Flying Over Masters Opening Round Today

His first round documented here.

Pretty Big Grass Fire North of Decatur

Edit: Let me guess, controlled burn on the grasslands?

Edit #2: By late afternoon, this has turned into some serious smoke. It's a sunny day except for a cloudy Decatur.

Does This Look Like A Girl Who Would Open A Beer In A Cop Car?

Why, yes. Yes it does.

(Thanks emailer Chris.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• There was an awful crash in Joshua a couple of days ago that killed a 17 year old girl. Now cops say it was suicide. I guess they know that.
• This would drive me crazy as a coach: Five undergraduate basketball players at Kentucky have decided to enter the NBA draft. (And that's not good for NCAA basketball.)
• Creepiest thing about the trial of the guy killing his baby and throwing it in Lake Lewisville: The body is still in Lake Lewisville.
• And in that case the cops secretly recorded their interview of him. Is that legal? Yep.
• I bought four college T-shirts: (1) Florida State - because it looked cool, (2) North Carolina - good color (3) Nevada - because it also says "Wolf Pack" and the thought of "one man wolf pack" made me laugh, and (4) Barry University - which actually exists but the color is red so I'll keep that one for "in house" wear.
• I stumbled upon the live broadcast of UT's Spring Football Game this weekend (ugh) and saw Colt McCoy's little brother playing. That's the same kid that played against Bridgeport last Fall --- yep, he started school at the Empire this Spring.
• Saginaw cheerleaders did what???!!!!
• Starting a lawn mower for the first time since separating your shoulder is a little tense. Think about it. (And I don't how you can start one left handed if you have to hold down the safety bar on the push handle.)
• There was basically a revolution in Kyrgyzstan yesterday. Never heard of it? Me neither. (But it's bordered by Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan if that helps you out.) But did you know that the U.S. maintains an air base there and pays Kyrgyzstan $60 million a year for that privilege?
• I finished my book on the Bataan Death March. The "greatest generation" indeed.
• Of every person in the world that played on Yahoo in the March Madness Pick 'Em tourney, here is the bracket of the winner.
• Turned into Sean Hannity last night and he had a massive live audience in Minnesota as he hawked his new book. Question: Did you have to be white to attend?

New Nike Tiger Woods Ad

That's the voice of his late dad, Earl. Good stuff.

Viral Video Of The Week: Fat Asian Kid Sings Like Whitney Houston

Afternoon Pick Me Up

DWI Wise County Trial Result: 6 Years. No Probation.

The last trial resulted in an 8 year sentence. That's two in a row where the plea for probation has been rejected.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• MTV's 16 and Pregnant makes me lose the will to live. But I think it would discourage teenage pregnancies if kids would watch it.
• New Idiocracy sandwich from Kentucky Fried Chicken. How can that possibly be real? (The bun has been replaced with two slices of fried meat.)
• The salaries of this years Texas Rangers are here. It's kind of the haves and the have nots (relatively speaking.)
• Mining looks like a very 19th century kind of job.
• I didn't realize that much of the NBC Nightly News is replayed on The Today Show. (And I still can't stand Ann Curry.)
• I think I lost a little bit of a tooth filling which has now caused a jagged edge to be in my mouth. That's not pleasant.
• There seems to be a lot of hatred against the "guy who sits around and won't work" who might now get health care. I keep hearing everyone talk about him but I don't know who he is.
• I just learned that 3G phones won't cause the weird buzz when they get near a computer monitor.
• I saw a couple of violent South Padre Island beach fights during Spring Break on youtube. That does not look like a very inviting place.
• A church in McKinney is involved in trying to break the world record for the largest plate of nachos. I'm certain that was in the Sermon on The Mount or something.
• The Dallas Morning News' propensity to have video ads on its web pages is yet another example of how they don't "get it."
• New feature: One of today's local papers above the fold (although today's isn't very interesting):

American Sportscasters Could Learn A Lot From These Folks

Just lighten up a bit!

Another Felony DWI Trial Going On In Decatur

This one seems pretty routine. Two prior misdemeanor DWI convictions. Eligible for probation from the jury if convicted.

But there is a hitch: The defendant doesn't speak English. So what we have is an interpreter (guy in tan) speaking in Spanish into a cup looking contraption that the defendant can hear via an earpiece.

Eight man, four woman jury. All white.

Bob Estrada out of Wichita Falls is the defense lawyer.

Fiona Ended Up In The Drink

Unfortunately, they had cut to a different segment so we don't get to see her hit the water. (Here they are trying to walk out of the pond.)

Edit: Someone in the comments mentioned how they missed Ex Fox 4 anchor Megan Henderson. Look what picture she just posted on Facebook (she's working in Los Angeles now.):

And He Threw The Guy Out

You see what's left of that kneecap? Want to see how it happened?

Source.

And The Winner Is

I've learned that Blake of "Final Four Fever" is nine year old Blake Cooper, son of former Decatur residents Scott and Sharon Cooper. Scott, who works for DPS, tells me that Blake made every pick and "sweated over his bracket" for days.

And thanks to Stagecoach Steakhouse in Bridgeport for donating the $150 gift certificate.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Twenty five miners dead in West Virginia, and it looks like that number will rise.
• There were a lot of white guys on the court in last night's NCAA final.
• And that last shot one have been one of the most famous in history if it would have gone in. I was asleep when it happened.
• The DWI case that killed the two Argyle residents is getting lots of press since they've charge the guy with Murder instead of Intoxication Manslaughter. I've explained before how the State can do that. (But most of the news media simplify the case by indicating he was charged with Murder because the case is "really bad.")
• This wind is killing me.
• The Commissioners' Court in Collin County is considering passing a resolution objecting to the health care plan. (Like they have anything to do with it.) But is Wise County going to stand around and let them out-conservative us?
• I'm going on an out-of-town hiking trip this weekend. It also involves sleeping in a hotel.
• I'm not sure who is charge of the Messenger twitter feed, but they've gone crazy. Yesterday for example: "17-year-old female in Newark popped her knee out while performing cartwheels. Medics responding."
• I've been on my ratcheted up health kick for about six weeks and have lost a legitimate six pounds. I'll take that.
• What a weird story about the the SMU Law grad who was arrested for "planning" to use deadly force against a Dallas abortion clinic. A couple of weeks earlier he had filed a handwritten lawsuit against the members of the Supreme Court. And if I read the story correctly, he filed the case with a clerk with the municipal court in Plano. Boy ain't right.

Anyone Missing A Camera?

Kinda funny. Faithful reader Tony sent in this pic over the weekend of a pooch who was gathering up Easter eggs -- which is pretty cute in its own right. But then he picked up another brightly colored object.

Opening Day: Well, That Looks Exciting

And to think the Rangers were the victim of a no-hitter going into the 7th. Edit: And looky who threw out the first pitch in Washington. It was just a biiiiiit outside.

Still Trying To Sort This Story Out

But that video is shocking if all were civilians. (Link - with video at bottom)

Edit: Side by side comparisons of the way CNN treated the news vs. Al Jazeera. Double edit: CNN is all over the story now. Edit: That Apache helicopter was certainly conspicuous but those guys on the ground seemed to have no fear that it would open fire on them. Hardly the attitude of insurgents, or so it would seem.