Texas Tech Just Fired Their Defensive Coordinator Because He Showed Up High?

Story.

Index - 8/14/59

This one isn't earth shattering but there are some fascinating aspects about it:

• The Index was doing a concept that Dave Campbell's Texas Football does to this day: List as many names of kids as you can so that their parents will run out and buy your publication.
• If you're a long time Wise County resident (and maybe if you're not), take a look at those names. So many of them are familiar. A future doctor. A future banker. And more. 
• Bridgeport and Decatur played each other in the season opener? 
• Loved how the guys had to bring their own towels, soap, and shoes. 
• One kid had dropped weight from 230 to 186. I would love to have known how he did that in 1959. I wouldn't rule out that he got sick. 
• Two local doctors had given all of the boys physicals for free.
• The coach channeled Jimmy Johnson when Johnson was just a baby by saying he plays favorites to kids who  work hard. (Actually, I think Jimmy said he played favorites to players who were good.)
• Side article: You get four traffic convictions in 12 months and you're going to get your license suspended.
• Edit: A commenter pointed out that the Bulls went 0-10 that year. The coach was gone after the season. 

I've Pulled For Bulls v. Man, And Now I Shall Pull For Sheep v. Man

With successful results.

Breaking Metroplex Media News: Lari Barager Leaving Fox 4 News

After 15 years with Fox 4, she is leaving the station tomorrow to become Director of External Communications at the Duncanville ISD.  She seemed to always be the go to person when Wise County made it news. She covered the Fake Ralph Hardy from Newark story, interviewed me for the great Courthouse Trash Can On Fire story in 2012, covered the crazy time when courthouse officials decided to play screeching bird sounds from the bell tower -- and incident which caused me to declare her my nemesis, and I thought she covered the great Wise County Courthouse Crab Scandal but I can't verify that.

I even covered her new hairdo in 2007.

Note: I am scooping Ed "Uncle Barky" Bark who is my new nemesis (after we got in a Twitter fight about the Beatles.-- he thought George Harrison was their greatest song writer.)

New Cover Of Time Magazine

Index: 1/23/70

And you guys dog the Messenger for front page car wreck photos.  (Source.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Texas executed a Tarrant County woman last night who made reference to Darlie Routier in her final words. Two things: (1) The older I get, the concept of our government killing someone seems more and more insane, (2) Hey, Fox 4, Richard Ray: It's pronounced Roo-Tee-Air, not Roo-tear. He's been with the station since 1983 so you would think he would know that. 
• I wouldn't be surprised at all if Routier's conviction was overturned some day. (I somehow ended up representing her sister-in-law in a silly traffic ticket out of Bridgeport one time. I actually asked if she was related to Darlie when I saw the same last name. We spent more time talking about that case than her traffic ticket.) 
• Hey, guy who commented about the Improper Photography statute being overturned and asking if I was in favor of someone taking upskirt pictures of my wife: You're a moron. What I've always objected to is the legislature making it a felony for someone to take a picture of a hot girl in a public park (which is exactly what that dumb law did.)
• The lawyer for the Former Ardmore Exotic Dancer suing Jerry Jones is currently himself charged with Unlawful Restraint of his girlfriend. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a big deal since we live in a time of "arrest everyone for anything at every possible opportunity."
• Speaking of, per the Update there was a very quick "not guilty" verdict in our district court yesterday. 
• Apple says that its new mobile operating system will have an encryption that won't even allow the company to crack a person's password. Why? In the past, cops could get a search warrant for an iPhone or iPad which required Apple to use it's then existing technology to bypass a password. Not anymore. They will now simply say, "We can't do it."  Good for Apple. 
• Sports: (1) I feel bad for Texas QB David Ash on his decision to retire after a million concussions. But at least his brain isn't so damaged that he can't make smart decisions. (2) I'm really looking forward to Auburn at Kansas State tonight. (3) Jameis Winston is an idiot.  (3) A couple of NFL teams acted like Fox News with its talking points yesterday. They both uttered the phrase, "We have to get this right" a million times as they explained why players were being suspended. That had to come down from the NFL Office. (4) Jon Stewart last night: "Here's a note to any NFL player who is curious as to whether he is a child abuser: You can't do to a four year old what you can't do to a 300 pound defensive lineman." (5) Stewart also poked fun at how the NFL controversy used  to be that drafting an openly gay player would cause a "distraction". The NFL now refers to that time as "the good old days." 
• Fifty years ago today, the Beatles played their only concert in Dallas. Tickets were $5.50. The concert lasted thirty minutes.
• I really don't know much about Scotland voting on whether to become independent from the UK  but something doesn't seem quite right about it. 

And Another - Pennsylvania

Link.

My Ongoing Crusade Against The "Improper Photography" Statute Is Over

(Rest of that old post.)

The earliest one of my rants I can find is from 2007, but I know I did a couple a few years before that. And I sadly can't find the argument I had with then Williamson County DA John Bradley on a prosecutor message board about the constitutionality of the statute when it was first enacted. (I remember writing something along the lines, "I'm no constitutional scholar, but if exotic dancing and campaign contributions are considered 'speech', taking a photo in public should be protected speech as well.")

Today, the very conservative highest criminal court in Texas killed it for being unconstitutional.

In Idiocracy, It Was Called "The House of Representin'"

Seen on C-SPAN: @RepSpeier (D-CA) on House floor. Will share clip shortly. #NFL #BenchEm pic.twitter.com/rhqR0uZE3d
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 17, 2014

Random GIF

I have no idea what this is from, but I laughed every time I saw it last night. (That stop and zoom in editing was greatness.)

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Even though we hear about Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, no one mentions former Kansas City Chief Jovan Belker who murdered his girlfriend and then killed himself only two years ago. 
• I also thought about former NFL player Rae Carruth who assisted in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend in 2001.  If Wikipedia is correct, he's scheduled to be released from prison in four years. 
• Burying the lead in Bridgeport: The Messenger has a story today on page 7 under a headline about a fundraiser for a JV football player after "he suffered a heat stroke because he was dehydrated and had to run extra sprints after practice . . . . " He ended up in ICU at Cook's Children Medical Center for four days -- three of which were in a medically induced coma! He was running as a punishment having something to do with a vaguely labeled "List of Pain". Varsity coach and athletic director Danny Henson said as to why he was punished was something "I can't and don't want to talk about." This story should be on the front page with a different headline. 
• How is former Decatur High coach Kyle Story doing at his new gig at Frisco Independance? They have started 1-2, but the two losses came with scores of 62-21 and 52-0.
• Fox News has been giving time to some redneck Texas sheriff named Gary Painter. He has hot opinions about ISIS crossing the border with no proof other than he's heard they have found "Muslim clothing" and discarded copies of the Quran. (Which is laughable since Muslims treat the Quran about 100% better than Christians treat the Bible.) And he also has such gems as: “If they show their ugly head in our area, we’ll send them to hell." Oh, did I mention he's the Sheriff of Midland County. 
• I thinks its idiotic to send 3,000 U.S. military personnel to Africa to help in the containment of the Ebola outbreak. What are they going to do, shoot it? (That's a joke.)  But if you believe that the President is sending the troops there with the intention of them becoming infected so they can bring the disease  back to the U.S. in order to enhance the popularity of Obamacare, you are a certifiable nutcase. 
• "I was whipped with a switch and I turned out OK." You sure about that, buddy? 
• Someone explain Fan Duel to me -- the web site that lets you play Fantasy Football and win money on a weekly basis. They advertise everywhere and come across as a sports book. Is this not illegal gambling? 
• A hurricane it Cabo this week, but I was taken aback by a Fox 4 story of a Dallas man who was there on his bachelor party with nineteen of his buddies. 
• I said last week that sponsor pressure would be what cost Roger Goodell his job. And Anheuser-Bush began to rattle its sword yesterday. (They are in a sneaky great position: They can get a ton of press (= ad time) by pulling out as the "Official Beer of the NFL" and still advertise on all the networks.) His days have to be numbered.

Above The Fold

Tuesday Morning Pick Me Up: Sarah Palin

Football Comedy

Arkansas State player plays dead. Or was hit by a sniper:

Hey Canada, move those goalposts!!!:

Odd Death From 1971

I could only think of Clerks when I read that.

Spot Cash was the biggest grocery store in town and it was right downtown. It's other claim to fame was that on a telephone pole behind it was the siren for the volunteer fire department. With no pager or beeper technology (or at least none that could anyone could afford), the fire department was summoned by a deafening blast from the siren that could be heard all over town.

The funny bit my dad (who had a clothing store across from Spot Case) and the owner of the grocery store had was that once the siren blasted, the owner of Spot Cash would hop in his car, pull up in front of dad's store, and dad would run out and jump in. And then off they would go to follow the fire truck.

Index Version of "Lost"

It's behind a paywall, but the Messenger reported the the pilot "turned up" in Oklahoma City later.   A paper in Brownwood said he "turned up" in Lubbock.  Anyone have the scoop on this story? I had never heard of it.

And look at all those boats with divers!  I'm dating myself, but Seahunt was in heavy syndication at the time. Looks like it provided lots of inspiration.

(And there's a note of a new judge and a new DA in a new judicial district that included Wise, Jack, and Cooke counties. It wouldn't last long since Jack and Wise would soon get there own combined 271st Judicial District.)

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• John Wiley Price applied for a court appointed lawyer in his federal prosecution case? That seems from unlike JWP.
• The children of the gun instructor killed by the 12 year old with an Uzi released a video providing encouragement for the girl. Anyone else have a problem with this? Their words are fantastic but couldn't this be communicated privately? Did it really have to be in a public video that oozes "look at me"? 
• Holy cow: When I went to link to above video and to watch it in its entirety, I learned it was released on the family's personal injury lawyer's website (who just happens to appear at the beginning and end of the video.) Now I'm disgusted. On Mark Davis' radio show this morning, he was almost in tears as he said the video is proof those kids were "well raised." No, it's proof they are being exploited by a lawyer (and a mom who just happens to be in the background of the video.)
• Adrian Peterson may have hurt a second child. 
• Mark Cuban's goofy brother, Brian,  tweeted yesterday: "I absolutely believe that Adrian Peterson never intended to harm his son but Child abuse can be negligent as well." So profound. Uh, that's why he was indicted for "Negligent Injury to a Child". Even the prosecutor's don't believe he intended the resulting injuries of his conduct. (I guess that's why he promotes himself as a "non-practicing lawyer" who now focuses on "Body Dysmorphic Disorder-Eating Disorders-Addiction-Depression-Courage-Recovery.")
• "NFL hiring female advisers to shape domestic violence policies." No, the NFL is pandering to females again because it has no respect for the intelligence of its fans.
• At 6:50 a.m. on Saturday, the Sixth Grader In The House was in her softball gear, and I was in my jogging gear. I felt like I was in a Nike inspirational commercial. 
• Four Atlantic City casinos have gone belly up this year. The latest is Trump Plaza. (Unfortunately, Donald Trump no longer has ties to it.) 
• Here's the video of UT screwing up the coin toss on Saturday. Man, that ref basically tried to talk the captains out of it. 
• Our district judge, after most every heated custody hearings, will urge the parents to get along and say something along the lines of, "You're going to turn around twice and they'll be grown one day."  It's amazing to see the head nods from the audience every single time. 
• I had to do some sheetrock repair which involved spackling, sanding, and texturing. Verdict: Not bad. (Although I did cheat with the spray on texturing from a can.)