More Crime

What Do You Do?

As the blog post points out, what do you do with that seat if you are the stadium administrator?

You could rope it off, but that's a little awkward for all of those sitting around it. You could tell the ticket holder what happened and give him the option of  taking it or giving the seat up to the first I-Ain't-Scared-Of-No-Ghost fan. Or I guess you could take the extreme measure and shut down the whole section.

Messenger Above The Fold

That Weird Couple Taking You Into The Weekend

Christina Went Shopping. Presumably For Some Pants.

More.

(Thanks, Kat.)

Random Wise County Courthouse Guest Sign Ins

One person (without a watch) was looking "to find hope, help and the Constitution."

Finally!!!

It's Rangers Friday

Headline Coincidence?

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Am I reading this story in an obscure trade publication correctly? Targa Resources Partners is building a brand new $150 million cryogenic natural gas processing plant in Wise County to begin operation in 2013. Doesn't that mean jobs? Isn't that big news? 
• If that was a "National League" type game last night the Rangers were involved in then give me the National League. I'll take 2-1 instead of 9-8 any day of the week.
• The Rangers 9th inning was a string of "oh mys". Kinsler barely getting his hand on the bag when stealing second. Kinsler being held up at third on the ensuing single. Andrus making it to second to eliminate the force on that same single. Then back to back sacrifice flys. It was a clinic.
• Think I had Tired Head when the Three Females In My House told me after the game they were pretty sure three world series games had been played.
• StubHub page for the next three World Series games in Arlington: $410 is the cheapest seat for Saturday although lots of "standing room only" in the $300s.
• From the Update: "The Decatur Economic Development Corp. ["EDC"] agreed Thursday to pick up the tab to ship the EDC’s trade show booth to [the MGM Grande] in Las Vegas in December." That's taxpayer money. 
• You would think the U.S. would at least make some objection to the outright murder of Khadafy on the streets of Libya. (Sidenote: How many different ways did you see his name spelled yesterday?)
• And Saddam Hussein was executed in much the same way. Sure, they gave him a trial but it was nothing but a sham. Recall his accusers got to hide behind a curtain and weren't identified.
• So now we've got an unstable Libya, an unstable Egypt, a soon-to-be-very-unstable Iraq, and Syria may not be far behind. There might come a time when we wished for the good ol' days of the Ruthless Dictator.
• I came home to find a fake graveyard in my front law yesterday.
• I haven't been through Grapevine in a while because of the highway construction, but it sounds like a beating. Kind of a related note: First Financial Bank, which has three branches in Wise County, also had a branch in Southlake right by 114. As part of the expansion of the highway, the State took the property for $1.3 million from the bank (after tax.)
• "Don't be surprised now when I say it's more fun for us to play on the ROAD than it is at home. At least the opposing team's fans show up, and the game experience resembles what I dreamed about rather than the pee-wee football experience we have here where it seems only the players' parents are in the stands." -Texas college football player in an op-ed printed in the school newspaper. Wanna guess before you click?
• NBA labor talks have broken down. The start of the season continues to be delayed. Clap.Clap. Clap-Clap-Clap.
• October may be my favorite month.
• Weird headline of the day: "Lewisville Basketball Coach Facing Child Trafficking Charge." 

While The Rangers Were Winning

A streaker gets on the field in the Arizona/UCLA game by first posing as a referee. (Streaking, sadly, is off camera.)

Edit: Here's a different version from the stands that show the underwear clad streaker.

Ranger Game Moment: Doesn't Do It Justice

Elvis (background) is on the ground after tossing that ball towards second base. Kinsler will get there in time. I failed to mention that he tossed it with his glove after laying out to get to it in the first place.

Edit:

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?

Story.

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."