Help, Skipper!!!

Looks like King Phil is getting some last minute help from Uncle Ricky. Can't be losin one of his minions, especially to a possibly honorable man.

I wonder how many ads that buys from WBAP?

The Nightmare Continues

Money for nothing and materials for free. That's what the contractor I called quoted me to repair the fire damage to my house. $2200 bucks for 2 men on a 3 day job. You got to be kidding me!

First, I already bought all the materials for the job, $800 worth. I went with 25 year metal siding this time instead of vinyl. I also bought premium house wrap, not the cheap stuff. I'm not planning on having another fire, but if so it's gonna have to be a big one to melt metal.

At the most it is a two man 8 hour job. The hard part is replacing the house wrap beneath the floor insulation. I've already tacked the insulation back in place, just need to slide the wrap in beneath and staple it. It's not an easy job, but it's not a $2200 job either.

No news on the "who's responsable" front. I have a feeling this is going to wind up in a lawyer's office somewhere. I still have to replace all the windows on the west side of the house and the a/c unit was barbecued. So far, I have'nt needed it. But we all know what is coming down the road. I bet we see 100 degrees inside of 90 days. Yahoo...

Then there's the matter of all my stuff that was toasted. Air compressor, battery charger, tractor tires, brush hog, grain drill, hoses, power cords, building materials and ironicly, my barbecue smoker. I had a lot of stuff that got destroyed. Somebody's got to make good for it. You know if the shoe was on the other foot I would have everyone under the sun suing me.

More news as it develops.

Ancient Chinese Secret, Huh?

More Phil King news. Politex reports ethics charges have been filed against King and 20 other Texas lawmakers. A PDF of all the charges can be found here.

No wonder his shirts always look so marvelous!

4 + 4 = 1

Fuzzy math, NASCAR style. It took 21 hours, but they finally managed to get the Auto Club 500 completed and it was Carl Edwards that continued Ford's dominance at Fontana.

Backflips aside, the big news was Kyle Bush, after duplicating his 4th place finish at Daytona, is the new Sprint Cup points leader and for the first time in history a Toyota driver is sitting in first place. Don't go freaking out just yet, it's a long way to the Chase. But if I were Ford, GM or Dodge I would be afraid, very afraid...

Up next, Daddy needs a new pair of shoes... Viva, Las Vegas!

I Wonder What Causes That?

A Sixteen year old girl from a remote village in Argentina has given birth to her second set of triplets.

Aye Dios Mio!!!

She gave birth to her first child at 14. She had a set of triplets the next year and another this year. Each litter has a different , and I hate to use the term father in this instance so we will just call them sperm supply. She turns 17 on monday.

For the love of Pedro would somebody give this girl a gift certificate for a lifetime supply of birth control pills?

On the birth control issue, I read in the Dallas Morning News version of this story that the girl's mother had tried to put the girl on contraception but doctors refused saying she was too young. I wonder if they think she's old enough now?

Oh well, at least now she can focus on her career.

Movie of the Week: Part Deux

I realise I've already done the Movie of the Week, but HBO Signature just ran one of my favorite films, Hud. This may be the first film I ever felt a connection with.

Written by my favorite author Larry McMurtry and set in rural North Texas, Hud was filmed in McMurtry's (and my own) hometown, Archer City. This film is a snapshot of rural 1960's Texas. It is a story of greed and a disfuntional family. Melvin Douglas gives an Oscar winning performance as patriarch Homer Bannon. A principaled man, Homer is an old cattleman set in his ways. He also hates his son, Hud, played by Paul Newman.

Hud is a big fish in a small pond but after living under the thumb of his father all his life, he wants to be the biggest fish. Hud is an unprincipaled man. He sleeps with married women, he drinks to excess nightly and he's used to getting what he wants when he wants it.

Brandon DeWilde, in possibly his best performance, is Lonnie Bannon, the son of Hud's dead brother. He's a doe eyed 17 year old that idolises his Uncle Hud, but honors his Grandfather more. Patricia Neal earned a Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Alma, the sultry, streetwise, divorced housekeeper.

I think the reason I am drawn to this film is the fact I can so strongly identify with all the characters. The script loosely echos my own family history and undoubtably the lives of many rural Texans in the 1960's.

The stark North Texas landscape is captured to perfection in black and white by cinematographer James Wong Howe who earned an Oscar for his efforts. If you grew up on a cattle ranch in Texas during the 60's and 70's you can truly appreciate this film. If you did'nt, you have a unique candid view into the past.

This is one of those "watch it everytime it is on" movies for me and I hope it will be for you as well.

Still More Phil...

Wow, just when you thought you knew all the skeletons in Phil King's closet, The Burnt Orange Report diggs up another gold nugget.

Why Represenative King, how could you bad mouth the hand that feeds you?

I Was Forced To Do It?

Phil King made the KXAS news. It's old news for most of us that have kept track of our favorite Corporate Lackey, but maybe now the rest of the 61'st District will find out just how big a weasle Phil King really is.

If you check Joe Tison's campaign contributions, you will find that he has recieved a total of $0 from Texans For Economic Development. Sorry Phil. I guess those unfounded fear tactics are all you know. Face it, they are not supporting Tison, they are supporting anybody BUT YOU!

One thing I did notice was the extraordinary amount of Letters to the Editor in the Bridgeport Index supporting King. Usually there are 2 or 3 letters from the usual suspects, but this week there was a flood of "Vote King" letters. Man, those Wise Republican Women are going to break the bank on postage.

Remember kiddos, just say NO to da King!

He Shoots, He Scores!!!

Looks like my poll was 100% accurate!

From Reuters

The SM-3 missile was fired from the USS Lake Erie in the Pacific at about
10:26 EST and hit the bus-sized satellite about 133 nautical miles above the
ocean, the Pentagon said in a statement.
"A network of land, air, sea and
space-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a nonfunctioning
National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before
entering the earth's atmosphere," it said.

"Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be
available within 24 hours," the statement said.

Fueltank...yeah, that's the ticket!

Movie of the Week

I love TCM's 31 Days of Oscar. Tonight they featured two Oscar winning films by the great writer/director Billy Wilder. It was a toss up but I went with Stalag 17 for tonight's review.

This is such a complex film I almost feel guilty trying to cover it. Stalag 17 is not your prototypical WWII movie. It's literally all over the map plotwise. Coldblooded Nazi's, POW's and somebody is a collaborator. It jumps from dead serious drama to slapstick comedy and back again. Not an easy thing to do and make it work. Trust me, it works in this film.

William Holden plays the central character, anti-hero Sgt. J.J. Sefton. A smooth operator that runs the camp black market. You want to place a bet on the mouse races (Snicklefritz in the 1st is sure thing!), a shot of moonshine, a pack of smokes or maybe even a fresh egg... Sefton is your man. His black market dealings do nothing to endear him to his fellow POW's. Add to it that nobody has successfully escaped from Stalag 17 and that the Germans always seem to know just exactly what is going on inside the barracks and the group consensus for collaborator is Sefton. Everyone knows Sefton is the snitch, except for Sefton and the man who is.

I won't give any spoilers just in case you have not had the pleasure of seeing this film. Just suffice to say this is a timeless movie with a superb script and excellent ensemble cast featuring Holden, Otto Preminger, Neville Brand, Don Taylor and Peter Graves. Robert Strauss and Harvey Lembeck also give outstanding performances as the main comic relief.

Best Actor Oscar for Holden and nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Robert Strauss) and Best Director (Billy Wilder).

This is a must watch for any serious film coineseur.

Worst Kept Secret in the History of Ever

Hmm... I wonder what happened to the old Mann Dairy? I wonder what they are going to do with the place?



Let's see, a new bank, a new LaQuinta and a new McDonald's right down the street.
I wonder what on earth it could be???

Loose lips sink ships!

Mickey Who?

Yes, friends and neighbors we are less than a month away from Royale with Cheese in Bridgeport. Who'd a thunk it? I predict it will be much easier to find a parking spot at Sonic soon.

I wonder if they will have a liter of freakin' cola? Does this look like spit to you?

Will They Name The Missle "The Eagle"?

It's a small, small world... and the fate of it may hang in the hands of Decatur. That's USS Decatur (DDG-73). The Decatur is one of 3 ships that have been tasked with shooting down that schoolbus sized dead spy satellite that is plummetting out of control towards Earth.

From CNN

Decatur will fire the last chance missile should the first two miss. It will also be handling the targeting telemetry for all three attempts. The missle will be a kinetic strike, meaning it's actually going to punch a hole in the satellite not just blow up close to it. The closing speed will be around 22,000 MPH. That is ludicrus speed!

The cover story is that the dead sat has about 1,000 lbs hydrazine propellant on board. Real nasty stuff stored in a beryllium tank. It's enough to contaminate an area the size of 2 football fields. So we are going to lob $10 million dollar missles at it.

The real story is probably more along the lines of we don't want anybody snooping around with whats left of a state of the art US spy satellite. That and a strong message to anyone that has doubts about the Anti-Ballistic Missle system we have sunk billions into. Besides, how often do you get to have a live fire test?

We should find out about 9:30 tomorrow night if they put one in the pickle barrel.

Good hunting, Decatur!

Oh, and there is absoulutely no truth to the rumor they are secretly trying to make a bankshot into Bridgeport.

Worst Traffic Ever

I know it's not LBJ or even 820, but FM51 in Decatur is without a doubt the worst traffic in Wise County. I had the unfortunate pleasure of going to AutoZone in Decatur this afternoon. It took, and I'm not exaggerating, 5 minutes to get on the street from the AutoZone/Sonic driveway.

I don't know who timed those traffic lights, but he has a twisted sense of humor. Traffic backs up from the 51/287 intersection past Sonic/AutoZone. That light turns green and before the traffic can get moving a fresh crop of cars comes from the light at 51/Thompson.

W T F???

I'd lay odds that this little piece of highway design magic is the brainchild of the same TxDOT engineer that designed the U-Turn exit at 287/380 and proposed putting a stoplight at the bottom of the hill at 287/1810.

Why do I suspect he's secretly an agent of Site Concrete?

Not Your Mother's Travelogue

For those unfamiliar with Tony Bourdain you have an excellent opportunity to become indoctrinated today. Travel Channel is running a No Reservations marathon.

I have been hooked on this show from the first time I watched. Tony is a well known New York chef that happens to be a prolific writer. He also posesses a wicked sense of humor. Not quite a Hunter S. Thompson, but something along those gonzo lines.

He goes off the beaten path and gives you a real look at the people and places he visits not the usual "Chamber of Commerce" tour. Altho he is a famous French chef, the man loves foods from everywhere and is especially fond of a good pig. He smokes, he drinks, he cusses and he's not PC in any sense of the term.

Definitely DVR worthy.

Newman!

Flyin' Ryan Newman wins the 50th running of The Great American Race. With a little (OK, a lot) of help from his Dodge friends Newman powered past Tony Stewart on the backstretch and kept the Blue Deuce behind him to give "The Captain" Roger Penske his first Daytona 500 win.

My personal pick Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished 9th, but he was the top finisher for Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmy Johnson crashed and Jeff Gordon dropped out with mechanical problems.

Besides winning the purse for the race, Ryan Newman collected a cool One Millllllllion dollars from Dodge.

OK, time to head out west to the land of swimmin' pools and movie stars.

Countdown to TMS: 49 days

Smoked!

Smoke, Shrub, Junior. That was the top 3 finishers in today's NASCAR Nationwide Series opener in Daytona. JGR Toyotas led 93 of the 120 laps. As I said earlier don't count Toyota out, not by a longshot.

Kyle Bush ran a great race. He did'nt make any friends with Martin Truex, Jr either. His blocking on the last lap made me think of the glory days of Daytona with Allison and Yarbrough. Truex whined about it after the race, Bush pointed out Truex was pushing him sideways all the way down the frontstretch. Waa.

Man, was Dave Burns giving Junior a beatdown or what? That was the longest interview I've ever seen for a 3rd place finish. Burns had Earnhardt so whipped he was speaking about himself in 3rd person. Dale finally had to tell him "I've got to go now".
Sheesh...

Speaking of Junior, he has a bit of a problem on his hands with NASCAR. They don't like you tinkering with stuff after you pass tech inspection. They won't say exactly what the infraction was other than it was with the rear spoiler. He'll gladly pay Tuesday for that hamburger today.

Tomorrow is when the real fun begins. Man, what I would'nt give to be camped out in the Daytona infield right now.

As Promised

ESPN's NASCAR Nationwide Series pit reporter Jamie Little.




Uh.. oh yeah... some cars are on TV.

It's Official...

I need a life.

3 posts in a row about weather?

Crikey!

You'd think I'd at least have a fresh Phil King rant or something. Sorry, faithfull readers (there is more than one of you out there, right?) but perhaps the mundane existence and intrusive work schedule that is my life is bleeding into this blog.

Fear not, for this weekend marks the 50th running of the Daytona 500. I'm sure I'll dig up some juicy NASCAR tidbits to pass along, even on a slow day...err, week. I'm tempted to post a few pics of hot babes to fill the void but that would be stealing Barry's schtick.

Wait, I've got it!!

How about a montage of Speed-TV's resident hottie Krista Voda? (Barry beat me to the Danica Patrick swimsuit shoot)

Trust me, when I find hotter pics of racing chicks I'll post 'em!

I'm pretty sure we will have quite a few the weekend of April 6th!!!

Yowza!!

I rest my case...

Enjoy It While It Lasts

Trust me, we will be bitching about how cold it is before you know it.

Missing In Action?

Kristine Kahanek has been conspicuous in her absense from Channel 11's 6 & 10pm newscasts. They have shipped in Larry Mowry from Orlando to take those slots and relegated Kristine to the redeye morning show.

You just know there has to be some juicy stuff going on backstage at KTVT. First Tracy "Rehab" Rowlett now KK. Stay tuned faithfull readers, as soon as I know, you will know. "Off the record, on the QT and very hush-hush."

Oh, This Is Good Stuff

Our favorite big business and authoritarian government lackey Phil King got called on the carpet Friday night in Millsap during a bipartisan town meeting of the candidates for the District 61 seat in the Texas House.

www.weatherforddemocrat.com/homepage/local_story_043103104.html?keyword=leadpicturestory

It seems besides taking freebies from big busnesses that come before his committee and licking Tom Craddick's boots he likes to take credit for stuff he did'nt do.

I did like this quote from Democrat Charles Randolph:

“I think one of the most abused, misunderstood and un-listened-to portions of the population is the middle-class working man.”

You're singing my song Charlie.

Gas Prices

While I was in Ft. Worth today I could'nt help but notice just how much lower the gas prices are compared to Wise County. Roughly 20 cents a gallon cheaper, altho I have seen a couple places in Bridgeport that are still at $2.99.

Why on God's green Earth are we paying an extra 20 cents a gallon for gas? I gotta get a diesel pickup and start homebrewing me some biodiesel.

Here's Something I Don't Have To Look at For Another 6 Months

The waiting room at my Cardiologist's office! I had to go in today to get the results of my nuclear stress test I took last month. Seems like I will be around for a while longer.

He was happy with the results, but I did get a 5 minute lecture on the 10 pounds I gained since September. Curse you Thanksgiving leftovers!!! He also said my heart was pumping at 65% and seemed happy about that. 65% is good? I need to pass that along to all my teachers I had in High School. You guys were way too tough on me!

Now, I think I'll celebrate with a #3 at Casillas'!

NUTS!

40,000 pounds of nuts can't be wrong! Thanks to the totally spontaneous grassroots campaign, Jericho returns for a 7 episode second season! For those unfamiliar with the show it is set in a small Kansas town in the middle of nowhere when suddenly nuclear war breaks out.

It's Red Dawn Meets Damnation Alley kicked up a few notches.

The show features a great cast lead by Skeet Ulrich, Pamela Reed, Gerald McRainey, Alicia Coppola (rowr!) and Lennie James. If you have'nt seen Jericho you have a chance to get indoctrinated with marathons on UniversalHD andSciFi leading up to the Tuesday night season 2 premier.

I hate to shamelessly shill for anything, but Jericho needs every viewer it can get. I don't think you will be disappionted.

Don't make me program your DVR!!

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!!! or In Your Face Teresa!!!

OK, for those that didn't know ( which is just about everybody) my nick of RPM comes from my love of everything motorsports. More specificly NASCAR! I bleed Blue (oval) andhave since the first time I watched The Daytona 500 on a 12 inch color Radiation King my Dad bought at White's Auto in Bridgeport.

12 inch COLOR!!! It was like being there!

Flash forward 40 years or so...

I said since the day he signed with Hendrick that Junior would win Daytona. I'm not a Dale Earnhardt fan, I'm not a Jr. fan (I've met him and think he's a prick), I'm not a Chevy fan, I'm not a Hendrick fan. But tonight I found myself rooting hard for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

The guy got a royal screwing from his stepmother and boy, can I identify with that! He was robbed of something his father built with him in mind to carry on the family name. When push came to shove, he stood his ground. Rick Hendrick knew a birdnest on the ground when he saw one and jumped on it.

I know they are supposed to be a "team" and resources divided more or less equally, but you can't tell me that 99.9% of Hendrick Motorsports has'nt been working on the 88 car. Tonight it showed. Junior was quiet before the race, but it only took about 10 laps before he spoke up, and did so with an impressive move.

Dale, Jr. ran at the front of the pack for the majority of the night. His car looked strong, his driving looked sharp. He led 47 of the 70 laps and got good words from his fellow drivers. His good friend Tony Stewart said "Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the best drivers that's ever been in a restrictor-plate car. He knows where to be on the racetrack, and he knows when to switch lines."I'm happy for him. He drove his butt off and put himself in the right places at the right times." Tony was also quoted as saying Jr. may even be better than Dad on a restrictor plate track.

OK, let's not get all crazy just yet. Junior is good, but he had something to prove.

He was a man on a mission...

That mission was to shove a grapefruit into the face of Teresa Earnhardt and DEI. He proved that he was not dependant on the #8 car or the DEI nameplate. He proved that he was a highly skilled driver and with proper equiptment under him and no drama surrounding him, he could win and win impressively.

He proved you can't run a race team from a yacht in The Bahamas. He proved he might just know a bit more about racing than someone that has never turned a competitive lap. Maybe he has'nt screwed as many drivers as she has, but he's beat every driver she's screwed. Have fun running DEI into the ground. Just how many #3 replica cars and t-shirts does it take to fill up a yacht anyway?

I know the Bud Shootout counts for squat. We have'nt even started qualifying for Daytona yet. But, mark my words (or flame me with you comments after the race) Dale, Jr. will win the Daytona 500. I also expect him to make the Chase and be a strong contender for the Sprint Cup. Rick Hendrick is going to put everything he has behind the 88 car this year just to rub it in Teresa and DEI's face for the way that they have behaved in NASCARland.

It's a long season and time will tell. But, if I was a betting man and I had a few sheckles to wager I'd put them on the 88 to win. I also predict DEI will sink below Petty Enterprises and be sold within 5 years.

Impressive run for Toyota and their debut at JGR! A rice err.. nice run by Tony Stewart who dang near won the race, but how about that Denny Hamlin!!! The poor guy was pounded on all during practice and it did'nt stop when the green flag dropped! I belive there were no less than 3 seperate incidences where the 11 got tangled up, Denny still fought his way back into the race and had a Top 10 finish. Don't count him or Toyota out, not by a longshot.

Now, will somebody with a Ford show up at the racetrack?!?

Alert Al Sharpton!!!

There has to be race involved in this [URL=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g_B895UEtV38cUvZWav9zg08hh3QD8ULQR0O1]link[/URL] somehow.

It could'nt be a violent young black man doing violent acts.

Another One Bites The Dust

The wailing is loud and pronounced among the conservative republicans. Their last best chance for four more fucked up years has quit, err "suspended" his presidential campaign. For the first time in years it looks like the conservatives will have to sit back and chew on a big ol moderate sandwich.

Of course I'm speaking of John McCain, a man I had great respect for until he started kissing Bush's ass after 9/11. Other than that I really have no problems with McCain. I wonder if the Swift Boat Boys will make a run at McCain since he called them on the carpet during the last election?

Yeah, I know Ron Paul is still in the running, but let's be realistic. That ain't gonna happen.

On the Democratic side of things, it's still swinging back and forth. I really could'nt tell you who is going to come out on top of that one. I had an interesting conversation the other day with a 93 year old woman who told me she was a "staunch Democrat" that had never voted for a Republican in her life. She said she could'nt see herself voting for a woman or a black man for president.

I'm not sure if I'm ready for that either. I know the 60's was a long time ago, but I still remember what happened and I'm not too sure it would'nt happen again.

Movie of the Week

I've always wanted to discuss film. I''ve never taken any formal training in film, but I've always has an interest in the arts. Now, I am lucky enough to have a forum to discuss film, theater, music and the arts in general. I welcome you to give your input on my humble opinions.

So, without further adieu, I give you the jumping off point for our journey into the arts...

Film: Casablanca

This is arguably the greatest film in the history of ever. Yeah, it's no Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, but then again what is? I caught it again on TCM last night and I was reminded of the greatness of Bogart, the beauty of Ingrid Bergman and the hypnotic effect this film has. Claude Rains gives the performance of his brilliant career. Filling in the background of this film is a cast of phenominal porportions featuring notorious Nazi-hater Conrad Veidt and great Warner contract players S.Z. Sakall, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre. Dooley Wilson also gives an unforgettable performance.

Lightning in a bottle...


“Casablanca” is, by most accounts, the zenith of the Hollywood studio system era of filmmaking. In the early decades, films were made at a rapid clip; it was common for one studio to put out a staggering 50 films in any given year. The Hal Wallis production of “Casablanca” was supposed to be just another in the W.B. lot, but it became much more; it became a beckon of cooperation between cast and crew in painstakingly staging a faux foreign locale on a vast back lot while working from a now famous script that was so rugged the leading lady never really knew which of the two male leads she was supposed to be in love with. Wallis had a hardened visualist in director Michael Curtiz, a contract player on the verge of becoming an icon in Humphrey Bogart, a gorgeous and talented actress in Ingrid Bergman, the top composer of the era in Max Steiner, and quite possibly the best supporting cast in film history.



And no, Bogart never says "Play it again, Sam!"

My Cardiologist Would Not Approve

But I loves me some Casillas' Restaurant for lunch! 205 Trinity on Bridgeport's West Side.

If you've never tasted Mary Casillas' cooking you are missing one of the finer things in life. I've been eating Mary's cooking since I was kid when they had a makeshift restaurant in their house.

http://www.casillasrestaurant.com

Oh, yeah... rumor has it Jesse is adding a Margarita garden this spring!
EDIT:Looks like I may have Mary Sue and Mary Helen confused. No harm intended, just damn good Mexican food!

Blogger Please!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but Blogger is not liking my dialup ISP.

Hopefully this will pass quickly. For the time being I'm relegated to my PDA.

Stay tuned sport fans!

Love / Hate Relationships

OK, DirecTv. You are not working very hard at getting on my good side. I had to call for a rewire after the fire fried my coax. It was a 2 day wait, but hey... you got to expect one. Oh, well. I have over 30 hours of my favorite shows recorded on HD-DVR. I'm sorry did I say have? I ment HAD.

Every episode of Dogfights, Entourage, Anthony Bourdain, The Venture Brothers, Jericho... poof!

Talk about rubbing salt in the wound! Either the coax shorting out or a power surge caused it to do a complete reset. Good news is it still works, but I digress...

So DirecTv is supposed to show up between 8 and Noon. At 10:30 I get a call from the tech and he is in Bowie and has 3 stops before me. I go to work at 2. It ain't lookin' good. At 12:45 the tech shows up. I show him what I need and the guy says no problem. At 1:15 I have service on both boxes and he has run an extra coax for an upgrade on my oldest box.

Job well done! He had me sweating, but came thru like a pro! OK, so maybe I judged you wrong DirecTv. Maybe your not so bad after all. Maybe you have'nt given me over 100 HD channels, but you have given me the most available. I'm sorry DirecTv. No hard feelings, OK?

Then I got this e-mail...

http://customerinfo.directv.com/directv/?pv4MznM5C.x4VuCsMhVdeuy7w4p&http://customerinfo.directv.com/s/r?l=156386&CMP=EMC-MQ-CS&ATT=120-6M-SD-080201final