Guy Who Predicted Rapture Would Occur On 5/21/11 Now Says It Will End Tomorrow

"My calculations were a little off."

I wonder if this is what our December 21, 2012 commenter guy looks like?

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I Think I've Found A Legal Bombshell: Texas May Have Just Killed The Notary Public

Today I received a police report from DPS which normally has a cover sheet with  the officer's signature indicating he swore to it  before  a  notary public (who, of course, also signed it).  This one was different: It didn't have the notary. Instead the officer just signed a form where he declared it was true "under penalty of perjury."

What the heck?

I did some quick research and found a stunner: Texas just enacted House Bill 3674 which says that using certain language (set forth in the statute) will suffice "in lieu of a written sworn declaration, verification, certification, oath, or affidavit required by statute [or other law.]"  Wow.  The new statute's only exceptions are for  "an oath of office or an oath required to be taken before a specified official other than a notary public." Double wow.

So if you are required by law to swear to a document -- even if the prior law said it had to be before a notary -- this new law says you don' have to so long as you use some magic words? That's what it looks like to me. If you work in a field that requires the use of a lot of notary stamps, you may not need them.

I'm open for suggestions or different interpretations.

Edit: I think this topic is very sexy. Lay off. And one of the comments is spot on. One of the main functions of the notary is to verify that the person signing the document is who he says he is. That's appears to be gone.

World Series Nugget

Take a look at this photo from 2005 taken from the top of the St. Louis Arch. The stadium the Rangers are playing in now was under construction at that time right next to the circular stadium that would soon be torn down. But look how close they are. In fact, that circular stadium even protrudes into what looks to be left field of the new stadium.  I guess they built as much as they could, blew up the old stadium, and finished the new.

Edit: And how it looks before Game #2

Belo Newspapers Stopping Mon-Sat Home Delivery In Decatur

A confidential source down my office hallway named Brock handed me this letter he got this morning with his Dallas Morning News. Only Sunday delivery from now on for the Morning News and Denton Record Chronicle. Of those in other parts of Wise County who subscribe to those papers, did you get the letter, too?

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Muammar Gaddafi was reportedly captured this morning and then came reports that he was dead. I've never heard so many U.S. media outlets "confirm" the report but with caveats. Here's the first picture of his capture -- I mean, it might be authentic.
• Edit: Yep. Dead. Finally some justice for the attempted murder of Doc Brown in 1985 in the parking lot of the Twin Pines Mall. 
• Rick Perry gave a speech yesterday and ended it with a (forced) "Let's Roll!"  Who is advising this guy?
• And Perry will throw a Hail Mary next week by proposing a flat tax system. If you are in the lower half of income earners, I bet the flat tax would cost you more.
• The obituary of the young Paradise girl says she was an organ donor that has "helped save 12 other lives". 
• Another interesting note from the obituary: "The family has requested casual dress for Ashlie’s friends at the funeral, particularly camouflage." Someone will know the story behind that. 
• Baylor's women's basketball coach on whether they will continue to play the Aggies: "If a man wants to divorce me and says our relationship has no value to him, and then he asks me if he can sleep with me, the answer is, 'No,'" Kim Mulkey said. "We're not going to play them any more because they decided that playing us was not important to them."
• After the exotic animal escape yesterday, I threw out a "Could it happen here?" post. Well so did WFAA who not only mentioned the sanctuary in Boyd but the one in Bridgeport as well which holds 35 tigers. 
• World Series notes: I didn't know that a foul on an attempted bunt with two strikes counts as an out. I did know that a ball can hit foul territory and still end up fair. 
• I present a "Hey, Now" acceptable to both genders (or, I guess, orientation.) It's somebody named Joe Manganiello and female companion.  
• Eight people, most under 30 years old, were arrested in another drug roundup yesterday in the metroplex. The new U.S. Attorney used it for publicity and commended the "DEA, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Tarrant County district attorney's office narcotics unit, the Internal Revenue Service -- criminal investigation, the Parker County Sheriff's Office and the North Richland Hills Police Department."  Sheesh. How much tax money has been spent, and will be spent, on this?
• Anyone ever been to the Alliance Air Show? (It's free but parking is $20).  Is there any reason to go on the grounds? Wouldn't some people just sit in the Bass Pro Shop parking lot? 
• A Wichita Falls bail bondsman was arrested on child sexual assault charges. If there's any alleged offense we need to withhold judgment on, it's that kind.  Remember the Watauga dentist from a few years back?

Fatal Wreck On 114 This Afternoon Near Paradise

Picture (which they are catching some heat over) from the Messenger Facebook page -- posted about three hours after the crash,  No names have been released until "next of kin are notified."

Dallas-Fort Worth Media At World Series (Via TwitPic)

WFAA's Dale Hansen doesn't like a laptop keyboard

Fox 4's Steve Eagar Prepares To Assault Someone And WFAA Weather Panic Expert Pete Delkus 

Delkus and The Ticket's Gordon Keith Before Heading Out To Gay Bar 

Sybil of 105.3 The Fan Outside The Stadium

Sybil (Middle) With Ranger Fans. Fiona (Left)?

Gordon Keith TwitPic'd This From Media Section In Critical 6th Inning

Toldja

And To Think I Normally Say "Dead of Death"

Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team To The Rescue!

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) – Two cows caused a traffic jam Friday morning when they got loose on the Marsha Sharp Freeway. After several people tried to catch the cows the Texas Tech Ranch Horse team was contacted to help with the capture. (More.)

Check out this student/cowboy/born showman in the blue shirt. He's just eating that camera up --- which means he might be some Dallas fraud because all true cowboys are humble. Look it up.

I've never been on the Tech campus, but I'm guessing everyone is exactly like this guy.

P.S. Don't you love the reporter's question at 1:55: "Have you ever been in a situation where you have been in a situation like this before?"  Fox 4's Lari Barager better watch her back.

And Another

Story

Comments under this youtube clip are kind of odd.  (She's not visible but identified in a puppet show.)

Free Lindsay!!!!

Actually, I think she has already made bond. I can't determine if the judge revoked her probation and scheduled a sentencing date, or if it has been scheduled for a revocation hearing. Those California laws are wacky.

Water Ski Jump Of The Day

• They have competitive water ski jumping at the college level? Seriously? I wonder if someone can sign up for that to get their physical ed elective out of the way. 
• What's up with that announcer? Let's get rid of Joe Buck and put him behind the mic tonight.
• I like the replay method which looks like it is on a reel to reel tape. 
• That was still a heck of a jump even if he did do it the hard way.

Hide Yo Wife. Hide Yo Kid.

Officers armed with assault rifles patrolled Zanesville Wednesday morning, a day after police killed dozens of animals that escaped from a wild-animal preserve, and where the owner’s body later was found. Warning that more animals still were on the loose, officials expected up to four school districts to cancel classes as the remaining bears, big cats and other beasts from the Muskingum County Animal Farm were hunted down. (More.)


Wow. That's one crazy story. Wild animals running wild. Thanks goodness a release of bobcats, cougars, jaguars, leopards, lions, tigers and bears could never happen here. Wait. What did you say? Oh, yeah . . . . 

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• That Republican debate was highly entertained, but that Party has got to be concerned with who they are rolling out there. 
• I'm still not sure why Newt Gingrich doesn't get more traction. Other than Ron Paul (good message, bad package), he seems like the only honest one in the bunch. 
• Rick Perry jumped on Romney for hiring an illegal alien (via a contractor) to do his (Romney's) yard work. Funny line on the radio this morning: "Around here, I don't think you're a real Texan unless you have hired an illegal alien."
• The Denton Record Chronicle had a long article questioning the way grand jury members get selected.  It is a very weird process. Basically, a judge hand picks four (five?) "commissioners" to meet one time to select potential grand jury members. Most judges will tell them to give him/her a good cross section of the county, but that doesn't always work out. 
• Update from yesterday's Random Thoughts: It looks like the murder victim's family did file suit against the Denton convenience store and won a multi-million dollar judgment. How is that possible? How has the local news media not picked up on that? 
• I was looking for a front page for the bottom of Random Thoughts and almost went with the Texarkana paper which had a headline about federal drug indictments of 66 people called "Operation Stateline Sweep" -- proving once again that drug roundups always have to have a catchy name.  One of these days they'll name one of them "Operation Futile Effort." 
• Whatever happened to Hank Hal Ketchum, Radney Foster, and Ty Herndon? (Edit: To the first comment, I'm vaguely familiar with Google. But, see, this bullet point question is what is called "rhetorical." I don't want a a literal answer. I was trying to quickly remind you that many1990s country stars have disappeared. But that "quickly" aspect has now been severely defeated. ) 
• Hot Sports Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals in six. Rangers starting pitching will be the problem. 
• That Chisholm Trail Steak Challenge at the Reunion Grounds in Decatur this weekend got a huge free plug on WBAP this morning from Hal Jay. I think he mentioned that his daughter in law was involved with it. (It's a fundraiser, and they must have high expectations because first place gets $2,500. Second gets $1,000.)
• The Decatur Eagles are still not in the AP Top Ten. 
• If C.J. Wilson gets the loss tonight in the Rangers' World Series game, he will be the first pitcher in MLB history to have an official loss in the World Series, The League Championship Series, The Division Series, and the All Star Game in one year. 
• Herman Cain paid a visit to Crazy Sheriff Joe in Arizona. Why they pander to that guy is beyond me. 
• There's a book on Amazon called Eighter From Decatur: Growing Up In North Texas
• Hey you property lawyers: Check out the first item in the Update and tell me if you see any issues to help out Chico. If it were a law school test, I'd write down something about the Rule Against Perpetuities and then proceed to prove that I know nothing about property law. 
• There's a 22 year old death of a Paradise girl listed in the Update. If it was the one I heard about, it's a tragic and scary situation. A health issue that came out of nowhere. 

That's A Festive TV Anchor Crew, Too

Messenger Above The Fold

WBAP's Mark Davis Analysis Of Michelle Bachman's Debate Point Abut Income Tax

So true. I support millions of Americans who have no tax liability under the current system to he required to send in $1. The time waste of the taxpayer, the postage, and the IRS administrative costs would make it all worth it.

And then Mitt and Rick almost went UFC on each other.

(The other great moment tonight was when Rick Perry went into Country Mode and called Herman Cain "brother.")

Romney Tries To Make Sure There Will Be No Perry Resurrection

Even launches an Anti-Perry website.

I bet the Perry campaign is debating whether to fire off a, "That wasn't very Christian-like of you, Mitt" in tonight's debate.