Above The Fold

Five Minutes From Announcement To Cancellation

Friday evening.

I'm guessing it had been cancelled before the first tweet. 

Babes In Toyland Taking You Into The Weekend

And Another - Pennsylvania

And 2013 comes in with a knockout blow right before the deadline. Story.

He'll Never Win, But He'll Be Entertaining

Fund Obamacare? Whose side are you on? https://t.co/SPbe20LS1A #tcot #teaparty #gop #txsen #DuckDynasty #PajamaBoy pic.twitter.com/b4XCtyD3Xv
— Rep. Steve Stockman (@StockmanSenate) December 20, 2013

The Gift Of Receiving Gracefully

A wage is earned. A reward is deserved. But a gift is neither. 

Thoughtful column by Gordon Keith in today's Morning News.

"The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty"

That's the name of a movie that's about to be released which is based upon the (very) short story which appeared in the New York Times on March 19, 1939.

You can read it here. It's quirky and good. And you can just see Ben Stiller while reading it.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• The President freed two Texans who were serving life sentences because of our insane War on Drugs.
• A public relations challenged DA in Pennsylvania issued a press release announcing he had arrested Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for Flying While Intoxicated )which explained why his nose was red.)
• It's Constitutional Law 101 that "Freedom of speech" protects your from government sanctions but not private retribution. Yesterday Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and even Ted Cruz didn't understand that as they cited free speech in the Duck Dynasty controversy.
• And that Duck Dynasty controversy turned into a beat down yesterday. Still the best thing that ever happened for that show and A&E.
• In what must have been an afternoon delight, the Wellington Skyrockets won the Class 1A Division II state title yesterday at Cowboys Stadium. (Rimshot followed by "rock me")
• The Sophomore in the House came in with oversized sunglasses outlined with flashing Christmas lights. I asked her, "Who are you, Elton John?" Her response: "Who?"
• We've got family staying for the weekend including a ton of kids. Mrs. LL told me what events I had to attend but, other than that, I'm free to disappear. 
• Three of my last four Petitions for Discretionary Review to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals have been granted --  including one in a DWI case this week. (If you know what that means you'll probably be impressed.) Last year, the court only granted 6.4% of all Petitions. 
• Isn't it that special time of year where riots break out over Air Jordans?
• I haven't received a speeding ticket since 1991.
• There was a big motorcycle chase in Wise County last night.  Jail records indicate it was 23 year old out of Krum. 

Let Me Make An Exception

I was getting a little worn out of news crews covering surprise return home visits by veterans to their kids in school.  Just seemed to be cheapening it somewhat.

This one gets a pass.

Random Football Violence From Last Weekend

This resulted in a season-ending broken jaw and a fractured vertebrae for one guy, and a $25,000 fine for the other (but no flag.)

Law enforcement news

	WFAA TV (@wfaachannel8)
12/19/13, 1:33 PM Central Texas deputy fatally shot while serving warrant bit.ly/1dSI1AT

And, Meanwhile, In India

Story.

Pajama Boy?

How do you plan to spend the cold days of December? http://t.co/Rwf5AYc3bG #GetTalking pic.twitter.com/PBQ397yLf4
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 17, 2013

Man, I completely missed this. The President sent out this tweet a couple of days to encourage people to sign up for Obamacare.

I had no idea this guy dressed in a onesie had become the object of conservative humor. But he is a pretty easy target.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• So some guy on Duck Dynasty makes anti-homosexual remarks so the network suspends him? I'm serious when I say this: I think the A&E Network was caught off guard by the comments but then decided to do a publicity stunt with the suspension. His words come as no surprise, and his audience will rally to support him. So why else suspend him other than to grab headlines? The publicity that the show is getting this morning is both outrageous and priceless.  This is all an orchestrated charade. 
• In the last eight years, only four of almost 2,700 UT Law students have failed the bar exam at least two times.  Two of those four students are children of state lawmakers who may have peddled their influence to get their kids admitted to the school in the first place.
• Kidd Kraddick is on the cover of  D Magazine's January issue with an accompanying long article about "his secret". It is fantastic, riveting, and a must read if you have any interest in the guy at all.  But I've got a feeling that article only scratches the surface of a complicated and tormented guy.
• There was a wreck on 380 in Bridgeport yesterday and, if my math is correct, there were seven people in one of the cars. 
• A Waco Grand jury cleared Baylor football player Ahmad Dixon of any wrongdoing after a September arrest. He was suspected of assaulting a guy he thought broke into his apartment (no medical attention was needed) . TCU coach Gary Patterson is not impressed. (Patterson thought Dixon should have been suspended.)
• Funny line heard on the radio yesterday about the "Jesus was white" controversy: "If God could pull off the virgin birth, it's not hard to believe he could make Jesus white, too." 
• I'm not a basketball fan, but I love  rules and their interpretation. That's why I find this full court pass and shot with .3 on the clock (which was made but waived off) so fascinating. Who knew there was a specific rule when there was .3 or less on the clock?
• A positive sign for Republicans: A shocking number of people (72%) consider "big government" the biggest threat to the U.S.  They've been preaching it for years. They would be smart to run with it.
• The Dallas Observer blog got tons of hits, and sucked in The Drudge Report by claiming that Texas highest criminal court had approved search warrants based upon "future crimes." And although the Minority Report type headline gets attention, nothing could be further from the truth. That was one line from the dissent, and the majority opinion didn't address the issue. 
• I think Will Ferrell is funny. I liked Old School, Step-Brothers, his bit in Party Crashers. his very small role in the greatness that is Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, A Night At The Roxbury (very underrated), and Talladega Nights (his best).  But here's a confession: I thought Anchorman was average at best, and I may be giving it too high of a ranking.
• Stumbled upon the old Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song last night. I promise that if you played that for a 20 year old today, she/he would have no idea who 90% of the people referenced in the song are. (Dinah Shore, Rod Carew, Bowzer.) We be getting old, people.
• Probably the greatest ending to any TV show was that of Six Feet Under. 
• We've got a new "And Another" out of Wylie but with no details and only a bad book-in photo.
• UT has appointed an eight person "advisory team" to help the athletic director in selecting a new football coach.  It looks like they chose people who are in fields completely unrelated to football.

Why We Need Obamacare

(Source) A former Cirque du Soleil acrobat broke his neck instead of a world record when he attempted to flip through 10 panes of glass.  Jesus ‘Half Animal’ Villa, from Las Vegas, slammed head-first into the glass in July and has spent months in hospital recovering.  The daredevil now hopes to raise $100,000 to help pay for his ‘ultimate comeback’. He already had a successful operation in July this year and but needs help with the costs which would also cover nursing and physical therapy.

If a hard working American -- who just happens to be the worst at what appears to be a noble profession -- has to beg to get his medical bills paid then there's something wrong with this country.

(It's a good thing I didn't know about this before it happened. I'd bet big money that a guy named "Jesus" and "Half Animal" would have pulled it off.)

For Ticket Fans Only

I know I've got a lot of Ticket fans who visit so I thought I'd point out that D Magazine just released an article from its December issue: Twenty Years Of Ticket Radio

Pretty Funny Coach Rant From Last Night

It gets pretty good around 2:40. Although there's a pretty funny line around 1:40.

That's Barry Hinson of Southern Illinois.

My Year End List of Worst/Fraudulent/Sparest/Self-Important People In America

• Sheriff Joe - If the KKK held an election for a sheriff, he'd win in a landslide
• Nancy Grace - If charges are filed against you, you're guilty
• Sean Hannity - Doing a bit all the way to the bank
• Rush Limbaugh - Ditto
• Mark Cuban - Living off dumb Yahoo! money for over a decade
• Lane Kiffin - He could make Baylor 0-11 next year as a head coach
• Dennis Prager - Thrice married pseudo intellectual radio host who thinks college will corrupt you because you're not smart enough to develop your own belief system.
• Ben and Skin - Sports radio personalities on The Fan who specialize in unfunny bits
• Joe Jamail - His days as a UT bully are numbered
• Judge Jerry Ray - Retired judge who didn't understand that a Fort Worth jury understood DWI law more than he did
• Sen. Lindsey Graham - He's a dumb Ted Cruz
• Joel Osteen - I'm finally on to this guy
• Harry Reid - The Democrats need him as a spokesperson like they needed Tip O'Neill
• Chris Berman - Even once he retires from ESPN, he will never leave this list
• George P. Bush - Trying to capitalize on a name that can't be capitalized upon 
• Greg Abbott - A bigger fraud and panderer than Rick Perry. And I didn't think that was possible
• The Family Cat - But she's better than she used to be
• Dan Patrick - the Texas Lt. Gov. candidate, not the sports guy
• Craig Watson Watkins- He became Dallas DA in a shocking Democratic takeover and, despite not being able to spell Penal Code, they may never be able to get rid of him
• Mark Levin - Right wing radio host who makes me think, "Why are you yelling? You're a foot from me." 
• Dennis Miller - realized he could avoid irrelevance by hate filled rants for the Fox News crowd
• Robin Thicke - Does he realize he'll have to sing that song for the rest of his life?
• Clarice Tinsley - I hold her personally responsible for that horrible Fox 4 bit of reading viewers' reaction on Facebook on a flatscreen and then reading comments from her phone

Edited with reader suggestions:

• Ken Anderston - Former Williamson County DA responsible for wrongful imprisonment of Michael Morton
• President Obama - The only shock is that it took the commenters over five minutes to add him.
• Me - For inaccurate sports predicting and ambulance chasing. (Obviously from someone who knows me so very, very well.) 
• Daniel Snyder - Redskins owner
• Rowdy - Cowboys' mascot and should be a Hall of Famer on this list
• TxDot engineer who designed 287/350 interchange
• Tom Bishop - former constable
• Decatur PD
• Justin Beiber - I should have thought of him
• Kathleen Sebelius 
• Rage 
• Michael Bloomberg - Billionaire mayor of New York who wants to deprive you of sodypop
• Martin Bashir - Basically fired from MSNBC for Sarah Palin comments
• Alec Baldwin - Fired from MSNBC for homophobic slur at photographer
• Richard Simmons
• Intern who made up the names of the pilots of the Korean Jet that crashed in SF - I couldn't disagree more. This guy was a genius.
• Montague County Sheriff Paul Cunningham - nominated by employee. Make that a disgruntled employee.
• Gretchen Carlson - Fox News blonde
• Ann Coulter - Can't believe I forgot about her, but she's got a much lower profile these days.
• Turf - The Bridgeport/Decatur rivalry never gets old
• Testosterone cream - Ok, that was funny.
• Doug Fulwood - former Decatur band director. (Man, we're getting deep into this now.)
• Eric Holder - What took you guys so long?
• Nancy Pelosi - Ditto
• Wendy Davis - Ditto
• Joe Biden - Ditto
• Piers Morgan - I really like this CNN guy.
• David Dewhurst - I would have put him on my list but it's just too dang obvious.
• MzChief - Her recent appearance guaranteed a nomination. 
• Repete - Call back joke regarding a WFAA weather graphic
• Real Housewives of [Anywhere] - Not a bad selection
• Toronto Mayor Rob Ford - How dare you nominate him, sir!
• Sarah Palin - She made a strong push to make my list with her War on Christmas book, but overall she was quiet this year. 
• Courtney Stodden - Oh, come on. She has something to offer. 
• John Cornyn 
• "Speaks volumes" guy and the guy who uses "Obammy"
• "Simon Cowell Nicki Minaj Lady Gag - not mispelled" - They are so far off my radar that I didn't even consider them
• Walter White - Don't even joke about including him. Especially since he died in that car and had that lengthy revenge dream. 
• Britney Spears - The official LL girl? No way.
• "And Another" Teachers
• The Decatur Beggar - It's not nice to dogpile at Christmas time.  
• "John Holmes Ghost" Guy - He pushes the envelope, but he's got a little something
• Wordkyle - Let the record reflect he finally made the list at 3:22 p.m. 
• "Snow monkeys - The Double Fake Nolan Ryan" - Hey, they may be your nemesis, but they are just lovable little creatures to the rest of us. 

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Hey, where is Bacon? I have no idea how I'm doing on the Random Thought Girls.
• The Cult is at Billy Bob's tonight? (Although I can't say I know one of their songs other than the greatness of She Sells Sanctuary.)
• "'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch's Wild Millionaire Parents Accused of Laundry List of Crimes and Traffic Violations" - From some site called "The Christian Post". And the article is interesting only if you think having a pre-2000 history of traffic tickets, hot checks, and one dismissed assault case is newsworthy.
• The judge in that case apparently did not formally pronounce a sentence on two companion intoxication assault cases which were tried at the same time. The Tarrant County DA's office is now grandstanding by saying they'll seek jail time on those charges. Good luck with all that. The chances of a retiring judge being bullied by public pressure are slim and none
• Back when Richie Whitt started his blog (paywall still there), one of the first things he wrote was, "Who would blog for free?"  (Two thumbs up, pointing back, "This guy!")
• My dad made sure I had a credit card by the time I was eighteen. Actually, it was an American Express. He told me it was pretty simple: When you use it, you'll have to pay for it a month later. Because of that I never considered charging something to be a "loan". I considered it to be thirty days of convenience.
• November was the warmest November on Earth since we've been keeping records since 1980. Evidence of Global Warming? I don't know. Compare: Some guy in Decatur who vehemently mocks the concept of Global Warming because of a cold day in Wise County last week.
• Mark Davis went on a War On Christmas rant on the radio this morning calling those who would take offense to a public/government school promoting the Christian holiday as "having a mental illness."  
• Maddeningly hypnotic: "Corpus Christi Coons!"
• Some are doggin' me for not talking politics. Honestly, there's not a whole lot of politics that goes on in December.
• There was another house explosion, this time in Azle, yesterday. And we aren't talking minor damage. The entire home is gone. 
• "I pay over 60 cents of every dollar to the government" - Sean Hannity lying on Fox News last night. There is simply no way that is true even if you add up every local, state and federal income tax accessed.
• I forgot to mention that on Saturday of the Baylor/Texas contest I posted about the game seconds before it began. The first comments was within five minutes from the "speaks volumes" guy who was dogging  the President. I didn't post it. But if his intention was to momentarily suck the life force out of me, he won.
• With all the lottery talk yesterday, there were constant odd comparisons with one being the chances of being hit/killed by an asteroid. I began to question some of those numbers (you ever heard of anyone being hit by an asteroid?)  The first page of a Google search revealed the following different answers: 1 in 3,200 (hit by); 1 in 250,000 (hit by); 1 in 74,817,414 (death by); 1 in 700,000 (death by); 1 in 700,000 (hit by). 
• While at Jerry World for the Six Man game on Saturday I learned that giving ATT naming rights has one benefit: They now have free Wifi flowing through that place at full throttle.
• Sports: The Cowboys coaching staff is getting dogged for not running the ball in the second half. Compare Baylor against UCLA in the Holiday Bowl last year once Baylor figured out the run was available. Baylor ran the ball 67 times and threw it only 13 in the 49-26 win. Which coaching staff do you trust more?
• They plan on shutting down the Willow Springs golf course in Haslet in order to build houses on it?

Above The Fold

Christmas Vacation

Obama Prepares to Leave for $4 Million Hawaii Vacation... http://t.co/ykXTE6TuAP
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) December 17, 2013

So Texas That It Hurts

Language warning.

I have no idea the back story on this. If anyone sees anything on it, let me know.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• "Keller teen's probationary sentence prompts Tarrant DA and legislators to push for changes in juvenile law." So the government doesn't get the result it wants so we need to change the laws? What's next? An automatic do-over if they get a "not guilty" verdict?
• Sports: (1) Since 2010, the Aledo Bearcats have more December win in Cowboys Stadium that the Cowboys do -- That's a fact I read but haven't verified. (2) Detroit Lions undrafted rookie TE Joseph Fauria has 7 touchdown catches. Cowboys 2nd-round TE Gavin Escobar has 8 total catches. (3) The Dallas Cowboys leads the NFL in yards per rushing attempt but are last in rushing attempts per game. (4) Mack Brown, in his final press conference, said he might write a book some day on what it's like to be the coach of UT. That almost came across as a subtle threat to expose the folks who tried to undermine him. (5) Dez Bryant will only reach about 65% of his potential because that guy ain't smart, and (6) I learned extra points in 6 Man Football are actually worth two points. 
• Deion Sanders founded, was fired from, hired back to, and fired again from Prime Prep Academy. The school board last night voted to fire the school's superintendent which leads everyone to believe Deion will be hired back. Ah yes, stability.
• I think this is the first year that I didn't have to add anything to our Christmas lawn decorations. Just pull everything out of boxes and set it up. (I even had a stash of replacement bulbs.) It only took eleven years. 
• Loved the story on Fox 4 last which included interviews of people buying lottery tickets for the Mega Millions Jackpot. One guy said he only buys one ticket because buying more would "not increase your odds."  Not sure about that, buddy. (I'm not saying it will increase your odds in any significant way, but it will increase your odds.)
• Mystery: A five year old Frisco kindergartner gets sick at lunch and dies hours later. 
• Breaking: Six American troops killed in Afghanistan plane crash
• Mrs. LL and I watched a "documentary" on The Lake Worth Goat Man on a show called Monsters and Mysteries in America. I didn't learn much because it may have been the worst produced show in the history of ever. And the acting was worse -- except for the sound of a cat which caused The Family Pup to furiously search the house for it. 
• The show also had a feature on chupacabra sighting in Texas which included a 911 call in Jack County but no reference to the incident in Runaway Bay a couple of years back.
• The most 2013 Googled "what is" questions concerned, twerking, ricin, DOMA, sequestration, lupus, molly, gluten, Obamacare, Snapchat, and Bitcoin. 
• A family's video Christmas card goes viral. I wonder if they are really that happy. 
• The National Finals Rodeo is leaving Las Vegas after twenty-nine years and is moving to Orlando. 

Phone Message Recorder Picks Up Crazy Song After Message Over

Listen. It's gold.

Beary-kins? Beary-babe? Bear-Bear? Carebear? Beary-boy?

Courtney Stodden Goes Brunette

The 19 year old first dumped her loving and only-with-the-best-intentions 53-year-old husband, Doug Hutchison, in November, and now she's dumped the blond hair. Probably just trying to project a little more innocence. Obviously, it's working.

Source. (Thanks, Steve.)

My Favorite Mayor Went To Church Yesterday

Toronto's partying mayor Rob Ford visits a church which just happens to be predominately African American (or African Canadian?) Video.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Fox's Megyn Kelly took quite a bit of heat for her "Jesus was white" comment, but she continues to insist that the issue "is far from settled." Sheesh. 
• I've raved about Empire of the Summer Moon before and, for those of you who read it, it dedicated some its pages of how the white man basically killing off of the buffalo was the beginning of the end of the Indians. Knowing that, check out this historic photo I came across this weekend.
• I'll joke about the Wise County "Fossil, Rock and Mineral Society" from time to time, but I love that they'll have a Christmas dinner this year with guests being "asked to bring a rock-related item for a gift exchange." (Per Update).
• My "bet the house" prediction on the Cowboys winning less than 8.5 is still alive. And speaking of that debacle yesterday, Dallas threw is 23 times and ran it just 7 times in the second half. Also, check out this crazy "win probability" chart that was ongoing during the game yesterday.
• I went to a six man game at Cowboys Stadium this weekend. Fantastic. I'll try and dedicate a separate post to it later. (One of the bands had about 10 members -- four of whom were the cheerleaders temporarily filling in -- and the band director played an instrument as well for the National Anthem.) And I got to see the power of Sky Mirror!
• Remember how I hate how reporters will say they had a "nice chat" with a sports figure just to name drop? Dallas Morning News guy Barry Horn did it this weekend about his run in with Baylor's Kim Mulkey. 
• During the ice storm I was constantly thinking, "If I slip and fall, I'm going to hurt myself". I wonder at what age we begin to think that? I certainly didn't think that in my twenties and probably not in my thirties. 
• John Cornyn leads Tea Party nut case Steve Stockman by 50-6 in the first poll released. 
• Denton PD had an arrest for "ASSAULT PUBLIC SERVANT | RESIST ARREST SEARCH OR TRANSP | ALCOHOL PUBLIC INTOXICATION | DISORDERLY CONDUCT-FIGHTING IN PUBLIC" with a book in photo which seems consistent with the charges. 
• Ridiculous: Attorney General Greg Abbott considers "looking into" the case of the Keller kid who received probation for Intoxication Manslaughter. Equally ridiculous: Wendy Davis calling the sentence "a disgrace."  Aren't these the same folks who always say they respect the criminal justice system and the rule of law?
• Legal question for you juvenile law gurus out there: The Tarrant County DA's office pursued the case under the "determinate sentence" law, but is there any prohibition which would have prevented them from certifying him as an adult in an Intoxication Manslaughter case?
• I put out the giant inflatable Chrismas monkey on our front lawn. There's just something about it . . . . 
• Everyone from USA Today to CMT to The Rolling Stone reported Ray Price had died on Sunday after his son prematurely made the announcement.  But he's still alive as of this morning. 
• As a kid, I saw commercial after commercial for the film Billy Jack which also beat us down with the song "One Tin Soldier".  The lead actor has died. 
• A wreck at Sam Houston State left three students dead and the  car leaning nose first up against a building. 
• Discipline does work:: In all of college football, the rankings for least penalties per game include Navy at #1, Army at #8, and Air Force at #17. Baylor was the worst at #125. Texas Tech was #124.

Carnage

This makes my day: Packers bus driver runs over police motorcycle at game. Cop not on it. Seriously??? Jeez Packers.. pic.twitter.com/ejJmhgxkgH
— Amanda Guerra (@AmandaNBC5) December 15, 2013

Great Miami Field Goal Attempt Today