Skattershooting while considering that it has already been three years since the Y2K celebration:

• North Korea scares me a heck of a lot more than Iraq but the Bush Administration would rather pick a fight with Iraq. Hmmm. We can beat the latter but what about the former?
• According to George Will, "You might think that Jennifer Granholm, Michigan's 43-year-old attorney general and governor-elect, would already be on the Democrats' short list of candidates for a place on their party's national ticket. A graduate of Berkeley and Harvard Law School and a Catholic mother of three, she is a former assistant federal prosecutor." But there is no chance she can be president due to the Constitution requiring the top job be held by only those who are "native born" in the U.S.  She was born in Canada.
• Did you see the West Virginia guy that won the at $314.9 million lotto? Even though he took the "cash option", his tax bill will cover 1/3 of the entire budget deficit of his home state. (According to National Public Radio).
• The Visa Check card commercial with Tiki Barber and his brother makes me laugh every time. The Charlie Sheen one is pretty good, too.
• The new NFL policy requiring that a minority individual be interviewed every time there is a head coaching job makes no sense.
• Why in the world does Fit and Wise and Casa Torres shut down so much during the holiday season?
• Dallas Morning News headline on 12/27/02: "Holiday Sales Could Be Worst in Decades". The story read as follows: "The National Retail Federation, and industry group, said Thursday that holiday sales will end up 3.5% to 4% higher than last year rather than a solid 4% higher." Huh?
• The Nebraska Cornhuskers had not lost three games in a row since 1961. The loss to Mississippi in its bowl game made it three in a row in 2002.
• Emmitt Smith received a Lamborghini from his wife for breaking the rushing record. Rafael Palmerio received a Hummer from his wife for his birthday. Hey ladies: You're not spending your money!
• Worldcom, which is in bankruptcy, had sales of $2.3 billion in October of 2002. How can the company not survive? (Source: Dallas Morning News, page 2D, 12/27/02)
• In the same business section of the paper it was noted that residential real estate development has now reached the towns of Melissa and Anna. That is, land development north of Dallas has now gone so far as to be closer to the Oklahoma border than to downtown.
• A great line from the movie "The Last Picture Show". When one guys says "It could have been worse" the response was "I suppose you can say that about anything."
• Why does an audience of white folks have to engage in rhythmic clapping every time someone sings on stage.
• I subscribe to Netflix. You can rent as many DVDs as you want (you can have three in your possession at any one time) and there is never a late fee. It's all by mail and it's great.
• I've always been confused by the state funded signs along the highways that advertise restaurants. There is now one in Rhome that promotes "Tater Junction".
• Does any town have more tragedies than Paradise?
• Did you know that Bill Parcells is older than Jerry Jones? That's 61 and 60 years of age, respectively.
• Rookie Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey is great but he is a nut case.
• When Dave Campo was fired, Jerry Jones read from a prepared text. That is very unusual for Jerry (he didn't even do that at Troy Aikman's retirement announcement when he knew NFL Films would be rolling for posterity's sake).
• After the Cowboy's final season loss to the Redskins, Emmitt Smith said "They will find out that I'm not the problem." You may not be the problem but you are a problem. (Ironically, the front page of the Morning News showed a smiling Emmitt as he walked off the field from the game).
• Another football note: If Chad Hutchinson had passed for 235 yards in the final game he would have been entitled to a $1.1 million dollar bonus for surpassing 1,601 for the season. He ended up 46 yards short.
• University of Texas coach Mack Brown has never won a conference championship. That's "conference" not "national".
• The Air Force is now under fire for promoting the use of amphetamine by its pilots (per the 12/20/02 edition of ABC's 20/20). Hmmm. Our government supports it on one hand and then turns around arrests your poor old Wise County sap for making it for his own use.
• Due to the proliferation of cell phones, how long do you think pay phones will exist?
• The National Office of Drug Control Policy runs those TV ads that depict two guys talking about how drug use, in a round about way, supports terrorism. The only time I ever see them, however, is during This Week with George Stephanopoulos . Does that audience need to hear that message?
• Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, wrote a book this year called "Leadership". Isn't that patting yourself on the back just a bit too much?
• I really don't have much to say about the Trent Lott scandal other than I can't take my eyes off of Strom Thurmond every time I see that infamous video clip.
• The "three whistleblowers" were named Time Magazine's "Persons of the Year". Quick. Name one.
• Maybe I'm slow, but I've never really understood "Doonesbury" by Garry Trudea.
• With Al Gore out of the 2004 presidential race, Joe Lieberman is considering giving it a run. He stands no chance of even obtaining the Democratic nomination.
• White House press secretary Ari Fleischer says this about the upcoming presidential race: "Someone will emerge from the Democratic field who will ultimately seek to raise taxes on the American people."
• It looks like the epic "Gangs of New York" will flop at the box office.  MTV's "Jackass" movie, on the other hand, was a hit.
• I've yet to see "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". I also want to see "Catch Me If You Can" and "About Schmidt".
• Speaking of movies, don't you hate the "Top Ten" lists at the end of the year that include about seven independant/foreign films that you've never heard of?
• The New York Times has now raised the price of its daily edition to $1.00. When do you think the Dallas Morning News/Star Telegram will go to 75 cents? When did the price rise from 25 cents anyway?
• VP Dick Cheney sure has taken an even lower profile than normal lately. It wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't join Bush in his re-election campaign.  It also wouldn't surprise me to see J.C. Watts take his place.
• I've hated every episode of "Dharma and Greg" that I've ever seen.
• The Joe Millionaire TV series on Fox looks like it will be very funny.