Yes, They Haz World Series Trip Again

Yep, caught it.

Never dreamed I'd see it in my lifetime.

Dirk giving Michael Young his "Super Power Friends" fist bump:

Messenger Above The Fold

And this is the color version of their political cartoon of the week:

Friday Night Lights Grow Up So Fast

Bridgeport 52
Mineral Wells 49
Mineral Wells tied the game with 43 seconds left but Bulls kicker Ricky Martinez kicked a 43 yard field goal with one second left for the win. Livin' La Vida Loca! (Dang it,. that was Ricky Martin.)

Chico 6
Muenster 41
Muenster. Halloween. My previous zombie reference about Chico's resurgence. It's all too easy.

Alvord 27
Nocona 34
A blogger at the Wichita Falls paper predicted this. There's a man who knows how to whip his audience into a frenzy.

Boyd 55
Howe 6
And, how.

Decatur 45
Lake Worth 21
The ride along Jacksboro Highway offered more resistance.

Paradise 0
Calisburg 23
Paradise was favored by eight. Unfortunately, that factored in the offense actually making the trip. 

Drug Signs Are Up In Newark

The Los Zeta Mexican Drug Cartel announced they would move all operations to New Fairview. Proclaimed, "We don't want no problems."

Edit: Oops. It's Rhome. Not Newark. The Zetas apologize for this error.

Aggies Taking Us Into The Weekend

Baylor v. Aggies, 11:00 a.m., FX Network.

I'm extremely worried the Bears will give up over 50.

Edit: I'm coming back to my Sports Genius status:

Edit: Weird --- Baylor coach won't let QB answer simple question about what Aggie Coach said to him after the game. 

I'm Guessing "Glee" Isn't Real Popular In Alice, Texas

Story.

Random Decatur Youtube Video

I was getting a little bored until* the 1:05 mark. I never get invited to anything.
____________
* Didn't mean to oversell that. Just meant that you could actually see some people (and a potential Hey, Now) around that time. Liberally Lean apologizes for this error.

While Fox News laughs off the "dirty hippies" of Occupy Wall Street, it doesn't hurt to stop down for a second and think about their cause.  Slowly, over time, wages have stagnated or fallen, jobs have become more scarce, student debt buries many of Americans, health care is ridiculously unaffordable, no one can obtain a mortgage, and the list goes on.  For those in their twenties and even in their thirties, they have every right to say, "This is not what you told me it would be like!"

Sean Hannity, who is in the middle of a 5 year/$100 million contract (ergo, the "1%"), preaches, "If you live in America and work hard, you will succeed."  The fact that people are now questioning that premise doesn't make them un-American, it may in fact make them very American. Or maybe the new American.

Are we lazy bums who simply spend beyond our means? Or has the playing field change over the years while we weren't looking. If you don't know someone who busts it everyday but is being buried financially, you don't know many people at all.

And the fear is that it will only get worse for our children.

More "We Are The 99%" photos here.

Edit: And just when I try to be serious, someone has to send me this:

Crazy Texas Legal Case Of The Day

An illegal alien is caught with drugs and is offered a plea bargain of 10 years probation in Smith County, Texas.  One of the conditions of probation was for her to obtain legal status within 12 months or else leave the country and reside  “in a location where you do have a legally authorized status.”   That's right, some judge said, in effect, "If you ain't legal in a year, get back to Mexico. In the meantime, enjoy American probation."

When the defendant failed to obtain the right to legally be here, the State filed a Motion to revoke her probation, the judge found that she had violated that probation, and he ordered her to prison for five years.

On Appeal: Not so fast, my friend.  The probation order is trumped by federal law, and federal law controls criminal sanctions for not being in the country legally.

Side note #1: The court's opinion casually pointed out that there was also a probation condition which required her to not break any law while on probation. However, the State did not allege that she violated that condition.

Side note #2:  "Her counsel stated at the revocation hearing that [the defendant] had four children who were United States citizens, two of whom have Down’s Syndrome."

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Your Texas Rangers better get their act together. 
• Anyone else now share my opinion on how unlikable C.J. Wilson is? He called himself a pitching "novice" after his second straight playoff meltdown yesterday. And to think someone will give him at least $80 million in the next three months.
• And you feel good about rolling out Derek Holland for Game Six on Saturday? Sheesh. My big sports brain would start Alexi Ogando.
• WBAP morning newsman Brian Estridge said this morning that he had never heard the act of putting on makeup as "putting my face on." 
• Let me say this for the millionth time: No one is ever arrested on "suspicion" of a crime. (i.e. the Walmart heiress being arrested on "suspicion of DWI".)  A cop can initially detain, but not arrest, someone because of a "reasonable suspicion." Arrests must be based upon "probable cause." 
• Note to those who showed up at DFW Airport to meet the Ranger plane last night: Do you care that much about people who are actually a part of your life?
• I haven't heard of hardly any cases in Texas involving the so-called "Castle Doctrine" which went into effect in 2007.  That law eliminated the "duty to retreat" before using deadly force in one's home. Regardless of the law, Texas never, in practical application, had a "duty to retreat" rule. Killing someone who breaks into your home isn't exactly the kind of act which will get you indicted around here. 
• The dead guy in the bizarre Keller case was named "Gregory Williams" with a date of birth of 3/24/1971.  I haven't heard any background on him yet, though. 
• Tony Romo said yesterday "This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point."  What the heck does that mean? "This team"?  
• Count the number of organizations trying to raise money this weekend in the Update.

Keller Shooting Death Gets Messier

Story.

And the house where it happened was a rental. Based upon the sign in the front yard, I found it here. Only goes for $3,390 a month.

This Is . . .

. . . someone's avatar on Twitter, and I laugh every time I see it.

And Another

I normally wouldn't post one from Maine, but those eyes just got to me. Man, I'd do whatever she said. Serious consequences would surely follow otherwise.

We did have a local one yesterday per the radio (out of Birdville or North Richland Hills) but they hadn't released a name yet. No name means no picture which means no blog post. Edit: Link.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Walmart Heiress Arrested For DWI In Parker County.  Maybe I would consider taking a DWI case out of Wise County after all. (Thanks, Keith.)
• Baseball is entertaining in the post-season when every play matters. (See college football every Saturday.)
• For those that watched Nelson Cruz throw out Miguel Cabrera at the plate last night, I'd like to proclaim that I stood a better chance of getting to the plate than Cabrera did. That man is slow.
• It's three seconds long, but the awkward celebration/missed high five between Nolan Ryan's wife and GM Jon Daniels is pretty funny. 
• Another gruesome motorcycle death yesterday. You don't want to see "dragging" in any news story.
• Shocker: New NBC/Wall Street Journal poll just released puts Herman Cain in the lead for the Republican nomination. Who will they love next week? 
• I don't think I understand how tuberculosis works. (New cases reported in Denton.)
• I've been hearing that Blackberry service has been in and out over the last three days. Other than one 60+ businessman who thought he was showing off 10 years ago, I've never know anyone who has a Blackberry.
• My accountant yesterday on the phone as I prepared to file my taxes at the last minute (after an extension): "Let me see how much you'll owe . . . one second . . . it'll be . . . no, you overpaid." 
• Ticket fans only: Anyone else think The Hardline is becoming radio anthrax?
• You watch closely enough, and there's some uncomfortable flirting on Twitter. 
• I'm surprised the national media hasn't picked up the Rick Perry "Adios, mofo" line from a few years back.
• I'm watching the Denton County No Body Travesty Case on appeal. For now, they are just trying to get the court reporter to type of the transcript. (Technically called the "reporter's record" for all of you about to jump on me.)   No rush. We just have a man sitting in prison. 
• A murder in a home in Keller last night has all the markings of Darlie Routier (wife claims there was an intruder but cops say no) and Cullen Davis (she referred to the intruder as a "man in black").  I tried to look up the house on Google Street View but found out that it is in a high tone gated community. The metroplex news media will be all over this. 

Meet A Criminal Mastermind

More.

So let me get this straight. Unsolicited, he goes to an apartment complex, pretends to be a doctor, offers free breast exams, and two chicks actually bite on the ruse? Really? Not a single thing struck them as just a tad bit off? A little unusual? I would have been fired as the 911 operator because I would have thought I was being punk'd.

Sure, I can see this working when Obamacare goes into full effect and we all have a free doctor on call at all times, but in 2006? Come on, ladies.

That'll Clog A Freeway

This afternoon in Florida.

Hank Williams Jr. Sings His Response To Being Canned By ESPN

Story.

Those are his most moving lyrics since "If the South woulda won we'd a had it made."

For The Ranger Fans Who Forsake Good American Hard Work To Watch Afternoon Ranger Game

View of field in Detroit right now. And radar.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• New Jersey governor Chris Christie endorsed Mitt Romney yesterday. Someone needs to tell Christie that rumors of his influence are greatly exaggerated. New Jersey endorsing Massachusetts doesn't mean that much to the rest of the country. 
• And what's up with this Republican divide? The Rush Limbaugh hardliners and the Tea Party don't think Romney is conservative enough but they can't find a candidate to compete with him. They fear the situation is going to become John McCain 2.0.
• Note to Family Pup in the middle of the night: It's lightening. It's thunder. You've seen it before. It is not going to come through the door and attack you.
• Two weeks ago, everyone thought the Rangers had the strongest pitching staff in the American League. Now you fear a train wreck no matter who they roll out there.
• The guy that got "hit" by Josh Hamilton's bat last night (photo 26) acted like someone had just blown off the back of his head with a shotgun. Man up. Edit: Video. Edit #2: Funny!
• Motorcycle death of Trophy Club elementary school teacher yesterday. 
• The object of my youthful crush, Deborah Foreman, is 49 today.
• I don't think I've ever had a flu shot. 
• One time Sarah Palin replacement Michelle Bachmann is crazy. Not only did she say she had spent "most of her life in the private sector" at the debate last night (huge lie), she also said of Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan: "[W]hen you take the 9-9-9 plan and turn it upside down, I think the devil's in the details." Really? 
• Everyone is counting Rick Perry out but it's still early. If he'll just plug along, he still has a chance. Front runners in October aren't normally front runners in March. It sounds crazy now but politics are crazy.
• My skeptical meter went off yesterday when I heard the news that Iran was behind a plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil by recruiting a Mexican drug cartel.  I smell the Politics of Fear. 
• My Softball Team lost 10-6 to basically a team of Select players last night. That score is very, very deceiving. Their starting pitcher, who they pulled after they quickly went up 10-1, struck out 7 of our first 9 batters. 
• And she had this weird slap-her-thigh on the wind up and slap-her-thigh on the release. It was hypnotic. 

Messenger Above The Fold

Boyd Man Who Fell Off Cowboys Billboard: Update

He fell of a billboard and certain members of his family have now filed suit. The Dallas Observer says that one of the Plaintiffs is his "widow" who lived in Denton. I note that the deceased's obituary referred to her as a "special friend."

Occupy Fort Worth

A loyal reader sends along these photos of protesters in downtown across from the Worthington Hotel (which, no doubt, is a favorite of greedy Capitalists.)

Thanks, James.

And Fox News Told Me The Occupy [Location] Protesters Were Just A Bunch Of Dirty Hippies (Updated)

"Hey, Now!"

Edit: Oh, my! I'm joining the cause!!!

Paradise ISD Sues To Declare Texas School Funding Unconstitutional

Well, kinda. The "Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition" has filed suit which is composed of more than 150 Texas ISDs. From this list (which is from a couple of weeks ago), it looks like Paradise is the only school district in Wise County which is part of the group.

I Need A Ruling Here

This is dumb, right? Even for college kids. You take a touchpick and jab it in your head, snort a line of salt, take a shot of tequila, and then squirt lime juice in your eyes. Good times?

What's next? Set yourself on fire?

Finally, unless that guy wants to be on the Gay or Not Gay segment on The Ticket, he needs to put a shirt on. The only thing saving him right now is that there's a girl in the room.

And, is it just me, or does the guy running the camera sound like the Giggling Anderson Cooper from a couple of weeks back?

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Tech vandalized the Aggie bus? The Tech administration says, "Not so fast, my friend." And they might be right. 
• I appreciate the ol' "Do what you love" career advice. Unfortunately, it's given by the .00001% of people who actually can make a living following that advice. 
• Dirty Muslims are killing good, clean Christians in post-Arab Spring Egypt. Or something like that. 
• There was a horrible wreck in Arlington yesterday killing three young people, and the Star-Telegram linked to some of their Facebook pages next to their story about the incident.  They debated this on WBAP this morning which seems like a silly debate.
• The Softball Experiment Season is winding down and we've got a game tonight against a team that might have beat the Texas Rangers last night.  I'm practicing my "Believe You Can Win" speech when I'm not sure I believe we can win. (Their catcher has a stronger arm than Pudge Rodriguez.)
• Actually used Facebook yesterday to research a very iffy sexual assault allegation in Wise County which has landed a kid in jail (without even being interviewed before a warrant was issued.). There it was on the alleged victim's digital wall on the day after the alleged assault: "I have no idea what happened last night." 
• I don't have any problem with pink being everywhere in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. I'm just not sure why it gets a whole month. 
• A Decatur graduate is doing pretty well as a soccer player at Midwestern State.
• I mentioned last night that the Ranger game ended with the first ever "Walk Off Grand Slam" in the playoffs. That's barely true: Robin Ventura did it in 1999 but it didn't count because he never made it to home plate because of being mobbed. 
• Ok, I'll admit it: My sports predicting has become horrible. I'm thinking of going to Vegas to bet the opposite of what I think. It would be like the "Opposite George" Seinfeld episode.
• But wouldn't that be hard to bet the opposite of what you think? Once you choose the opposite, wouldn't you fear that's what you really believe?
• TCU joins the Big 12 with play to start in 2012. I guess they'll just take the Aggies conference schedule. 
• Random old shows I thought were funny: Mystery Science 3000 and Space Ghost: Coast to Coast.
• Alliance Town Center (the one that Sam Moon is in) says the Velvet Box is a "sexually oriented business" and wants to shut it down. (Although it's been open since 2009.)

Boom! That's Some Entertainment.

And even the working man got to see the best part.

Edit: Kind of hard to believe . . .

Gruesome Motorcycle Death In Dallas

Story.

This Sounds Familiar

TMZ.

2006:

Al-Qaeda Would Like A Word With You

You know, when the U.S. killed this guy last week with a drone strike, it didn't even dawn on me that we had seen something very rare. The United States had intentionally killed a U.S. citizen without a trial and not on the battlefield.  I don't know if the facts justify it or the law allows it, but it's something you don't see every day.

That being said, the headline of Al-Qaeda complaining is like something you would see on The Onion.

Edit: Comment of the day . . .

Never Thought You Would Need A Helmet For This

Britney and Christina Within The Last Week

The longtime official ladies of Liberally Lean are still out there giving it the what for.