Halloween Book In Photos Are The Best

11/01/2015 04:18:12 Baltazar, 26 yrs old ♉ DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED https://t.co/rWrSAYThKV pic.twitter.com/G0WMvpxrgG

— Arrests by @DentonPD (@DentonPolice) November 1, 2015

Mrs. LL and I Went To Aggieland

A couple of weeks ago, I received a gift from someone who knows how much I love my silly and stupid college football trips. I received two tickets to Aggieland: It's the South Carolina Gamecocks vs. The Aggies. The game time would later be set for 11:00 a.m. I've got an early morning road trip. Me to Mrs. LL: "You in.?" Mrs. LL: "You kidding me? Oh, yes!"

• I tell her we leave at a particular time and yesterday we only leave 18 minutes late. My master plan has worked (we didn't have to leave at that particular time.)   I tell her she could sleep all the way down if she wanted to because of the early start. 
• Things got weird quickly. She doesn't go to sleep. Now that's odd. But not as odd as a vehicle all over the road traveling at a snail's pace in front of us on I-35 after Burleson. I don't say anything and just point. She says, "Yep. I see it." It is 6:35 or so in the morning. Within a minute the guy makes it to the exit and Mrs. LL says, "There you go, buddy. Good job." And then he undershoots the exit and goes into the median which seperates I-35 from the service road. It was a slow roll. Was he drunk? Did he just fall asleep? Was it a medical condition? (Was it even a "he"?) Mrs. LL yells at me, "Go back!" I say, "Just call 911!" She does. We note the exit number to communicate it to dispatch. She hangs up and says, "Go back" again. OK, I will. What if it is a medical issue and we could get there before dispatch and do something? Let's go.  I overshoot the next exit and miss it and have to go down a couple of miles. I want to go over I-35 and head back up. She tells me to take the service road. I take the service road. As we get back there we see flashing lights of an emergency vehicle but the lights go off and the vehicle moves on. The guy is gone. Mrs. LL thinks she might have seen the vehicle at a convenience store we passed on the way. We go to it and it is not there.
• We head to Aggieland again. That's a weird start.
• She sleeps the entire way and I pull into a convenience store at College Station. We go in. Uh, it's Halloween and we see this in the checkout line at 10:00 a.m. That's a guy. With a beard. In a dress.  I think. Mrs. LL snaps that  picture and as she does I whisper, "Be cool." As we walk back to the car she says, "You think that guy cares if someone takes his picture?" Good point.
• I just want to see a football game and experience Kyle Field. This has been an interesting morning. 
• And we head to the stadium. I was stunned by the lack of traffic for what would be a crowd of 100,000. We park a long way away because that will give us a chance to see the campus. As we walk, we see the memorial for the Aggie Bonfire Tragedy and now we know what we'll stop by after the game.
• I was at Kyle Field 20 years ago. With the renovations, it looks like a brand new stadium.
• We get to our seats and they are on the first row at the 40 yard  line. Holy cow. That's not the best seat if you care about the best view of the game (I don't), but it is absolutely the best place in the world if you care about the experience. I am feet away from the South Carolina bench. I get to hear and watch the players and the coaches. I get to watch the media. I tell Mrs. LL this is my greatest football trip ever.
• I'm so close that I can see the white board when the defensive unit regroups and the coach draws on it. If I were an Aggie secret agent, I could take a picture and immediately send it to the Aggie coaching staff. With as big a business as college football is (and as big of a business as betting is), how does that not happen every week?
• Funniest/Oddest taunt ever: A young Aggie fan behind me yells at a South Carolina trainer, "Hey, nice cargo pants!"
• There is a hot sideline reporter walking back and forth and she stops right under us. She is making  notes on a pad. I'm not saying that Mrs. LL covertly took a photo of her notes, but Mrs. LL took a photo of her notes. I haven't looked at them yet because it almost feels illegal. (It's not.)
• I knew football was intense, but I had no idea the sideline was so intense. There are leaders who will cuss out the younger guys. The coaches will cuss out anyone.
• Mrs. LL wants to take a "selfie" with me with the great view of the field in the background. I hate selfies and I remind her of that. A lady behind us hears us and asks, "You guys want your picture taken?" No problem. Done. She takes the pic, hands the phone back, smiles at me and says, "It's all about memories."  I smile and reply, "You're right. And you allowed me to keep my dignity by not being involved in a selfie in front of thousands of people." She laughs. 
• The security was  amazing. There is always someone walking by and scanning the crowd. And it needed to be there. I could jump six feet down in a second and be on the field. Here's my chance to be Will Farrell from Old School and be a streaker! (The thought didn't actually cross my mind. I'm joking. But the vision of doing it and a horrified crowd seeing old me on the big screen does make me laugh.)
• I had told Mrs. LL about the Aggie band, and I didn't think she understood. She is a huge band fan. At halftime she finally sees it. (I think she is still saying, "Wow.")
• The Aggie Band and The Corp have a common mindset: Discipline and doing your job right. 
• Football note: The Aggies started a freshman quarterback who everyone thinks will be a star. The offense was boring in first quarter. Then they went hurry up and took over the game. After two drives I turn to the guy next to me and tell him, "They look exactly like Baylor." And they did.
• One of the greatest Aggie traditions is that crazy swaying the crowd does as they touch the backs of the person beside them. This happens between the third and fourth quarters. Mrs. LL and I have worn maroon and I tell her to get ready because it is a sight to see. We join in and sway with the crowd. The moment is fantastic.
• After the game we walk towards the Bonfire Memorial.  I remind her I got lost on the Kansas campus a few weeks back and she says that wouldn't happen to her because she has a tremendous sense of direction. She momentarily gets lost but quickly figures the way back. Funny. 
• We both notice the craziest number of bicycles in the history of ever. I bet there was one set of bike racks with over 100 bikes locked up on them. (However, I'm still confused about the bike in a tree we see as we were almost off campus.) 
• I don't care who you are, go see that Memorial.  Everything about the design was done for a reason. The tributes to those kids are beyond moving. I will be honest: I tear up. No. I cry.  I'm not an Aggie, but even I realized I was standing on Aggie Holy Ground.

It's Halloween Weekend. Let's Get Out Of Here

That's Dangerous

They May Be More Dangerous

Hey, Six Flags Use To Have A Sombrero Ride!

The University of Louisville apologized to the school’s entire Hispanic community Thursday after a photo surfaced showing President James Ramsey among a group of staffers at a Halloween party dressed in matching stereotypical Mexican costumes. More. 

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Police shot and killed a guy in Mesquite this morning and it looks like it was all caught on tape by local news. This may or may not get bad. 
• I mentioned the line from Pulp Fiction earlier this week of, "What's Fonzie say!?" And today is Henry Winkler's birthday. 
• Man, I finally have gone back to watching local news in the morning and it has a different feel. I think the consultants have come in and yelled, "Do it with intensity!" Even the mild mannered traffic guy on Fox 4 looks at you and tells you, "I'm about to give you information to get to work on time." And they even projected that on a stretch of road in Dallas that the drive time is 19 minutes. Idiocracy.
• It's almost November and the Montague DA has still not released the records requested by the Wise County Messenger. Why? 
• Halloween is coming up and it was insane in Bridgeport back in the day. It was water balloons and "rotten eggs" that we would later throw at each other. My group of friends actually went to a grocery store (Foodway?) and met with the owner and asked if he had any rotten eggs in the back since Halloween was coming up. He gave us a case.
• On Halloween night, Scott Bilby and I launched rotten eggs at State Trooper Grant Drale from 50 yards away (we lobbed them). Trooper Drake for some reason had stopped someone on my dead end street. He lived down the road so he probably saw someone driving like an idiot in the middle of a TON of trick or treaters. Throwin eggs was dumb and stupid and disrespectful thing for us to do. But kids do stupid things. You know what would happen today? I'd be charged with a felony of Attempted Aggravated Assault With A Deadly Weapon. And my life would have been ruined. 
• And I'm going to dog Fox 4's Dan Godwin for this morning reporting that a 12 year old was custody for drawing a map and making a threat. That's fine. My problem was that he said the kid was charged with "exhibition of a firearm" even though he "didn't have an actual firearm. Huh? I don't know what any of that means.  Edit: I've received more than one communication that there is an obscure provision in the Texas Education Code that makes this a crime. If I'm wrong (and perhaps I am -- I'm on it), I'll admit it. 
• Hal Jay on WBAP said this morning that a particular Constitutional amendment changing the qualifications for president could actually happen because of the "influx" of Asians, Hispanics and Middle Easterners into this country. He named all three. Does everyone who works with him back off from their mics every morning?
• One expected thing and one odd thing about the Mavericks game last night: Expected: They got drilled 104-88 and the Mavs owner trash talked the other team before the game. Hey, he's the smartest guy in the room, right? Odd: Coach Rick Carlisle said after the game, "We really would have had to play a perfect game and from a shooting perspective, we couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle." What does that mean? It's like a high tone guy suddenly deciding to act like Art Briles and try to fire off some back porch country witticisms.
• I mentioned Natalie Merchant the other day because I'm still pissed off that a particular song wasn't played at Bass Hall which she had performed on MTV's Unplugged.   I tried to Google the MTV performance and  stumbled upon this performance by her at an outdoor festival. It is fantastic (although she might look a little drunk). She is truly happy and truly thanking everyone who supports her as she sings with unmitigated delight. 

Holy Cow! There Is Video Of The Twin Peaks Waco Shoot Out!

Video

Obviously something went wrong and a crime probably occurred and one or more people needed to be arrested. At least there would be probable cause to arrest one or more. But the Waco Police arrested 170 people.  It was a mass arrest and roundup. And the DA has gone forward with prosecution. You kidding me?

For you people in Waco, get your popcorn ready to see how the "prosecution" unfolds. Unfortunately, you'll be watching a ton of dismissals against people who spent their life savings on bonding out and attorneys.

That should not happen in this country.

Side note: Nice job to CNN for throwing in scantily clad Twin Peaks waitresses running. You are hereby warned ! Don't steal my Random Thought Girl concept!!! There are intellectual property laws!!!

Trump!!!

The best clips of the debate in seconds.

I've Never Been More Intimidated By Someone Arrested For A Seatbelt Violation

Let's Check In On The World Series

Video.

Wait. What? Ok, maybe that's legit. She might have a handicap that is not apparent. But those are pretty kick arse seats.

Random Thursday Morning Thoughts

• We are hurling towards Idiocracy, and I admit that I might be a part of it. (See above photo.)
• Yesterday we had a car explosion in Plano because of someone sniffing something and now we have the news that "Dry ice likely why Plano woman passed out" in her car.  
• Don't go to Plano?
• Actual headline of Fox 4 this morning at the bottom of the screen: "Crime Spree Stopped By Man With Pumpkin Carving Knife."
• On the radio this morning I heard a reference to a Disney "record" of scary music for Halloween. I think I actually had that record as a child. 
• I turned on Fox News last night and Bill O'Reilly and Barney Frank were screaming at each other. I actually turned it off. I was not entertained. 
• If something is wrong with my gMail account there is a message off to the side that says, "Something is not right." 
• Vehicles You Fear On The Road Ranking: (1) The double tractor trailer -- I saw a Fed Ex double trailer wrecked out in the median on our way to Abilene this morning, (2) The truck hauling cars - I always think one will fall off. 
• I told Mrs. LL this weekend that Grace Kelly is the most gorgeous woman in the history of ever. And then after a frantic pause I told her, "After you." And to think I gave marriage advice. 
• Speaking of, the Family House had the Internet go out but not the TV Internet feed for the first time ever. I went home to meet the tech guy yesterday who showed up (amazingly) in the window of time. I explained the problem, he does some tech stuff, and then looks at me and says, "This situation is weird. Let me hang around for five to ten minutes to check it out." Ummkay. 
• And now, for the first time ever, the audio on the TV does not work. I was looking at this morning and had to go to closed caption. What's the saying? That silence can be deafening? I laughed when Simon and Garfunkle's Sound of Silence began to replay in my head -- which has the crazy/brilliant lyrics of, "Hello darkness my old friend." 

Wise County Church Humor!

Mrs. LL Stole One Of My Ties and Just Revealed Something

Today is tie day at my school. I borrowed a tie from @BSG pic.twitter.com/DNlEsUOXrH

— Kat (@kbug) October 28, 2015

How did I buy that one day? How did that happen? Cats chasing dogs! Worlds colliding! Chaos!

Edit: And then this just happened. Donald Trump always references China and how he will deal with them.  Read top to bottom.

Bad Idea Jeans

Someone mentioned this old SNL skit to me when I was up in the courthouse. I had never seen it, then did so, and then concluded this is really funny stuff. And just look at all those familiar faces who are in it.

(I can't remember the TV commercial they were parodying. Calvin Klein?)

Random Wednesday Morning Thoughts

• I forgot to mention yesterday that at dawn there was still a visible full moon in west and clouds in the east that had the orange "under belly". 
• I finally watched the police officer "launching" that kid in school. Good grief.
• The general thought is if I ran for political office that I might not succeed. Then again, I've never been a guy who had a job paid for by the Wise County taxpayer, decided to run for judge in Tarrant County, spend $109,450.06 in a campaign, and then finish third in the Republican primary with 13.8% of the vote. Heck, what do I know about politics? What have I ever won? 
• If I hear one more thing about Blue Bell on the news I will lose it. 
• I've dogged radio guy Mark Davis to no end and then last week he earnestly celebrates Natalie Merchant's birthday with his return music. I had mentioned Merchant the other day and that I love her voice so much that I went to see her in the Bass Hall.
• Craziest story ever?: There was a car explosion outside of a bank in Plano last night and police "believe [it was caused by] the person in the car was using an inhaler filled with nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to as whippits." 
• I didn't watch a second of it but apparently Fox lost the video feed of World Series Game #1 last night. How is that possible in this technological day and time?
• I get a weird feel from local radio and TV news people that they are fed up with their corporate bosses more than ever before. That would also explain the recent mass exodus of news people from their jobs and going into the PR business. 
• Speaking of local news, my schedule has changed in the morning so now I get to watch more TV news. I'll say what I a few months back: Jenny Anchondo is pretty, pretty hot. 
• Donald Trump is behind in the polls in the first race of the GOP in Iowa and tells a crowd in a different state, "What are [those Iowa voters] thinking?" He's either crazy or a political genius. 

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• The Star-Telegram has a story behind a paywall which is fascinating: There was a 1976 killing in Blue Mound where four family members, including a six year old boy, were killed as they were getting ready for bed. I had never heard of that story. It almost sounds like In Cold Blood. (Sidenote: Blue Mound has a police department?)
• Here's a tech trick to get to any Star-Telegram story behind a paywall. Hit the "stop button" or "x" once the page appears but the ads are still loading. I'm just a dumb country lawyer, but even I figured that out. 
• Most unusual bullet point ever: If someone was trying to send me a message yesterday, it was received.
• I love Junior Miller of The Ticket but he actually said this morning that we all need a GPS chip installed so the police could monitor us and more easily solve crimes. Good lord. 
• Mark Cuban was on The Ticket this morning hyping the Mavericks upcoming season. I've said it for over a decade: He is a snake oil salesman who has been somewhat lucky because of Dirk. And now Dirk is essentially gone. (And he actually plugged ticket sales, the price, and how to get them. That had to be a condition of him appearing in The Ticket.) 
• I can't tell you the number of times I've watched the "Police Bus" video that I posted yesterday. That is crazy. 
• I wrote about the jogger killed on the trail I once jogged on during an organized race and even said, "Heck, that guy sounds like me." His wife killed herself yesterday. 

There's A Secret Cop Bus?

Heads up Dallas people, if you on I-20 between grand Prairie to ftw !!!!! But look how slick they got, full equipped motor coach !!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Bump Williams on Thursday, October 22, 2015

"It's called 'Operation Safe Driver' but you might call it a 'Black Ops Mission'." Good grief.

Watch their intensity over traffic violations. One says, "It's what people do when they think they are not being watched."

Someone define the term "Police State" for me. Oh, ok . .  . thanks:

Speaking Of Dixie

#OleMiss removes state flag, #Confederate cross from campus after student senate vote: https://t.co/QKKrd5Tw4V pic.twitter.com/UJs5EVnR0q

— CNN (@CNN) October 26, 2015

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• Ben Carson is leading in Iowa and just happens to be a Seventh Day Adventist. And then Donald Trump said at a rally on Saturday: "I'm Presbyterian . . . . Boy, that's down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh-day Adventist, I don't know about. I just don't know about." Things seem to be going well for the GOP. They need a leader.
• I made Mrs. LL watch Rear Window on Saturday. I had forgotten how great that movie is. It's about a guy who looks out his apartment window because he has nothing else to do because of a broken leg. He begins to have suspicions that something is amiss and people think he's crazy. But he ends up being right. Two other things: (1) Man, there was some racy parts in there for a PG rating, and (2) The script was brilliantly written with comedy all over the place. (Just read some of the quotes from IMBD).
• Movie thought: I told Mrs. LL this weekend that I thought Leonardo DiCaprio was the greatest actor of this generation. She disagreed. But I told her I'll give her time to name her choice. I'll let you know. 
• I mentioned below that I went with Mrs. LL back to her hometown and she showed me around. That included seeing Abilene play Midland Lee in football.  At halftime I heard Midland Lee's band play Dixie. And then it dawned on me: Midland Lee.
• I saw a crazy coach vs. ref confrontation at the game. A player was hurt and the game was stopped as the coach and the trainer went onto the field to tend to him. There is an issue these days of faking injuries to stop the "hurry up" offenses but, if that kid was faking it, he needs an Academy Award.  But as the coach and trainer were walking the kid off the field - but were still on the field - the ref blew the whistle to resume play. That was insane. I had never seen that. And the coach went ballistic on the ref while on the field. It involved screaming that could have been heard in Odessa. About two play later the ref, with equal vitriol, went off on the coach who was now on the sideline in a "respect my authority" retort.  Mrs. LL told me, "Welcome to west Texas football."
• Get this: There were two males who performed in what old me has always referred to as a "pom pom routine" at halftime. It was right out of Glee. I'm sitting in the middle of redneck west Texas and watching that. I felt like the guy in the Double Rainbow viral video who said, "Is this real life?"
• No one knows what is the cause of the lady plowing into a crowd and killing four at the Oklahoma State homecoming parade. Everyone assumed it was alcohol but that might not be the case. But even in Wise County we know that sometimes people drive crazy and it has nothing to do with drugs or alcohol. 
• I put up a post on Friday about a court opinion invalidating a police stop based upon a girl asleep in the passenger seat. There was a comment made which sounds like it was from a smart cop (or possibly an unethical prosecutor.) I'll paraphrase the comment: "I would make the traffic stop. If I'm wrong then the worst thing that can happen to me is that evidence gets thrown out. If I'm right, I helped a girl." You know what means: "I don't care if what I do is against the law, if I'm doing it for my personal belief of what is the greater good, I don't care." That, gentleman, is a police state mentality. It's OK for Batman to think that, but not the cops.
• Baylor's quarterback has a fractured bone in his neck. (Think about that: Football causes a broken neck -- You sure this sport will survive in the future?)  But back to sports, I said three or four weeks ago that the backup was better than the starter. I guess my designation on Sports Genius will be tested again. 
• I was watching CNN's Headline News on Saturday morning. They ended the segment with a quick bit about mortgage rates. The next commercial was from a mortgage company. 
• Cowboy game observation: Greg Hardy is a psycho.