Above The Fold

Taking You Into The Weekend

Obie!!! A Story in Pictures

 More.

Look how fat Obie was! And if that is Mrs. Obie in the background, she looks like she is about to visit a doggy divorce lawyer. Ain't no way she's putting up with that.

Good grief. Fat Obie basically wore a moo moo on the beach. No way he's picking up chicks looking like that. 

He didn't even have enough energy to play with his hot Doggy Momma. Poor fat Obie. 

 Post thumb stomach Obie! Attaboy!  Probably just eyeing some seagull that he's going to track down before it knows what hit it. Just owning the beach. 

  Sexy Obie.

Swag Obie. A true Renaissance dog. Probably just slaying it with the ladies.  

Wow. Critical condition.

Edit: Or not?

Edit: And then there's stuff like this . . .

Horrible story from @tmz with Adrian Peterson's son. Hope he'll be OK. Fantasy advice for owners of the #Vikings RB - http://t.co/pEP5HtgbAm
— Walter Cherepinsky (@walterfootball) October 11, 2013

Woman Freaks Out On Plane To Tampa

Well, it is Tampa.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I've been so confused by the Republicans refusing to admit they are responsible for shutting down the government.  Let me quote the great philosopher Jon Stewart: "Do you think Obamacare is a big enough threat to shut down the government? Fine. But own it!"
• That freedom loving new government in Iraq has executed 42 people. Who do they think they are? Texas? 
• "FORT WORTH, Texas - One of the officers involved in deadly shooting of a Fort Worth homeowner has been fired for falsifying a police report unrelated to that case." That now dead homeowner was in his driveway and the now fired officer had said he fired because the homeowner pointed his gun at them. No reason to now disbelieve that, right?
• One of the gang of Manhattan bikers accused in the beating of a motorist is represented by Gloria Allred. She would be on my short list of the most shameless attorney in United States history. Her representation appears to have only one criteria: Is a TV camera involved?
• Rhome is pretty wheels off, right? According to the Update last night a council member left in the middle of a meeting. Leaving only two members left -- not enough for a quorum. 
• The Fort Worth Star Telegram finally provides coverage of Bridgeport's Big Ed Beckley today. 
• Tomorrow I'll watch the Texas/OU game and look forward to seeing Bob Stoops and Mack Brown meet on the field before the game. They've done that 14 times. The 15th will probably be the last one. 
• Couple of legal eagles took me to task for praising the criminal justice system of the Bahamas yesterday (see below) because they pointed out the range of punishment for Ecstasy possession there was four years. Yeah, but the actor got a "fine only" sentence for over a dozen X pills. When's the last time you saw that in Texas? In fact, that's an illegal sentence in Texas (look it up.) 
• The Fifth Grader in the House had me help her with her science homework last night. Ugh. But I got to learn what the difference is between an element, a mixture, and a compound. 
• The Israeli defense minister was in Fort Worth yesterday to visit the Lockheed plant. Israel intends to buy 19 F-35s.  Iran might want to step up it's plans to produce a nuclear weapon. 
• No front page today. That site is down again. 
• You know who Chris Arnold is? If you do, you've got read this article just published which calls him out for plagiarism.  CBS/The Fan is going to have to address this.   

In Midland. Posted On Youtube Today.

At least the driver shut the door first.

Everyone Is Riled Up About Something

Uh... so someone dropped a ton of money on the floor in the Senate Hart building pic.twitter.com/gS1XtR6h7M
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) October 10, 2013

The group which is protesting today is concerned about "genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in America's food supply."

Darryl From "The Office" Got Busted For Weed and X

TMZ – “Office” star Craig Robinson was arrested for drug possession in the Bahamas yesterday … after trying to board a plane with half a gram of marijuana and 18 ecstasy pills. Robinson — who was in the Bahamas for a comedy show at the Atlantis hotel — appeared before a magistrate (wearing a T-shirt and shorts) … and plead guilty to two counts of drug possession. Robinson was facing up to 4 YEARS in prison … but got a huge break with the magistrate, who let Craig off the hook with a simple $1,000 fine. He was also ordered to leave the country ASAP. During the hearing, Robinson told the court he brought the drugs from the U.S. and simply didn’t know they were outlawed in the Bahamas.

I always hear that the  "American criminal justice system isn't perfect, but it's the best in the world."  Seems to me that the Bahamas criminal justice system might be a little more advanced.  

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• The local game warden told me yesterday that he wants you to know that the LBJ Grasslands is not shut down. (Sounds like he was getting lots of calls.)
• "House Republicans eye short-term debt ceiling fix" after visiting with the President today. Translated: As predicted, they are beginning to cave. 
• The difference between the President's approval rating slumping and the Republicans approval rating slumping (to a historic all time low) is that the President doesn't have to run for re-election. 
• So Bridgeport plays in a five team district and four of the teams will make the playoffs? The Bulls could conceivably make the playoffs with a 1-9 record? That publicity would be worse than going 0-10.
• Fox 4 paid a visit to the Bridgeport bullfighter who had his face stomped on a month or so ago. He looks about 99% better than what I expected. 
• The guy who got hit by a car on 287 in Decatur yesterday and who was on his way to rehab is from Albuquerque -- as in the home of the meth cooking Walter White of Breaking Bad.
• I would like to have been part of the negotiations which lead to an 18 year sentence for Tampering With Evidence for Michelle Williams (now pregnant) who killed her husband a year ago in a very high tone house in Keller.
• The best thing about a new dishwasher: How quiet it is. 
• The best thing about a new fence: The smell. 
• The best thing about a new microwave: I don't know. We had a 24" wide microwave that went out. Try and find a replacement for that. It seems that 90% of those on the market are huge.
• Mark Davis this morning began referring to The White House as The Spite House.  Someone needs to pull him aside an warn him that the last thing he needs to do is become a cartoon for a decreasing audience of angry old white men. 
• Why we hate lawyers: The attorney "and his team" in charge of distributing what remains from Texan Mark Stanford's Ponzi Scheme have earned "$234.9 million from the bankrupt Stanford Financial Group and spent more than half the total — about $124 million — on personnel and other expenses." If you were investor of $110,000 to Stanford, on the other hand, he wrote you a check for $2.81 because there's not enough money left. (A quick search revealed that the Ponzi victim's have been upset with the lawyer for years and posted one of his shocking bills on a blog in 2011.)
• But writing a check for $2.81 made me think of Steve Martin in The Jerk writing out class action lawsuit payments for $1.09.
• Breaking: Four people found shot to death in home in Paris, Texas this morning. 
• The Playboy posing teacher in Dallas hasn't generated the outrage that I expected. Most people, like me, think the situation is a tough one. 

Latest Gallup Poll Just Released: This Government Shut Down Plan Isn't Working Out Quite Like The GOP Had Planned

Link.

A Personalized Public Service Announcement

We fortunately don't have a "motorcycle death" here, but I do have some advice for this gal: Unless you plan on jumping Snake River Canyon with Big Ed Beckley on the back of that bike, you might want to let off the throttle a little bit.

Bizarre Incident In Decatur This Morning

More.

This Thing Is Moving Outside Cowboys Stadium

It's Anish Kapoor's "Sky Mirror". You know, a real mirror that reflects the sky.  (That's art, you clods.)

(Source.)

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Last night I saw about 15 minutes of the NFL concussion documentary by Frontline, League Of Denial. It looks fantastic. And it's online. (An onslaught of Wife and Kids In The House busting though the door pretty much shut it down for me.)
• And former Southlake and current University of Houston QB retired mid-season yesterday because of concussions. I expect to hear a similar announcement soon from UT's David Ash.
• I suffered massive blows to the head as a kid: (1) I fell off a diving board and hit my head on the side of the pool as I flopped into the water with blood everywhere, (2) I ran into a brick wall during a neighborhood basketball game, steadied myself, and then tell over backwards hitting my head on the concrete -- I was out cold for two hours (during which, get this, a home doctor's visit occurred), (3) I hit my head on the tile floor of the gym during a Bridgeport elementary school dodge ball game that caused me to throw up two hours later, and (4) I fell over backwards in a chair hitting my head on the edge of a filing cabinet which required stitches.  All of this was before eighth grade. And now you know. 
• Today the house will be invaded with guys (1) rebuilding our back yard fence, (2) installing a new dishwasher, (3) looking at our tricked up cabinets in order to replace the microwave, and (4) switching out the cable box which is on the fritz. Kill me.
• Tonight, in honor of all that foot traffic,  I'll watch The Money Pit with Tom Hanks and Shelly Long and will then go upstairs and fill up the bathtub only to have it crash through the floor. I plan on laughing maniacally
• And in another dimension of time and space, Troy Aikman just spent $4.3 million for a home in Highland Park that he will probably tear down. 
• Government shut down analogy: Tampa Bay lost to Boston last night to lose the American League Division Series. The Rays should have just locked up the stadium and cancelled any transportation for the Red Sox in order to "negotiate" with Boston as to whether the win should count. 
• And back to actual baseball: "Interesting that the Red Sox need Bull Frog sunscreen ... for a night game ... in a dome." Does that stuff have some alternative purpose? Conspiracy? (Source.)
• OK, one more Breaking Bad thought: This post-death/near death fantasy theory is growing on me more and more, and I think the writers at least subtly injected that theory into the last episode. That way you have two groups satisfied: Those who just wanted everything wrapped up nice and tidy, and those who want to continue to think about the show and search for a deeper meaning. For me, it was too nice and tidy -- and that's not the always-plot-twisting Breaking Bad way. But when you consider that the episode is exactly the way Walt would have envisioned his life to wrap up, it begins to make sense. And isn't it odd how Walt just "appeared" in Skyler's apartment and in the home of the Grey Matter couple? Almost ghost like. Almost fantasy like. 
• You guys occasionally ask me why I listen to conservative radio or watch Fox News. Why would a person want to live in an echo chamber that just re-affirms beliefs that may or may not be true? 
• The annual release of the silly and gimmicky Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog beats me down every year. And the always cutting edge WBAP dedicated a whole segment to it this morning. 
• Had a guy tell me that the natural gas boom in Wise County is over and now it's all about oil production in West Texas. True? 
• "Cleveland Browns executive Jon Sandusky, son of Jerry Sandusky, arrested on suspicion of drunken driving." If there was ever a guy with an excuse to get liquored up, Jon has one. 
• From the Update: "RALLY – Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment will have a rally 2-5 p.m. Friday at the U.S. 81/287 and Farm Road 407 overpass." I didn't even know overpasses had any political positions. 

Above The Fold

DPS Just Did Some Major Wealth Redistribution On You

Announced today: Over an 18 day period ending on Labor Day weekend, DPS Troopers issued "about 24,440 speeding citations" in Texas. That's over 56 an hour 24 hours day for 18 days. And that staggering number doesn't include any non-speeding traffic violations.  (I can't find any stats for how many people tickets were written via DPS's four $558,000 gun boats that are supposed to patrol the Rio Grande.)

I'd like to see the number when you add in local police departments and local sheriff's offices across the State.

Wise County People To People Has Come A Long Way

Someone sent me the above screenshot (sorry for the quality) of some gal named Cindy trying to sell weed on the Wise County People to People's Facebook page. It was immediately taken down (probably by someone in charge of that page who was no doubt wild eyed and mouth open.)

I was able to find the picture again on Cindy's own Facebook page, and I'm not sure Cindy is even real. Uses uses a number in the Northeast and "likes" a ton of pages that buy and sell stuff.

This story would have been so much better if it were some girl sitting at her desk in Boyd causing law enforcement to go into a frenzy.

Edit: Apparently there are a few of them over there.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I listened to Randy Galloway's last radio sign off yesterday. He had about as much emotion as someone in a rush at McDonald's saying a hurried, "Thank you" to the clerk. Except in the last 15 minutes I didn't hear a single "Thank you" to anyone. Not his co-workers, boss, or audience. 
• There seems to be more and more little pop up ads for other shows that appear during broadcasts of other TV shows. A very faithful reader tipped me off as to how one recently went very wrong. 
• This is tricky: Dallas ISD has learned that one of its teachers, now 21, posed for Playboy when she was 18.  She teaches in high school (which means the students there are becoming instant experts in Google images research.)  The school district has to let the situation -- but not her -- go, right?
• Yeah, every appliance I own is breaking down but most of them are ten years old. I'll take that life span for the replacements. 
• I'm kind of surprised that the Republicans didn't add to their budget demands a provision to defund any efforts to enforce the Civil Rights Act or Voting Rights Act since they are on a roll. And then when the Democrats again tell them "no way", the House can say the Senate refuses to negotiate. 
• A conservative writes that "The GOP Is Losing Young Christians" because of the GOP's hard line stances.
• "The man the city of Fort Worth had hoped would reorganize and lead its troubled code enforcement department was arrested recently for shoplifting." That's not a good start for a man in charge of enforcing laws.
• I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I heard about a guy charged with a felony who was deviant in district court last week over in Jacksboro and was demanding a quick trial. I'll bet the house he's going to get one. 
• I've mentioned that the demise of football might be possible in the future due to concussion research. But no amount of research will usher the sport out quicker than these stories: "LOST CREEK, W.Va. — South Harrison High School football player Dylan Jeffries died Sunday, nine days after suffering a severe head injury during a football game." I still say its going to happen in the NFL or college. 
• Hey gamblers: The line on the Baylor/Kansas State game moved from Baylor by 10 to Baylor by 17.5 yesterday. A 7.5 change never happens, right? 
• I felt bad for the lack of news today until I noticed the Update led off with the Greenwood Fall Festival followed by a fire department fundraiser note. 

A Private Investigator Is Dead. An Oilman Is Accused. And The Background Is Crazy.

This story out of Benbrook came out last week but some of the details are now emerging. But when a story has the sentence, "If he were to marry [the dead man's ex-wife], he would be something else besides an oil and gas executive: The child's stepfather and its grandfather" you know it's crazy.

Sun At Jerry World Yesterday

That's a topic of the day. Did anyone think about the fact that stadium is lined up east/west?

(Alternative point: "Hey, now.")

"High School Football Player Runs Over Entire Defense For 50-Yard TD"

That's high school? (Source.)

Public Service Announcement

If this woman tries to entice you with a striptease, run.

Kind Of Funny

Worst Tweet In The World Yesterday?

Thought "Breaking Bad" was hot last Sunday? @FOX29philly See who's breakin' bad in SW Philly leavin' 6 people SHOT - Tonite at Ten!
— Joyce Evans (@JoyceEvansFox29) October 7, 2013

In Houston This Weekend

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Never thought of this: Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant is taxed by Somervell County and will bring in $8.75 million in property taxes. And don't we forget that thing is even there?
• My assistant saw Gravity this weekend in 3D. She said the "in space" experience was so intense that it made her nauseous. Her friend actually got up and left for a bit. (I'm guessing that the movie is similar to the feeling of  Open Water -- still one of my favorite films -- with high tone special effects.)
• From the Update:  "A 14-year-old horseback rider was injured when he was hit by a minivan about 8 p.m. Friday on Texas 114 near Old Base Road in Aurora. Department of Public Safety Trooper Zeb Siebeneck said the boy and three other kids were crossing 114 on horseback and misjudged the distance of oncoming traffic . . . The horse’s injuries required that it be euthanized at the scene." Well that makes you sick, right? 
• What's "Zeb" short for? 
• Sports: (1) Richie Whitt described yesterday's Cowboys game as one "they’ll be talking about for decades." Nope. Only wins and playoff losses are remembered. (2) But he also said the Cowboys should have let the Broncos score at the end of the game. Absolutely. Pro coaches need to watch an arena league game every now and then. (3) SMU had the greatest two point conversion in history on Saturday even if the crowd that saw it was smaller than one which shows up for a Boyd game. (5) Bridgeport is 0-6 and lost 55-0 to Graham on Saturday. That comes on the heels of a 68-0 loss the week before. Didn't they re-assign their offensive coordinator before the season? (6) TCU is as good this year as they were when the beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. They're just in the Big 12. (7) Ben and Skin might be the worst sports talk show ever. I'd rather listen to Race Week. (8) I'd pay to watch a camera on Jerry Jones all game long. (9) I'll say it again: I don't know how anyone can be emotionally invested in a team of paid players. You care more than they do.  (10) Baylor hasn't had a three and out in four games. 
• Learned this weekend: Replacing a microwave for a predefined space may require rocket science to accomplish. I finally turned all my research over to Mrs. LL and said "handle it." I spend hours on the computer. She'll go to a store and talk to someone. 
• How long before the Republicans realize this government shutdown was a disastrous idea? 
• I'm amazed at the accuracy of weather forecasts, but did anyone predict that brief line of storms on Saturday night? 
• Middle Aged A's Fans Fights All The Cops Before Getting Tasered. Good times. 
• A flight out of DFW to South Korea had an engine blown shortly after takeoff and spent 40 minutes in the air to dump fuel before returning to land. WFAA's Shelly Slater was on board. Does that fuel hit the ground or does it evaporate?
• Walked out this morning with the cool air surrounding me and a a bird chirping loudly. I almost went back in the house, took off the suit and put on shorts, and sat on the bench on the front lawn  (There will come a day when I will regret that I didn't.)
• Dallas District Attorney DA Craig Watkins is accused of "pushing" staff to run for judgeship positions. Note to those being "pushed": He wants you out of the DA's office because he's not bold enough to fire you. 

This May All Come Crashing Down, But Enjoying The Moment

Yahoo Sports - From 1996 thru 2009, Baylor was 43-117 overall and 14-98 in Big 12 play. That's an average of one conference victory a season. There was a stretch when the Bears went 6-76 in the league. There was a seven-year run in there that Texas beat them 362-38. In 1999, they lost all of their eight Big 12 games by an average of 35.7 points.

The Baylor media guide is a real page-turner if disastrous sporting carnage is your thing.

"We had some lean years there," school president Kenneth Starr said with a laugh. [BSG note: Coach Art Briles said a couple of weeks ago, "These teeth aren't real. They've been kicked in a few times."]

All of which makes this so utterly astounding.

It's not just that Baylor is good – 4-0 on the season after a 73-42 blitzkrieg of West Virginia and sure to continue climbing from its No. 16 ranking. A lot of teams can get "good" and the schedule hasn't been particularly arduous.

It's that Baylor is something that nobody could've imagined possible … cool, exciting, cutting edge, wild, brilliant, pyrotechnic. It's one thing to have a generational local talent such as Robert Griffin III fall through the cracks of the Longhorn recruiting net, show up and win a Heisman. That was a great story.

This is even better because Baylor is even better. More athletes. More skill. More speed. More depth . . . . This is everything Baylor never was. 

(More to the story.)

The older I get, the more I believe in "enjoying the moment." Hey, this isn't Vince Young scoring on fourth down in the Rose Bowl, or TCU beating Wisconsin at that same venue, or Tech's "Crabtree! Breaks free!" moment, but it's fun. But it won't last. Nothing does. Just be smart enough to love it while it happens.

But for now Baylor is the equivalent of Walter White in Waco with a machine gun in the trunk.