Messenger Above The Fold

Friday Night Lights -- They Were Who We Thought They Were Edition

Pilot Point 14
Boyd 62
Instant Analysis: Boyd had 56 points at halftime. You want to be known all your life as Second Half Slackers? Video.

Alvarado 39
Bridgeport 20
Instant Analysis: The Bulls gave up 424 yards on 51 rushing attempts. What'd ya see? Eight yards per running attempt and watched the clock roll. You'll never win doing that. Ever. Blame the defense. Video.

Chico 61
Ranger 6
Instant Analysis: Liberally Lean adopted Chico as its official high school team after the season opener. Fear the Zombies. They smell the flesh of the post-season.

Decatur 35
Iowa Park 0
Instant Analysis: Iowa Park can't run, can't pass, has no defense and turned the ball over three times. Just 35? Video.

Nocona 3
Paradise 42
Instant Analysis: I noticed that there were 7 passes and 88 runs during the game between the two teams. I would like to introduce the schools to something called the "foward pass."

Alvord 0
Valley View 27
Instant Analysis: Things started off badly when the Alvord administration yelled, "I want you to take a swing at me!!!" during the coin flip. Valley View did.

And Now We Learn This?

Girl Simulating Gun Violence With Lots Of Food In Foreground

Have Texas Death Row inmates really received all the food they requested for their last meal? Answer.

Here's A Lesson For All You Kids Out There

Be careful about ceiling fans? Nooooooo. Learn how to edit video! This is a masterpiece.  Short. Immediately back to a replay of the good part. Super fast replays of that replay. Audio of the girl getting her noggin hit that would have made the Three Stooges stop down in awe.

And the last blow in super slow motion was the icing on the cake.  I'm almost ashamed to say the Zapruder film came to mind.

Get this person an Oscar for Best Film Editing. Contest over.

Edit: I guess I'll provide a F Bomb warning. That chick says something when she comes out, and I'm still not sure what it is.

Mad Aggie: Just Be Glad He Didn't Pull Out A Sword

SAN ANTONIO — A longtime adviser to Gov. Rick Perry, upset over his abrupt firing at a Texas university, admitted Thursday he told staff he would surrender his office keys only if “anyone is man enough to take them” – all while brandishing a pocketknife in what police called a “nonthreatening” way. 


Jay Kimbrough didn’t deny the confrontation detailed in a Texas A&M University police report, which includes the 64-year-old telling a school attorney to “bring it on.” [BSG note: To which the attorney probably replied, "It's already been broughten".] He was escorted off campus and quoted an Army war hero – “I shall return!” – before riding off on his motorcycle. 


“There was no threat,” Kimbrough said. “This is Texas. Some people have guns when they jog. Some people have pocketknives. It was a joke.” Texas A&M police said no charges were being filed against Kimbrough, who was fired Wednesday as deputy chancellor of the A&M system. 


Later, Kimbrough had another run-in with two plain-clothes officers who were sent to escort him off campus. “I met Kimbrough at the entrance to the Chancellors suite and identified myself as a University Police Officer,” the report states. “Kimbrough replied, `So am I.’ Kimbrough placed his hand on both my arms and applied slight pressure towards the entrance of the Chancellor’s Suite. I placed my hands on Kimbrough and held my ground.” Kimbrough didn’t deny that, either, but said he shook the officers’ hands and thanked them. For good measure, Kimbrough left by quoting former Army General Douglas MacArthur: “I shall return.”

Flashback. An Update. And Some (Boring?) Legal Stuff.

I wrote about a lady getting 35 years in prison for dope in 2009 from a Wise County jury.

In an opinion released late last night, the Fort Worth Court of Appeals said "not so fast."

But speaking as someone who knows criminal law, the court's opinion is surprising considering the court's conservative reputation. If I'm reading it right, the trooper detained the lady after a traffic stop (which would normally have been concluded) because he believed he had a reasonable suspicion that some criminal activity was afoot. If there was no reasonable suspicion, he would have to let her go. The critical factor (in addition to her being very nervous) was that he asked her is she had ever been in "any trouble for anything" and she said no. He went and ran her criminal history and found she had been arrested.  Believing that she had lied was critical in order for him to be able to legally detain her (and call for a drug dog). The mere past arrest wouldn't have legally justified the continued detention. On the video of their interaction, the lady told the trooper she hadn't understood the question. But he thinks she lied about her history, continued the detention, called for the dog, and dope was eventually found.

The trial judge found the continued detention to be legal and the court of appeals said there was sufficient evidence to justify his conclusion.  That's really no surprise.

So why is the case being sent back for another trial? The defense lawyer asked that the jury be instructed that they were to disregard the existence of the dope found by the cops if they believed that the lady had been detained illegally.  The only time the jury is to get that instruction is if there is disputed evidence regarding whether the cops acted legally. (For example, the cop says he stopped someone for running a stop sign and the defendant says he didn't. The jury decides who is telling the truth and if they think the officer is lying, they have to ignore any evidence the cop found after the fact. It's really a mechanism for the jury to disagree with the trial judge about the facts that lead to the detention.)  In this case, the court said there was a factual dispute as to whether the officer was reasonable in coming to the conclusion that she was lying about her history. Should he have instead concluded that his question was pretty vague and she could have misunderstood? The appellate court said the jury should have been asked and instructed that they were to disregard the dope if they found him to be unreasonable in coming to his conclusion. They aren't saying the jury would have disagreed with the trooper, they are just saying the lady deserved the chance to have the jury answer that question.

This case may go further up the appellate chain. I think the big issue is whether there is a factual dispute about whether the officer was reasonable in thinking she was lying. I've got to think about this some more.

But the lesson for the State is something the most conservative DA in Texas always preaches: If there is any possible basis for a jury instruction requested by the defense, tell the judge you don't have a problem with it. (And good job by the defense lawyer in asking that the jury get the instruction in this case. If he hadn't asked, the conviction would have been affirmed.)

Somebody Dug Up Freddie Mercury

Edit: I got a little fascinated with this guy and did The Google. He's a Christian singer with a pretty good video here.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Mavs coach Rick Carlisle looks sick to me.  And about a year ago he collapsed in practice and was taken to the hospital -- an incident that was brushed off as "no big deal." I wonder.
• Fiona in a red dress this morning. (Facebook.)
• A lot of people are griping about changes to Facebook this week. I'm not one of them because I've never really figured the whole thing out from the get go. (But it's getting really tricked up with the announcement of "timeline" yesterday.)
• Moneyball sounds like an odd choice to make a movie out of a book.  (But it'll be years before I see it because my movie watching has fallen off a cliff.)
• I've got Wise County criminal justice news as soon as a certain government web site starts working. 
• I generally don't like out-of-town lawyers who have never been to Wise County asking my advice about how things work in our courthouse. Unless you're fresh out of law school, being hired to walk into a venue that you have no familiarity with doesn't seem fair to your client. 
• I think I lost some coaching clout when the girls noticed last night that my whistle has a "Hello Kitty" strap.
• Funny line from Rick Perry last night during the debate about who on stage would be a good vice-president: "I don't know how you would do this but if you could mate Herman Cain with Newt Gingrich."
• WBAP's Hal Jay was announcing the results of the Fox News poll of who won the debate but had to stop about four candidates and proclaim, "Wait. I've got this wrong. This isn't in order."
• Here's the guy scheduled to be executed next in Texas who,as of yesterday, will not get to order the "last meal" of his choice. Do you think he uttered, "Man, I just can't catch a break" last night?
• The Alvord School Board President wanted to fight a 70 year old man last night? (Update)  And I think historically the Messenger wouldn't report on something like that. 
• Phillip Nivens in the obituaries in the Update as well?
• I've thought for years that Channel 8's Debbie Denmon was really getting fat. She must believe that WFAA thinks the same thing because she has filed a claim against them alleging Fat Discrimination. 
• The "Best Of Dallas 2011" by the Dallas Observer has been released. I like stuff like that. 
• I saw a Wise County trooper on video the other day tell someone he had arrested, "Watch your mouth. I'm a very religious man."

Is Rick Perry A Muslim?

Compare and contrast.

You know, I never put my had over my heart during the National Anthem. I never did it growing up, and for the life of me I don't recall anyone else doing it either. It was certainly the thing to do during the Pledge of Allegiance but not the Anthem.

I'm not sure when all that changed.

Hot Political Topic: Tax The Rich

The Far Right Wing response is always: They make that much because they are worth it. Well allow me to retort with a brief article on how much money Hewlett-Packard has paid its top people when the leave (both by choice and when fired.)

One guy has to screw it up for everyone

Dallas_Observer (@Dallas_Observer) 9/22/11 1:38 PM TX cancels death row last meal tradition after Lawrence Brewer's pre-execution requests. http://t.co/ZsLjvyDN (via @HoustonPress)

Barry (from iPhone)

I've Got Me Another Pep Talk To Use

First I had the "You gonna lay down and bleed a little" video and then the "we need more dogs" speech. Now I've got the "hit 'em in the face as hard as you can" pep talk.  (And I promise you, my softball girls wouldn't whine like a bunch of ... uh .... girls if I told them to do that.)

Exclusive Rain Photo Stolen From Messenger's Facebook Page

The rain was so hard and so fast moments ago that it caught the Liberally Lean Fore-Warn Storm Tracker Weather Center off guard.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• What a beating for people in the Mesquite area this morning. Not only do you have to live in and around Mesquite, but LBJ freeway was shut down due to an 18 wheeler full of chicken parts overturning. 
• Final meal of the guy executed in Texas last night: Two chicken fried steaks smothered in gravy with sliced onions; a triple meat bacon cheeseburger with fixings on the side; a cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos; a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup; one pound of barbecue with half a loaf of white bread; three fajitas with fixings; a meat lovers pizza; three root beers; one pint of Blue Bell vanilla ice cream; and a slab of peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts.
• Does an execution date and time cause you to work up an appetite?
• A side note for those not facing execution: Any food "smothered" in something is probably not a healthy choice.
• OK, Mrs. LL had me watch the premiere of Modern Family last night (on about a two hour delay.) That show is very funny.
• One place which I'd love to be this weekend: At College Station watching the #8 Aggies play #6 Oklahoma State.
• Our little Yorkie has decided for the last two nights that she wants to go outside at two in the morning. Did you know it's really peaceful outside at two in the morning even when you want to kill a Yorkie?
• Odds of the following web ad being misleading or blatantly untrue?
• 
• Florence Henderson of The Brady Bunch is out pimping a new book and every interviewer wants to talk about that old sitcom that went off the air in 1974. That's the price she has to pay and, sadly, she's more than willing to do it.
• R.E.M. has announced they are breaking up after I've been waiting since 1988 for them to have an album as good as Eponymous.  (And my quick research after typing that sentence caused me to learn for the first time that it was a greatest hits album. I had no idea.)
• Even little things will get you in trouble. Dallas cop sitting on hood of his patrol car as a gal who had left "Beamers" nightclub in Dallas sat behind the wheel. (Story with pic.)
• Lake Bridgeport is down 13.5 feet -- and that's with a brief week of stability due to the rain. 
• Bridgeport/TCU alum Colin Jones and sixth round pick of the San Francisco 49ers was waived last week but ended up back on the team's practice squad. 

While You Eat Dinner, Supreme Court Decides If A Man Will Die Tonight

One of these days, America will look back and shake its collective head.

Edit at 10:28: Don't worry, America. He's dead.

Two quotes to make you think tonight:

"No matter how many ways you explain it, I'll never understand how someone can be pro-choice and anti-death penalty."

"No matter how many ways you explain it, I'll never understand how someone can be anti-abortion and pro-death penalty."

Hang On, Jeremy! I'm Coming To Help!

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 21 (UPI) – Police in Missouri said they arrested a man accused of threatening a Taco Bell employee with a shotgun because he did not receive hot sauce with his meal. Kansas City police said Jeremy Combs, 30, went through the Taco Bell drive-through Saturday and returned with his shotgun after discovering there were no packets of hot sauce in his bag, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported Tuesday. Police said Combs told them the item he had been holding was a tire iron, but officers discovered a 12-gauge shotgun under his mattress. Combs was charged with being a felon illegally in possession of a firearm.


Hey, I'm pretty much a pacifist and don't condone violence, but I'm on Jeremy's side on this one. Wasn't it just a couple of months ago when I wrote about receiving just one packet of hot sauce in my to go order from Taco Bell in Decatur? I almost went all Michael Douglas in Falling Down on them right then and there. If I had received no packets (like the true victim in this case, Jeremy), I would have raided Jarhead's probable arsenal of illegal assault weapons and taken all the hot, mild, fire-roasted (new!), and Verde sauce I could carry.

You've got to have hot sauce with Mexican food. No excuses. It's a Universal Truth.  And if you work in the Mexican food industry, you have to know that rule as well as the consequences for violating it. 

Case dismissed. Next case.

(I'm not sure that all that violence in Mexico isn't more hot sauce related than drug related, anyway. Just a theory.)

President Obama At U.N. Today With World Leaders

A little miss-timed wave but no news organization would make a big deal out of it. Well, there's one.

Rick Perry's New Ad

I'm just stunned it didn't start with a deep voice over of "One Man . . . " and didn't end with screenshots of "Coming To A Theater Near You" and "This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated."

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• In case you missed it, late last night the Pac-12 told Texas, OU, Tech, and Okie State, "You guys are all nuts, and we don't want any of you."  The Big 12 is now the most dysfunctional family in the history of college football. From here, they will all sit down at the dinner table as the sound of forks  hitting the plates is the only distraction from the awkward silence. What a mess.
• I'm not sure what has happened when you click on the Random Girl. It will still enlarge, it just takes an extra step. 
• I've not seen one new TV show debuting this week. I doubt that will change over the next month.
• Conversation last night with the Third Grader In The House: "Guess what I had for lunch! No, wait. There are five things we get to choose from at school so pick which number." After five minutes of trying to explain that if I knew what choices were associated with the numbers, I would have a better chance of guessing correctly, I just gave up and said "four". She was very excited I was wrong.
• If I had seen a drug cartel dump 35 bodies on a street in Mexico this week to "send a message", I would have definitely gotten the message.
• I've never heard of Deadmau5, but when he played in Dallas last weekend the attendees looked like a Jimmy Buffet crowd 30 years younger who couldn't find all of their outfits.
• There's a satellite falling to earth. The chances of it hitting any human are 3,200 to 1. The chances of it hitting you are 22,400,000,000,000 to 1. I wonder if you can actually bet on that somewhere?
• The Softball Team is now 2-2 after going into the last inning last night with a three run lead and blowing it. I'm done with them. 
• Kidding. 
• Anyone else notice how many times the "escort car" in front of a huge truck going down the highway is sometimes a full half mile or so in front of the "wide load" vehicle it is escorting? Hey, buddy. Pay attention. 
• I bet the new Weatherford College campus in Wise County will be a huge success. 
• The dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. in Jasper in 1998 is the first thing I think about when I hear the town's name. Tonight, one of the guys convicted in that killing is set to be executed. (Although the Supreme Court sure has been granting a lot of automatic stays lately.)
• A famous murder trial in north Texas that no one remembers: The State of Texas v. Candance Montgomery. But, considering it is over thirty years ago, I guess it is to be expected. (If you can grab a book on it or even find the old TV movie -- where Mr. Peppermint played the judge -- do it.)
• Whatever happened to that indoor skiing facility planned for Grapevine? And wasn't there one mentioned for an area around Alliance Airport?
• Remember when you would never see an ad on the front page of a newspaper?

Messenger Above The Fold

How Mrs. LL and I Decided To Get Married

Two Moments From Monday Night Football Even If You Aren't A Sports Fan

Giants fake injury to stop a hurry up offense:



Touchdown violence:

Best Buy Flyer From 1996

Bagofnothing.com linked to the ad today. The above section got my attention the most.

Fox 4 Malfunctions Last Night At Beginning of Show

Sorry for the audio quality. (And I'm not showing that the first 30 seconds of the broadcast which was just an odd "test screen" with a timer.)

Think Steve Eager is pleased?:


Very funny wave from Mike Doocy:

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Youtube video of the "Wise County Task Force" watching a DC-10 drop water on the Montague County fire that happened last week. It's pretty amazing, but is that water drop really that effective?
• I saw where Texas state Sen. Florence Shapiro won't be running for re-election. She may have done more damage to the "justice" part of "criminal justice" than anyone else in Texas due to her support of Draconian laws. Good riddance.
• And Sen. Jane Nelson needs to go next.
• I'm ready to concede that I was wrong about my prediction of the Rangers not making the playoffs. I was close, but they consistently played barley above .500 for the last three months and that's all it took. 
• I'm not sure what to do about running drills for the Softball Team when one girl clearly isn't in good enough shape to keep up with the rest of the team. 
• "Coach, you looked like you almost skipped getting the ball right then," - comment by one of my players at practice which I knew a handful of you would get a big kick out of. 
• A man jumped to his death yesterday off of a Rosedale Street bridge in Fort Worth. His name was so unusual that I googled it, and a Fort Worth man with the same name owns/owned what seemed like a pretty big business. I don't know if it is the same guy. 
• I guess suicides are newsworthy if they occur in public? Never have understood the double standard.
• I said yesterday I thought the Decatur Eagles would be in the AP Top Ten. Boy, was I wrong. The new poll released later in the day revealed they still haven't even received a single vote. 
• I'll post it in a bit, but Fox 4 News' was Wheels Off during the first five minutes of last night's broadcast. The camera stayed on Mike Doocy for a good 15 seconds after a lead report (he just waved to the camera while having "Failed Smile"), and the camera cut to Steve Eager at one point who said, paraphrasing, "The camera is on me for some reason and I have no idea what I'm supposed to be saying."
• Facebook page of the Bridgeport guy injured in the wreck with a fire truck yesterday (as referenced in the Update.)
• Ennis High Shocker: 80 students and faculty tested positive for tuberculosis after being exposed to a teacher who had the disease.   I don't think we know yet whether the teacher actually knew that she had the disease or not, but I hope this was an innocent mistake.  And, as a side note, I guess we just sit back and watch if any of those 80 don't have medical insurance.
• WBAP's Hal Jay this morning said he was "confused" by reports that x number of people don't have health insurance in the state because "if they show up to John Peter Smith they'll be taken care of so how can they say they don't have insurance?" Good grief.
• Half of Wise County becoming part of a new Congressional District? Not so fast. The Justice Department officially says the whole new map "ain't fair".  A three judge panel now must make a decision in the first step of "pre-clearance" under the Voting Rights Act. (I don't think they had any trouble with Wise County in particular but it was an all or nothing endorsement.)
• Did I hear talk show host Mark Davis refer to Chaz Bono (currently on Dancing With The Stars) as "that thing" at around 8:24 this morning? Surely not. 
• Tony Romo practiced with a "punctured lung"? Instead of considering him courageous, I'm more inclined to believe that term means something different than what we think it means. 
• They love crime news in Texarkana . . . 

Afternoon Pick Me Up: Britney And A Firearm

Watch This One

Jury deliberated Friday, didn't reach a verdict, and is back at it again today. A guilty verdict carries with it an automatic life sentence since the death penalty has been waived. I've got a strange vibe about it.  Story.

Edit/Update: Mistrial declared on Tuesday after jurors could not reach a verdict.

You Know What I Find Amazing About These Videos?

It always seems like there are people narrowly escaping death. You'll have a couple of people standing around and the car will zoom right past them like the whole thing had been staged/designed by some super engineer who specializes in car stunts.  (Although the lady in this one might have been clipped a bit.)

And I thought this was just a convenience store at first until we get to see the other camera angle. My first reaction was, "Oh no! Not the bikes!"

Story.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Emmitt Smith has a new book out (the radio commercials are all over the place) where he "outlines the principles that have helped me become a winner." Chapter One: Have more talent than anyone else and join a football team with a Hall of Fame quarterback and wide receiver. Chapter Two: Hey, I'm A Success.
• For you runners, I switched to Asics shoes over the weekend. So far: Huge thumbs up.
• My girls softball team has improved to 2-1 on Saturday. I wonder if we'll be on the cover of Sports Illustrated? But I think I failed a sports-ethics-real-life-exam when I'm pretty sure a third strike on one of my players was counted as two by the umpire. I didn't say anything and she got a hit on the next pitch. 
• The Big 12 officially blows up today. That makes it a sad day.
• Anyone else think Tony Romo's injury may not have been as bad as everyone said it was?
• Channel 8 news story from the 1970s where they decided to have reporters drive three abreast on I-30 and not exceed the speed limit (then 55 mph.) Oh, my.
• I'm not sure what caused me to browse around elected officials campaign financial statements at the Texas Ethics Commission website, but I noticed that Rep. Phil King spent $150 a months on twice a month maid service for his Austin apartment. What's he doing? Having wild parties and trashing the place? Uh...........not a chance.
• WBAP's Hal Jay this morning: "I tried to watch the Texas/UCLA game this weekend but I couldn't get it. I was mad."  His cohorts then told him it was on ABC. **Shaking Head**
• I would think the Decatur Eagles would be in the AP Top Ten but I can't find the AP Top Ten. 
• The Cowboy game was going into Overtime yesterday evening, I hit "record" for the show that was coming on after the game, announced to the house that no one should tell me how it ends, left, came back, hit "play", and realized I didn't record it at all. Beating. 
• Weather sure does control college football these days: The Oklahoma State game didn't kick off until after midnight and didn't end until 3:30 a.m.,  and Baylor/SFA decided to just cancel the fourth quarter.  I remember attending an Aggie/Baylor game and a Baylor/Houston game in monsoons in the 1980s.
• Trying to entertain kids is a big player in this world. 

Rob Ryan Has A Random Thought Girl On His Play Sheet?

(And I think that BagOfNothing.com guy found it and wants everyone to know it. )

Sports Talk Radio News -- Breaking?

Either Boyd's own Greg "The Hammer" Williams is doing a bit on Twitter, or has been fired from 105.3 The Fan.

Edit: It may be that he has just been "benched" from pre-game and post-game duties by his employer which is the official station of the Dallas Cowboys. Whatever the case, he is not pleased.

Edit: Now he calls out his co-host Richie Whitt. Uh. Oh. There's a Program Director who is scrambling right now and I suspect his first words will be, "Greggo, you need to shut up. Now."

Edit: On Monday, he was back on the air. Crisis averted. For now.

This Ain't Ali/Frazier, I Can Tell You That

I'm not a boxing fan, and I'm not shelling out money for an HBO Pay-Per-View to watch a fight (shout out to my buddy who invited me over last night -- sorry I couldn't make it), but last night's Mayweather/Ortiz fight sure does have everyone buzzing this morning.

Ortiz cheap shots Mayweather with a head butt in the corner. He seems honestly apologetic during the temporary stop (can see that here). When the ref gets them back together to fight again, he just looks off to the ref while Mayweather introduces him to Take That You Little Cheapshotter.  Everyone seems to agree that the ref had told both of them to "fight" before the Mayweather shot, and who knows why Ortiz wasn't ready. Maybe he thought he should fight like Rocky Balboa  -- arms to his side.

Maybe the UFC isn't that bad.

(And there is no way those videos stay up for long.)

***********
Other weekend random sports thoughts:

• The Evil Empire is back on the right track.
• Baylor's QB has eight TDs and 8 incompletions for the year
• Get ready for college football Armageddon this week. With Pitt and Syracuse shocking everyone over the weekend by joining the ACC from the Big East, it's about to get wild. And TCU just got screwed by joining a conference that exploded before they could even get there. 
• How about throwing up your hands and creating an Ivy League of the South? Baylor, TCU, SMU, Rice, Tulane and . . . that's about as far as I can get.