I’m having nightmares….
June 30, 2008 at 11:27 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Nightmares, Officer Scary, Omar Villafranca, Tricycle
I did a story on the City of Dallas’ “Pride in your Neighborhood Program“.
Various city groups were there to talk to local residents about cleaning up the area. Dallas Police showed up…and brought this….THING.
It’s a Dallas Police officer. On a trike. It’s remote controlled, and talks and moves and does too many things like a human. It can also talk through a speaker and move it’s jaw. Now, I’m not easily rattled, but this…..THING…gave me goosebumps.
A nearby officer was controlling the moves. But in my mind, when the officer isn’t looking….the THING scoots around in a garage, plots revenge, speaks in a scary voice and pops violent wheelies. And maybe even….GASP….gets off the trike and walks around.
The kids? Oh, they loved it. I wanted to run up to them and scream “Kids! Run for your lives! It’ll suck your soul away! It looks harmless, but save yourselves!”.
But I didn’t. The kids would come up to it, and just stare and laugh and point. Most of the adults kept a distance. I think it’s made by a Dallas company. I need to ask DPD about that.
I say DPD needs to get 100 of these things and parade them down the bad parts of town. I’m pretty sure the area will see a reduction in crime.
The Parking Lot at Gilley’s
June 30, 2008 at 11:09 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Better than Fiction, Bud Ice and Clamato, Gilley's
I didn’t make this up, but this is what I heard in the parking lot at Gilley’s:
College Kid: “Hey man, do you have a light?”
Drunk Guy by his truck: “No sir I don’t. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. All I do is drink alot of Bud Ice and Clamato. That’s all.”
Gas Prices vs Tomato Prices
June 24, 2008 at 5:38 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Gas Prices, Omar Villafranca, Tomato Prices
Just about everyone is complaining about the price of gas.
Are the price of tomatoes going to get as much attentions as the price of gas? Check this out:
A gallon of gas is still cheaper than a pound of tomatoes. Granted, they are “organic”, which is premium, but it still hurts the pocketbook.
Friday the 13th
June 16, 2008 at 8:52 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: Bank Robbery, Fort Worth, Friday the 13th, Omar Villafranca
Witnesses say the suspect wore a disguise. Police say he was armed. It was Friday the 13th. It’s not a horror movie…it’s an attempted bank robbery that ended with no one hurt, and a suspect in cuffs.
On Friday in Fort Worth, Police arrested Larry Enos…and even though it was Friday the 13th…he wasn’t wearing one of these:
Instead…he was wearing this:
That’s not a dead dog, or a skinned cat, it’s actually a fake beard.
Needless to say, his disguise didn’t work. It looks like something that belongs to Ron Burgundy.
Burglarizing works up an appetite
June 16, 2008 at 8:37 pm | In Uncategorized | 1 CommentTags: Dallas Police, NBC 5, Omar Villafranca, Stolen Hot Dog, Thief
Last week, a woman on Trail Glen Drive in Dallas was burglarized. Someone broke into her place, stole a DVD player, a bicycle, and get this, a hot dog and a hot dog bun.
Don’t believe me? Check out the Dallas Police Dept offense report.
Don’t get me wrong, I love hot dogs. All types. Chicago-style. Chili-cheese. Hot dogs with onions. All of them. Especially if they look like this…
but…are thieves actually looking for electronics, cash and processed meat? Apparently, it’s getting hard out here for a thief.
The best part of the police report (did I just say that?) was that the police actually assigned a price for the hot dog…and the hot dog bun.
In case it’s recovered, the woman will be paid in full. And if you see the hot dog, call police. It might have looked like this:
Do beards equal facial radiators?
June 13, 2008 at 6:34 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Beards, Facial Hair, NBC 5, Omar Villafranca, Photojournalists
Let me introduce you to a good friend of mine…Kyle.
He’s a photojournalist in Tulsa…and somewhat of a beard enthusiast.
I mean he really loves his facial hair.
Almost to the point where we can track Kyle’s life through his facial hair. Basically… I remember Kyle based on what kind of beard or mustache he was sporting.
Above is “biker Kyle”. Below, is “proper gentleman Kyle”. Notice the hair:
Below is “Hippie Kyle”, complete with dazed look:
“:
And this is Kyle pretending to be Elvis. I’m not sure if this is facial hair, or if he just needs a hair cut:
I asked Kyle why…in 100 degree heat… he had a beard. Wasn’t the hair trapping heat and melting his face?
Kyle told me that when he sweats, his scruff actually traps his sweat, and with a slight breeze, cools his face…almost like a car’s radiator.
I’m telling you this story because apparently, there is a whole chapter on facial hair in the “professional photojournalist” handbook. I say this because I noticed some of NBC 5’s photojournalists growing facial hair.
This is Victor Dominguez, our Chief Photographer, with some sort of recent growth on his upper lip.
Check out Brice Hill, with the Red-Headed Shadow on his face:
This is Kerry Smith. As long as I’ve known him, he has always had a beard:
And Mike Grimm has the smallest patch of hair in the world.
Apparently, there is some sort of beard-bug going on in the photojournalist world.
Can the government penalize itself for high grass?
June 12, 2008 at 6:30 pm | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentI read a story this week in the paper, where a Garland family had a lien on their home from an unpaid code violation that happened before they moved in.
Also this week, I took a picture of an unkept patch of grass, under an overpass in East Dallas.
So why isn’t this grass cut fully cut? Who gets the citation? City of Dallas? State of Texas? Dallas County? A code violation is a code violation. Enforcing it is another thing.
All know is if I cut the grass like that, my mother would have grounded me!
Two wheel parking
June 11, 2008 at 10:24 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Dallas, Motorcycles, Omar Villafranca, Parking
A quick update to a story I did a few weeks ago on Dallas motorcycle riders asking for more parking in public places.
The groups “leader of the pack”, Raine Devries, started an online petition asking the city of Dallas for more parking in public spaces.
At last check, they have almost 800 signatures.
You might be thinking “It’s a motorcycle Park it anywhere!”. But it’s not that easy. Raine’s only mode of getting around is her motorcycle, and she tells me parking isn’t so easy. Sometimes, the spots are farther away than regular spot
She’s not asking for special treatment, but she did point out it’s easier to steal a bike (two strong guys can throw it in a truck, she says).
She now has received some feedback from the city.
With more people turning to motorcycles for the MPG (according to the Motorcycle Industry Council) , her request is valid.
Speaking of Garland…
June 11, 2008 at 10:02 am | In Uncategorized | Leave a CommentTags: Click It or Ticket, Garland Texas, Omar Villafranca, Police
We have all heard of the Click It or Ticket campaign in Texas from the NHTSA.
Late last month, Garland Police cracked down on drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts.
Check out the numbers:
1,083 violations for not wearing a seat belt.
52 violations for no child safety seat.
876 “other” violations.
22 arrests.
1 DWI arrests.
*source : Garland Police Dept.
An officer can pull you over for not wearing a seat belt. I’ve been on a ride along before. This is something many officers are trained to look for. Save your self the hassle of a ticket, of getting pulled over, and possibly your life. But your seat belt on. It’s not that hard to remember.
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