Above The Fold

Congressman's Secret Daughter Taking You Into The Weekend

He was tweeting her during the State of The Union and everyone thought the single congressman had a girlfriend. In order to stop the rumors, he had to admit he had a daughter.

And Another - Georgia

Bad on the looks but big on the effort.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• "MOSCOW (AP) -- A meteor that scientists estimate weighed 10 tons streaked at supersonic speed over Russia's Ural Mountains on Friday, setting off blasts that injured some 500 people and frightened countless more." What? Must see videos.
• Mrs. LL predicted what would happen in a scene in The Office last night seconds after she saw the premise of the scene. She has a crazy knack for that. 
• The CEO of bankrupt American Airlines will receive nearly $20 million after the airline merges with US Air.  Explain that to me. Please.
• The new president of UTA is named Vistasp Karbhari.
• Language warning, but an entertaining fight video in a hotel lobby between a fat and drunk white guy and a little black guy is here. It's worth watching the whole thing but the fight starts at around the 2:20 mark. 
• I keep hearing good things about The Americans and House of Cards.
• I was watching CNN last night while the anchor was talking to a 14 year old girl who was on the stranded cruise ship. When she responded that she was most looking forward to eating "greasy food" upon her return, the anchor said, "then your situation can't be that bad." After the next question, she started crying which gave rise to some great awkwardness. 
• A lot of people are saying the passengers of the cruise ship have a great lawsuit against Carnival. Not so fast. You were inconvenienced for three days. Yeah, you deserve a little compensation but it's not like your spouse was killed or you've got permanent brain damage.
• The Dallas DA did not appear to testify in a hearing yesterday accusing him of, in essence, prosecuting someone at the request of a big donor (Lisa Blue, whom I despise). His lawyers said that he was sick but the DA was seen in the courthouse earlier that day.  Rumors are circulating that the FBI is after him, and I predict a big scandal is forthcoming. 
• The headline in my trial of "Jury Gives Maximum Sentence" is a little misleading. He was acquitted of the charge in the indictment (which carried life in prison without parole), acquitted of a lesser charge of Aggravated Sexual Assault (which carried a possibility of 30 real years before parole eligibility), but convicted of a second degree felony (parole eligible after 10 years.)
• That being said, it was gut wrenching to be in the courtroom post verdict with the family. 
• The defendant handed me a letter on the last day of trial. "I just want to thank you." As much as criminal defense is an emotional business for those who care about what they do, there are some good moments. But there are a lot of bad ones. 

Billy Joe McAllister?

This photo was just posted on the Messenger's Facebook page with sketchy details of a man who apparently jumped/fell/whatever off the Big Sandy Bridge between Decatur and Bridgeport.

Edit: Wow. The Messenger now says it was a Jeffrey Curry of Fort Worth. I wonder if it is the same Jeffrey Curry who the subject of this story!:

Edit: And a man of the same name an age was arrested in December in Fort Worth for forgery.

Oh, My

BREAKING: Coast Guard official: Disabled cruise ship stopped off coast of Ala. because of broken towline
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 14, 2013

Riveting 1st person account of life on the crippled cruise ship on @brookebcnn show.LIVE on CNN."I don't think I can describe the smell"
— Wilson Surratt (@SurrattCNN) February 14, 2013

Edit: First Photos

Harlem Shake? Turn Off The Internet.

The Harlem Shake meme involves 30-second videos that begin with a sole person, typically masked, casually bopping to music while a handful of people around him go about mundane business. Then “the beat drops,” as the kids say, the camera shot changes, and suddenly an entire crowd appears in bizarre costumes and they go crazy, flailing their limps, and, well, doing the Harlem Shake.

What the heck is this? What's so funny? 

And proof that it is not cool because The Today Show has done it. 

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• The Olympic "Blade Runner" has been accused of murdering his girlfriend. If he had used his blade foot as the murder weapon it would have been the craziest story ever.
• Can they not find the guy who escaped in Grapevine? And he sounds like a complete nutball.
• If I hadn't been involved in my trial this week, I would have wanted to watch the bizarre Tarrant County case where a female marriage counselor is accused of criminally seducing a client. Has sin become a crime?
• The merger of US Airway and American has to be good for this area right? The largest airline in the world will be based out of Fort Worth?
• And throw in that in about a year that Southwest will be allowed to fly nationwide out of Love Field then we should see healthy competition.
• Crystal's Pizza in Irving is closing!
• Heard on the radio: Can some company please make decent Valentine's Day cards? I don't want to outsource a 200 word poem. When I open one up and it's blank on the inside, I'll buy it. 
• It's not unusual during a criminal trial for the family of the client to tell me, "I don't know how you do this for a living." Meaning: "How can you emotionally handle this time and time again?" 
• I like it when I can slowly change lanes on the highway and not hit one of the reflectors on the center stripe. 
• Fort Worth motorcycle death. And the victim was only 11.
• Just read there was a motorcycle death in Dallas this morning.
• Most trials don't have anyone in the courtroom who don't have some connection with it, but there has been an older couple who have sat through my whole trial and no one knows who they are. Considering the subject matter, it's really pretty unusual. 
• Mrs. LL was in the driveway this morning before 7:00 a.m. because someone brought by $7 for underpayment for girl scout cookies. Yep, I asked her, "You've got to be kidding." 
• It's Valentines Day: "And I need you more than want you. And I want you for all time." Still a great line from Wichita Lineman.

Random Carnage

Above The Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• This is an abbreviated version. Trial days will wear a guy out.
• Hey Rage and Wordkyle, the prosecutors asked if you were on the jury panel. I'm serious. 
• I watched a portion of the State of the Union. John Boehner looked like he was stressing over whether he should applaud or not over the next point the President was about to make.
• This on Twitter last night regarding Ted Nugent's appearance: "Imagine if a rapper had 1. Threatened the President 2. Brandished assault rifles 3. Got invited to the SOTU 4. Showed up in jeans."
• Marco Rubio's "water break" during the Republican Response. Even I worry about this country when that becomes a headline. 
• Based upon my inbox this morning, I was twitter hacked last night.
• Wrong way driver on I-35 in Fort Worth last night caused three wrecks. No deaths. 
• I'm behind on the details, but the circumstances surrounding the  presumed death yesterday of the crazy Los Angeles cop on the run sounds like a movie script.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Crazy escape last night of a prisoner in Grapevine who was being transported from Miami to Las Vegas. He stabbed a cop and took off in arm shackles. And he is still out there. 
• I got to explain to the Teenager and Wife in the House the source of, "Ain't nobody got time for that" last night. 
• Texas released another prisoner yesterday who was wrongfully convicted and spent nearly thirty years in prison. Incredible. 
• Randy Travis sang at Chris Kyle's memorial? Really?
• It's not a good morning for a motorcycle escort of Kyle's body from Midlothian to Austin. 
• North Korea tested a nuclear bomb last night. This one was so large that both the United States and China issued responses.
• Courtney Stodden and her dad.
• Fuzzy's is open for breakfast on the courthouse square, but I'm not sure they'll do that for long. Seems to be pretty empty -- but otherwise the the business appears to be a success.
• The Navy SEAL who shot Bin Laden gave an interview to Esquire. The article said that once he left the military he was denied medical care. But that's not true.
• I think I might get claustrophobic on even the largest of cruise ships, but put me on a disabled one being towed to Mobile, Alabama and I'd go crazy. 
• "An emergency alert interrupted Montana television viewers as they watched the Steve Wilkos Show Monday, and calmly informed them that 'dead bodies are rising from their graves.'"
• Postings will probably be non-existent. That is, if my felony trial goes off as planned. 

Picture From Chris Kyle Memorial Service

Credit.

Ted Nugent Is Going To The State Of The Union Speech

Really.

That Chick That Brent Musburger Was Drooling Over . . .

. . . in the National Championship game is in Sports Illustrated this month.

Sheriff Joe To The Rescue

 The self-proclaimed ‘America’s Toughest Sheriff’ is joining forces this weekend with action movie star Steven Seagal to train volunteer armed posse members to defend Phoenix-area schools against gunmen. More.

And while he's not using movie stars for trainers, he's driving up the price of sporting goods. 

My deputies are arresting several employees of Sportex apparel Tempe who are using false identification.12 in custody so far.
— Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) February 8, 2013

Condor Gets Loose At Hockey Game

Lots of comedy there.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I made Mrs. LL watch Hustle and Flow this weekend and she made me watch 8 Mile. Both of us didn't regret it. 
• We also rewatched The 40 Year Old Virgin to see if we would notice any characters that are now somewhat famous.  We noticed Mindy Kaling and Carol the realtor from The Office, and I didn't know Kat Dennings went on to be on Two Broke Girls.
• The Pope announced this morning that he will resign.  I didn't even know he could. 
• Mrs. LL is playing a month long (or more) game of tag with about five friends. You never know when one of them will show up and surprise her. 
• Turned on the Grammys for a second last night and saw a cool collaboration between Sting and Bruno Mars.  And did you know Mars was a four year old Elvis impersonator in Honeymoon in Vegas?
• Katy Perry "hey, now". 
• Seems like there is lots of infighting amongst Republicans about becoming more inclusive vs. abandoning "core values." 
• Fort Worth police killed a man this weekend. Dallas police killed a man this weekend. 
• For the first time ever, I played a stranger online with the XBox.  That is surreal. And I kept getting killed in volleyball.
• Three shot at a Delaware courthouse this morning. 
• Teri Buhl and the "no tweets are publishable" controversy.