Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• In October of 2011, I wrote: "Somebody find me more info about this: Back in 2007, a UNT student was murdered with the eventual convicted murderer being caught on surveillance video in a convenience store with her shortly before her death. There was a blurb yesterday in the Texas Lawyer . . . about her parents and estate winning an $8.6 million civil judgment after a five day trial in Denton. Who did they sue? Tell me it wasn't the convenience store." Come to find out, it was the convenience store. So why do I post this now? Late yesterday the Fort Worth Court of Appeals vacated the judgment. (I thought it was an amazing legal story at the time and even emailed Lari Barager at Fox 4. She replied that she couldn't get any interest from her bosses about it.) 
• Well, we finished up the catapult project last night. It began with me saying, "Ok, so the ball needs to be projected five feet, right?" Junion In the House: "Uh, it said five meters." Recall I had already built the catapult and it was just testing time. Or so I thought. 
• Let me tell you some things about a catapult project which are capable of causing family fights: (1) The weight of the ball. (2) What that ball is balanced upon before being projected. (3) The length of the projecting lever. (4) Where the pivot point is of the lever. (5) The amount of weight used to cause the projection. (5) The Family Cat trying to confiscate the projected ball after every test. 
• Actually, everyone got along fairly well. Probably the biggest stop down moment was, at about 10:00 p.m., the Junior says, "Ok. now we just need a triggering device to fire it."
• I'm sick. But last night we noticed that Family Pup #2 was sick, too. She would hardly move and, after doing our own amatuer vet examination, determined that she would squeal if any pressure was placed on her stomach. She'll probably go to the vet today, but any ideas? She would hardly move this morning. 
• I'm going to admit I'm sick.. But last night Mrs. LL was more concerned about the sickness of Family Pup #2. She gets a pass because I was more concerned about the Pup than me, too. Hey: Can humans and dogs transfer sickness to one another? I would assume "yes" but I've never heard anyone say, "You're going to give that sickness to the dog!"
• "Mark Cuban Just Finished a Net Neutrality-Bashing, Ayn Rand-Featuring Twitter Rant." My head just exploded. How Cuban gets a pass on saying stupid things is amazing. (He was on The Ticket yesterday in full snake oil salesman mode.) In the past he said that "Google will never buy Youtube because it would be sued into oblivion" and about 15 years ago he said that broadband will never be much faster than it was at that moment. Promise. 
• Jonathan Gruber vs. Hans Gruber: Who got more press yesterday? 
• Sports: (1) Correction from my earlier note about the Texas high school playoffs: There was actually an 0-10 team who made it. (2) There is a 90% chance of snow in the TCU @ Kansas game this weekend. (3) You couldn't pay me to go to an NBA game. Some people paid to watch the Mavs win last night 123-70. (4) From the Update: "GAMES CANCELED – Slidell basketball games scheduled for tonight have been canceled." Why? (5) Worst fake punt in the history of ever last night. 
• BagOfNothing is doing my trademarked Random Thought Girl today and is trying to sneak it by us just because it is Star Wars related. He'll be hearing from my lawyer.