Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Where did that storm come from?
• I'm not saying a thing about this gal who was picked up on Wise County warrants in Denton County yesterday.
• Although I have no desire to go there, I had no idea the Hard Rock Cafe had opened a new location in Dallas.
• And that restaurant was in the news yesterday because it was selling hamburgers for 71 cents with people standing in line 90 minutes to get one. 90 minutes? Really? I wouldn't do that for a week's worth of hamburgers.
• And I won't watch any of it, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Lakers win the last two games over the Celtics.
• I'm still a fan of J-Lo.
• I called my mortgage company yesterday and ran into the best phone tree directory ever. You want to know principal balance left? Last payment? How much of that was interest? How much was principal reduction? Escrow balance? I got all of that without ever having to talk to a human.
• I watched a portion of The Sixth Sense last night. I can't remember a movie which is more fun to watch after you've seen it the first time. And I wonder how many people still have no idea what the spoiler is?
• The "blog style" experiment of "The Spin" might be a failure.
• I'm not sure I know where the Ivory Coast is, but that's a cool name for a country.
• There are currently two capital murder cases pending in Wise County. I feel confident in saying that's never been the case before.
• I tried to explain jury duty to an eight year old the other day. That's not easy. (Did I mention this already?)
• You don't think Supreme Court justices are astute? Look at this little blurb from a dissenting opinion in 1982 referencing Congress ignoring the problem of illegal immigration.
• Final Big 12 conference note: Since Colorado left a still existent Big 12, they may owe $6 to $8 million in a buyout.
• My oddest "Hey, now" ever: Cell phone bosomed Paraguay girl.

Big 12 (Less 2) Staying Together -- It's Official

On behalf of Baylor University, I'd like to apologize for every time I've dogged The Evil Empire one of the finest universities in the history of ever. Texas is staying, A&M is staying, OU is staying, and every other team breathes a sigh of relief.

They plan to go forward with 10 teams (Colorado and Nebraska have already bailed), get rid of the North and South divisions, have every team play each other, and get rid of the conference championship game. And Texas gets permission to form its own Texas Television Network as well as a bigger cut of the conference financial pie.

"Colonial, take us back to DEFCON 5." (Cheers. High fives. Hugs. Knowing nods of approval.)

Crazy News In Update

Car found in Wise County with burned human remains in it.

Wise County Caveman Crawl Last Weekend

Looks like some craziness. More pictures here. (Facebook link.)

A Picture I Thought Was Photoshopped But Not

Space shuttle.

Source.

Pat Robertson On How To Keep Your Man From Cheating

It's simple: Look hot.

(And we just thought he was crazy.)

Here's a direct link if video doesn't work.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I didn't even make it in the courtroom for jury duty last week. The judge sent a note out excusing me without an explanation. I thought about muttering, "I guess that sex offender registration didn't play too well" as I walked past the other jurors who were still waiting.
• I downloaded the official song of the World Cup and listened to it over the weekend. It at least made me feel a little international.
• The Big 12 Conference realignment explained with MS Paint. Very funny. (Language warning.) Edit: And we have huge realignment news this morning.
• Ex-UT star Vince Young slugs a guy in a Dallas strip club at 3:30 a.m. because he was taunted with an upside down "hook em horns" sign? Well, that makes perfect sense.
• The flash flood in Arkansas over the weekend that killed nineteen was bizarre. How horrible would it be to wake up in camper being swept up in flood waters?
• Speaking of bizarre, this photo of Rick Perry speaking at the state GOP convention this weekend creeps me out.
• Look at the names of the 32 countries playing in the World Cup. Can you find them all on the map? Can you name their native language? Can you name anything about their culture? In the end, we don't know very much at all about this world at all.
• And every time I see the South Africa name on the World Cup logo, I think of Miss South Carolina saying, "Such as, South Africa."
• I appreciate that place in Boyd taking care of the black bear found in Alaska, but I'm not exactly sure I'd be thrilled if I were the bear.
• Caught up on a couple of episodes of Modern Family over the weekend. Man, that's funny. (And everyone keeps mentioning Breaking Bad as something I need to see.)

The Spin: Blog Edition

As I mentioned, I'm going to experiment with abandoning The Spin because of boredom. Alternatively, as a test run, I'll just post four or five headlines from The Messenger here every Sunday and have you boys go at it.

The World Cup Thing

It's odd, but I'm on board. I watched yesterday's match at the Tilted Kilt in Grapevine (note to travelers: That road construction will beat you down), and it was pretty cool. It's just odd to hear a room explode over a soccer goal.

And the HD replays that ABC/ESPN are throwing down are outstanding.

But I'd like to announce that I even I could have stopped that ball --- that goalie is a disgrace to the "Green" on the back of his jersey. Take it off, sir.

TCU Takes Down The Empire Today, Friday

TCU 3

Texas 1

One game down. One to go.

And I've never seen a pitcher wear his hat like a gangsta. But, man, that guy is great.

Edit on Sunday --- TCU finishes off UT.

Drives Me Nuts

I monitor both prosecution and defense lawyer message boards because you can learn a lot (from time to time) by doing so. But this one on the defense board stopped me down yesterday (posted by someone who works about 60 miles from here):

Gang: seems there was a thread posted some time ago about a [Motion to Revoke Probation] based solely upon inability of the probationee to pay the court-ordered fines, fees, etc. due to loss of job or whatever. I thought I had saved this info in my research section but cannot locate it now. My guy lost his job in 12/09. Prior to that time, on probation since 7/07, successfully. When he lost his job in 12/09, could not longer afford to make the scheduled payments. Also, are charging him with failure to appear to probation office for two months and a failure to report and obtain permission for a job change (presumably, this was when he was laid off in 12/09, and had no luck finding a job until 3 months later. From my recollection, the thread had info to the effect that an inability to pay is not sufficient to support an MTR, that the probation office can give him more community service, but can't revoke him for simply not paying. Anyone out there who can help me on this or steer me in the right direction? The hearing is scheduled for this afternoon at 1:00 p.m. so time is of the essence. Thanks in advance for any help the group can send my way. & please, feel free to respond off list if you wish.

Really? Your client is about to get revoked and go to jail and now you decide you might want to learn what the law is? And you do so by asking others on a message board?

World Cup Pick Me Up

But I'll be locked in tomorrow at 12:30 for the United States v. The Motherland Although I promise you, the sound of vuvuzelas will drive you cRAzEe!!!!

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I'm not going to beat you down with college football conference realignment talk, but what is going on is insane. I'll remember this week forever.
• Jury duty: I have to go back for the actual jury selection process this morning. And the judge is someone who started work in the Tarrant County DA's office on the very same day as I did 20 years ago.
• In the central jury room yesterday, they played a generic "jury service is good" film before everything got started that included movie clips. But I almost screamed when the first clip was of a jury foreman saying, "We find the defendant incredibly guilty." Way to taint the group.
• My fellow potential jurors laughed at a My Cousin Vinny clip where the judge asked, "Mr. Gambini, are you on drugs?"
• The panel did not laugh at a Jim Carrey movie clip where he played a lawyer and objected to his own question. For the moment, my faith in humanity was restored.
• I tried to work out with a Billy Blanks Taebo DVD last night for the first time. I was flopping around like a fish.
• Yeah, I'm probably going to abandon The Spin. I'm thinking about just posting Messenger headlines on here every Sunday and letting you guys write it for me.
• I jogged this morning and came upon my normal park but it had eight industrial sprinklers going. After avoiding the first two, and realizing no one was around, I did a 180 and then ran through all of them. It was one of those "your life is about to change" kind of moments.
• Flashback I heard: "Ultra Sheen and Ultra Sheen cosmetics."

Breaking: 16 Year Old Sailing Around World Alone Reported Missing Today

Link.

Any one want to shoot her parents right now?

Auto Tuned Obama

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Yesterday was the craziest day ever for college football realignment. Current status, Nebraska to the Big Ten; Texas A&M listening to one last pitch by the SEC; Colorado taking the initiative and bolting to the PAC 10; Texas, A&M, Tech, OU, OSU, expected to get invites to the PAC 10; Missouri, which started it all by public statements, may be ignored by all; and Baylor, ironically, "left behind."
• And writer Chip Brown of Orangebloods.com was like Woodward and Bernstein in breaking the story.
• We were in a flash flood watch yesterday and didn't get a drop. But to the south and to the east to they almost drowned. And I suspect at least one person did drown.
• Chilling headline: "Taliban executes boy, 7, for spying."
• I've got jury duty in Fort Worth this morning. I might fire up my Twitter account if the observations are worth it.
• I'm a stadium fan. I'm trying to be a World Cup fan. That's probably why I enjoy this youtube video created by Google showing 3D computer animations of all 10 World Cup Stadiums. Cool.
• Someone mentioned the other day that the iPhone was no big deal. I disagree. It was life-changing-technology for me. And all the versions of the Android will do the same.
• I'd be a great juror.
• The border patrol agent who shot a Mexican teenager appears to be lying. The greatest deterrent for lying cops in the future won't be civil rights lawsuits or the exclusionary rule, it'll be cell phone videos.
• There was a wrong way driver on 183 in Irving last night which resulted in a death. Other than the Tollway, this seems to happen on 183 more than any where else.

Ron Burgundy: Going, Going, ...

. . . will be gone.

Bridgeport: Oh, My!

More.

(Thanks, Bud!)