Prince William Trying To Jinx Marriage

Giving her Princess Diana's ring? Really? Bad karma, buddy.

But get ready for a beat down of Royal Wedding coverage - and, wow, it's been 29 years since his parents had one. (Hey, I'd suggest the Little White Chapel in Vegas -- they can get you in and out of there in a hurry.)

This Is A Little Crazy

The best I can tell, no one died in this soon-to-happen-wreck (and Youtube tends to censor those kind of things), so if you want to watch what happens, here ya go.  But from the screen grab above everything looks perfectly safe. Right?

Trooper Death. No Details.

Had to look up Post, Texas.

Edit: The story.

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• Crazy weekend in the world of DWI: In addition to the 14 year old Intoxication Manslaughter case in Denton, we had a Fort Worth police officer arrested (they continue to be out of control), an allegedly intoxicated lady crashes with her four kids in the car, a cop is hit by an alleged drunk driver on Sunday afternoon on 820, and two died in a one car crash at 3:00 a.m. on Sunday morning on the George Bush Freeway (no mention of alcohol, but I'm guessing.)
• News flash: Having a family is expensive. Sheesh.
• And the amount of garbage and recyclables a family of four produces is astonishing.
• Has ESPN's Chris Berman ever had a pop culture reference about anything after 1980?
• Legal stuff: The Supreme Court granted review in a case yesterday regarding the scope of the Exclusionary Rule. Slowly but surely, it continues to chip away at the greatest constitutional protection we have.
• A rodeo bull jumped into the stands at a Canadian rodeo -- Maybe the INXS song that was playing when he left the gate put him over the edge. 
• I know none of you listen to Mike Huckabee's The Huckabee Report -- it's a five minute radio show that can be heard locally on WBAP at 7:30 a.m.   I dare you to listen to it twice and not come to the conclusion that his humor is about as current as 1965. It is painful. And it truly makes me question his judgment. 
• After months of slowly moving out of it, recarpeting, and repainting it, we're finally getting around to putting Mrs. LL's house in the Lipsey Edition in Decatur on the market. We'll probably shop it here for a couple of weeks before listing it with a Realtor. Email me if interested. (blog2 [at] wisecounty.com)
• And at the risk of sounding like a car salesman: I want to move that thing. 
• It looks like there is a double funeral today at 10:00 a.m. for the two Alvord girls killed over the weekend. 
• And someone wrote me and pointed out there have been four other deaths in that little town within the last week --- all natural causes. 
• Theater of the Bizarre last night on MNF (Philly went up 35-0 after barely a quarter of the game):  Written Off Michael Vick never looked better (6 TDs) and Over Paid Donovan McNabb looked as awful as he really is.
• Whatever happened to humorist Dave Barry?
• iTunes is expected to announce today that it will finally carry the Beatles catalog.  Didn't Michael Jackson buy the rights to it several years ago? I know I heard that but I never hear anything about his Estate being involved in the iTunes negotiations. 
• And I'm leading the courthouse Fantasy Football league at 8-2 and that's despite cutting Michael Vick when I gave up on him after being hurt this year. (Me = Sports Genius.)
• Despite it being in every news story yesterday, a full body scan at the airport doesn't bother me at all. 
• Women's Basketball Anyone? #2 Baylor plays #1 Connecticut today at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN2.  Connecticut brings in a 79 game winning streak.

What Jason Garrett's Wife Looks Like

She (1) is named "Brill", (2) has a degree from Princeton, and (3) a law degree from Harvard. (Source). But she's not listed in the Texas State Bar Directory so I wouldn't plan on seeing her up at the Wise County Courthouse any time soon.

Affluent Dallas Guys Create "Bearded Ski Mask" Product

Not a bad idea.

(Oh, and on an unrelated subject, Ranger pitcher Neftali Feliz was just named American League Rookie of the Year.)

(And more unrelated: The Philadelphia Eagles just lost their minds and gave QB Donovan McNabb a contract extension with $40 million guaranteed.) Edit: Ok, Ok. Redskins. Redskins.  I can never picture him out of that green uniform.

Beautiful Wedding Entrance

Random Monday Morning Thoughts

• A 14 year old in Denton drives drunk and kills a 14 year old passenger?
• Weird Facebook description of what happened to a Bridgeport High graduate who is about my age: "He was found wandering in a neighbor's yard at around 6:00 am. He was barefoot and not making sense. They called the ambulance and he collapsed and stopped breathing. Ericka said they started CPR and that took so long that it broke his ribs. His body temp was 85. He is on a ventilator now and has abdominal bleeding. They are care flighted him to JPS Then Ericka had also reported yesterday afternoon his kidneys had completely shut down..........."
• NASCAR: I really couldn't care less about the "sport" but its scoring system for The Chase is silly. Jimmy Johnson, who is in second place must win the last race AND lead the most laps in order to win the championship. Dumb.
• An oldie but goodie: Clumsy groomsman causes splash (although some people think it's fake.)
• Jessica Simpson is engaged to former NFL player Eric Johnson. Uh, who's Eric Johnson?
• Got to hear a tense lesson about "plagiarism" last night within the Family Unit. At least is started with the kid asking if it was alright to do what she did for her homework assignment. 
• I don't know anything about the Pacquiao fight at Cowboys' Stadium on Saturday night other than he threw 1,060 punches. Uh, that's a lot isn't it? (And this is what you look like after being on the receiving end of those punches.)
• Before we all decide the Cowboys have turned things around, we might want to tap the brakes. Take away the 100+ yard interception return for a TD which amounts to a 14 point swing, and that game is completely different. 
• I'd of been a little scared if I were in Giants Stadium when the lights went out. Edit: Bloody brawl in the stands. 
• Mrs. LL is still gimped up with her wrists. She'll have to undergo one test, which I think is just a formality, before they/we decide about surgery. 
• MADD wants ignition interlock devices installed in all vehicles. Amazingly, I bet that happens one of these days. (It's not illegal to drink and then drive. It's illegal to drink, become intoxicated, then drive.)
• A Fiona "Hey, Now"
• Boise State is going to end up jumping TCU in the BCS after Boise beats Nevada. (Sorry, Jarhead.) 
• The First Baptist Church of Dallas unveils plans for a fountain that makes me ask "WWJD?"

College Football Redux

• The Empire loses again and now has to win its last two games to become bowl eligible. That means any bowl.
• The Aggies are good. If Baylor had a defense, they'd be great. They don't and they aren't.
• Three Southern Miss football players were shot in a bar last night and are in critical condition? Edit: Upgraded to "stable".
• Boise State jumps TCU in the AP Poll this morning.
• Pro ball: Cowboy's  Marion Barber ignored the new coach's dress code this morning. Cut him before the game and send a message. 

Baylor v. The Ags Tonight

Once again, I don't have a good feel about this.

Edit: Crazy first half at the Good Ags have THREE touchdowns called back for penalties.

Edit: Oh, my. As time expires in the second half, the Ags block a Baylor field goal and return it to .... oh.....no...wait ... he's going to score!!.....no .... stopped ..the six inch line. Time expires. Heart. Beating.

Still One Of The Messenger's Best Bits: Crime Report

Playoffs? You're Talking About Playoffs?

Thursday, Nov. 11 at Burleson
Boyd	12
Maypearl	21
	FINAL
Friday, Nov. 12 at Saginaw
Decatur	13
Kennedale	63
	FINAL
Friday, Nov. 12 at Boswell
Alvord	32
Hico	14
	FINAL
Friday, Nov. 12 at Desoto
Bridgeport	43
West	6
	FINAL

And as for Bridgeport, looking at the scores of their next opponent is not a promising sign. The game will be at Stephenville.

Alvord, whose trials and tribulations were featured on Fox 4 last night (no link yet), face Idalou (7-3) at a site to be determined.

From The First Warn Double Fake Storm Tracker Center

I'd say that front blew in at, oh, I don't know, about 1:30 p.m.

Link.

Edit: And here are some pics of snow in Amarillo today. Edit: Oops - the link.

Garfield Cartoon That Ran On Veteran's Day Got The Author In Trouble

Story.

Meet Harvey Westmoreland

Just listening to the guy as they cut away to the book-in photos makes me think "Southern Style" indeed.

Completely Missed This Before I Headed Off To Doctor This Morning

Awful.

Star-Telegram story.
Denton Record Chronicle story.
Dallas Morning News story (same as DRC but has comments.)

Edit: Wow. Someone already has put together a tribute to the girls.



Edit: Wow again. That Delaney Mancil was seriously injured when hit by a train earlier this year. (Past blog post about it here.)

Random Friday Morning Thoughts

• Our school sent out an info sheet saying that the kids might be screened for depression to prevent suicide. The 7th grader handed it to me because she did "really understand it."  I simply said they might check the kids for "depression" (without mentioning the suicide thing). "What's that?" she said. "Uh," I replied. "That's when you're really, really sad all the time and you can't pull out of it."  "Oh," she said. "That's the complete opposite of me!"  Now that made my smile. 
• I thought the wheels-off-book-in-photo-DWI-defendant might get life in prison. He did. 
• A graphic on Thursday Night Football last night showed that the Cowboy's Danny White started out at 18-1 at home. Man, he's underrated.
• I'm waiting at a doctor's office this morning. 
• It looks like the cold front with thunderstorms might roll in at the same time as all the playoff games tonight. 
• I watched the first have of 30 for 30's documentary on former OU recruit Marcus Dupree. It is absolutely fantastic.
• Mrs. LL got a new phone which has the additional video camera facting her which allows video telephone calls.  She successfully executed one yesterday -- closest thing to the Jetson's that I've seen so far.
• Try explaining what Peter Gabriel's Shock The Monkey is about to kids. I doubt if Peter Gabriel knows what it is about. 
• The guy that jumped on the back of the JFK limousine right after the gun shots was on Fox and Friends this morning him. See him.
• Speaking of that show, Cloris Leachman was on this morning. That lady is certifiable crazy. 
• If you watched all the video that was uploaded to YouTube today only, it would take you over five years. 
• 60 Minutes will do a segment on Sunday on folks that have become millionaires by allowing drilling on their property within the Barnett Shale. Any Wise County folks going to make an appearance. 

That Didn't Go Well

I saw the headline this morning and was hoping the video would be put up. This was in Ohio yesterday -- no one was injured but the broken power lines left thousands without electricity for a while.