That Australian Hurdler Chick Taking You Into The Weekend

(It's a little racy. Nothing more than you'd see on Entertainment Tonight, but a little racy.)

I'm Declaring A National Day Of Mourning!

Elly May Clampett has died.

The "Lift Up" Move From Dirty Dancing

I've never wanted to see more of a video in my life. A beautiful setting with a Christmas tree in the background. Then we start with a very weak Dirty Dancing move -- hey, the girl doesn't get close to horizontal -- and then she hits the dance floor with a sound that is borderline haunting.  Follow that up with a little bit of shoe movement and then nothing as she goes into a crucifix position.

Was there a dance floor death in the news I missed? Hey, it's Murder on the Dance Floor!

Could Have Been Mrs. LL and Me During The Baylor Game

But, man, that caption is dead on. She looks up, sees they are on screen, and goes into damage control mode in an instant. It's very Pam-like from The Office.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I'll admit it. That Baylor loss was gut wrenching. I now know what TCU felt like when it gave up 21 to Baylor in the last 10 minutes. How in the world did it happen? Baylor has stolen probably three or four games over the last couple of years so it's hard to complain.
• There's not a dimes worth of difference between TCU, Baylor, and Michigan State. All are better than Florida State. I'm not sure any of them could beat Alabama, Ohio State or Oregon. 
• Putting the two college playoff games on New Year's Day was a fantastic idea. Felt like the old days. 
• Mrs, LL is a fan of Florida State because of the Tomahawk Chop fan sign. (Sign? Isn't there a better word than that?)
• I recorded the second half of the Alabama/Ohio State game last night and decided to go to bed. Mrs. LL was surprised but then we decided to start watching Breaking Bad (for way too long). But I kept away from social media because I wanted to watch game the next morning. When I got up at 6:30 to let the dogs out, Mrs. LL woke up and said, "You're not going to watch the rest of that game are you?" Me: "Probably." Her: "Well, I'm getting up to watch it, too." Promise. We watched the end of the game at 6:35 a.m. this morning. 
• Edit: She fell asleep during the fourth quarter as I'm writing this. (Great game.)
• During the game, a guy named Steve Miller had an interception return for a TD. The PA system then fired up "Take The Money and Run". Genius. 
• After letting the dogs out, I  realized the Christmas lights were still on outside and quickly decided to turn them off for the last time for the season. But the ground was wet. I didn't have my shoes so I made the executive  decision to take my off my socks and walk outside only to see my neighbor staring at me. Hey. Don't judge.
• CNN's New Year's Eve show with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin is borderline insane.
• Back To The Future 2 was based on the year 2015.
• There is a crazy 18 wheeler tanker fire on I-20 this morning. The whole freeway is shut down while the thing blazes away. 
• The new Tarrant County DA tweeted yesterday something to the effect of "We will never be ashamed of following the letter of the law." I've got a bad feeling about the new administration. It's not the law I'm worried about. 
• And there's already something weird going on with the DA's office. Its website is jacked up. And I can't find the twitter account of the office which used to be run by a former Star-Telegram reporter. 
• I rarely get to watch The Today Show any more, but it looks like Al Roker has taken on the annoying characteristics of the shunned Ann Curry. Basically, false sincerity. 
• There's a shocking stat in BagOfNothing this morning. And I do mean shocking. 

Extreme Sports Humor For The Win

Well, Baylor Is Up By 20+, Looks Like We Have A Cotton Bowl Victory !!!!

.... Wait. What happened?

But I am happy to report that the Baylor kicker did not die.

Edit (the next day):  There's always next year . . .

Dust Devil At Rose Bowl Fanfest Today Taking You Into The New Year!!!

Run cow!!!!! Run!!!!!

Aerial Shot

Source.

What. A. Beating.

Random Conservative Dallas Talk Radio Show Host

Who's with me? #HappyNewYear #2015 pic.twitter.com/ViXYmE4bdo
— Mark Davis (@MarkDavis) December 31, 2014

Peach Bowl Intensive Preview

Pete Delkus Gets A Second Christmas!!!!

Lo and behold! A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for the entire Dallas/Fort Worth area for accumulating light ice late tonight!!
— Pete Delkus (@wfaaweather) December 31, 2014

Flashback: Alabama Chick Goes Crazy

That leap at the 30 second mark needs to go in the Internet Hall of Fame.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• Channel 8 had a story last night about the Rhome shooting suggesting that the man shot may have been sleep walking.  He comes from a Mormon family which, in the story, was very well spoken. 
• The Messenger has their Top 10 Stories of the year edition out today, and I think there is a glaring oversight: There was no mention of the death of County Judge Bill McElhaney which was even more shocking because it occurred during a Commissioners' meeting at the courthouse. Throw in the fact that their #2 story was the election of J.D. Clark as County Judge and this omission is even more confusing.  Edit: Holy cow. The death was in October of 2013. It seems like yesterday. 
• Why does the TCU game start at 11:30 a.m. today? I can say the same thing about the Baylor game tomorrow but at least it's on an official holiday. 
• Hard to believe it has been 15 years since the Y2K "scare". 
• The Dallas Observer blog pointed out that nutcase Texas Legislator Jonathan Stickland has filed a bill that calls "for virtually unlimited open carry of firearms [and he] takes things a step further though, calling for the elimination of concealed handgun licenses." A commenter who represented himself as Stickland (and it sure sounds like him) said that wasn't true and linked to the bill. Then commenters pointed out the exact language of the bill which does exactly what the Dallas Observer said it did. Stickland never replied again. What an idiot. 
• Watched most of Killing Lincoln last night on Fox News. It's based on a book ghost written by Bill O'Reilly and almost an exact duplicate of the superior 2007 book, Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase For Lincoln's Killer.
• I don't want to go all Pete Delkus on you, but West Texas sounds like it is going to be an icy mess for the next couple of days. 
• Canada is thought of to be gun violence free, but yesterday a guy shot and killed eight people and then killed himself. 
• Play-Doh is in trouble. 
• You can get into the Orange Bowl game tonight for $3.26.

Above The Fold

40 Years?

Judge sentences Kim Williams to 40 years in prison for murders. Victim impact statements happening now. pic.twitter.com/1TrndObr7E
— Dionne Anglin (@DAnglinFox4) December 30, 2014

She testified two weeks ago she didn't have a deal with the prosecutors. Now she gets one for 40 years and will be eligible for parole in 20?

Get Me This Dog Teaching A Kid To Jump!!!!!

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• There seems to be a different news vibe to the Rhome shooting this week. It's hard to put my finger on it. 
• Looks like they found some of the wreckage and bodies from the downed AirAsia airliner.
• Texas and Oklahoma had combined bowl loss scores of 71-13. (Texas had only 59 yards with only 2 or those coming on the ground.) Not a good day for the Big 12. Makes me nervous for TCU and Baylor. 
• Mrs. LL went into a crazy cleaning spree yesterday and put up all the indoor Christmas decorations. 
• Ordered four Ticket posters from BobandDan.com as a gift and they never arrived. 
• Mrs. LL went back and re-watched the first four episodes of Breaking Bad. Knowing what ultimately happens make them even better. 
• Man jumps off bridge. Walks away like it was no big deal. 
• Sickness is one way to lose weight without having to exercise. I rather be able to jog again.
• Get ready for "Arctic Blast" news over the next two days.
• There's been an industrial size bag of Meow Mix in our office kitchen for the last month. I keep looking for a cat. 
• I guess we'll never know what really was behind the Ron Washington retirement. 
• Did Dale Hansen do his "Thank God For Kids" segment this year followed by a commentary? Five years or so ago, he really looked like there was something bothering him when he did it. 
• The Messenger says the alleged robber of a Rhome Bank has been identified as Temple Fern Jernigan who is now in the Tarrant County Jail. I googled the name and found that a Temple Fern Jernigan from Haltom City was murdered in 2008. I haven't done the math, but it's possible that was the son of the guy recently arrested. This appears to be the photo of the robbery suspect. 
• I'm not sure some of you understood my point yesterday of NYPD cops being disrespectful by turning their backs to the mayor. It happened at a funeral. Someone is dead. You are there to honor the dead. 
• Sounds like there was another earthquake in Irving this morning. I've lost count of the number. Edit: It appears to be exactly at the site of the old Texas Stadium.  

15 Minute Time Waste -- And Well Worth It

A little PG at times.

Bad Aggie In Game Going On Right Now

If you get ejected for targeting, you shouldn't celebrate.

Edit: Holy cow!! We've got an Aggie Graduate Assistant who has lost his mind. Twice.

Annual Gallup Poll Results

Poll: @BarackObama is the world's most admired man and @HillaryClinton the most admired woman: http://t.co/Ka5xeln7ka pic.twitter.com/B7S1yAv5Y5
— CNN (@CNN) December 29, 2014

And To Think All We Had Was The Texxas Jam Back In The Day

"Skrillex, Armin Van Buuren, Disclosure, Zed's Dead and Zedd all headlined the Lights All Night festival at the Dallas Convention Center this weekend. [Dallas Observer] Photographer Ed Steele was there to document the action."

Looks like quite the scene. Or something.

I Thought This Was Incredibly Disrespectful

The funeral for one of the two New York officers slain execution style was held over the weekend. As fellow officers watched the funeral on a big screen outside the services, they turned their backs on the Mayor as he spoke inside because the officers do not believe he has been supportive enough.

Newsflash guys: That funeral wasn't about you.

Boston College Coach Whacks Chain Gang Guy

I'm not real sure he had anywhere to go.

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• So we have another missing airliner? If this one isn't found, I might join the conspiracy theorists.
• I've been sick for almost a week. It's worse than a cold and less than the flu. But I wake every morning and think, "Is it gone?"
• The homeowner who shot and killed a man in Rhome on the day after Christmas is described as "a  former peace officer with extensive firearms training." I wonder if this is him on Twitter. 
• Mrs. LL trying to describe geocaching to my side of the family over Christmas was a golden moment. You could almost see the question marks forming over their heads. 
• At Mrs. LL's insistence, she ordered The Interview. I watched most of it and found it stupidly funny (but my expectations were zilch.) 
• The Family Cat was roaming around and shattered a drinking glass in the middle of Saturday night. That'll wake you up. Except I was the only one who woke up.
• Sports: (1)  Jason Garrett was crazy for not pulling Romo, Murray or Bryant earlier. (2) Rewatched Baylor vs. TCU on Fox Sports No Huddle over the weekend. I have no idea how Baylor won that game. (3) What a vicious, yet clean, hit on Geno Smith (4) Josh Gordon was suspended after attending a Johnny Football party (Gordon was suspended because he missed practice the next morning. Johnny got suspended for missing treatment. What goofballs.) (5) Last spring, I saw a legitimate offer to enter a drawing for the opportunity to buy tickets to the college National Championship game but you had to enter it by a certified/registered letter. I actually did that and thought I might be selected since who would go to that much trouble for a chance just to buy tickets? I got a postcard a month ago telling me I was out of luck. 
• The Update "scooped me" in an area they shouldn't have: The Fort Worth Court of Appeals deciding the Terry Ross appeal. I normally check for released opinions every Friday morning (that's when they release opinions and not just orders), but I didn't do it this week because I figured there would be none because of Christmas. They released the opinion on Tuesday, and no one noticed. 
• The wife of the convicted ex-JP in Kaufman County is expected to enter a guilty plea this week. She testified in the trial she didn't have a deal with the prosecutors but she has one now. Are we to believe there were no plea discussions whatsoever before her testimony? 
• I read an article from early this year in Texas Monthly about a triple killing in farm house in Pampa, Texas in 2005.  I had never heard about it. Man, it's almost exactly like In Cold Blood -- but with a survivor.
• Rep. Phil King filed a bill to undermine anti-fracking ordinances as they did in Denton.
• Watched some of the original Vacation this weekend and noticed, once the Griswolds got to California, that gas prices were over $2.00. The movie was released in 1983.