Wow: Kidd Kraddick Dead

Sources tell Fox 4 News that KISS FM morning show host Kidd Kraddick has died
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 28, 2013

Internal Clear Channel email confirms the news: Kidd Kraddock has died of an aneurysm while in NOLA.
— Peter Welpton (@peet2) July 28, 2013

Above The Fold

OU Running You Into The Weekend

Guy Gets Kicked Out Of Dodger Stadium

This is a multiple choice test. What do you expect to happen?

(a) The guy eventually gets tired and walks away,
(b) He breaks back into the stadium since he obviously has extreme ninja skills,
(c) A cop comes in and tells him to leave or he'll be arrested, or
(d)  A re-creation of the Battle of San Jacinto.

Before There Was Devon Energy, There Was George Mitchell -- Now Deceased

From the history of George Mitchell Energy:

CM&M [the predecessor to Mitchell Energy  expanded operations through the mid-1950s. In 1954 it opened a Western Canada field office in Calgary, where in 1955 it discovered the Alvord 3000' Strawn and Tidwell 4600' Strawn fields.

All was not completely rosy for the new firm, however. In 1956 royalty owners in North Texas's Wise County--where CM&M had drilled 57 oil wells and 103 gas wells in 34 separate fields--began to grow impatient with CM&M which, because of low gas prices, was keeping gas shut-in. George Mitchell decided to deal with the disgruntled royalty owners publicly. He invited the entire county to a barbecue, where he told 3,000 residents that though it had not seen a penny of revenue from gas sales, the company was willing to spend another $7 million to drill 40 wells in the area in 1956 and another 170 wells in 1957. Given the company's financial commitment, residents agreed to wait for satisfactory prices before demanding royalties.

It was not as if the company was not trying to market its gas. As early as 1954 it had negotiated with Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America for a pipeline spur that would transport Wise County gas to Chicago. The Federal Power Commission had rejected this first deal and did not approve a spur into Wise County until 1957. Through the late 1950s and early 1960s, the company expanded and reorganized. It became part owner of the GM&A Gas Products Plant at Bridgeport, which opened in 1957. In 1959 George Mitchell became CEO. And in 1961 the company, which had just discovered the Alvord South Caddo Conglomerate Field in Wise County, formed CM&M Equilease to lease oil field equipment.

Devon bought Mitchell Energy in 2002 for $3 billion.

Edit: Original George Mitchell office in Bridgeport

Guess This Former Child TV Star

Hey, now.

I Love Everything About This Video

The idea was to sling the skim boarder around the boat and give him a high five . . . 

S Bomb warning. 

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• There's now a  Ricky Bobby Sports Saloon open near I-35 and and north 820. Idiocracy? (But, I'll admit, I loved that goofy movie. My two favorite scenes -- other than the dinner prayer -- involved Will Farrell running in his underwear yelling "Help me Tom Cruise!", and the Borat guy telling Farrell,"My husband Gregory and I wish for only that which every other couple wishes for: to retire to Stockholm and design a currency for dogs and cats to use." In the latter, you can see Farrell begin to laugh as he replies, "That's dumb."
• The radio reminded me this morning of a now closed outdoor amphitheater which used to be at LBJ and Central in Dallas. It was called, maybe,  Starfest. I saw Amy Grant and Kenny Loggins there back in the day. I was full throttle.
• I actually got sucked in by an email ad yesterday: 12 monthly digital issues of PC Magazine for $12. I bought it. 
• The couple and small child who were killed by an alleged drunk driver on I-30 a couple of days ago were in the process of honoring the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.  (Question: What is the political and religious persuasion of the first person who will certainly post a hateful comment?)
• Another crazy water main break in the metroplex.
• From the email bag last night: "On the way to work just saw a guy dragging like a ten foot cross on his shoulder with a guy with a flash light walking beside him and a guy riding in a fat cart bout 20 ft behind them both.   I'm assuming it has to be some walk like Jesus thing across ?Texas? US?   Would have gotten a pic but it was 287 North of Alvord and its frickin pouring down rain dark.    Guy works for me called saw same thing so I'm not crazy."
• "A man who police say had 'the mental capacity of a young child' was found dead inside a hot car Thursday afternoon in Arlington." It was actually in the driveway of a "group home" in a residential section.
• Steve Eager and Heather Hays had an awkward segment last night where Heather called Steve "Ron Burgundy" and Steve called Heather " Veronica Corningstone?" Then Steve said, "What did he say? 'I'm gonna . . . . '" which prompted Heather to yell, "Don't say it!!!"  Researching lines from The Anchorman, there are some interesting ones that use the word "gonna".  (Best I can tell, Eager either threatened to marry her or punch her in the ovary.) 
• I'm not sure what happened, but I think I remember Mrs. LL chewing out the Kids In The House at 2:00 in the morning last night for not being asleep. And then I think she was on the phone to some unknown third person explaining what was going on. (I live a life of lots of head shaking and not asking questions. It's just easier that way.)
• ESPN has announced the next batch of 30 for 30 documentaries. I love that stuff. (The Jimmy Connors one and the Nancy Kerrigan one are definitely on my radar.)
• AG Eric Holder has "asked a San Antonio-based federal court to force Texas to get Justice Department approval before changing their election rules."  Fox 4 had ex-Bridgeport resident Allen Vaught and some Dallas Republican bigwig on last night to discuss the issue. I was surprised that the Republican didn't go into an anti-federal government rant. He seemed very timid and went with the "Who us? We would never discriminate" mantra.

As Cowboys Stadium Just Became AT&T Stadium . . .

. . . I've got a question. What the heck is the purpose of that "screen" on the side of the stadium. I've never seen anything shown on it, nor am I even sure if it is capable of doing so.  The original plans certainly seemed to indicate its purpose:

My New Favorite GEICO Commercial

I don't know who their ad firm is, but it would be my dream job.

What's Going On By Whistlestop Cafe?

Looks like a pretty high tone camera.

Thanks Trey.

Near Motorcycle Death

But he walked away. And "he" is Florida State tight end Nick O'Leary who happens to be Jack Nicklaus' grandson.

That Train Derailment In Spain That Killed A Bunch Of People . . .

. . . this is how it happened.

Story.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Leo DiCaprio seen wearing a Texas Tech cap. What an odd combo. 
• Sports: (1) New Texas Ranger pitch Matt Garza was fantastic last night but that throw to first base was worse than the first pitch a couple of weeks back by Carly Rae Jepsen; (2) I think Peter King has a huge bag of nothing; and (3) the Longhorn Network is running a replay of the Empire's championship game against USC where it completely butchers and cuts the most of the best plays of the fourth quarter. 
• Peter King's advice to young wannabe sports writers is to "write every day even if it is not being published." Really? I used to practice a golf swing  every day that I was doing horribly wrong and never got better.
• That's very close to extremely wealthy people's advice of "do what you love." What if you love fishing and watching Sportscenter?
• We had five kids spend the night in the house last night. (The regular two plus three guests.) Having a game room might have been the best investment in my life. 
• The Messenger hasn't uttered a peep about the Saginaw killer who used to live in Decatur. Why? Even the Star-Telegram has interviewed his Wise County relatives.
• Back in May, an innocent metroplex man was killed by police in his own driveway after he was shot by police. The explanation which came out yesterday by officials was that police had accidentally responded to the wrong house after a burglary report because of "poor lighting." You gotta be kidding me. How horrific. And the cops fired six times! But let's all shrug our shoulders, right?
• The Ticket boys must have big time contracts based upon their vacations: (1) George Dunham took his family to Hawaii, (2) Donovan Lewis went to Greece with his wife, (3) Jake Kemp went to four countries including Switzerland. Edit: Sheesh. Forgot that Junior Miller went to France. 
• I have a poor man's sprinkler system set up with dual headed timers for the water hoses. It's fantastic. I probably need to get a sprinkler system. 
• I went to the doctor for one reason and then everyone got freaked out when my blood results showed freaky cholesterol levels. How is that possible? But I'm now taking medication for it. It's hard to be concerned about a condition which has no symptoms. Yet, I understand. 
• Hot opinion about Anthony Weiner's wife who continues to stand by her man despite his sexting: She secretly supports it. 

Accused Saginaw Killer In His Younger Days

This is an old (but confirmed) pic of Tyler Holden who recovers from a gunshot wound to the head during his attempted arrest yesterday.

From the Star-Telegram. (Link goes to pic only on the paper's website.) Edit: The photo has now been associated with a news story.

Football Helmet Post

Hey, it's the dog days of summer and things are pretty slow. I mean, all those little "scandals" are just a distant memory now, right? Benghazi, IRS targeting, PRISM, etc. All gone.

So, during this dead time, check out these cool helmets that Baylor rolled out at the Big 12 Media Days yesterday. (Those three interlocking rings are light reflections from the ceiling -- not part of the design.) I mean, how cool is that? Barely even need to play the games now. If the fear from all of that awesomeness doesn't get to the Longhorns, Frogs, Sooners, et. al.,  their burned retinas from the reflection of the sun will.

 

Amanda Bynes Is Crazy, Part 34

Amanda Bynes accidentally drenched her pet Pomeranian with gasoline while building a fire in a residential neighborhood ... then raced to a nearby liquor store to clean the pooch.

At 8:39 PM ... Bynes can be seen bursting into the liquor store and darting straight for a restricted "employees only" area -- while holding the dog in her outstretched arms. 

The cashier -- sensing something was wrong -- rushed out from behind the register and chased after Bynes to see what she was doing. 

TMZ spoke to the owner of the store who tells us ... the cashier detected a strong odor of gasoline and observed Bynes attempting to rinse off the dog in a sink in the back area. 

We're told ... as soon as the cashier confronted Bynes, she "freaked out" and left the store without further incident.

Look, this footage isn't particularly fascinating other than the fact she's carrying a gasoline soaked dog around. Darlin', the Internet will love you so long as you just act crazy, but if you were to accidentally set the little puppy dog on fire when you're acting crazy, they would have been coming after you like an Egyptian mob.

Above The Fold

Real News

Link.

Kate Upton For A Wednesday Pick Me Up

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Since it looks like the cops focused in on the 17 year old in the Saginaw murder case from the start, those billboards asking for help seem a little odd now. 
• Funny random tweet last night: "At my funeral, make sure there is a guy leaning on a tree like 150 feet to the side. Have him nod and walk off at the end. Preferably into fog."
• Baylor player Ahmad Dixon was asked yesterday at Big 12 media day if Baylor could really win the Big 12. His answer, which is so great in so many ways, was: "Can God save a hooker?" 
• And coach Art Briles, when asked if he ever raps during practice like Dixon does, responded to the question with lyrics by Drake. And none of the reporters even knew he did it. (Nor would have I.) 
• A Dallas police officer learned that he could not come to work drunk. 
• Wrong way driver fatality in Dallas last night. And there were three people killed on I-30 at Eastchase Parkway but they are not sure about the cause yet. 
• Facebook has been bombarded with a post about a new pastor of a mega-church who secretly dressed up as a homeless man and visited the church on his first Sunday with shocking (or expected?) results. I didn't believe it when I read it. Snopes has it as "undetermined" but has found no evidence to confirm it -- but did have proof that the accompanying photo was not true. 
• I'm not saying it couldn't or wouldn't happen (it probably would), I just disputed the exact details of the account. 
• The Pope is in Brazil and the Fifth Grader in The House asked me, "Why are they trying to touch him" as she saw crowds gather around his vehicle as he made his way through the streets. Try and answer that one!
• The Dallas Cowboys beat writers are tweeting every mundane play of the Cowboys training camp (with insight that they probably do not possess.) Someone replied to them last night that they were going to ruin the excitement of the first pre-season game. 
• Anthony Weiner is crazy but I love the moniker "Carlos Danger".

Suspect In Saginaw Girl's Murder Is From From Decatur. Other Relatives In Boyd.

His name has been released as Tyler Holder. This is a Facebook page:

Weirdest Case Ever

BREAKING: Cops entering house 2 doors down from Alanna Gallagher's parent's house in Saginaw. Shots fired.
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 23, 2013

#Breaking: MedStar says 2 shot incl one officer in #Saginaw near Alanna Gallagher's home.
— FW Star-Telegram (@startelegram) July 23, 2013

Sources confirm 17yr old suspect also being transported after the exchange of gunfire at one of Alanna Gallagher's neighbor's homes.
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) July 23, 2013

USA vs. El Salvador Crowd Scene

This was in Baltimore which, the last time I checked, was in the good ol' USA. So what's up with these El Salvadorians trying to put a whippin' on red blooded Americans (or at least some what red blooded Americans?) on our soil? We gonna put up with that? Especially in the home of The Wire?

P.S. Is there anything more cowardly than the sucker punch that was delivered right after the :30 second mark? Well, maybe taking your belt off and swinging it around like madman.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Fox 4's new bit of Heather Hays and Steve Eager reading tweets from their cell phones of viewer reaction might be the most awkward and ill thought out concept ever. 
• I really don't understand all the details, but the Dallas ISD Superintendent will now be investigated after the school board authorized an independent counsel last night. This is the beginning of the end for that guy.
• "Officials: Zimmerman helped 4 out of car wreck." That's nice an honorable, but how in the world does that headline give rise to this tweet by Mark Davis: "To all playing the game of who was a better person, Zimmerman or Trayvon, okay-- chew on [that story] and get back to me . . . ."  How do you take that story and turn it into Trayvon bashing? That man is losing it.
• Sure are lots of experts on why the lady fell off the roller coaster at Six Flags. Some are pointing to the lack of "clicks" on her personal restraint when it went down while others say that ride's mechanism has no clicking sound at all but is instead run by hydraulics.
• Our "replace all door knobs" project took and odd turn. Mrs. LL did them all (she now loves the power of a Mikata drill) but on Sunday night we realized that some were irrevocably upside down. Apparently, for those knobs with locks on them, there are left handed ones and right handed ones. I thought it was a very funny mistake. She didn't find the humor. At all.
• From the Update: "WASHER TOURNEY TAKES CENTER STAGE AT REUNION." Does this fall into the category of "I guess you had to be there?" 
• Sports: (1) Former Aggie and current NFL great Von Miller was suspended yesterday for what is believed to be drug use.  Big name Aggies sure are finding a lot of trouble lately; (2) The Dallas Mavericks have hired a new general manager which is probably nothing more than an excuse for Cuban fire him five years from now as a scapegoat as the team falls into the depths of mediocrity. 
• Saw an old preview for a Marilyn Monroe movie where she comes barreling out of the ocean in a bikini. I told Mrs. LL that it reminded me of her because she, like Marilyn, is sometimes a Stumble Runner. She liked being compared to Marilyn but couldn't get past the stumble reference. 

I'm Hiring This Guy!!!!

I'm not posting about the subject this Town Crier is yelling about (because I promised myself I'd ignore that) but its news to me that there is an actual Town Crier.

No newspaper. No Internet. No carrier pigeon. The Royals just deliver the news the old school way.  Pure class.

If I can get this guy to answer the phone (I wonder if he just yells out the window), he'll by my official Random Thoughts reader from the courthouse steps every morning.  Now that's some marketing genius. No way the Update can compete with that.

Ouch

Big Bend At Six Flags

The more I look into it, the more I'm convinced that it's just an urban legend of someone being killed on the ride back in the day.

But, man, check out these photos. Looks pretty rinky dink by today's standards. And it wasn't exactly designed to handle big crowds.

Top speed was 52 mph and the ride took 1:32.

Link.

Edit: A faithful reader sends along this site which has a great history of the ride including this: "The ride's intense turns and drops inevitably led to numerous urban legends, such as the train jumping the track and killing passengers. While nobody ever actually died from the ride, the exaggerated stories made riding Big Bend an even more thrilling experience and gave those who dared conquer the ride bragging rights. Such legends were likely the result of one real-life event where a passenger stood up during the ride and was promptly ejected."

Movie Review: Lone Wold* Wolf McQuade

One thing I waste my money on is subscribing to every channel in the history of ever. This causes me to constantly channel surf and gripe about how there's nothing on. It's kind of depressing.

But once in awhile I'll stumble upon a movie I've always heard about but never watched. That happened yesterday when I looked up and saw Chuck Norris' Lone Wolf McQuade. It ain't Roadhouse, but it's close to the worst movie in the world and I absolutely loved it. (I tried to get Mrs. LL to watch it with me as she sat two feet away but she's momentarily obsessed with online poker.)

This movie is horrible. Norris is a Texas Ranger who acts exactly like a Texas Ranger would (even in 2013) if those guys didn't have to wear shirts and report to a supervisor. He'll point his gun at a trooper just to teach him a lesson, drive his  SUV - equipped with a "super-charger" button -- through a private gate without a warrant, and single handedly Kung Fu the master of Kung Fu, David Carradine, even though he doesn't come come close to landing a blow. And this thing was definitely made thirty years ago in that when Norris is introduced to his new Hispanic partner he says, "You gotta be kidding me!"

(Side note: I looked the movie up on Wikipedia while it was on and saw "Gary Oldman" listed as playing "Tyrone Jackson". I kept waiting and waiting for him to appear, but once I figured out that Tyrone Jackson was a black guy, I knew someone was pulling my Internet chain.)
______
* Man, you guys will dog pile a typo like nobody's business

Edit: Opening scene. Mexicans kidnap bunch of Troopers. Chuck Norris kills bunch of Mexicans.

Skydiver KOs Ballplayer

Was that guy really unpopular of something? No one seems particularly in a hurry to come to his aid.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The lady killed at Six Flags is a bizarre story. Everyone is pointing fingers at Six Flags (yes, I've read the "eyewitness" accounts of her not being secured) but how in the world do hundreds of thousands of people ride the Texas Giant without incident?
• Call in the lawyers. Certainly a big bag of money will make everything right. 
• There was a death on the old Big Bend roller coaster in the early 1970s, right?  Or was it just injuries? Something definitely happened. but I've yet to see a news report about it as everyone reports about the history of Six Flags.
• If interested, Fox 4's Lone Star Adventure had a segment on the newly rescued bears now being housed in the sanctuary in Boyd. 
• I watched the second episode of The Bridge over the weekend. Still good. And getting a little freaky. 
• On my post of "Most Famous Wise Countians" last week,  a couple of people referenced Boyd's Billy Joe Tolliver. He won the Tahoe Celebrity Golf Classic this weekend. 
• House Speaker John Boehner said that Congress "ought to be judged on how many laws we repeal." I couldn't agree more. Any one who is elected to any law making body thinks they have been sent there to make laws. 
• Motorcycle death in North Richland Hills yesterday.
• Motorcycle death on Boat Club Road on Friday night.
• "Batman and Superman to unite on the big screen." Yawwwwwwwn.
• The Fan's Mike Fisher this morning: "I'm told major Cowboys 'business' story is about to explode onto scene." Edit: Richie Whitt says Cowboys Stadium is about to become AT&T stadium.
• This is probably too long unless you are really interested in stuff like this, but Grits For Breakfast had a post which included transcripts from a trial where a Texas prosecutor withheld evidence so the judge granted a directed verdict of acquittal. For some reason, the judge allowed both the State and the Defense to address the jury after the trial was over. The State did a CYA speech while the defense lawyer told the jury that if he had withheld evidence when he was a prosecutor he would have lost his job. Delicious. 
• Car bombs go off in Iraq over the weekend killing over 40.  I'm glad we brought democracy to that country at the cost of thousands of American lives.