That's A Slight Tantrum By The Weatherman . . .

. . . but we get to see former Fox 4 morning gal Megan Henderson!

(Thanks, Keith).

Breaking: "I'd dreaming of a [subject I'm too scared to mention because I don't want to jinx it]"

If the National Weather Service doesn't have a twenty page Power Point presentation to the Wise County Sheriff's Office tomorrow morning, heads will roll!!!!

Meet Kevin

Did This Man Have To Die?

2

21 year old Keith Thompson

The Gunman & Sheriff

Unarmed, but fleeing from police in a stolen automobile last Sunday, Keith Thompson was shot and killed by the Sheriff of Palo Pinto County, Ira Mercer,  north of Santo on FM 4.  Justified? Or do they have an expedited justice system to the west of us which includes capital punishment at he hands of a one person jury for offenses that normally would just get you locked up for a little bit.

Shootings by police are quickly excused all the time, but things are heating up out there.  It sounds like the local DA will have the grand jury review the case, but (get this) the Sheriff served as the DA Investigator prior to becoming Sheriff in 2005.  A different DA is in office now, but he's asking for trouble if he doesn't bring someone else in.

Star-Telegram story.
Mineral Wells story (with comments)

Edit: Hey, I didn't give an opinion one way or another. I don't know enough of the facts. If the kid is driving at the Sheriff, no problem.  If the Sheriff killed him just to end the chase as the kid was driving away, big problem.

Remember That Goofy Knox City Guy?

Now he's taking on President Obama and his war on Christmas. Or, chrithmath. Not sure.

Remember Those DPS Gun Boats?

I bet I know where they got the money. Look below to see how much the evil big federal government has handed law enforcement in We-Love-State's-Rights-Texas in 2011 alone. And if you read the description of those grants, you just know that money is being wasted left and right. Here's an interactive map where you can see what each state's law enforcement has received since 2002. Texas has received $2.2 billion.

Boom!

In slow motion it looks like a WWE wrestling move.

And for complete news coverage like no other, here's her family photo:

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Hey, it's one year until 12/21/12 and the end of the world!
• A Texas jury has awarded $150,000,000,000 in a personal injury case. Never mind that the defendant didn't show up for trial, is in prison, and the judgment will never be collected. But the lawyer is already bragging about the verdict on his web site. 
• I have to go to the in-laws tonight. 
• I mentioned George "Machine Gun" Kelly being buried in Wise County, but I had forgotten about a kidnapping case where his victim was held in Paradise and led to a federal trial with national media coverage.
• This is unusual: An American soldier commits suicide so eight of his fellow soldiers are charged in connection with the death for teasing him. We've come a long way from the invasion of Normandy.
• Interlochen got voted down.
• The Family Unit has instituted a "no dirty dishes will ever be left in the sink" policy. Day five, and it's still working. (But check with me when 2012 rolls around.)
• I didn't realize that only one NFL game will be played on Sunday. All the other ones are scheduled for Saturday. 
• I was in a metroplex subway this week and noticed a bunch of irritating teenage boys loudly eating at a nearby table. It was only minutes until one of the chairs tipped over backwards and one of the kids goes sprawling because they were screwing around. As much as they were yuking it up, that kid took a pretty good blow to the head. I was almost concerned about him. 
• For those who know or have heard of Williamson County DA John Bradley, you might be surprised to know he shoots me a very kind email about once a year. And I've never met him. Edit: To the non-posted commenter -- yeah, I know all that has gone all year. But with all the bad press, I thought it was noteworthy that he takes the time to be, at least to me, a nice guy. 
• The Tarrant County DA's office hired a Star-Telegram reporter a couple of months ago as its press representative. Since then, that office is a PR machine with the Star-Telegram pretty much reprinting its press releases. 
• News of the Newark settlement in the Update reminded me of the 2008 story of Ralph Hardy that was eventually featured on Fox 4 News.
• Bud Kennedy will be on WBAP's Mark Davis show this morning to discuss the chances of Craig James winning a U.S. Senate seat.  Hey, Bud, remind him of that appearance James made earlier this year on Davis' show when he just got roasted. 

Shut Down Christmas!!! I've Found The True Meaning!!!

Lady gets her Christmas lights stolen so she fires back with a sign full of Christmas spirit. (By the way, I had that exact same message on my Christmas cards last year. Huge crowd pleaser.)

But I'm kind of confused about the "stereotype" line.  I didn't see any mention of race or ethnicity in the story so I guess she means that it's true that thieves possesses the stereotype of a thief. Can't argue with that logic. I'm guessing she's an FBI profiler during the day.

Now if they'll own revise the Charlie Brown Christmas Special to have Linus read that sign at the end. There wouldn't be a dry eye in the country. Peace on Earth. Good will towards men.

This Is The Guy The Rangers Just Paid* $50 Million For The Right To Negotiate With?

Yep. It's like an Asian C.J. Wilson.  (Source.)

And he's got a smokin' hot wife. Sheesh. Let's sign him. This has potential.

_______
*If the Rangers don't sign him, they don't have to pay the $50 million,

I'm Probably Wrong

Yesterday around 6:00, after the storm had blown through, I could have sworn I saw a couple of those little "waves" in the west around Bridgeport.  With the sun setting, it almost look more like two huge smoke flumes.  For a second I wondered what was on fire.  Maybe it was the same thing that happened last Friday in Alabama.

This Has Been Bugging Me Since Yesterday

I heard someone mention that this version of the song was the "greatest ever" and almost all of the reviews on youtube say the same thing.  I had never even heard this one before, and the first minute had me a little underwhelmed.  Then it kind of sucked me in.

Thought I'd do something different and throw it out to the masses since it's Christmas season.

(Admission: I had no idea Al Hirt ever sang -- just thought he was a trumpeter.)

Edit: Other versions . . .
Jessica Simpson and Nich Lachey
Norah Jones and Willie Nelson
Lady Antebellum
Britney Spears & Barry Green
Bing Crosby and Doris Day
Dean Martin

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• What a weird deal at the Denton Airport this morning: A man if found wandering on the grounds, dazed and confused he tells of a plane crash maybe a mile away, and hours later the Cessna is found. Inside, one is dead and one is alive. No names yet.
• I can't say I've been to Northside in many, many years, but in looking over a slideshow of the Pat Green concert at Billy Bob's, I had this question: Are the days of the cowboy hat gone? 
• We had a very belated Family Photo Session last night. No one died despite the Family Unit's insistence that the Family Cat be in some of the photos. 
• Man, was that an overrated storm prediction for yesterday afternoon? How long did that line of storms last? Five minutes?
• The Messenger continues to blast the jury for the probation verdict in the case last week where the guy allegedly touched the teenager for only a second or two. That's really surprising considering the authors have seen enough trials to know exactly why that punishment was handed down.
• The Rangers have won the bidding war (over $50 million) for simply the right to try and sign some pitcher from Japan. They say it could take at least another $50 million to get him under contract. So why didn't they just sign Cliff Lee last year (who went to the Phillies for $120 million)?
• Not a single Democrat filed for office in Wise County by the end of yesterday's deadline. I think the same thing happened two years ago, so that that means that now every office in the County has defaulted to Republican without a fight.  Considering President Obama won't have a Democratic opponent, how lonely will our Democratic voting precincts be during the April primary? 
• Ticket fans only: I'm a huge Gordon Keith fan but the way he has kicked around special co-host Mike Doocy the last two mornings just isn't funny.
• Bob Vela Vila must read this blog based upon how I was blasted for calling a breaker box a fuse box yesterday. (Uh, and it tripped again last night when the electric garage door was opened. I switched up the cords after that.)
• To see the lights go out at Candlestick Park (or whatever) in San Francisco last night during the 49ers/Steelers game was bizarre. And I many have missed it, but the announcers had to have made a "When the lights go down in the city" reference.  Edit: Here's the blimp video of the transformer blowing. Cool. 
• On Sunday night in his annual "Thank God For Kids Address", Channel 8's Dale Hansen revealed he was the victim of attempted sexual abuse at age 10. I wonder how many people watch his show because no one really talked about it until this morning.
• And I like Hansen, but he sure does some dramatic things in those Christmas "sign the screen" monologues. He's talked about his failed marriage, his estranged relationship with his kids, and now this. 
• The girl from the Crazy Couple, Courtney Stodden, has released some Christmas photos that Santa will not be pleased with. (You're on your own.)
• My nemesis and former Channel 5 reporter Kim Fischer fell for the "Jon Bon Jovi" is dead rumor yesterday  (which seems to pop up every month.)  By the way, she's working for an ABC affiliate in Utah now.  
• You've guys have me torn on Interlochen. 

I Questioned Why They Called It A Murder!!!

More.  (My initial questioning was here.)

Edit: This is kind of weird. The Dallas Morning News seems to be soft peddling this story. The paper says the Medical Examiner's report has  been made public but when they contacted the cops today, they said, "This remains an on-going investigation by the Police Department. There is no further information at this time." But back at the first part of November, Fox 4 had a story which said Lightfoot's "official cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the fire, according to the medical examiner." (But the cops believed the fire had been intentionally set.) So the ME report now says "accidental?" Did it say that last month when the police had access to it? What has changed?

And I'll continue my rant against the "cause of death" being listed by a Medical Examiners in general. Figuring how she died is certainly in the area of expertise. Saying whether this case was an "accident" or a "homicide" is something they cannot possibly know. What about her body would show that the car was intentionally set on fire vs. accidentally catching on fire?

Edit: Now the DMN reports (in the same link above) that the dead girl had a blood alcohol concentration almost three times the legal limit. That still doesn't conclusively establish an accidental fire instead of an intentional fire. (Although that was always my guess.)

That van looks . . .

more suspicious than the one the guy used in "Silence of the Lambs".

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up

You celebrate Christmas week in Wise County in a (predicted) thunderstorm, while Venezuelan models spend it at South Beach. Try to get Santa fix that.

Edit: And in a completely unrelated (but ironic) story, a former Miss Venezuela has died of breast cancer at the age of 28.

Random Stolen Sports Thought

How certain Dallas Cowboy quarterbacks have fared in their first 75 starts.

(Despite those numbers, Aikman had already won two Super Bowls by that point.)

NWS Sent Another One Of Those Fancy Powerpoint Presentations To Sheriff's Office

And we all know what happened on December 29, 2006. (Hint: I have no idea.)