Skattershooting (any of the links below could go bad at any time):

• It seems that one political appearance on Oprah is worth 3,000 of those personal appearances where the candidate stands in front of hundreds of people that are going to vote for him anyway.
• NBC's five minute story on swimmer Eric Moussambani from Equatorial Guinea is worth buying if I can find the tape. Because of disqualifications of other swimmers, he found himself swimming alone in the 100 meter preliminaries. One problem, though, was that he had only learned to swim three months ago. His struggle to simply complete the event and the crowd's reaction resulted in simply a priceless moment.
• The "no tolerance" policy of most schools seems to be the equivalent of a "we don't like making tough decisions based upon fact specific scenarios" policy. Case in chief: The Colleyville cheerleaders being suspended for admitting drinking a sip of Zima at a private residence before attending a cheerleading function.
• Such a zero tolerance has collateral implications. For example, when Highland Park police recently came upon about 100 kids drinking within the city, the students scrambled like mad with some taking shelter in the homes of some of the parents. When police asked to enter the homes to interview the kids, several of the parents balked. Considering the fact that the students would be sent to an "alternative" school and forever labeled, such a reaction is no longer surprising.
• Anna Nicole Smith goes to court in Houston to scramble for the millions left by her elderly dead husband, J. Howard Marshall II . I'll vote with Anna on this one. It's the equivalent of him wishing to spend millions of dollars to be in the company of stripper in his last months on earth.  Listen, it was his money. If that's the way he wanted to spend it, so be it.
• As the jury is deliberating in the Richard Lee Franks case in which he is accused of kidnapping Opal Jennings, I'm predicting a conviction. The last trial resulted in a hung jury.
• This fall the Supreme Court will consider whether it is legal for police to arrest an individual for a traffic violation. Although you would think this rarely happens, it is a common police tactic used against those suspected of carrying drugs. Why? The arrest allows the police to search the arrestee and his car. The Supreme Court will no review this questionable practice.
• Did you see where a Tarrant County grand jury refused to indict a police officer for possession of a controlled substance? After being stopped for a possible DWI, a small package of cocaine, weighing .7 grams, was found in his wallet.  "Mr. Rodriguez's attorney, Richard Carrizales, said the drugs had come from an undercover buy a week earlier."
• Did you also see that one-third of Texans could not name even one right guaranteed by the First Amendment.
• Get this: Congress, despite its desire, does not have the authority to enact an anti open container law to fight drunk driving. Why? Such laws can only be passed by the states. So how do our federal representatives accomplish what they legally cannot do? They tell the states what specific laws they wish to be enacted and, if they fail to do so, the states lose federal highway funds. Texas balked at the open container provision and, as a consequence, will not receive $50 million dollars from feds. Although The Dallas Morning News wrote an editorial criticizing the Texas legislature ("Highway Robbery", 9/17/2000), I think a greater concern is the federal government dictating what state laws should be enacted.
• The University of Texas Longhorns and the Washington Redskins will not be playing a football game in January of 2001.
• Rick Lazio forcefully walking over to Hillary Clinton during their debate and asking her to sign a campaign finance pledge will cost him the election. He looked like a punk and a bully.
• The Whitewater investigation has finally ended after seven years and $52 million dollars. Can you think of a greater waste of our money?