Found This On The Home Page . . .

. . . of Fox 4 News. My brain has exploded.

Other Basketball News

Wise County's Poolville lost on Friday night to Eula, 52-48, to end its playoff run. Trivia: Eula is coached by former Decatur resident Josh Fostel (who is the son of Wise County District Judge John Fostel).

And don't accuse me of sucking up to the judge - which I might be doing.

Edit: I noticed that Eula won again on Saturday to advance to the State Finals.

Bet That Was Good

I've never been to the State Basketball Tourney in Austin but I bet this game for the 2A Championship today was outstanding. (Click to enlarge.)

Could anybody score during the first OT? And I had to look up where Poth was located - looks to be about 30 miles southeast of San Antonio.

From This Weekend's Messenger

I don't know you Cheryl, but I love you. Do you like Chinese food?

Elizabeth Hurley Got Married Today

And I nominate her for the Hottest 41 Year Old Who Jazzes Me. (I kept being drawn back to this picture. Kinda like the Siren on the island that caused ships to sail towards her and crash - at least that story is in the back of my mind somewhere. )

Barbarians

In this undated image made from video, released by the Islamic State of Iraq's (ISI) al-Furqan Media and distributed Saturday, March 3, 2007 by IntelCenter, 18 blindfolded members of the Iraqi Security Forces are shot from behind by an unidentified gunman at an undisclosed location. In a statement posted on an Islamic militant Web site on Saturday, the al-Qaida-affilated Islamic State of Iraq claimed it abducted and killed two groups of Iraqi government forces in retaliation for the alleged rape of a Sunni woman by members of the Shiite-dominated police. This image was provided via the IntelCenter, which is a private contractor working for intelligence agencies. (AP Photo/Intel Center, HO) Man, normally horrific images like what is described above don't appear on Yahoo, but they do today. Heck, I don't feel comfortable reposting them here. But, for those so inclined, they generally appear in Yahoo's Most Emailed Photos and as a sidebar to Yahoo's Most Popular Stories.

Queen Of The Conservatives

A little more compassionate conservatism.

This Is March, Right?

Saw these two in the Cheers and Jeers section of the Star-Telegram today. What do they have, uh, one guy working in that section? And has he been off for two months?

Trying Something New

In Colleyville. Pretty cool. Pretty hi-tone. Edit: That place is great. Has a nice restaurant on one side and a very fancy bar area on the other which has a menu that is outstanding. And it's one of those movie/restaurant concepts where you can have your meal while you eat. Comfy seats. And there's an IMAX in there. (Website)

Mailbox Carnage

As I was getting home from work last night, I saw that we had some mailbox carnage in the neighborhood. They even had to call a tow truck for the vehicle that had a tad bit of trouble staying on the roadway. Yep, through the two mailboxes, across the driveway, and into the front yard. Good times.

Random Newspaper Thought

As I kid, I can remember the newspaper guy coming by the house and throwing out a paper in the morning and then come by again around six o'clock and throwing out an evening edition of the paper. How crazy is that. I'm pretty sure it was the Star Telegram.

I've Been Looking . . .

. . . for an authentic 1996 jock strap worn by a Nebraska player in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Well, I'll be.

Cops Keeping Little People Down

But, man, there's something extremely odd about the way the little guy can climb a pole and do a back flip. (From an episode of Cops)

"It's Raining Men"

Ya knew it had to happen sooner or later. I wonder if the signal will reach into Wise County?

"Wild Hogs" . . .

. . . looks absolutely horrible. Any movie that relies on a preview of "bugs in teeth" to get you to go to the theater cannot be good. But I bet it makes a fortune.

"Zodiac" looks really good.

Other movie stuff:

--I finally saw "Little Miss Sunshine". Verdict: 1 1/2 thumbs up. Very good but not great.

--"The Number 23" with Jim Carrey wasn't nearly as bad as all the critics said it would be. There are, however, a few huge holes in the plot.

--"The Hitcher" - Yep, I actually went and saw this about a month or so ago. Irony: The movie will show you a body literally ripped in half but will deny you a view of a female breast in a shower scene. What is this world coming to?

If . . .

. . . you are a school principal and the cops come to arrest you for selling meth at school AND they find you in your office naked AND watching gay porn WHILE being in possession of sex toys . . .

THEN . . .

. . . it is safe to conclude your life has gone horribly wrong at some point.

(Story.)

So Confusing In So Many Way

This happened yesterday which got the boys at The Ticket talking. Gary Gogill interviewed Ultimate Fighting champion Chuck Liddell who was in town to promote the new movie "300" even though he isn't in "300". But the funny part is that the guy is either wasted or sleepy or both. About a minute into the interview he actually falls asleep.

Am I Missing Something?

The Messenger constantly reports on the number of auto sales that occur in the county. I'm not remotely interested in this but I [see] stories like this all the time.

Edit: Left out "see" in the first post. That explains the first comment.

Accurate?

Someone sent me this link.

Just two deaths from tornadoes over the last 56 years with both occurring in Chico in 1999?

But it seems to have the path of the 2001 Decatur tornado accurately tracked.

Post Oscar Thought

Jerry Seinfeld kinda sums up what I think about the silly show:

"Worst thing about the Oscars," comedian Jerry Seinfeld joked during a 2002 show at, of all places, UT-Arlington's Texas Hall, "is that they never tell you the final scores. We're Americans. We not only want to know who won, but by how much. Was it a blowout? Overtime? Tell us! All we really get is a bunch of people all dressed alike patting each other on the back going, 'Good job of pretending to be someone else.'"

Source.

I'm Not Sure Which One Of These Pics . .

. . . of Britney taken over the last week fascinate me more. (Found here.)

Cute Pic From The Cowtown Marathon

By the color of her bib, I'd say she ran the 10K. But the kids, sporting flowers, make it a nice pic. I nominate her for Mother of the Year.

Scout Willis - Child Of Bruce and Demi

Now I can understand a fifteen year old drinking Keystone Light in a pasture out in Cottondale, but wine in Paris at a Donatella Versace party? That is unacceptable.

(DListed.)

New (Jack City) Dallas Justice

This will rile up your average Wise County citizen:

Credit Card Company issues a credit card to what some of you would refer to as a Mexican [hereinafer referred to as "The Mexican"]. The Mexican runs up a bill and doesn't pay the Credit Card Company. The Credit Card Company sues. Lawyer for Credit Card Company sends The Mexican something called Requests for Admissions which asks him to admit or deny that he owes the money. The Mexican ignores it. The law says that Requests for Admissions that are ignored are "deemed admitted" which means The Mexican just admitted he owed the bill. Lawyer for Credit Card Company files a Motion for Summary Judgment which says, in essense, "Since The Mexican has admitted he owes us the money, there's no need for a trial, and we want a judgment for the money The Mexican owes us."

Pretty simple, huh?

Uh, oh. On January 1st a new judge who happens to be African American and female and a Democrat took over the court. (As did every other Democrat in Dallas County judicial races.)

So how does The Mexican win the Motion for Summary Judgment? Let's just say it has something to do with English. Oh, my.

The Cowboys Released Drew Bledsoe Today

That's really not a surprise. But I did go back to my photo archives and found this one that I took as he walked off the field in Jacksonville last season.

We almost made eye contact. If only he had looked up, and to the left, and then a little lower, and then squinted his eyes.

There's Something Uncomfortable . . .

. . . about the name of this new Samuel L. Jackson/Christina Ricci movie, but I just can't put my finger on it.

Gone

The girl with the violent case of hiccups finally stopped hiccupping last night. (Or so I heard it on the news.) That was five weeks that would have driven me insane.

My Typical Lunch Hour

Cell Phone Pics

County Attorney Greg Lowery giving a closing argument today. Assistant County Attorney Thomas Aaberg is seated, Judge Melton Cude and Baliff/Sheriff's Deputy Kirk Gibson can be seen in the background.

(Taken with permission - I'm not crazy.)

We May Have An Oil Shortage . . .

. . . because some freakin' 18 wheeler dumped a couple of barrels on me this morning.

Lay Out

Dina Sansing from US Weekly was being interviewed by goofy Glenn Beck of CNN. They were taling about the alleged tawdry pictures of American Idol's Antonella Barba. Then this gold occurred: BECK: Dina, let me tell you something. I don`t think you have to be famous. I think you just work in the average environment in America now, somebody would get a picture of you, and then it would be posted all around, and it will happen in your office. SANSING: Possibly. BECK: You don`t think so? SANSING: Well, it depends. You know, it depends… BECK: Dina, I`ve got some time and a camera. Why don`t you stop by? [Insert biggest awkward pause in the history of ever] No? OK.

Exactly Home Much Will That Donation Be?

Me Loves Me The Neekid PETA Protester

A PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) anti-fur demonstrator storms the catwalk during French designer Christian Lacroix's Autumn/Winter 2007/08 ready-to-wear fashion collection in Paris February 28, 2007. REUTERS/Charles Platiau (FRANCE)

Darlin', I support ya!

Those "White Hat" Guys Are Having A Tough Time

For 4 News just told me (by way of the television) that an arrest warrant has been issued for Rockwall County D.A. Ray Sumrow for "Abuse of Official Capacity." The Texas Rangers claim that he deposited $67,980 in his personal account although he later paid it back. An "FBI Analyst" says that Sumrow used those funds to "support his living expenses for a year."

Hey, hoss, just get a loan next time. Or better yet, don't buy more crap than you can afford.

Four months ago, Louis “Bill” Conradt Jr., 56, the chief felony assistant district attorney for Rockwall County killed himself after the "To Catch A Predator" crew showed up at his doorstep.

Things have not been-a-good in the Rockwall County D.A.'s office.

Attorney General Greg Abbott . . .

. . . must have read some of your comments about his recent opinion regarding County Clerks being thrown in jail if they release social security numbers.

He's issued an "Uh, oh. Let's tap the brakes for 60 days" opinion. (Here.)

A&M and Texas Play Basketball Tonight

I really don't care, but I had to come up with some excuse.

Edit: I know nothing about basketball but I do know that A&M's A.C. Law IV is money.

My Umpteenth Apology

I know there are 46 Comments out there that I can't "get to" so that they can be posted. At least the blogger software team is now aware of it (as can be seen above.)

It drives me nuts.

Court TV - Kinda

I'm watching a DWI case in the county court at law in Decatur right now. Abe Factor of Fort Worth was the defense lawyer. He's pretty good. (In my first case as a prosecutor in 1989, Abe was the defense lawyer. He actually owns an Intoxilyzer 5000 machine.)

Deputy Charles Reynolds is testifying now. Doing a good job. The defendant told him he was coming home from the Railhead in Fort Worth and had had three beers.

I Didn't Mean To Post This

More Money Than God If God Had Money?

Source.

Yahoo! Used To Be Just A Directory

Here is a screenshot of how its homepage looked in January of 1997. Now its difficult to even find the directory.

"Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner"

A UK wedding. Absolute gold. (Source.)

More Than 1 In 4 Women . . .

. . . have the HPV virus. In other news, Elisha Cuthbert defeats the HPV virus with an iron. Or not.

Oh, No, They Didn't!

Tomorrow's Messenger will have a Page Two story about Wise County runners who finished the the Cowtown Marathon and Half Marathon. Despite my blazing finish of 2:03.04 in the Half Marathon (which still has people talking), my name will be shockingly omitted from the story.

I haven't been so humiliated since I got stuck in a Porto-Potty at the Wise County Youth Fair as a middle schooler.

I have been slighted. I hold grudges.

Roy and Skip, what have I done to forsaken you?

Decatur Boys Playoff Score

Click to enlarge.

Twitter

One of the nerdiest things I've done in a while: Experimenting with the Twitter box on the side that can be updated by the web, chat, or phone. I'll abandon it soon. It's kind of a cool idea but probably not very useful. Edit: Considering the fact that it doesn't load 75% of the time, I'm not sure what it's worth.

The First Thing Lets Do Is Kill All The . . . .

There were rumors today of the possible demise of a couple of large Dallas law firms, and one of them gave me first lawyer job ever: Vial, Hamilton in Dallas.

Those days were mind numbing. I worked in the old Republic Bank building in downtown Dallas and, get this, I valet parked my car in the underground parking garage every day. Everyone wore expensive suits, ties, and shoes. "High tone" doesn't begin to describe it.

But I learned the concept of the billable hour. Every minute I worked on a client's file had to be documented so that the information could later be used to create a bill. We billed by the 1/10th of an hour - so if I began a research project I would jot down on a work slip the time I started and what time I stopped. Notes like "Start: 8:43 End: 9:11" were common. Every minute of every day had to be accounted for because we had a quota of how many hours we were required to bill every month. (And once a month a newsletter would be circulated around the office revealing how many hours each associate had billed the month before.) I have my faults, but I was extremely honest - I wouldn't cheat on my time slips. If a buddy called me in the middle of the day and we chatted for 18 minutes, I knew that I had lost .3 hours of billable time and that I would work 18 minutes later that day.

I wouldn't do that again for all the tea in China.

And since it doesn't matter much any more, here's a shocker: The year was 1986, and I was a 24 year old kid out of law school. My starting salary: $43,000 a year. That was obscene. (My job a couple of years earlier in undergraduate school was as a bank teller at around $5.00 an hour.) And if my salary back then offends you, you won't be happy to learn that first year associates in the big firms in Dallas are now getting $155,000 a year. And their lives are miserable.

These were some highlights of my first year (and my bosses really loved me):

- Bob Vial (the name partner) throwing a 13 page draft of an insurance coverage opinion I had written into the air as he dropped multiple GD bombs on me. I still remember the pages floating in the air and slowly landing all over the office.
- Bob Vial's secretary telling me to "sit your little ass in that chair and don't move" until Mr. Vial was ready to see me.
- Leigh Bartlett, my second boss, correcting a draft letter I had written in red pen with the notation "I don't intend to spend my Saturday afternoon correcting every sentence of your work."
- Mr. Vial and I driving back from a deposition together in his Mercedes when he decided to stop for lunch at Denny's. Freakin' Denny's!!!!! I still remember him telling the waitress that he wanted his french fries "extra, extra crispy."

Stumbled Across This . . .

. . . A Minnesota gal blogged last year about her "Night Out In Bridgeport, TX."

Kinda funny.

"Springtown Bank Robbery Suspect Caught In Wise County"

"Decatur, TX (WBAP) - A man suspected of robbing a Springtown bank Tuesday morning was arrested at a Wise County convenience store. Deputies noticed 18-year-old Robert C Joplin, and the car he was driving, matched the description of the man who held up a Bank One in Springtown. Deputies say Joplin was arrested without a struggle and some of the bank's money was found." That's all I know.

Crumb For The Boys

Crumb For The Ladies

Thank You Faithful Reader For This Link

Credit: mzchief

Pain

What a pain. That paragraph in last week's Attorney General Opinion by Greg Abbott is causing major headaches around Texas. No longer can a social security number be released in a document that is otherwise public. I'm not sure how Wise County is handling it - the county went to document imaging about 5 years ago and you can walk into the clerk's office and look up public records - many of which have social security numbers on them. So do they now go back and redact the SSN and rescan them?