First World Problems

Today's Letter to the Editor in the Star-Telegram:

A search of the appraisal district records of the home:

Messenger Above The Fold

Taking You Into The Weekend

Hot girl in the foreground. Comedy gold in the background.

And Another: Houston

Story. That's one pouty mugshot.

Mitt Romney Appeals To The Working Class Of Michigan Today . . .

. . . by pointing out that his wife drives a couple of Cadillacs.

I'm just surprised he didn't realize his gaffe and then follow it up with a nervous laugh while softly saying, "Uh. Scoreboard?"

Throw together clips of this, trying to bet Rick Perry $10,000 during a debate, the "I like firing people" speech, the "I'm not concerned about the very poor" TV appearance, and the joint appearance with Donald Trump, and we've got a heck of a commercial in the making.

Quite The Scene Yesterday On The Tollway

Now traffic cam video has been released.

NEW: Video of 18-Wheeler Tollroad Crash Released: MyFoxDFW.com

Is This A Bluff?

Any of you guys ever get arrested at your house because of one of these "Traffic Ticket Roundups?"  Sometimes you'll see a particular city send out a warning of "pay up" on your outstanding tickets or we might arrest you on a predetermined weekend..  This time, they claim, 276 law enforcement entities in Texas are going to take part in it.  Even our publicity seeking Texas Attorney General is getting in on the threats.

I bet this is just a bluff to scare people into paying their tickets. There are a lot of municipal and JP courts that don't even issue warrants. They just put notice of the outstanding ticket in something called an OMNIBASE system that prevents you from renewing your drivers license until all tickets are taken care of.

I'm betting this is nothing more than a bluff.

Honestly, the amount of manpower expense to arrest someone solely for a traffic ticket doesn't' justify it. It would would cost more than the ticket revenue. And, if a person is arrested, they don't have to pay the ticket. Normally a bond is set and you can walk out for a fraction of the cost of paying the ticket.

Messenger Starting Online Newspaper For Justin?

It's definitely the Messenger.  There's a reference to receiving some type of print product in "your mailbox" but they certainly aren't charging for it.

Interesting.

Memories of Olga Korbut Came Rushing Back To Me

Blockbuster's About To Be Down To 1,000 Stores

 Locations for this round of closures not disclosed. Wouldn't be surprised to see that one in Decatur to be the last one standing.

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• I got honked at yesterday (in a bad way), and I have no idea what I did to hack that pickup driving guy/gal off.   Lighten up, Frances. I bet you had to hurry home to yell at your wife again. 
• It seemed like Wise County Day at the driver's license administrative hearing office in Fort Worth yesterday. Four cops were down there to testify (and one more failed to show.) 
• I've got the Cowtown Half Marathon this Sunday. "Someday you will no longer be able to do this. But that day is not today." 
• The Dallas main post office shutting down so it can be consolidated with the one in Fort Worth is the biggest sign yet that the U.S. Postal Service is in serious trouble. 
• "And Another". (Doesn't get its own post because of a blurry photo, little details, and not even an arrest.)
• Josh Hamilton meets with the press today in Rangers training camp.  Prepare to hear, "I've already addressed that issue" about a million times. I would think his followers are beginning to tire of him. 
• I like politics but I've had no interest in this contraception debate. Maybe if I was Catholic. But the vast majority of Catholics ignore that Church edict, right?
• Heard that in Mrs. LL softball practice that one kid tried to catch a fly ball with her eye socket. From the post injury description, it sounded like she took a left hook from Apollo Creed And her mom was there to freak out. Sorry I missed it.
• I was at another practice where the coach decided to do two simultaneous batting practices very close to one another. Competing line drives made it like a Civil War battlefield walking through it. 
• "I need all the parents to help out and shag balls!"  Since when does softball go like that?
• Swap Meet in Decatur this week which means the real news is that every fast food drive through line will be 15 cars deep. 
• That would be Paradise model is still at it. 
• WBAP's Hal Jay had a funny line when he learned that Rick Santorum was at a meet-n-greet at Vaquero in Westlake yesterday at $2,500 a head (which didn't even include a dinner but "light hors d'oeuvres"): "I'm glad to see Vaquero has come down on its prices." 
• Edit: A buddy just busted in my office, threw down a Time magazine on my desk, and said, "You write like this guy and Dave Barry."

Things That Make Me Do A Double Take

If Decatur wants to be the "Cowboy Capitol Of The World", our guys need to step it up. Wade is full throttle. Let him be your goal.

Camels? Rhinos? Cash? Gives a whole knew meaning to, "I wanna party with you, cowboy."

"Go Daddy, Because Here I Come" (Right Into The Wall)

Danica at Daytona today. This is worth enlarging to full screen for the replays.

Craig James Vows Not To Be As Gay As A Parade

The things that Texas politics turns on.

That Tyler Paper Needs A Headline Writer

If it read "Hairdresser Tried To Enlarge Customer's Breasts By Injection" then you'd get some readers.

Story.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• Motorcycle death in Dallas last night.
• And there was a big motorcycle crash in North Dallas this morning that shut down traffic. I don't know if it gave rise to a fatality.
• I think the hearing (which won't change anything) going on in Fort Worth  reviewing the legal representation of a death row defendant are the same lawyers who represented Stephen York here in Wise County.
• The first link in a Google search for York turns up this amateur piece on the tragedy. Who is that guy? Definitely from Bridgeport.
• The lady who was severely injured last weekend when she was the passenger of the Chico man who crashed in downtown Fort Worth was the mother of the child who died last December in Boyd - - a death that police originally suspected, but later discounted, was the result of abuse.  However, the lady was in the Wise County jail on a misdemeanor drug charge at the time of the child's death. She was released to attend the funeral.
• The Parker County Torture Guy received a life sentence yesterday. Everyone saw that coming. The victim, who is really country, was very upbeat after the trial as she spoke to reporters. You normally don't see that.
• The Star-Telegram is cutting its work force again.
• We slept with the windows open last night. Apparently The Family Cat considered that to be an invitation of an all night party of violently running from window to window to see if another animal is outside. 
• News this morning that Fort Worth will purchase a device for police that will allow the "tracking of cell phones."  But no one seems to know how it works. 
• Breaking: Seven marines killed in . . . Arizona. (Helicopter crash.)
• Whomever was in charge of the crowd at the Republican debate last night must have been on the Mitt Romney payroll.
• Rick Santorum is one strange guy. I hope he's the GOP nominee because that would be the most entertaining matchup in the Fall.
• Mrs. LL took Defensive Driving yesterday. As she left after finishing the course, I texted her to "be careful." But I guess I didn't need to tell her that.
• She learned two things: (1) it's illegal to drive with flip flops on [is it?], and (2) the word "comedy" in "Comedy Club Defensive Driving" is loosely used. 
• I could have sworn I saw an ABC News report last night about the lady below where she was shown in the middle of a residential area and remarking how the incoming bombs were landing indiscriminately around her with no sense of a target. 

It Was A Big Deal After All

Edit: Remember, I won't post comments that assert facts that are not readily verifiable.

Decatur Won't "Have Another Tequila Sunrise"