What is it with stars and their inability to stay out of trouble?  Check out this story in the Sun.  Batman star Christian Bale was arrested in London under charges that he assaulted his mother and sister.  The Dark Knight apparently had a Dark Moment.

With each punch I wonder if a cartoonish “Wham” “Kazam” “POW” appeared over his head.

Jeeping, jimminey crickets Batman, what were you thinking? 

Instead of spending time in THE bat cave he may have to spend time in A bat infested cave known more as a jail cell.  Bale recently told a reporter he has been having bouts with depression and insomnia, but everyone knows bats don’t sleep at night.

Could it be, the foes of the past are joining forces?  John McCain and Mitt Romney on one ticket is like putting Elmur Fudd and Buggs Bunny on the same ticket.  That analogy has nothing to do with their personalities only the fact that the two don’t like each other.  (Though Democrats may snicker at the comparison.)

Last I checked the two went through a knock down drag out brawl of a primary.  But forgiveness is key if you want to win a trip to the oval office.  I imagine the thought behind the ticket is with both of them running, there is something for everyone (who will vote republican).  You have to wonder if the Democrats will follow suit and team up Obama with Hilliary.

I have long contended that many politicians are misguided fools.  They go into public service as well educated, sharp young men and women but leave as dumb as a box of rocks.  I am not sure why this is, but it seems to work for both democrats and republicans alike.

The latest form of idiocracy comes in the form of a no fried food mandate at the Democratic National Convention.  A so called, “No Fry Zone.”  I agree fried anything is not healthy, but grown men and women should be allowed to decide for themselves what to eat.  Beyond that, there is another issue the democrats failed to think of before making the absurd decision to ban fried foods from the festivities.

The south has typically been ruled by two things, the republicans and fried food.  With all the hard work Barrack Obama has put into courting southern voters, why ostracize them now?  Southerners love their heart attacks on a plate.  There is fried: okra, potatoes, steak, chicken, catfish, even fried Twinkies. 

With the National Conventions nearly upon us, I now declare, “Let the Silliness Begin!”

If Tony has a publicist and you know who it is, please forward this post to them.  Tony needs to learn how to deal with the Jessica Simpson saga.  Instead of remaining quiet and aloof about the subject embrace it.  Providing the two are very close and still going strong, which it sounds like they are, Tony needs to find a message that will get everyone off his back.

The biggest fear Cowboys fans have is that Jessica Simpson is a “distraction.”  To counter those fears Tony needs to come clean and say this:

“I am deeply in love with Jessica and she is a positive force in my life.  Not only do I feel happy around her, but she is a calming supportive voice.  When I am around her I feel at ease.  I no longer have a desire to go out and party all night long, I would rather spend an evening at home with her.  She has an amazing way of keeping me focused.”

That takes all the ammunition away from critics.  Plus, when you are trying to hide something, people always perceive a problem.  Try it Tony, you may find all the people that interview you will then be totally disarmed and even happy for you.

Hambone made his mark tonight.  What a show he put on in Yankee Stadium.  He may not have won the Home Run Derby, but he clearly was the best home run hitter out there.

The best part of Josh Hamilton’s performance was not the 500 foot bombs he hit, 35 in all, it was his attitude.  I don’t think there is a major leaguer who is as excited and thankful for his career in the big leagues as Hamilton is.  Josh first grabbed my attention after hitting that game winning home run off K-Rod last week.  Hambone was so happy, he couldn’t even speak.  It was like watching a little leaguer’s enthusiasm in a big league uniform.

Go Josh!  I wish you all the success in the wold.  If you stay humble, you could become my first favorite ball player that is a non-Yankee, maybe.

First off let me say I have always been a Tony Romo fan.  He seems like a genuinely nice guy and a grounded individual.  But if he wants to be a multi-million dollar quarterback in the NFL, he has to take the good with the bad.  Apparently he doesn’t like being asked about his relationship with the lovely Jessica Simpson.

I did a one on one interview with Tony on Sports Extra last Sunday and he seemed to be grumpy about having to do a series of interviews with reporters around the country.  And when I asked, nicely, I may add, about Jessica he seemed to get annoyed.  Tony needs to realize the majority of viewers, not sports fans, want to know about Jessica.  And the sports fans simply want to know if she is a distraction.  He certinly has a right to date whoever he wants.  Cowboy fans also have a right to hope, his girlfriend is not a “distraction.”

Tony needs to learn how to just deal with it.  He is a “celebrity” quarterback, whether he likes it or not.  I’m sorry for asking, but when you do an interview with Tony, it is the one question that has to be asked.  If you don’t ask it, the reporter looks like an idiot.

Later, I offer up my public relations advice for Tony and how to deal with the Simpson Saga.

No one likes the electric company.  The fact is, providing electric service is a thankless job.  When the lights come on, no one notices, when they don’t, entire neighborhoods grab their pitch forks and go on a hunt for TXU executives.

The price of electricity is always way to high, now more then ever.  And even TXU acknowledges there are problems with customer service.  But for the first time in a long time, I got to do a story today that proves TXU can do the right thing..  TXU has an “Energy Aid” Program where people in need can call TXU and get financial bill payment assistance.

Today I met a 53 year old man who had a stroke and came within days of having his electricity turned off.  He called TXU, a few hours later, some of the bill was paid by the fund, and the rest was put on a payment plan.  Michael Ray never had an interruption in power.

It is a great example of a big company taking responsibility for the community it serves.  Though I don’t think it is TXU’s responsibility to come up with a program like this, the fact that it did speaks volumes.  After all TXU may be privately held, but it still serves the public.

Nice job TXU, but I still got my eye on you!

NBC5i.com Story

NBC5 has just learned the 18 month old girl died today.  My sincerest sympathies go out to the family.

Let me take a moment to also apologize to anyone offended by my perceived insincerity in my post below.  I was scolded by Grant’s Rant readers, my wife, and the moms of the NBC5 news room.  All of whom pointed out, I do not have kids and failed to realize how easy it is for them to scurry away.

I want everyone to know, I left my live shot last night truly depressed about what had happened and my only intention in writing the post below was to try to help ensure it doesn’t happen again.

I do feel for the family and I hope and pray they can get through this tragedy somehow.  As a good friend of mine who lost her two daughters once said, “Nothing prepares a parent to bury a child.”  I was impressed with the outpouring of support the family had from their neighbors.  I am sure the mother and father are in good hands.

Pools and kids do not mix. Last night a 3 year old boy died after somehow scurrying away from his fathers attention.  The worst part is that child had his 18 month old sister with him.  The two ended up at the bottom of the family pool.

By late evening the toddler still had a pulse, her older brother was dead.  Coppell Police are now asking tough questions about a horrible accident.

As bad as I feel for the family, I can’t imagine what they are going through.  Guilt, sadness, remorse are just a few emotions that come to mind. The worst part is, it didn’t need to happen.

In reality there is no excuse for not keeping a watchful eye on your children especially with a pool nearby.  I am sure their father realizes this and will never forgive himself for making that mistake.  Sadly, he’s not alone, it happens to 100s of mindful, decent and loving parents each year. 

Most parents will tell you, its easy to lose track of the little ones and it only takes a few seconds for a kid to end up in the water.  The experts say drowning is a silent death.  There is no splashing or screaming, the kids most likely sank quietly to the bottom without even making a ripple.

It is a sad reminder to all parents, teach your kids the dangers of water early in life and don’t let them near a pool without supervision.  A pool alarm and a fence are always best with kids around.

NBC5i.com Story
NBC5i.com Video

People who want to eat healthy often turn to yogurt.  It has all kinds of healthy attributes.  Yogurt can be low in fat and it can aid in digestion.  But why would anyone eat yogurt with Candy in it?  That’s like dipping celery in chocolate or eating grilled fish smothered in cheese. 

Check out the Yo Crunch Yogurt I found in my frig today.

Breyers labeled it “Low-Fat Yogurt” but then packaged it with Nestle Crunch bar bits.  Another “Low-Fat” yogurt option from Breyers comes with Oreo Cookie bites.  Let me make one thing perfectly clear.  The yogurt is good for you, the chocolate cookie and candy bar bits are not.

Why bother eating the yogurt with all the crap in it.  Why not just go ahead and eat the candy bar instead?

My wife is the one who bought the desert style yogurt sweet tooth treats.  She simply said, “it looked so good!”  I agree it looks tasty, but those toppings are better in a milk shake, which is almost exactly what you will be eating when you dump the chocolate bits into your yogurt.

So my question is this: Is Breyers really tricking people into thinking they are eating healthy, when all the are eating is a fancy malted milk ball shake?

And note to Breyers: Don’t label your Yo-Crunch “Low-Fat Yogurt”, when you know everyone is going to dump the chocolate treats into it.  If they weren’t, they would just by the regular yogurt.  And in case you were wondering this so-called “low fat” treat actually contains 210 calories, 40 which come from fat.