I Almost Want To Go Look Up The Annual Property Tax

 Buyer's Wikipedia page.

Above The Fold

It's Friday Afternoon, Let's Get Out Of Here

Get Me This Dog Reuniting With This Little Boy After Being Lost For A Month!

Boy and Dog reunited.. so cute.OMG Watch the moment a little boy is reunited with his dog that was missing for a month....!! ❤❤❤❤By Paula Williams Check out Lost and Found Pets of Lubbock, TX.
Posted by iRadio on Friday, January 15, 2016

Big Decatur "Boom" At 11:00 a.m

Artist's rendition. Probably a little exaggerated. 

Anyone know what that was?

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Goldman Sachs got hit with a big fine for being crooks during the mortgage crisis but finally this time the government sanctioned them with a $5 billion penalty but ordered $1.8 billion of that as restitution to the victims. Finally. When the government orders all of the fine to go to them,  a business will just pass it along to the consumer. Here, the consumer will get at least something.
• I'm sure I can find it, but I have no idea what the word "revenant" means in the Oscar nominated movie The Revenant means.
• Breaking this morning: "The Coast Guard is leading a search off the Hawaiian island of Oahu after reports that two Marine helicopters had collided." The two helicopters carried a total of 12 people. 
• "The National Transportation Safety Board wants to decrease the legal driving limit to one drink, lowering the legal limit on blood-alcohol content [from .08] to 0.05 'or even lower.'” Well, that would certainly generate a ton of cash for the government. (And the very astute of you may ask how the federal government can dictate to the states what their state laws will be. Simple: The federal government threatens to withhold highway funds if they don't.)
• The Liberally Lean curse/blessing continues: I mentioned for Decatur resident Ronnie Gage last week and now he has become the AD and head football coach at Paradise. 
• I'm writing this before the Update comes out, but I heard that the million dollar lottery winners are actually a group of employees from a "well known" business in Decatur.
• Ted Cruz started off really well in the debate last night when he challenged Trump on his "birther" claim but then took a couple of haymakers as the debate went on.  Overall, it was a horrible week for Cruz. He was exposed for a federal disclosure violation regarding a $1 million Goldman Sachs's loan, and picked a fight with the state of New York (population: 20 million -- and those  20 million people have friends and relatives who live all across the country.) 
• Probably the best part of the debate was the commercial for this summer's movie, Money Monster, starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts. It looked like the plot is about someone sneaking onto the set of Jim Cramer's Mad Money show on CNBC, puts a bomb jacket on him, and wants an explanation as to how he has lost all of his money listening to him but everyone else on Wall Street is getting rich. Julia Roberts is producing the show live and has to decide whether to broadcast it. Official trailer here. And it was directed by Jody Foster. 
• Lindsey Graham endorsed Jeb Bush this morning. Well, this race is over. (Honestly, the Duck Dynasty guy's endorsement of Cruz a couple of weeks ago is worth about a million times more.)
• There a commercial for a Verizon Theater show of Jeff Foxworthy and Larry The Cable Guy. Please tell me they still aren't doing those  tired "you might be a redneck" and "git-r-done" bits.
• Oil dropped below $30 a barrel this morning. 

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• It wasn't the Powerball, but someone in Decatur won between $1 and $2 million last night. It was sold at the Horizon in Decatur off of 287. (But, of course, they could live somewhere else.)
• "Olympic Gold Medal Winner Picabo Street Charged With Assault".  Not sure about the charges, but I always have thought that was a cool name.
• Over the holidays, my family asked me, "Is it legal for someone to fly a drone over your home." Like anyone can really know that!
• Awkward moment last night on Bill O'Reilly when interviewing Ben Carson (who just happens to be black.) O'Reilly asked him, "I heard tomorrow at the debate we will have 'Carson Unchanged'."  Good lord.  Why didn't he just say, Django Unchained?
• There was nothing more bizarre when HBO's Hard Knocks show had NFL star Antonio Cromartie try to name all of his children. He now has 10. And now he and his wife are expecting twins.
• Trying a case by yourself is exhausting. But it does do one thing: Motivate you. You prepare because you know it is all on you.
• I stumbled across a speech of Trump at a Florida appearance last night. His reception by that group was insane. It was like he was appearing at Rednecks With Paychecks.
• I know I'm in minority, but I'm not "outraged" by  U.S. sailors having to momentarily keep their hands over their heads once they were detained for going into Iranian. Afterwards, they were fed and promptly released. There are people on a U.S. traffic stop which will be treated worse today.
• There were three winning Powerball tickets last night -- none in Texas.
• Ted Cruz seems to be in hot water. His 2012 campaign was fueled by a $1 million loan from Goldman Sach's where his wife worked. The problem is that he didn't disclose it on federal forms.
• Dozens of people are camping out around a ChikfilA in Arlington. Am I missing something?
• Hans Gruber from Die Hard has died.

Get Me This Dog That Smiles When It Hears "Cheese"

College Football Notable Death

Lawrence Phillips bulletin from CA state prison spokesperson @KFIAM640 pic.twitter.com/XzKECRSPbF

— Eric Leonard (@LeonardFiles) January 13, 2016

He was great as running back but wheels off from beginning to end.

Remembering Lawrence Phillips and the Cornhuskers team that no one could beat. https://t.co/lefkxPZ1WD pic.twitter.com/A65aOj7vSX

— VICE Sports (@VICESports) January 13, 2016

Above The Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thought

Edit: I have been called out on more grammatical errors than usual. I'm in trial. I banged this thing out in about five minutes and  hit "publish".

• I keeps seeing this viral video of a guy cuddling with a mammoth bear. I don't think he has ever seen Grizzly Man.
• The State of the Union seemed more entertaining than usual. But is there any worse job than being the Speaker of the House from the different party than the President with the camera on you all night?
• But the President, surprisingly, did not mention guns.
• Donald Trump did not think it was entertaining: "The #SOTU speech is really boring, slow, lethargic - very hard to watch!"
• And why was Rowan County, Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis at State of the Union (she the one who wouldn't issue same sex marriage licenses.)
• Are these SuperPac ads which do nothing acting a candidate new? I saw one that did nothing but go after Rubio this morning.
• We had another Iranian Hostage Crisis yesterday. But our ten sailors have already been released. (But there something weird that two of our boats ended up off course because of "navigation issues".)
• The Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo will ban Confederate battle flags at events this year. 
• To the two girls who allegedly attacked a city worker, do you really need you own names tattooed on your chests?

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Marvel Comics has a movie coming out named Black Panther? (Countdown to someone commenting: "What's his superpower? Suppressing conservative voters?" And cue the "BadaBing" sound") 
• Kudos to the judge who reduced the amount of the Affluenza Mom's bond. She may be a screw up, but she deserves to be treated fairly. 
• But one of her sons said his mom's bank account had a balance on minus 99 billion? The Ticket told me this morning that is what is reported once the government "freezes" your account. I have no idea if that is true. 
• The onside kick (quick and easy Vine here) in last night's Championship Game was a thing of beauty. And Nick Saban winning 4 national championships in 7 years may never be matched. I can't believe it can even happen during this day and time. 
• I started my "crazy football trips" in the 1990s and the first one involved Clemson, the University of Georgia (hey, R.E.M is from Athens!) and then the Georgia Dome for an Atlanta Falcons game. But, out of all of those, I was stunned by Clemson. The campus was beautiful and the stadium made me think I was at UT. I had no idea how intense it was going to be. 
• ESPN's "Way Too Early" Top 5 for next year: (1) Clemson, (2) Alabama, (3) Baylor, (4) Michigan, (5) Oklahoma.
• Fifty years ago, the original (comedy?) of Batman premiered on TV. The show was great. I sat there as a child and was enthralled with the drama. My dad was laughing in the background because the writers threw in comedic lines that went over my head. (And how about those Batman drawn in eyebrows?):

• Aren't you a little nervous if you are Sean Penn? 
• The State of the Union speech is tonight. I'm a political junkie, but I always find it to be a beating. Trivia: Shortest address: George Washington with 1.089 words. Longest: Jimmy Carter with 33,667 words. 
• I bet I said this 10 years ago in connection with the State of the Union: I would start if off with, "I know those watching have worked all day and are tired and have responsibilities this evening other than listening to me. Because of that, I will keep this brief." And then I'd be done in 15 minutes. 
• I can't remember the name of the Sheriff who always makes appearances on Fox News, but I can never get past how he is dressed up like he is General Patton. 

Dating A Hot and Crazy Girl Is Fun But There Are Consequences

Lady Gaga vs. Leo: Who Ya Got?

Thanks to the emailer. (Mrs. LL also saw this last night and couldn't stop laughing.)

The bump by Lady Gaga followed by the double eyebrow raise by Leo is golden.

Fox News Advice On The Lottery

This is not photoshopped.

Oh, The Humanity After the Vikings Lose!

You might want to rotate that ball, buddy

Link. Language warning. 

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Ground Control to Major Tom: David Bowie died last night.
• El Chapo was captured, but I can't get over the shirt he was wearing. And the fact that Sean Penn was accidentally involved in the capture is crazy.
• Mrs. LL and I watched Poltergiest on Friday night and I had forgotten how great it was. Even weirder, I to told her that I thought the little girl star was dead. I was right. But she died in 1988.
• I'm not sure, but it sounds like she died from Toxic Shock Syndrome. Anyone out there remember that in the 1980s?
• Obscure sports stat: The Baylor's women's basketball team is 108-2 at home. And an even more obscure fact: They have a player who is the granddaughter of former TCU football head coach F.A. Dry.
• I mentioned that Mrs. LL has been playing with a tiny drone. At the CES convention last week, a drone was unveiled which is  designed to carry a person. That is right out of the Jetsons. And it might be the future. The bad news that for now it costs $200,000-$300,000. Then again, flat screen TVs used to cost $5,000.
• I loved the commenter on Friday who said the economy was in bad shape because of the stock market. Dude, you don't understand the stock market.
• The ending of the Cinncinati/Pittsburgh game was crazy and the fact that Pacman Jones was involved in a penalty made it very entertaining. In 2008, Pacman got into a fight in a bathroom of a hotel in Dallas. I'm trying to find it, but I could have sworn Jerry Jones said a "trinket" or "figurine" was broken.
• I didn't watch it all but I'm through four episodes of Netflix's Making a Murder. After that the first episode I thought it was over and the next episode would be about a different case. Nope. Just when you think it cannot get worse, it does. I have been  on the verge of screaming at the prosecutors on the screen. And every prosecutor, defense lawyer, law enforcement officer as well anyone who cares about justice needs to watch it. This stuff happens. 
• The official organization for Texas prosecutors issued a warning on Friday with this all caps sentence: "ALL TEXAS PROSECUTORS SHOULD READ THIS OPINION". If you withhold evidence that may not even impact a  case, you still might lose your bar card. Of course, it would require someone reporting a prosecutor to the State Bar. 
• Mrs. LL was in downtown Dallas with a friend when a person told her that the restaurant at the top of Reunion Tower was operated by Wolfgang Puck. She told him, "We ate at one of his restaurants in Vegas!" She then realized the guy was homeless. She then gave him money out of, I suppose, generosity and embarrassment. 
• The Power Ball lottery is $1.3 billion. And now people are interested?
• I accidentally came across a Donald Trump rally in Iowa on Saturday. I could not stop watching. He's a fascinating politician. 
• The Jacksboro paper has a story about my crazy campaign to run as an Independent. The reporter told me they ran the story with a "fuzzy" picture of me she got off the Internet. I told her I wasn't going to win on my good looks so that was OK.
• There was a PBS show that I recorded (it is Texas based) and  there was a segment of how Texas Game Wardens were trained at NASA how to escape from a helicopter which crashes into water. You kidding me? How much does that cost us? 
• I love the Golden Globes and Ricky Gervais. Man, he went scorched earth last night. But one of my favorite moments occurred when Sylvester Stalone won an award, and the orchestra fired up the Rocky theme on his way to the stage. And once he got up there, he said that, "I am the sum total of everyone I've ever met." What a great line. He may not have created it, but that is one great line.