever is pretty funny.
• Boy, those Rick Perry commercials are condescending. Does he really spend all his time going out to ranches and shaking hands?
• The kindergartner from Mesquite who was kicked out of school for long hair (all aspects of the story make me insane) is now back in class. Problem solved by the mother, Elizabeth Taylor, putting his hair in french braids. "He looks a little like Princess Leia," she said. Note to kid: You're doomed.