Above The Fold

It's Friday. Let's Get Out Of Here.

They may never find her. 

Impressive. Not sure how to use it in a career field,

but impressive nonetheless. 

Move over amateurs. Micheal Phelps'

dog is coming through. 

"Anyone can do the pommel horse. Just watch!"

No! No! No! Never! Never! Never!

Attributed To Chief Justice Roberts At Commencement

Honestly, I've not verified if he said it because I don't care who said it. It's great. 

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Some kid caught a 25 pound catfish at Lake Mineral Wells. Is there a place which shows "official records" for Lake Bridgeport?
• Dirk agreed to being paid $5 million next year. Some call it a "home town discount" but, from a basketball standpoint, I'm not sure he's worth more than that. From a Mav's PR and commercial standpoint, he's probably worth three times more than that. (And anyone think Cuban has promised him a side deal once he retires?)
• One other Mav's point: The worst thing that could happen is to not be a lottery team again next year.
• Heard a very disturbing story from a credible source of an attorney calling people who were arrested in Wise County and stating bold face lies in order to scare them into hiring him and paying a ridiculous fee. I'm trying to verify.
•  Have you seen the German police use those water cannons on the G-20 protesters? "Cannons" is exactly the right word. Man, they are powerful. 
  
• What a horrible wreck that killed the Paradise teenager yesterday. FM 2123 has always made me nervous.
• I lost over half of the house's water pressure last night and fully expected to be bone dry this morning. (Fortunately, that didn't happen.) But the event did give rise to a bizarre dream of Ice-T showing up and talking to a repair guy who flipped a massive switch outside causing water to come flooding through the ceiling. Pure insanity.
• Toyota officially opened its headquarters in Dallas and it was borderline silly. Someone thought it would be good to have rope dancers rappel off a glass covered building in this heat and do a routine.
  
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• This morning's handshake, and the video is grainy. What year is this?: 
  
• A Denton County case where a guy got 60 years was reversed late yesterday (but the opinion wasn't up as I wrote this.)
  
• The unemployment rate, it was announced this morning, is slightly up to 4.4%:
  
• It's an "Ozone Action Day" today which can always be translated to: Hot and humid but, most importantly, very little, if any, wind. 
• I didn't know this park existed. It's not far from Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth: 
  
  
• Bridgeport History: Someone asked me if I remembered a swimming pool, once located behind where Bridgeport Automotive is now, which had island in the middle of it. I don't think I do. 

On The Back Of Decatur Building

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• I'm almost through with The Keepers from Netflix. It's really, really good. I'm just skeptical of any "witness" who recalls events from almost 50 years ago. If you don't know someone's background, it's hard to take anything they say at face value. 
• I'm apparently a very restless sleeper, and it drives Mrs. LL crazy. I've given her permission to hit me and wake me up if I'm bothering her. She has readily accepted that permission. 
• The NRA has ramped up its game. It is now running an ad on The Ticket referencing the Dallas police shootings from one year ago and is using the phrase that people "were marching against police."
  
• What a weird storm last night. A home on Timarron golf course in Southlake suffered a tremendous lightning strike. #WarnUsPeteDelkus!:
  
• Remember Representative Steve Scalise, the Republican from Louisiana who was shot at the baseball practice last month? He is back in ICU.
• There's a moron anonymous commentor on here who keeps asking me if Trump is launching nukes on North Korea as "you said he would." I never said he would. I said that I fear he is thinking about it. 
  
• If you see a press release which has "For Immediate Release" at the top, you know you have a very old school PR guy behind it. Was there a time when something wasn't for immediate release?
• "Does" or "Do"?
  
• I didn't see this from last March in the New York Times (and it references Fort Worth). It's about the militarization of police: 
  
• Great point by a couple of you yesterday after I asked if a family member or close friend is employed by government -- you brought up Lockheed Martin. Those folks aren't technically government employees but are 100% practically government employees. Throw in Bell Helicopter as well. 
• Trump is on an overseas trip. Get ready.: 
  
• And in the same speech he reminded Poland that they were invaded by the Soviet Union and Germany. "That's trouble. That's tough," he said. Like they didn't remember. Or maybe he just learned that from the teleprompter.
• Random opinion: "Best BBQ" talk whips me to no end. 
• Within the year, Texas will have closed eight prisons. One of them is Bridgeport's Pre-Parole Transfer Facility.
• Is it just me, or has it be smoldering hot over the last few days? I mean even more than your average Texas summer. 

America!

Side notes:

(1) The female anchor is the great Megan Henderson -- formerly of Fox 4 news.

(2) The beach on-the-scene reporter looks familiar.

My Only Lacrosse Post Ever

Great shot. Better goalie reaction.

Above The Fold

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I was not the hardest working man in show business yesterday. But I'm about to make up for it. 
• A plane carried this over Lake Bridgeport yesterday. Who is this Stacey gal? And did she say yes?
  
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• I've mentioned former Baylor receiver K.D. Cannon before. Lots of talent. Not real smart. He went undrafted and then was paid $40,000 by the Raiders as a free agent and cut within a week. He then signed with the Jets. This is an update. Place your bets. 
  
• CNN did something very weird. They tracked down the Reddit user who created the video of CNN being thrown down in a wrestling match -- the one that Trump posted in one of the most embarrassing moments in U.S. presidential history. The guy who was tracked down issued an apology but CNN didn't identify him on the following condition (see graphic). Hey, either identify him (he deserves it) or not, but don't blackmail him. 
  
• The Texas Tribune regurgitated the dumbest argument I've ever heard yesterday: "Reminder: Texas cannot secede from the United States."  Why, they say? Because it is "illegal." Look, the secession argument is stupid. But to say it can't happen because it is illegal is more stupid. Was the Civil War "illegal"? Was the American Revolution "illegal"? Was gambling illegal at Bushwood, sir?
  
• Bad holiday:
  
• You hate big government? Think about this: Do you have a family member or good friend that is employed by the government? I bet 100% of you will say "yes." Yep, 100%.
• Odd headline: 
  
• But I may get a Crimestoppers fee for solving it: 
  
• I cleaned a crappie for the first time in years yesterday. It did not go well. 
• This is an incredible story about the government making accusations that they can't prove. 
• 
  
  
• “At some point in the future, we’re going to look back and say how did we do it without space? . . . This is infinity here. It could be infinity. We don’t really know. But it could be. It has to be something — but it could be infinity, right?” - Donald Trump speaking with Buzz Aldrin right beside him (and creating  a very funny photo.)
  
• Mrs. LL over the weekend: "If you ever think about retiring, we could buy the Twin Hills convenience store!" After initially dismissing it out of hand, I thought about Clerks. I just need a funny buddy to come visit the beaten down me!
  
• The New Yorker had an article about how demographics will change Texas and the country's political landscape. (How many years have I been preaching this?) It's coming like a freight train. And the leaders in Austin don't realize it. 
  
• I found this over the weekend: A 1977 Texas Monthly issue. I'm giddy to read it -- from everything to the articles to the ads. (And the price was $1.25 back in the day.)
  
• How do 28 people get injured in a Little Rock nightclub after gunfire breaks out and no one dies? And how are there no suspects?

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Who is the hardest working man in show business?
• Wise County Sheriff's deputies are running traffic on 380 inside the city limits of Bridgeport on 380. That was unheard of back in the day.
• And Another (Texas). Probably just a court update. I think I've posted that pic before: 
  
• "(CNN) On Friday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ordered the beaches across the Garden State closed -- a reaction to the ongoing budget impasse in the state's legislature."
  
• And immediately comedy ensued: 

  

  Planet of the Apes

  
  

  

  From Here to Eternity

• In case you missed it, Trump continued to show mental instability on Twitter over the weekend. (He stole it from a Reddit user.): 
  
• And it did not go unnoticed by the author of the Harry Potter novels:
  
• And from the one of the most far right journalist in the country: 
  
• Delkus has invaded Wise County's border?
  
• Mrs. LL's brother visited over the weekend and brought two high end drones with him. They were equipped with hi-def cameras and had a range of four miles. They were equally creepy and fantastic. 
• Heard over the weekend: "Marriage changes people."
• How come firework technology has not improved? (Side note: Nothing was more fun than "bottle rocket fights" as a kid. Having to duck as one goes screaming at your head was one of life's greatest joys. Side note #2: The Ticket reminded me of the firework term "punk" this morning. I hadn't heard that term in years. You always needed a punk.)
• Random Wise County PSA:
  
• A North Dallas teacher and her husband were found dead due to gunshot wounds on a New Mexico road. She posted this a couple of days before.
  
• The Texas Monthly constantly refers to Gov. Greg Abbott as weak and ineffective. That's true. 
• And we will all now have a Sheryl Crow earworm all day long: