Weekend Reading

This is a Texas Monthly article which I distinctly remember reading during lunch back when it was first published.  I wrote a post about it immediately afterwards, and I remember writing, "I didn't intend to cry during my lunch hour."

It qualifies as a "long read", but this awarding winning article will be the best thing you read this year. Or maybe ever.

Taking You Into The Weekend

Random Poll

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

Thursday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Random Poll

Get Me This Dog Who Is Bad At Catch!

Random Poll: I actually learned this is a legitimate question over the holidays

Random Poll

Random Thursday Morning Thoughs

I'll be out of pocket for the next few days, but I'v got some posts automatically scheduled to go up. It'll basically be RTGs and online polls.

Santa Getting Shot Taking You Into Christmas

A black Santa? Megyn Kelly is not impressed.

Edit: Let the record reflect that the crazy "speaks volumes" guy commented at 8:34 a.m. on Christmas Day!

Random Decatur People On Fox 4

Get Me This Dog For Christmas!

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Is the Messenger"s Update being published today? Nope. Once again, I prove I'm the hardest working man in show business. 
• News breaks fast these days. I saw Adam Shefter's Romo-is-hurt tweet in real time yesterday, and The Ticket read it within two minutes. 
• And make no mistake about it: He's done for the year. Jason Garrett saying he is "day to day" does nothing but hurt the coach's credibility. And he doesn't have much credibility left to damage. 
• Final sports note: The best I can tell, Chan Gailey is unemployed.
• Worst comedian ever: George Lopez. And since I'm on the subject, Louis C.K. ain't that great. Edit: Someone asked me who I think is funny. I've heard only one bit of his but Aziz Ansari made me laugh out loud.
• I've never read Death to The BCS but from what I've heard it is an indictment of the college bowl system. Not because of team match-ups, but because of the financial robbery that goes on. Case in point: The Dallas Observer reported that the director of the Cotton Bowl Classic made over $1 million last year.
• Is there any chance in the world that Jesus would not be disgusted with what has become of the American Christmas?
• I haven't seen one story about Arlington's Interlochen.
• I've had a cold for two days. I don't get colds. 
• I think the story of the year has to be the "hit" on the assistant DA as well as the DA and his wife in Kaufman County. That story could be a movie.
• Stores staying open 24 hours at Christmas time seems silly. Do they make any money from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.?
• It's so strange to see UPS and the U.S. Postal Service delivering on Sunday.
• I went and visited someone in the jail yesterday. I figured a Christmas week visit would boost his spirits. I'm not sure it worked. 
• The day before President Obama was elected, the Dow was at 9,320. Yesterday it closed at 16,294 -- a record high.  Lots of filthy rich capitalists have gotten much richer during the tenure of that "socialist" President.
• Update on the case of the Central Texas deputy killed while serving a warrant earlier this week: "Hank [Magee], like any homeowner, defended himself and his pregnant girlfriend," famed Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin said Monday. Hey, DeGuerin has a great reputation, but I would have left out the "pregnant girlfriend" part if I was talking to a reporter. 
• You'll see "skeleton crews" on local newscasts during the holidays. It is just odd when there is one anchor who goes from story to story instead of "throwing it" to another anchor. 
• Reporter Marcus Moore this morning on Channel 8 news: "Retailers get up to 40% of their profits in the final hours of the Christmas shopping season/" That was so ridiculous it caused me to look up at the screen. A screen which had a graphic that read: "Retailers make up 40% of their annual sales during Christmas shopping season." That's more like it 
• Every time I see those Michael Bolton commercials for Honda, I think they are doing a bit. They're not.
• And Apple sucks me in every time with the kid-married-to-his-phone-who-is-actually-creating-a-family-video commercial. But I did laugh when I saw someone tweet, "That Apple kid will always be a second class citizen in that family no matter how hard he tries."

Above The Fold

Breaking Cowboy News

Cowboys QB Tony Romo has been ruled out the rest of the season due to his back injury, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 23, 2013

Say what?

Schefter is with ESPN.

Edit: Remember that weird story before training camp that Romo had a "cyst" removed from his back. I wonder if that back is in worse shape than we think.

Next up . . . backup quarterback Kyle Orton.

Monday Afternoon Pick Me Up

Small Alabama Town Didn't Like A Black And Gay Dance Team In Their Christmas Parade

Source - A small Alabama community got the shock of the season on Saturday when a group of scantily clad gay African American Santas took their Christmas parade route by storm. The Prancing Elites, an all gay dance team known for their provocative moves and outfits, were confused by the invitation to walk the Semmes, Alabama (population 3,000) Christmas parade but swayed and thrust their way through outraged crowds nonetheless. Parade organizers have since apologized for including the Prancing Elites, but the five gentlemen from Mobile think it was all just part of a day’s work. ‘It felt like a regular event,’ dance team leader Kentrell Collins, 26, told AL.com. ‘We were taking a risk, but we always do.’ The team arrived to Semmes and lined up ready to march in fur-trimmed, snug-fitting Santa outfits. Even as the gentleman, in full makeup and Santa hats, stripped off their sweat pants at the parade start, they raised some eyebrows. ‘I had no idea that they would be dressed the way they were and that they would think it’s appropriate for a community Christmas parade,’ said Karen McDuffie, who helped plan the event. ‘Their costumes and the style of dancing were inappropriate.’

Locked Up Polygamist Sends Every Texas Prosecutor A Book He Wrote

It's from Warren Jeffs.

At least I think it's gone out to all prosecutors -- this one went to the Wise County Courthouse. What does it cost to print that thing?

The back of the book has several "revelations" that he has received. One was directed to the Supreme Court of Texas which, I hate to tell him, doesn't hear criminal appeals.

This Is Tricky

A woman is in a vegetative state at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth but is pregnant. Texas law says she must be kept alive. Story.

How One Woman's Pre-Flight Tweet Got Her Fired Before Her Plane Landed

Story.

Funny

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• I had now idea that Alabama Governor George "segregation now, segregation forever" Wallace invoked "state's rights" when he stood in the doorway of a University Alabama building in protest of the enrollment of an African American student. (Famously re-created in Forrest Gump.) The more things change, the more they stay the same.
• I didn't realize that getting drunk on the weekend before Christmas in England was such a big deal. Pictures.
• Sports: (1) Tony Romo completes a game saving pass and all is right with the world. If he missed that then everyone would be calling for the coaching staffs' heads. All because of one play. (2) Philadelphia throttles Dallas next week, right? (3) ESPN went morbid. (4) The best basketball photo you'll see all year.
• Die Hard was based on a novel?
• A bad weekend for the Evil Empire: Three Texas players were declared academically ineligible for the Alamo Bowl, and a former player was arrested for Disorderly Conduct and Assault at Chili's in Grapevine on Saturday night. Chili's! Edit: The story actually says Chill Sports Bar. I could have sworn the first reports yesterday morning said Chili's.
• Horrific: A man and three year old fell 52 stories to their deaths in Manhattan over the weekend. And it was intentional. 
• We had six kids in the house over the weekend. I liberally invoked my Mrs. LL authorized right to "disappear" on numerous occasions.   
• Leaders of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth recently had stained glass installed in a campus building which included images of themselves. Some people are not impressed.
• I Googled an old law school girlfriend and found out she lives in a five bedroom, six and a half bath,  5,500 square foot house in Highland Park valued at $2.2 million.
• Two things about BagofNothing this morning: (1) You have to read his condom buying story, and (2) we were both stopped down by this picture of a grieving widow this weekend. 
• A guy running for Congress (who has a website that looks like he already is a member of Congress) compared that Duck Dynasty guy to Rosa Parks. 
• And Cracker Barrel decided to remove Duck Dynasty products from its shelves and then immediately retracted the decision. It was good to see them stand on principle for one day.