Track And Field Is A Contact Sport

A long jumper gets hit by a javelin thrown from a gazillion yards away? And lives? Holy crap. (It's a short clip and they don't speak English or Mexican.)

I Declare War On Toro

You want to know what that is? That's a piece of junk. You know where I found it? Inside the gas tank of my Toro Weed Trimmer.

How did I find it? Well, I spent the last 12 hours or so of my life trying to start the dang thing. Which is odd because for the first four months that I've owned it (read that again, four freakin' months!) it has worked like a charm. So finally exasperated, I decided to drain the gas tank and put some fresh gas in it. No need. I found this thing - the gas line that takes the gas to, uh, the engine - floating around inside of it. After taking the gas tank apart (that was easy - thanks so much Toro), I discovered that the cheap plastic gas line hadn't disconnected. It had broken. How does that happen?

So don't buy anything from Toro. Ever.

I Got A Haircut

A serious haircut. (Yep, that's mine.)

Speaking of Wes Hardy Videos

The Messenger had done a heck of job.

YouTube Wes Hardy Video

Thanks so much for a reader for calling this to my attention.

Pics From The Funeral Procession As It Went By The Sheriff's Office

I guess it goes without saying that there were more cops in Wise County yesterday than at any other time in history.

This vending machine ...

... In the jail lobby looks good if I weren't on nutrisystem.

Baseball Is Riveting

The only thing I know about this 10 second clip is that a camera directly in front of this guy (not the angle you see) is broadcasting his image on the Jumbotron. The crowd sees the guy's head drifting to his right and then hilarity ensues.

Now This Is Interesting

I just got a report that Bridgeport has been kicked out of a 7 on 7 tournament due to a fight after a game that erupted after a racial slur by a Bridgeport player.

The tip directed me to this thread on a message board. (You have to muddle through lots of posts by people who really care about the 7 on 7 tourney.) I don't know if it is true. Edit: The disqualification part is definitely true.

More documentation here. ("The tournament was marred by a fight between Athens and Bridgeport at the end of their second game, the fight was quickly broken up and per the rules set forth by the State Board of Directors both teams were disqualified from the tournament and will not be allowed to play in any SQT’s in 2008.") Heck, this looks like it took place at some "state" tournament at Texas A&M. But what's a SQT?

Edit: Here's a comment I received but I redacted a kid's name since I can't verify it: "The Athens kid used a racial slur to [a Bridgeport player], then got one thrown back his way. The Athens boy could not take it [that] a white boy 80 pounds lighter than him didn’t back down so he threw a punch at [the Bridgeport player] and then worlds collided."

Ominous

It's Friday the 13th, the skies darken, a chill is in the air, and the Wrath of God nears Wise County. Or, it may just be about to rain.

Kelly Clarkson says,

"Whenever I'm in Runaway Bay, I swing by One Stop to grab me a hot dog. You know, me loves me some hot dog."

Edit: And, sir, the comment submitted where you tricked up the lyrics to the Oscar Meyer Weiner song was totally inappropriate. Funny. But inappropriate for posting.

Wise County Alert. It's . . .

Headed This Way

Just got word that the funeral procession for Officer Wes Hardy is in Denton and headed this way. It is said to be a dramatic sight. I-35 was shut down for the motorcade and on every overpass a firetruck(s), with ladders extended, could be seen as well as fireman standing shoulder to shoulder.

Edit: Should roll into Decatur at around 2:20 I'm told.

The Running Of The Bulls

I love this stuff. Well, not so much the blood, but the event. A few years back ESPN or someone would show the event live (which meant I had to TIVO it in the middle of the night). I learned that it happens for like seven days in a row (maybe more) and the entire "running" takes about five minutes. Good times.

I'm not sure why Bridgeport has never used the "Running With The Bulls" theme. Or maybe they have.

New Jersey Blackmail Photos . . .

. . . were released on The Today Show this morning by the beauty queen herself. Don't have time to upload them (and I'm sure they will be online any moment), but this will be a fascinating debate. The worst two photos show her (1) being spread legged with jeans on in the back of a limo and (2) a guy kissing her breast over the clothes. In both she was "posing" and clearly being silly.

Heck, cut the kid a break. I'd be surprised if she were stripped of her title (the pageant is voting on that issue today.)

Edit: Video is here.

Twin Towers Of Terror?

People accuse me of having a radar for certain types of comments. Man, it went off tonight when Steve Eagar introduced a segment on high heeled shoes. (And is that fake nervous laugh from Heather Hays?)

Legal Stuff

The State's district and county attorney message board has gone crazy today over a situation in Dallas. For some reason, a newly elected (yep, Democrat) judge has been watching too much TV and set a trial date two weeks after a defendant bonded out and, to make it more interesting, doesn't tell the D.A.'s office about it. Now the D.A. has learned about the trial date, but it is set for tomorrow morning. The prosecutor isn't ready (and there is no way to expect him to be ready.) The D.A. can always dismiss a case at this stage of the proceedings and refile it later, but it requires the judge's signature. The judge says "nope, I'm not going to sign it. If you don't call any witnesses tomorrow, I'll tell the jury to find the defendant not guilty." (Paraphrased, but that is exactly what is going on.)

The thread is here. Trust me, they don't teach that in law school. And no one really knows what to do. Interestingly, one prosecutor essentially says "Call the Dallas Morning News and have a reporter there tomorrow." Probably the best advice.

Ladybird

I find it amazing that she outlived her former president husband by 34 years.

Back in 1974, when I was just a kid, an (edit: one of my dad's) employees went to LBJ's funeral and picked up a fallen pecan from the cemetary. He gave it to me upon his return. I still have it (although it's at my parent's house.)