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15 and 1/2 minutes
June 30, 2006David Hasselhoff is in the news again.
After briefly making an appearance during the NBA playoffs to cheer for fellow German Dirk...I thought that maybe we'd seen/heard the last of Hasselhoff until the Baywatch movie (which I'm anxiously waiting for somebody to come up with the idea).
The more I read this story though...the weirder it gets.
Apparently, Hasselhoff cut a tendon in his arm after a piece of glass fell on him....after he hit his head on a chandelier in a London bathroom while shaving.
Huh?
Where do you start with that one. Okay, he was shaving. That makes sense.
Then he hit his head....also possible. But he hit it on a chandelier. (?????) Aren't those suspended from the ceiling? Up high? It's not like he was at a dinner table or something. And how did he hit it hard enough to break it.
I've seen/heard some strange things this week. But this one takes the cake.
So...a huge chunk of glass slices into the Hoff-meister's arm and he's taken to surgery. What exactly do you tell the doctor.
Here's the story if you really wanna read it.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Show you don't wanna miss
June 29, 2006There are only a handful of country bands that are a can't miss live show on my books.
One of them is in town tonight.
Everybody, and I mean everybody that likes this Texas Country movement needs to go to Outskirts tonight and see the Eli Young Band.
They are going to blow the roof of this place. It won't be long before you won't be able to see them ni a venue like this. The KYC will have to hold them.
Not only that...but tickets are only $6. Now THAT is a cover charge.
The manager at Outskirts said she's trying to help build up their fan base with the low cover in Wichita Falls. There is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't work.
Go see them, I promise you'll be impressed.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Put FIFA in charge of the NBA
June 28, 2006FIFA...the world governing body of soccer...has issued two "red cards" to World Cup refs for screwing up too badly.
They've been kicked out of the pool of refs for the remainder of the 2006 World Cup.
The NBA on the other hand...doesn't do anything about their refs making bad calls. Even though there is plenty of video evidence they were wrong.
FIFA wants the best and fairest referees on the biggest soccer stage. The NBA uses the playoffs and most importantly, the Finals, as a reward for their long-serving refs who cannot run the court as fast or make calls as effectively as the younger refs in the league.
Yet another reason that I like soccer more than professional basketball. The governing body wants accurate and fair refs. Shocking.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
12-year old: 2.....Jason: 0
One of these days...I'm going to hit a hole in one playing golf.
It's going to happen. Just a matter of statistics.
Blake Hadden, a 12-year-old from North Augusta, S.C., hit 2 of them in the junior Future Masters tournament.
I hate him already.
This kid did something twice that many people will only dream about.
So far...I'm one of those people, just dreaming.
My dad on the other hand....he's realized his dream. And called me just after plucking his ball from the cup to let me know about it. Jerk.
He was so excited, I thought he was going to explode. I was stunned. Not because he hit the hole in one, but because I wasn't there to witness it. It kinda made me sad actually. Of course, Dad plays a lot more golf than I do, it was just a matter of time until the stats caught up with him.
He's pretty good, not in the 70s good yet, but it'll probably happen eventually. Heck, he'll probably get his second ace long before I get my first. But I have time on my hands.
Blake Hadden....he doesn't need any more time. He should quit now. Never play golf again. It's virtually impossible to improve on 2 aces in a tourney. You could hit 2 aces in 1 round of golf, but come'on now, lets not get greedy.
Heck, honestly, I'd settle for hitting 2 consecutive fairways.
Here's the kids' incredible story.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
The Gas Bandit
June 26, 2006This made me laugh outloud at the office today.
Gas drive-offs happen every day in the metroplex.
Just...not 3000 gallons at a time.
Now, this isn't the first story I've seen about a guy stealing massive quanities of gas. But that's what makes it so funny to me.
A thief made off with 3,000 gallons of fuel at a Hurst gas station overnight. Freaking brilliant.
When I was in Austin for the UIL State golf and tennis...a story was all over their news about their own gas bandit. This guy would show up in broad daylight, offering his services to power-wash the parking lot.
He'd hook up his huge tanker truck and siphon off a couple hundred gallons of gas and wash the pavement then be on his way. All told, he made off with something like 5,000 gallons of gas.
I give him points for creativity at least. The guy in Hurst just broke a lock at night when the store was closed....come on man, have some guts.
The way I figure it though....3000 gallons at about $2.75 per gallon is about $8,250 worth of fuel.
That's about what I pay a month it seems like. :-)
Posted by Jason Palmer at 6:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The thing of which we will not speak.
June 21, 2006Don't try to talk to me about the end of the 2005-06 NBA season last night today.
I don't want to hear it or think about it. I'll probably avoid the sports page at the newspaper. I even stayed away from ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports SW, and any sports coverage whatsoever.
There is World Cup soccer going on and Texas Rangers baseball. Football starts in 2 months.
I'd rather watch a National Geographic special about Mount St. Helens. (and I did last night after the end of the NBA season until I went to bed).
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Longest day of the year
Happy Summer Solstice.
Most of you probably don't even really know what that means other than today is the official start of summer.
That's okay, I don't really know either. What I do know is that there will be more sunlight hitting Wichita Falls today than any other day of the year.
Nearly sixteen hours from sunrise to sunset.
Funny...I thought that summer started on January 1st when we hit 96 degrees in Wichita Falls.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
$250K for Charity
June 20, 2006Thank you Mark Cuban.
Another $250,000 for the charity of your choosing. It would be awesome to be that rich.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Kemp Cruisers got nothing on this guy
June 19, 2006Now THIS is wild.
How about a new VW bug with a jet engine....
and it's actually street legal.
One of my favorite websites is home to the Darwin Awards. That's a story for another blog all together...
but an inspired mechanical engineer from Stanford decided he wanted to imitate one of the greatest stories of all time from the website. It was confirmed to not be true, but still worth a laugh.
So this guy built his own jet-car.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Houston...share the wealth
Good lord, Houston picked up more rain in a few hours (10.5 inches in some places) than Wichita Falls has had all year (7.12 inches).
Nearly six inches of rain in about an hour at Houston Hobby Intl. Airport. Whoa.
We really need to contact Sheppard AFB about this weather shield they have in place that they're not talking about.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Time for the TO
I know that most people can't stand to watch golf for longer than a few seconds. A lot of people don't like to play.
Those are the people who don't understand how big a deal the Texas Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournament really is to the kids that play.
Or why I love to spend hours in the heat shooting this tournament.
I like golf, I suppose I always have.
I have basically volunteered the last 2 years to go to Austin and shoot the UIL State golf championships. Even though it's a hassle driving to three different golf courses during 1 day to do so.
But that's why I love the TO even more. Once the scores have settled out a bit (usually the 3rd and 4th day) you know who has the chances to win it. It gives me the chance to follow the last group or two for the entire round.
Some of the kids at this age try to play all cool and keep their emotions in check....some of them don't. That's what makes a great picture to me.
'Course, on the flip side of that, I've been hit with a golf ball more times during the TO than any other tournament or round of golf I've played myself.
fooooooooore....
Posted by Jason Palmer at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
What is this weather that's happening?
June 17, 2006Lots of wind...chance of rain all weekend...where are we, Seattle?
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Fake Firefighter
June 16, 2006Wow.
Just my opinion here...but that just wreaks of poor taste.
Can you say...Arson Investigation.
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a fire fighter. I always wanted to be an _________ (insert cool sounding job here).
But never, ever in my mind did it occur to me to purchase my own bunker gear and pretend to be a firefighter, maybe even starting my own fires to impress the ladies.
It sounds like a bad halloween gag gone horribly wrong. 'Course...small town arsonists are widely known and documented. Some old Joe in the volunteer dept. likes driving the big fire truck and feeling important...and starts a grass fire.
It happens.....
Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Something random.
June 15, 2006Don't ask why...but I thought this was funny for some reason. Reminded me of a good joke I heard....
Posted by Jason Palmer at 7:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Missed the memo
This made my evening.
Apparently, the editor sent my boss an e-mail telling him to update his blog and to tell me to update mine as well.
So...from now on, I'm going to make a more concerted effort to post as often as possible. Reguardless if anybody reads or not
Posted by Jason Palmer at 7:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
The Search
Easily one of the most stressful weeks in years for me....searching for a new apartment.
This is going to take years off my life.
My current roomy is taking a job in Oklahoma, I knew it was coming, but the reality of the situation hits a bit harder than you always think it will.
So begins the search for a 1-bedroom place for me to live until I manage to find my way out of Wichita Falls myself. I don't mind living alone, I did for 3 years in Fort Worth before I came to this town. Actually...I like the peace and quiet, but I've grown used to having build in friends and someone to talk to. That's going to be the hardest part.
I've also got a bias about living in various parts of town where bad things occur with more regularity than others. Not ot put a label on any side of town, but the fact remains there are safer places statistically than others. That's where I want to be.
Unfortunately, safety sacrifices cost. I could just get a nice 1-bedroom where I'm at right now, but for $500 a month. That's a bit high for me. I didn't spend that much for a 1-bedroom in Fort Worth when I lived in newer buildings than this one.
I'd loooooove to just find a place in somebody's backyard apt. That would be ideal. But given the time frame I've got and the availability, I don't think that's going to happen.
Well, I've gotta go make a few phone calls and try to get something going on this front.
You'll be updated.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The World Cup
June 9, 2006Okay, Okay...I know that this blog won't mean anything to a lot of you...
But I love soccer. I really love soccer.
And today kicked off the biggest soccer party in the world. In case you're living under a rock or too arrogantly stubborn to notice, the World Cup started today with the host nation Germany knocking off Costa Rica 4-2 in the opening game.
I watched every minute of it. I'll watch most of the games until the final. It only happens once every four years for a reason, and is more popular than the Olympics in most of the countries on earth.
Except here....where people think that "real" football should still be king.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Flight
Let it be known that I'm not a big fan of flying.
Probably because I don't do it very often...and two of the last three times I've flown...
it was for the newspaper.
Not this time, it was a flight from DFW to San Luis Obispo, California.......
The flight was to leave at 8:30 a.m. last Wednesday from DFW. I was already home in Fort Worth, but you know how the security is...had to be there about 7 a.m. just in case.
Well, a good friend from church was going to take me out there, and just to make sure we beat the traffic, we were going to leave at 5:30 a.m.
(It's 1:30 a.m. right now, and I'm writing this blog, so you know I'm not an early-morning type)
Sure enough, we zip through traffic and I'm there at the baggage check by 5:50 a.m. The bag guy (who didn't help me lug my 2 suitcases from the trunk or on the curb or to the check-in) makes it a point to tell me that "We work for tips." It was early, and I smarted off back "What have you done for me so far?"
That's when I knew that I wouldn't see my luggage again. Whoops.
So I whisk through the security gate (I wore sandals) and I'm hanging out at DFW for 2 hours before my flight. I'm a people watcher...I'm a photographer, that makes sense. It was kinda fun.
Finally, my flight boards, and it's off to Phoenix......and a 4 hour layover. Eeeesh. It was either that, or a 40-minute changeover that could have turned into a disaster. So we take off...I had forgotten how powerful the engines throw you into the seat at takeoff, it was pretty sweet.
Into the so-so Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. I'm already bored and have walked around the airport about 2 times just for the heck of it. They have those people-moving escalator sidewalks, those were fun.
Had to read the Arizona Republic...not a bad paper actually. Then after a $5 burrito and Coke (they don't have Dr. Pepper...grrr.) It was off to San Luis Obispo. I was worried that it'd be a little prop-job plane that would spudder across Death Valley. Luckily, it wasn't.
Even got to look out the window...sorta. It was about a full foot below my head, so I was hunched over the entire flight gazing across an American wasteland. The great Sonoran Desert. Not much to look at, but it wasn't Texas so I was intrested.
Finally...I looked across the plane to the other windows, and saw the Pacific Ocean. Truely an awesome feeling. I might have even let out a "Whoa!!!!" like a 9-year old. Actually, I'm sure of it.
Day 1 of the trip....completed. Got off the plane onto the tarmac at San Luis, got my luggage, hugged my dad (he interupted his second round of golf to get me). And off to see the rest of the family....which is another story all to itself.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 1:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Okay...I'm back.
June 7, 2006I meant to write a traveling blog....but forgot how to log in from a new computer. All the computers I use currently have the login screen.
Anyways, I'm back now....I was in California.
It was some kinda trip.
Started off normal with a flight from DFW to Phoenix and then into San Luis Obispo, along the gorgeous central coast of Cali. It was a lot of fun.
Except the 4-hour layover in the Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix. And having nothing free to read other than the Arizona Republic newspaper after the Mavs lost to the Suns in Game 5. That..wasn't very fun.
The whole purpose for the trip was my cousins wedding. She married a great guy (Mike) in a gorgeous vineyard along the coastal range. Perfect weather, a bit windy, but still wonderful.
I'll probably write a couple of personal stories on here in the coming days...adventures and mis-adventures.
But I will leave you with a postcard shot from the beach at Pismo. This was one of the things I most wanted to see...the Pacific Ocean at sunset...and I got it.
Peaceout...
Posted by Jason Palmer at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
