Above The Fold

Bonus Taking You Into The Weekend

Some lower level professional hockey goalie and girls with big thighs doing The Wobble. "Ey big girl make em' back it up, make em' back it up."

MLS Houston Dynamo Girls Taking You Into The Weekend

Tourney Update: Baylor Is Horrible

But Nebraska is horriblerer.

The Children of the Corn shot 11 three pointers and connected on none of them. Six out of 26 overall.

And Baylor is up only 13? They still have a chance to lose this game.

Edit: Lord, Have Mercer!!!!

Duke was cursed earlier this year. 

"Coach K, this is unacceptable!"

Weekend Long Reading

This long article is in the most recent issue of Texas Monthly but they are rolling it out in five parts on its website over a few days. Two parts have been released so far. It is getting rave reviews.

(The Wikipedia entry about the case is here.)

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• That was some high entertainment in the first day of the Tourney yesterday (especially if you stayed up for the Texas game last night.)
• The Fifth Grader in The House filled out a bracket which I noticed was filled with crazy predictions. Me: "You realize those numbers out beside the team names mean something, right?" Her:  "I used them on the left side of the bracket. On the right side I decided to trick it up."  I was just proud that she used the phrase "trick it up". 
• Twitter unveiled a function yesterday which allows you to discover your first tweet. Mine was boring ("Watching fox4news"), but the date beats almost everyone: 2/27/07.
• The producer of the Mark Davis Show promotes her teenage daughter's singing career like its her only hope. I hope she throws in a "Honey, this might not work out" every now and then. 
• Decatur hired a head football coach last night who comes from 6A Colleyville Heritage where he took them to seven straight playoff appearances and compiling a record of 60-19. With a resume like that it seems like he took a step back. 
• It may be years before they find that plane. It's got to be at the bottom of the ocean. 
• "The government's top economic experts warn that, without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic and a distressing scenario would unfold.More banks could fail, including some in your community. The stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account. The value of your home could plummet. Foreclosures would rise dramatically." - President Bush in September 2008 (as I remember how the economy had been driven off the cliff.)
• "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul." - President Bush on Vladimir Putin in 2001.
• According to the Update, a guy was arrested in Rhome yesterday for "solicitation of a minor." A guy with the same name, who lists Decatur as his home, is an accomplished professional dirt bike racer. That's either the same guy or a guy who just became very unlucky simply due to his name. 

If You Ain't Clairvoyant, You're Last

Me on 2/6/14:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram today:

And, man, the author of that story really liked quoting the movie. Even threw a spider monkey reference in there.

One Game In And I Just Lost A Billion Dollars

I Wonder If Things Right Now Are Working Out As He Planned

Fred Phelps Dead -- Westboro Baptist Church Founder Dies http://t.co/J1WciV3v84
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 20, 2014

Oh, Come On

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I mentioned a few months back that Elaine Taylor Hays, formerly of Bridgeport and daughter of the late Gordon Taylor, was running for Congress against Mac Thornberry. I finally looked up the results: She lost. Even though everyone hates Congress, it's hard to beat a Congressman.
• The played an episode Duck Dynasty on the "Big Hoss" screen last night. It can't get much more redneck than that.
• On WBAP this morning, one guy accidentally referred to the show has "Dyke Dunasty" -- another one of them, I couldn't tell which one, asked if that was a show about professional softball. I don't know how they get away with it. 
• "A Kennedale High School assistant football coach was in custody Wednesday, accused of improper photography or visual recording in connection with a video camera hidden in a faculty bathroom at the school." It's almost more shocking that he went to the U.S. Naval Academy. (But he'll never see a day in jail. That improper photography statute has been struck down and it's about to get the death nail by Texas' highest court.) Edit: Well, I'll be. It's "death knell". EDIT: I screwed up, I went and looked the statute again and there's another section of it which specifically makes it illegal to take such a photo in a bathroom. That part is probably constitutional. 
• 6. The number of police officers that the Tarrant County Grand Jury has declined to indict in the last month alone. Stories here, here, here, here, and here. 
• You can win a billion dollars if you pick all of the games correctly in the March Madness tournament. The odds? 1 in 9,000,000,000,000,000,000. (That's nine quintillion.)
• Last chance to sign up for Liberally Lean Tourney. 
• Two objects bobbing in the Indian Ocean have been spotted via satellite. Is it the Malaysian aircraft? One ship has made it there, but darkness has caused the search to end for the day. Map.
• I saw some signs around Texas about a "warrant roundup" over the last month urging you to pay up. I continue to think that's a bluff. No officer is coming to your house to arrest you for a Class C misdemeanor ticket. And if they do, don't answer -- there's nothing they can do. 
• I first shrugged when I saw a crazy website warning that a radioactive cloud was headed towards Texas from the old nuclear test site in New Mexico. I'm still shrugging. But there are other legitimate news sources that say something happened. 
• I watched just a few minutes of the SMU game last night but I couldn't take my eyes off 7'6" Mamadou Ndiaye, a freshman from Senegal, Africa.
• Next month you can buy an old nursing home in Bridgeport at an absolute auction. (Although the auction company mistakenly refers to Bridgeport as Bridgewater at one point.)
• Tom Delay's conviction was overturned last year by an appellate court. Yesterday, Texas' highest criminal court said it wants to review that decision. I can't believe they want to get involved.
• From the Update: I guess if you saw someone taking a kid out of a car trunk that you'd be a little concerned. 

Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Anyone?

About 110 people were found today at immigrant stash house in SE Housto.. pic.twitter.com/XT9ObvmJ1t
— Carol Christian (@christiancarol) March 19, 2014

It's Like A Team Of Almost Naked Super Heroes

Post – Australia’s popular male stripper group Thunder from Down Under have been involved in a shooting at a Las Vegas hotel. One person is in police custody after shots were fired at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. The male revue group regularly perform up to 11 shows a week at the hotel, and promise “dynamic dance routines, barely there costumes, state-of-the-art lighting and chiseled abs,” according to their official website. Police said that at about 9:30 p.m., a man wandered through the locker room used by the cast of the show. He was going through their personal belongings, Fox 5 Vegas reports. When members of the cast confronted the man, they allegedly pushed him out of the locker room and into a courtyard. The man then allegedly pulled a gun and fired a shot into the air. The shot ricocheted off a wall and struck one of the cast members in the face. The victim’s injury was minor, police said. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. The motives of the shooter are unknown, but he is said to be between 25 and 30 years old. He was taken to University Medical Centre and will be charged when released, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports. He appeared to be under the influence of methamphetamine, police said.

Probably nothing in their locker room other than Affliction shirts and steroids. Lousy choice for a burglary. 

More News That I Missed

I love how WFAA filed this under "Entertainment".

They keep $600K in a safe? They ever heard of a a bank drop box? Or maybe it's just what they use for petty cash.

"But church officials noted there was no electronic data breach and that individuals who put their offerings in a drop box, gave online or made a bookstore purchase were not affected."

News

Wise County Commissioner Terry Ross has been removed from office by a district judge, ending a 2-year saga. http://t.co/26PZqrDPkZ
— Kristen Tribe (@WCMtribe) March 19, 2014

First Sign In Dallas About Upcoming Final Four

(1) How much do you think Coke paid the W for that?

(2) How mad would you be if you booked a room at the W and your view was obscured by that monstrosity? (A room tonight runs you a minimum of $395.)

Army Wife Loses 100 Pounds To Surprise Husband

Talk about putting down the cheeseburgers! This chick is the Wife Of The Year. "Hey, now", indeed.

But, man, the soldier was nervous talking about it. I mean, he's walking through a virtual IED field in that interview because he can't even remotely suggest there was anything wrong with her back when she was, uh, a little on the heavy side. There's one certain truth in this world: After every successful diet by the significant other, every man fears the, "Are you saying I used to be fat!!!!???" rant.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Whatever happened to Jenny Jones and Ricki Lake?
• BSNF BNSF is hiring 5,000 people. In this world of high tech, the old fashioned railroad keeps growing and growing. (I wonder how many of those jobs will be in north Fort Worth?)
• I once gave a BNSF employee a ride from the 7-11 on Western Center Boulevard to the company's headquarters down the road. He claimed his car had broken down. It all turned out to be legit.
• I'm not sure I understand the Cowboys new deal with defensive lineman Henry Melton: A one year deal for $5 million and then a three year extension of around $8 million per year if he is on the roster on the first day of the NFL season in 2015. Why not just call it a four year contract with the same amounts? The Cowboys could still cut him after the first year since football contracts aren't guaranteed.
• Melton was originally recruited, and played, as a running back for UT. Here's a twenty yard TD run from back in the day.
• Sean Hannity has abandoned his 24 hour I-Hate-Obama agenda to focus on the missing Malaysian flight. That's odd. (But that story is fascinating.) 
• Odd fact: There were 21 rabbits entered for competition at the Wise County Youth Fair. (I had one week of rabbit raising experience in 2013). 
• "You'll want to watch this incredible two-man golf trick shot over and over again"
• There will be 2,000 volunteers working the Final Four at Jerry World. (The current March Madness TV contract cost Turner and CBS an average of over 3/4 of a billion dollars a year. That much money being thrown around and volunteers are needed? This isn't a charity event.)
• By September, Texas will only have six abortion clinics.
• I don't care anything about Decatur High School baseball but somehow I became aware last night that in the top of the 7th they were tied with Gainesville but in trouble: They faced bases loaded with no outs. Somehow they got out of that only to win it with a walkoff homer in the bottom of the inning. I would have liked to have seen that. 
• You have about 24 hours to sign up for the Liberally Lean Pick 'Em Tourney.
• Fox 4's Good Day on the ridiculous Big Hoss video board this morning. 
• Supreme Court ages: Liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg (81), Conservative Antonin Scalia (78), Moderate Anthony Kennedy (77), and Left leaning Stephen Breyer (75). A conservative two term Republican president could make that one right wing court for years and years to come. 
• Charles Tolliver is listed in the death notices in the Update. Is that Billy Joe's dad?

Above The Fold

Wreck Of The Day

You are not seeing things. Cars facing every direction possible on EB 635 before Skillman. pic.twitter.com/wqv49eG7Ug
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) March 18, 2014

This Is A Bad Omen For A Longhorns' Tournament Run

And Another - Pennslyvania

Another strong entry by 2014. Story.

Whoa -- Seattle News Helicopter Just Crashed

Wreckage of news chopper, 2 cars still exploding right now @komonews pic.twitter.com/YM9vVhoGOa
— Kelly Koopmans (@KellyKOMO4) March 18, 2014

Edit:

He Decides To Get Off The Road And This Is The Thanks He Gets

Day Shift Officers just arrested a DWI driver who decided to pull over and sleep at the entrance to our police shooting range. C'mon man!
— Carrollton TX Police (@CarrolltonTXPD) March 18, 2014

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I finally got to watch some of the news coverage (and speculation) about the missing Malaysian jet. This is one of the most fascinating mysteries I've ever seen. 
• Shyster Kevin Trudeau has received a 10 year federal prison sentence. I couldn't be happier. 
• A Grapevine man fell into the Grand Canyon over the weekend and died.
• Coolest thing about the Spring Break vacation: We stayed in a "tree house" where three of the walls were screens. Worst part: Despite a ton of bug spray, jungle bugs will bite you. 
• A County Court judge over in Denton won re-election by 29 votes, but his challenger has requested a manual recount. 
• Still time to sign up for the Liberally Lean Pick 'Em Tourney.  (I don't know why Yahoo! makes you verify you identify via cell phone -- seems stupid to me, too.)
• See a dog run around in a football uniform. 
• Want to run 50 miles in the LBJ Grasslands beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday? 
• If Russia wants Crimea, it'll take Crimea. 
• There currently may not be a bigger beating than driving from Wise County to Northeast Mall. There's the I-35 construction and then the Loop 820 construction. 
• Anyone else cringe when they hear a Texas Motor Speedway commercial where they reference both the "Duck Commander 500" and the "Big Hoss" video board?
• Texas Monthly, beginning tomorrow, will publish a series of articles online about the 1982 Lake Waco Murders.  That was a crazy case of a bunch of kids killed due to mistaken identity and then a cluster of criminal trials that followed (one that ended in an acquittal upon a retrial on a change of venue to Tarrant County.)  I once read a book about the case named Careless Whispers  by Carlton Stowers. (Yeah, cue Wham!)
• Mrs. LL grounded the Fifth Grader in the House last night and you would have thought, based upon the reaction, that she just got sentenced to TDC. 
• What has happened to Fox's Megyn Kelly? ("Hey, Now" photo) When she used to be a guest on Hannity or O'Reilly, she was a voice of reason. Now she acts more like Nancy Grace. 
• With Lake Bridgeport a shocking 21 feet low and what looks to be a dry Spring, will the Tarrant County Water Board open the gates this Summer to keep Eagle Mountain Lake full?
• Wendy Davis is within seven points of Greg Abbott. She won't win, but it's further proof of the changing politics of the state. 
• The Ticket talked about the game "Thumbs up, Seven Up" today. I had never heard of that. 
• Vince Vaughn just bought ex-USC coach Lane Kiffin's house for $6.5 million.

Courtney Love Has Found The Malaysian Missing Plane

@Courtney If you say so. I don't see it. ✈️
— D.R. (@DR24) March 17, 2014

Google and Microsoft Paint. Genius.

A St. Patrick's Tradition Unlike Any Other

That thing is now up to 23 million views over the years.

"Who else seen the leprechaun, say yay!!!!!!"

"Not . . . On My Watch"

(Source) — The executive director of Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers is facing up to two weeks in jail on a contempt of court charge for stuffing an anonymous tip in his mouth instead of handing it over to a judge Friday. Richard Masten was appearing before Judge Victoria Brennan when he refused to share information related to a tip in a cocaine possession case. Instead, he ate the paper containing the tip while sitting in court. “We promise the people who give us information to solve murders, serious violent crimes in this community, that they can call with an assurance that they will remain anonymous and that nothing about them or their information would ever be compromised,” he said. “The case today started creeping into that… it’s not going to happen on my watch and I understood the consequences.”

Gotta love this guy. A true man of his word.

(From a legal standpoint, I've always questioned the tip to Crime Stopper's being "confidential". In fact, the Texas Government Code requires the disclosure of a Crime Stopper's tip if it tends to show that a person accused of crime is not guilty.)

Random Baylor Football Note That Even I Can't Believe

	FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules)
3/17/14, 2:38 PM Yes, this Baylor-UIW game in 2019 is real - bit.ly/1dga7VU

4.4 Earthquake In Los Angeles 30 Minutes Ago

Watch newscasts as it hit.

Edit: A Megan Henderson sighting!

It Is There

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• And we're back. In case you were wondering, we went to Ian Anderson's Caves Branch in Belize. It bills itself as a "jungle lodge" and an "adventure company".  I discovered it in an old New York Times article here. 
• I rode a horse up and down a slippery and steep 30 foot "canyon" (picture me wildly frightened on a horse and you've got me pictured correctly), I repelled 15 feet over a cliff and then was lowered down the next 270 feet (scary), Mrs. LL and I and a guided tour into the depths of a river cave which led to a dislocated shoulder after climbing a waterfall about an hour in (which was then put back in place by two guides who spoke broken English.), we all went to the Mayan ruins in Guatemala (where I could only think about Apocalypto and the rest of the Family Unit wouldn't stop looking at the monkeys in the trees.) 
• After snorkeling and stopping at a small island, the Fifth Grader in the House asked me "if you discover an island is it yours." I told her, "I think that's true if it's in international waters which, I believe, is like 15 miles from the coast of any country, but I'm not sure." Some wise guy college kid who was standing nearby said, "To not be sure, that was a pretty specific answer."
• I was completely, and I mean completely, in a news blackout last week. There was no WiFi and no TV.  That was pretty refreshing. (But I didn't expect the missing Malaysian plane to still be missing once I got back on the grid.)
• When I loaded the plane to go home, Weatherford attorney Dan Carney was two rows behind me holding an issue of Texas Monthly which had an article on current Wise County assistant DA Tim Cole -- an issue which I had taken down there and read as well. 
• Not that I use it much, but going through customs in DFW is now a breeze. Completely automated and they make you take a "selfie" -- I'm guessing some type of facial recognition software is being used. 
• I read Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw's book on his addiction to alcohol called Drunk On Sports.  It was pretty interesting but he sure thinks a lot of himself. He told us how much he made, how he was selected as being to valuable to be laid off by the News, and referred to himself as a "powerful voice" in the DFW media. And despite two years of sobriety, his tone at the end of the book does not sound like a guy who can keep it up. 
• I always thought Quizno's was a little wheels off and now it has declared for bankruptcy protection.
• Some guy gets drunk and plows into a crowd at SXSW killing two people in Austin? I would understand an Intoxication Manslaughter charge but the DA will seek Capital Murder charges. That makes no sense. Edit: Here's the PC affidavit. There may be more to this than just aimlessly driving into a car. But it's still murky.
• A list of the 35 riches "neighborhoods" in DFW. I suppose they all make sense except for #34: "Bedford". 
• Did you know that the "kissing sailor" in that famous Life photo lived in Benbrook? And he died last week. 
• TMZ got a hold of Justin Beiber's deposition last week and it is entertainment gold. That kid is such a tool.
• The season finale of True Detective was beyond disappointing. Never has a brilliant cable show ended with an episode that wasn't even comparable to of a bad show of Law and Order. 
• St. Patrick's Day Parade "Hey, Now."
• You don't hear much about the "Bermuda Triangle" anymore. Man, it was a big player when I was a kid. 
• Former tonight show regular David Brenner died last week. Maybe the most unfunny comedian ever. 
• Sports: (1) UT's new coach kicked two players off the team over the weekend, Charlie Strong is either going to be a great success or an epic disaster,  (2) Baylor makes the NCAA Tourney but has its first game at 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, (3) 7 of the 10 teams in the Big 12 made the tourney,  (4) The owner of the Colts got arrested last night for DWI and possession of a controlled substance, and (5) Troy Aikman was average at best over his last five seasons. 

2014 Liberally Lean Tourney Pick 'Em

It's that time again. Sign up here.

I'm still deciding/working on a prize.