Kid Is Destined To Be A Hit With The Ladies

Let's Tell This Bear Of A Week What We Think Of It And Head Into The Weekend

I suggest that guy go watch the documentary Grizzly Man.

Now I Have My Answer

Last month, I dogged the judge in the Kaufman JP capital murder case for grandstanding:

And someone speculated why . . .

But now we have our answer from the "Local Politics" section of the Morning News:

Story. I guess Tip O'Neill was correct: "All politics is local."

University of Miami Fan Pushes NC State Player

Loved that glare when the player turned around.  If that kid didn't say, "Uh . . . sorry, sir. Just trying to help. Won't happen again, sir", he's flirting with disaster.

Palin/Nugent 2016

I would be horrified and extremely entertained.

I Thought We Had Gold For A Moment From Fox 4!

Alas, it was Decatur, Georgia.

"Dozens Of Dogs Possibly Stolen From Wise County"

Link to Channel 5 story.

Edit: A commenter pointed out that this made the Drudge Report . . .

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• "Trial of Eddie Routh, killer of Chris Kyle, will be darkest chapter of American Sniper". True that. Routh is a victim of that that war, too. A war which took so many young lives will haunt, if not destroy, many of its survivors for year and years to come.
• Conservative talk show host Mark Davis actually believes Chris Kyle killed two truck jackers at a convenience store in Texas? 
• The King of Saudi Arabia died yesterday. Every time I hear "Saudi Arabia" I think of the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were from there. And I also think of a book I've always intended to read: House of Bush, House of Saud. 
• Odd NFL fact I had forgotten about: Tampa Bay began in the AFC and then moved to the NFC. Seattle started in the NFC, moved to the AFC, and then back to the NFC.
• Deflategate is whipping me to no end. And note to media: If you think double entendres about balls are funny when discussing the controversy, I suspect you go home and watch Larry the Cable Guy on a DVD player.
• Fox 4's Becky Oliver had a segment last night on "extreme billing" by Texas General Hospital in Grand Prairie. She focused in on a lady who had gastric sleeve surgery and received a bill for $622,887.  Anyone else confused by this? She had an elective surgery and there was not an agreed upon price upfront? This isn't like she was rushed to the emergency room after an auto accident with severe injuries.
• You guys can gripe all you want to about Obamacare, but the system we have lived with for decades is jacked up. Getting rid of it might be like being on a journey with Lewis and Clark, but it needs to be made. And I don't care how Obamacare morphs over the years to come so long as the old status quo is gone.
• In the Jacksboro murder case where the guy was representing himself, he was found guilty and received 85 years in prison. Based upon what I've read, that seems excessive. 
• Come on, can't we have at least one ice day?
• Yesterday was the seventh anniversary of Heath Ledger's death.  Is it just me, or does the passage of time seem to be ramped up to overdrive?
• Kyler Murray is a very highly rated high school QB who is committed to the Aggies. (He's also the son of former Aggie great Kevin Murray.) But he did three weird things this week: (1) Took a surprise unofficial recruiting visit to UT, (2) Tweeted a picture of a Longhorn jersey with his number on it, and (3) Attended a function wearing a burnt orange tie.  If he ends up with the Aggies, I'd be worried he's a nutcase. 
• Very nerdy legal observation: Yesterday the Fort Worth Court of Appeals issued an "en banc" opinion which means all seven judges decided the case instead of the typical three. That's beyond rare so I expected something big. But the opinion issued concerned itself with the pretty routine issue of whether there was sufficient evidence of intoxication in a DWI case. It was incredibly short and there was not a dissent. And they designated the opinion as "Do not publish" which it means it doesn't go in the formal printed law books (but can still be cited.) So why did they go to all that trouble to have all seven judges hear the case? 
• Stolen from BagOfNothing: I completely missed the filming this week during a NBA game of Will Ferrell hit a cheerleader with a (probably fake) basketball as part of an upcoming film. Here's the video. Here's an incredible photo of it. And here is the gal who played the part of the cheerleader. Hey, now. 

Girl vs. Glass Door: Who Ya Got?

That was kind of like Rocky and Apollo Creed hitting each other simultaneously and both going down.

Winner: Girl. She's able to get up.

Flashback: He's Still On The Run

From America's Most Wanted

I hadn't thought about this guy in years, but he is still on the run. He worked as a crime scene investigator or processor in Wise County in the 1990s but was fired in a resume scandal. Later he became wanted for murder. And they've been looking for him for years.

Edit: I wonder if this comment is true . . .

Funnier Than I Thought It Would Be

There's some Crazy Talk in there.

Dez likes Funyons.

Guy Calls Out A Troll On Twitter

Who trolls a guard for 13-6 New Mexico who plays in the Mountain West?

That Was A Pretty Big 72 Hours

Within period of 72 hours, Nixon was reinaugurated, LBJ died, Roe v Wade decided, Vietnam settlement announced--all 42 years ago this week.
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 22, 2015

A president who would be forced to resign, a president who was forced into office after the JFK assassination, abortion legalized, and a war we still argue about today.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Jalapeno question: I can eat a Subway sandwich with several jalapenos on it with no problem. A little hot, but I like it. But if I buy a jalapeno at the grocery store and eat a slice of it, even if cut razor thin, my mouth erupts in fire. What's the difference? 
• The Dallas Observer had a great post yesterday of corruption within the University Texas Law School (including its former dean) and how the Texas Tribune, "the on-line news service that has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants from the University of Texas System, blew off [a] new report as old news and basically not much to talk about." It was basically about a slush fund for the dean. 
• Look, I have some hesitation letting some comments go through that are critical of certain aspects of the Bridgeport High School basketball team. But, as I have always done, I want to expose racism to those who blindly don't believe it exists. And, man, some of you over the last two days have acted like you live in 1950 Mississippi. (And you can't imagine some of the comments that I killed. )
• 1,715 TV series aired in 2014. That is crazy.
• That said, set the DVR: On January 27th, HBO will broadcast Night Will Fall. It "explores the background to what took place in 1945 when Allied soldiers, newly trained as camera operators, were sent into Germany to record what they found during the liberation of camps such as Bergen-Belsen, Dachau and Auschwitz." The footage almost became a documentary after WWII (Alfred Hitchcock was involved) but it was shelved. And that footage has never been seen until now. They say it is haunting. 
• Troy Aikman on the Ticket this morning said that a new football is used on every play in the Super Bowl because the last used ball becomes a "commemorative football." I'll take his word on that, but I've never heard of Super Bowl commemorative football (advertised as "actually used in the game!") for sale on e-Bay or anywhere else. 
• There are places in the metroplex where gas jumped 25 cents a gallon yesterday. 
• The Assistant DA from Dallas who was arrested a couple of weeks ago for DWI and went on a rant towards the officers has now officially been canned. 
• There's a murder trial going on in Jacksboro where the defendant is representing himself with two "standby attorneys" from Decatur appointed to help him if he wants it. Day one. Day two. This morning he will testify by having one of the two lawyers read questions to him exactly as he (the defendant) has written them. It has the potential to be a train wreck. 
• Baylor played a basketball game last night, in the middle of the conference part of the schedule, against some school named Huston-Tillotson. Who is that? Why are they playing a school with an enrollment of 900? Answer: It was supposed to be part of a "Coach Carter" movie that fell through but they played the game anyway. (Baylor was only ahead by one at halftime). 
• The house of Adam Lanza (the Sandy Hook killer - or alleged Sandy Hook killer for you False Flag nuts) will be demolished. But, man, that's a nice house on two acres. 
• "Police in a Mexican border city said Wednesday that a drone overloaded with illicit methamphetamine crashed into a supermarket parking lot." Now that's some American type ingenuity by our friends south of the the border. 
• WBAP's Hal Jay this morning: "Ann [his wife] and I don't have any secrets from each other as far as I know." Think about that statement.
• WBAP's Brian Estridge this morning pointed out that the President ended the State of the Union with "and God bless this country we love” instead of "God bless America."  Estridge then said he "wasn't offended by that" which caused me to become very confused. Then he followed it up by saying "some people" wonder what country the President was referring to. Incredible. 
• For 64 years, the Texas Senate (31 members) required a 2/3rds majority (21 votes) before a bill could be bought up for debate and a vote. Yesterday, that was scrapped and now there is a 3/5ths rule (which will require only 19 votes.) Want to know the current make-up of the Senate: 20 Republicans. 11 Democrats.  Get ready, folks. 

Banned Looney Tunes

They were talking on my radio device at lunch about how some old Looney Tunes, or parts of them, are banned because of offensive content.   They specifically mentioned this episode.

I think they said it was made in 1948.

Old Photo From 2012 Campaign

I had never seen Biden on the campaign trail "visiting" with bikers. Funny photo.

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• They used a fake baby in American Sniper. I never noticed it when I watched the movie. 
• In this day and time where cops hardly ever get charged with a crime, I find it somewhat shocking that a Wichita Falls police officer was sent to prison for a fatal wreck. A wreck. (He has prescription medication in his system but they didn't charge him with Intoxication Manslaughter which they could. They just charged him with recklessly -- not intentionally -- causing the death of another.)
• Packed house at Decatur v. Bridgeport last night. (Photo.)
• The plot of Double Jeopardy a few years back confronted the issue of whether someone can be prosecuted for murder if the death was lingering and in the interim the defendant pled guilty to a lesser charge. It's happening in real life in Dallas.  (I looked up the movie after I wrote that sentence and was stunned to learn that my "few years back" was actually 1999.)
• Irving had four more earthquakes yesterday and now it's to a point where we hardly talk about them. 
• WWE Wrestlemania 32 is coming to Cowboys Stadium.  I couldn't name one WWE wrestler if my life depended on it, but I almost want to go because I bet that scene is ridiculous. 
• The White House's official Twitter account tricked us before the State of the Union with a picture indicating the President would wear a tan suit. For those of us who wear suits, that would be a very big deal. But, of course, he wore a dark suit. 
• With as many drones as there are on the market for personal use, I've yet to see one flying around. 
• Almost every Way-Too-Early Top 25 college football poll for the fall has Baylor and TCU in the Top 5 or at least the Top 10 with UT and Oklahoma not appearing anywhere within the projected polls.  That's mind boggling when you think about it. 
• Is there a site which tracks Mountain Cedar for the metroplex? I know there has to be but I can't find one after a quick search. (It's a sneeze fest in the house right now.)
• Let me explain this for the millionth time to the Dude who calls me an "ambulance chaser": An "ambulance chaser" is a derogatory term used for a small time plaintiff's personal injury lawyer who is so desperate for clients that he will chase an ambulance after an auto accident to illegally solicit business. I've never had a personal injury case in my life. I've practiced criminal law for the last 25 years. Hey, I obviously don't care about insults, but could you please make them within the zone of reasonableness? And I would ask for a little humor but that appears to be out of the question. 
• In Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's inauguration speech yesterday, he quoted the Bible in the second sentence. Then quoted the Bible in the fourth sentence. And ended the speech with a reference to "Come and Take It."  Get ready for a wild ride. 
• The entire Family Unit got Fit Bits for Christmas, and Mrs. LL set up a page where we can see the number of accumulated steps by each person.  It's fascinating motivation. 

Time For Republican Response To The President

What do you think of @SenJoniErnst's shoes? She's giving #GOPresponse to #SOTU now. #FoxNewsCHAT pic.twitter.com/gUX4FB97Q2
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 21, 2015

But instead Fox News jumped the shark.

As for delivery, she was a robot. Here's a hint to members of both parties: If you ever get offered the chance to provide the response to the State of the Union, don't do it.

President's Response To Republicans' Mocking Applause

I'm surprised he didn't pic up the mic, drop it, and walk off after that.  Trust me, that's an historic State of the Union moment right there. It will be replayed a million times tomorrow.

(Ticket fans: Mrs. LL turned to me and said, "Baaummm!")

Well, This Headline At Least Made My Head Explode

Holly Fisher became a social media phenomenon in July after posting a pair of photos showing her holding a variety of conservative totems – a Bible, AR-15 rifle, a Chick-fil-A cup, and wearing a pro-life T-shirt.

“ATTENTION LIBERALS: do NOT look at this picture,” Fisher posted on her Twitter account. “Your head will most likely explode.”

Story.

Conspiracy Theorists Unite!!!

The guy who made this movie:



The world reels with the turmoil of war, geological disaster, and economic collapse, while Americans continue to submerge themselves in illusions of safety and immunity. While rights are sold for security, the federal government, swollen with power, begins a systematic takeover of liberty in order to bring about a New World Order . . . 

Has been found dead . . . 

Supreme Court This Morning: Muslim Allowed To Grow 1/2" Beard While In U.S. Prison

I'm guessing that's his old beard before prison.

The law:

 "(a) In general Government shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Exception: Government may substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person—
(1) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and
(2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest."

(I'm not real sure why we need the law. That's how the 1st Amendment is interpreted anyway.)

The guy was incarcerated in Arkansas. He wanted to grow a 1/2 inch beard but the prison said no because it would be security threat. The Supreme Court, perhaps implementing Sharia law*, sided with the inmate.

So . . .  what about a 1 inch beard? 2 inches? 6 inches?

Oh, "Holt is in prison for multiple offenses. He first served time for making threats against then-President George W. Bush’s daughters, and in 2010 was sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his girlfriend. He is currently incarcerated at a maximum-security facility." And, you know, as for as this issue is concerned, that doesn't matter at all.
________________
*Come on, that's funny.

A Video To Make You Thankful You Are On The Ground

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• NFL super-agent Drew Rosenhaus's wife called Miami Beach police to their home late Sunday to chill an altercation between the two.  What? He couldn't negotiate a resolution? 
• "If we nominate another candidate in the mold of Bob Dole or John McCain or Mitt Romney, the same people who stayed home in 2008 and 2012 will stay home in 2016 and the Democrats will win again." - Ted Cruz.  Dude. It's the only way the GOP stands a chance. 
• Rick Perry handed down a bible to Greg Abbott yesterday. "Every governor since 1925 has shared the same Bible, and has have highlighted scriptural advice in it for their successor." I wonder what a Texas atheist, agnostic, deist, Buddhist, or Muslim thinks about that tradition. 
• I rented a Rug Doctor yesterday and took it home and got to work. Verdict: Kind of fun. 
• WBAP's Hal Jay this morning after it was pointed out that last year the President wasn't able to accomplish his wish of a minimum wage of $10.10 that he announced in the State of the Union address: "Hey, $10.10 would be a pay cut for a lot of people!"  That may be the most nonsensical thing he's ever said. 
• Green Bay's collapse against Seattle. Baylor's collapse against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl. TCU's collapse against Baylor in Waco.  All were not possible until you saw it happen. 
• The Cowboy's Demarco Murray is now engaged to this person. "Hey, now."
• There was trash talking on here yesterday about the Decatur/Bridgeport basketball game tonight. How long have I had this blog? I've never seen trash talking about a high school basketball game. 
• There really doesn't seem to be a lot of blowback for those who question the Chris Kyle story.  (An article which looks really comprehensive about him -- and his alleged killer -- is this New Yorker article from 2013.)
• I watched NBC Nightly News last night and had to think, "Did I just see an interview of a New England Patriot with a t-shirt on depicting Tupac shooting the double bird?" Why, yes. Yes, I did. 
• "At least 50 U.S. law enforcement agencies have secretly equipped their officers with radar devices that allow them to effectively peer through the walls of houses to see whether anyone is inside." They might want to tap the brakes on that. The Supreme Court ruled in 2001 that cops couldn't use thermal imaging to do the same thing. Edit: A commenter says the story doesn't say the police didn't have a warrant. Sheesh. If they had a warrant, there is no story. 
• According to the Update, a pharmacy in Rhome was burglarized and the culprits "took empty pill bottles and blood pressure medicine." Worst. Burglars. Ever. 
• The Ticket's Junior Miller wrote about his dog of 15 years having to be put down over the weekend. I read it yesterday, cried and then took Family Pup #1 for a walk. 

Get Me This Dancing Cow Who Just Happens To Be Mexican!

And Another (Twofer) - California

Story.

Someone Stole Tiger's Tooth!

Cool mask, by the way.

Some States Just Won't Give It Up

Only in Arkansas... #DERP pic.twitter.com/tVZ7EU41sl
— Paul Hookem (@PaulHook_em) January 18, 2015

Get Me This Seal Who Loves A Dog!

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide whether the States can ban same sex marriage. (There were actually four petitions granted from four different states. By the luck of a docket number order the case will forever be known as Obergefell v. Hodges.) The decision is a no-brainer, right? 
• In this day and time, I can't tell you how much I think the Bridgeport "Sissies" is the greatest name in the history of ever.  (For those of you who don't know, the boy's team used to be called the "Bullies" -- as in "Bully".) Even back in the day, there was nothing more amusing than watching one their games against a non-district opponent and watching the question marks form over the opponent crowd as they thought "Sissies?"
• 12.8% of Texas children are uninsured. Not bad? Well, that ranks us the 49th state in the nation for children's health care.
• Fox News apologized four times for an anti-Islam report. The most stunning thing is that they didn't preface the apologizes with "For those who may have been offended . .  .. "
• That Fox Business News report on Super Bowl attendance (see post below) still has me shaking my head. And people listen to them for business advice? Someone had to be fired over that report. 
• Before the Seahawks/Packers game, I told Mrs. LL that I'd bet $500 on Seattle if we were in Vegas even with the Seahawks giving 7.  It was a lock. #Kids,Don'tBetOnSports
• "Let's Laugh At These Poor Seahawks Fans Who Left The Game Early"
• If you write a book entitled God, Guns, Grits and Gravy and you want to run for President, one thing is certain: You might win the South. But that's it. The rest of the nation doesn't exactly get all giddy when it hears Sweet Home Alabama.
• The Tarrant County DA tweets about MLK this morning and directs us to a link that doesn't work. She might want to consider hiring a PR person since her's left. 
• A corporate executive at a conference goes to a dinner and then dropped off by Uber at the wrong hotel. His suit jacket was found neatly folded two weeks ago on the accompanying golf course. His body was found in a pond on the golf course over the weekend.
• Along those same lines, professional golfer Robert Allenby misses the cut at a tournament in Hawaii and then posts a selfie of himself claiming he was kidnapped from a wine bar, beaten, and then released. Riiiiiiiight. I'm sure that's all there is to it. 
• For the first time ever, I watched Point Break over the weekend. It's bad in a great way. But its no Road House.  
• I also watched a documentary: Evolution of a Criminal.  A guy robbed a Texas bank when he was 16 years old, got out and received a degree in film from NYU, and then directed and starred in this documentary about the robbery. Good stuff. (As the film was about to reveal what the plea bargain was, Mrs. LL and I both guessed. Much to my chagrin, she nailed it exactly. I was five years too high.)
• We also went and saw American Sniper over the weekend. The movie doesn't mention his tendency to stretch the truth, but the movie was really, really good despite being directed by Clint Eastwood who is notorious for dumbing down his films (See: Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby.)  But even Eastwood had a little trouble having the script follow Kyle's book  -- the first scene out of the gate is inaccurate. Note: If you go see it, you will be able to hear a pin drop during the credits. It earned $90.2 million over the weekend -- a January weekend. 
• Seth Rogan compared American Sniper to "Stolz der Nation (Nation’s Pride), a Nazi propaganda film in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds starring Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl)—a German sniper reenacting a 'heroic' episode in which he picked off over 200 Allied soldiers from a clock tower." He'll probably get in trouble for that. But not as much as Michael Moore. (Source.)
• We saw the film at Keller's new Movie House and Eatery off of Rufe Snow. That place is fantastic. You sit in recliners. I mean, real recliners!
• Bud Kennedy, in an article about MLK today, briefly referenced "the ugly Mansfield High School incident" of the 1950s. I had to look it up. 
• Troy Aikman got all pissy with The Ticket's Gordon Keith last week. The man has no sense of humor, does he?  
• Base salary for certain Cowboys last year: pro bowler Zack Martin ($420,000), Terrance Williams ($520,000), Anthony Hitchens ($420,000) and even Dez Bryant ($1.78 million).  If any sport needed a better union, it's the NFL.
• "Eighty people hold the same amount of wealth as the world’s 3.6 billion poorest people." Here's the list. Hint: Mark Cuban isn't even in sniffing distance.

That Face At The End Will Be In Your Nightmares

Oh, My

One lucky driver. Man walks away after his pickup is squished between two semis. http://t.co/Xqyt2LvBAV pic.twitter.com/eL9BIWjaxX
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 18, 2015