Bad News FromThat 380 Shut Down

I've got the guy's name, but I'm not sure next-of-kin have been notified. Bad deal. Edit: The young man's name is Grant Edwards Jr. What a horrible, horrible situation. Edit: Positive comments only, please.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• One guy in the Rainbow Lounge raid is being prosecuted for the Class C offenses (punishable by fine only) of Public Intoxication and Assault by Offensive Contact. I sort of believe a little traffic court prosecutor is about to get in over his/her head.
• Did I read a few weeks back that the United Way of Wise County did not reach its fund raising goal this year? Has that ever happened before? I'm I dreaming this?
• I had no idea the Chico port-o-potty post would blow up like it did. This blog is like throwing darts and hoping I hit something.
• I actually watched some of the Health Care Summit yesterday. Amazingly, everyone acted very civilly. (But twice I noticed that Senators praised Texas as a model of tort reform.)
• Kevin Smith's new movie Cop Out looks horrible. Based upon his recent work, I'm beginning to believe Clerks and Chasing Amy were flukes.
• I had some buddies say the Random Girls are too "enhanced" and that I should designate Friday as "Natural Friday." Naaaaa.
• Sports News: The free agent rules for the NFL are kind of complicated. But the Cowboys are expected to allow Miles Austin to become a restricted free agent which means they will pay him $3.168 million next season. Here's the catch: He can leave for a better offer if the team making that offer is also willing to give Dallas a 1st and 3rd round draft pick. I guess the Cowboys think no one would do that.
• That SeaWorld killer whale death was horrible. He simply drowned that poor girl to death.
• I guess I didn't have to put "to death" at the end of that last sentence.
• Somehow I've gained weight. I just had one of those "I'm Going To Fix That" moments this morning which means I'm about to become obsessed with my diet and running -- even more that I already am.
• I've got some weeds in my yard that kind of look like clovers. How do they stay buried under snow for four four days and still survive?
• "Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you." - Erich Fromm (1. I have no idea why I was sucked in by a sappy saying, but I saw it yesterday on Facebook and it made me think. 2. I have no idea who Erich Fromm is.)
• 380 was shut down this morning between Denton and Decatur. Doesn't impact me, but it might you.

Vague News

Lots of cops out at "Moonlight Bay" by the lake --- and I'm not exactly sure where that is. Rumors of a guy with a gun? Anyone?

I've Backed Off Mug Shot Humor But We've Got A Couple Of Doozies Today

Link. Link.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I went down to the Baylor/A&M basketball game last night (after much urging by my buddies). Good times.
• Has I-35 been under construction for 30 years?
• And when did everyone and their dog head south of Fort Worth towards Burleson after 5:00 p.m.
• There's a billboard on I-35 announcing a new "cabaret" in downtown Fort Worth called "Panther City." As someone in our group said, "How do they Bass brothers allow that?"
• I bought a leather jacket for myself for Christmas. I love the leather jacket --- those things are warm.
• Baylor students taunted the Aggies with inflatable sheep. Funny bit.
• The free T-shirt cannon sure is a big player in any arena.
• Funny moment at the game came when a guy from our group turned to a very good looking gal sitting beside him and said, "Hi, I'm [name], Class of [year]." Her response was, "Uh, I'm a junior in high school." I live for moments like that.
• I end up sitting by a cute gal who was a basketball hound. She'd scream out things like, "You've got to block out!", "You've got to square up!" and to the ref: "You've got to call the first foul and not the retaliation if you want to get control of this game!" Wore me out.
• She was not in high school.
• Getting in and out of a sold-out basketball game is a thousand times easier than getting in and out of a sold out football game. I guess the reason is obvious.
• Did you know people will line up to buy kolaches in West after 10:00 at night?
• Everyone in my group said they would be happy to relive their college days. I'm not so sure about that.
• Also met a couple of law school students last night. I'm 100% certain I wouldn't do that again.
• I'm not used to getting home after midnight on a school night.
• Unrelated: Teachers get suspended for lap dance during pep rally. (But it was in crazy Canada.) Video.
• The first item in today's Update was that a fire in Newark was declared to be arson. There is no more on an inexact science than arson investigation.
• Channel 8 video on Jackie Murphree trial.

The Silliest Car On The Road Is Dead

Link. (And in unrelated news, a killer whale has lived up to its name at SeaWorld in Florida.)

Rumor Worth Publishing: Children Are Being Left Behind Today In Chico

Edit: A loyal reader (man, I've got more reporters out there than the AP) sends along this pic providing confirmation:

Dallas Tea Party . . .

. . . recruits three or four minorities to attack MSNBC's Keith Olbermann. But the "have you no shame, sir?" ending was pretty funny. (It's his tagline for those that never watch MSNBC -- and I'm guessing that's most of you.)

Fat Chick's Fat Saves Her From Bullet -- Vows To Get Fatter

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A Florida woman says her love handles saved her life when she was shot entering an Atlantic City bar. Samantha Lynn Frazier says she heard two pops when she walked into Herman’s Place early Saturday. The 35-year-old then felt pain and saw blood on her hand after she grabbed her left side. Atlantic City police say Frazier was an innocent bystander. Detective Lt. Charles Love says the gunman was aiming for a man who escaped with a bullet hole in his down jacket. The suspect remains at large. Frazier tells The Press of Atlantic City she had been “hollering” how she wanted to lose weight. She now says “I want to be as big as I can if it’s going to stop a bullet.” And to think all the Random Girls would be dead if they had taken a bullet like that.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• That was quick: The widow of the guy killed in the IRS building is suing the wife of the nutcase pilot that caused it. Wait. Suing the wife?
• I think I saw a 16 year old figure skater at the Olympics last night who ended up with a bleeding nose after her performance.
• Decatur cowboy Trevor Brazile gets a one page feature in the March issue of Texas Monthly. (p. 28)
• You would think that Dick Cheney's many heart scares would make him simply sit back and enjoy life instead of being a perpetual curmudgeon.
• Fox 4 News dedicating segments to American Idol drives me a little nuts.
• Has the tattoo fad ended? On vacation last year at the beach I began to notice some middle aged folks who obviously had the ink idea many years ago.
• A couple of folks at the courthouse have called me Broken Wing this week due to my healing shoulder injury. When they do that, I have an old song from the one hit wonder band of Mister, Mister stick in my brain for the rest of the day.
• Speaking of the shoulder injury, I got the total bill submitted to my insurance company yesterday. That'll be it's own post later. Feel free to guess how much it costs to spend three hours in the emergency room, have your shoulder placed back into socket, get an IV, get x-rays, and walk out with a velcro ladened shoulder brace.
• Edit to the above: As a couple of astute commenters pointed out, the bill is for the hospital only. I guess I'll get a bill from the doctor. But I'll get a bill from the x-ray technician, too?
• I've got the Fort Worth Half Marathon this weekend. As always, I just want to finish and not walk any portion of it.
• The bottom of my garbage disposal started leaking. I replaced one once, but it's not on the top of my list of fun things to do.
• I've got The Hurt Locker arriving from Netflix either today or tomorrow.

Exclusive: Kay Bailey Hutchison Caught In Tryst!

Unconfirmed reports by TMZ (Wise County Bureau) indicate the "other man" is Messenger photographer Joe Duty. Developing . . . (Or it might have been some bus stop of her campaign in Decatur today that I completely overlooked.)

Updated Wise County Weather Forecast

Messenger Says We've Got A Big Wreck

At FM 51 and CR 4396. Anyone know anything?

Sheriff Caught Sitting Next To Phil King!

Oh, wait. That's not the correct headline. The cops are talking about you folks that do the dirty jobs that Americans won't do. And, look out, there's a Minuteman in the group! They're getting serious! Story (but not much to it.)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Best line yesterday from a friend: "Sheesh, doesn't anyone know to practice discretion anymore? When did that stop?"
• You can do things with a girl while ice dancing at the Olympics that you can't do after five dates in the real world.
• I've noticed that the ice dancing couples do a lot of "over bowing" at the end of the routine once the applause comes.
• OK, I wrote the last two points while watching ice dancing. I'm switching to ESPN right now.
• New credit card regulations went into effect yesterday in order to "protect consumers." When I was 18, I got my first credit card. My dad simply said, "Don't do anything stupid. You have to pay for what you charge." Those were all the regulations that I ever needed to hear.
• This should be its own post: A buddy of mine pointed out how foot loose and fancy free the rules are if you fly a private plane by visual flight rules instead of by instrument. You can take off and fly to a different airstrip and never tell anyone that your doing it.
• The term that sticks in my head coined by John Mayer after his Playboy interview from last week: Sexual Napalm. That guy is crazy.
• Still my favorite John Mayer song: Comfortable.
• The Fox 4 weather guy this morning was already talking about "black ice" for tomorrow since he really didn't have anything to talk about when it wasn't snowing.
• It's amazing how every ad for a guy/gal running for judge in Texas is the same: A "true conservative." Won't legislate from the bench. Will interpret the law instead of make law. Tough but fair.
• Late Tiger apology thought: The best apology had to be that of Jimmy Swaggart - full out weeping and crying. Now that's the way it's done. And, while channel surfing this weekend, I ran across a Jimmy Swaggart Ministries' show with a preacher that has to be his son. Looked just like him.
• The two alleged church arsonists in East Texas don't look like a couple of rocket scientists, do they?
• There's talk of a criminal investigation into Toyota? Sheesh. We've got too many cops, investigators, and prosecutors in this world if they are looking for things to do.
• The San Diego Chargers let LaDainian Tomlinson go yesterday after nine years. Yep, he's done. How long did the Cowboys keep Emmitt Smith before allowing him to leave? Thirteen years.

Breaking: Jackie Murphree Verdict

$24 million in total damages Percentages of fault:

• Drunk Driver: 70%
• Austin Bridge: 0%
• Site Concrete: 15%
• TxDot: 15%

It is my understanding (but for reason I don't readily understand) there will be no recovery from TxDot. The final outcome, unofficially, is that Site Concrete is responsible for its 15% (assuming the verdict holds up on appeal.) The intoxicated driver certainly isn't a factor in the verdict. If she had insurance, it probably wasn't much. The only folks with money were Site Concrete and Austin Bridge. That's really what the trial was about. Edit: Channel 8 coverage of verdict

A Lot Of Wise County Folks Have Been Following This Tragedy Which Just Became More Tragic

Latest Blizzard Projection From People Who Act Like They Know Weather

Although they might be confusing Decatur with Denton. Link.