Liberally Lean From The Land Of Dairy Queen

1.03.2009

Our County Neighbors Have Now Gone National

Recliners? Aunt Bea around? (Thanks for the head up, Chris). Edit: Even better. It makes the Yahoo home page.

(Thanks Thomas.)

The Tipping Point

I got this guy's third book for Christmas but I decided I'd read (uh, listen) to his first book before I started it. I love this stuff. It's basically an analysis of how "things" explode into national phenomenons. Described . . . The first example in the book - that of how Hush Puppies went from being a moribund brand, sold only to the un-hip, to a hugely successful national brand, thanks to a handful of downtown New York trendsetters - is a prime example of how such shifts can occur. A [handful of guys who wanted to be hip] started wearing these shoes; others saw them and copied the style, with people even driving to out-of-the-way places to buy up stocks of Hush Puppies. Then a few fashion designers used them on the walkway, and visibility reached the "tipping point". The brand then experienced a renewal that, to this day, astounds even those in the company, who had been ready to throw in the towel. The guys behind Hush Puppies even acknowledged they had nothing to do with the brands resurgence. They didn't advertise. They didn't plan for it. It just, well, happened. But the book basically tries to answer the question: How and why does stuff like that occur? After the first two chapters, I think he has a pretty good handle on it.

Random Saturday

Editor's Note: Uh, no. That's not me.

1.02.2009

Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34

Well, that didn't go well. But I was distracted all game long because Ole Miss has a player named "Mike Wallace" who saw a lot of action. Every time his name was announced, all I could think about was the old guy from 60 Minutes.

Speaking Of Motorcycle Deaths (Avoided)

I was going to watch this on NYE but forgot about it. I'm normally not a fan of crazy stunts, but this is impressive. That's on the Las Vegas strip. And stick around to watch him come down.

Motorcycle Death Count

It had become pretty quiet but there was a doozy this morning in Bedford. At least the guy in the car was alright. Link.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

I'm still not sure why the Cotton Bowl is being played today instead of yesterday.
I didn't leave the house yesterday. Very odd for me.
2008 was the second warmest year since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1899.
Those that laugh about global warming will always come out of the woodwork when we have an abnormally cool day.
Let's put a TV reporter in a crowd of drunks on New Year's Ever. Yeah, that's a good idea. (Wait for the hot blonde to appear about halfway through.)
I stayed home on New Year's Eve. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
The girl on the left in the pic above looks like a girl I went to high school with.
When I see things like the Montague Jail scandal (below), it drives me nuts. I have the cell phone number of at least 10 people that know exactly what is going on but there's no way they would tell me.
The Pour House in downtown Fort Worth is shutting down. I like the Pour House.
I was there once when a drunk girl ask me to dance (she had to be drunk.) I learned later that she had been doing that all night "because she's trying to make her boyfriend jealous."
I may grow my goatee back out.
I got the taco plate at Rosa's Cafe to go the other day and it lasted me dinner then the following lunch and then the following dinner. And to think most people eat that in one meal.
Number of arrests for DWI that the Fort Worth Police made on New Year's Eve: 10
Number of calls received by Fort Worth PD for random gunfire on the same night: 257
What would have been ironic: A drunk driver hit by a stray bullet falling from the sky.
Bad news for Florida Gator fans: QB Tim Tebow has apparently decided to transfer to Cincinnati. And play right tackle. And convert to Islam. Either that, or the graphics department at Fox is a mess.
If someone show me a baby picture, I have no idea what to say other than he or she, "is so cute!" I mean, the kid could look like the Elephant Man and I'd still say that.
Oh, my. I was watching CNN's coverage of Times Square on Wednesday night and was mildly entertained by Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper. But I wasn't watching when she said this shocking (and I do mean shocking) thing.
Linday Lohan is still a Hey, Now. But, as I saw the other day for the first time, she sure was an ugly little kid in The Parent Trap.

1.01.2009

All Inmates Transferred To Wise County

This whole story, which broke a couple of weeks ago, is very vague. But the latest development is here.

New "Decatur Beggar" Photoshop

The emailer to me has talent.

Whole New Meaning To "Baby Momma"

Dallas’ Parkland Memorial Hospital didn’t have to wait long to welcome the first baby of 2009 — a baby boy named Justin Daniel Ramirez arrived at 12:16 a.m.

Justin’s mom, a 15-year-old Dallas eighth-grader named Fernanda Rios, couldn’t stop smiling as she cradled her new son in her arms Thursday morning. “I was nervous at first about what my mom would say, but I told her I would try my best and she said okay,” Fernanda said.

Fernanda said she lives with her boyfriend, a 20-year-old construction worker, at her mom’s place, and said she plans to continue schooling as soon as her maternity leave is over. “I told the office that I was pregnant and they are going to home school me for six weeks,” she said. Teachers will come to her home two or three times a week during that period.

More (Edit: The story has been dramatically edited by the Dallas Morning News. But the comments over there, as expected, are running wild.)

Uh, the 20 year old father might want to keep this on the down-low since he committed a second degree felony.

Happy New Year

- From Spaghetti Cat

12.31.2008

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

When I was backing out of my garage this morning I heard the loudest and weirdest "beep, beep, beep" sound. I thought either someone was stalking me or my car had magically installed a rear sensor. I got out and looked around, but nothing. It kind of creeped me out.
If I get to the cleaners really early, I'll find a lady alone inside who keeps the door locked despite the "open" sign. She gets up and opens it when she sees me coming. I think she does it for protection.
The governor of Illinois is just cocky enough to make me start to like him.
Heard a guy on WBAP say this morning that "I don't feel like I've eaten a meal unless I'm stuffed." Disgusting.
For the first time in years, I don't have a New Year's Eve party to go to.
Actually, I got invited to one, but I think the hostess secretly hates me.
What a weird incident last night when three guys entered The Gas Pipe in far north Dallas and opened fire, killing one.
I have never understood The Gas Pipe which basically sells drug paraphernalia.
And the Fox 4 broadcast of the Gas Pipe shooting had a wide shot showing a "Psychic" store next door. So why didn't the people inside see the shooting coming? (I actually stole that like from Kris on Facebook.)
Sports Quick Hits: That was a good OSU/Oregon game last night. Charles Barkley got arrested last night for DWI. There are five bowl games today.
The five bowl games reminds me when I was in Las Vegas with my buddy Kevin on this very day a few years back. I chose one team to bet on and he chose their opponent. We placed our bets with the same ticket lady who remarked, "Why didn't you two just bet each other?" (And thereby eliminate the Vegas commission or "juice".)
The Mavericks had their biggest comeback ever last night -- eliminating a 29 point deficit. But the head coach didn't get to see it because he was ejected in the first half. I didn't see any of it by choice.
It's weird how at the stroke of midnight all the newly elected county officials suddenly take office.
I became DA at midnight in 1993 in Billy Bob's at Northside. I thought that seemed wrong at the time.
Wade Phillips is on The Ticket right now. He begins every answer with a very weak "well" followed by a two second pause.