Too hot for Big Brother

The San Antonio Police Department tried out surveillance cameras that were meant to keep an eye on hot spots in downtown. While the cameras could be seen as a Big Brotherish move by the city, it turns out that our brutal, scorching summers are just a bit too warm for the eye in the sky.

Even though a 90-day trial period for the San Antonio Police Department's downtown cameras is ending this month, authorities acknowledge the cameras aren't working properly, while at least one has been removed.

Administrators cite extreme heat and slow Internet connections — among other issues — as the cause of the malfunctions.

What's more, many downtown officers have stopped watching surveillance footage, and the task of keeping an eye on the monitors has been assigned to a desk officer who watches sparingly.

(from the Express-News)

That's OK with me. Given the choice of having cameras watching public streets or of putting officers out on patrol in full view of the public, give me the man on the beat any day.

They don't condone the words ...

... but they don't seem to condemn them, either.

This story is out of Austin, but, hey, we vote for the governor in San Antonio as well, so this is equally strange here.

AUSTIN, Texas - A Web site for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison contained hidden phrases including "rick perry gay."

...

Hutchison spokesman Jeff Sadosky said Hutchison's campaign was not condoning those words and did not know thousands of people would be searching for them. He said they would be removed from the site.

Campaign officials said they bought a tool that generates the phrases to find out the most frequent Web searches using the two gubernatorial candidates' names.

(from the Austin American-Statesman via KENS-5) (AAS story here)

Here are the hidden phrases that were on Hutchison's website. Looks like a pretty thorough job of including just about every conceivable search string that might be related to the gubernatorial race. In fact, here's one grouping that seems focused on including just about every Texan alive:

Anderson County Andrews County Angelina County Aransas County Archer County Armstrong County Atascosa County Austin County Bailey County Bandera County Bastrop County Baylor County Bee County Bell County Bexar County Blanco County Borden County Bosque County Bowie County Brazoria County Brazos County Brewster County Briscoe County Brooks County Brown County Burleson County Burnet County Caldwell County Calhoun County Callahan County Cameron County Camp County Carson County Cass County Castro County Chambers County Cherokee County Childress County Clay County Cochran County Coke County Coleman County Collin County Collingsworth County Colorado County Comal County Comanche County Concho County Cooke County Coryell County Cottle County Crane County Crockett County Crosby County Culberson County Dallam County Dallas County Dawson County Deaf Smith County Delta County Denton County DeWitt County Dickens County Dimmit County Donley County Duval County Eastland County Ector County Edwards County Ellis County El Paso County Erath County Falls County Fannin County Fayette County Fisher County Floyd County Foard County Fort Bend County Franklin County Freestone County Frio County Gaines County Galveston County Garza County Gillespie County Glasscock County Goliad County Gonzales County Gray County Grayson County Gregg County Grimes County Guadalupe County Hale County Hall County Hamilton County Hansford County Hardeman County Hardin County Harris County Harrison County Hartley County Haskell County Hays County Hemphill County Henderson County Hidalgo County Hill County Hockley County Hood County Hopkins County Houston County Howard County Hudspeth County Hunt County Hutchinson County Irion County Jack County Jackson County Jasper County Jeff Davis County Jefferson County Jim Hogg County Jim Wells County Johnson County Jones County Karnes County Kaufman County Kendall County Kenedy County Kent County Kerr County Kimble County King County Kinney County Kleberg County Knox County Lamar County Lamb County Lampasas County La Salle County Lavaca County Lee County Leon County Liberty County Limestone County Lipscomb County Live Oak County Llano County Loving County Lubbock County Lynn County McCulloch County McLennan County McMullen County Madison County Marion County Martin County Mason County Matagorda County Maverick County Medina County Menard County Midland County Milam County Mills County Mitchell County Montague County Montgomery County Moore County Morris County Motley County Nacogdoches County Navarro County Newton County Nolan County Nueces County Ochiltree County Oldham County Orange County Palo Pinto County Panola County Parker County Parmer County Pecos County Polk County Potter County Presidio County Rains County Randall County Reagan County Real County Red River County Reeves County Refugio County Roberts County Robertson County Rockwall County Runnels County Rusk County Sabine County San Augustine County San Jacinto County San Patricio County San Saba County Schleicher County Scurry County Shackelford County Shelby County Sherman County Smith County Somervell County Starr County Stephens County Sterling County Stonewall County Sutton County Swisher County Tarrant County Taylor County Terrell County Terry County Throckmorton County Titus County Tom Green County Travis County Trinity County Tyler County Upshur County Upton County Uvalde County Val Verde County Van Zandt County Victoria County Walker County Waller County Ward County Washington County Webb County Wharton County Wheeler County Wichita County Wilbarger County Willacy County Williamson County Wilson County Winkler County Wise County Wood County Yoakum County Young County Zapata County Zavala County

"Stranded Boaters Rescued "

On Braunig Lake.

SAN ANTONIO -- A woman and two of her nephews were rescued early Wednesday after being stranded on Braunig Lake for six hours.

Gilda Valdez and her 7- and 27-year-old nephews launched from the Braunig Lake boat dock for a night of fishing around 10 p.m. when their boat's battery died in the middle of the lake.

Valdez then called 311 for help, but assistance never arrived due to a miscommunication between 311 dispatchers and 911 dispatchers who never sent rescue crews, Valdez said.

"It was a very, very long time," Valdez said. "I was more concerned about them."

Around 4 a.m., Valdez called 911 again, and this time, rescue crews were dispatched to the lake and got the boaters safely to land.

(from KSAT-12)

Perhaps this would be a good time to buy a couple of paddles, and then learn how to use them. Or at least teach your 27-year-old nephew how. Braunig Lake isn't that big.

A lot of pot

How do you fit $2 million worth of marijuana plants inside one house?

This way:

SAN ANTONIO -- Police seized 350 high-grade marijuana plants that were growing inside a home Monday night on the city's west side.

The plants, which ranged from 2 feet to 7 feet tall and worth an estimated $2 million, were being grown with a hydroponic lab at a home in the 9200 block of Adams Hill, police said. A lighting system, a ventilation system, carbon dioxide and other chemicals were found in the second story of the home.

"I've been told this appears to be the largest hydroponic seizure in San Antonio history," said Sgt. Chris Benavides of the San Antonio Police Department.

(from KSAT-12)

With that much pot, he probably had a hydroponic vegetable garden that was just as big. In case he got hungry.

"Mom Killed Baby With Knife, Sword"

This is so horrible, it took a while for me to work up the nerve to post it, though I'm sure most people have heard about it by now.

The police chief said that the crime scene was so horrific that officers at the scene were disturbed and severely affected by the slaying and may need counseling.

(from KSAT-12)

I warn you, the story is graphic. Don't click the link if you have a weak stomach.

"Man's Body Found Floating In SA River"

Definitely not something you'd want to see on the River Walk.

Witnesses called police just before 11:00 p.m. Saturday night when they saw a man's body floating on the San Antonio River, near the Pecan Street bridge in downtown. His name was not being released until police could contact next of kin, but we're told he was 54 years old, wearing a black sleeveless T-shirt and Khaki shorts.

Police tell us they're ruling this a "sudden death."

(from WOAI-TV)

"Sudden death," sure, but what caused the sudden death? A bullet can do it just as quickly as a heart attack.

"SUV Sails Off I-35 Overpass"

Watch out for things in the road.

SAN ANTONIO -- A black Jeep Liberty crashed nose-first into the asphalt of the AT&T Parkway Saturday night, plummeting more than 16 feet off the I-35 overpass.

Police say the driver of the SUV swerved to miss an object on the highway believed to be a folding table, and in the process lost control, struck the guardrail and plunged off the highway onto the roadway below.

(from KSAT-12)

The injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening, which is good.

But this goes to show that just about anything can end up on the blacktops of our daily commutes, and we'd do well to stay alert. One time, right on IH-10 between Vance Jackson and Crossroads, I had to swerve to avoid an entire chest of drawers. It makes me wonder how people can lose significant portions of their loads without noticing or without bothering to at least move it off the roadway.

Offering wipe to the masses

When I go to my local grocery store -- especially on Sundays -- I expect to see tables or stands set up with helpful, friendly people offering free samples of things like cheese, sausage, juice, and other items.

But I have never expected what Dave at Silver Creek 78250 found in his local H-E-B.

Strange stuff, indeed.

Putting away the Alamo

No, not the famous shrine. The one that goes by "Tony," whose ministry left an old, outdated hate-tract on my windshield last year.

He's been convicted of abusing children.

TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) -- Tony Alamo, a one-time street preacher who built a multimillion-dollar ministry and became an outfitter of the stars, was convicted Friday of taking girls as young as 9 across state lines for sex.

Alamo stood silently as the verdict was read, a contrast to his occasional mutterings during testimony. His five victims sat looking forward in the gallery. One, a woman he "married" at age 8, wiped away a tear.

"I'm just another one of the prophets that went to jail for the Gospel," Alamo called to reporters afterward as he was escorted to a waiting U.S. marshal's vehicle.

...

The jury of nine men and three women took about 11 hours to consider the charges against Alamo. The 10-count federal indictment accused him of taking his underage "wives" across state lines as early as 1994.

...

Prosecutors said Alamo could face a total of 175 years in prison over violating the nearly century-old Mann Act, a morality law once aimed at stopping women from being sold into prostitution. Each count also carries possible fines of $250,000.

(from KENS-5)

When cultures clash

Speaking in a politically correct sort of way, that is.

Campanas de America has sung it for presidents, but they won't be singing “El Son de La Negra” on “Today.”

That popular folk song was the renowned mariachi's first choice for its performance Wednesday on the “Today” show. But the show's producers asked Campanas de America not to sing it when “Today” broadcasts from the Arneson River Theater next week.

“It's the mariachi national anthem,” said Belle Ortiz, manager of Campanas de America. “We always play ‘El Son de La Negra.' Everybody plays it.”

The reason for nixing it? “Because they didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings because of the name of the song,” Oritz said.

A “Today” show spokeswoman said this was not a case of political correctness.

“The song ‘El Son de La Negra' was by no means deemed too controversial for ‘Today,'” publicist Megan Kopf said via e-mail.

(from the Express-News)

Do you believe Ms. Kopf?

I'm not familiar with the song in particular, but I'm sure I've heard it before. Growing up in San Antonio gives you plenty of opportunities to hear mariachi music, and if that song is as popular as they say, I'm sure it's in the repertoire of any decent group. So I've probably heard it before, and I don't remember being offended.

Besides, if you don't have a good grasp of Spanish, I don't see how you could be offended, not unless you are hypersensitive and you can hear "negra" any time it is uttered in a loud, boisterous musical session. And then only if you had little knowledge about the Spanish language and assumed any time "negra" or "negro" were used they were meant to be insult. (Negro is the Spanish word for the color black, if you didn't already know.)

So, I tend to think the "Today" show is being a little too sensitive, and I don't believe Ms. Kopf when she says the song was "by no means deemed too controversial." I think it was entirely controversial in her mind or in the minds of her higher-ups. What do you think?

Faking it

Is this a legitimate news story about how to deal with the current drought, or is it a cleverly packaged advertisement?

You decide.

[Glemm] French is a green thumb and would normally have the lawn to talk about, but when his wife of 62 years had a stroke and was diagnosed with cancer, he had to be by her side.

So, French gave up all efforts to maintain a green lawn, which would have been extra difficult this year considering the dry, harsh conditions.

But, for Mrs. French's eightieth birthday, their lawn was green.

Mr. French contacted Texas Green Grass, Incorporated to dye their grass a rich verdant color that could fool Mother Nature. The turf paint is safe and EPA-approved, lasts about three months and costs about $200.

(from KENS-5)

A snarling pack at the Alamo

Do you think I mean this?

The Alamo, a revered home of Texas' fight for independence, is caught up in a modern-day clash over money, power and publicity.

Three of its top managers have quit since May, including the director who says the shrine's private guardians thwarted plans to bolster the Alamo's financial stability – which relies mostly on gift store sales.

David Stewart, who abruptly retired two months ago after seven years as director, said leaders of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas – longtime caretakers of the San Antonio landmark – suffer from a lack of business savvy that hinders decision-making and stalls innovations.

(from KENS-5)


Or do you think I mean this?

A pack of dogs caused a ruckus downtown at Alamo Plaza Saturday morning. Two rottweilers and a shepherd mix were roaming free near the city's busiest tourist destination. One of the dogs then attacked a 54 year old man, biting him on the arm. Officers had to improvise to capture the dogs before they attacked anyone else. Officers used their bicycles to coral the dogs, while using dog food to lure them into a police wagon.

(from KABB-29)

You decide.

"Smelly Situation Goes Up In Smoke"

Here's a prank that went bad.

SAN ANTONIO -- Two children escaped from a house fire on San Antonio's north side after witnesses said a flaming bag of excrement was thrown at their home.

The fire started early Thursday afternoon when one of the children, Joseph Gonzalez, said he noticed something with a bad smell, followed by an explosive sound at his home on the 12000 block of Stoney Crossing near McAllister Park.

"I was on my computer and I was just playing a game on it, and I smelt something really bad, I heard a big boom and I heard my mom's wind chimes going crazy," he said.

When he went outside to check, Gonzalez said he saw a burning bag of excrement that he been thrown at the home.

"It was bubbling and stuff, and it smelled really nasty," he said.

San Antonio Fire Arson investigations said the scene appeared to be suspicious in nature and would investigate what specifically caused the fire.

(from KSAT-12)

"Appeared to be suspicious in nature." A burning bag of shit. You don't say.

Oh, by the way, pranksters, you're supposed to leave it on the porch and ring the doorbell instead of throwing it at the house. That's the way it's usually done. Luckily no one was hurt, but the home did suffer some serious damage.

UPDATE: The Express-News reports that the poop story is just that, a story.

“Flaming poo is out,” said Melissa Sparks, spokeswoman for the San Antonio Fire Department. “It was definitely not flaming poo.”

Arson investigators said they found no evidence of anyone throwing a bag of dog feces at the house in the 12000 block of Stoney Crossing. They continue to investigate the fire, although they expect to rule it as an accidental fire.

I bet the investigators turn their attention to those children at home.

Car crashes into house

Almost!

OK, it didn't actually hit the house, but this car took out a stop sign, two fences, and a couple of gas meters before finally catching fire and burning up a bunch of grass.

According to investigators, a 66-year-old man was driving a car along Canyon Golf when, for some reason, he veered off the road.

After jumping a curb and knocking a stop sign 20 feet, the car went through two different privacy fences and hit two gas meter boxes before coming to a stop.

The car then caught fire, and the fire spread to the lawns of two homes. Firefighters were able to put out the flames before any homes sustained major damage. There was some exterior melting to a house reported.

The driver of the car was taken to a hospital for treatment but is expected to be okay. No other injuries were reported.

(from WOAI-TV)

"Exterior melting." That's one hot grass fire!

"SA Man Chooses Life With No A/C"

Would you give up air conditioning? One San Antonio man says he wants to have nothing to do with it.

SAN ANTONIO -- Mike Casey, a lawyer and native San Antonian, has lived without central air conditioning for nearly 30 years. By choice.

"I'm not uncomfortable, I'm not a martyr," said Casey. "If I were uncomfortable I would put an air conditioner in."

His home in the King William area was built in 1895, long before home cooling systems went beyond a hand fan. When he purchased the home in 1980, he installed ceiling fans in every room, but never thought twice about installing a big system. He almost always has a cool drink in his hand as one way to battle the heat. Monday afternoon, it was 90 degrees inside his home, which relies on mostly natural lighting through large windows during the day. Even in a button-down dress shirt, pants and a bow tie, Casey didn't break a sweat.

"This is Texas. This is the way it's going to be," said Casey.

...

His friends almost always introduce him as the guy that doesn't have an air conditioner, a trait he doesn't mind, especially in the summertime. When most people's summer electric bills average at least a few hundred dollars, his just tips the $100 mark. He thinks it'd be even lower if he stopped running the electric pump in his backyard water fountain.

(from KSAT-12. Video here.)

Hey, I grew up in a house without air conditioning. You can survive, but it's not very comfortable in the middle of a South Texas summer, and I have memories of sleeping with just a sheet on and a box fan running in the window. They're not very fond memories, though. I like my A/C just fine.

Car crashes into gym

Do you like running, but hate dealing with traffic? And does the thought of a treadmill at home make you shudder because of all those cars that come crashing through houses? You may be no safer in the gym.

No one was hurt Saturday when a woman drove her car through a wall and into a gym in Alamo Heights.

An employee told KSAT-12 News that he was in the middle of a class at Studio B in the 5300 block of Broadway when he heard a loud crash.

“I thought something happened outside,” Lionel Garcia said. “Then our equipment that was leaning up against the window started tumbling towards us and then I jumped back a little bit and saw this big white car come through.”

(from KSAT-12)

A couple who should have waited

If you're transporting a meth lab, and you suddenly feel the urge to show your girlfriend how hot you think she is, maybe you should just talk dirty for a while until you get to where you're going.

Deputies say a steamy sexual tryst between [Timothy] Overly and his woman in an Oldsmobile '88 got too hot to handle for a neighbor who called them in.

"As we walked up we found they were in a sexual twist," said Ino Badillo, from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. But what deputies say they found inside Overly's car was even hotter.

Deputies say they found Drano, peroxide, a cooking burner, and a bottle marked with a skull and cross bones with muriatic acid inside. All the ingredients for an illegal recipe called: Meth.

But had Overly not been making out with his girlfriend 25 year-old Candace Prewitt, deputies say the couple may not have been caught with the drugs.

"Our narcotics officers talked to his mom," said Badillo. "She says she knows he cooks it!"

(from KENS-5)

The dude lives with his mother. If she didn't mind her son cooking up meth at home, surely she wouldn't have minded him bringing his girl over.

Three-legged sheep

I've seen three-legged dogs, but I don't think I've ever seen a sheep with a limb short. And I've certainly never seen one in a wheelchair.

All of the animals [at the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Kendalia] have a special story about how they came to live at the rescue. There's a blind cow, a goat with floppy legs that walks on his knees, a longhorn who nearly ended up mounted on his former owner's wall, and then there's Wylie, the 3-legged sheep.

"A predator had gotten hold of him and he lost one of his legs," said rescue founder Lynn Cuny telling the story of how Wylie arrived at the ranch.

Wylie was just a lamb at the time, but his back right leg was beyond repair.

"An amputation had taken place and he was just not doing well," Cuny said.

She and her staff nursed Wylie back to health, but it became clear he would likely never be able to walk. They were faced with two options, euthanize an otherwise healthy animal or find a way to make his life easier. Cuny chose not give up and began an exhaustive search to find a way to help Wylie get around. The search led to New York where they found a company that makes customized carts for disabled animals. Measurements were taken and casts were made for leg braces. In a few weeks, the cart arrived at the ranch.

...

The cart wasn't cheap, it cost the rescue around $2,000, but seeing how it has changed the sheep's life makes it worth every penny to Cuny.

"It took a lot to do it but every life is worth saving," Cuny said. "His life is certainly diminished because he's not out there just roaming around freely but he wants to live."

(from KSAT-12)



Would this be a bad time to say how much I love lamb chops?

"Liberty Bar Moving To Southtown"

The leaning restaurant is moving. But it doesn't look like the lean is going with it.

“We’re going to pack up and move house," said owner Dwight Hobart. "Lock, stock and barrel."

Liberty Bar has been at its current location for 25 years, but Hobart said the development of the Pearl Brewery caused the rent to increase. The building was known for its slanted floor, but Hobart said he could not afford to pay the rent and pay for the maintenance of the building at the same time.

“We had an unusual situation,” Hobart said. “This old building was in terrible condition. As you can see, it looks like it’s about to fall down. It isn’t going to fall down and we’ve got to great effort and expense to make certain that it doesn’t fall down.”

Hobart said the restaurant is moving to a building at 1111 South Alamo, in what used to be an old convent next to the St. Benedict’s Condominiums. He said the bar will located on the second floor and will offer the restaurant the chance more room [sic] to handle more people.

(from KSAT-12)

It won't be the same. The Liberty Bar's dangerous-looking lean was part of its charm, and, while its new location will no doubt have its own unique character, it won't be the same.

That's too bad. The food was good, even if it was a bit pricey. And it was a great place to have a special and memorable dinner with friends or visitors from out of town. I will miss it. How about you?



[Image courtesy of Purple on Wikimedia Commons]

Shameless marketing techniques ...

... and the television stations that help promote them.

I was never a fan of Michael Jackson, and I think the hoopla over his death is a bit much. But, at the same time, I can't help but feel that this "news" story capitalizes on the man's death to a silly degree.

SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio funeral home owner owns two gold caskets similar to the one in which Michael Jackson was laid to rest.

Dick Tips of Mission Park Funeral Chapels said he owns the only two in the state. He said the caskets, which are handmade, take more than a year to produce and cost $25,000.

“It’s handmade and it seals,” Tips said. “It’s airproof, airtight, waterproof. It would actually float once you seal this casket. You can’t get back into it once it locks down.”

(from KSAT-12)

Straight from the brochure.

Actually, I'm not so surprised at Tips's eagerness to take advantage of the marketing opportunity, but I am a little surprised that the KSAT team would let the man use them for free advertising.

There's no way the TV people could have known Tips had those two gold caskets before Jackson's funeral, and I doubt they were calling around to see who might have one. (If they did, then double the shame on them for their morbid interest!) Tips must have called the station himself, and I bet the news people were more than happy to get such good, shiny footage for the broadcast.

So shame on them. They let themselves be tools of a man looking to hawk his wares.

Bonus strangeness: the name of the funeral home owner itself.

UPDATE: I think Tips tipped off the Express-News, too.

Dress like a cow

Do you own a cow suit?

Then get some free Chick-fil-A on July 10.

On Friday, July 10 go into any Chick-fil-A® restaurant dressed as a cow and receive a free meal.

You can show your appreciation for cows by eating more chicken. Put on your best cow costume and head over to your local Chick-fil-A on Friday, July 10. Don't have a costume? Make your own using their starter kit.

(from WOAI's Free 4 All. Official site here.)

Man, I love Chick-fil-A. It's almost worth dressing up for free chicken!

Rain

After all this dry weather, a little rain can be little strange. This bit was from a couple of hours ago.

Slidin' away the summer

What do you do if you have record hot days, a hill, and a bunch of plastic?

You make a giant slip-n-slide, that's what you do.



(from KSAT's slideshow about what people are doing on their summer vacation)

Independence Day

Have a good one.

We're number 2!

And someday we will be number 1 in sweat!

The truth is in the pits. After An [sic] eight-year study conducted by Old Spice, Phoenix, Arizona was deemed the "Undisputed Sweatiest City."

...

But, Texas had a big turnout in the study. Seven Texas cities made it into the Top 20 All-Time Sweatiest Cities. San Antonio came in at No. 2 (obviously the study was concluded before the current heat wave) Dallas was No. 4, Houston No. 5, El Paso, No. 13, Waco No. 15, Austin No. 16 and Corpus Christi, No. 19. [parenthetical in original]

(from KENS-5)

Previously San Antonio was ranked fifth and sixth place on the Old Spice list. Someday, someday we will be on top. If we just believe.

Making it easy for the police

When deciding which convenience store to rob -- especially if it's just for beer and smokes -- make sure it's one where they don't know you.

On Monday night around 10:30, a store regular known to the clerks as "el diablo" walked into JP's Qwik Stop in Seguin. He got the attention of only one of the two clerks, and raised his shirt revealing the handle of a weapon. The clerk said the suspect told him, "I'm gonna kill a (expletive) in here."

...

Seguin police say they know exactly who "el diablo" is, and they're very close to making an arrest.

(from KENS-5)


This reminds me of a previous story, one which I had neglected to comment on earlier.

Two bandits backed their truck into a convenience store to bust through the door. But it's what they stole that has the owner scratching his head.

"You would be amazed by what they took," said Sammy Rana, the owner of the "Shop N Go" on South New Braunfels near Southcross. "They took a case of beer and cigarettes. No money!"

...

The good news for Rana: in CCTV video, the thieves can be seen clearly. They didn't wear disguises, nor did they bother to wash off the "for sale" sign or the phone number on the window of their vehicle.

(also from KENS-5)

Some crooks just beg to be caught.

Over 50,000 visits

Strange in San Antonio has passed a milestone: there have been over 50,000 visits to this blog since I started it in March 2006!

Thank you all for reading and keeping up, and I hope to continue sharing odd things from the Alamo City for as long as it is fun and interesting. Thanks again, and if you have a favorite strange thing that you've seen in our fair town, please feel free to share it with the rest of us.

Here are the details for the 50,000th visit.