Sleepless in Midland

Red light at the top of a hill

Sounds like a horror movie title or maybe a line from a country song.

It's the new overpass at JBS Parkway and Business 20 (AKA Highway 80 or 2nd Street) in Odessa, TX. Could this be the "$24.6 million bridge to somewhere?"

The stop light is right at the top of an artificial hill and requires drivers to stop on a slope. Is this a common Texas highway phenomenon? Some locals were screaming bloody murder about this overpass when it was proposed, but they were helpless to stop it. It looks like motels make up the predominate industry in the vicinity, and one hopes the drivers will have access to them without driving a block or two out of the way to find an entrance.

Hopefully, the roadways will get shut down during ice storms, otherwise vehicles stopping at the light might just slide back down the hill.

Click the link to see a short OAOA.com video of the scene under construction. And here's a link to a pre-overpass Google Map overhead view.

Thanks to RP for the heads-up.

Fact checking fast speeding ticket braggarts

Page 1: Sometimes a story is so good the reader doesn't want to look to closely into the details for fear of finding out it isn't true. Take this photo, for example, found at Jalopnik.com. A fellow posted the photo on Flickr of a ticket he allegedly received for driving 210 mph in a Bugatti on a California toll road. The images you see here are screen captures of what the Flickr page and the ticket looked like, but the gentleman's Flickr page was amended this morning, and the ticket photo has mysteriously vanished. Hmmm. Maybe his lawyer told him to take it down. Or maybe the incident didn't really happen.

The whole thing looked suspicious from the start. Scroll through the gentleman's Flickr photos and one might presume that he very much likes to display images of himself. But there is precious little in the photos that suggests the kind of lifestyle that might result in a high speed run down the road in a Bugatti. And tellingly, there are no pictures of the car itself.

Maybe it really did happen. But it sure looks fishy.

Page 2: This story is presented with some skepticism at RideLust.com, to wit:

“During its review of the CCR’s successor, the CCX, BBC television program Top Gear reported that the Koenigsegg CCR holds the fastest speeding ticket in the United States allegedly occurred in May 2003 in Texas. It was supposedly 242mph (389 km/h) in a 75mph zone. The car was involved in the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000 Rally.”

Go to Genctuning.org to watch the "Top Gear" video in which the host tries to put the Koenigsegg through its paces, and in passing, mentions the story about the speeding ticket.

But did it really happen? For something this noteworthy, there is amazingly little information about it on the net. All that turns up is a vague reference to wikipedia and an occasional link to a wikipedia entry which bounces us back to the Top Gear show.

Call this one a great story, but also call it unprovable.

Page 3: The internet is such a wonderful thing, and there is so much information available to us with a mere key stroke. Some complain about the lack of editors and the easy ability to fabricate a story. But contrary to what some say, Google is making us smarter. Anyone can fact check anyone else, and braggarts need to be extra cautious or else the people they are trying to impress may come away with an impression not nearly as favorable as the one they hoped for.

In the classified ads

Free ammo for eight bucks! it's either the first sign of the much hyped hyperinflation or the result of a severe ammo supply shortage.

In any event, the whole world has turned upside down, I tell ya. By golly when I was your age "free" meant two-fifty, tops.

Wetsuits with style

Most wetsuits are plain black, but some actually have some style. Bydiddo designed a wetsuit with a difference. This prototype looks like a body with the skin peeled off. But, I don't know, might that one look too appealing to a shark?  "Mmmmm, human, and it's already skinned!"

Shark attacks are down worldwide. But why take chances? With shark season approaching, maybe a better design to deter sharks might be a wetsuit painted like a skeleton so a shark might think, "Where's the beef?" Better yet, a skinless "Terminator."

Check out some of the other interesting objects at Bydiddo.

End of month close out

We've reached the end of May, so in the next few entries I'll be posting a bunch of miscellaneous items that caught my attention throughout the month but never quite made it to these pages. Maybe they will catch your attention, too. Or maybe not.

National Running Day

Start by putting out one foot, shift weight to that foot, then do the opposite, repeat, then crank up the speed. Simple, huh? I'm not sure what it does to the joints long term, but it will definitely get the heart rate up, and hopefully, keep the arteries open.

So June 3 is National Running Day, and running organizations are promoting this inaugural event to get everyone up and running. See you on down the road.

Dogs gone wild

Most dogs owners have probably wondered how our canine companions would fare in the wild if they had to. An unintended experiment provided a glimpse at such a situation when numerous dogs were dumped into an environment with not enough to eat. It was "Lord of the Flies" for dogs.

Here's the story. Unwanted dogs were cast away on an uninhabited island off Malaysia on the theory that they could forage on their own and live in the wild. They estimated that over 300 dogs had been dumped, and after a few weeks the estimates were that around 200 had survived by feasting on the weaker dogs. It's a new definition of "dog food," and not a pretty picture to imagine.

Via Daily Rotten.

Pop quiz: Who is the Texas Bluebonnet Queen?

Answer: Ashley Carruth Beal of Midland, Texas. It's official! Here's the Resolution:

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Ashley Carruth Beal of Midland has been named the 2009-2010 Texas Bluebonnet Queen; and

WHEREAS, Founded in 1964, the Texas Bluebonnet Committee promotes the state flower and recognizes young Texans who excel in their talents and in their community service endeavors; the daughter of Barry Ashley Beal, Jr., and Cliffy Beal, Ashley Beal is being honored at the 45th Texas Bluebonnet Queen Coronation Ceremony; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Beal attended Trinity School of Midland and was involved in various extracurricular activities, including the Commemorative Air Force Cadet Program and varsity cheerleading; she also participated in the National Youth Leadership Conference and was listed in the United States Achievement Academy, and she has dedicated her time to such organizations as the Museum of the Southwest, Midland Children's Rehabilitation Center, and the Breaking Bread Soup Kitchen of First Presbyterian Church; in addition, Ms. Beal has been a nationally ranked diver for the past six years, competing with City of Midland Aquatics and at the international level with the U.S. Junior Olympic Diving Team; a 2007 National Diving Champion, she received a diving scholarship and now attends Purdue University in Indiana, where she has been chosen as the Diver of the Week; and

WHEREAS, Ashley Beal has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence as an athlete, a student, and a volunteer, and she may indeed reflect with pride on her achievements and contributions as she looks toward a bright future; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby congratulate Ashley Carruth Beal on her selection as the 2009-2010 Texas Bluebonnet Queen and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Beal as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.

Signed by the Governor on May 6, 2009.