The news pages have been full lately about the jail escape, and subsequent
recapture, of the murder suspect who dieted until he was slim enough to slip through an air-conditioning vent.
Maybe the incident shouldn't have been a surprise after all.
The escape from the Waller County Jail was predicted -- to a T -- more than 15 years ago, by no less an expert than Jay Leno.
On his "Headlines" segment, where he goofs on newspaper typos and stories, he said something very like this of the new Waller County Jail: "Now, if you want to see the world's largest air-conditioning ducts...."
Leno was referring to a Houston Chronicle story detailing how the county's new correctional facility was designed by a felon on probation.
The felon, whose name was never released, was a master draftsman and did the work as part of his community service.
It's not entirely clear whether his design played a part in the escape -- the building he worked on was an add-on to the existing jail.
But who knew Jay Leno could predict the future?
-- Richard Connelly