TCU: I"ll Never Doubt You Again

 Brent Musburger Mentions Bridgeport, TX

And Bridgeport gets a little pub.

This Year's Stats

Cracking 120,000 a month for seven months is a record.

And just for grins, here's what last month looked like:

Sneak Peak At TCU's Rose Bowl Helmet

One thing about college football: It's an advertising gold mine. As I've said before, Nike will spend a fortune just to get the Nike swoosh in front of you.  Over the last couple of weeks, and especially today, the TCU brand has been plastered all across America. It's literally millions of dollars of advertising that has been handed to them because of football.

Random New Year's Thoughts

• I'll give the Daily News credit. That's a great cover. (I had been completely oblivious to that famous photo having been taken in Times Square.)
• No matter what, I always wake up at 5:00 a.m. Weird.
• 2010 was uh, eventful: Began the year with an absolute dream vacation in a remote part of Costa Rica, got engaged and married within less than three weeks in between, had that marriage in a Las Vegas, went to Jamaica, hiked Palo Duro Canyon, completely revamped my house for two kids,  completely changed my lifestyle, sat in a school drop off line for the first time in my life, sat on a curb waiting for a school bus for the first time in my life, ran two half marathons, lost 20 pounds (stress?),  and bought two cars.
• Found myself actually thinking, despite the boatload of new responsibilities and pressure, that I don't want my life to change. 
• One year ago today, we checked into a hotel late at night in San Jose, Costa Rica as I looked down at my wallet to realize I had only $50, no debit card, and the only credit card I owned had been left in a restaurant at DFW Airport. That created a minor, no major, internal panic. 
• I learned that someone could deposit cash into my bank account in Decatur and that the updated balance would immediately  be recognized at the only ATM in a jungle town in another country.
• OK, I drank one of those Five Hour Energy drinks last night. Oh, my. W.I.R.E.D.
• TCU has won so much that I'm inclined to root against them this afternoon.
• The 2nd Grader in the house had a friend over last night while the older kid spent the night elsewhere. I was working with "friendship bracelets" at 10:00 p.m.
• Did Channel 8's local coverage at Victory Park trump Dick Clark? Couldn't find him. (But, man, Gordon Keith is funny, although Pete Delkus and Dale Hansen together is pure TV Anthrax to me.)
• I must be getting old, because MTV's coverage bordered on obscene. 
• I think I'm going to sit Mrs. LL down today to plan our year. 
• I've gotten weird by buying crazy stuff at the grocery store on holidays. Yesterday I bought a shrimp platter and a huge (and elaborate) bean dip platter for no reason. Right before midnight, with hardly any of it gone, Mrs. LL (somehow) managed to cause the bean dip platter to land upside down on kitchen floor. I've never picked up food with a dust pan before.
• No matter how hard I try, I can't get her to laugh at the British The Office.
• 2011. Man, that doomsday 2012 guy must be getting giddy.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The Dallas Morning News is calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. Finally, these times they are a changin'.(Although they sure did bury it within a list of priorities.)
• The Big 12 sure isn't showing up in the Bowl Games this week: Baylor lost, Kansas State lost (on a salute in the end zone), and Nebraska shockingly lost to Washington. 
• The UConn women's team lost last night which means #2 Baylor could move to #1 (which really doesn't seem fair because UConn squeaked by Baylor earlier this year.) And I admit that it's sad I have to resort to women's basketball.
• I use Ctrl + z a lot. Edit: Holding down the Crtl key and clicking on the z key creates an "undo". Whether it be in a Word document or on a blog, if you delete something accidentally and then immediately hit Ctl+z, your mistake will be "undone". 
• Jarhead had a pretty touching "year in review" post yesterday. 
• Saw on Fox 4 this morning that Triple A will offer to pick you up and tow your car tonight for free if you are within a 10 mile radius of your home.  A little odd. 
• Dallas DA Craig Watkins fired seven prosecutors. Some wonder if it is because they lean Republican. With that guy, I wouldn't doubt it. 
• Mrs. LL discovered "The Real Housewives of [Whatever]" last night. Uh oh. 
• And the 7th Grader has discovered "Toddlers & Tiaras".
• The fact that the New Mexico governor is on TV even talking about potentially pardoning Billy the Kid is more proof of Idiocracy.
• The Star-Telegram has an article on Bridgeport graduate and TCU Safety Colin Jones today.
• I caught a couple of minutes of the Jay Leno monologue last night -- I hadn't watched him in over a year. Those jokes are absolutely awful. 
• I got a good report on the new Mexican restaurant off the square in Decatur.
• There was some type of photo-shoot going on in an abandoned lot near my office yesterday. There was a crew of about 10 and they kept carrying saddles in and out of there. It might have had something to do with a western wear catalog shoot. (Sorry, no hot models.)
• Just heard on Fox 4: "One prosecutor I talked to said he can't remember anyone being killed on a No Refusal Weekend." Huh? Even without the mandatory blood draw, all of those people would have still been arrested. No Refusal has nothing to do with it.

My Eyes!

I watched the end of the UConn women's 90 game winning streak come to an end tonight despite being inundated with camera shots of these two.

Condi? Who you hanging out with?

"Don't Take My Kodachrome Away" - Paul Simon (1973)

The above  headline made a Paul Simon song from 1973 get stuck in my head. After all these years, it has finally been taken away.

Guys, Listen Up!

Now I find this guy! I've struggled through relationships all my life and all along Mr. Answer Man was right here. If only I had known!!!

(No one tell Mrs. LL about this guy, or it'll be a lonely 2011 for me.)

Fox 4 Has Lost Its Mind (Edit: Or Maybe Its Readers Have)

Today their web site lists the Top 10 Local Stories of the year here.

10. Trooper Charged for Excessive Force [for slamming girl into tollway wall]

9. Shots Fired outside McKinney Police Department 

8. Southwest Kicks Thin Woman off Flight 

7. Texas Stadium Implosion 

6. State Fair Discounts 

5. Tollway Crash Video Released 

4. School Suspends Boy for Bloodshot Eyes 

3. Finger in Butt Crack Sparks Knife Fight 

2. UT Campus Shooting 

1. Towne East Mall Shoppers Maced at Chaotic Sneaker Sale 

------------------------------------------------------

All right, #6 borders on the bizarre and #3 has to be there for Jerry Springer shock value only, but are they serious?

Help me out here. What are they missing? Things that come to mind:

• The Dallas PD Chief's son who murdered the guy in Lancaster
• The Texas Rangers midnight auction
• The Rangers in World Series
• The convictions of Dallas City Council members for some kind of federal wrongdoing
• Coppell mayor suicide and her bizarre living-in-denial life
• Record snowstorm in February

Edit: The site now (?) says it was based on what stories generated the most traffic. Even with that standard, it doesn't make sense (although it would somewhat explain the State Fair coupon story.)  How does the Coppell mayor story not make the list? If the people want salaciousness, that was salacious.

From "15 Ridiculoulsy Hard Interview Questions"

I have no idea.

Source.

A Second Ago On The Radio

A guy from Decatur (Jake?) called WBAP to answer the question of "What would you say to President Obama if you were in an elevator with him?"

He formed a construction company three years ago with his brother and has grown from six employees to 100? And he's mad?

And you can't believe some of the other responses. Wow. Then again, maybe you would.

Audio link. (Only about a minute of it because the guest host took over.)

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Brett Favre's silly $50,000 fine in the Jenn Sterger case for "not cooperating" amounts to 3 minutes of football based upon his pro-rated salary. And that was a convenient way for the NFL to punish him without finding him guilty of sexting. 
• Funny line from Dale Hansen in the Pony Excess documentary: "Some parents say they don't believe in corporeal punishment. Yeah, well, that's why you got a mouthy kid."
• News today of some hospitals considering the banning of video in the delivery room due to the potential documentation of malpractice. I've always wondered why they have allowed it. 
• Monkey Bread is pretty good. 
• I wonder if Dick Clark will struggle through New Year's Eve again?
• I like the NYE scene in When Harry Met Sally where Billy Crystal is running through New York to get to Meg Ryan. 
• That Baylor game didn't go to well -- but a slow start and three turnovers will do that to you. And that running back I was worried about? 181 yards and three TDs. Once again, I'm a sports genius. 
• [Only for people that watched the game: The official box score has Baylor with two turnovers. But there were three, right?: The backwards pass on the first drive, the screwed up hand-off between Griffin and Finley, and then Griffin dropping the ball when he tried to scramble.]
• My sinus problem continues but is almost gone. Then just when I think that, it fires back up again.
• I won't use a shopping cart with a jacked up wheel.
• There was an "expert" lawyer on WBAP talking about "the cost of DWI" and, after saying his firm doesn't handle DWI cases, said that the average legal fee for defense is "$10,000 on the low end and $25,000" on the high end. I promise you, everyone of my lawyer friends just spit out their coffee. 
• That double murder/single suicide that cost the life of the young Arlington officer got more horrific yesterday: There was an 11 year old girl in the apartment. 
• I saw that an Assistant DA was indicted yesterday in Collin County for Tampering With A Governmental Record. If you've been following the situation over there, it is easy to conclude that one of the most conservative counties in Texas is being run by a bunch of nuts. 
• Troy Aikman uttered the words "Tired Head" while doing his broadcast gig for the NFL on Sunday. 
• I've never Skyped, but that's not surprising since I never talk on the phone.

Wise County Girl Running For "Miss Facebook 2011"

Link (includes chance to vote and gallery.)

Edit: Please comment the nice and sweet Wise County way.

Edit: Ok, fail.

Baylor v. Illinois: At Least We'll Win One Aspect Of The Game

 vs.

Kid Stuck With iPod - Can't Get Tan

I'm with ya, hoss. This time last year I was all ratcheted up to go to Costa Rica. Now, I'm stuck in front of this computer with a back that is as white as Wise County.  I feel your pain.

But at least you have a ticket.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Did you know there was a thing called a "marshmallow gun" for kids? Boy, after last night, I do.
• Wow: Last night a domestic disturbance in Arlington leaves three dead, one of whom was a female police officer who responded to the initial call.
• Edit: Cop's ID now released.
• As dangerous as a domestic disturbance calls can be, I'm not sure I recall a cop being killed responding to one.
• Baylor plays in a bowl game late this afternoon against Illinois. The only thing I've read is that Illinois has the Big 10's best running back and the only thing I know is that Baylor's defense can't stop the run. I don't have a good feeling about this. At all. 
• Former Cowboy Randy White sure does promote a lot of crap. 
• I worked on a appellate brief all day yesterday -- I could do that all the time.
• Years ago I was doing an oral argument in front of the Fort Worth Court of Appeals when Justice Dauphinot suddenly interrupted me and tersely asked, "Who wrote this brief?" I paused and meekly said, "I did." She paused, too, before saying, "Thank you. It will be very helpful." She was just screwing with me.
• "Hey, baby, let's say we engage in a little fantasy role play with this gun and ............OH, NO!!!!"
• Someone in the office just walked in and told me she brought some "monkey bread." I said, "Great!" (Hey, what the heck is "monkey bread"?)
• I heard there will be a bunch of Bridgeport women in the crowd today outside of the studios of Good Morning America. 
• The state prosecutor organization, TDCAA, provides all the forms a prosecutor needs to create a Vampire Weekend program -- including press releases and "talking points".  Hello, big brother.
• Lots of New Yorkers are whining about the condition of the streets and the airports after the snowstorm. Hey, goofballs: You have a record snowfall on Sunday night and you want everything back to normal by Tuesday?  
• And I heard there was a New Jersey mayor going out and digging cars out and "delivering diapers" while tweeting about it all the while. That's a shameless political stunt that the Fox and Friends crew fell for this morning as they described him as having a "defining moment of leadership." Puhleeeze.

And Another

Source.

This comes on the heels of another Fort Worth officer arrested for DWI on December 23rd, and the Fort Worth officer that was convicted this year for Intoxication Manslaughter for an offense in December, 2009. (And there was this one in 2008.)

And I think I'm forgetting about another.

The wheels are off the Fort Worth PD.

Breaking: Northwest ISD Member Found Dead

Possible suicide.

Maybe found at Blocker's Camp, north end of Lake Bridgeport, in Wise County.

Developing . . .

Barry (from iPhone)

OK, One Word

Ok, you hardcore followers (who I love as much as I love myself) are aware of the current situation between AnObiter and MzChief. Or maybe not.

I've kept out this (and will continue to keep out of it), but I'm getting killed with comments so I at least wanted to acknowledge the situation.

Currently, AnObiter's "High Tone Blog"* (over there on the side) responds to the situation and, I might add, has posted a photo which will lead you to MzChief's creation that explains how all of this got started. MzChief has that same link on her profile.

I've got my opinion on this whole scene but you'll never see them here. I'm out. No comments will be allowed here and, as far as I'm concerned, "let us never speak of this again." And if either one of the two want me to take this down, I will.
_______________
* The "high tone" reference is mine and mine alone. It is a running joke that I've had with her for years.

Edit: AnObiter late this afternoon moved her blog to Invite Mode Only.  It's over. Don't comment dogging either one of them --- I'm out of this.

I'm Insane Now

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• There was an obituary for a 16 year old boy from Bridgeport yesterday and today in the Update. Any one know what happened?
• The 2nd Grader in The House To Me: "You know the best thing about Christmas? All these presents are free!"
• I'm always suspicious that gas shooting up to $3.00 and beyond is just the oil companies screwing us for a few months before they come down again.
• The Bridgeport Index put the story of the death of Josh Wood on the front page. I don't think it was in the Messenger other than by an obituary.
• My cold/sinuses/whatever have bugged me for a week. It's just enough to be a major irritation.
• Remember Adam James - the player on Texas Tech whose daddy, Craig, got Mike Leach fired? Well, he stayed on the team and contributed to the 2010 season by catching 2 passes for 26 yards and 0 touchdowns.
• And I continue to think Leach may not be hireable. Not because he's not a great coach, but because every school is scared he'll sue them if things go downhill.  As someone said, "He doesn't have a coaching problem, he has a Human Resources problem."
• Saw most of Couples Retreat the other day.  Formalistic and forced.
• I'm staying home on New Year's Eve and have no problem with that.
• Finally finished up the documentary about SMU Football: Pony Excess. Fantastic. And I had forgotten how involved (and dirty) former Gov. Bill Clements was. (Speaking of Clements, check out the article in this month's Texas Monthly, p. 66,  about the murder of Clements' son who was found buried on the property of a crazy neighbor this year.)
• Jarhead mentioned how he went to a contemporary Christmas church service last weekend and astutely pointed out that he saw a lot of "trendy young people with $200 jeans and leather jackets."  Also during this Christmas season, eight homeless people died in an abandoned building last night in New Orleans due to a fire.
• Air Force started its bowl game last night in Shreveport by releasing a trained falcon to fly across the stadium to its handler. It decided to go downtown instead and flew out of the stadium. 
• Did Miles Austin really trade jerseys with Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald on the field after last Saturday's game? Really? I've said for the last 10 years: I quit caring about the NFL when it dawned on me I cared more than the players did.
  A

Channel 8 Story On Vandalized Wise County Cemetery

Text of report.

Media Gals

Kim Fischer, Annie Potasznik, Fiona, Natalie Solis

That Police Chase In Wise County On Christmas Is Getting Famous

One guy was the driver, the other the passenger. Not sure who is who.

At least for tech people.

Seems like an iPhone left in the stolen car helped police track it down:

Pretty amazing Christmas Story! Early this morning my 2005 Land Rover was stolen from the Marriott in Wichita Falls TX. The local police put me on hold, transferred me around and did nothing. My iPhone was in the car in between the seats and turned on. I tracked it using MobileMe Find My Phone to HWY 287 on the way to Decatur. When they exited the highway and headed on a Farm road for Justin TX a few miles away, I contacted the Justin Police and with the help of a very savvy operator we pinpointed the car at a Sonic. While I was on the phone with her, she said the officer sees your car and is going to make the arrest. A few minutes later she frantically calls me to start tracking the car again. The officer had handcuffed the suspects, sat one down on the curb while putting the other in the back seat. When he got back, the guy had Houdini’d the cuffs from behind his back to the front, fought with the officer and jumped in my car, dragged him and ran over him. I followed the car on the iPhone and directed the Highway Patrol to where he was – high speed chase ending with him flipping the Land Rover several times. The policeman is going to be fine – he is at the hospital with multiple bruises etc. The screenshot is where the car thieves ran over the policeman and escaped. I am just so thankful the policeman was not seriously hurt – I could care less about the car or the crook.


Gizmodo has picked up the story -- a popular tech blog. With all the DFW news stations looking for content after a couple of days off, I bet this story picks up steam. 


(Thanks to a commenter for pointing it out to me.)

Puppies For Christmas

Monday is no way to start off a week. Feel a little love.

Someone Commented That My Random Pic Girl Was A Retread

I honor of the Northeastern snow storm, I shall make amends.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Preparing for Christmas may be better than the actual Christmas. And I mean that in a positive way. 
• Saw a bunch of articles predicting an "Android smart phone explosion" this year as prices will fall below $100. I bet that's right.  What Microsoft was to Apple in the computer world is equal to what Google will be to Apple in the area of mobile phone computing. 
• My crazy dreams were so strong last night that they continued through two hits of the snooze alarm. (And, once again, they had to do with missing school and work.) 
• I have this vague memory of my mom making me "snow ice cream" when it actually snowed. 
• Hugh Hefner, 84, is getting married again. Attaboy. 
• I got a Roku for Christmas that allows you to stream Netflix movies (and other content) directly to your TV over a wireless connection. I'll be dang if the thing doesn't work like a charm. 
• I'm gonna kill the Family Cat.
• If you search for "twitpic" and "snow" on Twitter this morning (here), you can get some fascinating photos because of the snow storm in the Northeast. (Scroll down from the "Top Tweets.")
• One television weatherman referred to the storm as a "Burr-icane." Kinda funny. 
• Hey, you old guys, remember Tina Marie who sang "Lovergirl"? Well, she's dead. 
• Hey, Baylor fans, Mike Singletary got fired last night as coach of the 49ers with one game to go.
• Our household took in (for a night), a little bitty relative last night. I forgot to ask how old she is, but she can barely talk and kind of toddles while she walks. And then she woke up in the middle of the night with a loud cry which made me, Mrs. LL, the dog, and the cat all sit up in our bed and look towards the sound in the middle of the night. That would have been a funny picture.
• Have no idea why the cat was on our covers.
• Mrs. LL made me watch The Notebook on Christmas Eve. I understand why chicks love that movie - it was very moving - but I thought the last scene was a little over the top and unnecessary to prove its point. 
• The staff of WBAP was going down a list of people that had their "15 Minutes of Fame" this year and not a single one of them knew who Antoine Dodson was. 
• A Hurst lawmaker has filed a bill which would allow for deferred adjudication for first time DWI cases. That's a type of probation that allows for there to be no conviction if the probation is successfully completed. That would be a welcomed change but for the provision that says a second arrest could be filed as a DWI-Second (with enhanced penalties) even if the first arrest led to a successful deferred probation. 
• Everyone says good things about The Fighter. And to a lesser extent, True Grit.
• I was always suspicious of former Evil Empire player Sergio Kindle who fell down a flight of stairs three days before his first pro camp and ended up missing this season. (And maybe more.) Coach Mack Brown suggested narcolepsy may have caused the fall which made me cock an eyebrow since at UT he had been suspended for a DWI charge. I mention all this because he got arrested for DWI again over the weekend. Are you trying to throw your career away?
• Fill in female host on Fox and Friends this morning: "There's nothing like a big blizzard to renew the debate of Global Warming." Really? I mean really?

Random Twitpic I Found From A New York Search

But cancelling the NFL game in Philadelphia just seems weird.

Oh, and I came across this one: